Featured Gaelic and Pronunciations:
-Alasdair (ah-lah-stehr) - Gaelic form of 'Alexander'
- Fionnlagh (fee-oohn-lahg) - Gaelic form of 'Finley'
- Fionn (fee-oohn) - 'Fin'
- Moire (moh-reh) - Gaelic form of 'Mary'
- Mairead (mye-rehd) - Gaelic form of 'Margaret'
- Eilidh (eeh-lee) - Gaelic form of 'Ellen'
- Beathag (bey-hahg) - Gaelic form of 'Beth'
- Raibeart (roh-bersht) - Gaelic form of 'Robert'
- Raibbie (roh-bee) - 'Robby'
- Iagan (eeh-ah-gahn) - Gaelic form of 'Johnny'
- Peadar (peh-dehr) - Gaelic form of 'Peter'
- Beitiris (bee-ih-tehr-ihs) - Gaelic form of 'Beatrice'
- Seàrlas (shahr-lahs) - Gaelic form of 'Charles'*
- Liùsaidh (loo-see) - Gaelic form of 'Lucy/Louise'
- Cailean (kah-lehn) - Gaelic form of 'Colin'
*Another form of the name Charles, which one might be more familiar with, is Teàrlach (chahr-lohk)
27 April, 1744
Maison Elise, Paris, France
JAMIE POV
"I'm sure Charles will be glad fer the opportunity te meet Duverney and Sandringham," Cailean was telling Jamie as they exited the carriage outside of Maison Elise. "When is this dinner again?"
"Friday," Jamie reminded him.
"Yer birthday? What a way te celebrate turnin' twenty-three," Cailean told him, and Jamie chuckled.
"Aye, Catrìona said it might be a good reason te give fer this dinner," Jamie replied.
"It's an excellent reason. Men tend te be more relaxed at a dinner of leisure rather than one of politics," said Cailean. "So we'll tell the prince it's fer yer birthday. I'm sure he'd be glad te come fer that alone, even better that Duverney and Sandringham will be there."
"Sounds like a good plan," Jamie replied. The two men entered Maison Elise, then were greeted cheerfully by Charles when they arrived at the table.
"James! Cailean! How wonderful to see you both again," Charles said when they arrived at the table.
"Laird Broch Tuarach," said the voice of Alasdair Fowlis, and Jamie realised that he was seated at the table.
"Mr. Fowlis," said Jamie, shaking the man's outstretched hand. "Glad te find ye both at the same table. My wife and I would like te extend an invite to ye both this Friday evenin' fer dinner."
"Is that so? What is the occasion?" Charles asked, lifting a glass of wine and sipping from it.
"My birthday," Jamie said. "My wife wanted te host a dinner in celebration."
"Jamie will be three and twenty this Friday," Cailean chimed in.
"I would be glad te attend," said Alasdair. "Might I bring my son along?"
"Certainly, we have plenty of room at our table," Jamie answered the fair-haired man. "Yer Highness? Might we be blessed with yer appearance?"
"For my friend on such a special occasion, I would be glad to," Charles told him. "What other guests will be in attendance, if I might be so bold?"
"My wife invited a friend of hers, but I dinnae remember the name," Jamie lied. "But in attendance will be the Duke of Sandringham, who is an acquaintance of many years, and Monsieur Duverney and their families."
"The Duke of Sandringham and Monsieur Duverney?" asked Charles with interest. "You certainly have the most interesting of friends, James. I very much look forward to this dinner now."
"And we shall be glad te have ye," said Jamie. Good, the prince was coming, as was Alasdair Fowlis. Pretty much everyone in attendance was invited due to their connection to Charles, and due to this dinner, those connections may or may not be severed, if things go to plan.
1 May, 1744
Jared's House, Paris, France
CATRÌONA POV
Jamie awoke on his birthday to a bit of a show beneath the blankets, which I was glad to give him. I couldn't see him, but I could hear him moaning and gripping the sheets and shifting beneath the blankets. Right when I could feel him about to fall over the edge, he grabbed me under the arms and pulled me out from under the blanket, pushing me down onto the bed and pinning my shoulders against it. "Ye cannae possibly think I want te finish in yer mouth first thing in the mornin'," he told me, kissing me passionately and pushing himself into me. I let him ride me all the way to the edge, taking me with him as we came together.
"Happy birthday, mo ghràidh ," I whispered to him, holding his face in my hands.
"What an excellent way te wake up," he told me. He then rolled onto his back, stretching his arms and flexing his hand - the one that had been injured. "And we have a long day ahead of us."
"I ken," I said. "A long evenin' , rather. Christ, I dinnae want te entertain all these bloody fools."
"Neither do I, but it is a necessary evil," Jamie replied. A knock at the door disturbed the moment between us, and I quickly sat up to adjust my shift and the blanket as Suzette entered.
"Oh! Excuse me, Milady," she said when she realised that Jamie was clearly nude beneath the blanket in bed beside me. "I have a message for you, Milady, from L'Hôpital des Anges. "
"What is it?" I asked her.
"There was an explosion at the Royal Armory. They require your assistance," Suzette replied.
"Blessed Bride," I said. "Er… Tell them I shall be there shortly."
" Oui, Milady," said Suzette, and she curtsied and left the room.
"Catrìona, the dinner is tonight," Jamie reminded me when we were alone again.
"I ken, mo chridhe, but Madame Vionnet never even lets me near the kitchens and I'd rather be somewhere I'm needed. You need te be at the warehouses fer the inspection, and I'll no' sit around here bein' useless when I'm clearly needed elsewhere," I told him, resting my hand on his cheek and kissing him. "I'll be back before sunset, I promise." Jamie let out a sigh.
"All right," he said. "But take Murtagh with ye, and Fergus, too. They'll have ye home in time te dress fer dinner."
"Sounds good te me," I said. "Best get dressed then, both of us." Before I left the room, I made sure to give Jamie a deep and passionate kiss, one that almost led us to repeat that morning's rendezvous, but duty called, and I had to go. "I love ye, my Jamie, and I'll see ye soon." I kissed him again, my arms wrapped firmly around his neck.
"I love ye, too, mo nighean ruadh ," Jamie told me, kissing me again. "Come back early enough and we may fit in another…" I gave him a playful shove, then kissed him one final time before I was finally on my way. When I got in the carriage, I instructed the driver to stop at Louise's so I could pick up Mary, who once expressed interest in the past in wanting to help where she could.
"We'll need all the help we can get. The worst of the injuries have come te the hospital," I told her when we were on our way.
"I hope ye dinnae expect me te go in there," Murtagh told me firmly.
"We could use yer help, but I suppose someone should watch Fergus," I said.
"You will let les métis stay with me?" young Fergus asked me, and I couldn't help but snort.
"What did ye call me, ye wee shite?" Murtagh demanded of Fergus.
"Fight it out when yer waitin' fer us te come out," I told the two of them when I realised that Mary was quite nervous in the carriage with the two of them. "Dinnae fash, Mary. I'll no' let them tear each other's throats out in here."
"G-Good," Mary stuttered.
"Is yer uncle coming te dinner tonight?" I asked her, attempting to distract her, and she nodded. "Good, we're verra glad. I look forward te meetin' him."
"H-He s-still wants me t-to marry that Frenchman," Mary said.
"Well, maybe we can persuade him te change his mind," I said to her. We arrived at the hospital and I was quick to descend from the carriage, Mary in tow, and lifted my skirts so I wouldn't trip as I rushed into L'Hôpital . "Mother Hildegard," I said when I saw her over the body of a patient. "What's the status?"
"Quite bad," Mother Hildegard told me. "It is good that you are here. We need you today."
"I'm glad te be here," I told her. "Tell me where te start, then."
After several hours of work, I took a moment to step outside and take a deep breath. It dawned on me suddenly that it was Beltane, and I hadn't given any prayers to the gods and goddesses. Given the circumstances, I closed my eyes and muttered quietly in Gaelic:
"Goddess Brigid,
I ask for your healing hands to guide mine.
Bathe me in your healing light,
So that I may bathe others who suffer in pain in mine.
Lend me your magic so that I may bring peace
To those who fall ill to sickness or injury.
Blessed be."
"Blessed what?" Murtagh asked me, also in Gaelic, and I let out a sigh.
"Ye shouldnae be listenin' te people in private prayer," I told him in English.
"Then dinnae speak yer private prayer in public," he replied. "We need te get goin' or we'll be late."
"Another hour. More and more people are bein' brought in and they need all the help they can get," I told him.
"But I promised Milord-" Fergus, who stood nearby, said.
"I know, a leannan, " I told him. "We'll hurry as best as we can." I glanced up to see Mary also taking a breather, standing alone against the wall of the hospital. She glanced up at me and smiled, then looked away again.
"It is a shame Mademoiselle Hawkins is so sad," Fergus said.
"Sad? Tha' hen was smilin' ear te ear!" Murtagh told him.
"Did you really not see hat she had been crying?" Fergus asked the middle-aged man.
"Cryin'? I saw no cryin'," Murtagh told him.
"That is why you will die with la veuve poignet, " Fergus told him, and I couldn't help but snort and chuckle.
"The hell does tha' even mean?" Murtagh demanded.
"Blessed Bride, Murtagh, how are ye survivin' in Paris with no' a word of French?" I asked him. "He said ye'll die alone with yer hand."
" Bratach beagan!" Murtagh hissed at the laughing boy, smacking him on the back of his head, then snatched his own sgian dubh from the little filch's hands. "Give me that!" I couldn't help but chuckle, then glanced at Mary again.
"Puir lass," I said. "She's engaged te the Vicomte, but she's in love with another."
"In love?" Murtagh asked me. "But the lad jus' said she was sad!"
"When yer heart is broken, ye tend te be sad," I replied. "Ye'd ken tha' if ye had one." He sent me a glare, and I chuckled gently. "It's quite obvious, actually. I saw her smitten with a lad at Versailles, some time ago, and Beth informed me that Mary's heart belongs to another."
"Hmph," said Murtagh.
"It is true," said Fergus. "In spite of the crying, she is wearing her heart on her sleeve. And there is a spring in her step, and her speech, which does not flow, runs like a sparkling stream when she thinks of him."
"One," said Murtagh, holding up a finger. "I dinnae care."
"Then dinnae ask," I said, but Murtagh ignored me.
" Two, " he said, "a man doesnae concern himself with the affairs of women."
"Tha' so?" I asked.
"Hmph," Murtagh grunted. "Suzette, the lady's maid… is she in love with anyone?"
"Men dinnae concern themselves with the affairs of women," I repeated with amusement.
" Oui , with any man who walks past her door," said Fergus with a childlike laugh.
"Nevvamind, ye wee smout," Murtagh spat at him.
"Right, there's too much testosterone out here. I'm goin' back in," I said to them, shaking my head and going back inside. I went back in time to find one of the volunteer physicians, Monsieur Forez, tending to a patient with a serious compound fracture. He took a pin, then instructed the nuns to turn his injured leg to the side, then gently tapped the pin into the back of the knee with a hammer until the man on the table stopped thrashing and moaning.
"Do you feel this?" Monsieur Forez asked the man in French, who confirmed in the negative. "Good."
"Tha's incredible," I said. "Pressure on the peroneal nerve?"
"Assuming that is the nerve you speak of that runs behind le genou , then oui . If you are fortunate enough to pierce it directly, it numbs the sensation in the lower extremity," Monsieur Forez explained to me.
"Clever, I replied.
"Come, we must work quickly," he told me. "Hold the foot steady. Mhm." I held the man's foot while Forez pressed down on the bone, which made quite a few loud cracking sounds, then the bone was back in place.
"Ye should check the wound fer bone fragments. With a wound like tha', there might be a few," I said, picking up a pair of tweezers and removing a couple of bone chips from the wound.
"A good find," said Monsieur Forez, and then he handed me a small jar with an ivory-coloured substance inside. "Put this on him, the ointment will ease the pain of the burns." I nodded and scooped out a bit of the greasy substance and began to rub it on the man's burns as Mary appeared by my side, then helped by rubbing on more ointment.
"This stuff looks like it'll work wonders," I said. "What is it?"
"Hangman's grease," said Monsieur Forez, and I glanced up at him. "Rendered fat from hanged criminals."
"I- Oh," I said. "I see…"
"F-f-fat?" Mary stuttered breathlessly, stepping away from the patient and staring down at her greased hands.
"Madame Fraser," I heard Mother Hildegard call, beckoning me to her.
"Just a moment te wash my hands," I said to her, then nodded to Monsieur Forez before going to a bucket of alcohol to disinfect my hands, something I insisted on. I was to help Mother Hildegard with a shoulder relocation, something I had no trouble with. "Where would Monsieur Forez get hangman's grease from?" I asked her quietly.
"When Monsieur Forez is not with us, he serves as His Royal Majesty's royal executioner," Mother Hildegard explained.
"Peculiar calling," I commented as I helped to examine some burns.
"We take what God sends us. Still, the bulk of our physicians are better than nothing," said Mother Hildegard, and then she raised her eyes to meet mine. " You are better than nothing."
"Thank ye kindly. Truly," I said gratefully, then turned my attention back to the patient, examining his burns. "Thankfully, these burns arenae so bad. He might do well with a debridement, though it looks rather barbaric."
"Debridement?" asked Mother Hildegard.
"Yes, we'll do an incision into the burns and cut and scrape it away, exposin' the dermis and applyin' some of Monsieur Forez's grease," I explained. "Be'er te rid him of the skin tha's already dead, no?" Though unsure about the procedure, Mother Hildegard agreed, and I taught her how to debride a second degree burn.
"Madame Fraser, there is a girl here for you," came Sister Ascelina, one of the other nuns at the hospital.
"Mary?" I asked, and Sister Ascelina shook her head, then gestured to the girl who stood behind her. "Beth? Is everrathing all right?"
"Yes, Mistress. I came because Mr. Fraser was worried, ye hadnae come back yet," Beth told me. "He said ye said ye'd be back before sunset." I glanced out the windows and saw the fading light, realising that sunset was in the midst of happening.
"Ah, right," I said. "Just a wee bit longer and I'll be right there, lass. These men are verra hurt."
"Can I help?" Beth asked me. "Perhaps it will be faster." I glanced briefly at Mother Hildegard, who nodded.
"Aye, we could use all the help we can get," I said to Beth, beckoning her to follow me.
It was dark when I finally left L'Hôpital, and Mary, Beth and Murtagh were surrounding the carriage clearly focused on something. "Wha's goin' on?" I asked.
"It's the carriage. The axle broke and the wheels willnae turn," said Murtagh. "I sent the wee bawbag ahead te tell Jamie we'll be late, although we already are. " I narrowed my eyes at him, then glanced at the broken axle of the carriage, which hung beneath it.
"Blessed Bride… And today, of all days," I said. "What'll we do, then? I promised Jamie I'd be home te greet our guests and now, we'll never make it." I paused for a moment as I examined the damage done to the carriage. "Nevermind how this even happened te a carriage that didnae move all day… We'll have te walk."
"Is tha' wise?" Murtagh asked me.
"Can ye think of a better plan?" I asked, and that shut him up. "Come on, then. Best we get moving quickly. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get there." We were walking for quite a bit, Murtagh trailing quite a distance ahead of Beth and Mary and I not too far behind Mary.
"So," I heard Beth say, her arm locked with Mary's. "Care te tell me aboot this lad of yers?"
"Oh! Well… Like I-I told you before, I… I find him most intriguing," Mary began to tell her, and I smiled to myself. I could feel the warmth of the redness of her cheeks from here in her girlish giggles. "We've been c-corresponding for weeks now… in secret."
"Really?" Beth exclaimed, and Mary shushed her. The two girls giggled quietly, and I saw Murtagh up ahead glance back at them over his shoulder before turning forward again. "Do tell me more! Dinnae keep me waiting!"
"All right," Mary said, still giggling. "He's handsome, intelligent, and his letters are of such eloquence. I couldn't help but fall in love with him."
" I'm nearly fallin' fer the lad! This story makes me heart flichter!" Beth told her.
"Flichter? Whatever does that mean?"
"Makes me heart flutter," Beth replied. "Come, tell me. Have ye had a coorie with the lad?"
"Beth MacCraig!" I said behind them, surprising the two girls into a giggle fit. I squeezed my way in between the two of them, taking each of their arms in mine. "I'll no' deny I was listenin'. Now, hen, tell us more," I told Mary. "What's the lad's name? Although I think I may already ken…"
"I… I think you might," Mary said meekly in response.
"Well, dinnae haud yer weesht. Tell me! Who's the lucky lad?" Beth asked her, and Mary blushed even more.
"Oh, I shouldn't even be saying this!" she said, and then she lowered her voice, even though we were alone on the street, save for Murtagh, who turned a corner down an alley that led to the street Jared's house was on. "His name is Randall."
" Alexander Randall," I said.
"Mistress!" Mary hissed, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, fine…"
"How'd ye meet him?" Beth asked her.
"I dropped my handkerchief and he picked it up," Mary answered.
"Deliberately?" asked Beth.
"Well, of course, deliberately. Do ye ken how many times I've dropped somethin' in front of my husband te get his attention?" I said, intentionally teasing Mary, and Beth and I shared a laugh.
"It was romantic! Not… that! " Mary exclaimed. "It was at Versailles in February. When Mistress Fraser wore that blue dress."
"Ah, yes, tha' dress," I said, recalling the night. We rounded the corner to the alley, which was actually quite dark. "I recall seein' ye speak te Alex Randall, tha's how I ken-" Glancing up as we walked, I suddenly saw a limp form lying on the ground - Murtagh! "Murtagh!" I exclaimed, letting go of the two girls and running to him, but I was grabbed around the waist and lifted off of my feet. "What the hell- Get off of me or ye'll regret it, ye dirty bastard!"
"Help! Help!" I heard one of the girls scream, while the other simply let out a high-pitched yelp. I heard the voices of men speaking very quick French, but I was so focused on Mary and Beth that I didn't stop to listen to them.
"Beth! Mary!" I called to them, feeling myself shoved against a wall.
" Soyez silencieux! " shouted the man who had grabbed me. I heard one of the girls screaming again and the other fought off her attacker.
"A virgin! I have a virgin!" I heard one of the men shout in French.
"You leave her alone! " I hissed at the men, struggling to get my feet free so I could kick the bastard's bollocks right off.
"And another here!" shouted another man in French.
"Don't ye touch me! I'll kill ye, I swear I will!" I heard Beth's brogue shout back at the man.
"No! No, please! Leave them alone!" I cried out, and I heard Mary's high pitched screams and cries. Reaching into the pocket of my pannier, I grasped my hand around my sgian dubh , but the man who was restraining me suddenly gasped.
" La Dame Blanche! " he cried, letting me go. "It is La Dame Blanche! " That particular man ran off, as did a couple of others, including Beth's attacker, but Mary's attacker was in the midst of raping her before my very eyes. I grabbed the man by his queue and yanked him backwards and off of her. While Beth ran to Mary's side, I pulled my sgian dubh out and slashed the man's hand as he fled, leaving a nasty mark that would scar considerably, and watched as he ran off.
Jared's House, Paris, France
JAMIE POV
Where the hell was Catrìona? Fergus had arrived some time ago to tell Jamie that there was an issue with the carriage, and Jamie was about to grab a horse and go to L'Hôpital himself when Magnus appeared in the parlour, where Fergus had informed Jamie of the news.
"Monsieur Fraser, guests have arrived," Magnus said, bowing to Jamie, who let out a huff.
"Och, of course," he muttered. "Do what ye must, I shall come te the foyer in a moment." Magnus agreed and left, and Jamie turned to Fergus. "Go and tell Cailean te get the other carriage te fetch them."
" Oui, Milord," said wee Fergus, who ran off to do as he was told.
"As quickly as ye can!" Jamie called after him, and then he quickly adjusted his waistcoat and checked his hair in a silver plate before going to the foyer to accept his guests. He arrived just in time as Magnus opened the door to admit the first of the guests - the Duke of Sandringham.
"His Grace, the Honourable Clarence Marylebone, the third Duke of Sandringham," Magnus announced.
"Welcome, Yer Grace," Jamie said to Sandringham, who greeted Jamie cheerfully.
"Jamie! How wonderful to see you, and on your birthday, nonetheless!" said Sandringham. "And where is your lovely wife?"
"My wife is… indisposed at the moment, with the lads. Ye ken one of our sons is ill and she has had te… run out te the apothecary fer an emergency," Jamie explained poorly.
"I see," said the Duke, clearly not buying it. The door opened again to admit another young man, this one looking remarkably familiar.
"May I introduce my secretary, Mr. Alex Randall," said Sandringham, and Jamie realised exactly why this man looked so familiar; he had to resist the urge to punch the man in the bollocks.
"Mr. Randall," said Jamie politely, bowing to Alex, who politely bowed back.
"Pleased to meet you, Lord Broch Tuarach," Alex told him kindly. "I am told that you and your wife are acquainted with my brother."
"Indeed," said Jamie.
"Hmm, run along now, Alex, and go and assist the servants," Sandringham told his secretary dismissively.
"Yes, Your Grace, and I shall dine with the butler," said Alex. He bowed again to Jamie and Sandringham, then disappeared.
"Come, Yer Grace, te the parlour fer a fine glass of my cousin's wine," Jamie told the Duke, who was pleased to receive the offer of wine. Magnus entered the parlour shortly to announce the arrival of another guest.
"Mr. Silas Hawkins," Magnus announced as a stout man entered the parlour.
"Mr. Hawkins," said Jamie politely. "Verra pleased te meet ye. Welcome te my home. Ye must be the uncle of Miss Mary Hawkins? My wife is verra fond of the lass."
"Yes, my niece does spend too much time engaging in social activity," said Silas mildly bitterly.
"Aye," said Jamie, unsure of what to say. "Come, have a glass of my cousin's finest wine, imported from Italy." Magnus entered the room again. Christ, was everyone arriving at once? Where was Catrìona, and why did Jamie have to deal with this on his own?
"Charles Gaspard de Bernard, Vicomte de Marigny," Magnus announced as an older man entered the room.
"Lord Broch Tuarach, may I introduce my niece's fiancé, the Vicomte de Marigny?" Silas Hawkins said as the Vicomte entered the room.
"Verra pleased te meet ye, Yer Grace," Jamie said, bowing to the Vicomte de Marigny, who refused to bow back.
" Enchanté, " the older man answered snobbishly. Perhaps fifteen minutes later, Magnus entered again to announce another arrival.
" Monsieur Joseph Pâris Duverney et Madame Élisabeth Duverney, " Magnus announced as Duverney and his wife, a lovely woman significantly younger than Duverney, entered the parlour.
"Monsieur Duverney," Jamie said, greeting the man as he entered.
"Lord Brock Two-rock!" Duverney exclaimed cheerfully. "My wife, Élisabeth."
"A pleasure, Madame, " said Jamie, accepting her hand and kissing it.
" Monsieur Jean Ribes et Madame Anne-Marie Ribes," Magnus announced, drawing Jamie's attention from the Duverneys.
"Do excuse me, Monsieur, Madame, " Jamie said as he went to greet his new guests.
" Monsieur et Madame Leclaire, " Magnus said again, announcing the next guest. Christ, who else was on the guest list? Sometime later, Magnus's voice interrupted the lull of the guests by loudly clearing his throat. "His Royal Highness, Prince Charles Edward Stuart."
" Le prince? " one of the women exclaimed in a whisper as Jamie crossed the room to accept Charles's outstretched hand.
"Yer Highness," he said, kissing Charles's fingers. "Welcome te my home."
"High hopes, James," said Charles exclusively to Jamie, taking note of all the attention on him. "Mark me, tonight could be a turning point for us."
"Aye, I believe it will be," Jamie replied quietly, and then he led Charles to the group that contained both Sandringham and Duverney. "Yer Royal Highness, may I present the Honourable Clarence Marylebone, third Duke of Sandringham, and Monsieur Duverney, Minister of Finance? Yer Grace, Monsieur, may I present His Royal Highness, Prince Charles Edward Stuart?"
" Bonjour, Your Royal Highness," Duverney said to Charles.
"Such a delight to finally meet you," said Sandringham. "I have heard such grand praise of you!"
"The feeling is quite mutual, Your Grace," Charles replied to Sandringham.
" Monsieur Christophe Bessette et Lady Claire Bessette, " Magnus's voice announced. Christ, there were more?
CATRÌONA POV
"Mary!" I called as I ran to Mary once the man had run off. "Mary! Are ye all right?" Poor Mary was in tears, clinging tightly to Beth as she cried.
"The bloody bastard took her maidenhead," Beth told me.
"Poor lass," I said, rubbing Mary's back gently. "We need te get her back te the house so I can examine her. Are ye hurt, Beth?"
"No, he didnae get me," Beth told me.
"Bleedin' Christ!" I heard a male voice exclaim behind me, and I turned to find the fair-haired form of Alasdair Fowlis and his son hovering over Murtagh.
"Mr. Fowlis?" I said, drawing his attention to me.
"Lady Broch Tuarach," he said, abandoning Murtagh's side and rushing to mine. "Are ye all right? What's happened?"
"Kind of ye te play the knight in shinin' armour," I said sarcastically. "We were attacked by masked men. Did ye happen te see them flee? Which direction they went?"
"No, we've only just happened upon ye all," Alasdair told me, looking at Mary. "The wee lass… was she…" I didn't have to answer him verbally, as the look in my eyes was enough. "Come, we must get ye back te yer home-"
"Catrìona!" I heard Cailean's voice call, and I glanced up to see him running from the direction of our street. "What's happened? Are ye hurt?"
"I'm fine!" I hissed. "It isnae me ye bloody wee gabbots should be concerned aboot!"
"Gabbots?" Alasdair asked with surprise.
"What happened?" Cailean asked again.
"They were attacked, by… masked men, ye said?" Alasdair asked, and I nodded.
"Aye, masked men. They spoke rather… eloquently. Not like ye'd expect bandits te speak," I said.
"Or dress," Beth chimed in. "One was wearin' a fine coat embroidered with golden thread."
"Come, your husband will want to hear of this, Mistress Fraser," Alasdair said again, ushering us into his open carriage, where his son had already helped the now awake Murtagh, who had quite a large goose egg forming on his forehead.
"Murtagh," I said as I accepted Alasdair's hand to help me into the carriage. "Are ye all right? Ye gave me quite a fright!"
" Na gabh dragh, " he told me, holding his head as he looked at the horribly frightened and sobbing Mary, who was quivering in Beth's arms. "The lass… she…" I nodded quietly. "The bastards."
"Dinnae fash aboot them now. They're gone," I said, and then turned to Cailean. "Run ahead and alert Jamie."
"Aye," said Cailean, and he ran off as Alasdair climbed back up into the driver's seat of the carriage.
JAMIE POV
" Général D'Arbanville, " Magnus announced another guest.
"General, pleased ye could come," Jamie said to the man, whom he hardly knew other than the few wine deals he had struck with the man.
"I have been looking forward to it," said the General, who was making a beeline for the wine glasses. Jamie was about to follow him when Magnus announced the arrival of another guest.
" Le Marquis de Rohan et Madame Louise de la Tour Marquise de Rohan, " Magnus announced as Louise and Jules de Rohan entered the parlour.
"Madame, Monsieur," Jamie said kindly, greeting the pair of them. "I am verra glad te have ye both here tonight."
"It is special occasion!" Louise said excitedly. "I hear it is ton anniversarie. "
"Aye, I am three and twenty today," said Jamie shyly, but kindly. "Come, I have a verra important guest I should like te introduce ye both to." Jamie led the de Rohans to where Charles was standing, his eyes as wide as dinner plates at the sight of Louise, who pretended not to know him. "Allow me te introduce ye to His Royal Highness, Prince Charles Edward Stuart."
"A pleasure, Your Royal Highness," said Jules obliviously, bowing to Charles, who was staring at Louise with anger in his eyes.
"Indeed," Charles replied sharply, then he changed his tone as he spoke to Jules. "A rare jewel, you have brought." Out of the corner of his eye, Jamie saw movement in the doorframe, and when Jamie turned his attention to it, he saw Cailean, who looked alarmed, waving to him and beckoning him to follow.
"Excuse me a moment," Jamie said to the group, approaching Cailean and ducking into the hall, speaking in a hushed whisper. "What is it? What's happened?"
"Come see fer yerself," Cailean told him, leading Jamie outside onto the street as Alasdair Fowlis's open carriage pulled up to the house, containing his wife, Beth, Miss Hawkins and Murtagh.
"Catrìona!" Jamie exclaimed with alarm, assisting her down and grasping her face in his hands as he examined a bruise forming on her forehead. "What the hell happened?"
"We were attacked," she explained, pulling her face from his hands and turning to look at the sobbing form of young Miss Hawkins.
"Four brigands," Murtagh explained as he assisted Beth and Miss Hawkins down from the carriage. "I did try te fight them off."
"They knocked him unconscious," Catrìona said as she pulled herself from Jamie's arms to speak to Beth. "Take her upstairs te the spare room."
"Yes, Mistress," said Beth. "I'll take her through the back."
"Thank ye, Beth," Catrìona told her as the two young lassies disappeared.
"I found them in an alley no' far from here," Alasdair said as he climbed down from the carriage.
"Thank ye fer seein' my wife home safely," Jamie told him.
"We were all assaulted, but poor Mary… She was raped," Catrìona said, reappearing at Jamie's side.
"Good God," Cailean muttered.
"Let's just get inside, I need te tend te her," Catrìona said, shoving past all the men and approaching the back door, where Beth had brought Miss Hawkins.
"I'll help with entertainin', you go help her," Cailean told Jamie, then he turned to Alasdair and young Archie, Alasdair's son. " Tiugainn, I'll introduce ye myself. The Prince is already here."
"I've been lookin' forward te introducin' him to my son," said Alasdair, and then he turned to Jamie. "If ye need anythin', I'd be glad te help."
"Thank ye kindly," Jamie told him, watching as the men went inside. Murtagh hung back, seemingly ashamed. "What is it, ye dolt?"
"It's my fault," Murtagh said back to him.
"Judgin' by the second head yer growin' out of yer first, I'll say it wasnae," Jamie replied. " Thig a-steach , Catrìona will want te look at tha', I'm sure."
CATRÌONA POV
I climbed the back staircase, which was reserved for the servants, to get to the second floor, where Beth had taken Mary, and grabbed my medical bag from mine and Jamie's bedchamber before going to Mary. Mary was still in tears, so I made her a quick cup of tea laced with laudanum to calm her. "She's hurt, poor lass, but she'll be all right," I told Beth, who was clearly worried sick. A knock sounded at the door, which Beth went to answer while I cleaned up a wound on Mary's head.
"Mary!" said a male voice, and I turned my head to see Alex Randall enter the room. "Is she all right? What's happened?"
"We were attacked in the street," I answered him. "Mary was… She was raped."
"Good God," said Alex with shock.
"She'll be all right. I need te get dressed, I've a dinner te host. Can ye both stay with her? She'll be glad te have ye," I said, addressing both Alex and Beth.
"Of course," Beth said.
"She'll need plenty of quiet and rest," I informed the two of them.
"I'll not leave her side," said Alex.
"If she wakes up, give her some water or tea, and a wee bit of the laudanum. No' too much, or she might have visions," I told them. Another knock at the door sounded, and then Jamie poked his head into the room.
"Everrathing all right?" he asked.
"Yes, everrathing is fine," I said, and then I turned back to Alex and Beth. "I'll leave her in yer hands, then." I nodded to them both, then headed towards the door and went out into the corridor.
"Dinner isnae served, we can still cancel and send everyone home," Jamie told me as he followed me to our bedchamber.
"No need fer that. There's too much at stake tonight, but we should alert the authorities aboot Mary," I told him.
"We cannae do tha', Miss Hawkins's uncle and fiancé are here. If they learn she's been violated, her reputation will be ruined," Jamie told me as we entered our bedchamber.
"Suzette, can ye help me dress?" I called, hearing her ' Oui , Milady' in response. "Times never change, do they? Whether it's 1744 or 2131, if a lass is raped, it's her fault."
"I ken it isnae right, but no man will take her if it's kent she's a maiden no more," said Jamie.
"You took me," I said.
"Not all men will be so proud, but many are," Jamie replied.
"'Not all men'. That argument is timeless," I said somewhat bitterly as Suzette appeared with the dress I was supposed to wear for tonight.
"Are ye sure ye arenae hurt?" Jamie asked me as I slipped out of the dress I was wearing and into the new one.
"I'm fine, Jamie. Ye ken I can handle my own," I replied, standing up as Suzette quickly laced my dress for me.
"I ken, but that doesnae mean I dinnae worry aboot ye," he replied. "I've go' this, Suzette. Just get the hair pins."
" Oui , Milord," said Suzette, doing as she was told as Jamie took over lacing me up.
"Did ye recognise any of them?" he asked me, but I shook my head.
"No, they wore masks, and they were already gone by the time Alasdair Fowlis arrived," I told him.
"I'd lay odds that black-hearted bastard, Saint Germain, was behind this," said Jamie, helping me tuck my stomacher into my laces. Another knock at the door and it was pushed open to reveal Cailean.
"Jamie!" he said, realising that Jamie was with me. "How is she?"
"Able te speak fer herself, thanks," I told my brother as he entered the room.
"I meant Miss Hawkins. You I ken are fine, yer tougher than any man I ken," he told me.
"She'll be all right. She needs a doctor, for certain," I said as Jamie started to undo my hair from the updo it was in as Suzette returned.
"She's got a damn good one right here," Cailean told me, and then he turned to Jamie. "Jamie, we've got some rather unwelcome guests. Or rather, guest, as Comtesse Saint Germain is a verra polite lady."
"Comtesse Saint Germain?" Jamie asked. "Is Saint Germain here?" Cailean nodded. "I've a mind te go out there and cut his head off."
"Do ye think he did this?" Cailean asked him.
"I dinnae ken," Jamie replied. "Why is he here? We didnae invite him."
"The Duke did," Cailean told him. "He said it should be easy te place two more settings at the table." At this, Suzette scoffed.
"Easy for him to say," she said, and I couldn't help but snort.
"Tha' indeed, that bloody self-righteous bastard," I said. "Either way, no one is gettin' their head cut off tonight. Ye both should go, I'll be down as soon as I can."
"I'll let the guests ken yer here," Jamie told me. He bent down to kiss my cheek. "Cover up that bruise on yer head, too. We dinnae want te alarm anyone." With one more kiss, he was gone, leaving Suzette and I alone. She helped me finish my hair and cover the bruise, and before I went downstairs, I put on the protective stone that Master Raymond had given me. With Saint Germain here, Lord knew what could happen. I descended the stairs and met Magnus at the front, who bowed to me and led me to the parlour to announce me.
" Mesdames et messieurs, ta grâce, Voltre Altesse, " Magnus began, but then Jamie took over, grasping my hand and nodding to Magnus.
"May I present my wife, Catrìona Fraser, Lady Broch Tuarach," Jamie said, announcing me to the room.
"It's so wonderful te see ye all," I said to the room. "My sincerest apologies fer my delay, ye must all be famished." Dinner was announced shortly after and everyone began to head to the dining room, but Louise held me back in the parlour just for a moment.
"I've told him," she said to me quietly. "I convinced him that it happened on a drunken night. The baby is his. He was mad with joy."
"Excellent! See? I told ye men arenae as clever as they think," I told her, linking arms with her as we went into the dining room.
"We are fortunate," said Jamie sometime later as dinner was served, "to have His Royal Highness with us from Italy."
"What a resplendent country," Sandringham said from his seat beside Charles. I had occasion to visit last year. My one disappointment was my trip to the Vatican. I had wished to meet Pope Benedict, but he was too busy to see me."
"What is it that popes do anyway?" said Duverney cheerfully. "Does anyone know?"
"I imagine being leader of the Catholic Church keeps him rather occupied," said Charles, who's eyes were constantly on Louise, who sat across from him.
"Indeed," said Sandringham. "Have you met him?"
"On several occasions," Charles answered snobbishly. "He has been exceedingly generous to my family, as have the past four popes."
"I just wanted to ascertain whether the pope is as witty as they say," said Sandringham. "The man is celebrated across Rome for his bon mots. "
"I hear ye've been kent fer tellin' a joke or two, Yer Grace," Alasdair Fowlis said to him from near Jamie's end of the table. "Perhaps ye'd humour us?"
"Oh, well, I really don't… Well, I suppose I have just the one," said Sandringham, and he cleared his throat, turning to Lady Bessette, who sat on his other side. "What did the dwarf say when asked for five shillings? 'Apologies, I'm a trifle short'." The ladies at the table erupted into giggles while the men chuckled. All but Saint Germain, that is. He was also seated near Jamie, and he was staring rather maliciously at me.
"Yer Highness," Cailean said when the laughter died down. "Perhaps we should enlighten His Grace with some of yer plans."
" God's plans? Mark me, Cailean, His are the only plans that matter," Charles replied to him. "It is His plan that I, as His emissary, unite the clans of Scotland and restore a Catholic to the English throne."
"Unitin' the clans of Scotland," I repeated. "Easier said than done. I spent some time with Clan Mackenzie and they were always fightin' with Clan Grant."
"And I stayed with Clan Grant fer some time," Cailean chimed in. "I could say the same, but with Clan Mackenzie." The Scots at the table couldn't stifle their chuckles, but Charles clearly was irritated with this totally true observation.
"Must we talk politics?" Louise said, diffusing the tension. "I believe this day is Monsieur Fraser's day of birth?"
"It is, Madame de Rohan," Jamie replied politely.
"Then we must celebrate! No talk of politics, it is so dreary. What of the opera? Has anyone attended Lully's Acis et Galatée ?" Louise asked.
"Of course we all have!" exclaimed Madame Ribes. "My husband and I found it breathtaking. "
"As did my husband and I," said Lady Bessette. "Are you married, Your Grace?"
"It is a wonderment, but I have not yet found a woman who will put up with me," Sandringham replied.
"Women are indeed fickle creatures," said Duverney, his hand covering his wife's on the table. "Are you not, ma belle agneau? " Madame Duverney gave him a forced smile, but did not reply.
"Jamie did manage to find himself a worthy one, so it is possible," Sandringham said, referring to me.
"I do believe," Saint Germain said rather coldly in French, "that the combination of their respective beauties will result in a child of… unfathomable pulchritude."
" Merci, " I said to Saint Germain, locking eyes with him. "Take one look at my sons and you will see that Le Comte speaks the truth."
"Speaking of children," said Cailean, sensing a perfect opportunity for our plan to begin. "I understand tha' congratulations are in order fer Madame and the Marquis."
"Oh?" Louise said, looking at me and raising an eyebrow.
"Ye'll have te forgive my sister, Madame de Rohan. We are verra close and we gossip like old women," Cailean said to her. "I apologise, I thought tha' it was open news."
"Well… We have not… formally announced it yet," said Louise nervously, looking everywhere but at Charles, who was clearly quickly becoming unhinged. "We are… looking forward to the arrival of a little one."
" Are you indeed?" Charles said firmly and bitterly.
"Indeed, an heir! It is the most incredible news, is it not?" said Jules obliviously, clearly thrilled with the prospect of fatherhood.
"Well, then," said Charles, surprising myself, Cailean and Jamie by composing himself. "I am to congratulate you… Madame de Rohan. I wish you and the Marquis all the happiness in the world." Jamie and I exchanged a glance, both of us thinking the same thing - the plan didn't work.
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness," said Louise, not looking Charles in the eye.
" Santé !" said Duverney cheerfully, raising his glass.
" Santé !" said the rest of the table.
"How remarkably similar the word is te our Gaelic word, ' slàinte' ," Alasdair Fowlis observed. "It carries the same meanin'."
"I have heard that Gaelic does stem from the ancient Gaulish language," I said. "The ancient Gaels did come from the coast of France, migrated te Ireland who eventually carried the language te the Scottish coasts. Have ye heard of the kingdom of Dalriata?"
"I studied that in a book," said young Archie, who was easily twelve or thirteen years old. "Grandsire lent it te me from his personal library."
"Yes, yer grandsire does have a passion fer history," said Alasdair to his son, and then he turned to address the table. "My son's grandsire and my father passed some twenty years ago, but my uncle does adore all of his great nieces and nephews. So much so that they all refer te him as their grandsire."
"And yer father was the Laird of Cìosamul's brother?" Cailean asked Alasdair.
"Aye," Alasdair replied. "I am… yer father's cousin. We were verra close, Archie Fowlis and I. And I to yer Aunt Maisie, as well."
"Maisie? What sort of name is that?" asked Lady Bessette.
"My dear cousin's name," said Alasdair somewhat sharply. "And she has three beautiful children, one of which was named after Yer Royal Highness."
"Is that so? I am flattered," said Charles, still staring at Louise.
"And he's a fine lad. Eighteen, strong, an excellent fisher-" I was quite intrigued to hear about these other ancestors I didn't know I had when Charles suddenly cut him off.
"Of course, the world is not always a happy place," he said very suddenly, silencing the table. "It is quite unpredictable, really. One day, you are happy, and the next… porca miseria. "
"Er… Yer pardon, Yer Highness, but I am in the dark as te yer meanin'," Alasdair said to him, thinking they were still speaking of Maisie's son.
"Yes," said Charles, staring at Louise, who was silently urging him to shut the hell up. "I believe you are a man 'in the dark' indeed." I took a sip from my wine, exchanging a look with my brother and husband. The fun was about to begin.
"That is a beautiful stone you wear around your neck, Madame," said the Comte loudly to me, interrupting the evident squabble that was brewing. Damn it, you bloody bastard, I thought to myself as I set down my glass on the table.
"Oh, it's just a bauble," I said. A scream suddenly echoed through the halls, surprising the guests at the table, followed by a crash in the parlour.
"Mary!" a muffled cry said from the parlour, and Silas Hawkins stood.
"Mary?" he demanded, then looked at me as I stood up quickly.
"Do excuse me," I said, lifting my skirts and quickly rushing into the parlour, finding Alex on top of Mary trying to restrain her while she panicked as Beth standing near the servants' stairs that led into the parlour.
"I did try ye give her the laudanum, I swear! She ran off soon as she saw Alex!" Beth exclaimed to me with worry.
"Get off of me! Get off !" Mary cried.
"Mary, please! I'm not trying to hurt you!" Alex cried. Footsteps echoed off the walls of the hall and Silas Hawkins, followed by the Vicomte de Marigny, Jamie and a few other men, ran into the parlour as Mary freed herself from Alex's grasp.
"Mary?" Silas said once he saw his niece, who was still battered from the attack in the alley, standing in the middle of the room in her shift, and then he trained his attention on Alex, narrowing his eyes. " You! You have ruined my niece!"
"That is my fiancée!" the Vicomte exclaimed loudly in French.
"Mary, go back upstairs with Beth," I said, pushing Beth towards her, who took the hint and calmly took Mary's arm to lead her back upstairs.
"I'll not let this bastard get away with this!" Silas Hawkins exclaimed, pulling out his sword and stepping towards Alex.
"Mr. Hawkins!" I exclaimed.
"I was so looking forward to dessert but I suppose it is getting rather late," I heard Sandringham say, but I was too focused on the fight and destruction that was occurring in my parlour to pay them any heed.
"Stop this! Stop this right now!" I shouted as Cailean jumped in to try and step in front of Alex.
"Out of my way! He ruined my niece!" Silas snapped at Cailean, who refused to budge. Alasdair and Jamie also jumped in to try and stop Silas Hawkins, who turned his sword on the two of them.
"There is no reason te be uncivil!" Jamie snapped at the man.
"Come, Your Highness, you should not be subjected to such intemperance, " I heard what I thought was Saint Germain say to Charles. "Let us depart."
"No!" I exclaimed, but the fight breaking out in the parlour was too loud for them to hear me.
"I regret leaving my friends, James and Cailean, with these ruffians," said Charles, but he ended up leaving with Saint Germain anyway. The fighting continued, and as I shouted to try and break it up, a pounding sounded at the door, revealing French guards who must have been summoned by the noise. They broke up the fight and arrested everyone involved, including Jamie and Cailean, dragging all of them away and leaving me with a rather large mess, a torn up parlour, a ruined dinner and a poor, damaged lass upstairs.
2 May, 1744
I was wide awake on the settee in the parlour, having gone to fetch Archie and carrying him downstairs. He had been woken by the fraucus, while Brian slept like a stone, and I stayed in the parlour with both Fergus and Young Archie, who had been left at my home when his father was arrested. "If yer tired, a leannan, ye can stay in my bedchamber. I certainly willnae be there tonight," I told Archie, but he shook his head.
"I'm all right, Mistress," he said meekly.
"Can I get ye somethin' te drink? Ye must be verra worried aboot yer father," I said, but he shook his head. The three of us sat in silence for a while, with my Archie making the occasional gurgling sound common to an infant. Alasdair's Archie was watching me carefully, then cleared his throat.
"My father says that yer brother looks like his cousin, and the man I'm named fer. He said ye say yer his daughter. Is it true?" the lad asked me.
"Archie Fowlis is my father, aye," I said without having to lie to the lad.
"My father misses him verra much," Young Archie said. "He says they were verra close."
"I was close te my cousins, too. The daughters of my mother's brother," I said. "I can imagine how hard it must have been fer him when my father… disappeared." Young Archie nodded. "Does he… does he ken anything aboot it?"
"Just tha' it happened in Uibhist a Tuath, " said the lad. North Uist. It occurred to me then that there was a stone circle on North Uist - Pobull Fhinn. If Cailean and I were able to travel through the stones… No, that's ridiculous. But was it not ridiculous that Cailean and I had done that very thing? "Ye've a handsome lad," Young Archie said suddenly. "What's his name?"
"Archie," I said. "After his grandsire. Archie Brian James Fowlis Fraser."
"Tha's a good name," Young Archie said. "Mine is Archie Calum Alasdair MacNeil Fowlis."
"Let me guess, named fer yer father, yer grandsire, and… yer mother's maiden name?" I asked, and Young Archie nodded. "Wha's yer mother's name?"
"Orla," said Young Archie. "Are you named fer yer mother, too?"
"Sort of," I replied. "My full name is Catrìona Mairead Alba Muirreach Fowlis Fraser."
"There's a lot of Muirreachs at home on Barra. My Aunt Moire is a Muirreach. She married my Uncle Fionnlagh… She has a brother, who has a verra pretty daughter named Thora. She sings beautifully ."
"Oh, does she now?" I said, raising my eyebrows, and Young Archie blushed.
"Are ye… Are ye named fer Granny Mairead?" Young Archie asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Tha's what my father said," I replied. "He said I was named fer my grandmother, fer Scotland and fer my Mam's maiden name. Her name was Eilidh Muirreach, but she wasnae from Barra. Her father was, but he met my grandmother and ran off te Orkney with her. My… my parents met when my… grandsire came back te Barra." That was kind of true. My grandfather was actually from Barra, and he did run off to Orkney with my Norwegian grandmother. Just… not in this century.
"Is that where Uncle Archie went when he disappeared?" Young Archie asked me.
"No, love," I said. "No, I… I was raised on Barra. My… my parents both and… four of my five brothers were all…"
"Killed by the English. I ken, Da told me," said Young Archie. I nodded gently, then let out a sigh.
"Why don't… Why don't ye tell me aboot yer family a bit? Do ye have any other cousins? Does yer father have any other siblings?" I asked.
"Oh, yes!" Young Archie said. "He has one brother - tha's my Uncle Fionnlagh - and a sister, my Aunt Beathag. Uncle Fionnlagh had my cousin Fionnlagh, who we call Fionn, and my cousin Mary. They're both verra young. And my Aunt Beathag and Uncle Raibbie had my cousins, Uilleam and Iagan. They're MacDonalds and they don't live on Barra, they live on Eriskay."
"MacDonalds on MacDonald land, makes sense," I said, teasing the lad a little. "Yer father said my Aunt Maisie had three children. What are their names?"
"Oh, Aunt Maisie? She married Uncle Peadar - he's a MacBean who was a sailor that came from… Inverness, I think? Or near it. I dinnae ken. But they have three children, Cousin Beitiris who looks just like Aunt Maisie, Cousin Seàrlas and Cousin Liùsaidh," said Young Archie. "Cousin Liùsaidh is verra pretty, too, but not as pretty as Thora." At this, I chuckled lightly.
"Is tha' so?" I asked him, and he nodded.
"Ye said ye had other brothers? What were their names? What were they like?" Young Archie asked me, and I couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"We were all verra young when it happened… I was fifteen, Cailean was thirteen… Cailean had a twin brother named Calum, whom I presume was named after yer grandsire. I also had a brother named Alasdair. Da said he named him after his cousin, and it's nice te meet my brother's namesake. After Alasdair came Uilleam, and I'm no' sure who he's named after, and my youngest brother was Iain, named fer me grandsire. Iain would have been a little younger than you," I told him.
"I think Da mentioned a friend he used te have named Uilleam," said Young Archie, who stifled a yawn. "Da also had an aunt named Sorcha who died last year, she had Da's cousins, Hamish and Ealasaid, and they had my other cousins, Hamish, Donald and Beth. They're nice, too, but I dinnae see them a lot. Aunt Sorcha married a MacDonald and moved te Skye. They came fer the gatherin' a few years ago, before Aunt Sorcha died." He tried to stifle another yawn, then couldn't help but stretch.
"Tired now, are we?" I asked him, and he nodded. I glanced over at Fergus, who sat on my other side and was already fast asleep on the settee beside me. On my lap, my Archie laid against my chest and slept peacefully. "Go ahead and lay yer head down, I'm sure yer father will be here soon. He did nothin' wrong, so they'll no' hold him long."
"What aboot Cousin Jamie? And Cousin Cailean?" asked Young Archie. It touched my heart a little that this young lad thought of me as his cousin, and therefore Jamie as well, and I reached up a hand to brush a gingery blonde strand of hair from his face.
"They'll be all right, too," I said. We sat that way for several hours, the lads all sleeping peacefully and I dozing here and there, always waking up at the slightest sound. The hours ticked away, reminding me that Jamie and Cailean weren't there and were probably being held up in some stone cell. It worried me, even though I knew they were both innocent. They had to be released, but poor Alex… He was innocent, too, but he was the one caught in a rather compromising position with Mary. Would he be arrested? Would he be sent to the Bastille?
Sometime later, as I was drifting off into sleep as dawn began to break, I heard footsteps in the hall, and I lifted my head to see Cailean, Jamie and Alasdair Fowlis enter the room. "Have ye sat up all night, then?" Jamie asked me, approaching me quietly, so as not to disturb the lads, and I nodded.
"These two fell asleep hours ago and I didnae want te disturb them," I said, and then I glanced up at Alasdair. "Yer lad's verra kind, and he was worried sick aboot ye."
"Thank ye fer carin' fer him," Alasdair said, then bent down to gently shake his son's shoulder. "Come on, lad, it's time te go." Young Archie stirred and opened his pale blue eyes, stretching and yawning as he woke.
"Da?" he muttered sleepily, and Alasdair stood and lifted his sleepy son into his arms, still able to carry the lad, even though he was nearly full grown.
"I'll get ye back home," he said, and then he nodded to Jamie. "I'll see ye soon, man. Thank ye fer vouchin' fer me."
"Of course. Yer family," Jamie told him, gently touching his shoulder.
"Goodnight to ye both," Alasdair said, and then he nodded to Cailean as well before leaving the room.
"Suppose I'll take this laddie te bed," said Cailean, bending down to pick up a sleeping Fergus. "Come on, lad."
"Ye did well, guardin' yer mistress," Jamie said, ruffling the sleepy Fergus's hair, earning a small and sleepy groan, and Cailean left the room carrying Fergus. "Why don't I take this wee lad te bed and you summon Suzette te help ye get out of that dress?"
"Sounds good te me," I said, allowing Jamie to take his sleeping son from my arms. He kissed Archie's bright red curls and then helped me to stand, then I kissed Jamie's shoulder before he left to carry Archie to the nursery. Once I was undressed and in my shift, wrapped tightly in my Fowlis tartan, I heard Jamie open the door and let out a tired sigh.
"Duverney arrived and ordered the Captain of the Guard te release us at once, but he could only vouch fer myself and Cailean. I had te vouch fer Silas Hawkins and Alasdair, and we were let go," he told me.
"It's fortunate te have friends in high places," I said, combing out my hair with my fingers as I sat on the bed.
"Aye, it does," he said. "Have ye checked on Murtagh?"
"Sent him te bed with some hot tea and a cool compress. He'll be fine, once the swelling goes down. Maybe a bit of concussion, but that'll remedy itself soon," I told him.
"And what aboot you? Are you all right?"
"Fine, now that yer home," I told him with a smile. "What aboot Alex? He's innocent, ye ken. He wasnae even there."
"I ken," Jamie replied. "Silas claims he saw Alex attack his niece, so his release will… require word from the lass herself."
"He came te Mary's aid. He and Mary care fer each other deeply. He's certainly no' his brother. Can't the Duke vouch fer him?"
"Sandringham will let Alex rot before liftin' a finger te help the lad. His secretary's been publicly disgraced, and he's already sent a dispatch te the Bastille releasin' Alex from his service."
"The selfish bastard," I said bitterly. "Hopefully, he'll see Charles fer the imbecile that he is. That'll at least be somethin' gone right tonight."
"Oh, I think he does," Jamie told me. "I dinnae ken if ye were watchin' him, but I was, and I believe that the Duke sees Charles fer the bad investment that he is."
"Unfortunately, I believe Charles left with Saint Germain. I cannae be certain, but I thought I heard them speakin' durin' the fight," I said with a heavy sigh. "No good can come from that pairing."
"When Murtagh is better, I'll send him te follow Saint Germain, see if there's anythin' amiss. And if Saint German is responsible fer the attack… we'll find out," said Jamie. "Can ye remember any more aboot it?"
"I was more focused on everraone else rather than what was happenin' te me," I said. "I do recall they spoke French like aristocrats and wore fine clothes and shoes. Beth said the man who was attacking her wore a coat with gold embroidery."
"How did ye escape?"
"It's sort of silly, actually. They mistook me fer some… mystical being called La Dame Blanche. I asked Fergus earlier and he said it was some sort of sorceress nonsense."
" La Dame Blanche? " Jamie repeated, the term looking familiar to him.
"Have ye heard of it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Aye, I have," he said. "Er… Some time ago, I was at Maison Elise and… Charles was pushin' more trollops into my lap. I didnae want te appear unmanly te him, so I… might have mentioned tha'… I was married te La Dame Blanche. " At this, I changed my expression to one of incredulity.
"So callin' yer wife a witch was yer best idea?" I asked. "After everrathing that happened at Cranesmuir, ye thought callin' me a witch was a good idea?"
"There was a fair amount of drinkin' involved," said Jamie bashfully.
"Well, how many people heard ye?" I demanded, standing up.
"Only a few, but given the circumstances, I guess it was a good bit of gossip te share," he told me. "Which means… These assailants must be customers at Maison Elise… Aye… And if we find them, they may lead us te Saint Germain! Heaven help the bastard if he's responsible fer this." I relaxed a little, then let out a sigh.
"Heaven help us ," I said. "It's been a long night fer us all…"
"Aye, and all I want," said Jamie, approaching me and pulling me into his arms, turning me around and kissing my cheek, "is fer you te lie in my arms." I couldn't help but smile as I placed my hands over his.
" La Dame Blanche, " I muttered to myself, and he chuckled as he kissed my cheek. "Ye owe me fer tha'."
"And I will pay my dues gladly," said Jamie, releasing me and picking me up in his arms, carrying me to the bed and laying me down on it. "My beautiful wife… my White Lady… Ye've cast yer spell over me and made me yer servant. Allow me te serve ye well…" He crawled on top of me and began to kiss my neck, setting the mood for a very passionate morning.
The day was effective in achieving what we had originally sought to achieve, but we now had new obstacles in our path. Who were these assailants? What connection would form between Saint Germain and Charles? What would that connection lead to? We now had a new mystery to solve, and a new obstacle to overcome.