The hard rain did not help the desperate mood. Lizbeth stood trembling. “Help me, I daena ken what I did, I daena want tae hang.”
The Earl was absolutely dead, there was no disputing it, there on the floor, his face frozen in an expression of contempt.
Sean said, “Och nae Lizbeth, this is a terrible thing.”
“I daena want tae die!”
Liam said, “Ye winna, I will take the blame, Lizzie, tis I who hae done it — ye will all agree, winna ye agree? Sean will take me tae the dungeons.”
Lizbeth looked like she would faint, “Nae,” she clutched at his shirt. “Nae, m’lord, nae, ye canna!” She buried his face against his chest. “What hae I done! I hae ruined everything!”
Magnus said, “We will take ye tae my kingdom, now, canna we take her away, mother?”
“Aye, we will go now, we must go fast, we will never return?—”
Wilfred said, “No, I will take the blame, I will kill the Earl, let me.” He put his hands on Lady Mairead’s shoulders. “If I duel him and kill him, I won’t go to the gallows right?”
He looked at Magnus, “Would I?”
“Maybe nae, but ye might, if…”
He said, “I will take the blame. I will make as though to duel him here in the room, you will watch, then this will be my fault.”
Lady Mairead said, “Ye would do it for me?”
“Yes, promise me though, you will not let me hang?”
“I promise.”
He said, “I need someone to get my bag from my room.”
I said, “The leather one? You had it last night? It’s in Lady Mairead’s rooms?”
He nodded, “Go fast, I need it.”
I raced.
Hayley calling, “Where you going?”
“Need something, back in a…” I was already out of breath.
I didn’t even get why I was going fast or what he needed, my feet thudding down the corridor, the stone wall cold, outside the windows rain was pouring down. It was late afternoon and already looked dismal as a deep night and Lizbeth had killed the Earl and now everyone was talking about who was going to hang and so I knew this… it was life or death. And it depended on me.
I passed two servants at the door to Lady Mairead’s chamber. “Don’t go down there, you can’t go down there right now, everyone is being told to stay away.”
They turned and went the other direction.
I slammed into Lady Mairead’s room and on a trunk at the end of the bed I saw the leather bag. I yanked it up by the handle, tipping it by accident, some tubes of theatrical make-up slid out. I picked them up and stuffed them back inside. And slammed out of the door again, racing back to the solar.
Hayley knocked on the door for me. Because I was doubled over, panting so hard.
They let me in and I passed the bag to Wilfrey.
He said, “Thank you, everyone can go out to the hall, gather a crowd if you can.” He straightened his back and projected. “My name is Wilfred Weaver, the husband of Lady Mairead, and I demand an audience with the Earl!”
We all fled the room and went to the corridor, our eyes wide in shock. Lizbeth was wringing her hands. Lady Mairead held around her shoulder, whispering, “Wheesht, soothe yer mind, Lizbeth, ye must look mild for this tae work.”
Sean went down to the end of the hall and loudly called back, “Young Magnus! Hae ye seen Lady Mairead and her husband Wilfred?”
