Chapter Thirteen #2
‘Never, but... Ailsa, how long does it take to make the oil?’ Frederick said.
‘Hours,’ Ailsa said. ‘Days if done right, which means she had it ready when they arrived.’
‘Hamish knew of the King’s demand. He may have known that Lochmores arrived on McCrieff land that day, but as for the rest...’ Frederick stood, his feet heavy against the wood floor, his body towering over her, over Mary.
‘It was meant for me,’ Frederick concluded.
Mary howled.
As the cold truth of it swept over her, Ailsa lost the ability to kneel and sat heavily on the ground.
‘Ailsa?’ Rory asked, concern sweeping away all anger from his voice.
‘I’ll be well,’ Ailsa said, still averting her eyes from Rory and his friend, who would appreciate knowing he had some privacy when he woke. ‘Care for Paiden.’
‘The bastard’s heavy. He’ll hear of this later.’
Ailsa welcomed the relief in Rory’s voice. Despite what occurred in the room, if all went well, Rory would have Paiden well again.
Still... ‘My father. You meant injury to my father?’
‘Hamish meant ill to your father,’ Frederick corrected. He placed a hand on Mary’s shoulder. She startled.
‘Talk to me,’ he demanded. ‘As Ailsa’s father, tell me what happened.’
Mary raised her head. ‘Hamish. He ordered me to.’
‘How much did he tell you?’
‘He knows what you wanted from Lochmores.’ She gulped, rubbed her nose on her sleeve. ‘He knew that when they came, you would not oust them from McCrieff land. That you...intended to grant them the land.’
‘Were you angry about my decision?’
‘My father wouldn’t like it.’
‘Did your father know?’
‘Hamish told me to be quiet.’ She wiped her face, glanced at Ailsa and then back to Frederick. ‘He didn’t mention the marriage.’
‘How did the goblet get to Paiden instead of Frederick?’ Rory asked.
Mary shook her head. ‘I don’t know. I was so specific. I couldn’t be there because I was supposed to be caring for Hamish as Ailsa told me to.’
‘You couldn’t be there because you didn’t want to watch my father collapse to the ground!’ Ailsa said, the venom in her voice not feigned this time.
Mary met her eyes. Agony. Regret. ‘Yes.’
‘What happened since then?’ Frederick said.
‘I thought Paiden would wake,’ Mary said. ‘I haven’t been giving him any more, honest. Just that once and by accident.’
‘Why isn’t he waking?’ Rory said, a grunt to his voice, a thump of a leg or arm flopping to the floor.
‘Because—’ Ailsa started, the truth of it all sinking in. ‘Because he’s been getting it from other sources. The clothes, the wash water to take care of sores. We’ve been using cloves as well to help with stomach ailments. Our curing has been harming him.’
‘And Hamish?’ Frederick stated. ‘He’s not waking either, is he? Did you give him the same oil?’
Mary raised her chin. ‘I couldn’t... I wouldn’t allow him to make any more orders.’
‘Ah...’ Frederick pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘You were ordered to harm me by Hamish and you did it because of your own family, because you are loyal to the Chief.’
At Mary’s quick nod, her father continued, ‘You should be loyal to the Chief, child.’
It was true. If the Chief gave an order, it was punishable if it wasn’t followed. Ailsa felt all the hatred drain instantly. Her father didn’t seem surprised or angry that Mary had done what she had. Her father acted as if he’d expected it. From the ‘others’ he’d mentioned, perhaps?
Frederick cleared his throat. ‘But the poison accidentally went to the Lochmores and Rory married Ailsa. You care for her, don’t you?’
Mary nodded, tears pouring from her eyes. ‘I wasn’t go-going to murder Hamish, just keep him sleeping until the marriage was done, until matters were...settled. I don’t know why he isn’t waking.’
‘It’s because you haven’t been trained, Mary,’ Hannah said. ‘It’s because he is already sick!’
‘I’m sorry!’ Mary burst into tears, her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. She curled up even tighter in the corner.
Rory scrubbed Paiden from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, between his toes and fingers.
He poured the water over him, grateful there were other buckets here for other uses.
They didn’t smell of rosemary or clove, but the water was ice cold.
He knew it because he’d poured almost half of it on himself.
Paiden didn’t wake through it all which Rory was grateful for.
He wanted only one of them to remember this and even then he hoped enough ale and time would allow him to blur the details.
He wasn’t trained to put braies on another man and Paiden would have new bruises.
But the deed was done; his friend was out of harm’s way.
As for Hamish, as far as Rory was concerned, he would never be out of harm’s way. To lose Paiden would have been to lose family. Paiden...
At Mary’s apology, he tore his attention from Paiden to his wife and watched Ailsa stumble over to the sobbing woman to clasp her close.
Anger mottled her cheeks, but his wife, the healer, gave comfort where it was needed because she cared. When Mary cried harder, Hannah flew to her side. Ailsa murmured words he couldn’t hear, but Frederick’s oath was firm and resolute. ‘How far my clan has fallen. My God, I will repair this.’
Rory knew, absolutely knew they wouldn’t ferret out all the deception.
Even here, Mary confessed to her intention to poison the McCrieff’s Tanist because of her father’s loyalties.
Even Mary, not quite a woman full grown, was divided.
The entire clan of McCrieffs was divided.
With his marriage to Ailsa, he had tied his own clan to lies and deceit, murderers and traitors.
He was helpless to fix any of it, to slash his sword and order executions because there were innocents here as well.
Mary was both loyal and a traitor. Their future was dark.
Then Ailsa turned her head to look his way. Her eyes were green like spring grass, new and full of promise, and Rory knew, no matter the future, he’d marry her again if he could.