Chapter 25
KAITLYN
WHAT HAE YE DONE, CHILD?
We hurried across the Great Hall, watched by other members of the household and servants, some who rushed away, likely to get back to work, some to go up back stairs to listen at the other end of the hall, and some filing in behind us.
Far ahead I could see Magnus, Sean, Liam, and Fraoch moving fast to keep pace with Wilfrey.
Hayley said, “Keep up! This is like one of the after-school fights, all suspense and bluster and then over in a minute.”
Liam paused at the door, allowed us through, and then stopped the rest from following. “Nae, ye canna come, ye canna watch, ye will hear of it soon enough, tis none of yer business.”
I glanced over my shoulder as we got to the door and apparently nobody was capable of staying in the Great Hall. It had emptied out.
Lady Mairead was in front of me, going slower than I liked, her crimson dress giving her a regal, warrior queen look.
She had a hand on the wall, climbing the stairs with focused determination.
Hayley and I followed behind her, clomping on the stairs, my hair mussed from the exertion.
I blew my bangs up off my forehead. How did Lady Mairead remain unflappable? Hayley and I were totally flapped.
Hayley whispered, “Are we really doing this?”
“Apparently.”
“This is insane.”
“Yep.”
“I’ve never seen the Earl fight, but he’s got a sword. Do you think he can fight? We’re surrounded by swords. Can Wilfred fight? I’m sorry, I’m nervous, I’m jabbering.”
“I doubt he can fight, I wonder if somehow Magnus will get dragged into it.”
She said, “Lochinvar used to fight in the courtyard, and he’s still alive, he didn’t kill anyone.”
“Yeah, this is probably fine.”
I stood on my tiptoes as we gained the top of the stairs. “Where is Lizbeth?” Ahead of us Liam met Sean, Fraoch, Magnus, and Wilfrey, then he went further along the corridor shooing gawkers away.
Hayley said, “This is so medieval, we are following Wilfrey up the stairs to watch him confront a seventeenth century Scottish Earl who just called his wife a whore.”
“We aren’t going to watch, we’ll be standing in a corridor.”
It looked like the men were gathered at the door.
I said to Hayley, “Hurry, they’re about to go in. I want to listen through the door.”
Lady Mairead overheard us. “I will be listening, I will tell ye what is happening.”
We formed a tight knot behind Wilfrey as he knocked on the door, the knock of a man demanding entry.
There was a beat of silence, and then the door swung open and there stood Lizbeth, she looked frantic, pale, terrified.
“I did it, I did it, I dinna mean… I did it! I’m sorry, och nae, I did it!” The tray she clutched had a shot glass in the middle, rattling, shaking and sliding, as she shook in fear. I stood on my tiptoes to see. The Earl. On the ground.
He looked dead.
Lady Mairead’s voice, “What hae ye done, child, Dear God! Nae, ye… ye should nae hae done it!”
I looked at Hayley wide eyed and we hung back, she mouthed, poison?
I nodded. My heart raced.
Liam said, “Lizzie, love, och nae.”
Lady Mairead put the tray with the shot glass on the ground. “Nae one touch it!”
Magnus raised his head and looked around. “Hayley, we need tae clear the corridor, send everyone away.”
I heard Lady Mairead whisper, “She will hang for this — nae, Lizbeth, why? Ye should hae told me yer plans.”
“I dinna ken, I just did it, I dinna think, what am I goin’ tae do! I daena want tae die!”
I was able to see past Magnus into the solar, the feet of the Earl on the ground.
Hayley was rushing up and down the hall, making sure no one was lurking or listening around corners.
Lizbeth sounded so scared, her voice small, tremulous. “Will I go tae the gallows, Liam? Sean, what will happen tae me?”
Magnus said, “Ye winna go tae the gallows, Lizbeth, we will…” He pushed the door open, “Step in here, keep yer voices down.”
We all pushed into the room, with Hayley remaining out in the hall to watch for us. The room was dark, a few candles burning, a fire in the hearth, and outside there was a storm battering the glass
The hard rain did not help the desperate mood. Lizbeth stood trembling. “Help me, I daena ken what I did, I daena want tae hang.”
The Earl was absolutely dead, there was no disputing it, there on the floor, his face frozen in an expression of contempt.
Sean said, “Och nae Lizbeth, this is a terrible thing.”
“I daena want tae die!”
Liam said, “Ye winna, I will take the blame, Lizzie, tis I who hae done it — ye will all agree, winna ye agree? Sean will take me tae the dungeons.”
Lizbeth looked like she would faint, “Nae,” she clutched at his shirt. “Nae, m’lord, nae, ye canna!” She buried his face against his chest. “What hae I done! I hae ruined everything!”
Magnus said, “We will take ye tae my kingdom, now, canna we take her away, mother?”
“Aye, we will go now, we must go fast, we will never return—”
Wilfred said, “No, I will take the blame, I will kill the Earl, let me.” He put his hands on Lady Mairead’s shoulders. “If I duel him and kill him, I won’t go to the gallows right?”
He looked at Magnus, “Would I?”
“Maybe nae, but ye might, if…”
He said, “I will take the blame. I will make as though to duel him here in the room, you will watch, then this will be my fault.”
Lady Mairead said, “Ye would do it for me?”
“Yes, promise me though, you will not let me hang?”
“I promise.”
He said, “I need someone to get my bag from my room.”
I said, “The leather one? You had it last night? It’s in Lady Mairead’s rooms?”
He nodded, “Go fast, I need it.”
I raced.
Hayley calling, “Where you going?”
“Need something, back in a…” I was already out of breath.
I didn’t even get why I was going fast or what he needed, my feet thudding down the corridor, the stone wall cold, outside the windows rain was pouring down.
It was late afternoon and already looked dismal as a deep night and Lizbeth had killed the Earl and now everyone was talking about who was going to hang and so I knew this…
it was life or death. And it depended on me.
I passed two servants at the door to Lady Mairead’s chamber. “Don’t go down there, you can’t go down there right now, everyone is being told to stay away.”
They turned and went the other direction.
I slammed into Lady Mairead’s room and on a trunk at the end of the bed I saw the leather bag. I yanked it up by the handle, tipping it by accident, some tubes of theatrical make-up slid out. I picked them up and stuffed them back inside. And slammed out of the door again, racing back to the solar.
Hayley knocked on the door for me. Because I was doubled over, panting so hard.
They let me in and I passed the bag to Wilfrey.
He said, “Thank you, everyone can go out to the hall, gather a crowd if you can.” He straightened his back and projected. “My name is Wilfred Weaver, the husband of Lady Mairead, and I demand an audience with the Earl!”
We all fled the room and went to the corridor, our eyes wide in shock. Lizbeth was wringing her hands. Lady Mairead held around her shoulder, whispering, “Wheesht, soothe yer mind, Lizbeth, ye must look mild for this tae work.”
Sean went down to the end of the hall and loudly called back, “Young Magnus! Hae ye seen Lady Mairead and her husband Wilfred?”
Magnus said, “Lady Mairead and Lizbeth are here with me in the corridor, Wilfred has gone in tae speak with the Earl for Lady Mairead’s honor!”
Sean came back up the corridor with a couple of his men and two servants rushing behind him.
From in the room, Wilfred projected again, “My name is Wilfred Weaver. I am Lady Mairead’s husband. I would like a word!”
We pressed close to the door, to block anyone else from getting too close.
At the other end of the corridor at the stairwell, I saw more people from the household coming up the steps.
Magnus wiped sweat from his brow. We were all trying to be good actors, but this had been a shock and we were unpracticed at covering up crimes.
We didn’t have our story straight.
And a crowd was gathering.