Chapter Eight #2
Agnes darted around him to leap into her father’s arms. He was a big man, almost as tall as he, but thicker around the middle and had a burly look about him. His hair was bright red, and he wore a thick beard, but the eyes were unmistakable. Icy blue, like his daughter.
“Father, I have so much to tell you.”
“Aye, daughter, I already know far more than you think.”
She leaned back from him and then looked at William. He wanted to keep some surprises to himself and so shrugged and said, “I know nothing of what your father speaks.”
He then came forward and grasped the man’s arm in greeting.
“Montrose, it has been far too long, and I am pleased to see you are well.”
“Aye, my lord. I thank you for your hospitality.”
“I haven’t given it yet,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. He was going to make William squirm, and rightly so. He’d have done exactly the same if a similar circumstance had befallen his sister.
“Father!” Agnes said and swatted his arm.
“I have one question for you both first.”
William knew what the question was though Agnes didn’t appear so. Her cheeks were not yet flushed but they would be.
“Is my daughter intact?” His question was fair and plain and said without malice. He was a father doing his duty and expecting the respect that demanded.
“Aye, my lord. Your daughter has not been sullied or harmed in any way. Her virtue is perfectly intact.”
“So why the long list of requests including her hand?”
“Your daughter is a beautiful, eligible woman.”
“Aye, that she is.”
“And I am a suitable match.”
“That you are. And—”
He was going to make him say it before he’d even said it to her.
“And as my long list of requests should prove, I care for your daughter and want to spend the rest of my life making her happy.”
By now, Agnes’s cheeks were full-on flushed.
Her father nodded and stroked his beard then narrowed his eyes. After what seemed like an age, he said, “Very well, Montrose. Welcome to the family.”
What followed was a bear crushing hug that would have damaged a weaker man, but William was grateful for the man’s acceptance and blessing.
“Thank you for the honor of allowing me to wed your daughter, my lord.”
“Ye don’t have that yet,” a strong female voice said from behind the earl. “Not until I lay eyes on ye and determine for myself if you’re worthy of our Agnes.”
She was a small woman who packed a large personality into her tiny frame. He could only imagine the dynamic between the two of them if they ever disagreed.
“Now bend down and let me see you proper,” she said. She took his face in her tiny hands and looked into his eyes with no fear. “If you ever do anything to cause grief to my Agnes, I’ll box your ears, and I don’t care how tall the ladder has to be for me to climb up and do it.”
“I understand, my lady, and I promise.”
“All that remains then is for you to ask her with us as witness.”
They’d already done that, but he’d do it a thousand times over if it meant being one step closer to making her his.
William turned to Agnes who stood there wide-eyed and wringing her hands.
He took her hands in his and said, “Agnes Sinclair, daughter of the Chief of Clan Sinclair and the Earl of Caithness, will you be my wife and make me the happiest man in all of Scotland?”
“Aye, William, I will.” She smiled as he kissed the back of both hands and took hers in his as they turned to address her parents.
“I have only one thing to debate, Montrose.”
William didn’t think he’d forgotten anything. “Of course, my lord.”
“Well then, two things. I am the happiest man in all of Scotland and that is not up for debate.” He kissed the top of his wife’s head. “And now we are family, you will call me Hugh.”
“I concur then on both counts.”
Agnes’s mother then whisked her away to somewhere inside the castle leaving William and Hugh alone. There was much more to be said, and it could not be done with the ladies present.
“Will you take some ale with me in my solar?”
“Aye, I would like that. There is much I could not include in my letter.”
“You managed to include quite a lot,” he said with a grin and slapped William on the shoulder.
He liked Hugh immediately. There would be no back doors with this man who would be forthcoming about his knowledge of his brother and of the others mentioned in the missives.
Once seated in the man’s solar, William took the time to look around. The window overlooking the sea was covered with glass panes with thin metal bars running diagonally to one another. He marveled at how pristine they were considering the constant onslaught of sea spray.
“We hang men from the roof to clean them,” Hugh said not cracking a smile.
William couldn’t tell if he was serious or if it was a small way of keeping him on guard from a protective father.
Hugh passed him a rather large tankard filled to the top with ale.
“Now that is the best ale you will ever have.”
William took a sip and though it was heavy and strong, it was surprisingly smooth.
“Aye, I believe it might be.”
Hugh winked. “An ancient recipe from the monks of Iona themselves. Or so I’m told.” His head fell back and boisterous laughter erupted from within him.
“Now,” he said after he’d settled. “Tell me all about what my conniving brother has done this time.”
William recapped the entirety of the plot.
To his credit, Hugh did not interrupt or offer any expression or noise to indicate whether he believed any or all of it.
So William left out no detail including what the king had indicated about Agnes, what his intentions had been, and that the queen felt her innocent.
“And what do you believe, Montrose?”
“Obviously I believe she had no part in it and was not supportive of your brother’s planning. Though I do understand from her, he tried to school her on the journey to Stirling.”
“School her how?”
“He told her of certain clan histories and made her repeat and memorize their war cry.”
“Loyalty is everything,” Hugh said.
He would have been aware of the clans or portion of clans who opposed the current king, but how much did he know of the combined group of men who went so far as to plan an attack or even an assassination on the king and his queen?
William believed Hugh to be on the right side of the situation, but how far would he go to protect his fellow Highlanders? That question would remain unanswered.