Henrietta said, “Ye forgot Wilfred, John.”
“Ah, yes, four.”
Lizbeth, rising, said, “Sire, there must be something we can say, please, I beg of ye. Allow us tae plead our case. Give Wilfred a fair?—”
He said, “Did I give ye permission tae speak or stand, Lizbeth?”
“Nae, sire,” she sat down again.
He said, “Liam, I want ye tae take Magnus down tae the dungeon.”
Liam walked around the table. “Och nae, Young Magnus.”
“I winna hold it against ye, Liam, but ye ought tae refuse.”
John said, “Liam is not going tae refuse an order, tis not his way, is it, Liam?”
Lizbeth gasped.
Henrietta laughed.
Lady Mairead glared. “Tis a scandalous amount of laughter coming from the daughter-in-law of a man who has just passed away. Ye seem practically gleeful.”
Henrietta clamped her mouth shut.
John said, “Ye canna refuse m’order, Liam, this is not the time tae second guess yer betters, ye are the head of my guard, if ye refuse I am sending ye tae the dungeon as well.”
Fraoch said, “Tis verra boring, this talk of dungeons, we need tae negotiate and come tae peace.” He put his hands out, “Daena ye want peace, John? Yer father has passed, shouldna ye want time tae grieve and mourn in the chapel?”
Hayley said, “I agree with my husband.”
John and Henrietta gave her a withering look.
“I think we should all sit down.” John tapped the table. “Kaitlyn, return the bag.”
I exhaled, trying to decide if I could refuse, or toss it under a chair, maybe out the window into the night, but all eyes were on me, I had not done a good job.
Magnus’s jaw clenched.
Shit, this was bad.
Finally Magnus said, “Give him the bag, Kaitlyn.”
I nodded and put the bag on the table.
Lady Mairead said, “Tis mine, ye canna hae it, John — Magnus, tis not yers tae give.”
Magnus raised his brow, “Mother, we are in a bit of a situation. Now, everyone needs tae wheesht.”
John said, “This is the most sensible thing anyone in your family has said so far today.”
Magnus scoffed. “We are on the right side of it, John, ye are the one puttin’ yer cousins in dungeons, thieving from yer aunt, threatening her husband with the gallows. Bringing a brute tae the chamber and allowin’ him tae strike me. We need tae take our seats and begin anew.”
“Alright,” said John. “Magnus, Lady Mairead, Lizbeth, take a seat.”
Liam stepped away from Magnus and they all took chairs.
CHAPTER 39
