“He went after James.”
“How long hae they been gone?”
“A couple of hours.”
Tae Hayley I said, “He will return, daena worry on it. He is up tae the task of bringing Master James home. And if he isna, Sean, Liam, and the other men will find him and help him accomplish it.”
Lizbeth said, “Ye hae heard about the siege?”
“I hae, I would hae come earlier, but Kaitlyn has given birth tae a bairn, m’daughter, we hae named her Isla.”
She clapped her hands taegether. “I am so happy for ye, Young Magnus, and glad of yer daughter, she will nae hae tae fight. She will be one more child I winna hae tae worry on. How is yer son?”
“He is verra young but likes tae drag a sword around a’ready.”
“Of course he does, he will be the death of his aunt Lizbeth with his fightin’ and warrior ways.” She sighed dramatically. “I am verra glad tae see ye Magnus, I have worried on ye.”
“I hae secured my kingdom and Lady Mairead has been trained tae run the kingdom while I am away.” I smiled at her.
“What a victory this is! Ye are a true king tae take a mother such as ours and turn her intae a steward of your kingdom. Dost she follow orders? Dost she do as ye say?”
“Aye.” I grinned.
“I am delighted!”
I added, “Though I canna ken if she continues tae follow m’orders when I am nae there tae watch over her. But we hae an agreement, she is tae keep the kingdom under m’rule. She likes the agreement, I think she will do what I say.”
Lizbeth waved her hands. “Ye ken she winna, but she will keep it as long as it helps her as well.”
“I ken.”
“I am verra proud of ye, a daughter, and a kingdom. I would like tae know both someday.”
“Both require traveling and I daena think ye are of a mind tae leave yer home here. How would they live without ye managing them all?”
She sighed happily. “This is so true. I will hae tae send presents tae sweet Isla so she kens who I am.”
We both looked out over the fields and the woods past the hills tae the south. “Dost ye think they will be able tae find yer man, James? And what of Fraoch?”
“I believe so, we will hae tae wait tae see.”
We both watched that distant horizon and then she said, “I do worry that we are concentratin’ on this point, south and nae the east. Twas your step-brother, Philip, who has caused the trouble here, yet he haena the wit about him. I believe there must be another. Have we beaten him? What is tae be done with him? Who is he?”
“I believe it is the man Roderick, a cousin, who I have been warrin’ against for many long years. I believe he has aligned himself with m’step brother.” I shook my head, “Philip has been here once before demandin’ satisfaction, he winna live tae demand anythin’ from me again. And if he has aligned with Roderick, he is askin’ for a death I intend tae deliver.”
“Ye certain it is him?”
“If tis nae him, tis someone else who must be dealt with. Either way, I am here tae fight.”
I looked in that direction, but there was nothin’ tae be seen. “We need the men home, and then we will deal with our enemy.”
We watched the south for most of the day. Scouts were sent tae search the area. Quentin and I began tae discuss time travelin’ tae villages around the countryside, by vessel, trip after trip after trip. We would ask the locals tae assist as we were missin’ Fraoch and James, Sean and Liam, and ten more of our best warriors. We were unprotected if another battle was comin’.
Fifty-two - Kaitlyn
I had become bored.
I begged Emma to let me go grocery shopping with Archie and little Isla. She answered with a bemused smile, “Of course.”
And then after chasing Archie up and down the aisles while nursing the baby who decided then to try out her lungs because something was bothering her — teeth? Diaper? Hungry? She just hated me? I was one second away from freaking out when I took a seat, right in the toilet paper section, right on the dirty floor, and nursed Isla while Archie and I ate from a box of Oreos and sang a silly song for all the shoppers to hear.
In retrospect it was either my finest hour or one of my worst. I managed to get home with half the stuff, in a full sweat, and none of my dignity. I collapsed on the couch. “I was bored, now I’m exhausted. I need a nap. I know I know, ‘welcome to motherhood.’”
She laughed. “I do say that a lot, I also know that sounds like a thinly veiled snark. I really do think you’re doing great. I nursed Ben and remember how complicated it made my days and I didn’t have a toddler kid running around, especially one you’ve only been mothering for a few months.” She smiled. “You’re doing great at that too.”
“Really? When I was feeding him all those Oreos today I wondered if I was to be trusted.”
“God yes, you are doing such a great job. He loves you so much. You adopted a boy and gave birth in like what, three months? I think ‘great job’ just scratches the surface.”
My face pressed into the pillows on the couch I waved my hand, motioning to the kitchen. “For that, you get a cookie.”
“Only reason why I say nice things.”
Chef Zach joked, “The box is almost empty, did Archie eat all those?”
I wailed, “It was me! I needed cookies or I was going to melt down in the grocery store!”
Sixth day, almost the whole week done, while brushing my teeth before bed, the intercom emitted the night security guard’s voice, “Lady Mairead here to see you.”
I dropped my toothbrush and stared wide-eyed in the mirror. “What is she doing here?” Magnus wasn’t here, did she know that? Of course she did. How would she know? How did she know anything? Why was I talking to myself?
Next voice from the intercom, Zach’s: “Hey Katie, you heard?”
My fingers shook going to the button. “Yeah.”
“Want Emma to come in and sit with the baby?”
“Yeah.”
Did I want that? Wouldn’t I really prefer to just not see her? Should I see her? What would Magnus say? But also, maybe she was here to give me news about Magnus. Oh no, what if something happened to Magnus? My knees buckled and next thing I heard — “Katie?”
I was looking up at the ceiling of my bathroom.
Emma was crouched beside me.
“Hey you. Whatcha doing down there?”
“Huh?” I looked up at the ceiling. “Whoopsie. I think I passed out.”
“So, don’t know if you heard, but Lady Macbithchface is here.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I’m supposed to see her without Magnus here, like I don’t think that’s a—”
“She says she needs to talk to you about Magnus.”
I sat up and brushed the hair from my eyes. “Fine.”
I pulled myself to standing and finger-brushed my hair. Then I forced one foot in front of the other out the door, down the hall, to the living room. I was on autopilot and forgot to ask what had been said to Lady Mairead so far. I forgot to ask where Emma was going to be with Isla. I forgot about what I was wearing. I walked into the living room with my head held high wearing, yet again, freaking sweatpants. Note to self, stop wearing sweatpants to all the things.
She was standing in the middle of the living room.
Chef Zach was on one side of her. The security guard stood at the door. I flounced into a chair.
“How do you know where we live?”
She waved a hand as if to say ‘whatever’.
So I sat cross-legged in the chair. Like I was nine. And I didn’t care.
She asked, “Where is Magnus?”
“He’s gone to Balloch.”
“There is unrest there.” Her voice trailed off.
“Yes, what do you know about it?”
“Only what I hae read about, the history — there is unrest in his kingdom as well, I am nae sure I can trust anyone.” She had been vague as she spoke, but then her eyes sett
led on me, piercingly. “You have borne him a bairn?”
“Yes, we have a daughter.”
She literally said, “Tsk,” and then sighed. She added, “Twould have been much better if ye would hae born him a son, I am sure ye can see the diffi—”
I straightened in my seat. “Is Bella still banished? She is dealt with?”
She waved her hand. “She is where I placed her.”
“Then there are no difficulties. I was speaking with Magnus on it, I’m going to adopt Archie, then he will be in line for the throne and really, Bella is nothing to us, absolutely nothing.”
Her piercing gaze again. “And your daughter, Isla, I believe?”
“How do you know her name?”
“The histories, of course.”
“Her name is Isla Peace Barbara Campbell.”
She rolled her eyes. “Such an American name.”
“Magnus chose it.”
“And Magnus is assured she belongs tae him?”
“Of course she belongs to him, of course, I mean — for fucks sake.”
“I would like tae see her.”
I glanced at Zach, he shook his head.
“Not possible, she’s sleeping.”
“I am the queen mother, and I have traveled a great distance tae see my granddaughter. It is customary for me tae be treated with more respect than this. Magnus would see tae me being treated with more respect.” She turned to Zach, “Daena ye agree, Chef Zach?”
“Don’t bring me in on it, I’m just here to make sure no one crosses this invisible line.” He was sitting in the chair at the end of the coffee table between us, staring at an imaginary spot midway through the coffee table.
“And how are Madame Emma and Ben?”
“They are great, thank you for asking.” His eyes remained fixed on the spot.
I glowered at her.
She looked imperiously at me.
I said, “If you remember, Magnus is usually demanding that you respect me. It’s me that gets respect.”
Lady Mairead literally mouthed, “Me me me me me.”
We stared across the room in a stalemate.
“How long has Magnus left ye for this time?”
“A week.” I said. “How long has he left you for this time?”
Her brow raised, “It has been many months but he is nae expected for a few more weeks...”
I took a deep breath and decided to be the better person. “I want to thank you for taking care of the kingdom in Magnus’s absence. It has been very important for him to see Isla born, he was telling me how grateful he is to you.”
She nodded and her face softened. She looked down at her hands. “May I see her, Kaitlyn?”
“Yes.” I got up and went to the bedroom where Emma was sitting in the chair in the corner. “You heard?”
“Yes, got the baby monitor going.”
“Lizbeth would be so proud of you, she is a master at listening to conversations.”
“You’re going to show her the baby?”
“I can’t think of a single other way to get the Macbitchyface off the doorstep.”
I grabbed the most luxurious baby blanket, wrapped sleeping Isla in it, and carried her out to the living room. I was very proud of her and so yeah... this was a good idea.
Probably.
As I entered the living room, Isla awoke and looked up at me with her big baby eyes. Lady Mairead rose from her seat and looked down into Isla’s face and then Isla looked up at Lady Mairead with her sweetest, deepest baby gaze, and they locked eyes for a long moment.
A very long moment.
I glanced into Lady Mairead’s face and swore I saw her eyes go misty.
And then Isla turned her head back to me and the moment was broken.
Lady Mairead straightened up. “She is verra beautiful.”
“Thank you. Magnus and I love her very much.”
“Keep Magnus’s bairn close, Kaitlyn. There is danger about. Daena come tae the future until I hae figured out who is causing the mischief — Magnus and I hae an agreed upon date, tell him I will be waiting for him.”
She added, “Thank ye for allowin’ me tae see her.”
I asked, “Archie is sleeping too, would you like to see him as well?”
“Nae. Tis nae necessary.” She picked up her bags. “I hae brought ye a gift.”
“Oh.”
She opened a leather suitcase that was near her feet, and pulled out a present and leaned it against the coffee table. It was wrapped in thick white paper, tied with a purple silk bow, and was the size and shape of a framed painting.
“You may open it after I leave. I have a car waiting for me downstairs, I need to return...”
Zach asked, “Would you like some food or a drink before you go?”
“Nae, daena trouble yerself, Chef Zach. I ken this has been verra worrisome for ye. Ye are alone as the guard of the queen and the young prince and princess?”
“Me and the night guard.”
“As I suspected. Well, I thank ye for the offer, but I winna take ye from yer job as protector.” She headed for the door with Zach falling in line behind her to see her out.
I stood stock still in the room, holding the princess who had just somehow softened the heart of her grandmother.
Fifty-three - Kaitlyn
Zach returned and Emma came from the bedroom. I was staring wide-eyed through the entryway to the door where she had just left.
Zach said, “That was cray-cray.”
Emma asked, “What did she look like? How did she look when she was quiet? Some of it sounded so menacing, but others... I couldn’t decide if she was being evil or being nice.”
I said, “When she looked at Isla I thought she was going to cry.”
Zach said, “Me too, she was definitely struggling with being a cold-hearted bitch or being a grandma.” He slumped into a chair. “I’m exhausted by the whole thing.”
Emma said, “You realize you told her how much security there was in the house?”
It was Zach’s turn for his eyes to go wide. “But... she already knew, right? Like I didn’t tell her anything she didn’t...” He thought for a second. “Fuck, I’m really not good at this.”
Emma said, “We know, and she knows.”
I said, “She already knows our security situation. She knows everything. Don’t beat yourself up Zach, she is always a step ahead of us — she literally said ‘thank you’ to me.”
Everyone nodded.
“Wow.” I looked down at Isla. “Maybe your middle name is a good one.”
Zach gestured to the present. “Want to open it?”
“Sure.”
Zach untied the purple silk bow, found a strip of the white paper and ripped it down, then peeled the halves away, exposing an ornately framed painting.
The painting was a Picasso. I recognized the style from some of the other paintings I had been given, yet this one was from the blue period and unmistakably a painting of Lady Mairead. “She gave me a painting of herself.”
Emma giggled.
Zach said, “That is so fucking her.”
“I mean in the history of the world has there been a bigger bitch of a mother-in-law? Where am I going to put it? I mean what the hell?”
Zach said, “Hold on.” He was looking at the back of the painting, “See how thick it is? Wait, it’s a door.”
He looked all around the edges. “Look at this, there’s something at the bottom.” The painting was antique, the frame looked very old, the back of it looked ancient, but under the bottom edge was a small pad, much like a fingerprint sensor.
Zach tried to press it. Nothing happened. “Weird.”
I asked, “So it’s like a box you think? A locked box?”
I felt around the edges of the box until I got to the part that felt different and pressed it. There was an audible click. The door swung open.
“Your fingerprint just opened the back of a Picasso painting.”
I didn’t
want to look inside. “You look.”
Emma said, “What do you think is in there?”
“I don’t know, like a hand? A lock of my hair? A voodoo doll? I literally can’t imagine what she would put inside a painting of herself to give me for a baby present.”
Zach creaked open the door and peeked inside. “Empty.”
Emma said, “That is the oddest thing in the world.”
I said, “Unless it’s not... what if it’s like — a mailbox?”
Zach said, “That’s right, let me wrap my head around it for a moment....” He paused then said, “So she went to the past and got this painting, and outfitted it for you. Then gave it to you. Now she goes to the future and there it is in her collection, because you’ve kept it, and now it’s there in the future. Right? So it’s precious, a Picasso, you will never part with it. Is it a painting that has ever been seen before?”
Emma said, “I haven’t seen it in the fine arts catalogues.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t either.”
“So she got it right from the source and delivered it to you. And it opens to your fingerprint. Right?”
“Yes.”
“So if you put something in the back of it, will it be in the back of the painting where she is?”
I nodded. “Probably, I mean, if there is no fire or zombie attack or anything and...”
“And that in itself would be a message if it disappeared from her collection she would know something else happened.”
“Yes, once I checked one of the Picasso paintings for a note from Magnus, wondering if that would work.”
“It might, it might not, I would like to say that is classic Lady MacBitchface to give it to you and not say a word about its purpose.”
I shrugged. “Well, we figured it out, right?”
“Yep.”
“And we don’t need it, right? We’re safe, cool, collected. Magnus comes back tomorrow. It’s all good.”
But because we had such an exciting moment we couldn’t just go to sleep — we ate brownies with glasses of milk, and watched three episodes of Friends to calm down.
Our Shared Horizon (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 10) Page 24