Featured Gaelic and Pronunciations:
- Chattan (pronounced 'hattan') - a larger clan made up of the smaller clans of MacBean, MacPhearson, Davidson, Gillespie, Keith, Smith, MacIntosh, Farquharson, MacGlashan, MacHardie, MacQueen, Noble, MacTavish and Shaw*
- Ban-draoidh (bahn drooy) - sorceress
- Connlach (koh-lohk) - straw
- Caisteal Dhuni (kat-steel dooh-nee) - Castle Dounie (Clan Fraser war cry)
*Original clans in Clan Chattan (descendants of the "blood") included MacBean, MacPhearson and MacPhail. The other clans were either of Clan Mackintosh or joined later. My family descends from both Clan MacBean (paternally) and Clan Murray of Atholl (maternally).
26 July, 1745
Lallybroch, The Highlands, Scotland
There was no time to waste, we had to leave. With Charles on Scottish soil, it was only a matter of time before the English came to Lallybroch looking for Jamie and Cailean, so we had to leave to meet Charles at his camp, which was outside of—
"Prestonpans. It's maybe a week's journey by foot, maybe more, which we will be with yer men. We'll have te go at their pace," Cailean was telling Jamie.
"Tha's in the lowlands, aye?" Jamie asked him.
"Sor' of," Cailean replied.
"It's west of Edinburgh," I replied.
"Will tha' give ye time te go te Beauly?" Cailean asked Jamie.
"We dinnae have a choice. I'll only spare thirty of my own men," Jamie told him.
"They're in the study," I heard Jenny's voice say, and a series of footsteps drew our attention to the door as Murtagh stood in the doorframe.
"Look wha' the cat dragged in!" Cailean exclaimed, and Murtagh sent him a glare. "Ah, I missed that filthy look on yer face."
"Ye have a list of names, Jamie?" Murtagh asked, ignoring Cailean completely.
"Workin' on it," he said as he scribbled some names on a list.
"What if ye added Daniel Wallace and Duncan MacLennan? They're both able-bodied and sure," I said.
"Aye, good thinkin', mo nighean, " Jamie replied as he scribbled the names onto the list. "Murtagh, I'll need ye te bring the men te Kingussie with Cailean. Catrìona and I will go te Beauly, meet ye at Kingussie in two weeks and we'll go together te meet Clan Chattan at Crieff before marchin' on te Prestonpans."
"What'll we be doin' in Beauly, exactly?" I asked him curiously as Jenny came into the study with a hot pot of tea and teacups.
"Charles has enlisted me te ask fer men and support from our kinsman, Lord Simon Fraser of Lovat," Jamie told me, and Jenny seemed to freeze in place.
"Yer goin' te see Lord Lovat? And ask him fer a favour? Are ye mad , Jamie?" she said with exasperation.
"Ask him te help preserve his country," Jamie said as he went to the mantle of the fireplace, where a decanter of whisky was sitting. "And help restore the rightful king te the throne."
"He does have a history of supportin' the Jacobites, ye ken, lass," Murtagh told her, but Jenny seemed to ignore him and acted as if Jamie had said that.
"Oh, aye, and the English and anyone else that will help him line his pockets and claim the title of Chief of Clan Fraser of Lovat," she said, her hands on her hips disapprovingly.
"A position he is entitled to and has held fer over twenty years - nearly as long as ye've been alive if not more, mind you," Jamie told her as he poured himself a dram of whisky, and Jenny stormed over to him.
"Yer defendin' the auld buzzard now? Father must be birlin' in his grave!" she exclaimed as Jamie downed his glass of whisky.
"Who's Lord Lovat to ye?" I asked in an attempt to diffuse the tension between the two siblings.
"Our grandsire," both Jamie and Jenny said at the same time, surprising me a little. We studied Simon Fraser, Lord of Lovat, in school, but I never would have thought the Fraser clan chief nicknamed the Auld Fox would have been Jamie's grandsire.
"Who we've laid on but once in our lives, when he came te visit just after our mother died," Jenny said in a scolding tone, turning to Jamie.
"Beats us. Cat and I have never seen our grandsire," Cailean told them, but they ignored him.
"Da threw him out before he could cross the threshold," Jamie reminded her. "We were verra young, only… Eight and ten?"
"Why'd he do that?" I couldn't help but ask, taking the seat that Jamie had just vacated.
"He tried te have our mother kidnapped and taken te the Monarch Isles in order te prevent our father from marryin' her," Jamie replied.
"There was some bad blood between Lovat and the Mackenzies," Murtagh explained.
"Sounds a bit of a mess. I'm sure Charles is unaware of this situation?" I asked Jamie.
"I didnae mention it," Jamie replied, picking up the decanter to pour himself another glass of whisky, but Jenny grabbed it from him.
"'Tis not only degradin' fer ye te crawl te that man fer help, it's a fool's errand!" she snapped. "The auld fox does nothin' tha's not in his best interest, and never without a price."
"No, what would be foolish , Janet, would be te let pride stand in the way of doin' whatever I can te save Lallybroch, Scotland, my family, and everrathing we hold dear," Jamie hissed, snatching the decanter back from her.
"Oh, Janet, now, am I?" Jenny asked him in a mocking tone.
"All right, enough , both of ye," I said.
"We leave fer Beaufort Castle tomorrow mornin'," Jamie told Jenny as he poured another glass of whisky, downed it, and stormed out of the study.
That evening, as I finished packing away a few things in a small trunk not only for myself, but for Archie as well, Jamie entered the room, something clearly on his mind. "Have ye got anythin' te pack away, mo ghràidh ? This'll fit yer things as well as mine and Archie's," I said to him as he eyed me curiously.
"No, I'm travellin' light," he replied. "What are ye doin', packin' all of tha'?"
"We'll be gone fer months, and if this all ends at Culloden, tha' means we'll be out fer the winter," I said. "It's no' just an extra dress and shift fer me, it's also a tent, some extra pots and pans, tankards, anythin' we could use while travellin'. And it is light."
"It doesnae look it," Jamie said as he eyed the small trunk curiously. "Set tha' aside fer a second, I… I need te discuss somethin' with ye."
"Oh? And wha's that?" I asked, standing back up and sitting down on the bed to look at him. He was silent for a moment, seemingly finding whatever it was he had to say difficult. "Jamie?"
"I… I havenae been completely honest with ye… aboot my family," he said, and I raised my eyebrow.
"What, have ye got a secret brother or somethin'?" I asked, teasing him, but he evidently took this news as very serious.
"No, it's… it's my father," Jamie replied. "He was a bastard. Acknowledged by his father, Lord Lovat, but a bastard nonetheless."
"Oh," I said, truly not bothered in the slightest. "And yer grandmother?"
"Lord Lovat's kitchen maid," Jamie replied. "I should've told ye before we wed. I'm sorry. It was cowardly of me." He turned away from me, his head drooping down in shame.
"Jamie," I said, standing up and approaching him. "Ye must ken that yer father's parentage makes no difference te me." He picked up his head to look at me and I drew him in for a kiss.
"Well, it should," he said, meeting my eyes.
"Well, it doesnae," I replied. "Come on, let's go to bed, aye? We've an early start tomorrow." He nodded, then I took his hand and led him to bed.
Later that same evening, I awoke to find that Jamie had left the bed at some point in the middle of the night. A little surprised, I stood and wrapped myself up in my Fowlis tartan, then left the room in search of him. I heard a low voice coming from the parlour, so I quietly crept my way over to the banister and looked down over the side to see Jamie on the couch holding Archie on his lap and speaking to him in Gaelic.
"…want to do all that I can to protect you and your mother, keep you both safe," he was saying to Archie, who didn't seem to really be paying attention. "If I cannot protect you, then I am not worthy of being your father. I was not worthy of being your brother's father. I want to do right by you." I smiled as I watched the pair of them, a father holding his son on his lap, Archie watching the flames of the fire, Jamie with his eyes trained on his son.
"The lad couldnae sleep," Jenny said quietly beside me, startling me. "Neither could Jamie. He thought he could keep him company so he didnae wake the others. And he's tryin' te get back on my good side."
"Oh? And did it work?" I asked quietly, and Jenny chuckled lightly.
"It's a start," she said as the two of us looked down at Jamie again. Archie had now slipped down from his lap and was sitting on the rug, Jamie watching him proudly. "Ye can talk te a weeun in a way ye cannae talk te anyone else. Ye can pour yer heart out te them without choosin' yer words or holdin' anything back."
"Aye, I ken. I've had a few words with the lads myself," I said. "I used te stay up all hours of the night holdin' Brian, makin' sure he was still breathin'. I'd speak te him fer hours, sing te him… And that'll be the memories that stay with me. He was too young fer anythin' else, and too sick."
"It's the way we talk te them before they're born," Jenny told me. "It's a comfort te the soul." We paused for a moment, watching Jamie mutter quietly to his son. He was sitting on the floor now and Archie had toddled over to him, leaning against his chest while Jamie hugged him, kissed his sweet little curls and whispered into his ear. "The man has te wait until the child's born, and then they might hold their bairn and feel all the things that might be and all the things that might never be…"
"And weep, no' kennin' which will come te pass," I finished. We stood in silence for several moments as we watched the sweet moment between a father and his son.
"I'd like Jamie te take Ian," Jenny said suddenly after a moment.
"Jenny…"
"I ken his limitations. He's good on a horse. I just… I need a man who kens he's a man. Sometimes, I think Ian fergets tha' because of his leg."
"I dinnae think that's true," I said. "And besides, Jamie would never allow Ian te come. No' because of his leg, but because he'd want Ian te take care of ye and the bairns, and te protect Lallybroch."
"Will ye ask him?" Jenny asked. "Please, at least just ask him."
"They've already discussed it," I told her. "Ian agrees with Jamie." Jenny let out a heavy sigh.
"Stubborn men," she said. "Both of 'em. Ian has always guarded Jamie's right and now Jamie expects him te stay behind?"
"Ian is guarding his right. He's guardin' Jamie's right te a living family and a home that isnae burned te the ground by the English," I told her. "There's more than one kind of 'right' at stake."
27 July, 1745
As we were packing to leave, Ian and Jenny came to bid us farewell. Jamie and Cailean loaded up the small trunk, which was relatively light, onto the mule's back while I said my goodbyes to the brother and sister I had come to love as if they were blood. "Take care of yer Fraser," Ian told me with a chuckle, and I couldn't help but share it. He gave Archie's hair a light ruffle. " Both of them."
"Aye, and you yers," I said, smiling at Jenny. I held Archie in my arms, who was fast asleep on my shoulder. Hopefully, he would stay that way for some time, or the journey to Beaufort Castle might be a bit rough. Once the mule was packed, Jamie and Cailean joined us to say their goodbyes, and Jenny grasped Jamie's hand and placed a rosary bead into his hands.
"Here, take this. It brought Ian back te me from France," she said to him.
"Ye gave Ian a token when we went te France and no' me?" Jamie asked his sister, feigning offence. "And him no' even yer betrothed at the time. I'm yer brother!"
"Dinnae make me regret givin' it to ye now," Jenny warned him, and then she pulled her brother into a tight hug. "If ye dinnae come back, brother, I'll never forgive ye."
"'Never' is a long time," Jamie said, teasing her, and he kissed her dark hair. Jenny then broke the hug with her brother and turned to me, pulling me into her tight embrace.
"And you , sister… Bring him home te me. Keep him in one piece," she said.
"I'll do my best," I replied as I hugged her back. While we were distracted, Fergus took the chance to slip past us at some point and saddle up the small horse he'd ridden on to Lallybroch the year before, but not without escaping Cailean's notice.
"Oi! Ye wee bawbag! Where do you think yer goin'?" Cailean asked him.
"With Milord!" Fergus exclaimed.
"Ye willnae! Yer too young te fight, laddie," Jamie said, approaching Fergus and holding out a hand for the reins of the horse, but Fergus wouldn't hand them over.
"You are taking Archie," Fergus told him.
"Archie needs me still, and I'll no' be fightin' on the battlefield. I'll be behind the lines providin' medical care," I told him.
"Come, laddie. Ye'll bide here with us," Ian called to him.
"Ye can help Rabbie in the stables until we return," Cailean told him, but Fergus was resistant.
"No. I belong with Milord and Milady," Fergus told him, and then he looked at me. "Is that not what you told me, Milady? That I will always have a home with you?"
"Well, yes, but fer a time, we willnae have a home, either. We'll be out in the highlands travellin'," I told him, shifting Archie just a little with hopes of not waking him.
"He's right," Jamie said to me. "His place isnae here without us nor in France on his own." Jamie glanced up at the gates as Murtagh appeared, the men that Jamie had selected from among his tenants behind him. "Excellent timing! Murtagh, bring Fergus with ye when ye leave fer Kingussie."
"I'll do what ?" Murtagh asked him. "The wee bawbag?"
"At least tha's somethin' Cailean and Murtagh agree on," I said to Jenny quietly, sharing a chuckle with her.
"Aye, the wee bawbag," Jamie repeated. "He'll be safest with you, fer now, but he's coming with us." Murtagh sent a glare at Fergus, who stuck his tongue out at him.
"If I havenae killed him first," Murtagh replied.
"Jamie, are ye sure aboot this?" I asked him.
"Dinnae fash, mo nighean . We'll keep him well away from battle. Besides, someone will need te keep Archie occupied while yer tendin' te the wounded," Jamie replied, covering my hand on his arm with his, and then he looked at Fergus. "The outcome is in yer hands, laddie. A good soldier must learn te obey his commandin' officer, as well as his general."
"Tha' means listen te Murtagh and I, ye wee shite," Cailean said, ruffling Fergus's brown curls, and then he picked up the short lad and set him on top of his horse. "Best we be off te beat sunset."
"Be careful," I said, closing the distance between the two of us and hugging my brother. "Same threat goes te you, only I'll be less kind aboot it. The last time we went into battle together, I didnae see ye fer two years."
"Dinnae fash, mo phuithar , I'll keep myself intact," he said, kissing the top of my head. "And I promise I'll stay away from stone circles," he whispered to me. He then climbed up on top of his horse and nodded to Jamie. "See ye in Kingussie." He gave his horse a soft kick, urging it forward, and then we watched as he, Murtagh, Fergus and the rest of the Lallybroch men departed.
"Take care of each other, and of my nephew," Jenny said, watching as Jamie took Archie from me so I could climb onto the horse and accepted him back. "And watch out fer my grandsire."
"I'll do my best. If I can outsmart Randall a few times, I think I'll be able te keep the Fox off of my back," I said, adjusting Archie to sit a bit more comfortably. By this point, he'd woken up, but rested sleepily against my chest as he sucked his thumb. I brushed my fingers through his curls and bent forward to kiss his head, then looked to my husband, who was on his horse and ready to go. We nodded to each other, and then we, too, were off, destined for Beaufort Castle.
4 August, 1745
Beaufort Castle, Beauly, Scotland
"Lord Lovat was loyal te both King James and the Hanoverians," Jamie was explaining as we sat beneath a tree. We had paused just before entering Beaufort Castle when Archie started fussing, so I hopped off of my horse and sat down to feed him. "He was the younger son of my great grandsire, Thomas Fraser, 10th Lord Lovat, but his aulder brother died of wounds in the Battle of Killiecrankie."
"Killiecrankie," I repeated. "Aye, I ken all aboot tha'." Killiecrankie was one of a series of battles in the first Jacobite uprising in 1689 after King James II and VII was sent into exile for his Catholic beliefs.
"Aye, tha' battle made my grandsire heir te the seat of Lord Lovat," Jamie replied. "He saw Clan Mackenzie as a threat te his inheritance."
"Ah, tha' must be the feud between the clans," I replied.
"Aye, it is," said Jamie. "He went te Edinburgh te recruit an army of, accordin' te my father, three hundred men in the service of King William III and Queen Mary II. Then there was Clan Murray of Atholl wantin' te marry one of their own te the heir of Lord Saltoun, another Fraser lordship. My grandsire kidnapped the heir and threatened te hang him if he didnae agree te not marry the lass. Murray of Atholl then said he was comittin' an act of violence against the Crown or rebellion, and Lovat forcefully married his first wife and the mother of the lass, Amelia Murray."
"Blessed Bride. Sounds like a romantic soul," I couldn't help but say, and Jamie chuckled.
"The Murrays were enraged and Lovat acted like it was… as yer brother would say, a 'prank'. They separated and he married twice after tha' without even divorcin' her."
"An arse and a polygamist."
"Aye, then there was some violence, and my grandsire and his father ended up in Skye, with the MacLeods and Thomas Fraser died there with a price on his head. The auld buzzard managed te get a pardon the followin' year but got outlawed again fer no' answerin' charges brought on by the Murrays fer the rape and abduction of Amelia. Then the daughter of the 9th Lord Lovat, Hugh Fraser - a cousin, I think, of my grandsire - married one of the Mackenzies, which made tha' Mackenzie a Fraser. They lived in Castle Dounie - which is Beaufort Castle - and Lovat left Britain fer the Stuarts' court in France."
"And there's another cause fer the dislike of the Mackenzies. But what aboot yer Da?" I asked him.
"He was already born and livin' at Beaufort Castle but no one kent he was the illegitimate son of Simon Fraser," Jamie answered. "At one point, he was tryin' te wheedle his way into the good graces of King James and visited Scotland te report back aboot Jacobite sympathies, but failed to and was imprisoned fer a number of years. Before and during the '15, Fraser clansmen were tryin' te bring him back. Clan Mackenzie declared support fer the Stuarts…"
"And I'll bet that connivin' auld dickhead declared support of the new regime," I said, and Jamie chuckled.
"Tha' he did," he replied. "He got a full pardon and claimed his title as the 11th Lord Lovat. He forcibly married another lass, too - his current wife, whom he married two years ago."
"Sounds like a nice guy," I said sarcastically, earning a chuckle from Jamie, who then peeked at Archie, who was still suckling my breast.
"The lad can eat," he said with amusement. "He'll grow up big and strong."
"We can hope. I am concerned because he was born two months early, but he didnae seem te have any complications," I said as I ran my fingers through Archie's hair. I grimaced slightly when I felt his little teeth bite down on my nipple. "Easy, my lamb. Ye've got sharp wee teeth!" Jamie chuckled.
"It warms my heart te see ye feed my bairn from yer breest," he said to me, and I gave him a gentle smile.
"I certainly wouldnae want anyone else's bairn at my breest," I replied. When he finally let go after a few more minutes, I wiped his face clean and readjusted my dress to cover my breast - much to Jamie's disappointment - and then we were back on our way. When we'd arrived, we were informed that Lord Lovat was occupied and were told to wait in the parlour.
"No surprise," Jamie muttered bitterly.
"Perhaps he's seein' someone," I replied. We waited for probably two hours, Archie fussing every so often - once, I had to leave to change his nappy - and eventually resorted to sitting down until we heard footsteps. "Perhaps I should have freshened up a bit when I went te change Archie," I muttered to Jamie as I glanced at my reflection in a reflective silver clock.
"Dinnae fash, mo ghràidh , ye look verra bonny," Jamie told me as he brushed a red curl out of my face. "Although, ye've got a few tassel heads in yer hair…"
"Leave them," a booming, but familiar voice said as Jamie tried to pick one out, surprising us both. What surprised us even more was who the voice belonged to. "They suit her," said Colum Mackenzie, still looking exactly as I had last seen him with his bowed legs, although he looked perhaps thinner and a bit paler.
"Colum!" Jamie exclaimed with surprise.
"Long time, no see," I said, adjusting Archie on my hip.
"I see ye've been blessed with a lad," said Colum when he noticed Archie, who quickly turned his head away from his great uncle.
"Our son, Archie," Jamie replied. "What are ye doin' here?"
"I'm here te discuss a response te the rebellion with Lord Lovat, as I assume you are," Colum replied.
"War makes strange bedfellows," Jamie told him.
"I arrived this morning. I saw ye enter through the courtyard window," Colum said to us after a moment.
"And ye were meetin' with Lord Lovat fer the last two hours?" I asked him.
"Not quite, Lady Broch Tuarach," said Colum, somewhat spitefully. "I'm pleased te see that yer well."
"Ye'll have te pardon me fer findin' that hard te believe," I told him, and he raised an eyebrow at me. "The with trial. In Cranesmuir. Do ye no' recall?"
"Ah, aye. Ye seem te be implyin' that ye believe me te have somethin' te do with your involvement in that," Colum replied curiously. "It is my impression that ye were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Tha' would be convenient, wouldnae it?" I asked him. "I suppose I would say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, thanks te a message from yer kitchen maid, Laoghaire Mackenzie, who just happened te ken the exact time and place of the arrest."
"Laoghaire?" Jamie asked, and I recalled that I hadn't told him about Laoghaire's involvement in my being arrested for witchcraft.
"Later," I told him.
"Aye, Miss Mackenzie. It was a gross overstepping of her place, for which I had her beaten," Colum told me.
"And tha's supposed te make me feel better?" I asked him. "Beatin' a lass?"
"I would have gladly had her thrown out of Leoch, but her grandmother persuaded me that she could keep the girl check," Colum replied, leaning heavily on his staff.
"Is Dougal with ye?" Jamie asked, changing the tide of the conversation.
"It became clear te me that it was best fer the clan that my brother remain at his own estate," said Colum.
"I can imagine he'd want te lead Clan Mackenzie in fightin' fer King James, but… you've other feelings, dinnae ye?" I asked him.
"I've forgotten how curiously intuitive yer mind is, lass," Colum told me. A servant then entered the room, bowing to all three of us.
"Lord Lovat will see you now, Laird Broch Tuarach," said the servant.
"If ye'll excuse us, Colum," Jamie said to his uncle, who stepped aside as Jamie led me past him and followed the servant to Lord Lovat's study. Jamie and I exchanged a quick glance, and I adjusted Archie one final time on my hip before the pair of us entered the study. Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was seated at his desk looking as much like a frog as he did a fox. He set eyes on his grandson first, then his attention shifted to me, his eyes clearly resting on my Fowlis of Barra tartan.
"So I see the rumours are true," said Lord Lovat. "The grandson of Lord Simon Fraser of Lovat has bound himself te a Fowlis of Barra. What a darin' man ye are, and a damned fool, just like his father."
"How verra polite," I said without thinking, causing Jamie to glance quickly at me with alarm in his eyes.
"She speaks with fire! How very true to Fowlis of Barra," said Lord Lovat.
"Have ye qualms with my family?" I asked him.
"With the Laird of Cìosamul, aye," Lord Lovat answered, standing up to approach the pair of us. "A man who ignored my call for help when I needed it. And there I was, a fool fer thinkin' us allies."
"My grandsire or his father?" I asked.
"Eairdsidh Ruadh Fowlis," answered Lord Lovat. "He was new te the Lairdship, and I expected him te honour the friendship between Clan Fraser of Lovat and Clan Fowlis of Barra, but he did not ."
"Cannae blame him. My grandsire kens hoorse shite when he smells it," I said.
"Catrìona!" Jamie hissed, but Lord Lovat simply smirked with amusement.
"Perhaps ye arenae a fool after all, mac mo mhic ," Lord Lovat said to Jamie. "Still, I wouldnae expect a boy to have more sense choosing a wife than the bastard who made him."
"Yer one te-" I began to say, but Jamie cut me off by speaking over me.
"At least I had no need te take a wife by means of trickery," he said to Lord Lovat, who cackled in response.
"No' as serious as yer father. Good," Lord Lovat said, sitting down. "And what is that thing ?"
"This 'thing' is yer great grandson, ye daft piece of shite," I snapped, tightening my grip on Archie, but Lord Lovat only smirked at me.
"Enough breath wasted on a woman. Leave us, it is time to talk politics with my grandson and my rival," said Lord Lovat, waving away a hand to dismiss me. "Richards, fetch The Mackenzie." Jamie gave me a look that warned me not to challenge Lovat anymore, and with a bitter glare sent towards Lovat, I stalked out of his study. I went straight up to the room that we were given to stay in, and upon entering, I was shocked to see another familiar face that I never expected to see here.
"Laoghaire?" I exclaimed, evidently surprising the young girl, who was adjusting our bedsheets.
"Mistress Fraser," she said, no malice in her eyes, which made me suspicious. "Did the Laird not tell ye I'd come with him?"
"Er… no," I said, holding Archie even closer to my chest.
"My grandmother sent me along te do his washin' and help out wherever I'm needed," Laoghaire replied, seemingly almost friendly. "I'm glad te find ye here."
"Why?" I asked her with suspicion.
"I wanted tell ye… I've changed," she said, surprising me a little. "I am sorry beyond measure fer the horrible wrong I did to ye, and te yer bairn. Is that Jamie's son?"
"What would lead ye te think any different?" I asked, unsure if this was simply masked hostility or genuine sincerity.
"Oh, nothin', Mistress. He does look so much like Jamie," she said, trying to approach, but I pulled him away. "I suppose I deserve that. My grandmother has made me see I cannae be right with God until I make amends fer the pain my evil actions have caused."
"God?" I asked her incredulously. "Ye speak of God ?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again. "Look, Laoghaire. I never wanted ye te be beaten fer what ye've done. I'm no' a vengeful woman, though I would feel no remorse if a pyre was ever lighted beneath yer feet. But if ye want te get right with God, ye'll have te find another way. Ye put not only my life at risk, but that of my child, and fer that, I cannae fergive ye."
"I… I understand, Mistress," said Laoghaire, bending her head in shame. "Would ye… Would ye perhaps speak te Jamie fer me? I wish te apologise fer my actions te him, too."
"I think ye'll find he's even less fergivin' than I am," I said, and then I stepped aside to clear the doorway. "On ye get, and dinnae come back here. Tell the servants we'd rather take a dirty bed than yer hands on them."
"Yes, Mistress," said Laoghaire, and she curtsied to me one final time before disappearing into the corridor.
"Aye, yer right. Ye are more fergivin' than I am," Jamie said to me when we were cleaning up before dinner. "I wouldnae have given the brazen besom the time of day."
"I didnae have a choice, really. She cornered me in my own room," I said as I pulled on fresh stockings.
"Ye didnae tell me she was responsible fer ye gettin' tried as a witch," Jamie replied, and I let out a sigh.
"It doesnae matter now, does it? It was two years ago," I told him.
"Ye dinnae hold grudges?" he asked, sitting down beside me on the bed.
"On people like her? Nah. On people like Randall and maybe yer grandsire? Now yer talkin' aboot an entirely different entity," I told him. "So, dinner. Will I be allowed te join ye tonight?"
"Oh, aye. My grandsire's no' opposed te a bit of decoration at the dinner table, so long as that decoration doesnae speak," he answered, and I scoffed.
"He'll be in fer a surprise if he insults you or Archie one more bloody time," I told him, standing up. Together, we went down to dinner, with Lord Lovat at the head of the table and his son, Young Simon, Master of Lovat, sitting by his side. Compared to his father, he was very young, so his most recent wife must have been of childbearing age.
"Everra man here kens tha' te most English, all Highlanders, no matter their allegiance, are the same… savage dogs meant te be put down than let live," Jamie was saying, evidently still trying to convince his grandfather to join the side of the rebellion.
"And after three uprisings, the British army will be more motivated te put us down fer good," Colum responded back.
"So we must do what it takes te save our clans, our country, our verra way of life! We must band together under the true king, King James," Jamie said, directing his reasoning to Lord Lovat. "We must fight, and we must win."
"We're verra fortunate te have such a close confidant of the prince among us. Isn't that so, Lovat?" Colum asked Lord Lovat, who seemed to be enjoying the bickering.
"We're lucky te have someone te give their view from inside of this holy rebellion," Jamie said back to him.
"Aye, but I dinnae ken how holy it is," said Lord Lovat with amusement.
"Tell us, Nephew. How much support have the French agreed te give?" Colum asked Jamie.
"The French have already supported us, Uncle, by engagin' the English army in Flanders, reducin' the amount of troops remaining here at home," Jamie replied. I had to fight back an impatient huff - I so badly wanted to put all of them in their place, but I didn't want to embarrass Jamie, either. "The prince is certain tha' the French will want te press the advantage and send men and artillery te support the Jacobites."
"Ah, so the French havenae committed yet te Prince Charles?" Colum observed.
"Always an unreliable ally, the French," Lovat chimed in, reminding me very annoyingly of Sandringham.
"We'll welcome the French support when it comes, but we dinnae need it. The Jacobite army is already a thousand men strong in Crieff. The Stewarts, the Camerons, the smaller clans of Clan Chattan, all of them are waitin' fer us te march on Prestonpans, where the MacDonalds, the Grants and more are waitin'. And more are joinin' everra day," Jamie told him firmly.
"Meanwhile, the English army remains on the continent lickin' their wounds," I chimed in, silencing the whole room. "God forbid a woman have a voice," I said irritably.
"Catrìona," Jamie told me with a warning tone.
"Hmph," I said, not looking at Lord Lovat, who seemed a little pissed off that I'd spoken out.
"I… I heard the English have offered thirty thousand pounds fer the capture of Prince Charles," Young Simon suddenly said, drawing the attention off of me and back to him.
"Meaning what?" Colum asked the young lad.
"Meanin' the English see Prince Charles as a real threat," Jamie told him, and then he looked back at Young Simon. "Will ye join us then, cousin?"
"Perhaps the British know, as the rest of us do, how many cullions there are amongst the Campbells and the Camerons - men that would sell their own grandmothers fer half that amount," Lord Lovat chimed in with his bitter, nasty tone. "For thirty thousand pounds, the British could end this rebellion before it even starts, a fair sight less than it would cost them to wage a war."
"I… I hadn't considered that…" Young Simon murmured meekly.
"Then shut yer mouth, ye measly-mouthed wee smout, and dinnae speak again until ye've considered what yer about te say," Lord Lovat snapped at his son, and then he poked his finger in my direction. "And you dinnae speak at all." A female servant came to the table to pour wine into Colum's now empty goblet. "More wine here, my lovely, and a glass of milk for my boy." There was a chuckle among some of Lovat's men that were dining with us, one of them giving me a really nasty look. What sort of people came to live on Lovat's land?
Later on that evening, we were back in our bedchamber. I was feeding Archie again while Jamie was undressing for the night. "Thanks fer lettin' yer ratchet piece of hoorse shite grandsire speak te me like that," I said to my husband, who paused as he undressed.
"I told ye he wouldnae like ye speakin'," Jamie replied.
"Ye defend me from anyone else who speaks te me like that, but not yer own bloody grandsire?" I demanded of him.
"'Anyone else' is not a clan chief, Catrìona. I need te be on my grandsire's good side te get his support, and I need yer help with that. Just do as I say, and we'll be out of here as soon as we can," he replied, resuming undressing himself.
"'Just do as I say'," I mimicked. "It might no' matter anyway, Colum verra much was tryin' te use ye te convince him not te join the rebellion."
"I ken. The first Jacobite rebellions failed and Colum will never support another. He's a verra clever man. He wants Lovat's clan te stay neutral with the Mackenzies. He kens the smaller clans will follow and the rebellion will collapse before it even gets started."
"And he doesnae trust Colum, does he?"
"No' a bit," Jamie replied, pulling off his breeks and tossing them aside.
"Tha's somethin' we have in common," I muttered quietly, brushing a curl out of Archie's face. Jamie sat on the bed beside me, smiling down at his young son as he suckled my breast.
"Usin' me is an effective strategy. I'll have te speak te Lovat alone," he said. He took my shoulders and pulled me back against his chest, holding me against him while I held Archie in my arms.
"It's a pity his son is so spineless," I said, accepting a kiss from him on my cheek. "I believe he could influence his father's decision if he chose te show support fer our side but Lovat has nothin' but contempt fer the lad."
"Lovat's just tryin' te toughen him up, make him a viable successor te lead Clan Fraser of Lovat," Jamie replied, brushing my hair behind my ear so he could kiss my face.
"He had the perfect chance te say no tonight te us, but he didnae," I said. "I think he wants somethin' in exchange."
"Most likely," Jamie said. "But nevermind aboot him tonight. I dinnae care a bit fer the auld buzzard, but you …" He let one hand slide down into my shift, pulling it down off of my shoulder and exposing my other breast.
"Jamie, I've got Archie," I said.
"He's seen yer breests many times!" Jamie exclaimed, cupping my breast with his hand.
"Aye, and he uses them fer food. Ye use them fer stress balls," I told him, confusing him.
"Stress balls?" he asked me, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Can I at least finish feedin' him? Once I've done and put him te bed, ye can fondle them all ye like," I told him.
"It's no' just yer breests I want te fondle," he replied, letting his hand fall even lower to hint to me exactly what part of me he wanted to fondle. I hoped Archie would finish eating quickly.
5 August, 1745
JAMIE POV
Speaking to his grandsire was not something Jamie was looking forward to, but nonetheless, it was necessary. Leaving Catrìona with Archie in their bedchamber, Jamie went to Lovat's study, demanding to be seen - and was admitted, surprisingly. "My grandson," said Lord Lovat, seeming to fake pride, but Jamie wasn't falling for that. "Ah, I'll wager yer father painted a black portrait of my character."
"He didnae say much aboot ye at all," Jamie replied honestly. "History does all the paintin' fer ye."
"Did your wife tell you to say that?" asked Lovat menacingly. "I hear she's quite the handful, and you arenae skilled at controlling her."
"My wife is a Fowlis of Barra. There is no controllin' them," Jamie replied.
"Hmph," said Lovat. "Yer father chose that Mackenzie whore over me."
"I'll ask ye te keep a civil tongue when ye speak of my mother," Jamie snapped at the man.
"Over me, his father , twice!" Lovat snapped back, as if he hadn't even heard Jamie speak. "Yer a father, lad. How would you feel if yer son married the daughter of yer sworn enemy? Of, oh, who was it? Ah, yes. Randall. " Jamie could feel a fire beginning in his gut to boil his blood, but he had to smother that flame quickly. 'Dinnae let that bastard get te ye' he heard Catrìona say inside of his head. "The first time was when I told him not te marry her."
"And yer kidnappin' failed," Jamie reminded him.
"And the second time, when she was dead and buried," Lovat finished. "I was willing te forgive him. I would have even made him my successor, despite him bein' a bastard, but he chose her memory and that place… Lallybroch … over me." He paused as he stared maliciously at his grandson. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Jamie asked him.
"That ye've no' pledged yer fealty te Colum Mackenzie?" Lovat asked, and Jamie's eyebrows raised. Ah, so the old bastard was after something.
"Tha's what yer after, then? My fealty te you in exchange fer sendin' aid te Prince Charles?" Jamie asked him, and Lovat cackled.
"To be honest, I am more interested in what goes with it," Lovat confessed.
"My estate? What need have ye of Lallybroch? The tenants' rent would make no difference te this place, no' te mention it is quite out of the way," Jamie observed, but that seemed to annoy Lovat.
"What I do with that damnable place would be no concern of yers," Lovat snapped at him. "I'm yer grandsire and head of yer clan, after all. I demand my dues." 'Dinnae let him bully ye,' Catrìona's voice inside of Jamie's head said.
"If I wouldnae give my pledge te Colum, who I ken te be kin, then what sort of fool would I be te give it to and auld twister tha' may or may no' be my blood?" Jamie asked him, and Lovat cackled yet again.
"Christ, laddie! Implyin' yer grandmother's a whore te keep what ye want? Did yer wife teach ye that one?" Lovat asked through his cackles.
"She didnae, actually, but I ken ye made free with yer housemaids, and perhaps others did, too," Jamie replied. "And besides, I pledged fealty te my wife." Lovat cackled again.
"Oh, yer my kin, all right. Losin' yer head te a damn woman! But still being so spitefully clever. Would that my son had half yer mettle…" Lovat said as his laughter died down.
"I'll give ye the same pledge I gave Colum - my help and goodwill, my obedience te yer word, so long as my feet rest on Lovat soil," Jamie told him as calmly as he could muster, but he really wanted to strangle the beast to death.
"Did ye not hear me, lad? It's yer father's precious estate I'm after!" Lovat exclaimed. "If ye'll no' give me Lallybroch in exchange fer men fer the Bonny Prince, how about this? Lallybroch fer yer wife's honour?" Lovat cackled again at his own joke, but Jamie stood calmly, amused at the foolishness of the Auld Fox.
"Go ahead. Try te ravish my wife. Ye ken where she comes from. I'll send in the maid te sweep up yer remains when she's finished," Jamie said with pride, but Lovat only cackled - annoyingly - yet again.
"Not I , laddie. I would never stick my cock in the cunny of a Fowlis of Barra, though I've taken pleasure with worse. Yer grandmother comes te mind," said Lovat rather evilly. Jamie had never met his grandmother, but hearing Lovat speak so cruelly of her made him want to stab him through the eye with his dirk. "There are, however, many men in Beaufort Castle who'd be of mind te put yer foul, traitorous wench te the only use she's good for. Ye cannae guard her day and night."
"Grandsire, allow me to tell ye how we met," Jamie replied. "It was in Inverness. I was returnin' from France when we'd run into an English brigade. My wife was in those same woods, and when we ran into each other… she had an arrow pointed at my throat." At this, Lovat seemed to actually raise his eyebrows. "Ye see, my wife is an excellent shot with a bow. She claims she can count the number of times she's missed on one hand."
"Because she can only count that high, ye daft lovesick fool," Lovat spat back, but Jamie only chuckled.
"My point is, I dinnae need te worry fer her. My wife's a rare woman - a wise woman… A ban-draoidh ," Jamie told him, and this seemed to alarm Lovat.
"A witch ? What the hell are ye doin', bringin' a witch into my home?" Lovat demanded.
"My wife stays with me. I advise ye no' to upset her. The man that takes her in unholy embrace will have his privates blasted like a frost bitten apple and his soul will burn forever in Hell. Just ask Jack Randall," Jamie told him.
CATRÌONA POV
"Ye told him that I'm a witch ? Have ye learned nothin' from all the shit that accusation has earned us?" I demanded when he told me about his conversation with his grandsire.
"Actually, people thinkin' yer a witch has proved awfully beneficial, I'd say," Jamie replied. "The masked men didnae rape ye because they thought they'd be cursed. The king of France even used yer skill. My grandsire has a great respect fer the supernatural, and by respect, I mean scairt. But ye should take care the next few days if I'm no' here."
"Ye'd better not leave me here alone with that slimy auld bastard, nor yer son! If ye leave this castle, Archie and I leave with ye," I said definitively.
"Still, be mindful of yer surroundin's, mo nighean . I cannae be by yer side at all hours of the day."
"Are ye fergettin' I'm a skilled commandin' officer in my time?"
"But we arenae in yer time. I did tell him ye were good with a bow, but I dinnae ken if that frightened him enough," Jamie replied.
"He truly is a damn brute isnae he?" I asked, glancing over at the side room that was attached to our bedchamber, where Archie was currently napping.
"Aye, a brute that may soon own my ancestral home," Jamie replied with concern.
"Ye cannae seriously be considerin' givin' him Lallybroch?" I asked him.
"The prince will hardly put much stock in my abilities te lead men or wage war if I cannae even persuade my own grandsire te support our cause, will he?" Jamie replied, and he let out a heavy sigh. "I dinnae ken what else I'm supposed te do." It was my turn to sigh, because as soon as Jamie mentioned giving up Lallybroch, an idea had sprung to mind, and it involved the spineless Young Simon and a bargain I didn't exactly want to make.
"I have an idea," I said, causing him to turn and look at me curiously. "Just a thought, and I dinnae like it one bit, but… an idea nonetheless."
I made my way to the courtyard, where the servants were doing the washing. I went over the plan in my head carefully - offer the bargain, be direct, leave no room for interpretation. I could do this, even if a part of me wanted to throttle the lass. As I crossed the courtyard, I acquired my target in sight - Laoghaire was bent over a washing bin scrubbing a white shirt clean. As I got closer, I realised that it was one of Jamie's shirts; I could tell by a subtle blood stain by the collar. I watched as she let out a sigh, then picked up the shirt, wrung it out, and… gave it a sniff? I cleared my throat, startling Laoghaire and causing her to turn. "Is tha' Jamie's shirt?" I asked her, causing alarm in her eyes.
"I wasnae doin' anything with it!" she said defensively.
"I didnae say ye did," I told her, casually taking the shirt from her and examining it. "A fightin' man always has bloodstains on his shirt, aye?" She nodded quickly, watching as I hung the shirt to dry. "I've a proposition fer ye - a bargain, if ye will." This made her raise an eyebrow.
"Aye?" she asked.
"Aye," I replied. "Ye want Jamie te forgive ye, no?"
"I do! I asked God fer forgiveness and thought that my crossin' paths with ye both was His way of offerin' tha', but when Jamie passed me in the hall, he… he didnae even see me," Laoghaire told me, clearly bothered by this fact.
"It's as I said, he isnae as quickly te forgive as I am, but… I may be able te persuade him." At this, her eyebrows rose and she immediately perked up.
"Ye can?" she asked.
"Aye, in return fer somethin'," I said. "I'll have ye ken, I dinnae like this one bit, but it's been made clear I've no other choice but te do this." That suddenly made her suspicious.
"What are ye askin' of me?"
"We need Lord Lovat te send his men and weapons te fight fer Prince Charles, but he's bein' a stubborn arse," I began, and at this, Laoghaire's eyes widened.
"I'll no' do that! Are ye mad?" Laoghaire exclaimed.
" Ist , ye besom! Calm down! Ye didnae let me finish!" I told her. "I'm not askin' ye te give up yer maidenhead te bloody Lord Lovat! I'd never ask that of me worst enemy! However, Jamie and I believe tha' if his son, Simon, stood up te him and agreed te support Jamie, Lord Lovat might agree."
"Aye? And what's that te do with me?" Laoghaire asked me.
"Young Simon, from what I've heard from the giggling servants, is infatuated with ye," I said, and that seemed to alarm her again. "Ye dinnae have te give up yer maidenhead. There's more a woman can offer than her body te a man. Her mind, fer one, a heart, even… approval. Recognition of a heroic act. If ye could use Young Simon's infatuation with ye te persuade him, I'll ask Jamie te forgive ye."
"Ye promise?" she asked me.
"Aye, I promise, but I cannae guarantee that he will, Laoghaire. I've no control over his mind, whether ye believe that or not," I told her. She agreed, and later that day, we put the plan in action. I asked Young Simon if he could accompany me to the chapel with Archie under the guise of the pair of us wanting to say a prayer for Brian, which earned his immediate sympathy, and conveniently met Laoghaire on the way. I took Archie for a 'private moment' in the chapel while Laoghaire engaged Young Simon, but was surprised to find that I was actually not alone. "Oh! Forgive me, I didnae ken this chapel was occupied," I said to the dark-haired, olive-skinned woman, who was startled when I entered.
"Oh, I dinnae mind," the woman told me meekly.
"My name's Catrìona Fraser, and this is my son, Archie," I said to her.
"Maisri," she replied, glancing at me curiously. "They say you are a ban-draoidh ."
"So they do," I replied.
"Is it true?"
"Yer wonderin' what I'm doin' in a church, aye? I get tha' a lot," I said with a subtle chuckle.
"I receive the same. Lord Lovat's tenants dinnae like someone like me in the house of God," said Maisri, and this sparked my curiosity.
"Someone like you?" I asked.
"I am a seer," she replied. "This is the only place where my mind goes quiet."
"I suppose I feel that way, too, sometimes," I said back to her, sitting down in one of the pews with Archie on my lap, but he wiggled free to crawl under one of the pews. "But I'm no' a seer, of course."
"No… but ye do ken," said Maisri suddenly. "Ye ken what is te come." I was silent as I stared at her, wondering how she could have known, then supposed that, perhaps, she really was a seer.
"Lord Lovat has a thing fer the supernatural. Have ye seen him?" I asked her curiously.
"Oh aye, his Lordship isnae an easy master," Maisri replied, glancing down to watch Archie giggle and run between the pews. "He asks what I see and beats me when I tell him things that displease him."
"Oh? Do these things always always come te pass?" I asked her.
"Mostly, aye, though they can be changed through actions," Maisri answered. "When I still lived in the village, I saw Lachlan Gibbons's daughter's man wrapped in seaweed with eels stirrin' beneath his shirt. I told him what I'd seen, and he went straight te the lad's boat and stove a hole in it. Lord, there was a stramash… But when the storm came the next week, three men were drowned, but that lad was safe at home, still mendin' his boat."
"Tha's fascinating," I told her. "If ye dinnae mind me askin'… What have ye seen of Lord Lovat?" At this question, she seemed mildly alarmed. "Oh, dinnae fash, I'll no' utter a word te him. He willnae even give the chance."
"Well… He was s-standin' there afore the fire in his study, but it was daylight. There was a man stood behind him, tall as a tree - almost like you , but it was surely a man - and his face was covered in black. And across his Lordship's face, there fell the shadow of an ax," Maisri explained, and I nodded, knowing exactly what it was she was speaking of. "You ken of what I speak?"
"Er… Somethin' like tha'," I said somewhat nervously. I knew that Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, was beheaded at the Tower of London after Culloden.
"Mistress Fraser, are ye there?" I heard Laoghaire's voice, and this seemed to stop Archie in his tracks, his little head staring curiously at the door.
"Just a moment, Laoghaire," I called, and then I turned back to Maisri. "Sometimes, it's best te let history run its course," I told her, and then I turned and picked up Archie, heading to the chapel door and exiting to find Laoghaire outside of it alone. "Where's Master Lovat?"
"Ran off like a feart wee mouse," said Laoghaire. "I flattered him, told him how much I admired a man who made decisions and thought fer himself. I even gave him a keek down the front of my dress."
"And I thought ye werenae aboot sex," I said. "No wonder he ran off, he's the kind of lad who's frightened of a pair of breests."
"I'll thank ye not te judge me," Laoghaire said firmly.
"I'm no' judgin' ye. As a woman meself, I've found that usin' the assets we're given has helped me in a number of situations. Use them te yer advantage," I told her as we began to head back to the castle.
"Does this mean ye willnae speak te Jamie fer me?" the foolish thing asked me.
"Ye held up yer end of the bargain. We cannae control Young Simon, no more than I can control Jamie. I'll speak te him, but remember that I cannae force him te change his mind," I reminded her. The pair of us parted in the courtyard, Laoghaire going inside and I wondering where I might find Jamie - the stables, of course. Where else? Shifting Archie on my hip, I went to the stables, and sure enough, Jamie was there, sitting down in the straw. He looked up when he saw me, and I let Archie down to run to his father.
" Halò, mo ghille ruadh ," he said to his son, who crawled onto his lap to hug him.
"Da!" Archie exclaimed, grabbing at a piece of straw in his hair.
"Do ye ken what tha' is, laddie?" Jamie asked his son. "It's straw . Can ye say tha' fer yer Da? Straw ."
"Staw!" little Archie squeaked, and Jamie chuckled.
"Close enough," he said.
"I thought I'd find ye here," I said as I sat down beside him, leaning my head on his shoulder as he shifted his arm to wrap it around me.
"More and more these days, I think I'd prefer te be a beast than a man," he replied, kissing the top of my head.
"No luck with Colum?" I asked. His part of the plan was to try and speak to Colum, and Jamie let out a sigh.
"He told me not te trade my home fer a war I cannae win, told me I've always been headstrong, but never reckless with the lives of others, thinks we'll be left alone if the rebellion is allowed te… fizzle out, as ye say… And I promised him I'd do what I must te save the things that he and I both hold dear," he told me.
"He didnae budge?" I asked, and he shook his head.
"What aboot Young Simon?" he asked me.
"Laoghaire let him look down her dress and he fled," I said, and that made Jamie laugh.
"She hasnae changed, as she says. Must I still speak te her?" he asked.
"I told her yer forgiveness wasnae a guarantee, only that I'd speak te ye," I answered.
"Good," Jamie replied as Archie waved the piece of straw in his face. "Aye, connlach ," he told Archie, pushing the piece of straw away from his eyes.
"I spoke te a seer," I told him suddenly. "She saw Lord Lovat's death at the mercy of an ax."
"A traitor's death?" Jamie asked, and I nodded. "She didnae mention if the executioner was in the employ of Geordie or James?"
"Well, history says the executioner was Geordie's," I told him. "As fer now, well… Truth te be told, I'm no' convinced that there's anythin' we can do te change the outcome." Jamie let out another sigh, then fended off another incoming attack from Archie and his piece of straw.
"I promised Colum I'd do what I had te do te save the Highlanders, and if tha' means givin' up Lallybroch…"
" No ," I said firmly. "No, Jamie. It's too much. We'll go with the men from Lallybroch and tell Charles te go and kiss up te Lovat himself."
"I cannae go te the prince a failure, Catrìona. It seems that I cannae get the men from Lovat without givin' him my land, so unless ye plan on declarin' yerself a visitor from the future and describin' what'll come if we dinnae fight and win, then I dinnae see much choice," he told me.
"Maybe I dinnae have te declare myself a visitor from the future, but there is somethin' else I can do," I said, suddenly getting another idea.
"Aye?" asked Jamie, and I got up onto my knees and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips.
"Tomorrow, Lovat decides, aye? Well, I'll have my plan in motion by then," I told him, pulling myself to stand.
"Do ye plan on includin' me in on this?" Jamie asked, setting Archie on the ground so he, too, could stand.
"Nope. I need ye as surprised as everraone else," I told him. Grasping the front of his shirt, I pulled him towards me to kiss him again, and then I was off. I needed to figure out how to make a pair of gloves spontaneously catch fire.
6 August, 1745
JAMIE POV
"I have had my secretary prepare a neutrality pact between the Frasers of Lovat and the Mackenzies of Leoch," Jamie's grandsire announced to the room, which was full of men, including Jamie, Colum, Young Simon and even Catrìona, who stood faithfully by his side. He wanted to hold her hand for support, but she refused to let him, leading Jamie to wonder what on Earth she was planning. "I have also had him prepare a deed of sasine for Lallybroch estate, assigning the property to me ." Lovat then looked at Jamie, who took his cue and approached Lord Lovat. "Sign it, and ye'll have yer men fer King James. Don't sigh it, and I'll agree te neutrality with Mackenzie. Which will it be?" Jamie didn't give him a direct answer, but instead, stood over the two documents before him. A small part of him was tempted to grab the neutrality pact, tear it up and toss it in the fire…
"Ye'll let this boy decide the fate of Clan Lovat? He's not even yer recognised heir!" Colum exclaimed from the side of the room.
"I have made my decision," Lovat told him firmly, and then he looked at Jamie. "This boy is but an obstacle in my way. What will it be, obstacle ?"
"Dinnae be a fool, Jamie," Colum said again as Jamie picked up the quill.
"I do this te ensure the future of my family and my people," Jamie said. Any time now, Catrìona…
"Stop," her voice came from the back of the room, causing everyone to freeze in place and turn their attention to her.
"Be quiet, you foolish woman," Lovat hissed at her.
"I think ye'll find that demandin' my silence has rarely worked in the past," I told him. "Ye ken what yer doin', aye? It's the same thing my ancestor did te Donald, Lord of the Isles, in 1411 when he fought fer the Earldom of Ross in the Battle of Harlaw. Clan Fowlis owned Barra whether he won or no', and yer doin' just the same."
"I said be quiet ," Lovat hissed at her.
"Catrìona," Jamie said as she approached the center of the room.
"We have tried te reason with ye. Have tried te convince ye without bringin' ye alarm, but now, ye've left me no choice," she said. Suddenly, she pulled a long stick from inside of her sleeve and held it up for all to see. "I bring ye a flame of truth. This flame will answer any question ye have, though I advise ye te wait fer my vision te appear."
"Catrìona!" Jamie called again.
"Leave her be," Lovat hissed at him, clearly entranced by whatever show Catrìona was putting on.
"Dinnae give me orders aboot my own wife!" Jamie snapped, running to Catrìona's side as she did some strange movement and collapsed onto the ground.
"Oh, Cerridwen! Goddess of the dark prophetic powers! I beg thee to show me a vision of what is yet to come! Morrígan, goddess of war and of fate, speak to me of doom that is to come! I beseech thee, show me the way!" Catrìona cried out, reaching up to the heavens and reciting something in, if Jamie could guess, Welsh.
"What do ye see?" Lovat demanded, and Catrìona collapsed then, seemingly unconscious. Jamie knelt over her to see if she was all right, and she opened one eye to reassure him before closing it again. "What did she see? Wake her!"
"I can't!" Jamie exclaimed, playing along with his wife's charade. "I cannae wake her when she is like this. She is havin' her vision. They come te her in dreams." It seemed that Catrìona wanted to put Lovat on edge, for she spent several minutes in an 'unconscious' state before finally stirring.
"She awakens! Force her te tell me what she sees!" Lovat snapped.
"Do ye no' see this fer the pretence that it is?" Colum shouted at him. "She was tried fer witchcraft by those that dinnae understand the difference between black magic and the power of the auld ones!"
"It is not often that she has these visions. Ye simply didnae see when she had one," Jamie told his uncle as Catrìona 'woke'. "It nearly scared the breeks off o' me the first time I saw this."
"And ye didnae have her tried fer witchcraft, aye?" Colum asked his nephew suspiciously.
"I love my wife verra much. I would never be the one te send her te the pyre," Jamie replied, helping his wife to sit back up. "Are ye all right, mo ghràidh ?"
"What did you see, witch?" Lovat demanded of her.
"Patience is a virtue that ye dinnae have, though I certainly wouldnae call ye a virtuous man," Catrìona replied, faking fatigue. "Help me te stand." Jamie helped her to stand, avoiding her hands as she closed her fists, and Catrìona pulled out her stick again. "I saw you - Simon Fraser, Lord of Lovat - standin' in bright sunlight. Behind ye stood a man cloaked in black… and the shadow of an ax crossed yer face." There were a few gasps from the room, and Lovat's eyes were wide with fear. "Now… I shall light this stick, and with this stick, I will hold fire in my hand. You will ask yer question pertainin' te yer fate… and Cerridwen will provide the answer." She crossed the room to a lit candle and stuck the end of her stick into it, producing a small flame, then she returned to the center of the room. "Choose yer fate. If yer chosen path leads te success, the flame will turn blue. But if yer chosen path leads te failure… the flame will turn red." She met Lovat's eyes, a malicious look in them. "Now, choose yer fate, Simon Fraser, Lord of Lovat."
"I choose Lallybroch in exchange fer men, and if I cannae have it, I will declare neutrality," Lovat told her firmly.
"You stand still and firm as stone. The mountain doesnae bow down te the wind, and so, yer fate is chosen. Cerridwen, hear my prayers, answer my call. What will be the fate of Simon Fraser, Lord of Lovat's chosen path?" Catrìona said. Jamie watched as she slowly lowered the flame into her outstretched hand, and along with everyone else in the room, gasped with surprise, mixed with fright and terror, when suddenly, a flame erupted in Catrìona's flame - a flame as bright red as the very hair on her head. "And so Cerridwen has spoken… The shadow of the ax shall cross yer face as the hour of yer death approaches."
"Who's man? Who's executioner?" Lovat demanded. "King James or King George?"
"Cerridwen didnae say when I consulted with her. Ah, but yes… there were… roses… white roses," Catrìona replied.
"The symbol of the Jacobites!" one of Lovat's men shouted.
"Witch! I'll cut out yer tongue!" Lord Lovat exclaimed, and all of a sudden, Young Simon leapt onto Lovat's desk.
" Stop! " he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"How dare ye thwart me, boy?" Lovat demanded from his son.
"You and Mackenzie are fearful auld men, and yer wrong!" Young Simon shouted at his father, and then he looked at Jamie. "And my cousin is right! It is our duty te stand up fer our country and our kinsmen." He then turned to face his father, who seemed shocked that Young Simon was saying such things. "I will fight fer King James… and I'll fight te change the sorceress's vision, even if ye willnae."
"How very bold of ye," said Lovat calmly, then he faced Jamie. "But my decision hasnae been changed. The Frasers of Lovat will stand with the Mackenzies of Leoch and will remain neutral in the war."
"Get me some water te put this flame out, please," Catrìona whispered to Jamie, who fetched her the glass and doused the flames.
"I wish ye luck, my boy," said Lord Lovat to Young Simon with amusement. "Come, Mackenzie, let us drink te our newly formed alliance." Definitely disappointed, Young Simon climbed down from the desk and approached his cousin.
"I'm sorry I couldnae convince him," Young Simon said.
"Dinnae fash, lad. Ye did well. I'm proud te be yer kinsman," Jamie told his cousin. "I'll be proud te fight by yer side. We'll wait fer ye outside of the gate, I fear I need te get my wife out of this place."
"I dinnae blame ye," said Young Simon, glancing somewhat nervously at Catrìona. "Thank ye, Mistress. I only wish my father would have seen reason."
"You do, and yer the future of this clan," She told him. The two of them quickly dashed up to our bedchamber to collect their things and their son and were out of doors before they were even noticed.
"What the hell was that?" Jamie asked his wife as they packed up the horses.
"A wee magic show," she replied. "I kent what he was goin' te say, so I made a plan te word everrathing te work out in my favour. What I'd have done had he changed his mind, though… Anyway, I had an auld torch I had on me when I came through the stones. The lithium batteries were long dead - er, these wee tubes with a metal in them that creates electricity - so I broke it open and used the lithium te create the red flame. Lithium, when lit, creates a red flame."
"How'd ye manage te hold it?" Jamie asked her, helping her up onto the horse and then handing her Archie.
"A magician never reveals her secrets," she told him teasingly, bending down to kiss him. He then climbed on his own horse, and the two of them left Beaufort Castle and set up camp not too far in the woods.
7 August, 1745
CATRÌONA POV
The pair of us had left Beaufort Castle with Young Simon and a small number of men, mostly lads around Young Simon's age, that had pledged their loyalty to the young Master of Lovat. "So we go te the prince empty-handed, but at least we saved Lallybroch," Jamie said to me quietly.
"Thank Christ fer that," I told him, kissing the top of Archie's head as he slept peacefully against my chest. "Archie willnae lose his home."
"And he'll one day be the Laird of Broch Tuarach himself," Jamie said proudly as he glanced at his sleeping son.
"He truly is a handsome lad," said Young Simon to his cousin. "He looks verra much like ye, Jamie."
"Yer father cannae say he's not Jamie's son, tha's fer sure," I said with a chuckle.
"Oi!" we heard one of the men behind us say, and Jamie, Young Simon and I all turned to see what it was the man was shouting about, finding an army of bedraggled Scots flying the flag of… of Fraser of Lovat?
"Is tha'…" I began to say.
"My father's men!" Young Simon exclaimed. Jamie and I exchanged a glance as Young Simon went to meet the army, and Jamie and I followed shortly behind. Upon our arrival, we were shocked to see Lord Lovat himself leading the men. "Father?"
"Dinnae sit there gaping at me, ye glaiket sumph!" Lord Lovat said to his son gruffly, then waved to the men behind him. "Go see te yer men!" Taking the hint, Young Simon kicked off to see to the men, leaving Jamie and I behind with Lord Lovat.
"Changed yer mind, did ye?" Jamie asked his grandsire.
"No, but turnin' that one into a soldier will be a greater feat than beatin' the British!" Lovat exclaimed with a cackle. "What visions have ye fer me now, witch?"
"Nothing at present, but it doesnae take a seer te ken what yer doin'," I told him. "Now it'll seem tha' ye've sent yer son te fight fer the Jacobites and if they win, ye'll be credited with support, but if they lose, yer neutrality pact with Clan Mackenzie will protect ye from the English, aye?"
"A wise woman ye are indeed," said Lovat. "They cannae execute me fer treason now!"
"What will ye say aboot yer son fightin' fer the Jacobites, Grandsire?" Jamie asked him.
"He's his own man, that one," Lovat replied. "Ye saw it yerself last night. Persuaded others te follow." He then looked at me. "I thank ye, sorceress, and thank yer gods fer me, too. I couldnae have got it all without ye."
"But ye havenae got Lallybroch," I reminded him.
"Not yet, aye! And take care of my great grandson. I never thought I'd live te see the day my great grandson walked this Earth," said Lovat, and he turned his horse to leave.
"Hopefully he doesnae stick around long enough fer his great great grandson," I said once he was out of earshot.
"Please tell me I'm nothin' like him, Eileanach ," Jamie said to me as he watched his grandsire ride away.
"Sorry te say I've seen a similarly devious turn of mind, in Paris," I teased him, and he glanced at me out of the side of his eye.
"I may have te rethink our agreement not te lie te each other," he said, earning a laugh from me.
"Well, what are we waitin' fer? We've got te be in Kingussie by the end of the week, aye?" I asked.
"Tha' we do," Jamie replied, and then he turned his horse to face the men and his cousin - who actually was his uncle biologically - and raised his fist in the air. " Caisteal Dhuni!"