what would we do? She struggled to think clearly. ‘Roger said nothing about departing in such haste. I can’t—’ Could not what? She could not grasp hold of her thoughts. ‘It’s happening too quickly.’
‘You’re no stranger to hasty departures, to hear your brother Andrew tell it. According to him, you decided between Jack’s funeral Mass and his burial that you would accompany Andrew from Dunfermline to Edinburgh, even knowing he meant to leave as soon as possible.’ Murdoch handed her a cup of watered wine. ‘Drink that down.’
He was right about her hasty decision to come here. ‘But that was different.’ Though she could not collect her thoughts sufficiently to explain how. The wine had soothed her stomach but haddone nothing for the pounding in her head. ‘Why didn’t Roger tell me?’
‘I’d say he and his man learned today that it must be tomorrow night.’ Murdoch took the cup and refilled it.
Margaret refused it. ‘My mind’s scattered as it is.’
‘If I’m right, he’ll not change the plan, Maggie. Perhaps he knows that the most careless guards are on duty tomorrow evening.’
‘Why must our departure be so planned? Others depart Edinburgh without such thought.’
‘Horses don’t. Had you not noticed? The English are not keen for us to have mounts, and if Roger is carrying money and documents he’ll not wish to draw attention.’
Margaret had not thought of that. ‘I should make it clear to Celia how much we risk.’
‘You’ve escorts who ken the perils, Maggie.’
Pressing her cold hands to cheeks that were on fire, Margaret nodded. She was grateful that her uncle had warned her, albeit inadvertently, about her imminent departure before she made a fuss with Roger. They were in a tentative truce, Roger having conceded that Celia would perforce remain with Margaret rather than risk lengthening the journey in order to pass through Dunfermline. She wished to do nothing to change his mind.
‘You’ll not drink this?’ Murdoch asked, still holding the cup of wine.
‘No.’
He tipped back his head and emptied the cup in a gulp. ‘I’m no happier about this than you are, lass. In a short time I’ll be without all that has tempted me out of bed of a morning – the gossip of the tavern, the siller folks pay to bide here, you and all your fussing. I’ve no purpose of a sudden.’
He looked so sad she searched for something to cheer him. ‘You have skills from your smuggling days that our people need, Uncle. You’ll still be called upon to board and plunder the English ships anchored off Leith.’
He shrugged, nodded half-heartedly. ‘Not often enough to occupy me.’
‘And you have Janet.’
‘Aye. She’s a treasure.’ He forced a smile.
Margaret did not trust herself to say much more. ‘I must find Celia, ready our packs.’ She opened her arms to embrace her uncle. ‘I’ll miss you more than I can say.’
‘And I you, lass.’ He gathered her up and kissed her on the cheek.
She almost wept at the familiar scent of him – sea, smoke, sweat, ale, and stable. ‘God bless you for all you’ve done, Uncle.’
‘God will bless me for some things, condemn me for others. We’ll none of us ken till Judgement Day where we stand with Him.’ He stepped back, releasing her. ‘Now go, see to Celia. And to James.He wouldn’t take it well to hear you’d gone without a farewell.’
Margaret had forgotten about James. How she wished she were riding to Perth with him. She understood him – he wanted to restore his kinsman to the throne of Scotland. But Roger was a puzzle to her, his allegiance to the Bruce vague and his insistence on a quick departure frightening. Though it had been her idea to return to Perth, now she felt as if she were being wrest away from all she held dear. What had been her journey had become Roger’s, and she no longer knew the goal.
Ashen-faced, Celia gazed down at the clothes spread on the bed. ‘That one has a stain on the
‘You’re no stranger to hasty departures, to hear your brother Andrew tell it. According to him, you decided between Jack’s funeral Mass and his burial that you would accompany Andrew from Dunfermline to Edinburgh, even knowing he meant to leave as soon as possible.’ Murdoch handed her a cup of watered wine. ‘Drink that down.’
He was right about her hasty decision to come here. ‘But that was different.’ Though she could not collect her thoughts sufficiently to explain how. The wine had soothed her stomach but haddone nothing for the pounding in her head. ‘Why didn’t Roger tell me?’
‘I’d say he and his man learned today that it must be tomorrow night.’ Murdoch took the cup and refilled it.
Margaret refused it. ‘My mind’s scattered as it is.’
‘If I’m right, he’ll not change the plan, Maggie. Perhaps he knows that the most careless guards are on duty tomorrow evening.’
‘Why must our departure be so planned? Others depart Edinburgh without such thought.’
‘Horses don’t. Had you not noticed? The English are not keen for us to have mounts, and if Roger is carrying money and documents he’ll not wish to draw attention.’
Margaret had not thought of that. ‘I should make it clear to Celia how much we risk.’
‘You’ve escorts who ken the perils, Maggie.’
Pressing her cold hands to cheeks that were on fire, Margaret nodded. She was grateful that her uncle had warned her, albeit inadvertently, about her imminent departure before she made a fuss with Roger. They were in a tentative truce, Roger having conceded that Celia would perforce remain with Margaret rather than risk lengthening the journey in order to pass through Dunfermline. She wished to do nothing to change his mind.
‘You’ll not drink this?’ Murdoch asked, still holding the cup of wine.
‘No.’
He tipped back his head and emptied the cup in a gulp. ‘I’m no happier about this than you are, lass. In a short time I’ll be without all that has tempted me out of bed of a morning – the gossip of the tavern, the siller folks pay to bide here, you and all your fussing. I’ve no purpose of a sudden.’
He looked so sad she searched for something to cheer him. ‘You have skills from your smuggling days that our people need, Uncle. You’ll still be called upon to board and plunder the English ships anchored off Leith.’
He shrugged, nodded half-heartedly. ‘Not often enough to occupy me.’
‘And you have Janet.’
‘Aye. She’s a treasure.’ He forced a smile.
Margaret did not trust herself to say much more. ‘I must find Celia, ready our packs.’ She opened her arms to embrace her uncle. ‘I’ll miss you more than I can say.’
‘And I you, lass.’ He gathered her up and kissed her on the cheek.
She almost wept at the familiar scent of him – sea, smoke, sweat, ale, and stable. ‘God bless you for all you’ve done, Uncle.’
‘God will bless me for some things, condemn me for others. We’ll none of us ken till Judgement Day where we stand with Him.’ He stepped back, releasing her. ‘Now go, see to Celia. And to James.He wouldn’t take it well to hear you’d gone without a farewell.’
Margaret had forgotten about James. How she wished she were riding to Perth with him. She understood him – he wanted to restore his kinsman to the throne of Scotland. But Roger was a puzzle to her, his allegiance to the Bruce vague and his insistence on a quick departure frightening. Though it had been her idea to return to Perth, now she felt as if she were being wrest away from all she held dear. What had been her journey had become Roger’s, and she no longer knew the goal.
Ashen-faced, Celia gazed down at the clothes spread on the bed. ‘That one has a stain on the
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