A/N: This chapter was borne of me asking myself 'when did Jamie find out that Claire had not left?' and 'when did he first see her after?'
….oOo….
Murtagh Fitzgibbons walked out of the castle with a smile on his face. His godson was in love, and he was pleased that the object of the young man's affection was a bold lass of exceptional character. She may have been a sassenach, but she and Jamie were well matched in wits and courage. She was just the type of woman a laird should have at his side.
Murtagh was enjoying the cool night air, strolling around the castle grounds as he contemplated the future for his godson. Ellen MacKenzie, the only woman he had ever loved, married his best friend, Brian Fraser. When they had their second son, the couple asked Murtagh to be the child's godfather, and when Ellen was on her deathbed, she had requested Murtagh look after the son she was leaving behind. Murtagh took this promise seriously. He went wherever the boy went and watched over him like a hawk: always his best friend, always his staunch defender, always looking out for what was best for the lad.
Now Murtagh had this new development to hold under consideration. The fact that his godson was in love was just fine. The problem was the lad was an escaped criminal with a price on his head.
As Murtagh was contemplating the implications of this, Jamie himself came bursting out the castle door into the courtyard.
The lad looked frustratingly up at the sky and said, "Damn!"
Murtagh walked slowly up to him so as to alert the lad to his presence first. "What is it?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," Jamie replied dejectedly, hanging his head, and kicking at the stones on the ground.
"It's just…" Jamie looked up at his godfather, "Have you ever been in love, Murtagh?"
Murtagh let a second or two pass before answering simply, "Aye."
This surprised Jamie. "But you never married, what happened?"
Murtagh closed his eyes and said ruefully, "She married someone else."
"I'm sorry," said Jamie.
"No," replied Murtagh with a wistful smile, "It was enough for me to have once loved."
After another pause, Murtagh said, "So am I correct in assuming you've got it bad for some lass?"
"Aye," Jamie replied.
"What's the matter then? She getting sick of mending your wounds? Tell you to bugger off?" he teased with a knowing look and punched the lad in his good shoulder.
Jamie's eyes went wide when he realized Murtagh already knew who it was. But of course, his godfather knew him best of anyone.
"No," said Jamie, "She's leaving tomorrow. The tinker's to take her back to Inverness, then she'll be off to her family in France." He turned and walked off toward the stables. "I'm going to bed," he said over his shoulder as he sulked off.
Murtagh walked into the castle garden and sat on a bench. Looking up at the stars he said, "Well, Ellen, what am I to do now?"
He gave the night a few minutes to think it over, but an answer never came. So he attempted to come up with a way to get Mistress Beauchamp to stay.
There was no way he would be able to convince her to stay. She was headstrong, once she set her mind to something there was no turning her away. It would be best if the young Casanova could convince her himself, but the lass had been determined to get back to her family ever since they picked her up.
No, the only way to get her to stay right now would be to force it upon her, and that would not go over well. However, ill temper or no, the lass would still be here.
So Murtagh began to think of ways she could be compelled to stay.
An ailing patient? No, she would not feel so obliged for anyone except maybe Jamie and bringing him severe enough injury or illness was precisely the opposite of what he promised Ellen – to defend and protect the lad.
The only way to make her stay was to get Colum to make her stay. Now there was an idea! If he could convince Colum that she really was a spy, he wouldn't let her go. Aye, that was it. He jumped to his feet.
No. He stopped and frowned. He could not help his godson by allowing a relationship that had the potential to be something so important, start with a falsehood.
However, he did allow his feet to bear himself forward. He reasoned that there was no harm in seeing if he could find out what Colum's thoughts were on the subject.
Returning to the hall, Murtagh found that there were still many clansmen about, enjoying the food and drink. He noticed Dougal standing off by himself and went to speak to him. He would likely be able to discover Colum's opinion of Mistress Beauchamp from the laird's brother.
Murtagh sidled up next to the war chief and, since he was never one to beat around the bush, he got right to the point, "I hear Mistress Beauchamp is leavin' us on the morrow."
"Humph," snorted Dougal, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looked out over the reveling clansmen, "Not likely."
"Huh? Why?" inquired Murtagh.
"Humph," Dougal snorted again. "That woman is trouble," he declared.
"I'd think you'd be happy to get rid o' her, then," Murtagh surmised.
"No," Dougal declared, "Colum's not likely to let her go just yet."
"Hmm," said Murtagh thoughtfully, "So you think she is a sassenach spy?"
"I think there is certainly something she isna tellin' us," Dougal stated pointedly. "No," he concluded, "she won't be leavin' tomorrow."
After partaking in some more food and drink himself, Murtagh went back outside to pace around in the cool night air while he considered this new development.
He debated telling Jamie. The news might bring the lad some relief. On second thought, however, Jamie, with his kind heart, would probably rush to Claire's defense and maybe even help her to escape.
No, he decided to just let things play out and see what the morrow brings.
….oOo….
Sleep would not come for Jamie that night for thinking about Claire. His heart ached so to know that she was leaving. He couldn't help but think that it was wrong for her not to be with him, although it made no rational sense. He rose early and went to work in the stables, trying to keep his mind off her impending departure.
It was mid morning when he spotted the tinker's wagon driving up the road to the castle. Once it disappeared inside the gates, he led the horse he was working with back to its stall, removed its harness and tack and brushed it down before heading off to clean himself up.
He had already said goodbye to Claire the night before and he didn't want to seem pathetic and forlorn by seeking her out again. Therefore, he intended to catch her seemingly by chance as she rode with the tinker out of the castle yard. All he wanted was to look on her lovely countenance once more and maybe have her bestow upon him another one of her bright smiles.
"Ah, there it is," said Jamie to himself as he walked up the road toward the castle. Mr. Petrie's wagon was driving through the gate. However, to Jamie's surprise there was no one on the seat next to him. He didn't think Claire would be within. He had looked inside the tinker's wagon on many an occasion and had seen that it was filled to the gills with all manner of tools and things that the man had intended to – well – tinker with. There would be no room for a passenger in there. He rounded on the wagon as it passed him by, to be certain Claire was not sitting on the back, maybe she had meant to watch out for him till the last. But alas, she was not there either!
If she was not with the tinker, where was she? He ran into the castle and found himself in the kitchen where Angus and Rupert, tankards of ale in hand, were commiserating by the great kitchen fire. As Jamie pretended to look around for something to eat, he listened in to their conversation.
Rupert was saying angrily, "I thought the job was to end today!"
Angus chimed in with an exasperated, "Aye, now Dougal says we're on it permanently!"
"Aye," replied Rupert, "and did you see the right swivet she's in?"
It didn't take long for Jamie to conclude from this exchange that the two were talking about Claire. To learn more, however, he affected a casual interest, grabbed and apple from a nearby table, took a bite and asked, "What's going on?"
"Ach," replied Angus, "Colum decided not to let the pain in the arse Sassenach go."
Rupert, throwing a thumb over his shoulder, added with a sneer, "He's made her healer of Leoch and installed her in ol' Beaton's surgery."
Jamie moved in that direction. However, with a hand on his arm, Angus stopped him. "I wouldna go down there just yet if I was you," he warned, "Last I heard she was stompin' around, smashin' crockery 'gainst the door, and cussin' up somethin' fierce."
"Aye," added Rupert, "I've ne'er heard a woman with such a mouth! She e'en makes me blush!"
The two guards burst heartily into laughter at this then proceed to down more of Colum's ale.
Jamie, however, acquiesced to their advice. It was enough for him to know that Claire was still at Leoch, and with that knowledge his heart lifted. He wished to comfort her though, but he realized that she was likely not in the mood for it at present. He returned to the stables and went about his business with a much lighter step and a small smile upon his face.
….oOo….
A few days had passed with not a single glimpse of Claire. He imagined her brooding might last some time and had resolved to let her be.
In the early afternoon, Jamie walked into the castle in search of some lunch. As he approached the kitchen, he heard the sound of glass breaking. Stepping quickly through the door, in case the situation required his assistance, he saw Mrs. Fitz comforting another woman.
"Oh, Shona," soothed Mrs. Fitz, "Dinna fash yourself over this. Go on home now. Be with your other wee Bairns." Turning back to find the rest of the kitchen staff staring, she ordered, "Carry on working."
"Who was that?"
Jamie knew that voice. He saw Claire standing near Rupert and Angus. He stepped back into the shadows to remain unnoticed for he wished to observe the state of Claire's spirits. This was the first time he was seeing her since he learned that she was staying.
"Colum's chambermaid," answered Mrs. Fitz.
"Is she going to be all right?" asked Claire. She was always desirous to help people. He smiled broadly. Happy to see her gloom had lifted and that the kindhearted Claire he knew and loved was presently interjecting herself with concern for the woman.
"Aye, in time," the housekeeper replied, "Her boy died last night, wee Lindsay Macneill."
"What happened?" insisted the healer, "Why did nobody come and get me?"
"Oh, miss," replied Mrs. Fitz, "what ailed wee Lindsay has no mortal cure. He went up to an eaghais dhubh, he did."
"Where?" inquired Claire.
"The old ruins of the Benedictine Monastery," Mrs. Fitz explained, "Folk hereabout call it the Black Kirk."
"You think somehow the ruins killed him?" Claire asked in confusion.
"'Twas not the ruins, you daft woman," chided Mrs. Fitz, "'Twas the demons who roam free inside the ruins. Poor wee soul," lamented the old woman, "Sickly boy on his best day. No match for old nick." She blessed herself.
A young lad appeared through a side door and, stepping up to Claire, he announced in a clear voice, "The Mackenzie requests your presence in his chambers, Mistress Beauchamp."
"Have you never heard of a comb, you wee gomeril?" Mrs. Fitz spoke familiarly to the lad, tousling his hair.
"Aw, leave off, auntie," the boy complained, belying his relationship to the housekeeper.
"My nephew, Tammas Baxter," she explained to Claire, "Lindsay Macneill was like a brother to him."
"Mackenzie's waiting," insisted the boy, fearful of punishment if he did not complete his task as summoner for the laird.
"Right," replied Claire, with surprisingly proper submission. She probably figured her fasted way to freedom was cooperation with Colum, and Jamie couldn't fault her for that.
"The medicines are on the step," she reminded Rupert and Angus, "You can't miss them." Then she left the kitchen without ever noticing Jamie.
He sidled up to Rupert and Angus and asked curiously, "What ails ye, that she's makin' you take medicine for?"
"Ach," replied Angus, "We're no ill! She just wants us to dispose o' some ol' potions and such." Then under his breath he added, "Be damned if I'm gonna touch the stuff."
"Me too," replied Rupert and the two went back to their drinking.
Jamie looked over the two men with marked irritation and decided he would take care of the medicines for Claire himself.