Page 121 of Promises to Keep

“Aye, ye ken how ye bairns love tae toss the sticks intae the water at the loch? We will do that here, we will come up with adventures and we will ride horses and twill be verra merry. Ye daena need tae worry, I hae it all under control.”

I grinned, “You sound very modern.”

She laughed. “Och, I am so modern, Madame Kaitlyn, ye ken, I am using a positive outlook. Twas something I learned about while we were in Maine, from a magazine in the bathroom. I learned about positive outlooks and how tae apply lip liner tae make yer lips full. Boyfriends like it verra much.”

“Well, see, I do feel better already.” I put down my fork. “Here’s the thing, everyone, we just need to settle in. Magnus is not going to waste one moment away. He will be working the whole time to get back to us, and he will miss us desperately so we just have to hang tight, get along, and be cool with each other. Zach is going to try and get Eamag to make better food. Sophie is going to keep our spirits up. Beaty is going to build a baby. Emma is going to take care of Zoe. Archie and Ben are going to play with their cousins and Isla is going to keep me company, a lot. Lizbeth is going to keep Hayley busy so she won’t worry about Fraoch. James and Quentin are going to carry the vessels away. Is that everyone?”

Isla said, “What are you going to do, mammy?”

“Well, I don’t know, Isla.”Worry, freak out, cry, feel sorry for myself.“Maybe in the morning I’ll go to the chapel and pray.”

Beaty said, “I will go with ye, Queen Kaitlyn.”

Sophie said, “I will as well.”

I nodded, “Good, let’s do that.”

* * *

It was odd waking up in the chilly morning of the eighteenth century in Magnus’s room with Isla on one side and Hayley snoring on the other. I nudged Hayley to turn her over, and put my finger to my lips to tell Isla to wheesht.

She giggled and ran to the corner to pee in the disgusting chamberpot, while I put my feet down beside my bed and sat for a moment, wiggling my toes on the chilly floor. There was hardly any light, a grayness signaling rain. I got up, stretched,ugh this mattress sucked,and there had been no Magnus-chest for a pillow. I was a little irritated that someone had taken my mattress, but… I didn’t truly blame anyone, it was too precious to sit in a room unused. I padded over to the chamber pot and relieved myself and shook my hips to dry.

We hadn’t unpacked the gear yet, we thought we had at least one roll of toilet paper there, but we ought to ration it. We had really been idiotic when we left, too fast, too carelessly, and thinking we would be able to travel whenever.

Quentin had probably known, but he had been wiped out, freaked out, his only thought getting us to safety. I couldn’t hold it against him.

I was grateful to Lizbeth for our clothes. She had given us a pile of skirts and bodices, and tartan wraps. I had asked, “How will we repay you?” It was dawning on me that we were modern refugees, thankful that the castle could afford to take us in.

I looked back at Hayley, still trying to sleep. She pulled the pillow, really just a sack of feathers, over her face to block the dim light. I dressed, thinking about having Magnus tie and untie my bodice laces and how, through our years together, that was one of the most intimate parts of our lives. After finally getting myself laced up, I went to the sitting area, where Isla was on the boys’ bed waking them up. Archie and Ben had been sleeping with their heads at opposite ends.

Archie had an arm thrown over his eyes and as soon as he saw me he said, “This bed sucks.”

I said, “My love, there’s nothing to do but get used to it, as soon as your dad comes for us we will have a soft bed and — imagine how happy we will be? And how lucky — your cousins will never have that chance.”

“Yeah, I know, I should be grateful and consider myself lucky, but the bed still sucks.”

I chuckled. “Yes, both those things are true.”

He hefted himself up to go relieve himself in the chamber pot in the darkened corner. “Don’t look, Isla!”

“Why I want to look at your wee-wee, Archie?”

“I don’t know, just don’t look over here, and Mammy, this toilet-thing sucks too.”

“There’s the garderobe at the end of the hall. That’s a win-win because no one will have to carry a bowl of piss out of the room.”

He sighed while he relieved himself.

I said, to no one, “Well, we are off to a great start.”

At the end of the hall I met Beaty who said she felt better. She was not nearly as nauseous. She added, “This is a good thing because the rats hae eaten all m’crispy rice treats. “I am sorry Queen Kaitlyn, they arna good tae eat now, and if ye are ill…”

“Oh, do not worry about it, Beaty, forsureMagnus will be back for us,longbefore my morning sickness comes on.”

CHAPTER 58 - KAITLYN

Magnus did not get back before my morning sickness started about six weeks in.

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