Page 58 of Promises to Keep

I said, “I hae been thinking on it, though, Kaitlyn, we should ignore her. We hae tae find her, the real her, whatever she says about it, we hae tae find her anyway. I feel like havin’ her kidnapped in front of us is too dangerous a precedent. I canna allow it. It is an affront tae m’power, even if the peace and quiet is a welcome thing.”

“How will we find her?”

“Ye said how last night.” I grinned.

She looked at me blankly. “I have no idea, was I wise?”

“Aye, ye were verra wise, ye had a perfect plan. Or wait, nae a full plan, more like the start of a plan.”

“Great, what was it?”

“Ye said we ought tae read her notes.”

“Oh.” She blinked, wrapped up in a tartan, the bottom half of her naked and crossed the room tae crouch over the pot tae piss. She said, “And the notes are in her book?”

“Aye, we need tae find her most current book.”

She used a tissue tae wipe and stood.

“When I’m drunk I am very wise, who would have thought?”

CHAPTER 30 - KAITLYN

It rained all damn day.

* * *

The men went out on horses to ride, enjoying the horrible weather. I helped Lizbeth around the castle. Because of the rain we weren’t going to have a delivery from the farms, so we had to go in the storeroom to make lists of what was available to tide us over. Lizbeth pulled from her pocket a book, looking much like her mother, and then a pen, a real pen from modern times, looking a little like Magnus. She made a list, a little like me.

“Remind me to bring you more pens.”

“I do love them, they are verra sensible. I think if the future holds wonders such as an inkless pen we might do well.”

I smiled. “If only you knew of all the wonders. I wish I could take you to Florida someday, to see where we live.”

She nodded. “I would love tae see it. I think it must be a magical world, where cookies grow upon trees, the rivers flow with soda drinks, and the pens are endlessly full of ink. I would like tae see it verra much. But...” She blew a bit of hair off her forehead, it was chilly, but she was moving a big sack of oat flour and had a dewy forehead from the work. “I daena think I ought tae — whenever I visit Edinburgh and dance at the balls, or eat at the fine tables, when I return I am verra put out that I must endure all of this. Tis difficult that I hae tae be the mistress of the house, without the title, and I must work in the storeroom, and put up with the stench of m’husband after a day out on the grounds.” She put her hands on her hips. “He dresses up verra fine and I do miss it when he is just a man. My point is, Kaitlyn, tae travel makes me feel less inclined tae be grateful for what I hae at home. And I do verra much like my husband, even when he does reek, and I like my bairns, best of course, when they arna underfoot. I like the power of my station, and I admire and enjoy the company of Sean. I can even enjoy an afternoon in Maggie’s company, when she is nae complaining. I like my life. I daena need tae see what other things lie beyond. This way I can be properly grateful when ye bring me chocolate and fancy lotions.”

“That seems very sensible.”

“Och nae,” she joked, “I daena want tae be seen as sensible.”

Just then a servant came seeking Lizbeth. “There is a envoy here from London, we hae a visit from the young Lowden, the heir tae the Earl of Lowden’s title...”

Lizbeth’s eyes went wide. “What is this? The Earl dinna mention there would be a visit!”

“He dinna ken, Madame, he is in a tither now, dressin’.”

“Good Lord! And the men are out on a ride in the rain, all will be bedraggled this evening and we are down tae the last of the...” She huffed. “Send Cuther out tae the docks, tell him we will need as much salmon as they bring in.”

She turned to me. “I suppose we must greet our guests. Someone must go up tae tell mother that her step-grandson has arrived.”

“I wonder if they’ve ever met?”

“Unlikely.”

* * *

Young Arran and his companions walked into the castle as if they owned the place. They had the look of entitlement peculiar to the nobility. The young women were ostentatious and preening, the men acted as if they ruled everything.

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