Chapter Twenty-Two #2
“Are you ready? We must move quickly and not look back. Do not look back.”
Catching sight of the bloodied dagger in his hand, she nodded, though not sure at all.
But something in his gaze told her that her life depended on getting away from here, and that he was the way to do that.
And with what she knew, she needed to return to Dunstaffnage before they executed Sebastien.
James Douglas leaned back and let his laughter roar out. Then he shook his head as he looked once more at the pair of scraggly men standing before him. Well, one man and one woman. Her displeasure at his mirth was clear.
“James, this is a serious matter. You know he is not a traitor.”
“Aye, my lady. Just as I know that you are,” he said with a nod of his head.
“Touché,” Lara answered. He had to admit that her voice did wonderful things with French words. Her tongue curled in the just the correct manner to soften the sounds…and heat a man’s blood. Even filthy and dressed as a man, she was appealing.
“I must see the king on Sebastien’s behalf.”
“I fear not, my lady. I do not trust you enough to allow you access to the king.”
“So, then, you would allow the king to execute his own brother and not tell him so?”
“My lady, you try my patience!” Then he heard the last words she’d said. He searched her face for some indication of whether she spoke the truth or not.
“Aye, James Douglas, you heard me. Sebastien of Cleish is Robert’s own brother.”
“You have proof of such a claim?” He crossed his arms and waited for her reply. The defeated expression on her face told him the answer.
“But there is proof. If you let me into Dunstaffnage, I can get it and bring it to the king.”
He laughed again, but she stopped him with a poke in his chest. “If you are his true friend, you will at least see the proof and do what you can to help him.”
He stopped laughing then and accepted the inevitable. “Tell me what I must find, lady, and be quick about it.”
The news reached even the most isolated place in the castle—the Bruce had arrived.
Sebastien heard one of the servants tell the guard when they brought him food.
He’d thought about his dilemma and still saw no way out of it that did not damn her or the children or his honor.
He knew that Robert would most likely seek a private word with him before reviewing the matter in public, so he waited.
James had not been back to talk with him, nor Hugh, but Sebastien suspected that was to avoid any challenges to their authority.
He wondered what his men must think of this.
Well, there was not much to do now. He was not sure that Robert would understand the choices he’d made, but he would comprehend the need for his word to stand.
The guard came to the door and announced a visitor, and Sebastien stood and waited for Robert to enter.
Instead, a much smaller man entered and stood before him.
Surprise turned to shock as he gazed at his wife’s face.
Before he could respond, James Douglas pushed her forward and entered the cell behind her.
“’Twould seem all your good efforts are for naught, Sebastien. Look who returned to Dunstaffnage this morn.”
He could not look at her or he would waver. She must get away or everything would be in danger. She would be in danger.
“James, if you are my friend, take her from here and let her go. For all the times I covered your arse, let her go.”
“I tried that, but she will not be put out,” James said. “I am having nightmares over her threats of bodily harm if I do not come to your aid.” He laughed. “Between the two of you, I do not know which to fear most.”
“Lara, you must go. James, please.” He would beg if that’s what it took.
“But Sebastien, she tells such an interesting tale. You should hear it before you send her away.”
“Lara, do not say a word.”
“It is too late, Sebastien. I have told him everything—about my family’s plans, about the information I provided to them, about…you.”
“What about me?” What did she mean?
“Everyone knows you are a man of honor. No one can believe that you would betray the Bruce, a man whom you pledged your word to, a man I know is your brother.”
The light in the cell changed somehow, and he gazed at her across the small distance. She knew? How did she know? Words would not form in his mouth, but from the knowing smirk on James’s face, this came as no surprise to him.
“How did you find out?” he asked. Only Hugh knew, and he would never have betrayed Sebastien’s secret unless Sebastien gave him leave to do so.
“I should have realized it when I saw the two of you together, and I cannot believe that canny James Douglas has missed the resemblance for this long.”
“Lady, you are trying my patience once more,” James growled from his place near the door. “I would have you beaten if you were my wife.”
“Your coloring is different, of course, but you share the same nose.” She laughed then, a sound welcome to his heart, and one he did not think to ever hear again. “And, more importantly, the same father.”
“It means nothing, Lara. If I had wanted the protection of his name I would have sought it out long ago. I have made my own way all of my life and will not hide now behind a name.”
She continued as though she’d heard none of his words. “I found the ring when I took the cross from your trunk, Sebastien. I did not recognize the insignia as the Bruce’s family mark until I saw the documents carried by Munro. I realized then that you were one of them.”
“Munro saw you to safety then?”
She nodded.
Good. His man was in the right place at the time of most serious need, as he’d planned.
“And killed Eachann,” she said, her voice trembling now, and Sebastien fought the urge to go to her side.
He nodded, pleased that Munro understood completely what had to be done and did it, although deep inside a part of him wished he had wielded the weapon causing his enemy’s death. He hoped it was not too swift a death.
“Do not try to distract me, Sebastien. I saw the same seal on the documents he carried to ease his way through the Bruce’s camps.”
“Anyone can have a ring.” He did not know why he fought to keep it a secret still. It truly did not speak to the issue of treason and the evidence against him.
“Aye, but I also read your will.”
“My will? How did you get to these things?” If she’d read his words, then she knew for certain.
“James the Canny sought them out for me.” She gestured to him with her head, and Sebastien held in his laugh. “He did not trust me in the same castle with the Bruce.”
“You know he takes his reputation and his duties very seriously, lass. I would not be insulting him. He will be your safe passage out of here once you both understand what must happen next.”
Lara walked to him and touched his cheek. “I would do anything for you, Sebastien. I will even save you when you will not save yourself.”
“There is no need for you to say anything.”
“I heard my father’s plans. I heard how he—they—used the information I gave them, not just to attack the Bruce’s forces, but to destroy you as well.
Even they who have no honor recognized that you would damn yourself before you broke your word to me.
And they willingly used me, just as you warned they would do. ”
“Lara, please, say no more. James will have no choice but to tell the Bruce, and I will have no way to save you.” He shook his head and tried to step away from her, but she followed him.
“Sebastien, you need to know this. They attacked one of their own men and left him for dead, telling him that you were his assailant. They put that cross in his hand, and that is how you were linked to his death. Eachann put a letter inside your tunic when he struck you to provide them with ‘proof’ that you were plotting with my father to hold Dunstaffnage for yourself.”
He leaned in close to her and said softly, “I know that their proof is false, Lara. It changes nothing. The only choice I have is to sacrifice you, and that is not an option.”
“Mayhap the king will hear my words asking for his mercy. Mayhap he will understand the weakness of a woman trying to protect her own siblings and people, as he has had to do. Mayhap he will wait until the babe is born before deciding its mother’s fate.”
“Babe? Babe?” he stuttered. They were to have a bairn of their own?
“Mayhap he has, lady?”
The voice that came from behind Lara was not James’s. She gasped as the king pulled open the cell door and entered.
“Sire,” Sebastien said, bowing to his brother.
“You are wrong about one thing, Sebastien. Not just anyone can have this ring.” Robert held out his father’s—their father’s—ring to him.
“He told me he had them made for his sons, both legitimate and natural. He may have known only of your existence when he gave this to your mother, but he would have summoned you to him if he’d had an opportunity to do so.
I have only recently lost brothers, and cannot so easily allow another to die in defense of his wife.
” Two of Robert’s brothers, and his half brothers, had been executed by Edward in a hideous manner after their capture.
“Sire, she was forced to help them. She was beaten, anyone here can tell you—” he began to explain.
The king held up his hand to stop him. “And everyone has told me. You have the most opinionated group of men serving you, Sebastien. And the women are no better. One, called Margaret I think, has no fear.” He looked at both of them and shook his head.
“I knew that you would face challenges in your marriage to her, but this is more that I expected any of my vassals to face. I could intercede on your behalf if you wish for an end to it.”
The king turned to face James and then turned back.
“I am willing to forgo any judgments or punishments until we have had a chance to talk about all of these things and about why you have not brought news of our kinship to me before this.” Robert walked to the door.
“She has promised to be a good and obedient wife from now forward, Sebastien, and I will take her at her word. With your strong guidance and her remorse, I believe she can be controlled and not repeat her offenses.”
James coughed as though choking, but stepped back to allow the king passage. Shaking his head, he followed Robert out of the cell. Sebastien could hear his words, for he was certain that James made no attempt to hide them. “She has not been yet, sire, why do you think she will be now?”
Sebastien suddenly realized they were alone, alive, and the door was open. He opened his arms to her and she stepped into them. “Obedient? You promised him you would be obedient?”
“Well,” she said, smiling at him, “other than this, I have been obedient.”
“Other than leaving against my orders, coming back against my orders and revealing what I told you not to reveal, when did your obedience begin?”
“You would have sacrificed your life for me,” she said, putting her head on his shoulder.
“I promised you that I would protect you. If you could trust me, we might have avoided much of this.”
“If I had trusted you, so much loss could have been prevented.” She leaned back and looked at him, her eyes bleak with the same thought he had. “Philippe. The other lives shed because of my words. I will regret their deaths forever, Sebastien.”
“Lara, the boy’s death was my fault. I knew that Eachann had my plans by then. You were not the only one of his spies here. I should have protected him by leaving him behind. You did warn me. You begged me not to take him. Although I did not know why, I should have listened to you.”
They were quiet then and he thought of the smiling boy whose life had been lost in his service. The king was no doubt handling matters of treachery and clearing their way above stairs, so they should follow.
“Come, Lara. We should see what the king wants of us. And you should change out of these clothes.”
“I used to wear something like this when I learned to climb the walls of the castle.”
He felt faint. Blinking, he shook his head. “Never tell me that you climbed the walls to get in here today.”
“Oh, nay. I just threatened a pox on James’s essential parts if he would not help me.”
“I do not wonder why he fears you, lady. He needs those if he wants to start his own family.”
“Come now, Sebastien,” she said, as he took her hand and led her out of the cell. “He needs those parts to pleasure a certain kitchen maid named Peggy.”
Sebastien laughed for a moment, knowing that Lara would give James no quarter in the future. “We have much to discuss and many things to do.”
The Lord and Lady of Dunstaffnage were greeted by their people as they entered the hall. The Campbells were gone, and apparently the king’s declaration that Sebastien was still in his esteem had smoothed the way quite nicely for them.
Sebastien was not happy when he discovered that Robert would stay for several more days…and use their chambers, as befitted his station as king. But he knew that the Bruce, having not visited there for some time, would not miss the strange, large chair from the bedroom.