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Authors: Candace Robb
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sleep?’
‘The east chamber up here – I thought I should be near.’ Celia worked at the laces, her fingers cold. ‘But I woke at every sound.’
‘Where did you put Aylmer, the English servant? And what of his master?’
‘Oh! Master Roger did not tell you the man is his servant?’
Margaret could not believe it. Even in her father’s house they’d never had such a well-spoken, well-dressed servant. ‘No, he said nothing of him.’
‘I put him in the other house. He and Master Roger were up early, out in the town.’ Finished with the sleeves, Celia looked Margaret in the eye. ‘Are you well, Mistress?’
Margaret wondered just how bad she looked. ‘I am tired, that is all.’
When dressed, she went out, avoiding her uncle and the soldiers while she looked for Hal. She could not help but notice when passing them that the English soldiers had begun to look shabby, and in fact one wore a tunic so large for him that he’d tucked the hem into a wide belt so it didn’t drag in the mud. They’d not looked so when they’d marched into Perth the previous summer. It gave her a little hope, or at least the satisfaction that they, too, suffered deprivation. She found Hal in the stable, combing Murdoch’s sable-coated cat.
‘Agrippa wanted to hide from the soldiers,’ Hal said to the ground.
Heavy-lidded green eyes watched Margaret approach, then closed as she gently touched Agrippa’s round, silky head. ‘He is calm now,’ she noted.
Hal nodded. ‘The master’s voice, though it be angry, reassures him.’
‘What do you know about my uncle’s movements with the cart?’
‘Celia must have told you.’ Hal nodded. ‘I saw her watching from above.’
‘I wonder who else saw you.’
Hal shrugged. ‘The master wanted the cart brought round to the close after curfew, when I’d seen no one about for a good while, but long before dawn.’ Hal raised his head and she saw by the slackness of his young face how weary he was. ‘I helped him load barrels and trunks, and then he led Bonny away down the backland. I was to watch a good while to see whether someone might think it safe to run off and report him. I saw no one.’
Margaret’s petting inspired a loud purr from Agrippa.
‘What is to happen to us, Dame Margaret?’ Hal asked. ‘With the tavern shut, Master Murdoch will have no need of me.’
The cat jumped away.
‘I don’t know, Hal. Have you any kin?’
He shook his head.
Margaret had begun to reach for his hand, but thought better of it, and glad she was, for at thatmoment Roger and Aylmer appeared, leading their horses. Hal stepped forward to relieve them of the beasts.
Handing Hal the reins, Roger swept off his cap and bowed low to Margaret. ‘How goes my lady this fine day?’
‘With the soldiers about it is hardly fine,’ she said, noting once more the change in his appearance, the hollows in his cheeks, the grey-flecked hair. ‘You cannot have missed them.’
‘I am only surprised they left it so long.’
Margaret was unsettled by the warmth in his eyes as he looked at her. ‘They seem to allow you much freedom at the gates,’ she said.
‘We came through Blackfriars’ to Potter Row and then down the backlands. Unfortunately, one of the soldiers saw us. He said nothing, but he will to his superiors. It is best that we leave soon.’
So already he planned his escape from her.
‘Would you not rather bide at home in Perth?’ he asked. ‘You said you’ve lost sleep for worrying about Fergus. And you are right, he is too young and lacks the experience to deal with such problems.’
‘I had no choice but to leave him there alone,’ Margaret said, suddenly feeling defensive. So Roger meant to send her off to Perth. Damnable man, meddling with her plans.
Aylmer joined them.
‘This is my manservant, Aylmer,’ Roger said.
Aylmer bowed. ‘Dame Margaret and I have met.’
‘Of course,’ said Roger.
Aylmer was a little taller than Roger and of a muscular build,
‘The east chamber up here – I thought I should be near.’ Celia worked at the laces, her fingers cold. ‘But I woke at every sound.’
‘Where did you put Aylmer, the English servant? And what of his master?’
‘Oh! Master Roger did not tell you the man is his servant?’
Margaret could not believe it. Even in her father’s house they’d never had such a well-spoken, well-dressed servant. ‘No, he said nothing of him.’
‘I put him in the other house. He and Master Roger were up early, out in the town.’ Finished with the sleeves, Celia looked Margaret in the eye. ‘Are you well, Mistress?’
Margaret wondered just how bad she looked. ‘I am tired, that is all.’
When dressed, she went out, avoiding her uncle and the soldiers while she looked for Hal. She could not help but notice when passing them that the English soldiers had begun to look shabby, and in fact one wore a tunic so large for him that he’d tucked the hem into a wide belt so it didn’t drag in the mud. They’d not looked so when they’d marched into Perth the previous summer. It gave her a little hope, or at least the satisfaction that they, too, suffered deprivation. She found Hal in the stable, combing Murdoch’s sable-coated cat.
‘Agrippa wanted to hide from the soldiers,’ Hal said to the ground.
Heavy-lidded green eyes watched Margaret approach, then closed as she gently touched Agrippa’s round, silky head. ‘He is calm now,’ she noted.
Hal nodded. ‘The master’s voice, though it be angry, reassures him.’
‘What do you know about my uncle’s movements with the cart?’
‘Celia must have told you.’ Hal nodded. ‘I saw her watching from above.’
‘I wonder who else saw you.’
Hal shrugged. ‘The master wanted the cart brought round to the close after curfew, when I’d seen no one about for a good while, but long before dawn.’ Hal raised his head and she saw by the slackness of his young face how weary he was. ‘I helped him load barrels and trunks, and then he led Bonny away down the backland. I was to watch a good while to see whether someone might think it safe to run off and report him. I saw no one.’
Margaret’s petting inspired a loud purr from Agrippa.
‘What is to happen to us, Dame Margaret?’ Hal asked. ‘With the tavern shut, Master Murdoch will have no need of me.’
The cat jumped away.
‘I don’t know, Hal. Have you any kin?’
He shook his head.
Margaret had begun to reach for his hand, but thought better of it, and glad she was, for at thatmoment Roger and Aylmer appeared, leading their horses. Hal stepped forward to relieve them of the beasts.
Handing Hal the reins, Roger swept off his cap and bowed low to Margaret. ‘How goes my lady this fine day?’
‘With the soldiers about it is hardly fine,’ she said, noting once more the change in his appearance, the hollows in his cheeks, the grey-flecked hair. ‘You cannot have missed them.’
‘I am only surprised they left it so long.’
Margaret was unsettled by the warmth in his eyes as he looked at her. ‘They seem to allow you much freedom at the gates,’ she said.
‘We came through Blackfriars’ to Potter Row and then down the backlands. Unfortunately, one of the soldiers saw us. He said nothing, but he will to his superiors. It is best that we leave soon.’
So already he planned his escape from her.
‘Would you not rather bide at home in Perth?’ he asked. ‘You said you’ve lost sleep for worrying about Fergus. And you are right, he is too young and lacks the experience to deal with such problems.’
‘I had no choice but to leave him there alone,’ Margaret said, suddenly feeling defensive. So Roger meant to send her off to Perth. Damnable man, meddling with her plans.
Aylmer joined them.
‘This is my manservant, Aylmer,’ Roger said.
Aylmer bowed. ‘Dame Margaret and I have met.’
‘Of course,’ said Roger.
Aylmer was a little taller than Roger and of a muscular build,
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