Chapter 39
KAITLYN
REMEMBER YER PROMISE
Fraoch said, “I am goin’ tae sit as well, I was goin’ tae stand and be a quiet observer, but I will sit at the table, I ken ye will agree, ye need someone impartial tae help this discussion.”
John said, “Fraoch, ye can sit, but ye canna join our discussion, this is family business.”
“But I am Og Maggy’s brother! We hae the same father!”
John said, “Everyone kens that Magnus is a bastard. Ye winna need tae be part of the discussion, nae one even needs Magnus tae be here.”
He continued, “I can send everyone tae the gallows — Sean, Lady Mairead, Wilfred. If I thought about it, I could make the case tae send Lizbeth and Liam as well, I am certain they conspired. If I ask enough questions, I will likely learn a great deal.”
He sat down and leaned back in his chair.
Henrietta put her hand in front of her mouth and whispered to him at length.
He nodded. “Lady Glenorchy believes that Lizbeth might hae planned the whole thing.”
Lizbeth looked down at her hands, her cheeks deepening in red.
Fraoch said, “Daena be ridiculous, she daena hae a schemin’ bone in her body, she is faultless in all things.”
Lizbeth raised her chin.
Fraoch continued, “John, ye ken, ye need tae negotiate with Og Maggy, he has plenty of wealth, he wants what is best for the family.”
Magnus swiped at the cut on his cheek with his sleeve. “I want tae make this right, John, let us make ye an offer.”
John said, “Who is us, all of ye?”
Lady Mairead said, “I hae an offer. As the matriarch of the family, I would like tae make it.”
“Fine, speak up.”
Lady Mairead reached for her leather folder and opened it on the table in front of her.
“I had this prepared some time ago, twas for my brother, but I changed my mind.” She flipped through papers, hurriedly tapping the edges to put them in order.
“I hae a contact in London and at my request she has granted the Earl a seat in the House of Lords. If ye will drop yer charge against Wilfred, I will…”
John leaned forward.
She turned the paper around. “Give ye the seat in parliament. This is the letter,” she tapped it, “See, tis almost done. Now that the First Earl of Breadalbane has passed, twill be yer seat.”
“Yer contact is Queen Anne? This is her signature?”
“Aye.”
He looked the letter over, nodding appreciatively. “This is her seal?”
She said, “Ye can see that tis all but done.”
“I will be seated by the end of the year?” He put it in front of him and folded his hands on it, as if daring her to try and take it back.
“Aye, I will make certain of it, in exchange for allowing Wilfrey tae go.”
She raised her chin. Lizbeth patted the back of her hand.
He said, “In exchange for dropping charges against Sean and yerself, aye, twill be a good deal, but I am sure ye can see that the charges against Wilfrey will need tae remain.”
“I daena see that at all. Ye ken tis not… What else do ye want?”
Magnus leaned forward, “What about a castle near London?”
Lady Mairead nodded. “Aye, there is a good idea, I hae a few castles here, I already looked at them for my own family.” She passed him some more papers. “Craigmillar and Borthwick, I could get one for a price, yer choice.”
He smiled. “Yer son just said ‘London’ and ye are offerin’ castles in Scotland, tis as if ye arna trying.”
Lady Mairead looked flustered, rifling through papers.
“If ye daena hae any for London then there inna a deal. Lady Glenorchy was just saying she wanted tae move tae London.”
Lady Mairead said, “I am certain I can find one, I just haena yet… I will, ye hae my word.”
Magnus dabbed again at the cut on his cheek. “I will buy ye Hertford Castle, tis north of London, short distance, I visited once.”
Lady Mairead nodded appreciatively. “Aye, that is a good castle, John, tis a Norman motte-and-bailey, verra long history and the current building is a brick-built, three-story Tudor gatehouse. Ye would find it verra fine.”
“Bigger than this?”
“This is bigger, yet that one is better appointed.”
Magnus said, “Tis on the river Lea, fine area, ye would be close tae parliament. In exchange I want Wilfred released, charges dropped, and I want Balloch.”
Lizbeth’s eyes shot to Magnus’s face. “Really?”
He made a short quick nod.
Magnus said, “This is a two part plan. Ye will release Wilfred. I will give ye the castle in Hertfordshire. This is a good trade. Then I will buy Balloch from ye, ye daena like tae live here much anyway, my sister and brother consider it home. I will buy it, name yer price.”
John scoffed. “Ye want my ancestral home?”
“Tis also mine, I want it. I will pay ye well for it. Yer coffers would be full. More money than any other lord in England.”
Henrietta said, “We daena like this house much, but yer father’s art is here, John. Twould be a lot of trouble tae move it, daena ye think?”
Lady Mairead glared at Henrietta, but clamped her mouth shut.
Magnus said, “Dost we hae a deal? Ye will let Sean and Wilfred from the dungeon, I will draw up a contract on the morrow.”
John said, “Alright, we do.”
Magnus said, “Good, but forget tomorrow, we daena hae tae wait for tomorrow, I hae a pen, right here…” He had a leather bag hanging from his belt, he drew it open and dug through it, then Birk said something that chilled me to the bone. “While ye are looking for a pen, Maggy, get me yer device.”
Magnus froze. “What device?”
“The one ye use for journeying and piracy.”
Magnus raised his eyes. “Ye must hae me confused with someone else.”
Birk leaned across the table and before Fraoch could grab it, had snatched up Lady Mairead’s bag. With sure fingers he drew it open and looked inside. “One.”
He said to Magnus, “Now yers.”
“Nae — I daena ken what ye are talking about.” Magnus slammed his hand on the table. “John, why are ye letting this thief pilfer through Lady Mairead’s private things?”
John said, “We worked out a deal, Birk will guard me and I will help him get these devices — he wants them.”
Magnus said, “Och nae, John, ye hae lost yer way, yer father would not approve. He and I dinna see eye tae eye on much, but he took care of family and knew family would take care of him. Ye hae a stranger in yer solar, attemptin’ tae steal from—”
Steel rang out and the point of Birk’s sword was at Magnus’s throat.
It had happened so quickly none of us had seen it coming.
It scared the hell out of me. There was an uproar as we all got out of the way, but Magnus froze, hands up.
Birk stood perfectly still, unmoved, his sword unwavering. He growled, “I said, now yers.”
Magnus said, “John, ye see, ye hae disarmed us, and now yer man has his blade against m’throat. We were negotiating in good faith and now I see ye brought a nefarious scoundrel tae our family meeting.”
Fraoch said, “Birk, let us discuss, daena do anythin’ stupid.”
Birk looked right in Magnus’s eyes, “Give it tae me, now.”
Magnus stood quietly for a moment, calculating, we all quieted, while the edge of that blade passed against a soft spot.
I was frozen in fear, Hayley gripped my arm so hard it hurt. Finally Magnus put his hand in his bag and pulled out his vessel.
Lady Mairead yelled, “Nae!”
“Mother, he is goin’ tae kill me if I daena.”
He held it in front of Birk’s face.
Birk snatched it from his hand, but kept his sword on Magnus’s throat. “Now, Fraoch, hand over yers.”
Fraoch’s eyes narrowed. “What if I daena hae one?”
“Ye hae one, I want it.” His sword point, pierced into Magnus’s flesh.
Magnus’s breathing was quick and shallow, fear and fury clearly written on his face.
Hayley said, “Give it to him, honey.”
Fraoch groaned, “Nae, I daena want tae.”
The sword pierced a bit more, a small trickle of blood rolled down Magnus’s throat.
“Daena kill him!” Fraoch opened his sporran, dug through it, then placed a vessel on the table.
Birk said, “Put it in m’hand.”
Fraoch smacked it into Birk’s hand, hoping to set him off-balance, or make him lose focus, but Birk didn’t fall for it. He stayed completely still, focused on the point of his blade dangerously pressing into my husband’s throat.
Fraoch said, “Dost ye even ken how tae use them?”
“Aye, I ken, ye twist.”
Lady Mairead said, “Ye ken nothing! They are dangerous! And they belong tae me!”
He stuffed the loot into his sporran, including her pouch. “I daena care. Thank ye, Magnus, for the vessels, I wanted them for m’collection.”
He said, “Henrietta, will ye be a good girl and open the door?”
Henrietta got up and strode to the door, saying, “Remember yer promise.”
Birk kept his focus on Magnus, seeming to be calculating his jump and run, and how fast he would need to be. I was scared he was going to kill Magnus. Fraoch was about to spring, everyone was tense and scared.
Liam had slowly crept around the table, but no one could get to Magnus, only me, I was close enough. I could grab Birk’s big giant tree-trunk of an arm and slow him down.
I would do it. I just had to do it.
I didn't think — I just leapt, launching myself against his arm, but he was big and didn’t budge, as if he didn’t even register that I had done it.
For one second I thought, oh no, then his elbow came back, it caught me full against my face, a blinding pain, warm wet.
I was flung back against a cabinet, and saw nothing after that. There was yelling everywhere, and Magnus’s voice, “Help her, I am goin’ after him!”