56. Chapter 56 - Magnus
CHAPTER 56 - MAGNUS
THE PATH TO BALLOCH CASTLE - 1710
O n our walk I pulled up beside Wilfred and then Sean joined and the three of us walked apart from everyone else.
“What are yer intentions with m’mother beyond marriage, Wilfred?”
“Your Majesty, I am simply?—”
“Ye daena hae tae call me that, ye can call me Magnus.”
He grimaced. “It does not sound right, but I will try.”
Sean said, “And ye can call me Laird Sean the Majestic.”
Wilfred said, “I suppose you want an explanation.”
We both said, “Aye.”
He said, as we walked along the path, “When I was given the award earlier in the year, I was fortunate to have Mairead attend me to the ceremony. At the time, I was bringing top dollar to the box office earnings, in demand. But I have ruined my career with um… an unfortunate affair.”
“With whom?”
“The director’s wife.”
I nodded.
Sean asked, “The director, who is the director?”
“The man in charge of the movie.”
Sean said, “Och, and ‘the movie’ was yer livelihood?”
“Yes.”
“These are bad choices, ye risked yer livelihood tae satisfy yer cock? If ye are goin’ tae embroil yerself with Lady Mairead ye will need far more wit.”
Wilfred pulled his collar from his throat.
I asked, “What happened next?”
“I have not been hired since, and I found myself very soured about my future prospects until Mairead invited me to the castle and we discovered that we rather enjoyed keeping each other company. She had many concerns and I found myself able to comfort her and our discussions were?—”
Sean said, “I bet ye comforted her.”
He said, “I have simply tried to be of help. Then we decided to marry. I understand that she is far above me in station.”
I said, “By leagues.”
“Yes, and that, Your Majesty, you could rightly assume that I am marrying her for wealth and power, but…”
“What if I stripped her of all her wealth and power, would ye still want tae marry her?”
“I cannot say, truly, because I am assured that much of her wealth and power has not been bestowed on her by you, Your Majesty, but built by Mairead, and therefore intrinsically tied to her being. You are correct in your worry that I am marrying out of my league, but all this really means is that I can be divorced and left with nothing.”
“True.”
“I cannot answer it, except to say, I am devoted to her.”
I shook my head. “But dost ye ken about her temperament?”
He smiled. “If you mean her murderous side…? Or when she tells me to wheesht because I am ‘too stupid to listen to’ with one breath and then asks my opinion the next?”
I chuckled.
Sean said, “Ye are a courageous man. There inna another man for miles who would ask for her hand. They would be too terrified.”
Lady Mairead walked up. “Magnus, hae ye given yer permission for us tae marry?”
I said, “Lady Mairead, when hae ye ever needed my permission tae do anything?”
Sean said, “Mother, ye haena asked for my permission!”
“Ye are not the king, and I ken ye will give it because ye are not so demanding of me. Ye will just be amused by the whole thing, Magnus must weigh the needs of the kingdom against his own wishes, and then decide tae tip the scales toward what I want for once.”
I said, “I give my permission. I am not so cruel tae deny ye — ye had my permission from the first moment. Ye hae rescued us and I am grateful, I am sorry I left ye alone for so long in the keeping of the kingdom, Lady Mairead, ye deserve a companion.”
Fraoch walked up, overhearin’ the last of it. “Ye welcomin’ Wilfrey tae the family? Does he like tae fish?”
Wilfred said, “I have never fished a day in my life.”
Fraoch grinned. “Well, I suppose ye are pretty enough, ye daena hae tae work so hard tae win the lasses. But for those of us that canna get by on our looks, we must provide.”
Lochinvar walked up and whispered, “Now that we ken Sean is well, when will we return?”
“Ye ready tae go speak tae yer lass, Lochinvar?”
He put his hand over the chest pocket where he held the pages and said, “Aye.”