Chapter 38
KAITLYN
...AND IT DOES NOT GO WELL
“Ihae made some decisions.” John stood and put his palms on the heavy oak table. “My father was murdered in his solar by Lady Mairead’s husband, Wilfred Weaver, with nae witnesses. I hae ordered Wilfred tae remain in the dungeon while the gallows are built—”
Lady Mairead said, “Nae, John, ye canna!”
“I hae decided.”
Lady Mairead stood, “Nae!”
Magnus stepped forward. “John, there is nae reason for this, Wilfred did naething wrong, he was assaulted while attempting—”
John interrupted, “I am also arresting Sean Campbell for failing tae guard the Earl. He has made an oath and dinna live up tae it. I assume it is corruption.”
Birk stalked to the door and ordered two guards to enter and take Sean down to the dungeon. They looked apologetic as they moved toward him. Sean tried to brush them off but they grabbed his arms.
Lizbeth yelled, “Nae!” Liam held her, trying to calm her.
John said, “Nae argument, Lizbeth, it has been decided, take yer seat, ye winna get up until I tell ye tae. Sean will go tae the dungeon until the gallows are—”
Lady Mairead had gone pale. “Tae the gallows?”
“Until I decide what his punishment will be.” He nodded and the guardsmen pushed Sean from the room. Sean argued, but they continued out the door and down the corridor, Sean’s yelling echoing behind them.
John continued, “And as for ye, aunt, after this meeting adjourns, ye will be confined tae yer rooms.”
More color drained from her face. “Ye canna lock me in, sire, I canna accept it.”
He scoffed. “Ye will accept it, tis my decision.” Then he added, “Liam ye will be in charge of my guard. Lizbeth yer duties are done… Balloch castle winna need yer services anymore.”
She stood, “But I…”
“I told ye tae keep yer seat.”
She sat back down, defeated.
Magnus was furious, I thought he might go ballistic.
Fraoch was keeping his cool, but his eyes went from person to person in the room, a standoff, watching their weapon hands, calculating, deciding.
Henrietta said, “Lady Lizbeth, ye must see that we canna hae someone from yer side of the family working here, not anymore. Right, John? It would cause a strain on my humor.”
John nodded and turned to Magnus. “I expect ye tae respect my decisions, or I will hae ye put in the dungeon as well. There is not one person in Scotland who would hold this against me. All of ye conspired tae kill the Earl taeday.”
Fraoch said, “Och nae.”
John leveled his eyes. “Ye want the dungeon as well, Fraoch?”
Fraoch said, “Nae, there is entirely too much discussion of dungeons, we could plan a funeral befittin’ an Earl and come up with a beneficially useful agreement instead.”
“Wheesht, Fraoch. Or I will hae ye put in the darkest of the pits.”
Fraoch huffed.
Magnus said, “There must be a deal we can strike, John, the household heard the insults, they ken what transpired between the Earl and Lady Mairead, they saw Wilfred go up tae ask for an apology.”
He shrugged. “Nae one saw anything like a duel, twas a murder, more likely.”
Lady Mairead said, “I will tell everyone about Glencoe, I will destroy his memory! I will speak tae the queen! Ye canna lock us all away!”
Birk said, “Ye will hang before ye hae the chance tae speak tae anyone.”
She clamped her mouth shut.
Magnus said, “Birk, if ye ever speak tae Lady Mairead, the widow of the Earl of Lowden, the sister of the Earl of Breadalbane, that way again, I will hae ye whipped.”
Birk grunted.
Magnus said, “John, naething good will come of this, twill create a scandal that all of Alba will be discussing. Allow us tae leave. I will take Lizbeth, Sean, my mother and her husband away, ye will never see us again. In exchange for allowin’ us tae go, I will fill yer coffers.”
He chuckled. “Och, ye are attempting tae negotiate. Ye see yer position is weak, ye sound guilty.”
“Nae, I know the truth of it, but why draw out a discussion when we can be amiable, and keep yer reputation intact. None of us want a scandal.”
“How come ye are speakin’ for yer family?” Henrietta smiled gaily. “Ye are the youngest, the bastard son.”
I saw heat rise on Magnus’s cheek. He looked at John under his brow. “I speak for m’family, because I am—”
Lady Mairead said, “Because he is a king.”
“Right, a king of a place nae one has heard of.” John exhaled. “Ye canna throw yer wealth at me, Magnus, there is a point of honor here.”
“Aye, if ye will just listen tae me—”
“Nae, I hae heard enough.”
“Lady Mairead, after this meeting ye are tae go tae yer chamber. I need ye tae leave yer possessions and yer weapons.”
Magnus said, “John, ye are makin’ a mistake. Ye canna treat Lady Mairead with—”
“Ye need tae understand, Magnus, yer family has killed the Earl, ye are all a part of it, the messenger is already on the way tae the queen.”
Lady Mairead banged her hand on the table. “I am a friend tae the queen, this will not stand!”
Magnus said, “Besides, I daena believe ye, we hae good messengers, aye, but tis dark and raining. Ye are goin’ tae wait for the morn tae send the messenger tae London, ye are just trying tae frighten us.”
“Are ye frightened?”
“Nae, I hae nae reason tae be frightened, Wilfred was within his rights—”
Birk stepped forward and interrupted, “Dost ye want me tae take Magnus tae the dungeon as well?”
Henrietta looked like she was admiring his arm, a bit of pink rushing up her face.
Magnus said, “Birk, ye lay a hand on me twill be yer last.” He leaned on the table. “John, ye hae miscalculated. Leave Lady Mairead be, and tell yer man tae keep his hands off me.”
John said, “Nae, I ken my rights and I am within them. If ye fight, Magnus, I hae yer wife here, dost ye want her in the dungeons as well?”
Magnus straightened and stepped back. “Nae, tis nae necessary.”
John said, “Lady Mairead, leave everything on the table so I can go through it.”
Her eyes wide. “Even my folder? But it holds my confidential letters and papers!”
“Leave it.”
She picked a leather folder up from under her chair and put it on the table with a huff, then she removed a small knife from a sheath on her calf and placed it beside it.
He said, “Now yer pouch.”
“My pouch! It holds my own private things, John, ye canna hae them. I am a lady and I hae done nothing wrong, this is theft.”
“Put it on the table.”
I saw her give Magnus a look and then she unpinned the pouch from her waist and set it on the table with a soft thud.
Her vessel was in that bag. I was almost certain of it. And one of her books, if someone got their hands on a vessel and her book they could cause a lot of trouble. I didn’t want John to have it.
“I’ll keep her things safe.” I reached across the table.
Birk’s hand shot up, palm out. “Ye step back. Now.”
Magnus was already moving. He crossed the room in three strides and put himself between us, chest to chest with Birk.
“Did ye just threaten m’wife with yer fists?” His voice was low and menacing.
The air was charged with danger, Birk glared into Magnus’s eyes, Magnus was breathing heavily. Their chests were bowed out like two bulls deciding whether to charge.
Fraoch shouldered in between them, both hands up, trying to hold the space. “We daena need a brawl, Magnus, listen tae me...”
While every eye in the room was fixed on that standoff, I slid my hand around the strap of the bag, lifted it slowly off the table, and hid it behind my back.
Lady Mairead caught my eye and gave the smallest nod.
Fraoch held them apart, trying to talk sense. “Magnus, ye canna do this, he’s yer cousin’s man, there is already enough trouble, ye kill him and—”
Birk scowled. “He canna kill me.”
Magnus shoved him — hard, both hands.
For a half-second, Birk stood there. Then he shifted and swung, a tight hook that caught Magnus across the cheekbone.
Magnus’s head jerked to the side, then he staggered back into the table edge, caught himself, blood already beading along a split in his cheek. He looked down at the floor. Breathed once.
Then he lowered his shoulder and drove forward, plowing into Birk with all his weight behind it, total force.
Birk flew backward into the stone pedestal in the corner. The marble figure wobbled, tipped, and crashed against the flagstone floor in three pieces.
Lady Mairead shrieked, “Magnus! Nae!”
Lizbeth said, “Magnus, stop!”
Liam and Fraoch worked together to pull the men apart.
Finally Birk was on one side of the table, and Magnus on the other, wiping his cut with his sleeve.
Birk sneered, as if it were amusing.
Magnus said, “I am goin’ tae kill ye, Birk.”
John raised his voice. “I am also placing Magnus under arrest for fighting in my presence.”
Magnus said, “Nae.”
John said, “Every word gets ye all closer tae the gallows, as it stands I only need tae build a scaffold for…” He counted on his fingers. “Three.”
Henrietta said, “Ye forgot Wilfred, John.”
“Ah, yes, four.”
Lizbeth, rising, said, “Sire, there must be something we can say, please, I beg of ye. Allow us tae plead our case. Give Wilfred a fair—”
He said, “Did I give ye permission tae speak or stand, Lizbeth?”
“Nae, sire,” she sat down again.
He said, “Liam, I want ye tae take Magnus down tae the dungeon.”
Liam walked around the table. “Och nae, Young Magnus.”
“I winna hold it against ye, Liam, but ye ought tae refuse.”
John said, “Liam is not going tae refuse an order, tis not his way, is it, Liam?”
Lizbeth gasped.
Henrietta laughed.
Lady Mairead glared. “Tis a scandalous amount of laughter coming from the daughter-in-law of a man who has just passed away. Ye seem practically gleeful.”
Henrietta clamped her mouth shut.
John said, “Ye canna refuse m’order, Liam, this is not the time tae second guess yer betters, ye are the head of my guard, if ye refuse I am sending ye tae the dungeon as well.”
Fraoch said, “Tis verra boring, this talk of dungeons, we need tae negotiate and come tae peace.” He put his hands out, “Daena ye want peace, John? Yer father has passed, shouldna ye want time tae grieve and mourn in the chapel?”
Hayley said, “I agree with my husband.”
John and Henrietta gave her a withering look.
“I think we should all sit down.” John tapped the table. “Kaitlyn, return the bag.”
I exhaled, trying to decide if I could refuse, or toss it under a chair, maybe out the window into the night, but all eyes were on me, I had not done a good job.
Magnus’s jaw clenched.
Shit, this was bad.
Finally Magnus said, “Give him the bag, Kaitlyn.”
I nodded and put the bag on the table.
Lady Mairead said, “Tis mine, ye canna hae it, John — Magnus, tis not yers tae give.”
Magnus raised his brow, “Mother, we are in a bit of a situation. Now, everyone needs tae wheesht.”
John said, “This is the most sensible thing anyone in your family has said so far today.”
Magnus scoffed. “We are on the right side of it, John, ye are the one puttin’ yer cousins in dungeons, thieving from yer aunt, threatening her husband with the gallows. Bringing a brute tae the chamber and allowin’ him tae strike me. We need tae take our seats and begin anew.”
“Alright,” said John. “Magnus, Lady Mairead, Lizbeth, take a seat.”
Liam stepped away from Magnus and they all took chairs.