Chapter 27
KAITLYN
DID WE SAVE LIZBETH?
It was difficult to hear what happened on the other side of that door, but one of the servants called out, “What do ye hear?”
Sean said, “The Earl is refusing to apologize!”
Lady Mairead had her ear pressed to the door.
Then, out of nowhere, she shrieked, and collapsed to the floor in a heap.
Magnus tried to stop her fall and got her gently to the ground. She began to bemoan the horror of having her husband fight with her brother over her honor, causing a distraction, covering whatever was happening inside.
The hall was chaotic as everyone joined in the distraction, Magnus saying, “Mother what happened tae ye?”
Sean crouched beside her, patting her hand.
I tried to see if we were getting away with it, were we? Everyone looked upset and frightened, Lizbeth looked like she was in shock. I thought she should be on the ground instead of Lady Mairead, but she had her eyes closed, her hands pressed together, praying silently, Liam holding her up.
Someone asked, “What is happening, will they duel?”
Fraoch had his ear pressed to the door. “I canna hear anything, everyone needs tae wheesht. Ye must all be more quiet, or I winna be able to tell what is happening and tis difficult tae relay it tae ye, if nae… Wheesht.” Obviously causing more distraction.
Hayley pulled some paper from her pocket, and fanned Lady Mairead’s face. “Give her air, give her air, people.” She placed two fingers on Mairead’s wrist.
I raised my brow. “You checking her pulse?”
“Yep, do I look like I know what I’m doing? I want something to do.”
Finally Lady Mairead pretended to wake up. “Why am I on the floor of my brother’s corridor?”
Sean said, “Mother, ye hae fainted, the concern for yer husband has be-stricken ye.”
“I am on the floor in front of the servants?”
“Aye, and yer daughter is prayin’ for ye.”
Lady Mairead squeezed Lizbeth’s hands. “Pray for Wilfred, he is the one who is rightly fighting for my honor.”
She asked, “What is happening in there? Fraoch, can ye hear it?”
Fraoch spoke to all of us. “Nae, I thought I heard yellin’ but twas hard tae make out over the commotion.”
Lady Mairead looked at her daughter. Then her eyes closed briefly. “This is a catastrophe.”
Hayley passed her a bottle of water. “I just remembered I had this — want a sip, Lady Mairead?”
She said, “Dost ye hae wine? I think wine would be more edifying.”
Hayley shook her head.
“Fine, I will hae water.”
Sean pulled her up into a seated position, she opened the bottle, and drank.
From inside there was the crash of furniture.
Fraoch yelled, “Someone is comin’ tae the door!”
There was a sudden creak of hinges, and the door slammed open. Wilfrey stumbled out, his front covered in blood.
The whole corridor erupted in commotion, as Lady Mairead yelled, “Nae, Wilfrey, nae!!”
He held his left arm against his chest. His coat was open. There was blood — on his hand, on the linen of his shirt, a dark smear across his jaw. His face was pale and contorted. He collapsed hard onto his shoulder on the floor.
Behind him, through the legs of the men in the open door, we could all see the Earl on the floor. A dirk was lodged in his stomach, blood was staining the rich carpet, and the stillness was shattering.
Sean yelled, “Everyone must go from the hall! Ye must leave!” herding everyone who wasn’t in the family, down the hall.
Now that the duel and the aftermath had been established we didn’t need anyone watching anymore.
Lady Mairead held Wilfred’s hand and wailed, “Wilfrey! Wilfrey ye canna die!” For anyone who was still listening.
Hayley pretended to see to his wounds. She had a small roll of gauze and some tape in her bag, she ripped it with her teeth and put a bandage over some vague place on the side of his torso, under his ribs.
Magnus and Sean went into the Earl’s solar, standing around his body, slowly taking stock, checking to make sure it looked good enough for witnesses.
The corridor was very quiet. The servants had fled.
We were in the aftermath of the Earl’s death, the earlier real one. In total shock.
Lizbeth, Liam, and I joined them in the Earl’s solar.
I didn’t like to look at his body, he looked old and diminutive already, like his animating force had gone.
It was unsettling.
Magnus was shaking his head. “Hae we thought through it all?”
Sean said, “I think so, or it could be verra bad. What dost ye think, Liam?”
Liam said, “I think this is wicked, och nae, Lizbeth, what did ye do?”
She said, “I am sorry, so sorry.”
He said, “Ye hae given not one thought tae me or yer bairns, ye hae forsaken us, brought evil upon our family.”
“I am so sorry, Liam. I dinna think.”
“Ye dinna think of me, or our bairns, ye thought only of yerself, tis sinful.”
She said, “I canna bear it. Daena think it, please, Liam.”
He said, “We will speak of this when we are alone.”
I looked out to the hall, Wilfrey and Lady Mairead on the ground.
I asked, “Where do… What do we do? It doesn’t seem good to have Wilfrey and Lady Mairead on the floor of the corridor.”
Magnus said, “Aye.”
We went out to the corridor and Sean said, “Wilfrey, we need tae…”
Wilfred nodded. “I know, you need to put me in the dungeons.”
Lady Mairead said, “Nae, he can be in my chamber, when John gets here we will discuss.”
Wilfrey put a hand on Lady Mairead’s arm. “No, Mairead, the dungeon. That’s where your sons have to put me, they cannot show favoritism.”
She frowned, her brow furrowing.
Magnus asked, “Will ye be able tae walk, Wilfrey, with yer injuries?”
Wilfred gave him a doleful smile. “No, I think you will need to carry your stepfather. He has been terribly wounded.”
So Magnus directed Fraoch and Sean to roll a rug under Wilfrey tae carry him down to the castle dungeon.
Lady Mairead wiped off her hands and stood.“Now someone needs tae deal with the Earl, someone always has tae deal with the Earl, even in death.”
She leveled her eyes on Lizbeth. “Lizbeth, what has crossed yer mind?”
“Nothing, I dinna think.”
“I see it, I see that ye hae gone against sense and security and put yer whole family in danger, but we are going tae try our best tae save ye, but ye will need tae calm yer nerves and—”
Lizbeth was wringing her hands. “I canna, I need tae lie down, I am so sorry.”
Lady Mairead said, “Liam, I need ye tae take yer wife tae her chambers.”
Lizbeth looked sick.
Lady Mairead said, “Ye can take a few moments there, daughter, tae find yer strength, ye hae created a tragedy, ye must remedy it, we are all risking a great deal in this. Ye must do yer part.”
Lizbeth’s chin trembled.
Lady Mairead put up her hands. “Liam, take her tae yer chamber, try tae talk sense intae her.”
“Aye.” He grasped Lizbeth by the elbow and led her away.
We began the slow business of going down the stairs.
Wilfrey was carried between Fraoch, Sean, and Magnus, with Hayley and I on one of the bottom corners.
Wilfrey groaned as we came around a corner and bumped his elbow on the wall.
Mairead rushed along beside us, yelling, “Be careful!” And “Daena die, Wilfrey!” whenever someone passed us on the stairs.
As we went, we were all glancing at each other with looks of, “What the hell just happened?” and “That was insane!” and “Did we save Lizbeth from the gallows?”
We remained quiet — to keep this secret, we could not discuss it, not with the possibility that anyone might overhear.