Page 25 of Flanders’ Folly (The Curse of Clan Ross #7)

25

SHOULD HAVE THROWN HIM OUT THE WINDOW

* * *

J udgment of The Crown

I, David Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl, as the representative of Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray and regent to King David II, do herein render my judgement in the disputes between Laird Hector Stephan of Gallabrae and Laird Robert Duncan of Todlaw, Tay, Scotland.

In the matter of kidnapping, I find Laird Robert, along with Flanders Leesborn, guilty as charged.

In the matter of conspiracy to murder by poisoning, I find Laird Robert Duncan, along with the spy known as Heslington, guilty as charged.

As to the charge of witchcraft, I find the Lady Gerts and the sister of the already executed witch, along with fifteen women of Gallabrae, currently harbored at Todlaw, guilty as charged.

The female child is found not guilty.

The sentences and awards are as follows.

For kidnapping and harboring witches, Flanders Leesborn is sentenced to ten years imprisonment.

For witchcraft, Lady Stephan, the known witch, and the coven of fifteen are sentenced to death by fire at the earliest convenience.

For the charge of conspiracy to murder and kidnapping, Laird Robert is sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Todlaw is forfeit to The Crown, since James Duncan left no blood heir.

I award restitution to Laird Stephan for a week's expense for his army, in addition to compensation for all injuries done by Duncan, in whatever form most convenient, from the property of Todlaw. Until The Crown decides the fate of said property, Laird Stephan will take possession of the same, beginning at noon September 29th, in the Year of Our Lord 1329. Until that time, there is to be no destruction of the property, no damage to the structures, and no animal slaughter. It will be up to Laird Stephan which citizens he chooses to allow to stay.

Signed and sealed this day, September 28th, 1329

David Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl

After reading the document aloud, Robert stared at the parchment in disbelief. "This is madness."

"Nay," Flanders said grimly. "This is revenge. For his grandfather."

“But that was The King’s doing. I hadn’t been born!”

Hemming snatched up the document and read the last again. "Noon, September 29 th . That's tomorrow."

"Aye," Robert said, his voice hollow. "And we're surrounded."

Gerts chuckled and lowered herself onto a stool in the corner. "At least there were no surprises, aye? The pup did exactly as his cousin bid him. Ye should have invited Stephan inside. I could have fettled the pair of them true poison and been done."

Flanders slid to the floor. With his back against the wall, he tugged Brigid down to sit on his lap. "Don't worry, love. We only have to hold them off until the Regent himself comes to hear us out. He'll see reason. We know him well. Fought by his side. Bled with him. He'll see Atholl for what he is—in league with his greedy bastard of a cousin. Ye’ll see."

Robert, with his elbows on the table, tossed the parchment aside and snaked his fingers into his hair. "We'll have to wait until dark before we attempt to get a messenger out. But we're bottled up. I can't imagine it will be easy. A diversion might work."

A slow smile bloomed across Flanders' face. Everyone waited to see why.

"I should have confessed sooner," he told Robert. "When ye sent the first messenger to Stirling, I sent one as well. I knew ye wouldn't approve, so..."

Robert's eyes widened with understanding. "Ye sent a message to my father." He slapped the table. “Ye sent a message to my father!”

"I did."

The tension in the room shifted like a sudden change in season. Hemming let out a bark of laughter. Snorre closed his eyes and prayed silently. Rolf looked as though he might weep.

"Stout Duncan," Hemming said, shaking his head with a mixture of awe and amusement. "God pity the bastards now."

Brigid looked from face to face, encouraged but wanting to know why. "Who is Stout Duncan?"

"James Duncan's father," Flanders explained, his eyes twinkling. "Robert's father. A man who makes us all look like lambs."

"Put me in the pit for a week because he didn’t care for the way I chewed my food.” Hemming was serious.

Snorre gave a sober nod. “Put anyone in the pit he didn’t trust. Including his own guards.”

Rolf laughed. “When they ran from James!”

“To be fair, they thought he was an English giant.”

"I’d have run from James as well.” Snorre admitted.

Brigid laughed with relief. “He sounds terrifyin’.”

Flanders chuckled. “Aye, he is. He was. But Stout Duncan never balked. He’s the only man who ever got the best of James.”

“Don’t tell me. He put him in his pit?”

“As a point of fact, he did. And not long after, he adopted him. A grown man?—”

“A grown giant, ye mean.” Robert grinned. “And that’s how my brother was born.”

“Ah. I see. This is why ye can’t be his heir.”

The room sobered again, until Rolf mumbled, “it was never a problem in The King’s eyes.”

Flanders exhaled sharply. “We cannot give up on Thomas Randolph. He’ll see reason. If he knew that Atholl was related to Stephan, he wouldn’t have trusted him with this.”

Brigid wanted to go back to hoping. “So you think Stout Duncan will come?”

“He’ll come.” Robert laughed when he noted her worry. “They exaggerate. My father is a reasonable man." He paused. "As long as ye don't move, or speak, or threaten what is his."

"And Todlaw is his," Flanders said firmly. "Built by one son, held by his other. Now Stephan and Atholl have threatened both. Hemming is right. God help the bastards.”

Real hope was a heady thing and she wanted more. “How soon might he arrive?"

Flanders shrugged his broad shoulders. “I had expected all this to resolve before he arrived. But that was before Stephan arrived at our door. Now, I reckon Stout Duncan may arrive in a day, mayhap two. After noon tomorrow in any case. So, I expect we will still have time to make our enemies squawk.”

"And when he arrives?" Gerts asked.

Flanders' grin turned wolfish. "Even Atholl can’t be fool enough to attack Stout Duncan without the Regent’s backing.” Then he sobered and his gaze flew to Robert. “Unless his and Stephan’s intentions, from the start, were to weaken the alliances that support the Bruce dynasty.”

Robert blanched. “Something only a traitor would want.”

The seasons turned again. The mood in the room changed from hopeful to outright horror.