“To be honest, Scottie, I’ve pushed so much of that time out of my mind, I probably forgot.”
“Shug said hearing you cry when you handed me over to Dad haunted her for years.”
“Sometimes I do think I hear that wail from way down inside.But I believe in healing, Scottie.That we can move on from our deepest pain.”
“We seem to be doing that now,” Scottie said.“What about you father?Did King Rein ever want to meet me?”
“I asked, even begged, but he suspected I merely wanted him to see you knowing his tender heart would break and allow you home.As I’ve said, Mum was silent on the subject.I’d broken all the rules.However, behind closed doors, I wonder if she fought for me.Every now and then, I’d catch something of an argument coming from their room.Mum used words like ‘little girl’ and ‘family.’”
“Now that little girl is making trouble for you.”
“As all good daughters do now and then.”
“I’ll try to behave, but Hamish Fickle chaps my hide.”Scottie polished off her tea.“Don’t you want to know why he has so much animosity?”
“If he’s justified in any way, the truth will light.In other news, the Dalholm Chief Constable along with the Detective Chief Inspector interviewed half the Old Hamlet and a good many in the New Hamlet.No one claims to know anything of a man or woman holding onto you while you saved Mrs.Johansdotter and her daughter.There’s nothing on the quay cameras.”
“I guess there’s no way to make our request public.”
“You’d have a thousand claiming to be the one.”
The door opened and Edric, the king consort appeared, dressed head to toe in his outdoor gear, his hair wild and long, with a bushy beard covering his cheeks.
“Am I allowed in?”he said, removing his hat.“I’ve been missing my wife terribly.”
“Edric, you’re home.I thought you had another week.”Kate rose from her chair with more ease and strength than Scottie had seen since she’d arrived.Edric caught his wife in his arms for a kiss.
Scottie looked away with a thought of Michael.What?No.Not thinking of Michael.Good grief.
“We caught nothing,” Edric said, approaching Scottie for an embrace.“We endured non-stop rain the last eight days, and Jacob Mercer never met a bar of soap he couldnotresist.”The king consort reached for a plate and large slice of cake.“I thought to myself, ‘Why am I sitting here when my beautiful, clean, sweet-smelling wife awaits me at home.’Scottie, love, it’s good to see you.Thank you for looking after my queen.”He sat in the nearest chair to devour the cake.“Am I allowed to sit?I’m famished.”
“Of course, darling.”Kate reached for the in-house phone.“I’ll ring Cranston, have a sandwich and soup brought round.Edric, I am so thrilled you’re home.”
“I’ll leave you two to get reacquainted.”Scottie recognized her cue to skedaddle.“Welcome back, Edric.”
In the corridor, she texted Michael.
Scottie: Want to go to the Belly of the Beast?
Michael: Didn’t you just have tea with the queen?
Scottie: Didn’t eat much.The king consort is back.She wanted to talk about why I was at Blue Hall.I’m wondering that myself.Craving Ernst’s chips.
Michael: You mean Stella’s?
Scottie: Funny, yes.Meet me in the Grand Gallery.
* * *
Michael
He was belowdecks in the castle’s dark Operations Room with its bank of CCTV screens, talking with Dad about his personal MP Fickle action items, when Scottie texted.
“Dad, I have to run.”He shoved back from the desk, still pressing the old black landline receiver to his ear.“I’ve an appointment with Lady Royal.”
“Understand.”Michael used to loathe Dad’s stock answer to, well, everything.Yet in recent years, he realized his father wasn’t using that term frivolously.He truly understood.Even if he disagreed.“A final word on Fickle.I wouldn’t trust a syllable out of that man’s mouth.He’s nothing short of a political hack.”
“True enough, but not about this, Dad.Lady Royal hit the right button and out it came, the whole palaver about high taxes and land confiscation.He seemed sincere, even a bit humbled, by her inquiry.”
