The Guardian by Diana Knightley

Sixty-seven - Kaitlyn

Hammond bowed low over her hand and they spoke for a moment then he led her around the edge of the ballroom to where we stood. “Magnus!”

“Lady Mairead, ye hae returned.” He dutifully kissed her cheeks.

She turned to me. “Kaitlyn,” she bowed low, “I am relieved tae see ye safely returned.”

I huffed. “Your plan was shite as my dear friend’s husband likes to say, and I barely escaped with my life.”

She stood beside me, her right eyebrow expertly raised. “But ye escaped with yer life, Kaitlyn. Daena be overly dramatic.”

My eyes went wide. “You had a terrible plan. You screwed up the timeline. You had looped so many times that the world was in disarray and then you threw me into the middle of it. I had to murder a man to escape!”

“Ye hae murdered more than one. I daena think it should matter that much.”

I shot Magnus an exasperated look.

He said, “Lady Mairead, I winna allow ye tae—”

“I ken, I ken. Ye winna allow me tae talk down tae Kaitlyn. Ye will use yer brawn tae keep me in line. Well, my dear son, ye winna need tae use yer threats and bluster with me. I daena want tae cause any trouble for Kaitlyn. She has done me an important service, one for which I am verra grateful.” She drank a large gulp of her wine.

She added, “Also, by killing Sir Padraig she has restored your throne. Nae, I hae deep gratitude for Kaitlyn’s prowess. How did ye do it, Kaitlyn?”

“He exposed his neck, I leapt across the table, scratched his face, grabbed my gun and... you know.”

“Tis a boring story. Ye best get better at telling it, if ye daena want the dull-witted officers here tae take the credit for it. M’apologies, Hammond, nae harm meant with the characterization.”

“None taken, it is true. If the queen doesn’t tell the story, it will become a military tale.” He nodded in the direction of one man, built like a tank. “Duckworth there, he’s the one who would love to take all the credit.”

I said, “I was thinking I would let them take credit. I’m uncomfortable with the idea of being the queen and a murderer. I remember having the reputation before, it isn’t fun. They can take credit for whatever they want.”

Lady Mairead appraised me approvingly. “Tis verra calculating, Kaitlyn. Ye will get much more done if ye daena hae a reputation for bloodshed. Allow yer husband tae hae the honor of having killed Sir Padraig, for having ended the war, and ye can continue tae protect yer family from the shadows.”

I was alternately pleased at having been ‘seen’ and ‘approved of’ by Lady Mairead and also repulsed that she was pleased with me. Had my actions made her proud? I straightened my back and took in a deep breath to keep from throwing up in my mouth a little bit.

I said, “So, two questions, one, how did you get back after I took the vessel?”

She waved her hand and continued watching the dancers. “I took a train tae New York, spent some time at Elmwood, enjoying the company of Abby and Flora, then traveled here.”

“Second question, who was Rebecca?”

Her eyes flitted to my face, her lips pursed. “She is nae one important.”

“She seemed important, she was pregnant, she knew how to get the gold band off your—”

She said, “Rebecca is unimportant, Kaitlyn, please drop it,” which made me think she was very very important.

Lady Mairead took a swig of her drink, her brow raised mischievously. “Tae change the subject... how are my grandchildren?”

Magnus said, “They are well, ye may see them in the morn.”

She said, “I am surprised ye dinna bring them tae the ball, ye seem tae hae verra many modern ideas about parenting that put ye at odds with what is sensible.”

I groaned, “Yes, I do like to have the kids with us, but a state dinner and a ball is not...” I let my voice trail off as she leaned in to speak with Hammond completely ignoring me.

When she was finished talking to him about something, she said, “Ye look verra fine tae night, Colonel Quentin,” completely ignoring Beaty all together.

He said, “Thank you, Lady Mairead. You remember my wife, Beaty Peters?”

“Aye, I suppose I do.”

She then said to Zach, “Good evening, Chef Zach, Madame Emma, how are ye both?”

Zach said, “Great,” while Emma said, “Good,” both awkwardly.

“And yer son Ben is well?”

Zach said, “He is, and our daughter, Zoe.”

“Ah yes, I remember, you incautiously bore a daughter during all of this excitement.”

Magnus glanced around. “Lady Mairead, ye remember m’half-brother, Fraoch, and his wife Hayley?”

“Aye, of course I do. Fraoch is the son of that horrible, insignificant, conniving woman and Madame Hayley married him.”

Hayley flustered.

Magnus sighed. “And ye might remember James Cook? He works for me back in Florida?”

She squinted her eyes. “I hae nae seen him verra often. Ye are well?” She asked absentmindedly but then asked Hammond for another wine. They both scanned the room for a waiter.

James said, “I am as good as can be expected — my wife is missing.”

A waiter came by with a tray and Lady Mairead plucked her glass from it.

“Your wife? I dinna realize ye were married.”

“I got married back in the eighteenth century, at Kilchurn.”

She turned to Magnus, “How was living at Kilchurn, Magnus? It has nae comforts, nae for a king, the privations must hae bothered ye greatly.”

“We were comfortable enough, though the food here is better.”

Zach said, “Hey, I take offense to that. Eamag and I did the best we could under the circumstances and you know it.”

Lady Mairead said, “Eamag? I canna believe ye worked alongside the auld bag, Chef Zach, tis surprising ye survived. She was always unmindful of her recipes. Speaking of, Magnus, ye look thin.”

Zach said, “It's not the fault of my cooking, he just got out of the hospital.”

All eyes shot to him.

He said, “What?”

Lady Mairead looked shocked, “What were ye in the hospital for, Magnus?”

“I needed heart surgery.”

“But there is naething wrong with ye. Who was it that told ye there was something wrong with ye?”

“The physicians, some of the best physicians in the kingdom.”

“Word of it dinna get out, did it? It sounds verra weak tae be needing surgery on yer heart. Tis a wonder ye daena hae men lining up tae fight ye for your throne.”

“I would like tae see them try. I feel verra good, nae one will be winning my kingdom any time soon.”

She muttered, “What could hae possibly happened tae your heart?”

He said, “Twas congenital.”

“What on earth...?”

“Meaning, as the physician says, I got it from m’parents.”

“Twas nae from me, I assure ye. Ye can put that at the feet of Donnan.”

She appraised the room, watching the dancers. “This is a fine ball, Magnus, I am thrilled ye are celebrating yer kingdom and yer throne.”

“I would like tae return tae Florida as soon as it can be managed.”

She groaned, but her eyes also looked delighted. “I suppose ye will want me tae be yer regent again. I am rather busy these days with m’work with Abby Rockefeller, but I would like tae get m’museum ready tae open again.”

Magnus’s eyes twinkled. “Ye mean my museum?”

She waved him away. “Fine, tis your museum.”

“I am only teasin’ ye. Tis yer museum. We might be able tae hae yer name upon it more prominently.”

“Ye would do that for me, why?”

“Because it seems tae me ye are finally acting as if ye are part of the family. The one in which Kaitlyn is the Queen. All I hae ever asked of ye is tae shew her some respect.”

She laughed. “All I hae ever said is I would if she did something worthy of respect.”

I raised my brow. “You say this to the mother of your grandchildren.”

She said, “Ye hae given yer bloodline tae one of my grandchildren, but I only dispute it, nae tae cause trouble, but tae say twas nae the birth of a child that deems ye worthy of respect in m’eyes. Tis how ye hae seized power and control over the bloodline that was nae yours. That is what has been worthy of respect. I praise ye highly for becoming the head of the bloodline of another woman’s son.”

Again, I had no idea if I should be thankful or sick to my stomach. I nodded curtly.

Magnus joked, “Well, it was fun getting reacquainted, always a pleasure, mother.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” She stared off across the room, then turned on James.

“Whatever has happened tae yer wife — ye said she is missing?”

He coughed, having been startled. “Oh yes, my wife, she is missing since there was a battle at Kilchurn. She was ripped away from my arms, time jumped somewhere.”

“Well, she could be anywhere.” She squinted. “What is her name? Perhaps I’ve come across her in my travels?”

“Her name is Madame Sophie Cook, formerly married to John Milne.”

Lady Mairead’s face had gone pale, “Who was her mother, please?”

James said, “She doesn’t remember, she was taken from her home, very young. She was raised in Edinburgh.”

Lady Mairead went totally pale. “With the Campbells?”

Magnus said, “Aye.”

She dropped her glass, shattering it across the floor, startling all of us as she stared blinking into space, as if she was calculating.

Magnus said, “What is going on, Lady Mairead? What do ye ken of her?”

Her eyes scanned the room, nervously. “Nothing, Magnus, nothing at all. I thought I recognized the name, but tis a common name. Twas nothing.”

“We hae determined she was the child of travelers, though she haena traveled herself...”

She cut her eyes to him and whispered. “Magnus, what are ye doing, takin’ in all these unknown people? First ye take in Fraoch, a child of Agnie MacLeod—”

“I dinna ken it at the time, he dinna ken it either.”

“Fine, but still, now ye are goin’ tae take in more strangers?”

“Dost ye ken Sophie Cook? Because ye sound like ye ken who she is.”

She humphed, considered, then said, “What I am saying is ye canna trust strangers.”

I said, “Sophie remembered meeting Sir Padraig and Agnie MacLeod when she was a child.”

Lady Mairead said, “See! Magnus, what are ye thinking? Donnan has children, Sir Padraig has children, ye canna trust anyone.”