Page 130 of Promises to Keep

“What did the note say again?”

And then we were talking over the note again, bored out of our minds, trying to read the future from our position in the long ago past.

CHAPTER 63 - KAITLYN

Two weeks later we had a bit of warmth, Isla and I went for a walk through a field, basking in the sun. Farther along, I could see Archie and Ben and the cousins chasing each other through tall grass. I enjoyed watching them, the light glistening on their skin, their yells and cheers as they raced.

I looked down at Isla, picking wildflowers. I crouched down and put a daisy in her hair, and breathed in the fresh scent of her. As gross and medieval as we got, the littles still smelled yummy. “Want to feel the baby roll around?”

She put her small hands on both sides of my stomach and giggled. “It’s a silly baby. Hey baby, I’m your big sister, you have to be nice to me because I am in charge.”

“Is that how it works?” I pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and put a flower there, but her ears were so wee and soft they didn’t want to work so hard.

“Of course, mammy, I am in charge of Zoe and all the bairns, everyone knows, especially my baby, I am in charge of him specially.”

I kissed her forehead. “You’re sure it’s a boy?”

“Sophie said it, because you eyes are bright, mammy, little girl babies take all your brightness for themselves.”

I said, staring into her bright pale blue eyes, “I have never heard that but when I think about how bright you are I realize that must be true.”

“Da says it’s a boy too.”

“Do you miss your da?”

“Yes, but he be here soon, because the baby is coming.”

I grinned. “How’d you get to be so smart?”

“I your daughter.”

“True that.” We high-fived then stood from our place in the tall grass and meandered toward the castle, but then I saw the men above us on the wall waving their arms. A man yelled down…

What?

I looked back over my shoulder at the sky, dark — it was a distance away, but there was a storm in the sky. Shit! I picked up Isla under my arm, awkwardly, and hustled toward the gate, dropping her down because she was too heavy, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her along — “Hurry, hurry! Isla, go fast!”

“I go fast mama!”

She was not going fast enough.

I neared the gate as Sean and Liam thundered past on their horses, Sean said, “Get in the gates! I am goin’ for the boys!”

Isla and I made it into the gates, then turned around to see Sean and Liam rounding on the boys, leaning down, hoisting the boys onto their horses, and ferrying them to the castle, and dropping them at the gates. “Inside! Close the gates!”

They turned and charged off in the direction of the storm, taking with them about ten men.

Isla clung to my skirts, Archie stood stoically near me, but I looked down and saw the fear in his face. I took his hand, we went to the far side of the courtyard, under the shadowy overhang of the upper floors, and waited to hear what was happening.

This hanging out was against protocol, but also, I had to know what was happening,

We waited.

The men called orders to each other down the walls. I could see James at the corner holding binoculars to his eyes, watching east.

Zach passed. “You’re supposed to be in the nursery.”

“I can’t, I need to, I will go if I… I need to know.”

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