“I know where it goes, but ’twill nae get there through my lands. I’m nae above throwing ye in my dungeons, man. Now hand me yer packet so I may destroy it and rid my foolish brother’s house of treason. Tell yer masters in England that neither Duin Castle nor the house of its steward will be open to them, ever. My brother hae defied my direct orders to nae consort wi’ the Queen’s Men. I told William Hamilton nay, and I meant it. Whether the Hamiltons and my brother wish to accept it, these actions are treasonous. The Fergusons of Duin will nae involve themselves in this treason.”
The messenger looked the Earl of Duin over. He noted the dirk in his belt, and he could see the earl was a man used to handling a weapon. Though he considered himself one of the Queen’s Men, his first loyalty was to himself. It wasn’t worth getting killed or maimed over a single message. He had no idea what was in it, but the Hamiltons would have to get it to its destination another way. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled the packet containing the message out, handing it to Angus Ferguson.
The earl took it, then, turning to his brother, said, “I’ll deal wi’ ye later. Ye’re forbidden the castle until I call for ye to come, Matthew.”
“Angus . . .”
The earl gave his younger brother a hard look, and left the little hall.
Angus and the two men-at-arms rode back to the castle. He ordered the drawbridge up as soon as they crossed it. His anger with his younger sibling was burning white-hot. Never had Matthew questioned his judgment before, or disobeyed him. His brother had grown restless and reckless of late, and he didn’t understand why that was. Even Annabella’s little sister had disapproved of his actions, and wisely removed herself and her bairn from the stone house Matthew had built for her. And that was another thing: Why had Agnes not told them what was going on instead of simply coming to Duin for safety’s sake?
Annabella greeted him as he came into his own hall. “What has happened?”
He told her, asking when he finished, “Where is yer sister? This is why she left him, and she was wise to do so, but she might hae told us the mischief he was up to, yet she did not.” He called to a servant, “Fetch the lady Agnes to me.”
“I believe she was torn between her loyalties,” Annabella said, seeing his anger was high, and attempting to spare her sister the scolding she was about to get.
“She is the wife of a Ferguson of Duin,” the earl replied in a hard voice. “Her first loyalty must be to Duin itself, and then to Matthew, nae to my brother alone. She came to us for protection while allowing the danger to continue.”
Agnes came into the hall. She was pale and looked frightened. “My lord?” she said in a soft voice. “Ye wished to see me?”
“Why hae ye left my brother?” Angus demanded of her. “The truth now, madam! I’ll hae no shilly-shallying about it.”
“He’s allowed our house to become a stopping point for the Queen’s Men,” Agnes answered. Then she burst into tears. “I told him it was wrong. I told him he endangered us all wi’ his actions, but he would nae listen to me.”
“Aye,” the earl roared, causing the poor lass to tremble where she stood. “Ye told him, butye dinna tell me! Damn it, Agnes, I am Duin! Everyone on these lands defers to me first. Nae to Matthew.To me!”
“Angus.” Annabella spoke, putting a restraining hand on her husband’s arm.
He looked into her soft gray eyes. For all her plainness she did bewitch him.
She smiled softly at him. “Angus,” she repeated.
“Oh, verra well,” he said low. Then, turning to his weeping sister-in-law, he told her, “Ye will remain in the castle until I can make certain yer disobedient husband hae nae brought the wrath of the King’s Men upon us. Wi’ luck no one hae noticed yet.”
“Th-thank ye,” Agnes quavered, and without permission or another word she picked up her skirts and fled the hall, sobbing.
The earl took his wife’s hand and led her to the chairs they favored by the blazing hearth. They had eaten earlier, and the hall was quiet now. The twins had been put to bed before their father’s encounter with their pretty aunt. The dogs were sprawled near the two fireplaces. The cat who had occupied Annabella’s chair now jumped into her lap and settled itself comfortably amid her dark green velvet skirts. She stroked it absently.
“I brought back the packet the messenger carried. Let us see what treason it contains before I burn it,” Angus said as he opened the square leather container and drew out a folded and sealed parchment. Undoing the letter, he spread it out on his knees to smooth any creases; then, picking it up, he silently read the contents.
“What does it say?” Annabella asked him.
He looked up at her, his face deadly serious. “They are planning several assassinations,” he told her. “Those who hold or are likely to hold the reins of power for the wee king: Lennox, his grandfather; Moray; the king’s guardians, Erskine and his wife. They believe if they can rid themselves of these few they can bring the queen back into power once again.”
“Erskine and his wife are good folk,” Annabella said. “Perhaps they dinna gie the little king the warmth and love a parent might gie him, but they do their duty by him admirably. Moray is ruthless, but all he hae done to date hae been in the king’s best interest. They hae taken to calling him the good regent. As for Lennox, I hae never liked Darnley’s father. He betrayed Marie de Guise, and took the English queen’s gold, remaining in England for many years. His own wife, though Scots born, was the daughter of the English princess Margaret Tudor and her second husband. His interests are not, I believe, Scotland’s interests. He simply wants the power that would come with being a royal regent. Still, I dinna think they should be murdered. If they are, who knows who will grab the power?” Annabella said. “Who do they say is to be killed first? And when? Ye canna destroy this evidence, but must warn Moray and his counsel.”
“They dinna say,” Angus replied, looking carefully through the message again.
“Would the messenger know?” Annabella wondered aloud.
“Nay, ’tis unlikely he even knows what he carries. He is just a courier for the Hamiltons,” Angus said.
“We must learn the truth,” Annabella replied.
“We?” He looked directly at her.
She gave him a saucy grin. “Remember that I make a good lad,” she said.
