Sean said, “Nae, I want tae hear it. I think I ken, but I ought tae hear it direct from?—”
Magnus said, “Tis nae direct, tis comin’ from Lady Mairead’s husband, yer stepfather.”
“He’s yer stepfather as well.”
Lady Mairead pushed her plate away. “All must pick up their glasses and we will go sit in the gallery, this conversation has grown tiresome with hushed voices, I would like tae yell at ye, given the opportunity.”
She stood, her head held regally, Wilfred jumped from his seat and rushed around to pull out her chair and offered her his arm. They swept from the room and we all looked at each other.
Magnus said, “Och nae, I daena want tae hear it but I think I hae tae.”
I said, “I don’t think she wants to tell you, but I think she feels like you have to know. Wilfred seems determined.”
We grabbed our glasses to carry with us. Sean put a bottle of wine under his arm. He paused, then reached farther down the table for another. “We’re going to need it for this conversation.”
Lizbeth’s face was pale. Liam gave her his arm and patted her hand on his elbow as he took the lead to follow Lady Mairead into the gallery, Lizbeth looking too shocked to know what to do.
CHAPTER 14
KAITLYN
THE EARL’S GALLERY FOR A DISCUSSION
By the time we came to the gallery, Lady Mairead had taken the best seat on the cloth upholstered settee. The walls were covered in large tapestries, interspersed with paintings, and the floor had pedestals with busts and other sculptures on them.
The walls were column-lined and the cream-colored ceiling was carved and accented with gilding. Long ago Lizbeth had told me the Earl wanted to have a fresco painted so his gallery would compete with the finest ones in London, but he had never fulfilled the idea. Now it was up to his son, who was unlikely to do it as he was boring, had no creativity, and really didn’t like the place much.
There was a new sculpture I hadn’t noticed before, and I stepped closer to take a brief look.
Lady Mairead said, “If ye are wondering, Kaitlyn, twas sculpted by an ancestor from the last century, Normond, the Duke of Awe. Dost ye ken him, Magnus?”
“Aye, I met him. He is a king of Riaghalbane as well.”
“Aye, sad story that,” she whispered, “usurped,” then continued, “but this carving is verra fine.”
Magnus stood behind one of the carved mahogany chairs upholstered in a floral fabric and gestured for me to sit in it.
Lizbeth and I were seated across from Lady Mairead, with Sean, Magnus, and Liam standing behind our chairs.
Sean went around topping off our glasses with wine. “Where is Maggie, Sean?”
“The conversation had turned troubling, she canna take the scandal, I asked her tae go tae our chambers.”
She said, “Good. I would prefer this be more private.”
Wilfred asked, “Do you want me to continue, Mairead?”
She nodded.
He looked around, there were guards at the far end doors, but other than that we were alone, but still he lowered his voice. “When Lady Mairead was young, she took a young man into her heart?—”
Lizbeth asked, “This is Fionn?”
Lady Mairead also looked around as if she were worried someone would hear, she nodded.
Wilfred said, “While I do not know the full story, I do know her brother, the Earl?—”
Lady Mairead interrupted, “Nae, I changed my mind. Ye canna tell it.”
