Page 88 of The Knight's Pledge
“Thank you, Giles,” Lucan said and then reached for the handle and charged through the door just as easily as if he was entering his own home. Effie andJames followed.
The space was long and tall like the corridor they’d just left, but a hearth presided over the far, narrow end, and the center of the floor was occupied with a long trestle and benches. To either side of the hall were four doors, all at various stages of openness, and interspersed with short couches and chairs. Muffled chatter seemed to filter out into the smoky central chamber.
A man stood at the hearth staring into the flames, his back to the door. Dark, curling hair, wide of shoulder. He looked ‘round as the door opened.
“Lucan,” he said with relief.
“Tavish.” The two men met to the side of the trestle, first in a handshake and then an embrace.
“’Tis good to see your face again,” he said, pulling away and smiling. “Haveyou seen Mam?”
“I have. She is well, as is Roscraig. You’ve done a miraclethere, Tavish.”
“Thanks be to God. I’m fair to going mad here, keeping them all from burning the place down.” His eyes flicked to Effie.
Lucan turned. “Tavish Cameron, Effie Annesley and JamesMontrose.” He paused and looked to James, making obvious the use of the young man’s truesurname. “Yes?”
“Oh, why not?” James said with an eye roll. “It’s out now, I suppose.”
Tavish stepped forward and held out his hand to Effie. “At last.”
Effie gave a curt nod and placed her hand into his. “You’reHarriet’s son.”
“I am.” Tavish then extended his hand to James. “Montrose? Your family from York?”
James shook hands. “Yes.”
“Burghers.”
“Yes.”
Tavish gave a squint. “Mercenary bastards.”
“Undoubtedly.”
Tavish laughed heartily. “Welcome to you.”
“Mama?”
Effie’s heart seized in her chest, and she spun to the first doorway on the left where the call had come from. And there he was, his little red head a blur ashe ran at her.
“George Thomas!” She went to her knees to catch him, and then unfolded into a seat on the floor, holding his slender body, cradling the back of his silky hair in her palm. “Oh, George, I’vemissed you so!”
“And so I have you!” He pulled back and gave her a sound kiss in the vicinity of her eye, so that Effie laughed. Then he looked up.
“James!”
“Hello, twig.” He caught the boy up under his arms and swung him high in the air before placing him on hisfeet once more.
“I must tell them all at once!” George gasped with wide eyes and then ran back toward the doors, hanging in the frames, shouting, “My mama is here! My mama has come back! I knew she would come back! Hurry, everyone! My mama!”
He ran back to her giggling and Effie scooped him up in her arms again, seatinghim on her hip.
“I’m not a baby anymore, Mama,” George advised. “You needn’t carry me. I’mever so grown.”
“How grown you are,” Effie said, marveling in the change of his speech. “But it has been so long since I’ve seen you, won’t you indulge your old mother?”
George giggled gamely and threw his armsabout her neck.
