had only to look at her to make her feel his displeasure. Thinking then of what else Fin could make her feel, she let her imagination linger on those thoughts.
Realizing abruptly that the longer she stayed the more she risked discovery, she went back inside and replaced the bar across the door, hoping she would not meet her father on her way upstairs. With so many extra men at the castle, Shaw would not accept the excuse that she had just sought solitude and fresh air. Wincing at the thought of his most likely response—that he would give her all the solitude she needed by confining her to her bedchamber for a sennight—she went quickly.
“There is one other thing I’d like to ask you,” Fin said after he and Ivor had cast dice for exorbitant, albeit imaginary, wagers for a time. “Sithee, I’ve been thinking more about Bishop Traill and our meeting here as we did.”
“I have, too,” Ivor said, scooping the dice up into the cup. Covering a yawn, he added, “Traill may have much more to do with this business than we knew.”
“I’m coming to think so,” Fin admitted. “As Bishop of St. Andrews, he has the ear of the royal family, and thus wields influence over the King and the Queen, as well as Rothesay, so perhaps he influences Albany, too. And perhaps…” He paused. “Do you know yet who else will be attending Rothesay’s meeting here?”
“I thought that it was to be just my grandfather, my father, Alex, and Davy’s minions. Do you mean to say that someone else is coming?”
Fin nodded. “The Lord of the Isles.”
“Donald? But everyone in the Great Glen—aye, and west of it, too—would do all they can to keep his ships from touching shore, let alone allow him to cross their lands with his army to get here. Sakes, everyone knows that he covets control of the western Highlands, and more. How the devil will he get here?”
“He’ll carry safe conducts from Rothesay and the Mackintosh, and he brings no army but only a small tail of men, as Alex will,” Fin said. “Sithee, Rothesay needs them both to stand with him against Albany. The Mackintosh suggests, and I agree, that Davy likely wants them both to promise him their votes when his provisional term as Governor of the Realm expires in six months. After all, if they will agree to that, most men who support them will also support Davy.”
“Then it is possible that someone else from our group is serving Donald, as I serve Alex and you serve Davy. Any number of us may be mixed up in this.”
“Aye,” Fin agreed. “And if so, we become part of a much greater conspiracy against Albany, do we not? My concern is that the more people Davy involves, the greater the risk grows that Albany will learn of it.”
“I’d wager that he already has. Does Davy understand the danger he is in?”
“He knows that Albany wants to take the Governorship back into his own hands. In troth, Davy believes that his uncle covets the throne.”
“Albany is not next in line,” Ivor pointed out.
“Nay, but Davy’s brother, James, is just seven, and Albany is next after him.”
“Some would say that Albany is better suited to take the throne than Davy is. Many more agree that Scotland does need a stronger king.”
“Aye, but Davy is the heir, and I believe that he will be a strong king. Sithee, he believes in the people. Albany believes only in acquiring power for Albany.”
“We’ll have to wait, then, and see who triumphs, won’t we?”
“Aye,” Fin said. But he felt a chill shoot up his spine as he said it.
“I’m for bed,” Ivor said. “I’ve not slept a full night in four months.”
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Fin said, putting out his hand. “ ’Tis glad I am to have you as my friend, Hawk, and to be talking things over with you again.”
Fin left then, hoping that they would still be friends when the events they had set in motion had played themselves out.
As he rounded the torchlit curve before his landing, he met Catriona hurrying upstairs. She stopped, staring wide-eyed at him, her cheeks suffusing with color.
Amused, he said sternly, “And just what mischief have you been up to, my lass, to put such fire in your cheeks?”
Catriona gaped at Fin, feeling his gaze with every fiber of her being.