“Every favor done requires a favor to be done in return,” the laird said slowly. “The prince helped me when he took it upon himself to be your guardian, for that allowed me to wed you.”
“It allowed you to coerce me into wedlock,” Adair corrected him.
He ignored the barb. “The Hepburn has asked me to allow a group of gentlemen to meet at Cleit now and again. It seems that being insignificant has certain advantages after all,” the laird said dryly. “No one would suspect that a plot was being hatched here, and a plot is to be devised.”
“What plot?” Adair asked half fearfully.
Conal Bruce shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said.
“But you can surmise, can you not, Conal?” Adair inquired of him.
“Aye, I can. Conditions in Scotland grow worse with every passing day, and the king does not seem to care.
His diplomatic attempt with England has failed. The prince will not marry one of your half sisters; nor will Elizabeth Woodville wear Scotland’s crown. The king has retreated to Stirling, where he indulges himself in his hobbies and mourns Queen Margaret. None of this helps Scotland. I am not a man to rebel, but even I realize that something must change.”
Adair sighed and nodded. “This frightens me, Conal, but you cannot refuse the prince after what you asked of him. Why did the Hepburn come to you with this request? Why not young James Stewart?”
“The prince does not wish to be accused of fomenting a rebellion against his father. He is a fine son, but King James has never been capable of ruling properly. He has not been a good king. He is a decent man, but there is an arrogance about him that comes from his French mother. Scotland can no longer tolerate his rule. The lords will depose him and put the prince in his place as regent. The king may then be catered to without the responsibility of governing, but Scotland will have a strong ruler again.”
Adair was thoughtful for a moment, and then she said, “I have never known of a king who was removed from his throne who was not in the end killed. When you have two kings there is always the temptation for rebellion from the weaker faction.”
“The prince wishes no harm to come to his father,”
the laird said with conviction. “I believe him, Adair. He is a competent young man.”
“I believe him too,” Adair agreed, “but I also know it is the nature of those surrounding such an affair to seek to solidify their man’s position. It was given out that my half brothers were murdered by the Duke of Gloucester in the Tower. But that was a lie. The truth was that Uncle Dickon had sent the boys to Middleham for their safety. They were murdered shortly after the duke’s death at Bosworth by those within the Lancaster faction, although despite his cruelty toward me I do not believe King Henry would have given such an order.”
“Then you think one of the prince’s adherents will kill the king?” the laird said.
“I think it is highly likely, although the prince will not give the order; nor will he even wish to know who did the deed,” Adair replied.
“Then I am not comfortable sheltering the conspirators,” the laird said. “I cannot do it knowing what you have told me. You are wiser in these matters than I am, my honey love. You understand the mighty and their ways. I do not.”
“You have no choice, Conal,” Adair told him. “They will make their conspiracy whether you will or no. And poor old King James will be tumbled from his throne, and the prince will be crowned in his stead. Better we be on the prince’s side in this matter.”
“But why must we take sides at all?” he asked her.
“Because we must. You will not be allowed to stand aside, casting your eyes to the heavens while these events unfold about you, Conal. Everyone in Scotland will be asked to take sides. No one will have any choice.”
“She’s right, you know.” Duncan Armstrong had come into the hall and was listening to the exchange between his brother and Adair.
“What will the Armstrong of Duffdour do?” Conal Bruce asked about his mother’s eldest son, who had been born, like Duncan, to her first husband.
“Our eldest brother will carefully weigh and balance all the options in the matter, and then, being a canny fellow, he will choose to stand with the prince. Ian will not be a knife at our back, Conal. He knows what is involved, and will seek to obtain the best advantage forhis own clansmen,” Duncan said. “Ian is no fool. Ask the Hepburn’s permission to invite him when you are asked to host the gathering. It cannot hurt the Bruces of Cleit or the Armstrongs of Duffdour to both be represented.
There will be far more important men, men with rank and power, but we will represent the simple border lords, and remain prominent in the prince’s memory.
Our families may even benefit some by our early show of loyalty to a new king.”
“What if the Highlands rally to the king?” Conal asked. “The Highlands have always been loyal to the Stewarts.”
“The Highlands are like the rest of us. They do what is to their own advantage,” Duncan replied. “Aye, they’ll come to the king if he calls them, but how hard they will fight for him is another matter. And when the prince’s forces triumph they will be very quick to make their peace with him.”
Adair was fascinated to listen to the two brothers’
conversation. It would seem, she thought, that all power was directed in a similar way, no matter the country. It had been much the same in England, with the York and Lancaster factions jockeying for position.
She realized as she listened that her husband was not as astute at political intrigue as was his Armstrong brother, or, for that matter, as clever as she was. He was truly a plain border lord, but he was a good man for all his rough ways.I am fortunate in this husband. Now ifhe will justnotget himself killed in some damned war,she thought.
