Chapter 18
MAGNUS
LIZBETH CANNA SETTLE HER MIND
We heard someone comin’ up the far stair. “Liam’s come tae join us on this fair night.”
But beside him was Lizbeth, holdin’ a plastic raincoat above her head tae keep the rain off. She held back, near the wall, while Liam approached, and nodded, “Magnus, yer sister wanted tae speak tae ye.”
“I daena think she has wanted tae speak tae me on the walls before.”
Sean said, “Definitely not in the rain in the middle of the night.”
Liam said, “Tis important, she canna settle her mind.”
“Aye, I understand.”
I walked down through the puddles on the parapet tae discuss…
“Lizbeth, tis too wet for ye, tis not fit—”
“Ye are here, and I want tae speak tae ye.”
“Aye, but I am a bear, tis not fit for a lady tae be here.”
“I behaved horribly, Young Magnus. I need ye tae…” She looked distressed.
“Och nae, Lizbeth, tis alright,” I looked back at Sean and Liam at the walls. “Dost ye want tae go tae yer chamber, where tis dry?”
She nodded.
I gestured tae Liam that we were goin’ down, put out my arm for her tae take, and the two of us went quietly down the stairs tae their chamber.
She opened the door on a fine sitting room, a well tended hearth with a warming fire. She dropped her raincoat tae the floor and a maid whisked it away. “Would ye like a drink, Young Magnus?”
“I had a great deal of whisky earlier…”
“I hae some wine.”
“That would be good.”
She poured wine in two glasses and sat down on the settee, leavin’ me what was likely Liam’s chair.
I said, “I haena been in here for a verra long time.”
She nodded. “The children of Lady Mairead prefer a Great Hall tae a small chamber sitting room, the former is where the spectacle can be made. We do love a spectacle.” She sipped from her drink. “I am dreadfully ashamed of mine tonight.” She put the glass down.
“Ye daena need tae worry about anything ye said, I winna think on it again, I promise. I ken ye feel saddened, I just want ye tae be well.”
She put down her glass on the small table and looked down at her hands.
I saw a slight tremble tae her chin. “Och nae…” I put down my own glass and reached between us for her hands and held them on her knees, bent over, head bowed.
“Lizbeth, ye must forgive me for seemin’ unfeeling.”
“I daena think ye are unfeelin’, I ken ye arna, ye hae a verra big heart, and my own is verra large, tis unlikely we could hae possibly come from our mother.”
“Och, ye are joking,” I put a hand on my chest. “Ye must hae forgiven me if ye are jokin’.”
She patted the back of my other hand. “What, Young Magnus, would I need tae forgive ye for? Ye are just tryin’ tae make everything well for us.”
I looked at her face from under my brow. “Tis what Liam has told ye tae say?”
“Liam would never tell me what tae say, but he is a good man and has suffered greatly because of my behavior. His brother-in-law, the king, has offered him a position in his kingdom, and his sons a title. All would be well if only his wife would agree and stop, as he might say, being so troubled, or as ye might say, unreasonable.”
I exhaled.
She continued. “Instead he just wishes I would be well. All the good men of my life wish I would be well.”
“What of Sean?”
“Sean wishes I were well.”
“Liam haena told ye what tae say—”
“But I ken tis what he wants. He wants the position ye hae offered. He daena really understand it, but he kens tis a good bargain for him, for his sons, for our… for me as well. Sean kens tis good fortune. He is cautious, but he kens tis a great honor tae hae his brother, the king, offer tae make him a duke and give him riches beyond his imaginings.”
“But he is cautious.”
“Aye, because none of them truly kens what lies beyond.” She slid her hands from mine, picked up her drink, and drank it down.
“Dost ye ken what lays beyond?”
She nodded, but dinna answer.
I urged, “What dost ye think?”
“I think what lays beyond will be confounding, twill likely confuse and possibly destroy, tis a world in which my mother rules, and there are frightening villains who winna allow ye tae rest, and everything is unsettled because my husband and sons winna be able tae take care of me as they should.”
I finished my wine. “The case could be made, Lizbeth, that ye daena ken what ye are talking about as ye hae never been tae the kingdom of Riaghalbane before.”
“I remember the way it weighed on yer heart, Young Magnus, tae be a man out of time. Twas not a goodness; ye wondered if it might be a sin.”
“Tis true, I did wonder it, I did worry about it a great deal, and aye, twas nae easy, tis never easy, but… I hae fought tae hae a moment of peace. We hae wealth and safety, I will protect ye, I will care for ye.”
“Ye ken that is not what I am saying, tis not yer job, tis Liam’s chore tae care for me, and what good are sons if they arna tae take care of their mother?”
“Hae ye spoken tae Sean on this? He said the same thing earlier, he is worried his sons winna be capable in Riaghalbane.”
“I hae spoken tae him, aye, tis a verra real worry.”
I nodded, gravely, chewing my lip, then I reached for the bottle of wine, dragged it over, and poured some in both our glasses.
“So ye arna able tae be comfortable with the place I hae offered ye?”
She shook her head sadly. “But I canna do anything about it, Young Magnus. How can I take the position from my husband, from my sons? They would never forgive me. Sean would never speak tae me again, his sons would hate me, we hae already told the Earl we are leaving, he is counting on givin’ our rooms away…
Ye hae given us an amazing opportunity that will upend everything in our lives.
” She leveled her eyes on me. “Tis too late tae speak up on it.”
I frowned.
“Ye ken the why of it, ye understand, Lizbeth, daena ye understand?”
“Explain it again, maybe twill set my heart at ease.”
“The Earl is auld and an arse. He is goin’ tae pass this household down tae his son, a man who is also an arse and—”
“John daena like the place, maybe he winna be here often.”
I nodded. “Could be, and he might let ye stay and take care of the place. Over time yer sons could become the caretakers and there could be generations of yer side of the family carin’ for the lands and household of the Earl’s side of the family.”
She frowned.
I continued, “It could happen that way. But ye forget John’s wife, she daena like ye much.”
“The feeling is mutual. She tries tae subvert me and is always tryin’ tae turn Maggie away from me.”
“She daena like the power ye hold over the household — dost ye think she is willin’ tae allow it tae stay the same when her husband owns the place?”
She looked away.
“And what if she has ye thrown out, or worse, makes ye so miserable ye canna find any peace?”
She said, “I would ask m’brother, the king, tae give us a place then.”
I put my chin on my hand. “Aye tis true. The case might be made that I am movin’ ye too early. But a lot else can happen, and ye are forgettin’ that I also need ye.”
“Ye said so, ye want us tae run yer kingdom.”
“Aye, I am payin’ ye a compliment. Ye are the only person who can run m’household. Lady Mairead tries, but she is not verra good at it. Ye would be much better, and I need Sean and Liam.”
She leveled her eyes. “What good tae ye, Young Magnus, is an eighteenth century man, when ye hae a kingdom full of men from that time? When I hear ye make the case I think ye must be lyin’ tae convince us. Ye ought tae ken better than tae lie.”
I huffed.
She said, “If ye canna make the case that we should move tae the future without lyin’ about it, ye ought not make the case, because ye sound untrustworthy.”
“Lizbeth, ye are being cruel.”
“I am nae, Magnus, I just want ye tae tell me the truth.”
“The truth is I daena think ye can stay here. I admire ye and Sean and Liam too much tae allow ye tae work for m’uncle who inna admirable — ye ken he is nae — and so I want ye tae live somewhere else where ye will hae the respect ye deserve.
And also, I daena want tae spoil history by givin’ ye too much information, but the politics of Scotland are about tae get verra complicated, and if I remove ye from it, I might save ye a great deal of heartache. ”
She blinked, considering, “What kind of heartache?”
“The Jacobites rise up, there is a battle near Culloden, and something I try not tae learn too much about called the ‘Highland Clearances.’”
“I daena like the sound of any of that.”
I nodded. “I considered puttin’ ye in a castle near here: ye could live in Finlarig if I bought it from the Earl. But because of the events comin’ I think m’nephews would be better off away from this time altaegether.”
“Finlarig is a near ruin anyways and tis a day’s ride away.”
“The castle is not perfect, but we could fix it up, yet… battles are comin’. I also considered Kilchurn—”
“Tis being used as a garrison now, and a wall has fallen.”
A memory flashed in my mind of losin’ my horse, Sonny, in the falling wall. I shook my head. “Aye, tis better as a summer visit, not up tae yer station. I am troubled that I was a part of the breakin’ the walls… but walls can be rebuilt. Ought tae be.”
She frowned. “I see ye hae been thinking on this, Magnus.”
“Aye, I hae been, I want ye tae be well, I want Sean tae be admired and respected, I want yer sons tae be important. I daena ken how else tae give it tae ye.”
“Perhaps it inna up tae ye, Magnus, ye are behavin’ as if ye are tae make everything safe for everyone, but maybe ye daena hae tae carry it all, ye arna a god, ye ken—”
I chuckled. “I am a king, some might say that is enough tae bear the responsibility for m’family’s prosperity.”
“Ye arna responsible for me, nor Sean. Definitely nae Liam.”
I poured a little more wine in my glass. “I could buy ye another castle, a good one, with high walls, or I could see one built.” I sipped from the wine. “But I keep coming back tae this: the politics of Scotland are shiftin’, and I would like ye tae be safe away from it.”
She tilted her head. “I am worried about ye.”
“About me?”
“Ye are taking on too many burdens, ye ken the future, ye think ye want tae save us all.”
“There is a sayin’ ‘with great power comes great responsibility.’ Twas said by the Spider-man. Tis one of Archie’s favorite stories on the…”
She looked at me sadly, shaking her head.
“I daena ken what ye are talking about, but I do ken this, ye are the one with the power — dost ye believe yerself responsible for Sean and me? Last I checked ye were my wee brother, just a lad, barely grown. Some might say Sean and I are responsible for yer wellbeing.”
I scoffed. “They would be wrong.” Then I added, “I believe I am drunk.”
She smiled. “I am worried on ye, ye are here tae say goodbye tae the home ye love, the forest and land around it, the walls ye hae been so proud of, and tis for yer own reasons. Ye are saying goodbye tae them by choice.”
“I daena feel like we hae a choice, Lizbeth. Is it nae better tae leave now with yer head held high, than tae go because ye hae been sent away by John’s wife, or tae hae the battle at yer door, yer sons preparin’ tae fight?
Och, I am drunk, I daena ken why I feel this strongly about yer sons not fightin’ in the battle, I think because I ken what happens in the end.
Tis for naught. Nothin’ decided on that field will solve anything.
I daena want m’nephews tae lay down their lives for nought. ”
Her brow drew down. “Dost ye ken they lose their lives?”
“Nae, I daena look, on principle, ye ken.” I looked her in the eyes. “I am nae a god. I just want ye tae be well.”
“Ye keep saying that.”
“Aye, I do, tis true. I just canna think of anythin’ else tae do.”
“I suppose this is the only option.”
“The chests are here, they are ready when ye are. Ye hae time, we could even put it off longer. If we must.”
“We canna, not really, ye already told the Earl.”
I said, “Och nae, I did, I left ye with nae choice.”
“Tis fine, ye will return for us — we will be packed.”
“The branches of the tree will all be together at last.”
She cocked her head tae the side. “I am worried on ye, Young Magnus.”
I pulled the bottle over and poured another small glass. “Ye keep sayin’ that.”
“Ye keep speaking of branches, Magnus. Tall trunks, reaching high, coming together in some grand new forest. But ye forget the roots. Yer roots.”
I frowned, my head was ‘staggering’ as Master Cook would say. “The roots come with us—”
“Ye are jumping around through time, brother, with nae home tae speak of—”
“Florida is m’home.”
“Dost ye even ken the politics of the place, Young Magnus? Would ye pick up a blade and fight for the laird? Or against him? Ye like the comforts, but ye are only a guest. And yer kingdom, ye daena like being there much.”
I had m’elbows on my knees, finished my wine... my head droopin’ a bit.
“I do like it, but we all prefer Florida… and here.”
“Because this is yer home, where ye grew up, ye ken the lands and the directions of the winds, ye understand the politics of the time, and hae thought a great deal about titles and lairds and how tae protect a stronghold. Ye spend hours on the walls. This is the place where yer roots are and ye are goin’ tae miss it greatly. ”
“Aye, tis true, tis why we came so I could say goodbye, but tis much more difficult than I thought twould be.”
Lizbeth said, “This is the place of yer roots, ye need yer roots tae stay. Ye need me, I am the roots of this family. And this is where I am planted, deeply. Balloch inna just stone and timber. Tis where our family has lived and grown, this castle is our strength.”
I gave her a sad smile. “Each time I think ye hae been convinced, ye make another argument.”
“Welcome tae the turmoil of my mind.” She looked at me long.
I looked up from under my brow, my head sagging. The room a little blurry.
Then finally she said, “I will try tae be brave.”
“Tis all I can ask.”
“Ye ought tae go get some rest, ye hae a big day tomorrow.”
“Aye.” But I remained sitting, silent for a long moment.
The fire popped.
Then I rubbed a hand over my face, weary, I did need tae go tae sleep.
“I am verra sorry, sister, that I hae caused the turmoil.”
I lumbered tae m’feet, heavy-hearted, “I wish we could hae solved the issue.”
“I ken, Young Magnus, but perhaps I will just hae tae raise my chin and face the morrow.”
I patted her shoulder, and left for my chamber and bed.