Page 35 of Tempted
James shook his head at Archibald Campbell’s audacity. “Stirling,” said the king. “They can be wed in the chapel royal. I think even ye will agree it is a signal honor fer the Royal House of Stewart to offer the hospitality of Stirling.” James looked at Argyll fastidiously. “Have ye no other attire save sheepskins?”
Argyll drew himself up with pride. “That I ha’, Jamie. It shall be bearskins the nicht!”
James Stewart rolled his eyes heavenward, not really expecting help from that quarter, and gave audience to the next noble.
Archibald Kennedy, Earl of Cassillis, heaped every crime in the book upon the shoulders of the Hamiltons and the Campbells, then started afresh upon Clan Douglas.
“Christ Almighty!” swore the King. “Now ye’re dragging another clan into it! Wild accusations are useless, Archibald. I need proof.”
“Yer Grace, the Barbary that was meant fer ye was ridden tae Edinburgh by ma niece, Lady Valentina Kennedy. Black Ram Douglas sold it tae her and forged a legal bill o’ sale. I’ll show ye the horse, sire—it’s in yer ain stables.”
The king’s eyes narrowed. “Make no mistake, Cassillis— I shall countenance no clan feuds. If I investigate the matter of raiding and find any of you involved, I’ll hang the lot of you.” Cattle reiving, then demanding mail for the beasts’ return, had been a way of life until he had clamped down on it with an iron hand and added robbery to murder, arson, and rape—the criminal offenses that were pleas to the crown and judged by the king. “Ye can send in Rob Kennedy,” the king said wearily.
James was thunderstruck when he heard Robert’s tale of attack on the high seas. While his bloody earls were savaging each other, the English had committed what amounted to an act of war. “Too bad I didn’t have the good sense to fetch ye in first, Rob. My governor general and my admiral are haggling over sheep and cattle while Scotland’s ships are being attacked and destroyed. When my borders and my ships are attacked by the enemy, I need unity in the realm, but unity is abhorred by all!” He crashed his fist upon the black walnut table, making the inkwell and sand-caster dance about. Men often said the king was gifted with the second sight, and he often wondered himself if it were not so. For a long time now he had known an inner urgency to build warships and amass a navy. He had built the Lion, the Margaret, and the Michael with seasoned oak from Fyfe, but he had the feeling now that he would need many more vessels and men with experience to sail them.
“Thank you, Rob, for coming to me directly with this news. Nothing good ever came out of England.” James thought of his dumpy wife the moment the words were out of his mouth, and inevitably Rob Kennedy thought of his. “I hear that Lady Valentina accompanied ye. I shall be delighted tae make her acquaintance.”
“Thank ye, Yer Grace,” replied Rob, wishing he had left her at home where James’s roving eye could not fall upon her. Then James smiled and added, “Janet will be delighted tae have her kinswoman here for a visit.” The king looked appreciatively at Rob. “The Kennedy women are said tae be the most beauteous in the land with hair like fire.”
“Oh aye, my Tina’s a firebrand, sire.”
“We are tae be entertained by a play tonight. I hope ye and yer daughter will join us.”
Chapter 12
The firebrand was almost without breath at the moment as Ada pulled mercilessly upon the strings of her corset. Although they had been at court less than a full day, both women were aware of the contrast between Tina’s gowns and the costumes displayed by the courtiers.
Men’s doublets were now wide at the shoulders with padding, the sleeves slashed with silken undershirts plucked through the vents. The women’s gowns were quilted and embroidered, and the queen’s were decorated by dangling jewel egrets. Bodices were so low in the front, they were shocking, and so high in the back, they were wired so that the high collars were like frames for the face.
The fashion that Valentina had immediately fallen in love with and that Ada had already copied for her was a frilled and pleated creation worn under the chin like a small plate and called a ruff. Ada’s needle had lowered the neckline on Tina’s most vivid gown, an emerald green velvet, and when she fastened the snow-white ruff and brushed out her silken mass of flaming copper hair, she hoped she would not look too gauche.
Tina shared a chamber with Meggan Campbell, and when the two girls entered Edinburgh Castle’s long, dim banqueting hall, they were vastly relieved to see Donal Kennedy and Patrick Hamilton walk a direct path to claim them. Meggan clutched Donal’s hand almost desperately, and the couple sought a quiet corner where they could talk
Tina smiled up at Patrick with genuine pleasure. “I’d no idea you were in Edinburgh.”
“Nor I you,” he said, his eyes telling her how lovely he found her, his brain giving thanks that his nose was no longer swollen.
Tina placed her hand upon his arm and bent toward him confidentially. “Your father descended upon Doon accusing us of cattle rustling, and then my father accused yours of not keeping the seas safe. It was like a circus, especially when the clowns arrived. The upshot was our families rushed to the king to lay their complaints and have him settle the disputes. I was afraid we’d never be allowed to see each other again.”
He covered her hand and squeezed it. “Sweet, I think I would die without ye.”
She withdrew her hand and slapped him playfully. “Flatterer!” Suddenly she felt nervous. The hall seemed to be filled with Douglas men, easily identified by their dark dress tartan and their Bleeding Heart crests. Two of the dark-visaged fellows were openly staring at her now, and she felt her cheeks suffuse as Patrick said curtly, “Keep yer eyes tae yerselves!”
She whispered, “The ugly fellows seem to be everywhere.”
Patrick told her, “The earl rode in today—afraid tae move without two hundred at his back.”
Her eyes danced, but she whispered a warning: “For God’s sake, Patrick, have a care for your tongue. The Earl of Angus is all-powerful and ruthless.”
“I’m no’ afraid of Archibald Douglas,” he said with reckless bravado.
Tina shuddered. “The name Archibald turns men into monsters.”
“Where’s Meggan?” demanded a rough voice. The piercing eyes of Argyll bored into her so that she did not dare to lie. “She’s with my brother, my lord earl,” Tina managed.
To her vast relief he grunted and replied, “That’s good. I dinna want her flauntin’ hersel aboot the hall until she’s raped.” The narrow morals he set for his daughter in no way applied to himself. He leered down the front of Tina Kennedy’s gown and in a coarse whisper that carried said, “Yer bonnie enough tae make an auld man scorch” Then he thumped Hamilton on the back. “Careful ye dinna receive a hornin’!”
Tina’s cheeks flamed, and Patrick flushed. “Old lecher! No lady is safe from his coarse tongue.”
