“I do, and yet Matthew is my husband. It seems odd that yer husband must approve his every move.” She sighed. “I know ’tis nae different than the household of any other lord, and yet I chafe, as I know does Matthew,” Agnes replied.
“When this crisis is over,” Annabella said, “I will ask Angus if we may do something that could change all that, but for now ye must obey him.”
“I will,” Agnes promised.
The earl came into the hall. He did not look pleased as he joined them. He gave Agnes a quelling look as she concentrated upon her oat stirabout.
“Eat before ye interrogate the messenger,” Annabella said to her husband.
“I hae already spoken wi’ him,” Angus said. “Now that he believes he faces nae real danger from us, he will nae cooperate and tell me from whence he came. When I hae eaten I will see he is disabused of the notion that we are weak.”
“Angus, ye canna torture the man,” she said.
“Of course I can, and I intend to,” he told her. “Going to Dumbarton is a better idea than going into the Hamiltons’ lair, wherever it may be, but I need to know if this man came from Dumbarton originally. We dinna need any surprises.”
“What will ye do to him?” she asked, fascinated in spite of herself.
“A wee beating will loosen his tongue,” the earl said, helping himself to a large portion of eggs and several rashers of bacon. He pulled a piece off of the cottage loaf, buttering it generously with his thumb.
“Nae too hard,” Annabella pleaded for the man.
The Earl of Duin laughed. “Ye’re too softhearted, sweetheart. We need to know what he knows, and we need to know it in relatively short order.” He began eating with a good appetite, his good nature restored by just being with Annabella.
“Gie the man a day or two to consider his position,” Annabella suggested. “Surely we hae a little time, particularly if this messenger does not arrive as promptly as those waiting at Dumbarton expect. And unless he originally came from there, went to the Hamiltons, and is returning to Dumbarton, it’s likely he isn’t on a fixed schedule. A messenger comes when a messenger comes, Angus.”
“I’ll gie him a day to reconsider his fate,” the earl said.
But by the next day the courier still remained obdurate. Annabella, however, could not bear to know the man would be beaten. She insisted upon going down into the dungeons to speak with the fellow herself. He was surprised to see this plain-faced woman standing looking through the cell door grate.
“I am the Countess of Duin,” she introduced herself.
Her husband’s prisoner jumped up and bowed politely.
“I dinna want to see ye beaten, sir,” she began.
“I can take a beating,” he answered her.
“I’m certain ye can, for ye appear to me to be a strong man,” Annabella agreed. “But what we seek to learn is hardly vital.”
“It seems to be for ye,” he said with a cheeky grin.
Annabella laughed. “If you answer a question for me,” she said, “I’ll answer one for ye, sir. And ye may go first.”
He was surprised, and curious to see whether she would actually keep her word. Offering to allow him to query her first was certainly reassuring. “Verra well,” he said. “Tell me how such an attractive man like yer husband came to wed such a plain lass? Ye must be verra rich to hae gained the wedding band on yer finger.” It was a bold question, and even a bit insulting. Of course she wouldn’t answer it, and then he did not have to answer any query she put forth.
Annabella was startled by the inquiry, but she knew if she did not answer their prisoner she had no chance at all of learning what she needed to know. Looking the man directly in the eye, she said mischievously, “I’m nae rich, sir, but my da had a wee bit o’ land Angus wanted for his cows. The cows gained the pasturage; and I got a husband.”
The prisoner chuckled at her explanation. She had, to his great surprise, answered him honestly, he knew. And the truth was, the questions they wanted him to answer were really of no importance to him. “The Hamiltons hae an encampment in the hills along the border. They move it every few days in order to avoid being discovered by the King’s Men. I am a paid courier and was nae expected to return there, but to make myself of use to Lord Fleming at Dumbarton. I hae never been there before. I dinna care which side in this war prevails, as long as I earn my coin. The Hamiltons dinna pay me. Lord Fleming was to do that.” His tone was slightly aggrieved when he said it.
“The earl will see ye are paid when we release ye,” Annabella told the prisoner.
“And when is that to be?” he asked her.
“When we hae completed yer commission, sir,” she said with a twinkle. “Ye’ll be comfortable until that day. Hopefully ’twill nae be long.”
He nodded understanding, and smiled a small smile. “I thank ye for visiting wi’ me, madam. To hae the lady of the castle concerned wi’ my welfare is comforting.”
“I hae always attempted to be a good chatelaine, although my purview hae nae before extended so deep into my husband’s castle,” Annabella said, smiling back.
