“Such as in the king’s dungeons?”
Ilsabeth was not sure why her father was sounding angrier but she nodded. “It appears so.” There was a red flush spreading over his face and she hastily said, “I was verra afraid. I was all alone there and I didnae ken whether I would be tried as a traitor or–” The rest of her words were smothered by her father’s broad chest.
“He didnae take advantage of that, did he?”
“Nay. Simon is an honorable mon. I just think that he is a wee bit confused.”
Cormac stepped back and stared at his daughter. “Sir Simon Innes, the king’s hound? Confused?”
Ilsabeth took a deep breath and told her father about Simon’s life, from his childhood through to the betrayal by Mary and right up to finding out Henry had tried to kill his three younger brothers when they were just bairns. “Ye see? Henry tainted every part of their lives. Every part. And o’er it all is that taint of madness. I just hope I am right and that is what made him suddenly walk away. Then again, if it is that he fears the madness is the sort that could touch him or any child he bears, he may ne’er shake free of that fear.”
“The mon butchered the child’s dog?” Cormac shook his head. “Someone should have killed Henry the moment he slid out of his mother’s womb.”
“True,” Ilsabeth said. “He has ruined so many lives and there was so much blood on his hands. Simon cannae see that he could ne’er be like that. He is too honorable. He has an ugly stray cat who sits on his lap and eats roasted chicken.” She smiled at her mother when Elspeth laughed. “And he thinks it is cute when Elen bellows his name.”
“We have a month or two before we risk bad weather for travel. I will give him that time to come to his senses.” He smiled when Ilsabeth hugged him, kissed his cheek and skipped out of the room, and then he looked at his wife. “I was right.”
“Aye, ye were and I will allow ye to gloat about it for a wee while and then we must think of a way to knock some sense into the lad.”
“He is missing her right now. Let that work its magic.”
Chapter 19
“I believe all is looking weel here now,” said Ruari as he moved to stand beside Simon on the parapets.
Simon rolled his eyes, knowing that Ruari was yet again urging him to go after Ilsabeth. “We will survive a hard winter, aye.”
“Still concerned about going mad?”
“Nay, the more time passes between seeing the true insanity of Henry and being with my brothers, the more that fear eases. We have no taint. I can see that now. Neither did our father. Nay, Father was just an arse.” He grinned when Ruari laughed. “Nay, I dinnae think I have madness lurking in my blood. The rage is gone,” he murmured.
“What rage?”
“The nearly uncontrollable rage I would go into when Henry did something. I realized recently that I felt it when I was young, too, but was too small to do anything about it.”
“It was the injustice of so much of what Henry did. Ye have that need for justice that made ye such a good king’s mon. It was probably there at an early age and all ye kept seeing was Henry doing his worse and never being called to account for it.”
“Aye, that is what I am deciding. I also recalled that I ne’er even put a bruise on Ilsabeth when I was in one of those rages. E’en tried to get her to leave because I feared I would be too rough.”
“So? Are ye going after her?”
“I hurt her and I have left her alone for two long months. I dinnae think she will welcome me with open arms.”
“Nay, I suspect ye will have to work for her forgiveness. She is worth it.”
“Why are ye so certain of that? Ye only met her once and had a short talk with her.”
“We asked her to tell us about you. Every word she said revealed how she felt about you, brother. Every little word. And anyone who listened to her kenned that he had better not question your honor or honesty or near anything else about you or she would tear your tongue out. That is what I urge ye to go after.” He suddenly grinned and winked. “And she is a verra bonnie wee lass.”
“So, ye think she loves me?”
Ruari rolled his eyes. “Please, God, dinnae let me be such an idiot when I find the right woman. Aye, idiot, I think she loves ye. Nay, not think, shedoeslove ye. No doubt about it.”
“Weel, then, I had best go and try to get her to forgive me for my idiocy.” Simon started down the steps from the parapet.
Hurrying after him, Ruari said, “Bastard. Ye had already decided to go.”
“Aye, when I was abed last night and realized I was beginning to allow Bonegnasher and Cat to sleep on my bed because I didnae like to be alone in it anymore.” He ignored Ruari’s laughter and went to pack what he needed for a journey to Aigballa.
