Page 55 of Promises to Keep

“Och, who kens? Auld enough tae be powerful, young enough tae be beautiful tae enjoy it.”

She turned to me, “Ye ken, Kaitlyn, ye hae amassed a great deal of power and ye are beautiful enough tae keep yer husband happy — twill be fleeting, someday ye will be alone, but at least ye will hae the fond memories of it.” She shook her head. “Unlike Queen Elizabeth: she amassed all that power without a proper husband, and rarely a man tae keep her bed warm…” She took another sip of her wine. “I met her, did I tell ye, Kaitlyn? She did hae one lover of note, but I dinna care for him much.” She finished her wine and looked quite buzzed.

Magnus said, “Kaitlyn daena hae tae worry on bein’ alone, I am her husband—”

“So much honor, Kaitlyn, ye hear how he speaks? Ye will be auld and he will still be there, he says so, ye hae nae reason tae doubt him.”

I sneered like a child.

She waved her hand for another glass of wine. Then said, “Speaking of believing Magnus’s word, how is yer son with Bella, Magnus?”

Magnus shoved his chair out from the table. “First, Lady Mairead, ye and I hae discussed yer behavior and we hae come tae an agreement. Ye arna tae be cruel tae Kaitlyn, the fact that ye hae forgotten the agreement or ye hae nae recollection of havin’ made it, makes me believe ye are much younger in the timeline than ye are letting on, which means, I am nae going tae rehash auld disagreements, nor am I going to allow ye tae banter and keep tae auld scores. Ye might be younger, but yer behavior has grown verra verra auld.” He took my hand. “Kaitlyn and I will be moving, ye are unwelcome tae join us.”

To me he said, “Grab yer glass, Kaitlyn.”

He led me to a smaller table on the side, and we sat, and he drained his ale, then he waved to Lochie, and mimed eating a cookie. Lochinvar showed him the empty box. Magnus said, “Och nae, this is a tragedy, I ought tae call it the Evil Mother and the Lack of Cookies, a play in three parts.”

I joked, “Dibs on the band name.”

He laughed.

“What are we going to do about her?”

“I daena ken, she is...” His eyes traveled down to the end of the table where Lady Mairead was flirting with one of the younger men from her entourage, hard. “Och nae, she is going tae...”

“I know, I see it, the poor man.”

Sean walked up and gestured toward Lady Mairead.

Magnus said, “Aye, we see it.”

Sean then gestured toward Lochinvar, flirting with an older woman. “I suppose he will at least get a warm bed taenight instead of the straw-covered floor of the men’s quarters where he was made tae sleep last night.”

Magnus groaned. “Tis Widow Arthur, Sean, she came here taenight specifically tae catch him. How are ye takin’ it so easy? I will remind ye, I gave ye Lochie intae yer safe care, and already he has almost drunkenly killed a man and now is about tae bed a treacherous widow.”

Sean shrugged. “Young Magnus, part of keepin’ a young man safe is tae allow him tae make an arse of himself.”

“Ye must also keep him alive.”

Sean laughed. “He is still living!”

“It has been mere hours since we arrived.”

Sean watched Lochinvar for a moment and said, “Aye, ye are right, I canna let Widow Arthur get her claws in him. I will return.”

Sean stalked over to Lochie’s table and spoke, a few moments later Widow Arthur left the Great Hall through the main doors and then Lochie left for the back stair that went up to the walls.

Sean returned with a smile. “I reminded Widow Arthur about her five bairns in the nursery needin’ her and sent Young Lochinvar up for guard duty.”

Magnus said, “Thank ye, brother.”

Their eyes moved over to Lady Mairead laughing with her young conquest. Magnus said, “Anything we can do about this turn of events?”

“What ye arna rememberin’, young Magnus, and this is most important, if Lady Mairead is busy, she winna bother with us so much.”

“Och nae,” Magnus lamented, then shrugged. “I suppose ye are right on it.”

Lady Mairead rose from her seat and approached us with her young man close behind. “Magnus, I ken ye daena want me tae speak tae ye, but I intend tae properly say goodnight.”

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