The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,51

office building, so we took everyone to Holyroodhouse, and in the room where Mary of Guise had received me that final morning, I acted the scene out for everyone’s enjoyment. “…and then the door opened and there was Magnus with Lady Mairead! I was so excited, I thought I might faint, but I had to be chill. I had to bow and curtsy and behave like a lady in front of Mary of Guise who was literally right there, this far away, I kid you not.”

As we left through Holyroodhouse’s main gate to walk up Cannongate to where we parked our van, Magnus said, “Och, the tour guide was telling the story of Mary the Queen of Scots as if twas in the past. For us though, twas the future, we kent of her as a little girl, livin’ in France, long afore the intrigues of—”

He stopped short. “He is there.” He passed me Isla as Fraoch rushed off in the direction Magnus had been looking.

Magnus said to me, “He had a great many men around him this time, we will need tae leave Edinburgh.”

“Should we get a flight home?” I said it under my breath so Archie wouldn’t hear.

“Nae, but we need tae remove ourselves from the city, twill be easier tae keep tae ourselves.”

Hayley, the kids, and I ducked into a store. She bought drinks, while we watched out the front window. Magnus stood guard waiting for Fraoch.

We met outside the store once Fraoch returned. “I followed him but he has lost me again. I got a fair long look at his face though, I will ken him clear when I see him again, and he winna recover from bein’ found. He has caused us too much worry.” Hayley passed him a can of IRN-BRU. “I am glad tae be armed—”

I asked, “Wait, how are you armed?”

“A dirk hidden here, a small dagger here.”

My eyes went wide. “How did you carry them?”

“Magnus told me how tae do it.”

“Magnus, are you armed?”

“Och aye, I am armed. I hae three blades on me as we speak, ye just canna see them.”

“Hayley can you believe—” She patted between her breasts.

“Why don’t I have one?”

“I dinna think ye—”

“Magnus, I’m always the one who needs the weapon. Think of one time that I didn’t need one.”

Hayley said, “Well, that is totally true, why don’t we buy you a broadsword? You’d be pretty badass.” She scrolled through her phone.

Magnus said, “Tis okay, I hae an extra dirk in m’suitcase she can carry.”

“Good, because it looks like… you’re not allowed to carry any weapons here.”

“In Scotland?” said Fraoch with a hand through his hair. “Has the king weighed in on this?”

Thirty-two - Kaitlyn

We drove to Linlithgow a day earlier than we expected, and booked two rooms in a hotel right beside the palace. We loaded our luggage into our rooms then met to walk across the road to the front gate.

Magnus and I stood for a long time in the middle of the courtyard holding hands, just being there. The space made us thoughtful, remembering all those moments beside the fountain, once new and beautiful, with water flowing, and now dusty and ruined.

Like everything about where we had lived, it echoed with the loss of people whom we had known, who had lived here — just the other day it seemed.

A castle of ghosts. Magnus put an arm around me. I kissed his cheek. The only way to get through the ruins and the melancholy of it all was to hug through it.

Archie explored. Isla toddled. Fraoch inspected the fit of the stone, wondering about the craft and the reasoning for the structure. Hayley said, “Man, this place is old.”

It was true, but it had been just yesterday that it had been full of life, warm and inviting. Meals were eaten, with whisky after, beds were slept on, rumpled linen and wool blankets; now it was just echoes and dust.

I pointed out the room where Mary of Guise had given birth to Mary Queen of Scots. My hand pressed to the wall to stabilize my heart. The room was stone and cold and empty and had once been filled with the wails of newborn bairn. Queens had been born here. Now it seemed a ruin. Babies had been born here, now long gone.

I remembered that tremble in Mary of Guise’s voice as she told me about saying goodbye to her children. I wiped my eyes, overcome by it all, scooped up Isla, and held her