Son and Throne (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 11)

by Diana Knightley

  I shrugged and dinna speak more on it.

  In the middle of the room stood an ornately carved desk. Upon it was an inkwell and quill pen. A parchment with an unlearned writing scrawled across it. A crude drawing of a tower in the middle of the page. As he spoke he followed my eyes to the marks. “I am building a tower house, here, on the banks of the Tay where I once heard a blackbird sing... Dost ye hae a fine tower house, Lord Magnus?” He turned toward the windows and looked out over the construction. The sounds of building were loud even up here in his office, bangs and clatter and the raised voices of men.

  “I hae a number of fine castles, actually, throughout Riaghalbane. They are verra grand. Will ye be addin’ tae yer walls? Buildin’ them of stone? Ye must build them stronger and taller, ye are a great deal unprotected with timber walls.”

  “Och, aye.” His face grew concerned. “Are ye travelin’ alone, Lord Magnus?”

  “Nae, I hae been travelin’ with men, they hae gone farther along while I am in search of m’wife.”

  “Oh, yer wife?”

  “Aye, she is missin’ tis why I hae—”

  He considered his drawing while I spoke. “Dost ye prefer a wall tae a tower?”

  “I do. The walls hae tae be strong for protection.”

  “I daena agree, I think the tower tells the villagers that ye are above them. As a lord I would think ye would ken this.”

  “Aye,” I shrugged. “Tis nae m’own villagers I am worried about attackin’ me.”

  He chuckled.

  I began again, “I am here tae—”

  “My tower house will be four stories, the highest seen here in these parts of Scotland, have ye a higher tower, Lord Magnus?”

  I did by a great deal more, but I lied and said my tallest was three stories, and that seemed tae make him comfortable enough tae ask, “What can I do for ye?”

  “My wife and I were separated en route. I believe she asked for shelter here. I am lookin’ for her.”

  “I haena heard of her ladyship sheltering within the walls, nae, tis nae possible.”

  “Could it be she might be shelterin’ here without your knowledge? This is a verra large fortress, perhaps—”

  “I would think a lady, your wife, would be brought tae m’attention, Lord Magnus. She would nae be ignored. I assure ye, she is nae here.”

  “She is nae comfortable with the language. She might nae be—”

  “I assure ye, if a lady was brought tae shelter within the walls of Balloch, I would ken of it. She has gone elsewhere.”

  “Would it be possible tae ask in the kitchens? Tae ask of yer wife? She may ken. Ask her if she has seen the Lady Kaitlyn Campbell.”

  He looked irritated. “My wife only kens what I allow her tae ken.”

  “Of course.”

  A knock at the door and a housemaid entered. “Sir Colin, there is a meal served in the hall.”

  He turned tae me, “I need tae go converse with the mason. Then the morning meal has been served. Ye are welcome tae dine in my company.”

  I said, “Might I inquire in the kitchens for the Lady Campbell?”

  I caught a glimpse of the housemaid’s expression, her brow drawn down as she left the room and I grew emboldened. “I hae gold, I can reward ye handsomely for the trouble of allowin’ me tae search for her.” I withdrew a small bag of coins from my sporran and dropped them on the table before him.

  “I daena see the point, Lord Magnus, she inna here.“ He pulled the bag towards himself greedily.

  “I ask that ye give me time tae look, time tae speak tae the inhabitants of the fortress.”

  “Ye may ask questions, but nae of m’wife or her women. They arna guards, they winna ken the comings and goings of the fortress and they arna allowed tae speak tae strangers unless I hae given them permission. They are pious women, Lord Magnus, interested only in womanly concerns.”

  I nodded. “I ken. I will only speak with the men on it.”

  I followed him down the steps tae the ground floor and out intae the middle of the courtyard. I took stock of the surrounding buildings, their doors closed tight, the windows shuttered from the cold. I might try yellin her name’, but I would only be allowed tae do it once afore bein’ stopped, and there was too much noise tae be sure of my voice being loudest.

  He led me intae his Great Hall, nae much more than a tavern room. There I was offered a simple fare of cabbage soup with bread. I took some though I had already eaten. As I was handed m’bowl I lowered my voice and asked the young woman, “Have ye seen m’wife, Lady Kaitlyn? She is missin’ and has needed shelter—”

  She shook her head and rushed away tae the kitchen.

  I kent she was nervous about speakin’ tae strangers, but she had a look in her eyes as if she was afraid tae tell me somethin’.

  Thirty-five - Kaitlyn

  The night before

  Mary returned. She abused me into the chair to nurse Duncan and then back to my corner to pray. I fell asleep sitting up and she hit me across the back with the rod. A loud thwack and blinding pain. I sat bolt upright and prayed again.

  At nightfall I was given a small bit of bread and broth in the pewter cup. I ate and drank ravenously and then begged, “Please, more water. Please.”

  She poured some water in the pewter cup and gave that to me to drink.

  She was wearing my fucking wedding ring.

  Her eyes followed mine to the ring and she smacked me in the face. I whimpered, “Ow.”

  The children were all put into beds tae sleep, breaking my heart, because one of the boys was about Archie’s age. I couldn’t stop imagining him and Ben in a little sleeping puppy-pile of sweaty brows, onesie pjs and pink cheeks. So sweet. They could have beaten each other with sticks, screamed like banshees when they got in trouble for it, smeared food in their hair, temper tantrumed in exhaustion, but when they had fallen asleep — Emma and I would be all, “Aren’t they so cute?”

  And they were. And I missed him so much.

  I missed Isla so much.

  The small oil lamps were blown out. Already I was losing track of my days. This was my second night, right? What day, what month, what year? No one to ask.

  I knew it was before Balloch castle was built. If I wanted to chisel for help I had to wait for the walls to be built first. But still, even if they knew where I was, they couldn’t get to me. The fucking vessels wouldn’t go this far back. There was nothing to be done.

  All I could think of — not planning, not revenging, not getting away, only how hungry I was, and how desperately, life-alteringly thirsty.

  If I could have gone outside I would have lain in the snow and shoveled it into my mouth while I just allowed myself to go cold.

  I needed to go to the bathroom again.

  I was ashamed. These children barely looked at me. The babies just nursed from me. I was ringless, and peeing myself, completely devoid of dignity. The lady in the corner who got beaten for not praying well enough, for not listening, for not speaking, for being too dumb to understand... for being alone.

  I wanted to die.

  But that was the plan. They had another nurse. They didn’t need me, I was extra. They were going to use me until they were done with me. That was all. Nothing personal. I was an extra milk cow that had wandered onto their land. They didn’t need me enough to want the trouble of feeding me. They were like, whatever. They could milk me for a while. It was a bonus. It was free.

  And there wasn’t a damn thing I could say.

  That night was long, my bruises hurt. The floor was hard and the cold surrounded me, not an acute cold but a chronic, plus my skirts were wet. My scent — it was awful. I was dragged to the chair to nurse the older baby and then dragged to the ground to sleep. The second time I awoke to the newborn crying. I was dragged to the chair and the wee baby was put into my arms. A tiny little human that nursed piteously.

  “Are they starving you too, sweetie? Where’s your mammy?” My heart broke for this being that ha
d to grow up in this awful nursery with this bleak cold in this desolate century with the only nice person the lady from the corner. She wouldn’t even remember me after I died.

  I nursed the baby on both sides without touching her, without stroking her soft little cheek, and then she was yanked from my arms and I was returned to the corner.

  I fell asleep and slept soundly for a couple of hours. Then, still asleep, I was jerked up, marched to the prayer corner and forced to lift my outer skirts and was beaten again with the stick. Thwack on the back of my thighs. Thwack on my ass. Thwack across my lower back and upper back and again and again while I peed myself in pain. My face pressed to the wall, she kicked me, and face against the wall I collapsed, crumpling to the ground, sobbing in my own filth.

  The morning was the same. I just allowed myself to be pulled from the corner to the chair and back to my knees to pray.

  Thirty-six - Magnus

  I asked a few of the men about m’wife and ate m’meal, trying tae understand how she could be here without anyone bein’ aware of it, but then Sir Colin, ignoring my purpose, wanted tae shew me around the tower construction.

  I went outside and listened tae him speakin’ on the tower, while I turned, eyein’ the doors and windows and passageways around. I discerned where the kitchen would be in the southeast corner. Then I saw a group of women walkin’ together, their eyes cast down, heading from the kitchen tae the Great Hall for their meal.

  One among them was the household manager, I could tell from her air. I would speak tae her first.

  Sir Colin droned on, “This is where we will situate the door, and there will be the stair.”

  The women entered the Great Hall and the door was closed behind them. I said, “Sir Colin, m’apologies, I need tae return tae the hall, for one more...”

  “Oh yes, of course, ye dinna eat much before.”

  He made tae attend me, but I said, “Nae, stay here with yer masons, I will return in a moment.” I followed the women intae the Great Hall and found a way tae situate myself near their table as they ate their mornin’ meal. I kent I couldna easily approach and speak as a stranger, I dinna want them tae feel alarmed. And if I frightened them, Sir Colin would nae trust me. There were a great many men here, and I was alone. So I stood nearby tae listen tae their conversation, but then I saw it.

  A flash of gold on a hand, out of place as it was the only one in the group. It was on the oldest of the women, one with an ugly pinched face. She was wearin’ Kaitlyn’s wedding ring.

  She was talkin’ about the nursery, the bairn. She was wavin’ her hand as if proud of the theft.

  I stalked out tae the courtyard and demanded of Sir Colin, “I hae seen yer nursemaid, in yer hall. She has a hand that is adorned well past what I am used tae seein’ on a woman of her stature — tis the ring of m’wife, Lady Kaitlyn Campbell.”

  "What are ye sayin’?”

  "That this fortress holds liars and thieves and possibly worse. Yer nursemaid kens the whereabouts of m’wife. I am a lord and I expect ye tae come tae the truth of it.”

  Sir Colin looked shocked. “I assure ye, the nursemaid is nae a thief.”

  “I am nae accusin’ her of thievery. Did ye nae tell me ye would be aware of every woman in this fort? That ye would personally ken if m’wife was here? Ye just said that tae me in yer office, and then ye took some of m’gold with a promise tae help me find her, and yet, here ye are, discussin’ yer tower, while m’wife is nae found.”

  He looked shocked.

  “I hae come tae ye as a man, without m’guard, tae ask for yer assistance, but with these facts afore me I will need tae return with my soldiers—”

  The man called, “Mary!” He stalked toward the door, calling again, “Mary!”

  I moved tae follow him.

  She emerged from the Great Hall. “Aye, Sir Colin?”

  “Shew me yer hand.”

  She tentatively held out a hand.

  “The other one.”

  She tentatively held out a hand shewin’ Kaitlyn’s gold wedding ring. The garnet stone was nae as large as I had wanted, but twas plenty out of place on this woman’s hand.

  “Where did ye get this ring?”

  She said, “I found it, I—”

  He withdrew a stick from his belt and hit her hard against the back of her hand. “If ye found it ye should hae returned it tae me. Tis nae yours. It belongs tae me. All things belong tae me. I am the rightful owner as I am your Laird.”

  He smacked her again. “This man, Lord Magnus Campbell, says ye are wearin’ his wife’s ring. Dost ye ken the whereabouts of his wife?”

  "Her name is Lady Kaitlyn,” I added.

  She shook her head.

  He smacked her on the back of her hand. “For thievery," he smacked, "and lying!" He smacked again.

  Big welts raised on her skin, but she stared straight ahead and wouldna answer tae the charges.

  He yanked the ring off her hand and called, “Lady Katherine!” It was easier tae hear him because all work had ceased.

  A woman who I assumed was his wife, richly dressed, and verra young, emerged from one of the buildings. Her head bowed. “Aye, milord?”

  “Dost ye ken why yer nursemaid has been wearing a golden ring? She has adorned herself with a piece of jewelry she claims tae hae found. Lord Magnus Campbell says it belongs tae his wife.”

  “Nae!" She shook her head. “Mary! Ye hae been a thief?” She held her hand tae her heart as if she couldna believe a word of it.

  He asked, “Dost ye ken where his wife might be?”

  Mary shook her head. “Nae, I daena ken.”

  I said, “I am nae leavin’ until all the rooms of this fortress are turned over and m’wife is found.”

  “Ye are accusin’ me of hiding a Lady within the walls of m’fortress?”

  “Unless the maid Mary will speak tae how she came tae hae my wife’s ring on her hand, then aye, I am of the belief that ye hae m’wife, and ye are attempting tae keep her.”

  She repeated, “I found it, tis mine.”

  Sir Colin said, “Search the grounds, we are looking for a woman, a Lady Kaitlyn Campbell!”

  Lady Katherine wrung her hands. The soldiers went off in all directions. Men and women came from their rooms tae stand in the courtyard watching the drama unfold. A few people leaned from windows on the upper floors watchin’ from above.

  I was furious. I tried tae look calm, and dignified and important but I wanted tae kill Sir Colin, and I truly wanted the men tae look in the nursery. I had discerned which room it was, and I kept m’eye on the door.

  A soldier reported tae Sir Colin that she wasna found. He explained tae me, “We haena found her, as I said before, she is a—”

  “Ye should look in the nursery, since twas yer nursemaid who has been the thief.”

  Lady Katherine looked distraught. “Nae, Sir Colin, ye canna send the soldiers intae the nursery, there is a new bairn—”

  He said, “Then call the women outside, we need a full accounting.”

  “In the snow?”

  “Aye, in the snow.”

  We all walked over tae the door of the nursery and Lady Katherine called in "All of ye, please come tae the door.”

  A lone woman came tae the door. The woman, Lady Katherine, and Mary conferred. In their whispers I thought I heard the words, coigreach, and then bean. They meant stranger and wife.

  I said tae Sir Colin, “She inna bringin’ them all.”

  The women continued tae confer and I refused tae wait. I pushed m’way past them as they exclaimed and yelled for me tae stop.

  Once inside m’eyes took a moment tae adjust. Cradles and beds. Twas cold and reeked of excrement. If the bairn became sick, twould nae be my fault in it.

  Barely able tae see in the dark shadowy room I scanned along the room tae find someone in a pile up against the back wall. Kaitlyn. I rushed tae her, pulling her shoulder tae look down on her face. She looked wild, and frightened, and smelled horri
ble. I pulled her up and she cried out, "Ow, ow it hurts, please don’t...”

  Twas like she was out of her mind not recognizing me.

  I lifted her from the floor and she felt light and weak. I carried her from the room. As the light of the outdoors hit us, she recoiled. The shock must hae awoken her. “Magnus?”

  “Aye, tuck in, mo reul-iuil, I need tae get ye from here.”

  Sir Colin said, “Who is this, is this your wife?”

  “Aye, I want the ring as well.” I held her up with one arm and held my hand out for the ring.

  He followed along as I strode across the courtyard tae the gate. “Ye hae tae ken I had nae idea she was here.”

  “She was under yer roof, in the nursery, she is injured and unwell. I daena believe she has been given enough tae eat and her wedding ring was stolen, tis a Christian household?”

  I had tae raise her a little tae get her weight higher on my shoulder. She whimpered, holding tight around my neck.

  "In recompense for the damage done tae what is properly mine, I will want yer promise that I will hae safe passage out of yer lands."

  He flustered.

  “Or else with the king's blessin’ ye will be met by m’army on the morrow.“

  “The Queen.”

  I stopped still. “Aye... the queen. We are friends, ye ken.”

  “Aye, ye can stay in the north woods, across the bridge, ye winna be bothered.”

  The stable boy brought my horses.

  I raised Kaitlyn up tae the back of the lead. I led them farther along tae the gate. And then I climbed behind Kaitlyn because she was weak and foldin’ over as if she could nae find the strength tae hold on.

  “I hae ye, Kaitlyn, ye are safe,” I said as I rode from the fort. I was headed north, but once out of sight, once I was clear, I would turn south because I was sure tae be followed.

  Thirty-seven - Magnus

  Kaitlyn spoke, “So thirsty.”

  I pulled a bottle from my side pack. “Wheesht, we are followed.” She drank the whole bottle thirstily, then quieted. For a time she fell asleep.