Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
CINAED
Brandenburg House, Hammersmith
Six Months Later
The satchel Sir Rupert Burney left behind when he drowned in the River Ness was filled with magic.
Besides the letters and records that kept the innocent in the spymaster’s grasp, they found a plethora of incriminating evidence of wrongdoing by many politicians from both parties.
Some of that evidence even pointed to those working in the intelligence-gathering sections of the Home Office in London.
Sir Rupert valued information just as much as Searc did, but Cinaed preferred to believe the man who had watched over him from childhood was not as indiscriminate in ruining lives.
Aidan was elected to Parliament, representing Inverness-shire.
He and Morrigan were already settled here in London.
Sebastian joined them from time to time, having decided to keep open their law offices in Edinburgh.
He wanted to be prepared for when they chased his brother out of Westminster with torches and pitchforks.
Thanks to Aidan’s discreet negotiations—using Sir Rupert’s records of some rather indelicate transgressions on the part of high-ranking government ministers—all charges against Isabella and Cinaed were dropped this past spring.
The bounty on both their heads was rescinded.
They were free. No one was more relieved than Lachlan Mackintosh, who had decided it was time to pass the title of Laird of Dalmigavie on to Cinaed.
It had taken Cinaed a long time to realize it, but he was more Mackintosh than Stuart. He and Isabella cared deeply about these people. They were at home at Dalmigavie. Neither wished to move on to Nova Scotia and leave those they loved behind. He’d humbly accepted the honor.
With their lives settled, Niall and Maisie had taken up a long-standing offer from James Watt.
Long months ago, Niall had secured an investment in the steam engine manufacturer.
Now he accepted the position of helping the company expand its operations into the industrial north.
As a Highlander and a former military man, his success was almost guaranteed.
They were to live in Aberdeen, and Fiona and her family were to join them.
No formal announcements had been made yet, but Cinaed had a strong feeling that John Gordon and Fiona would be announcing their engagement very soon.
The only one complaining about the change was Auld Jean.
She hated to have everyone so far away. After a great deal of cursing and grousing, however, she decided to stay with Isabella and Cinaed at Dalmigavie, for the two of them—“a simple, good-hearted flatlander and a sea dog”—needed her help more than the rest.
And they did need her, for Isabella was with child.
Cinaed took a deep breath, trying to hold the feeling of happiness intact, for he’d arrived in London at the request of his mother. She was dying.
The same night that the king’s coronation had been held—an event that Caroline had been banned from attending—she fell ill. Over the next three weeks, she’d suffered more and more pain as her condition deteriorated. His mother was only fifty-three years of age.
Although Cinaed and Isabella were both free of their troubles with the Crown, at the suggestion of Brougham and Aidan, they arrived under cover of darkness.
This government wasn’t to be trusted. Some of her physicians claimed the queen had an intestinal obstruction.
Others attributed her condition to cancer.
Since arriving, Isabella spent a great deal of time with Caroline, and she suspected that she’d been poisoned.
But too much time had passed and too much damage had been done to save her life.
On the night of August 7, Cinaed and Isabella sat beside her bed and held onto Caroline’s hands.
She knew about her grandchild that was to be born before the year was out.
She’d been told of the promises made by the Duke of Clarence about the future of Scotland.
She knew that the streets around Brandenburg House were surrounded by people who even now prayed for their beloved queen.
At twenty-five minutes past ten, Caroline died.
And on her coffin, per her instruction, Cinaed saw to it that an inscription read: “Here lies Caroline, the Injured Queen of England.”