“School her how?”
“He told her of certain clan histories and made her repeat and memorize their war cry.”
“Loyalty is everything,” Hugh said.
He would have been aware of the clans or portion of clans who opposed the current king, but how much did he know of the combined group of men who went so far as to plan an attackor even an assassination on the king and his queen? William believed Hugh to be on the right side of the situation, but how far would he go to protect his fellow Highlanders? That question would remain unanswered.
Chapter Nine
Her mother ledher straight to her chamber with no stopping along the way. Agnes found that peculiar considering she’d been aware of her coming and would have thought there would be a meal prepared in their hall.
“I want you to show me all your lovely gowns and tell me all about this earl of yours.”
“How did you know the queen ordered gowns for me?”
“Your earl included it in his letter to your father.”
“And what else did this letter contain?”
She was curious now. Her mother was behaving in an odd manner, and she had a sneaking suspicion they were up to something.
“I don’t know of anything else,” she said. “Your father only told me about the gowns.”
“You have never been good at telling falsehoods, mother. What else was in the letter?”
Placing her hands on her hips, she said, “I will not reveal what I know as I have been asked not to. And I will obey.”
“Who asked you not to say?”
“The earl. He has made some requests and asked us to remain quiet until such time as he can reveal it all to you when he is ready. Do not press me further, Agnes.”
Her mother’s lips were pressed into a hard line as though it was a struggle to hold in the words she wanted to blurt. Shewould concede, for William’s sake. For if he had put so much effort into a surprise for her, she would honor it.
“Very well, that chest there is one from the queen,” she said pointing to a chest that had been placed at the foot of her bed.
Her chamber seemed so much smaller now since she’d stayed at Stirling Castle. This one held all her childish fantasies of endless balls and fancy masques. Her reality was far more of an adventure than she had ever imagined. In the end she returned betrothed to a man she—what? Loved? She wasn’t so sure of that, but she did care for him enough that she could be happy with him.
The whole business had happened so fast she wasn’t sure what love even was. In spite of that down to her toes, she had no hesitation in marrying him.
“Och, this one is lovely, Agnes,” her mother said as she pulled out the deep blue gown she’d worn on the night she met William.
“I have worn that one already which is why ’tis on top of the others. They are all just as beautiful as this one.”
Her mother rummaged through the chest until she pulled out a crimson brocade gown similar in style to the blue.
“Och, this will do quite nicely,” she said quietly.
“Will do for what?”
Her mother jumped as if she’d forgotten Agnes was in her company.
“What? Oh nothing. I was just thinking out loud.”
Her mother placed the gown on her bed and smoothed out the layers. A knock at the door revealed her father’s steward and some of the other manservants carrying their wooden tub and many buckets of steaming water.
“Place it there,” her mother said, pointing to a spot near the fire.
Once the tub was filled and the men gone, her mother helped her out of her gown and into the tub. She fussed around withvarious aromatic additions like lavender, some kind of scented milk that made her skin feel smooth, and dried rosehips. Her mother didn’t often assist her in a bath, but at those times they would talk about all sorts of things. Agnes was close to both her parents in so many different ways.
