“Since she discovered fingers were good for more than sucking on. She saw that rope knotted on your arms and couldnae have resisted nay matter what crazed fool was dancing through the house. She had to untie that knot. Isnae that right, Margaret?”
The little girl grabbed the rope and yanked on it. “Mine.”
“Say please.” Bethoc sighed as the child just kept pulling on the rope and glared at Robbie when he looked like he was about to laugh.
Margaret got the rope, climbed up on Bethoc’s bed, smiled, and said, “Thank ye.”
Bethoc just shook her head and smacked Robbie on the arm for laughing, but then noticed his shoulder was bleeding. “He stabbed ye?”
“Early on. Right after he tied me up. Thinking he meant to do some more poking at me but he heard something. Dinnae ken what but he suddenly dashed outside. Obviously, he hid and watched until ye walked in.”
“Weel, we need to see to that.”
“The laird is leaving.”
She gasped as she recalled what she had to tell the man and ran out the door. “Laird! I ken where the bairns are.”
The man turned from the horse they had draped Angus’s body on and slowly walked back to her, so she said, “Again, I am so deeply sorry for what ye have had to suffer in all this.”
He waved his hand to dismiss her condolences. “Ye saved me the hard task of signing the hanging order. What of the children?”
“He said he took them to the next village and left them in the streets. I dinnae ken how old they are but he implied some might be too young to survive long.” He turned back to the horses and a moment later Keith, who still looked a little weak, rode off with Angus’s body while the other Keddies rode hard for the next village. “God’s speed,” she whispered.
She turned back to the house only to stop at the doorway to look at the ones now walking up to the house. “Laurel,” she called, pleased to see the woman walking hand in hand with Magnus. “Weel met. How are ye?”
“Verra weel.” Laurel stopped and Bethoc quickly hugged Magnus. “He was visiting with me for the day.”
They walked into the house and Laurel stopped abruptly to stare at Robbie, who was sitting down and looking pained. Bethoc was about to say something when Laurel ran over to Robbie. As she scolded the man and studied the wound in his shoulder, Robbie sent Bethoc a little grin.
It shocked Bethoc but as she watched Laurel tend his wound, she began to think his campaign to get her to notice him enough so he could woo her was working. It would be a slow, frustrating wooing, she suspected, but she also began to think Robbie knew exactly what he was stepping into. She then looked at Magnus who had gone to sit with Margaret.
The boy looked happy. He also looked remarkably clean. The clothes he wore were far better than any he got from Kerr. Laurel was clearly treating him very well. Bethoc knew she had to let him go to the woman, let him have a good, loving family.
“Bethoc!” cried Callum from outside, appearing a moment later in the doorway. “What has happened here?”
“Sit and I will get some ale.” She looked at Robbie but he was keeping an eye on Laurel, using her diverted attention to send a big grin at Callum as the others walked in.
By the time the men were all seated and Bethoc had served them ale, Laurel and Robbie were able to join them. Bethoc sat next to Callum and let Robbie tell the tale. She added very little to it. The whole thing made her sad. The laird was a good man, as was his whole family except for the one and that one had tainted so much that was good about the laird’s rule.
“The mon was quite insane,” remarked Simon, shaking his head.
“Aye, especially if he thought he could tie up our Robbie and all would be fine,” said Uven.
Robbie smiled and there was a sly twist to it that told her he was about to tell them about Margaret. Bethoc had a moment of unease and then inwardly shrugged. None of these men had revealed any problem with the child so she would assume, until shown otherwise, that even this oddity would be accepted.
She listened as he told his tale, and watched their faces. Laurel just laughed but the men looked stunned. When they all looked at her, she just shrugged.
“Margaret likes undoing knots,” she said simply.
“But she is only two,” said Uven.
“Actually, nearer to three now. I dinnae ken how or why she does it. I truly dinnae. All I ken is Robbie is free right now because Margaret cannae bear to leave a knot tied. I only just got her to stop untying gowns and boots. I will let her have her knotted rope.”
“’Tis just that one always assumed it required a bit of skill yet she does it. Dinnae think that is supposed to be possible.” Callum smiled at Margaret. “Ye are a clever girl.”
Margaret hurried over to Callum, climbed onto his lap, and presented him with her forehead. He laughed and kissed her. After a brief subtle look at Robbie and Laurel he glanced at Bethoc and winked.
Bethoc had to admit it looked as if Robbie was not insane to think he had a chance and she suspected he was one who had a lot of patience, was more than willing to wait for what he wanted. She idly wondered if she should warn Laurel then inwardly shook her head. Robbie was a good man. Laurel deserved one of those. And, Bethoc thought, she deserved a little boy who clearly adored her.
