“He had two blades,” Keenan said (18 page)

“Which is what you were doing, wasn’t it?” the man next to Frampton said.

“Stealing the letter, Cumberland?” Keenan asked the man. “Thievery is not one of my vices. Is it one of yers?”

“Nay, Maclean. I am no thief, but you seem to have been caught red handed.” Cumberland said with conviction. The tension saturated the room and seemed to suck at the momentum of time itself.

Serena dared not open even a crack in her protective wall. Already the anger, the dark elation, the hunt for blood, beat against her mind.

“Aye,” Keenan admitted easily. “I was taking the letter.” Keenan pulled the letter back out of George’s hand and strode to the fire. Before any could utter a word he tossed the parchment into the flames. The fire caught quickly on the brittle roll, and long shadows flickered as the fire gorged on the sudden fuel. Keenan turned back to the stunned audience. “I was taking the letter to destroy it before a damn Jacobite could get his hands on it again.” Keenan frowned. “I doona mean to criticize Yer Majesty, but having such a thing lying around unguarded. Well it could be disaster to yer campaign.”

Everyone stood still, watching the parchment blacken and shrivel.

Elizabeth was the first to break into the stillness. “I’d say that proves Keenan Maclean is loyal to you, Sire. He just destroyed the very letter he could have stolen.”

“What use would it have been to me?” Keenan asked.

“We weren’t certain of your loyalties, Maclean, not with your brother being such a supporter of the Stewart prince.” Frampton said.

“Oh my,” Serena said faintly. “What an awful thought.” She smiled timidly at Lord Frampton. “If my husband was to steal the letter and make us leave tonight, I would never have my wedding costume.” She shook her head as if she were one of the silly courtiers. “I would never have allowed that.”

George chuckled low. “I suppose you’ve escaped the dungeons for now, Maclean.”

The dragonfly birthmark on her belly began to warm, and Serena’s gaze flicked about the room. As George began to talk with Keenan, Serena watched a misty haze expand in the corner. Drakkina glided along the floor toward the Duke’s mistress. What was she doing?

“I’m helping.” Serena heard Drakkina’s voice clearly in her mind. By the Earth Mother! Serena held her breath while Lady Amberley spoke quietly to Elizabeth about her cousin’s wedding costume from the previous season. The men stared at the unrolled map.

Drakkina’s cloud-like body hovered next to the Duke’s mistress. Drakkina looked at Serena and winked just before the dry mist of her body melted into the unsuspecting body of Lady Amberley.

The pain in her chest reminded Serena to suck in a breath, and she reached out a thin thread to the woman’s mind. Serena instantly felt a tightness throughout Lady Amberley, a stunned consciousness shoved aside and muted as if someone literally held her tongue. Serena blinked several times as Drakkina’s pale eyes stared out from behind Lady Amberley’s dark green orbs. Drakkina had completely invaded the woman.

“I must say,” Lady Amberley’s voice filled the room. It was the woman’s own voice, but unnatural power pulsed behind the words. “I must say that it is wonderful to be surrounded by those loyal to the crown. The duke and I are just as loyal to the king as you and your husband are.” Serena just nodded, unsure of what else to do. Cumberland looked curiously over his shoulder toward his mistress.

“Yes, William is so loyal, Lady Serena, that he paid a local peasant to gut that bastard Jacobite, Gerard Grant, and took back the king’s letter in the first place. We were both there to make sure the letter did not move north into enemy hands.”

Everyone turned toward the woman. Cumberland’s mouth tightened into a grim line while Frampton’s mouth jerked open in amazement.

Keenan was the first to speak. “Did ye just say that the Duke of Cumberland killed Gerard Grant, Lady Amberley, out of loyalty to the crown?”

“I certainly did,” Lady Amberley bragged. “We are proud to serve the court.”

“I never ordered such an act,” King George said.

“Of course not,” Elizabeth Darlington jumped in.

“Of course not,” Frampton agreed.

Cumberland turned such a dark shade of purple that Serena wondered if he would have an attack and fall on the floor in convulsions.

“So the young Romany man, William Faw, dinna commit the crime?” Keenan said evenly as he eyed the courtly lady suspiciously.

Lady Amberley clasped her hands in front of her and looked remorseful. “No,” she shook her head. “No, the Romany man came upon us while we paid the assassin. My darling William reacted without thinking. I’m afraid he shot the boy.”

“William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland shot an innocent man?” Frampton asked.

Lady Amberley nodded.

“That will be enough, Judith!” Cumberland shouted, causing Serena to jump at the impact. The man’s panic flew through the air like an arrow, piercing her wall. Serena took two steadying breaths. What would this man do to his mistress once Drakkina left her?

“He was a Rom,” Cumberland said with a slight sneer. “He was most likely going to rob us anyway. I but shot him in self defense.”

Serena’s mouth opened as a nauseating sweep of anger washed through her belly up into her chest. Would she protest the bigoted man’s ignorance or merely vomit on the spot? A quick wave of patience slid across her body, calming her. Serena’s eyes were drawn to Keenan’s. He stood staring at her, his eyes seeming to will her silence. Serena swallowed down her fury and shut her mouth even as she shouted in her head.

Keenan turned back toward Cumberland. “Rom or not, William Faw did not stab Gerard Grant.”

“Correct,” Lady Amberley called from her place by the gaping and furiously fanning Elizabeth.

“Keep your silence, Lady Amberley,” Cumberland ground out between his pristine, evenly spaced teeth.

King George looked at Keenan. “You knew this William Faw?”

“I traded with the leader of his tribe who is his father. The lad is on the run since he’s been wrongly accused of the crime.”

“We must do something about that,” Judith Amberley said and looked expectantly at Cumberland.

“Judith, stop speaking,” Cumberland’s words sliced across the room.

George nodded contemplatively and then looked to Frampton. “Have word sent to Leeds and surrounding townships that William Faw is cleared of the murder of Gerard Grant. He shall not, nor his relations, be held accountable.” King George regarded Keenan. “Do you know his whereabouts?”

Keenan kept his answer guarded. “I can carry a letter of innocence to his family. They will most likely ken his whereabouts if he still lives.”

King George nodded. “That should take care of this mess then.”

Serena couldn’t keep the bubble of anger down in her stomach any longer. It boiled up to the top. “And the punishment for the Duke, for shooting, and nearly killing an innocent man?”

Silence filled the room, but Serena could barely hear it with the cacophony of emotional noise bombarding her defenses. Suspicion, hatred, unveiled bigotry. Yet there was an undercurrent of worry, worry for her, compassion. Where was it coming from?

King George cleared his throat. “First I would like to commend Lady Amberley for bringing up this injustice. It showed amazing courage. Second I would say that I appreciate Cumberland’s concern over Gerard Grant’s betrayal and his courage to act on it.” Lady Amberley curtseyed and Cumberland bowed stiffly.

King George then turned to Serena. “Cumberland shot William Faw in defense of an attack, imagined or real.” The king looked back at Cumberland. “I suggest that you be much more careful in the future.”

“I heed your council, Sire,” the Duke replied smugly. Serena nearly bit her tongue.

King George continued. “However, a man’s life has nearly been lost and he and his family have lived in fear for these past weeks. I believe you owe them a recompense of two hundred pounds to be paid to Keenan Maclean to take to the family.”

“Two hundred?” Cumberland asked in a flat tone. “I do not know if I have that with me at this time.”

“I will loan you the amount. Maclean will be leaving soon,” George said. “Does that satisfy Lady Maclean?”

The amount was huge and would be celebrated. But was it enough to pay for a man’s life? No. But Serena knew the answer that was required. “Yes, Your Majesty. Quite a generous settlement for the injury, and accusation.” She curtsied slightly and inclined her head.

King George clapped his hands twice, the sound echoing in the room. “Good then, let us
go
back to the reception. Cumberland, be sure to speak with Frampton on the morrow to arrange your payments to me.”

The Duke of Cumberland did not say anything but nodded and stalked over to take his mistress’s arm. Serena watched with fascinated horror as a dry mist wafted its way out of Judith Amberley’s body. The woman lost her stride and nearly collapsed.

“Oh my, what’s happened to me?”

“You’ve about lost your bloody mind,” Serena heard Cumberland sneer. Louder he said, “I think it is time for you to retire for the evening.”

“Yes, yes, I think that might be best,” she said simply and let him draw her out of the room. “I feel as if I’ve been holding my breath.” She patted at her chest and coughed a bit.

Serena looked at the thin vapor of Drakkina and willed her concern to the crone about Judith Amberley’s welfare. Drakkina frowned slightly and her image wavered. But then she nodded and disappeared.

Keenan took Serena’s hand and placed it on his arm. His warm words brushed against her ear as he leaned in. “Ye frown? Everything has worked its way out.”

Serena kept her eyes forward and whispered. “Not on its own. Drakkina helped.”

Keenan’s breath left her ear as he looked around the room. “She’s here?”

“Not anymore.”

There was no time to explain more as Serena and Keenan joined back in with the courtly conversations about nothing specific or interesting. It was several hours more of standing, curtseying and dancing before Serena and Keenan were finally allowed to leave the ballroom. As they walked across the threshold of their room with Brodick, Thomas, and Gavin in tow, Serena let out a groan. She yanked off her torturous shoes and dropped them to thud on the floor.

Serena pointed at the offending articles. “Try dancing and walking in those for hours and see if you don’t throw them in the fire.” She tried to reach her aching foot, but couldn’t find it under all the layers of dress. Brodick’s muffled laugh made her give up, and she sat back on the bed.

She listened while Keenan gave the men orders to find warm beds or sleep in the stables with Ewan.

“And ye will be sleeping where?” Thomas asked with his usual dose of guarded suspicion.

“I need to stay in the room for awhile so that it looks like we’re truly married. I will join ye soon or if the corridor is watched, I will bunk down near the fire. It’s not as soft as lying on earth, but it will do.”

The three Macleans began shuffling out the door.

“Good sleep, Serena,” Brodick called.

“Good sleep to you too, Brodick.”

“Good sleep to ye, Serena,” Gavin called.

Serena raised her hand to wave. “And to you, Gavin.”

Thomas grumbled something of a good sleep, and Serena waved back. Then the door shut, and Keenan lowered a bracing bar to lock it. He walked to the fire to add more kindling. His footsteps clipped over to the bed and he sat down on the soft tick making Serena roll toward the gully.

“Is she here now?” Keenan’s deep timbre pulled tightly at Serena’s stomach. Not quite nausea, more like nervous flipping.

“Who?” Serena managed to answer.

“Drakkina, ye said she was in the study but I couldna’ see her.”

Serena sat up on elbows and looked around the room. “I don’t think so. I can sense her now, now that I know her better. Plus she seemed pretty weak after invading Judith Amberley’s body and making her talk.”

“Drakkina confessed to the murder.”

Serena nodded and scooted back into a sitting position against the headboard, which brought her battered feet against Keenan’s thigh. “I only hope she helps Judith Amberley now that the woman will have to deal with Cumberland’s wrath.”

“But the crone isna’ here now, ye’re sure?”

Serena looked around again, and even reached out a bit with her senses. No Drakkina. “I don’t feel her presence at all. I would tingle.”

“Tingle?” He looked her body over as if he might catch a glimpse of her tingling.

Serena flushed a bit as she moved
a
hand to her stomach. “I have a birthmark, strangely shaped like a dragonfly. I’ve noticed that it warms or tingles whenever Drakkina’s around.”

Keenan looked at her stomach as if he could see through the heavy material to her skin. “I suppose we can add that to the list of yer oddities, lass.”

When he looked up, Serena couldn’t help but smile at his grin. “I suppose so.”

“So,” he looked again at her stomach, “nary a bit of tingling there right now?”

Oh there was tingling going on in Serena and she blushed even deeper, but not on her birthmark. “No, no tingling,” she said.