He made his way to the hall to see if any food had been placed out yet and was pleased to find a few servants setting up and that there had been some platters of food from the previous night’s feast freshly laid out for those early risers like himself.
Not far behind him was Fin who looked like he hadn’t slept in a week offering to attend to William.
“You need not worry about me, Fin. I know you have a lot of responsibility here and I am quite capable of fending for myself. Beside which, you look like death warmed over. Did you not sleep?”
“I thank you, my lord. I attended to the king until the wee hours and insisted Archie rouse me the moment you were up.”
“What has the king determined?”
“Of that I do not know, but he studied the missives for a long while and asked me to bring you to him as soon as you woke.”
William needed to hear no more. He made his way to the king’s solar and was immediately permitted entry. The king looked exhausted but sat up straight when William entered.
“Do you know two of the soon to arrive ladies in waiting are related to these documents and the plot to remove both myself and my queen from the throne?”
It was too much to take in. How coordinated they had been.
“Your Majesty, may I ask how you came to understand there was a plot in the first place?”
“Someone, whom I will protect with my life, from the Sinclair household sent me a message about a fortnight before I began planning this festivity.”
“Someone who knew what John Sinclair and his niece were involved in?”
“Aye.”
The king didn’t deny her involvement, which was disappointing to William. He thought himself a fair judge of character and would have sworn she had no knowledge.
“So what happens now?”
“Now John Sinclair will remain in my holding cells until he is tried and judged.”
“And his niece?”
William tried to ask the question in a nonchalant manner, but he was sure the king could read him well and that notion was verified when he smiled.
“Does it matter to you what happens to the lady?”
It did. He knew that with certainty in that moment.
“I would not want to see an innocent person tarred with the same brush with no evidence outside of association.”
“And that makes you worthy of your title and my counsel, Montrose. I do not feel the lady is involved at the same level as her uncle, but I cannot see how, when in close proximity to him on the journey here, she would have no knowledge of his loyalties.”
He made a fair point, and unless there were missives in her saddle bags, how would they ever know?
“What are your next steps for her?”
“I know her father will be on his way to collect her as soon as my message arrives. I will send riders and they will pass the message on so that he sees them as soon as possible. Until then, she will remain under guard in a chamber far from the queen.”
“Do you suspect the earl’s involvement?”
“I do not. I trust him as I do you. He is also a man who is worthy of his title.”
So there was a chance Lady Agnes had the good sense of her father. There was one way he could find out for certain as he’d scarcely been able to remove her from his thoughts since first meeting her.
“Your Majesty, I would like to offer my services to remove Lady Agnes from here and return her to her father myself. That way she does not need to remain any longer than necessary and any potential danger is eliminated.”
The king’s eyes narrowed and he smiled. “Do I need to be concerned about a growing attachment to Lady Agnes, Montrose?”
