Chapter 14
They could smell the sea on the afternoon wind. The horses too sensed the nearness of home, which seemed to give more energy to their steps. And then they crested the final hill, and Duin lay below them on its cliff above the sea. Angus dismounted and, walking over to a little pile of stones, bent down, appearing to fumble with his hands. Then he stood tall once more. As he mounted his stallion a small rocket streaked from the rocks into the sky to explode over the castle.
Annabella watched in amazement as the drawbridge began to lower over the chasm separating the castle from the cliffs. “I dinna know ye had a signal fixed,” she said. “How clever.”
“Matthew was instructed nae to lower the drawbridge to any but me,” Angus told her. “Duin is impossible to take otherwise wi’out cannon.”
“Mother of mercy, may there never be cannon pointed at our walls,” Annabella said. “Why would anyone want to take Duin?”
“Times change, and we are nae longer as isolated as we once were,” he said.
They cantered down the hill, crossing the now lowered bridge into the courtyard, where Matthew was waiting to greet them. When he saw Annabella his face grew dark with anger. “I dinna know yer vixen would follow after ye!” were the first words from his mouth. “She tricked me, wi’ Jeannie’s help, Angus.”
The Earl of Duin laughed. “She saved my life,” he told his younger brother. “I’ll hear nae more of yer complaints, Matthew. Are our prisoners still being kept comfortable? I was successful in obtaining proof of my innocence.” He took Annabella’s hand as together they walked into the castle.
“Aye, they’re well, though testy about being penned up so long,” Matthew said.
“We’ll release them on the morrow,” the earl replied. “Ye can bring Donal Stewart to me in the hall now. He’ll eat wi’ us this evening. How is Aggie?”
“Delivered me a fine son two days ago,” Matthew responded proudly. “With nae help but from my mother and Jeannie.” He shot Annabella a fierce look.
“We’ll come see the lad tomorrow,” the earl said as they entered the hall.
“I’ll fetch Donal Stewart,” Matthew responded, and hurried off.
“He hae never really liked me,” Annabella said quietly. “Yet I know he loves my sister.” She sighed.
“He’s old-fashioned, like our father was. Don’t pay him any mind,” Angus said candidly. Then he kissed her a lovely slow, sweet kiss that came to an end only when they heard Matthew harrumph. Angus released Annabella, and they smiled at each other as he eased his hold on her.
God’s bones, Donal Stewart thought, seeing them together.How much they love each other.
“I hope ye hae been comfortable in my care,” the Earl of Duin said.
Donal Stewart nodded. “We hae been well treated and well fed, my lord. Other than the loss of my freedom I canna complain. Yer brother tells me ye returned to France.” He looked curiously at Angus Ferguson. “To what purpose, if I may ask?”
“Ye may,” the earl replied. “But come; the meal is ready. Let us adjourn to the high board, and I will tell ye everything.”
The three men and Annabella seated themselves at the table. The servants brought in the food, and they ate as the earl spoke.
“I am nae a traitor. Today on the road we met wi’ a band of horsemen who demanded to know whether I was for king or queen. I told them I stood for Scotland, and I do. The history of the Fergusons of Duin is a well-known one. We dinna involve ourselves in politics. Families who do generally meet with misfortune somewhere along the way.” He ceased his speech briefly to eat. Then he told them the story of his dealings with Monsieur Claude, the de Guise agent, and the magistrate.
“Ye refused a larger offer for Monsieur Claude’s offer?” Donal Stewart was slightly disbelieving. He liked the Earl of Duin. His instincts told him this man was no traitor, yet he had refused a lucrative offer to accept a reasonable one. “Why?” He needed to know that.
The Earl of Duin smiled at the frank request. “I am a rich man, Donal Stewart,” he said. “Everyone knows that. What they dinna know is the extent of my wealth. A wise man keeps such things to himself lest he be envied by his neighbors. My wealth stems from the generosity of my mother’s sister and her husband. They were childless, and left me all they possessed. Their lands, however, remained in his family, but the bulk of his wealth was passed on to me. I want for nothing, for I husband this wealth carefully, and hae increased it over the years. I would be a fool to lose all that I have by committing treason against the crown, to lose my home, my family, my bairns. James the sixth of his name is crowned king. He is Scotland, and I stand for Scotland.”
“Mary Stuart was once crowned queen of Scotland, and she yet lives,” Donal Stewart said quietly.
“Aye, she was, and she does. But she hae foolishly left her realm to flee into England,” Angus Ferguson replied.
“Ye’re Bothwell’s friend,” Donal Stewart said.
“I am, and I will nae deny it,” Angus responded. “It does nae mean that I approved his rash actions, however.”
“What proof hae ye brought back for my sire to judge ye?” Donal Stewart said.
The earl told Donal Stewart of his most recent travels to France, and how he and Monsieur Claude had forced a confession of fraud from the magistrate.
“But the gold, the letter to Mary Stuart?” Donal Stewart asked.
