I giggled. “What? Flowers? Be careful, here, or I’m going to get up and shower and then I won’t be here to warm your chest while you fall asleep.”
“Och, definitely flowers — onion and garlic in bloom. But so much more than that, a mix of many delicious scents.”
I giggled. His breath was tickling me and he was holding me secure.
“So I smell like food, I guess that’s okay. What else?”
“Aye, food, tae make me hungry, yer scent makes me want another meal, and then here tis all milk.” He buried his face in my right breast. “It has spilled all over yer shirt and has dried and is—”
“Ew. I really should be a better person. Tomorrow I am going to bathe, I promise.”
He pulled my forearm to his nose and sniffed. “Here it smells like Isla’s sweaty brow.”
I sniffed the spot. “It does!”
He wriggled down. But stopped his head on my stomach. “Everythin’ from there down smells of the pads ye wear, the scent is nae natural. I read on the box tis called ‘fresh’.”
“You take issue with them passing this scent off as fresh?”
“Aye, it makes me believe the man who made them has never smelled a fresh mountain breeze afore, or a brook or a field of grass.”
“That is highly likely.”
He wrapped around me tighter: an arm around my waist, his head nestled against my breast, a big thigh across my legs. I wrapped my arms around his head and kissed his forehead. “Thank you.”
“For what, mo reul-iuil?”
“For all of this, for everything. For you. For it all.” A tear slid down my cheeks but that was my thing now, laughing and crying in the same mood.
“For the last four months of normal, for giving it to me. For Isla. For Archie. For you.” I took in a staggering breath. “I know you have to go soon, to travel again. And I know my traveling days are at an end because of mommy-ness and... I’m sorry you are going to be alone from now on in all you have to do. I love you and I wish you never had to go away, but it would have been so tragic if it had happened without this. I know that, these months have meant everything to me.”
He was very quiet and then he tightened his grip around me in a hug. “Aye, they hae meant everythin’ tae me as well.” He paused. “If you think on it, Kaitlyn. I hae made many promises tae ye within the covers of our marital bed. I daena like tae say it aloud, but I hae made many more promises than I hae been able tae keep. I feel verra grateful that I hae been able tae keep this one, and that we hae had this time. I believe we are stronger for it.”
“Me too.”
He looked up at me, his chin resting on my breast, and we held each other’s gaze.
I added, “But I also feel so weak. Like I’m a different person than the one that accomplished all of those heroic things. Now I’m a mom and I didn’t even get a shower today and it wasn’t because I was so busy, it was mostly because I’m overwhelmed.”
“We are stronger. Both of us. And we hae more tae protect. Ye may not have regained yer full strength but ye will, and then I will be worried for the men or women who cross ye. I hae seen ye battle tae protect me, I can only imagine yer wrath if ye are ever made tae protect Isla or Archie.”
I shivered. “I don’t like to think of it. If somebody threatens my children I will rip their motherfucking head off.”
He chuckled. And then verra quietly said, “Aye, that’s m’Kaitlyn.”
We wrapped around each other in the darkness and began to slowly fall asleep.
Forty-nine - Kaitlyn
My sleep was broken too early in the morning, by our security guard, John, saying, “Magnus, there’s a storm.”
Magnus mumbled, “Be there in a moment,” before he leaned over and actually pushed the button, to repeat, “I will be there in a moment.”
He kissed me on the forehead and rose from bed, crossing to the dresser, he quickly changed from his pajama pants to a pair of jeans and a shirt. Standing on one leg he yanked on each sock and then thrust his feet into his new Nike running shoes.
He stopped to watch me on the bed for a moment, watching him, a quick nod, then out the door.
I nursed Isla back to sleep because it was still dark. She was easy to convince we were still sleeping because she was only weeks old. I got up to use the bathroom and then decided to shower. I didn’t want to miss anything, but also, I had to bathe, and this might be my last chance until — maybe if I had to kiss him goodbye I wanted to be clean.
Because though there was no reason why the one, a storm, meant the other, he would leave. It seemed like the time was upon us, and storms always brought something dire. And right now, Magnus leaving was the most direst thing.
It was also expected.
There were men gathering in the past. Magnus would have to go.
So I needed to pull on my big girl pants.
Or at least a clean pair of yoga pants. I pulled them on but my belly was still so fluffy. I sighed, peeled them down and pulled on a pair of joggers — tighter through the legs but gathered at the top to hide my fluffiness. I put on a clean shirt and went out to see who came from the storm.
It was Beaty.
“Oh! Your face!” I couldn’t help it, she looked very beaten and — I instantly regretted it, her face drew down in a frown.
“He has beaten me, Queen Kaitlyn.”
“Who has?”
“M’father.”
“Oh no!” I put a protective arm around her and brought her to the couch. Emma rushed away for some first aid, though it all looked like it had happened many hours earlier. “What happened?”
“The men hae surrounded the castle.”
Magnus sat in the chair opposite us, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “How many men, who’s men?”
“Rab Ruadh said there were by counts a thousand, perhaps more.”
“Rab Ruadh is there?”
“Aye, he had been tae the castle.”
“Och, who has amassed this army?”
“Rab Ruadh told us there is talk they are from Talsworth castle. Quentin said for me tae tell ye that the men were from Talsworth. He has heard them say, Philip Delapointe. But there may be more men we daena ken.”
Magnus’s eyes met mine.
Emma said, “Remind me?” She was carrying a drink and some cookies for Beaty.
Magnus said, “The castle of Lady Mairead’s former husband. Now ruled over by m’stepbrother, Philip Delapointe.”
Chef Zach said, “You don’t think Lady Mairead is involved?”
“Nae, she is runnin’ m’kingdom. She has more important work and is nae of a mind tae make mischief, especially against her own family. Her children, Sean and Lizbeth, are livin’ in Balloch, she winna want them tae be under siege. But... m’stepbrother is verra likely tae want tae cause trouble if he has someone pushing him toward the idea. He has nae enough wit tae come tae it himself, there will be another with a hand in it.”
I asked, “Who?”
Magnus with his mouth on his hand said, “Any number of people but the most likely would be someone with a grudge.”
I asked, “Roderick?”
“I daena ken how it could be him, but he is wantin’ revenge.” He turned to Beaty. “Was there anythin’ else?”
“That’s all they ken.”
“So what happened tae ye?”
“We were all taegether and we needed a safe house so Quenny—”
I asked, “Hayley was there?”
“Aye, she and Fraoch were there.” She continued, “Quenny told me we were goin’ tae m’father’s farm. I told him I dinna want tae go, but Quenny said we dinna have any choice in it. He said it would be okay and—”
“This doesn’t look okay.”
Her voice got very small. “M’father beat me. He told me that Quenny was going tae leave me there because I wasna any use tae anyone!” She sobbed and rolled up against my chest.
“Oh sweetie, that is simply not true. Quentin would ne
ver leave you and you are so important to everyone. What would any of us do without you? That is hogwash.”
She cried even harder. “He killed Murthy!”
“Oh no, that’s awful.” I patted her and tried to console her wounded heart but she was really sobbing now.
Magnus asked, “So what did Master Quentin do?”
“He beat him. He dragged him from the house and beat him. He was full of fury. Master James and Master Fraoch had tae hold him down.”
Magnus’s brow drew down. “Och. How—”
I asked, “Is Quentin okay?”
She sat up trying to get on top of her tears. “I daena think he is well. I think twas verra hard on him tae lose his good temper like that. He feels tis all his fault that he dinna protect me, twas a terrible night but we had tae plan the battle for the next morn.”
Magnus asked, “What is his plan?”
“They are tae take the two vehicles and drive them tae the castle and they have these things tae throw...”
Zach said, “The flash grenades.”
“Aye, they said they were goin’ tae make chaos.”
Chef Zach grinned, “That was partly my plan,” but then his face drew down again. “What am I thinking, none of this is good news.”
Magnus asked, “Twould help if the men from the castle were up on the walls tae fight.”
“Twas a part of the plan, Rab Ruadh told Sean tae expect us, so they meant tae be there. I saw some of the men gathered on the walls as I left in the storm.”
Magnus nodded. “Are ye expected back, Madame Beaty?”
“Aye, I am tae return, and bring ye with me.”
Magnus brought his hands down on the arms of his chair. “Aye, we will give yer face a couple of days tae heal, but tis time tae go.”
Fifty - Kaitlyn
Beaty was inside dressing in her garb and Emma was helping her get ready for the trip with vitamins and potions and other things.
I walked to the end of our boardwalk where my husband was holding Isla in his arms. He had been out there for a half hour, watching the horizon, looking down at her, and talking, telling her something while I watched from the house.
“Am I interrupting?” The baby was looking up at him.
“Nae, we are done speaking on it.” He smiled.
“What were you talking about?”
“I was tellin’ her about the beach and her new home and about her mammy.”
“Oh? About me? I’m so curious.”
He teased, “She would tell ye all about it, but ye daena ken Gaelic.”
I laughed. “So you and Isla have a secret language?”
“Aye,” she remembered most of it from when I spoke tae her afore she was born. She is verra wise for bein’ so wee, she gets that from her mammy.” He passed Isla to me and I wrapped her in the baby sling I was wearing on my front.
He leaned his arse against the rail, and I leaned against him with Isla in the sling between us.
The sun warmed us, a beautiful November day, a breeze shifting the ends of his hair. His beard against my forehead. I could have stayed there forever.
I couldn’t think of what to say so I made a joke, “Without you here to write about, my baby journal is going to get awfully boring: weekly dinner with my parents, doctor visits, yoga classes, baby feedings.”
“I will miss the weekly dinner with yer parents, the speakin’ endlessly on real estate and stock markets.”
“God, you sound so modern, complaining about your in-laws. They do dote on Archie though, they want to take him to the zoo, but we all should go together.”
“I winna be gone but a week, mo reul-iuil. We will go then. Archie and I want tae see the giraffes.” His voice rumbled up from his chest and whispered past my ears on the breeze.
“I love it. We’ll do that. And if it’s only a week, I can do a week. Besides I have Emma and Zach. They need so much help. What would they do without me?”
“Aye, ye are the glue holdin’ the family taegether.”
I chuckled. “Speaking of me holdin’, I really hoped to have sex with you before you left, will you promise me you’ll remember what it’s like?”
“I remember.” He lifted my chin, kissed me, and then hugged me and joked. “And when I get back twill be verra close tae the time ye will be ready again. This is workin’ verra well for me. I must go away while ye are still wearin’ the furry pants with the—”
“I took a shower.”
“Ye did, now ye smell like spice and sunshine. I will hae a hard time nae rememberin’ beddin’ ye.”
“Good.” I nestled in more. Then after a long moment. “You think it’s Roderick?”
“It could be any number of people but he is most likely.”
“That must make you crazy—”
He looked down at me. “Nae. I daena let him live in m’head. I hae other, better people tae hold inside. I daena think on him much at all because he is unimportant. He is a man who thinks he can be king but he lost tae me a long time ago. And think about this Kaitlyn: all this time, he couldna stop thinkin’ on fightin’ me. He had the chance tae live a life in peace, but revenge and hatred drives him forward. Dost ye ken what happens tae a man such as this?”
“What?”
“They weaken. The hate tears them apart and then all I hae tae do is walk up and—” he flicked his middle finger on the railing of the boardwalk.
I laughed. “That is so modern of you, too, like from the Avengers.”
He chuckled. “The movie with the super men?”
I nodded. “Plus you sound like Barb.”
He said, “Ye remember Barb said tae me, ‘Ye arna a god, ye are a man, tis too heavy tae carry around the rest of it.’ So I try not tae carry it. But Roderick dinna hae Barb tae advise him. He is weak and evil, and I am goin’ tae kill him for it.”
I said, “I love you so much, don’t do anything too heroic. Don’t risk your life please. If you need more firepower don’t just pick up a gun, remember you can go get your army in the future. It’s there if you need it — I know you don’t like descending on the past with a future army and future weapons, I get that it’s not wise, according to Doctor Who or whatever, but sometimes you just have to shut it down, you know?”
“I ken. I will.”
“Good.”
Archie ran down the boardwalk, dragging his claymore. He threw his arms around our legs. “Kay-be! Da!”
“Hallo wee’un, ye hae yer sword!”
“Kaymore.”
“Aye, and ye finished yer breakfast?” Magnus scooped him up in his arms and we were a pressing hug of arms and legs and babies and it was glorious, so I held on for as long as I could.
Fifty-one - Magnus
Beaty and I were jogging through the forest, keepin’ the river tae the right, headin’ tae the bridge and finally her father’s farm. Twas a few miles so we kept a constant movement. Twas early morn and everywhere was quiet.
Beaty said it felt different from when she left, less activity and noise, before there had been the sounds of an encroachin’ army all around.
There were two explanations: the battle had been won or lost.
We arrived at her father’s farm and I told Beaty tae remain in the yard while I spoke tae Auld Jimmy Campbell. I found him sittin’ on a stool in the middle of his hovel. He jumped tae his feet when I arrived, but looked verra beaten by Master Quentin.
I said, “Ye hae learned a lesson taught tae ye by m’friend Black Mac?”
He scowled and spit. “He is a ruff—”
I said, “I want ye tae ken I am takin’ his side on it. Ye raised a hand tae his wife and I will stand with him on yer treatment for it. She daena belong tae ye, she is his after a fair payment.”
“Twas nae so fair.”
I said, “Twas fair, I made the payment m’self and ye needs remember that I am a nephew of the Earl. Dost ye want tae cross me?”
“Nae.”
“Good.” The gear looked untouched.
>
“Have they returned?”
“Nae,” he said sullenly.
“I will give ye a payment for guardin’ the supplies.” I tossed him three gold coins and left a note at the bottom of Quentin’s: I am here, with Beaty, we are headed tae the castle tae meet ye.
I carried a couple of the bags and we left for the castle, keepin’ tae the woods, followin’ the river, until we arrived at the fields across from the castle. We hid in the trees and watched for some long moments. The battlefield was littered. Campbell men were still on the walls, though the battle seemed tae be over. It looked as if their attention was focused on the south.
Once we determined it was clear we approached the tunnel door by way of the riverbank. A guard was stationed there. I asked, “There was a battle this day?”
“Aye, we vanquished them, but we hae lost some men. Sean and Liam hae gone tae recover them.”
“Och.”
Beaty and I raced through the tunnel.
The castle was crowded, the courtyard full of animals and belongings, carts and horses and many villagers milling about waitin’ tae return tae their homes. Another man directed me tae Black Mac who was up on the walls. We were verra relieved tae hear his name spoken.
Beaty pushed by me up the steps out of excitement tae see him. The stairs were so tight twas hard tae contain her as she climbed.
Lizbeth greeted us warmly. Hayley was thrilled we arrived but wouldna take her eyes from the horizon. Quentin clapped me on the shoulder and they all began tellin’ me the tale at once.
“We did it, we created chaos, like we said, and—”
Hayley said, “I lost control, jerked the wheel, it was scary and he fell—”
“Who fell?”
Quentin said, “James — the enemy got him and carried him off.”
“Och, and they went that way?” But I kent the answer, it explained why the men were facin’ the south. Twas why the stonemasons who built the castle had situated it here. Sean and I had spoken of it many times when we were young, planning our battles. And I had oft discussed it with Quentin: if there was a siege, a battle at the walls, force the men away tae the south through the ravine. “Where is Fraoch?”
Our Shared Horizon (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 10) Page 23
