“I do as well, a good man, the best we could hope for with a mother like Lady Mairead.”
“Tis the truth.”
CHAPTER 13 - KAITLYN
STIRLING CASTLE - JUNE 17, 1291
The day grew long, Magnus was in meetings all afternoon, and I didn’t see him. I just heard the castle was on alert and everyone needed guards if they went outside the gates.
Isla was oblivious. Archie grew worried. He whispered, “What is going on?”
“Your father figured out that the English King sent scouts to spy on us, this doesn’t mean anything, this just means we need to be cautious?—”
“Why would the English King spy on us?”
I chewed my lip. “I don’t know why, maybe just to make sure we’re not growing too strong?—”
“The English King has a big army though, right, Mammy? He’s very powerful?”
I nodded. “But your Da has a big army and he is very powerful, too. More so, because he can time travel. The English King won’t want to start trouble with someone so powerful. Your Da will keep the trouble from starting, he’s the smartest person I know.”
“Even if he doesn’t get how movies are made.”
“He’s smart in other ways, good point, and one of the ways he’s smart is he will know how to make the English King back off. Edward will get his men the heck out of Scotland and they’ll stay away and we will breathe easier. Plus we are all together, so that’s good.”
He nodded and exhaled.
I said, “You seem bored.”
“Kinda, I want to go out and explore.”
I nodded, “We can’t today, not until after Quentin gets here, so it will be boring for a few days, but... I need you and Ben to run an errand for me.” I gave them a job, running across the castle to tell Hayley something. I told them it was ‘very important.’
She sent them back with a message for me, keeping the boys busy was the goal, the messages were unimportant.
But Hayley and Emma and I were busy too, figuring out what we needed to do and organizing the King’s House, our wardrobes, and our chambers, trying to distract ourselves from waiting for the arrival of our family, and worrying about a far-off threatening king.
Organizing was exhausting. I had the boys for running messages, and we had radios to talk to each other, but none of it stopped me from walking about ten thousand steps before midday — carrying loads from room to room and forgetting things, and occasionally getting lost.
When I met Hayley and Emma to go to lunch, Hayley said, “Remember when we lived in Kilchurn and we spent months preparing a safety plan?”
I nodded. “We ought to do that, tomorrow maybe, but when Quentin gets here he’ll probably change it.”
Emma said, “Yeah, I’m sure Quentin will haveideas.”
Hayley said, “With a whole lot of weapons. But maybe Lochie is bringing a load. What is taking him so long? Can’t believe he’s not here yet.” She looked at her watch.
I said, “You know how it is, it could be any minute now.”
Magnus, Fraoch, and Zach went to the fields with a lot of guards to wait for Lochinvar and Ash to arrive.
In the afternoon I radioed. “There yet?”
“Nae, not yet.”
“Can you come back for dinner? It’s only the third night and the kids are worried. I think they need to see you.”
There was quiet for a moment, then Magnus’s voice: “Aye, Fraoch will stay with guards and Chef Zach and I will return for dinner, we will hae tae make it quick, but we will come.”
