“Ye don’t have that yet,” a strong female voice said from behind the earl. “Not until I lay eyes on ye and determine for myself if you’re worthy of our Agnes.”
She was a small woman who packed a large personality into her tiny frame. He could only imagine the dynamic between the two of them if they ever disagreed.
“Now bend down and let me see you proper,” she said. She took his face in her tiny hands and looked into his eyes with no fear. “If you ever do anything to cause grief to my Agnes, I’ll box your ears, and I don’t care how tall the ladder has to be for me to climb up and do it.”
“I understand, my lady, and I promise.”
“All that remains then is for you to ask her with us as witness.”
They’d already done that, but he’d do it a thousand times over if it meant being one step closer to making her his.
William turned to Agnes who stood there wide-eyed and wringing her hands.
He took her hands in his and said, “Agnes Sinclair, daughter of the Chief of Clan Sinclair and the Earl of Caithness, will you be my wife and make me the happiest man in all of Scotland?”
“Aye, William, I will.” She smiled as he kissed the back of both hands and took hers in his as they turned to address her parents.
“I have only one thing to debate, Montrose.”
William didn’t think he’d forgotten anything. “Of course, my lord.”
“Well then, two things.Iam the happiest man in all of Scotland and that is not up for debate.” He kissed the top of his wife’s head. “And now we are family, you will call me Hugh.”
“I concur then on both counts.”
Agnes’s mother then whisked her away to somewhere inside the castle leaving William and Hugh alone. There was much more to be said, and it could not be done with the ladies present.
“Will you take some ale with me in my solar?”
“Aye, I would like that. There is much I could not include in my letter.”
“You managed to include quite a lot,” he said with a grin and slapped William on the shoulder.
He liked Hugh immediately. There would be no back doors with this man who would be forthcoming about his knowledge of his brother and of the others mentioned in the missives.
Once seated in the man’s solar, William took the time to look around. The window overlooking the sea was covered with glass panes with thin metal bars running diagonally to one another.He marveled at how pristine they were considering the constant onslaught of sea spray.
“We hang men from the roof to clean them,” Hugh said not cracking a smile.
William couldn’t tell if he was serious or if it was a small way of keeping him on guard from a protective father.
Hugh passed him a rather large tankard filled to the top with ale.
“Now that is the best ale you will ever have.”
William took a sip and though it was heavy and strong, it was surprisingly smooth.
“Aye, I believe it might be.”
Hugh winked. “An ancient recipe from the monks of Iona themselves. Or so I’m told.” His head fell back and boisterous laughter erupted from within him.
“Now,” he said after he’d settled. “Tell me all about what my conniving brother has done this time.”
William recapped the entirety of the plot. To his credit, Hugh did not interrupt or offer any expression or noise to indicate whether he believed any or all of it. So William left out no detail including what the king had indicated about Agnes, what his intentions had been, and that the queen felt her innocent.
“And what do you believe, Montrose?”
“Obviously I believe she had no part in it and was not supportive of your brother’s planning. Though I do understand from her, he tried to school her on the journey to Stirling.”
