Chapter Thirty-Seven

Lillian’s thoughts raced, but one phrase kept roaring in her ears over and over.

Fallibility lies not in the stone, but in men’s hearts.

How many times had Richard said those words, a soft smile on his face?

Nay, of course he had never built a weakness into Berwick’s wall. He was above the struggles for power that occupied so many men.

But his trust in the stone, his faith in God’s creation and his own craft, was tempered by his knowledge that in the world of men, fallibility would always threaten his purer work.

“Fallibility lies not in the stone, but in men’s hearts,” she murmured.

She sensed Kirk tense beside her. “Yer late husband’s words.”

Lillian lifted her gaze to his searching eyes. “Aye,” she said, her heart hitching.

She turned suddenly to the Bruce. “How many times have you attempted to take Berwick Castle, sire?”

The Bruce’s brows drew together. “Thrice now. ”

“And your latest attempt—the one you just returned from—ended the same way as the others.”

Now the Bruce’s face fully darkened with a scowl. “Aye.”

“Lillian, what—”

Before Kirk could finish his question, she barreled forward. “Because the wall was impenetrable, correct?” She didn’t wait for the Bruce’s reply, for she already knew she was right. “I lived through your first two sieges on Berwick. Though it was terrifying to only have that stone wall between us and your army, both times the stones held.”

She turned back to Kirk. “You see, there isn’t a flaw in the wall’s construction. There never was. Richard took too much pride in his work for that. The weakness doesn’t lie in the stones. It lies in men’s hearts—the men inside the wall.”

The Bruce abruptly leaned forward in his chair, the light of the fire catching in his suddenly intense eyes. “What are ye saying, lass?”

“Peter de Spalding,” Lillian blurted.

The three men in the tent all stared at her as if she’d just spoken in tongues.

“Berwick’s governor,” she tried again.

Still, blank stares met her.

“Peter was a friend of Richard’s,” she said. “As the Master Mason, Richard had to work closely with Peter to ensure that construction went well and that the town was still able to function. The two would frequently discuss matters of politics and philosophy over meals.”

“And what significance does that hold?” the Bruce prompted.

“Peter frequently spoke in frustration about King Edward’s control over Berwick. He thought it preposterous that the King was spending so much money and effort to shore up a castle so far in the north—or the south, rather, the south of Scotland—when the King’s affairs were in shambles back in London.”

Now the Bruce’s hands gripped the arms of his chair, and Lillian knew his mind had picked up her line of thinking.

“I warned Richard to be careful with such conversations, for King Edward’s eyes and ears are everywhere, and he does not take kindly to murmurings that have even the faintest whiff of discontent. But Richard always said Peter was harmless. At first I thought the reason Richard had been taken by the Order was because of those conversations—that mayhap Peter had been baiting him, or someone else had overheard them. But now…”

“Aye?” Kirk urged, leaning forward.

“Now Richard’s words finally make sense. Though I doubt he had any intention of doing so, his saying implicates Peter’s questionable loyalties. Fallibility lies not in the stone, but in men’s hearts. You never would have taken Berwick fighting against that impenetrable wall,” she said to the Bruce. “But you just may well take it if you go through Peter de Spalding.”

The Bruce surged to his feet with such energy that his chair tipped backward and landed on the ground with a clatter. “Ye are saying…that we could make contact with de Spalding somehow, try to flip him. Turn him into an asset.”

“If he is willing to help us,” Colin continued, “we could avoid a siege all together. Hell, the governor of Berwick could let us dance right past the wall and into the castle if he chose!”

The Bruce strode around the brazier and halted in front of Lillian. He dropped to one knee before her so that their eyes were level. She felt her face heat at the preposterousness of having a King kneel to her, but before she could object, the Bruce spoke.

“Ye ken something of de Spalding as a man, dinnae ye, lass? How would ye approach him? What might he be most responsive to if one of my men managed to make contact with him?”

Lillian paused for a moment, the answer building in her heart before she spoke.

“I cannot be sure what would move another,” she said carefully. “Some would find coin enticing, or power, or freedom.” Her gaze flicked to Kirk before returning to the Bruce. “I can only say what has moved me. Though I am English by birth, and kept from politics because I am a woman, I find that now I can no longer give my loyalty to my homeland. And even more than turning away from England, I find myself turning toward Scotland and your cause, sire. ”

For the first time since she’d met him, the Bruce’s eyes softened for a moment. “Why is that?”

“My own countrymen betrayed me. They paid to have me tortured, and they tortured and killed an innocent man in Richard. And though these last several months have been terribly trying, they have allowed me to see things clearly. Your men protected me, sire,” she went on. “Will and Colin and Kirk. They risked their lives for me—and for the cause of freedom. I have gotten to see up close the justness of your efforts, and the goodness of the men who serve you.”

Her gaze once again slipped to Kirk. He was staring at her, his pale eyes brimming with awe and love.

Lillian let herself bask in their blue light for a long moment before at last ducking her chin and speaking to the Bruce once more. “I don’t know if Peter de Spalding will be moved in the same way, but for what it’s worth, that was what changed my loyalties.”

“Ye ken what ye are doing, then, dinnae ye, lass?” the Bruce asked quietly. “Ye are helping me take Berwick—yer former home—from the English. The strategic victory would be a major blow to yer King Edward, but it would be more than that as well. It would be a symbolic triumph of Scotland over England, of freedom over tyranny—likely our greatest achievement since winning the Battle of Bannockburn. And ye are providing the information to accomplish it. Is that what ye wish?”

“Nay,” she replied.

The Bruce froze, confusion flitting across his dark eyes.

“I wish to do even more than that,” she went on quickly. “You see, there are many innocent people living inside Berwick’s walls. I was once one of them. Even the guards who have fought on the wall against your sieges are only following orders. I wish to protect them—all of them. If you can manage to turn Peter de Spalding into an ally, you will be saving those people—and avoiding another situation like Carrickfergus.”

Kirk inhaled sharply beside her. She turned to him, taking his big, rough hand in hers. “Do you see, Kirk? It needn’t be like before. You needn’t give up your soul in exchange for freedom ever again.”

“Lillian,” he rasped, his voice tight and low. His eyes glowed with emotion so powerful that it stole her breath. Then suddenly he pulled her from her chair and straight onto his lap, his arms coming around her in a hard embrace. “Thank ye,” he whispered into her hair. “Thank ye for understanding.”

Tears sprang to her eyes as she clung fiercely to Kirk. Words failed her, but she knew he could feel what was in her heart.

After a long moment, the Bruce discreetly cleared his throat.

“Aye, lass,” he said. “I believe ye can have yer wish.”

As Lillian pulled back slightly from Kirk’s embrace, the Bruce rose from the ground and strode back to his desk. “We’ll find a way to get word to de Spalding,” he said, his voice speeding with eagerness. “Sabine can help us with that, aye?”

“Aye,” Colin replied.

“Good. We’ll see if we can develop him as an asset inside Berwick’s walls. We’ll have plenty of time to build an arrangement with him, for the winter months would have pinned us down and prevented another siege anyway. If all goes well, come spring, Berwick will be under Scottish control once more without the losses of life and resources we’d risk with a drawn-out siege.”

He turned back to Lillian. “I would request that ye stay in Lochmaben for the winter,” he said. “Ye are the only one among us who kens something of de Spalding’s nature. Plus, ye are familiar with Berwick. I would have ye work with me to ensure that we protect the innocents of the town even as we reclaim the castle.”

“Aye, I would be happy to help,” Lillian said without thinking, but then she faltered. “Unless…”

Her gaze locked with Kirk’s and she dropped her voice. “You have more than earned your freedom. I know that it is your wish to be free of all this—the war effort, the army, all of it. I could not ask you to stay with me, but—”

“Wherever you go, I’ll be there,” he cut in firmly. “End of discussion. If ye’ll have me at yer side, that is?”

Lillian’s heart swelled until it pressed nigh painfully against her ribcage. “Aye,” she said through her tears. “I would have it no other way.”