“One of my men? Nay, I cannae believe that. I would trust them with my life and dinnae question their loyalty to our liege. Morainn must have mistaken what she saw.”
“I dinnae think so.” Tormand sighed. “She didnae mean one of your men. She meant one of your blood. She says it is one who already has a lot of blood on his hands. Morainn also said that included yours, but that makes no sense for ye are still here. So, mayhap she has misread what she has seen.”
“Nay, she hasnae. I nearly wasnae here,” Simon whispered, shock stealing the strength from his voice. Morainn’s vision only confirmed what he had overheard David and Hepbourn say, that Henry was involved in the plot to kill the king.
“What do ye mean, ye nearly were not here?”
Unable to sit still as he revealed what he saw as his idiocy and his humiliation, Simon stood up and began to pace in front of the still-sitting Tormand. “I ken that I once told ye that the last time I went home was to see my father buried, but that wasnae the truth. I was drawn back to Lochancorrie one more time. Ten years ago to be precise. By a woman.”
“Ah. And this woman is the reason ye havenae been back or even spoken of your kin since then?”
“Aye. Her name was Mary. She was my brother Henry’s third wife. Henry brought her to the court with him once, when he was allowed to still show his face there. I was there as weel, with my foster father, and acting as his squire. Part of my training. It wasnae easy, but I did my best to stay out of Henry’s sight and reach. Mary found me instead.”
“This tale doesnae end weel, does it?” muttered Tormand.
“Nay, not weel at all. Mary was beautiful and she stirred my blood until I was crazed with lust for her. Jesu, I was but a green lad of eighteen with verra little experience of women and she was a weel-practiced seductress of five and twenty. She also filled my ears with tearful stories of how cruel Henry was to her, how desperately she needed to get away from him. She was certain that he would kill her one day. At least in that she spoke the truth. I got word that she drowned about five years ago. The mon who gave me the news hinted that few of the people at Lochancorrie believed it was an accident. He also implied that no one truly cared if she was murdered or nay. They were just pleased that she was gone.”
“So she seduced ye and it wasnae out of love. Why? Revenge on Henry?”
“Nay. She and Henry were much alike, in truth. She wanted a son. She had already given Henry two daughters and he wasnae verra pleased by that. I fear they, too, may be dead for Henry’s daughters dinnae live long, either. I only ken of one who lived to marry, although in truth she was still little more than a child when she was sold off to an old mon.
“I discovered later that Mary chose me to breed her because she wished to be certain that the child looked like Henry. That was Henry’s plan as weel, although I was stunned that he would e’er accept that he was unable to breed a son.
“Weel, Henry discovered we were lovers and beat me near to death. My back is badly scarred from the whip he used and he peeled most of the skin off my back with it. My foster father didnae hold much hope that I would survive until weeks later. He said he had ne’er seen anyone so torn up. He ne’er got over his astonishment that I had had the strength to crawl back to our rooms.”
“What did ye do after ye healed?”
“Fool that I was, I went back to Lochancorrie. I feared for Mary’s life, didnae I. I had some grand plans about rescuing her from my brute of a brother. Henry’s wives didnae live long although no one could e’er prove that he killed them.” Simon scowled as he recalled all the painful truths he had uncovered on that last visit to his birthplace.
“Ye dinnae need to continue, Simon.”
“Aye, I do.” If only to learn how to tell the tale when I finally answer Ilsabeth’s question about what happened to cause the scars, he mused. “Instinct made me cautious. I at least retained enough sense to ken that I couldnae blindly rush to the fair maiden’s rescue, that I needed to plan. So, I watched and I listened. Disguised, I e’en got inside the keep a few times. That is how I discovered that Henry had sent her to seduce me. I willnae trouble ye with all the things she said save to say that she didnae do it for love or e’en fear of Henry. Henry’s outrage over finding his wife in my bed was false although he admitted that he enjoyed beating me. Called me a self-righteous little bastard.”
“Do ye think he is expecting ye to come after him?”
Simon stared at Tormand for a minute and then cursed. “I cannae say. I didnae want to believe it when I heard Hepbourn say his name. Couldnae believe that Henry would risk all our forefathers built, all he has claimed and lived off for years. It just makes no sense. But it seems that he has.”
“Some men cannae resist the lure of power.”
“There is naught in our history or bloodlines that should have given him the insane idea that he has a right to the throne. Not one cursed thing.”
“All he needs is a thirst for power, Simon. Ones who get that thirst will justify all of their actions until they believe they are right in what they think and do. Mayhap ye should step away from this. I suspicion ye have no care for your brother, but all the rest? Aye, I think ye care that he risks Lochancorrie and its people. Yet, there is no ignoring that he is blood and, if ye get the proof ye need to reveal him as a traitor, he will be facing a verra hard death.”
“That willnae trouble me all that much. The mon has killed and is long overdue for a hanging. As Morainn saw, the mon has a lot of blood on his hands. Aye, it willnae be an easy death he faces, but he chose his path. I doubt many of the others at Lochancorrie were asked their opinion and yet they will all lose.”
“Aye and that is why I think ye may be too close to all of this.”
“I have a small hope that I might yet save Lochancorrie. If I am the one who brings the traitors to justice, I may weel be able to ask a boon.”
“And that boon will be the lands, aye?”
Simon nodded and leaned against a tree facing Tormand. “'Tis all I might be able to save. E’en if I step back, Henry will be found out for the traitor he is. At least if I stay and try to bring him to justice I have a chance of keeping others in the clan from suffering for his idiocy. And did ye forget that your kinsmen sent Ilsabeth to me to protect? That they are looking to me to prove her innocence?”
Tormand cursed. “For a moment, aye, I did. So ye must see this out until the end.” He stood up and briefly clasped Simon’s arm. “Take care, friend. I dinnae want to see ye place more scars upon your soul. And tell my cousin that her family remains safe and free.” He started to walk away. “I am at your service if ye need me.” He stopped and looked back at Simon. “What are the names of your other brothers?”
“Malcolm, Kenneth, and Ruari. Why?”
“No particular reason. Ye arenae the only one who suffers from the bite of curiosity. And, mayhap it will help ye do what ye must if ye think on how ye will be trying to save Lochancorrie for them as weel.”
