Page 25 of The Wild Rose of Kilgannon (Kilgannon #2)

NINE

I ran down the stairs, happier than I’d been in weeks. Angus stood in front of the fire in Robert’s parlor. When he turned to me, I threw myself into his arms with a cry, bursting into tears.

“Angus, I’m so happy to see you!” I wailed.

“So it would seem,” he said coldly, then sank into the chair opposite me, stretching his legs to the fire before turning an angry blue gaze to me. “Mary, what in the name of God are ye doing roaming the streets of this place, dragging the lads with ye and ye with child? What are ye thinking?”

I stared at him. “How did you know, Angus?”

“We saw ye. First, of course, we heard about the English woman who wore a MacGannon plaid over her skirts and had two boys with her and two Campbells to guard her. I’m surprised ye did no’ bring the dogs as well. Did ye not think we’d find ye on our own?”

“About the child.”

His expression softened. “I was wed, lass, and fathered three children. I ken when a woman is breeding. Ye look puny.”

“Thank you, Angus,” I said. “It’s nice to see you too. ”

He laughed and shook his head, then turned serious again, his tone softer now. “Mary, what in God’s name are ye doing here in Edinburgh?”

“Robert brought me,” I said and told him.

He listened quietly, then nodded. “I feared as much. Matthew saw ye first and followed ye back to this house. And we’ve been following ye ever since. Including to the castle two days ago. What were ye thinking, going there, lass?”

“To see Alex. What else?”

“But ye dinna see him, did ye?”

“I did see him, Angus,” I said and related my visit.

He almost smiled, then nodded again. “Aye, that’s our Alex.” He met my eyes. “I saw him this morning.”

“Angus, how is he? Is he well? Is he mistreated?”

He shrugged. “He’s well, as well as can be expected. They are no’ treating him like an honored guest but he’s no’ abused.”

“How did you manage to see him?”

“How do ye think? Money. We used the money from selling all the Kilgannon goods. I have brought it for ye,” he said, fishing a purse from his plaid and handed it to me.

I refused to take it. “Take it, Mary. Ye may have need of it. And it’s yer money, lass.

I have only been safeguarding it for ye.

I have used a bit of it to see Alex and some to bribe the jailers to give him things.

” He reached into his shirt and pulled out a packet.

“Like paper. Here. I have a letter from him.” I saw the familiar writing through a blur of tears.

Alex , I thought. Angus turned to watch the fire.

“Go ahead and read it. It’s no’ long. I’ll wait.

” I unfolded the dirty paper, my hands shaking.

My dearest Mary , Alex wrote. I am told that you and the boys have arrived in Edinburgh with Robert.

Why are you here and not safely in England?

How are you, my lady? And my sons? We do well enough here and await our trials.

I am housed with Murdoch and Jamie Ramsay so I am in good company.

I am fortunate that Angus was allowed to see me.

Do not try to visit me in this place. It will have to be enough that we are in the same city.

They tell me that prisoners are allowed a visit from family before trial, so I will wait for Angus to bring you to me then.

I love you, Mary. Keep yourself and my sons safe. I remain yours, Alex .

I looked up at Angus. “Do you know what he says?”

He shook his head and I passed him the letter, which he read quickly, then returned with narrowed eyes. “Put the thought from yer mind, lass. I’ll no’ take ye to see him. It’s a hellish place and no’ fit for a woman.”

“No one would harm me. I’m English.”

“Ye’ve already seen what respect that earns ye here. Yer married to a man who is to be tried for treason, lass.”

I felt my chin go up of its own accord. “He is still an earl and I a countess until the trial. Surely that makes a difference.”

“No.”

“Then we will use the money.” He looked at me from under his eyebrows and began to argue, but I waved his protests away. “I will see my husband, Angus.”

“Mary, Alex asks ye not to try to see him.”

I continued as though he’d not spoken. “And I will not stay in this house a moment longer. We will leave immediately. I’ll get our things together.” I rose, ready to depart. “We will come to where you are staying. And, I assume, Matthew and Gilbey. ”

“Ye canna stay where we are.”

“Wherever you are will do. Or we will go to the Mary Rose .”

“Ye canna. She’s no’ here. I sent her to Kilgannon.”

“To Kilgannon! Why?”

“For men.” He met my eyes. “If there is a way to spring Alex out of yon prison, we will do so, and if we do, I canna promise to be able to deliver all of ye to safety. We might get the brig away, we might no’.

If we dinna, then we divide and flee, and one man, or a handful, I can spirit away, but a pregnant woman and two boys and the blasted dogs, that’s another matter.

No, Mary, I came to see how ye were and to tell ye to stay here and no’ cause a fuss about seeing Alex.

If ye go to visit him and then he escapes, the soldiers will be beating down yer door in a moment.

Better that ye disappear here in a Campbell’s home for a bit.

I can think of no place yer less likely to come under suspicion.

As soon as the Mary Rose returns I’ll send ye to England overland with some of the men.

’Twill be a tricky business, the timing, but I canna see another choice.

” He sighed. “Everaone in the city kens who ye are and what ye do, Mary. They all talk about ye. So become invisible for a bit, will ye, lass? Stay here with Robert.”

“Angus,” I said crisply. “I am not staying here with Robert . He does not live here and he does not visit. His aunt and the boys are my only companions.”

“Aye, I ken that. All of Edinburgh kens he does no’ stain yer honor. It is the only reason he is still alive.” He paused. “He brought ye here because he had to be here. And for his own reasons, which ye ken as well as I.”

“Robert has been courteous to me, Angus. And nothing more. He said that we had been placed under his jurisdiction. ”

“Aye, well, true enough, I’ve been told. But I suspect that was only to get ye out of Kilgannon.” He smiled wryly. “Perhaps we could get Alex placed under Robert’s jurisdiction.”

“Angus, how will you do it? How will you free Alex?”

He shook his head. “I canna tell ye, as we’ve no’ figured it all out yet.

But the Macleans are willing. Murdoch’s brother Duncan has been to see me, and Ramsay’s brothers are coming from the south to assist.” He sighed.

“Ye being here is a complication I’d no’ anticipated.

I thought ye safely on yer way to England. ”

I nodded. We were silent for a long time then, each lost in his own thoughts. How I longed to see Alex. It was not enough to be in the same city with him. Why could I not have an hour with him, just one hour? How would that change anything? I sighed.

“Angus, do we not have anyone else we can turn to? I would rather not stay here. Is there nowhere we can go?”

Angus stared at the floor for a long time before answering.

“I have nowhere safe to put ye, lass.” He shook his head.

“If ye’d arrived a few days earlier, I could have sent ye home on the Mary Rose , but I have no men to spare to take ye to England or to Kilgannon and I dinna think Robert does either.

Ye canna travel on yer own, that would be foolish.

” He sighed. “I think this is the safest place for ye in Edinburgh. And at least here ye can still try to free Alex by writing to the judges and the court. Just stay here in this house. No one who kens ye are with child would think anything of that. And it is obvious ye are no’ the Campbell’s… ” He paused, his face flushing.

“I hope it is obvious,” I said tartly. “If it is not, then they all think the worst of me already and any plea on my part for Alex would only appear to be the worst hypocrisy.”

“The word abroad in town is only that Robert Campbell is giving ye safe harbor since ye were childhood friends. Nothing more. Robert has been most considerate of yer reputation.”

I nodded. “But, Angus, if that’s the case, then the most logical thing for me to do is to see Alex.

If I were here as Robert’s…companion…

I would not attempt to see the man I was unfaithful to, would I?

But if I am a faithful wife, which I am and you know it, then the only sensible thing for me to do is try to see my husband.

And I’ve already begun the process. Today, in fact, is the day that I am to return to the castle and contribute money for maintaining troops in Edinburgh. ”

Angus watched me with narrowed eyes. “Mary,” he began, then shook his head. I laughed, knowing I’d won a point.

“Angus, what can it hurt if I see him? Or at least try? It’s the only thing that will actually defer suspicion from me.

If I do as you suggest and stay hidden in this house and people continue to talk about me, then I will appear more guilty of adultery, or of plotting Alex’s release, than I am.

It would be unnatural for a wife to not visit her husband.

Please, Angus, let me go see him. Just once.

And then I’ll stay here. And when the Mary Rose comes I’ll go anywhere you like and not be in the way.

But the only way I’ll agree to stay here in this house is if you help me see Alex. ”

He frowned at me. “We’re no’ negotiating, lass.”

I laughed and rose to stand before him. “No, Angus, we’ve finished negotiating.” I leaned to kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” I said softly and he didn’t pretend to misunderstand.

“Once, Mary,” he said. “Only one visit.”

I nodded.