weeks later, we were sitting around on pool chairs watching the boys splash in the swimming pool. It was a new addition to the house, built under a large screened enclosure. Zach and Emma had gotten it built as a summer present for the family.
Zach took the boys swimming every day. Like today: he was splashing in the pool with the boys. Emma was nursing Zoe in a chair by the pool. Isla was napping inside. Beaty, who took daily swimming lessons from Quentin, was sitting in a chair in charge of the towels while Quentin was on guard duty. I was laughing at what ‘little lovable idiots’ the boys were, when all of our phones buzzed at once.
Quentin texted from up on the roof: “Car coming up the drive, says they’re carrying General Hammond and Lady Mairead. I’m on my way down.”
Zach said, “Hey kids, out of the pool, please.” They scrambled out, Beaty wrapped them in towels, and hustled them from the pool area with Emma following. Zach rubbed a towel over his head, then wrapped it around his waist, and drew on a shirt. I peered through the screen as a black, limo-style SUV rolled up to the house. Quentin jogged down to meet it in the driveway.
Lady Mairead stepped out. Hammond climbed from the car on the other side.
“Colonel Quentin, I am verra glad tae see ye guardin’. Ye hae been often derelict in yer duties, but now ye are bein’ cautious as is right for ye tae be as Magnus canna be here tae watch over his family.”
It was classic how she could just start talking, making bitch-ass observational statements, without conversing at all.
She noticed us in the pool house and brushed by Quentin with Hammond following.
I said, “Uh oh.”
Zach opened the screen door for her. “Hello Lady Mairead.”
She entered the pool house and stood taking it in with a look of displeasure. She was dressed in a pantsuit of filmy silken material, trimmed with fur, luxurious looking, with ostentatious jewelry on every bit of skin. She looked like a queen if that queen was Lady MacBeth mixed with Cruella De Vil. “Chef Zachary, what is this?”
“It’s uh, our new pool, for the kids.”
“Ah,” she looked him up and down, dripping under a towel skirt, scrawny tattooed legs, bare feet, his favorite old threadbare Frank Turner T-shirt. “I see tis for ye as well.”
“I do like to swim.” He folded his arms and looked at me like — what the fuck?
“Madame Hayley, what is this man doing here?”
“Who, Fraoch?”
“Aye, ye ken who I am speakin’ on. He is in Magnus’s house, did Magnus invite him?”
Fraoch said, “Aye, he told me I was welcome.”
“Was it before he kent of your being an illegitimate son of Donnan? Conspiring tae murder him, wanting the throne?” Before he could answer, she said, “We should hae a seat, Colonel Quentin, I hae things tae discuss.”
She brushed past us, directly to the table and chairs, and waited for us all to sit before she took a chair, imperiously. She also seemed nervous, and I saw her slide a small knife from her purse.
Quentin said, “Should we all be armed?”
“Nae, tis tae help me think.” Now that I was watching her, she actually looked frightened. “I hae procured the device which will allow me tae go further back in time—”
“Where did you get it from?” Quentin urged. “Is there more tech? Who has it? They might be very very dangerous. Hammond, do you know about this?”
“I ken enough—”
Her voice wavered. “Tis nae for Hammond tae ken of. He kens what I allow him tae ken.” Her color raised on her cheeks. “Hammond directs the armed forces for the kingdom at my discretion, tis up tae me tae discuss with him what I wish tae.”
Quentin said, “I understand that, Lady Mairead, but it’s a matter of kingdom security, heck, it’s a matter of world security. If someone malevolent has other tech, or information about the vessels that we don’t know, we are at their mercy.”
“I am at nae one’s mercy.” She took a deep breath and raised a shaking hand to smooth back her hair.
Quentin’s eyes went wide, taking in her fear. “So what do you have?”
“A device that will allow the vessels tae go further intae the past. Procuring it came at a great cost though and I came as soon as I could tae tell ye, Quentin, tae double security around the bairn.”