“I have prepared a meal, Majesty.”
The queen’s pale skin seemed almosttranslucent in the morning sunlight.Blue veins could be seen justbelow the surface.She suddenly seemed as frail as a wee bairn.
“Not just now.I could not manage to eat athing, Mistress Macnab.If you will but show me to myquarters.”
“Aye, Majesty.”With a worried frown, thehousekeeper and her daughter led the way up a wide, curvingstaircase.
“We prepared a suite of rooms for you andyour husband, Majesty.”Mistress Macnab threw open double doorsleading to an elegantly appointed sitting chamber.Beyond that wasa large room with several desks and chairs, and beyond that asecond sitting chamber, with doors on either end leading tomatching sleeping chambers.
Everything, Lindsey noted, was scrubbed andpolished to a high shine.
The queen examined both sleeping chambers andannounced, “I will sleep here.”To the Housekeeper she added, “LordDarnley will occupy the other room.”
Mistress Macnab arched a brow but saidnothing.
“Now I would rest,” Mary announced.“Sabina,you will assist me.”
“Aye, Majesty.”The girl bowed and began toremove the queen’s cloak.
“If you will follow me,” the housekeeper saidto Lindsey and Jamie, “I will show you to your rooms.”
They followed the woman down the hall towarda second suite of rooms.The sitting chamber was a large, cheerfulroom with rich tapestries on the walls and heavy rugs on the floor.A fire blazed in the fireplace, in front of which had beenpositioned several chaises and chairs.On a sideboard were adecanter of ale and several crystal goblets.
On either end of the room were doors leadingto identical sleeping chambers.
The housekeeper seemed embarrassed as sheexplained to Jamie, “I was not told to expect you and the lady.Ihave no other rooms prepared.And my Lord William had the servantstransported to his castle outside Edinburgh, because, he said, thequeen would bring her own trusted staff.But if you will give me aday, my daughter and I can have another suite of roomsprepared.”
“It is not necessary, Mistress Macnab.Thelady and I are—together.”Jamie had seen the look on Lindsey’sface.And he knew she was calculating how long it would take her toswim the loch and return to Edinburgh.He would need to keep herclose.“Lady Lindsey will be quite comfortable sharing thesuite.”
To hide her embarrassment, Lindsey steppedinto one of the sleeping chambers, hoping the color would fade fromher hot cheeks.It was not seemly that a maiden share such closequarters with a man.But like so many other things in her lifelately, this was beyond her control.She would simply have to makethe best of it until she could slip away from this terribleplace.
She took these minutes to appreciate the workthat had been done in preparation for their visit.The rooms werefurnished much like the queen’s chamber, with a large bedsurrounded by satin curtains.In front of the fireplace were twochairs covered with animal hides.
“My lord William loves to hunt.”MistressMacnab, standing in the doorway, had noted the direction ofLindsey’s gaze.
“So this is his hunting lodge?”
“Aye.He thought it would be a fine place forQueen Mary to await the birth of her bairn.”The housekeeper turneda quizzical glance toward Jamie.“We expected Her Majesty to travelwith her servants, my lord.”
Jamie’s features revealed nothing.“The queenhas chosen a respite from the pomp and ceremony that surrounds herat court.This will be a quiet time for her until after the birth.We are here to see that nothing disturbs her.If a problem shouldarise, Mistress Macnab, bring it to me.And if anyone should cometo call, anyone,” he said very carefully, “you are to tell me atonce.”
The housekeeper smiled conspiratorially.“Aye, my lord.I understand.I felt the same way myself, beforegiving birth to Sabina.Why, there were times when I wished I couldjust send Fergus away, so I could sit all by myself and dream aboutthe wee bairn I would soon be holding to my breast.A woman needssome time alone.Especially a woman like our lovely queen.
“I told Fergus how blessed we were that wehad been chosen to be the ones to stay behind and see to the needsof our monarch.If my lord William had not chosen us, I would be inthat cold city now, cooking for the likes of Lady Margaret, whofinds fault with everything I do.That woman has never likedanything in all the years I have been with Lord William.Of course,Fergus and I have been with him since he took his first wife, thelovely Lady Catherine...”
Lindsey swallowed a laugh and turned to warmherself in front of the fire.As the housekeeper paused to take abreath, Jamie seized the opportunity to say, “You mentioned a mealearlier, Mistress Macnab.The lady and I would be pleased to sampleyour cooking.”
“Oh.”She seemed surprised at theinterruption of her narrative.“Aye.Of course, my lord.I prepareda fine meal in honor of the queen’s visit.”She started toward thedoor, then paused.“Will your trunks be here soon, my lord?”
Jamie coughed.“Nay, mistress.I fear therewill be no trunks.We had—an accident along the way.”
“How dreadful.What will you do forclothes?”
Before Jamie could think of something to say,the housekeeper brightened.“It is no matter, my lord.There aretrunks filled with fine clothes for Lord William, Lady Margaret andthe guests who always accompany them to Lochleven.I will see thatyour wardrobes are well stocked.”
“We are indeed fortunate to have you,Mistress Macnab.”
At Jamie’s warm smile she blushed all the wayto her toes and bowed her way from the room.When the door closedbehind her, Lindsey speared him with a hateful look.
