For the next couple of hours, she tried to enjoy herself and the small conversation passing between them, but kept seeing her uncle in the crowd glaring at her. She had no intention of being alone in his company at any point this evening so tried to devise a way to get to her chamber without him.
She didn’t have to wait long.
From the side of the crowd, Fin walked directly toward her and offered his arm. “My lady, the queen bids you good evening and insists I escort you to your chamber. She has retired already and will see you at the morning meal in her apartment.”
Agnes turned to the earl. “I thank you, my lord, for a lovely evening and for your company.”
If he could read her mind, he would know that he’d in a way saved her from a terrible evening with her uncle or by herself in her chamber.
“You are most welcome, Lady Agnes. I will ensure your uncle finds his way to his chamber as well so you need not worry about him.”
Hewasa mind reader!
Agnes took Fin’s arm and curtseyed to the earl who offered a deep bow. With one last look at him, she turned and nearly bumped into Fin who was standing directly in front of her.
“I will escort my niece to her chamber.”
Agnes jumped at his voice and held Fin’s arm tighter when she felt a whoosh of air as the earl stepped around her and to Fin’s side completely barring her from seeing her uncle.
“On her majesty the queen’s orders, Fin will escort the lady to her chamber.”
In a low voice that was just above a whisper, her uncle said, “She is not my queen.”
The words were such a shock to her she was almost sure she had not heard them. A couple of finger snaps later and they were surrounded by the king’s guard.
Agnes couldn’t glean what was happening. One minute she was enjoying the company of the most enigmatic man she’d ever met and the next she was surrounded by guards and what? Would they throw her into the oubliette alongside her uncle? Those were his words and not how she felt at all. How did what was supposed to be her big adventure turn into such a mess?
“Fin, escort the lady to her chamber and post a guard outside.” To one of the guards he said, “Detain this man until the king is ready to interrogate him. And have his chamber searched.”
Without a glance in her direction or another word to her, he left the courtyard without a look back. When Fin finally turned to her, and she could see around him, her uncle was nowhere in sight.
“Are you well, Lady Agnes?”
“I—I do not know,” she said. And she didn’t know what to make of any of it.
“Come, my lady, I must see you securely to your chamber.”
The jovial Fin from earlier was quiet and somber now and spoke no words to her as he opened the door for her to pass and then came the distinct click of the lock from the outside. She might not be detained like her uncle, but she was left in no doubt, she was not free to leave.
*
With John Sinclairsecurely in a prison cell and heavily guarded, William and two guards searched his chamber. In his saddle bag they discovered missives to other Highland chiefs who believed as John had, that the current king did not deserve to sit upon the throne and that the rightful king was his father. William’s heart sank when he read the words,‘We will right this wrong. Loyalty is everything!’
The king had been right, and his intelligence had been sound. Now many questions emerged. Who were these others included in this plot? Was the king at risk alone or did they intend to share his fate with the queen? How much of this involved Lady Agnes?
He handed the missives to the guard. “Give these to the king and search the guest lists for any names included here. I don’t care if they are third cousins twice removed, if any names on here are within these castle walls, the king will want them detained.”
He was comfortable enough with the king’s wishes to give these orders without question so from that chamber he went into his own. Nothing would happen this eve, so the best thing he could do now was to rest if he could and prepare for a long day tomorrow.
William stripped down to his trews and lay on top of the bed with his hands behind his head staring up at the canopy.
The king and his love for gatherings made it easy for anyone who was a threat to gain access to him and his family. Though there were many guards around, in the middle of a crowd with fireworks blazing, anyone could have been stealthy enough to harm them.
How long he lay there turning over scenarios in his mind, he did not know. After a time he drifted, but woke with a start to light stretching across the bed from the daybreak outside.
William sat up and stretched then reached for his leine and leather tunic. He splashed water on his face, wrapped his belt around his waist, and secured his blade. He prayed he would not need it, but he would not be caught without it.
Leaving the chamber, he noted how quiet and still everything was at this time of day before the world came to life and disrupted this blissful peace.
