Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

A dali watched from the battlements of Glenkirk Castle as Piers St.Denis, the marquis of Hartsfield; his brother, Kipp, by his side; and a party of twenty men made their way down the hill road that led to the castle. Other than St.Denis, and his brother, the riders were poorly equipped and poorly mounted. Dregs from the alleys of Edinburgh, Adali thought scornfully. They had been bought with the promise of whiskey and coin and could be subverted by anyone with more whiskey and more silver. Nonetheless, St.Denis was a dangerous man, and Adali would not underestimate him. As the first clop-clop of horses' hooves hit the solid oak of the drawbridge Adali hurried from the castle's heights so he might be in the courtyard to greet their visitors.

Piers St.Denis's bright blue eyes missed nothing as they entered Glenkirk. The castle was old but in excellent condition. The men on the battlements were alert and appeared hardened. This Leslie earl obviously had plenty of gold and silver of his own. The marquis let his mind wander for a moment to the possibility of controlling two fortunes—Jasmine's and her husband's. And Rowan Lindley had not been impoverished either. Three fortunes! And if some of the children did not reach adulthood, well, could those fortunes not be his? And whatever happened, the king would surely forgive him. After all, despite the queen and that arrogant snake, Villiers, Piers St.Denis could still command a place by the king's side. James Stuart loved him. Despite his apparent indifference and apathy toward the marquis of Hartsfield of late, the king still had an affection for him. He would be forgiven whatever he did despite what Kipp had said to the contrary.

Of late he had begun to mistrust his brother's loyalty to him. Kipp had developed a rather unpleasant habit of questioning his every move, and attempting to anticipate him. He hadn't liked the men Piers had recruited in Edinburgh, claiming they were too rough, and would run at the first sign of danger. He had even disputed his brother's giving these alley rats part of their pay in advance, but the marquis knew he could have never gotten his little band put together without a show of coin.

"Honest men would trust you," Kipp said.

"I don't want honest men," Piers responded. "Honest men have a conscience. I want none of that. These creatures will obey me for no other reason than to obtain the rest of their silver."

"They could as easily slit your throat for it one night," Kipp remarked dryly. "You've wasted your money, Piers. All we had to do was remain in Edinburgh and command the earl of Glenkirk to come to you in the king's name. If he didn't, the Scots government would have then sent out their own men to capture him. They would have known how to handle the situation. You have marched into James Leslie's own territory with twenty men of dubious report, and you believe you can take him? The local authorities would have acted had you but shown them the king's signature on your warrant."

"I could not take the chance that someone here would see that signature," the marquis of Hartsfield told his brother. "What if someone knows the king's hand, Kipp?"

Kipp St.Denis was shocked by his half brother's words. "You told me the king signed that warrant, but just left out the names," he said. "Are you now saying the king didn't sign the warrant?"

"I asked him to, but he never seemed to have the time," came the startling answer. "I know his hand well enough, and so I signed it for him, smudging it slightly. Then I took his seal and stamped partly over it in the sealing wax." Piers St.Denis laughed, almost childishly. "Do you think he will be angry at me, Kipp? Old king fool always forgives me when I'm naughty. He likes me to be naughty, so he can correct me with his wisdom."

The impact of what his half brother had done slammed into Kipp St.Denis with an almost physical force. He had forged the king's name to a document that would allow him to murder two innocent people. This was treason! Didn't Piers understand this? Nay. He didn't. All he understood was that he wanted something, and he would have it at all costs because he always got whatever it was he sought. And he always escaped punishment for his sins. But not this time, Kipp thought. God help him. This time his brother had gone too far, and there would be no escape.

"When it is discovered the king's signature is a forgery," he said to Piers, "you will be charged with treason, and if you have harmed the Leslies of Glenkirk, with the crime of murder as well."

"Who is there to discover it?" Piers said.

"You cannot kill the earl and countess of Glenkirk and expect the king not to avenge them. In the name of God, Piers, James Leslie is related to the king! His clan will march into Whitehall itself to demand revenge. You have lost this game. It is over.

"Jasmine de Marisco Lindley chose James Leslie for her husband and has by now delivered a child sired by him. It is finished. Let us return to England before it is too late. No one need know about the warrant. We will say it was merely a rumor, and we will burn the damned document today before anyone can steal it off of us and prove otherwise. If you make up to the queen as Villiers has done, she will relent and find you a wife. She is a vain woman, but well-meaning. You will keep your favor with the king. Do not throw everything you have gained away in this passion you have for revenge. It is not worth it, Piers. You will lose all! You must come to your senses, brother, I beg of you!"

"You grow tiresome, Kipp," the marquis replied wearily. "Ahh, look! There is her Indian, Adali, awaiting us."

Adali noted Kipp's urgent conversation as the two men approached. He wished he knew what was being said. The marquis's faithful dog, Kipp, looked mightily distressed. Interesting. They came to a halt before the staircase leading up to the castle door. "Welcome, my lord," Adali said in a pleasant voice. "Welcome to Glenkirk Castle. Your men will be shown to their quarters by our own men-at-arms. Dougie, lad, take the gentlemen's horses to the stable," he instructed a stableboy. "And if you will follow me, please." He led them into the Great Hall, clapping his hands as he entered the room and telling the servant who hurried forward, "Wine, for my lord St.Denis, and our other guest. Please to sit by the fire, sirs. A gray day always seems colder." Taking the tray from the servant, he personally offered them the silver goblets of red wine.

The marquis of Hartsfield sniffed appreciatively. "Ahhhh," he said, "Archambault wine. It is the finest!"

"It is, my lord," Adali agreed pleasantly, and remained standing attentively as they drank. When they had put their cups down, he said, "And how may I be of service to your lordship?"

"You may inform the earl and his wife that I have arrived," the marquis of Hartsfield said.

"I am afraid I cannot do that, my lord. You see, the earl of Glenkirk and his countess are not here right now."

"Where are they? When will they return?" demanded Piers St.Denis

"I cannot be certain where they are right now, my lord," Adali said in a noncommittal tone, "and as for when they will return, I have absolutely no idea. Glenkirk is always in readiness for them, of course, whenever they do come home, and generally they send a messenger ahead so I may have meals prepared, but the messenger only arrives a few hours before my master and mistress do."

"How long have they been gone?" the marquis said.

"This time? Several days, I believe. It is so peaceful here that one day rolls into the next, and I forget the time myself," he said.

"I do not understand why it is, you, who are so careful of your mistress's safety, don't know where she is," Piers St.Denis said skeptically.

"I have no fear for my lady's safety when she is with her husband," Adali replied. "And as for where they are, the earl has not been home in several years. He has, I have discovered, an enormous family, and a large clan, many of whom are also distantly related to him. We arrived here last autumn, and then a short time later the winter set in so that the roads were blocked with ice and snow until recently. The earl wished to begin visiting his family and clansmen and women—to introduce his wife to them and to renew old acquaintances and loyalties."

"Where are the children?" St.Denis asked suspiciously.

"They, too, are visiting the family," Adali said smoothly.

"I have a royal warrant for the arrest of the earl and the countess of Glenkirk," the marquis of Hartsfield said. "If you do not tell me where they are, I will have you taken on a charge of obstructing the king's justice, Adali!"

"My lord, I have told you the truth. I have no idea where they are. I am a stranger in this land and know little of it, or of the earl's relations. I have not had the time to learn yet. However, like my mistress, I respect the king. The old man who was steward here before me lives in a cottage nearby. Perhaps he can tell you some of the places you might look to find my lord and my lady. Come, I will take you to him."

Adali led them from the Great Hall and out into the courtyard again.

"Where are my men?" Piers St.Denis inquired nervously.

"They have been housed in a barracks and are being fed," Adali told him cordially, as they passed beneath the castle's iron portcullis and out across the drawbridge, off the main track and into the woods, picking out a barely discernible track to follow.

"Why are we going this way?" St.Denis queried Adali.

Adali stopped. "This is the way to Will Todd's cottage, my lord. He lives near a mountain stream, and will probably be fishing when we get there. There is nothing to be fearful of, my lord."

"I am not fearful, I was just curious," the marquis snapped.

Adali smiled to himself and continued onward. Actually, there was an easier path to Will's cottage, but he chose the more roundabout way in order to confuse the two men with him. It was a rocky path that led up a hill, and down again, through sharp brambles, and thick gorse bushes. He could hear the men behind him cursing as their clothing caught on the briars, but he moved with such fluidity that neither his white pants nor his white coat was shredded or torn. Finally, they could hear the water of a stream ahead of them as it tumbled over the rocks in its bed, but it was not Will's water, Adali told them, leaping from stone to stone as he quickly crossed it. Again he could hear cursing behind him as his companions unsuccessfully followed him, splashing their way through the stream. He chuckled softly to himself.

At last they exited the wood and crossed over a meadow filled with shaggy, big-horned cattle. "Mind your feet," Adali warned them as he tiptoed through the clumps of cow manure, almost laughing aloud at the marquis of Hartsfield's yelp of dismay.

"How much farther is it?" Kipp called to him.

"We're almost there," Adali replied calmly.

And then they saw the cottage on the far side of the meadow, heard the swiftly flowing water beside it. As they approached it they could see a figure, almost hip-deep in the stream, fishing rod in hand.

"Hello, the house!" Adali called loudly. "‘Tis Adali, Will Todd, and I've brought visitors."

The figure turned slowly, openly annoyed to be disturbed at his pastime. Then, reluctantly, he moved nearer the bank, but did not come from the water or cease his activity. "What ‘tis it ye seek?" he asked, his local accent thick to the ears of the two Englishmen.

"Good morrow, Will Todd," Adali said cheerfully. "These two gentlemen are seeking his lordship. I would not know where to tell them to look, but I am certain you can help them."

"Here," Will Todd moved nearer the bank, and thrust his fishing pole at Adali. "Dinna drop it, mon! I canna chatter wi it in hand." He pierced the two strangers with a sharp glance. "So yer seeking his lordship, eh? Weel, I canna rightly say where he maught be, but hae ye sought at Sithean for him? He maught be there. Or he and his lassie could hae gone to Hay Hoos or Greyhaven. Or mayhap he's at Briarmere Moor or Leslie Brae. Hae ye looked in any of these places, sir?"

"What is he saying?" St.Denis demanded tightly. He could hardly make out a word the old man was uttering.

"I thought he was quite clear," Adali replied, "but then I've been listening to these people for several months now, and I do have a rather good ear for accents."

"Yes! Yes!" St.Denis almost shouted, "But what the hell did he say? It sounded like gibberish to me."

"Will Todd said that the earl of Glenkirk and his wife might be over at Sithean visiting the earl of Sithean, who is Lord Leslie's uncle. Or he could be at Hay House or Leslie Brae, visiting with his uncles, or he might be at Greyhaven or Briarmere Moor, with his brothers."

"Or the Gordons," Will Todd spoke up again. "He maught be wi the Gordons, fer our Morag is wed wi a Gordon."

"He could also be visiting with the Gordons, his late wife's family. Their youngest son is wed to the earl's youngest sister," Adali translated quickly.

"Or the games," Will Todd added. "He maught hae gone to the games, but then there be several this summer. Two, or three, I dinna remember." He took his fishing rod back from Adali and stepped back out into the swiftly flowing stream. "‘Tis all I can tell ye," he said with a firm air of finality.

"Games?" The marquis of Hartsfield was puzzled.

"Because the winters are so long and so harsh," Adali explained, "the Scots like to hold games of athletic prowess in the summer months. It allows the clans to gather together, the men to exhibit their skill at things like tossing the caber, it's a log, my lord; or throwing big round stones a distance. The women come to gossip. They dance, and there are bards and the pipes. Will is right, however. There are several sets of games this summer, and the earl could have gone to any of them, for he is related to many people through his Stuart connections."

"How barbaric," St.Denis sneered.

"Let us return to Edinburgh," Kipp said. "Seeking out Glenkirk here will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. If you send for him in the king's name, he must come or risk treason."

"Oh, I'm certain you can find the earl if you really want him," Adali lightly taunted the marquis of Hartsfield to see what he would do when torn between his brother's suggestion and that of Adali.

"Edinburgh is our best bet," Kipp St.Denis insisted.

"No!" the marquis said. "We are here, and surely it cannot be too difficult to find these places the old man has named."

"And do not forget the games, my lord," Adali helpfully volunteered, causing Kipp St.Denis to stare hard at him.

"Do you know where they are being held?" the marquis asked.

"Well, I believe there are some at Inverness, and others at Nairn, and I had heard of some being held at Loch Lomond, my lord."

"You will write it all down, and give us directions," the marquis of Hartsfield said. "We will stay the night and start off again in the morning." Piers St.Denis was too excited to contemplate Adali's cooperation, but Kipp St.Denis was not.

"What are you up to?" he asked the castle steward when they were finally alone in the Great Hall, the marquis having been shown to a guest chamber.

Adali turned a bland face to him. "Master St.Denis?" he said.

"You know what I mean," Kipp said. "Why are you being so helpful to my brother? Your loyalty to your mistress is legendary."

Adali smiled a small smile. "Why, sir, your master carries a royal warrant from the king. For me to disobey would be treason, wouldn't it now? As my mistress respects the divine right of kings, so do I also. I cannot disobey King James, even for my mistress."

Kipp was not content with the answer. "You are up to something," he said suspiciously. "You would not betray your mistress, I know it!"

Again Adali smiled. "If, sir, I believed your brother had any chance of catching up with my lord, and my lady …" He allowed the rest of the sentence to hang.

"They knew he was coming!" Kipp gasped.

"They knew he was in Edinburgh all winter long," Adali replied. "It would seem that Scotland is a very small country, sir, and once more I remind you that the earl of Glenkirk is related to many people throughout it. We had word before Christmas, but immediately the first storm of the season came, and the roads were to be blocked for the next few months. We were told, however, that when the roads were open again, the marquis of Hartsfield would be paying us a visit. Unfortunately, the earl and his wife could not wait, for they have many visits themselves to make this summer."

"He will hunt them into hell and back," Kipp said despairingly.

"By the time he catches up with them, if he can catch up with them," Adali told his companion, "there will no longer be any danger for my master and my mistress, sir, but I fear there may be great danger for your half brother."

"They have sent to the king!" Kipp whispered.

"The king is an honorable man," Adali told him. "He would not take back his word to the earl and countess of Glenkirk."

"I warned him," Kipp almost whispered to himself. "I warned him!"

"Then you are surely wiser than your brother," Adali told him. Then he said, softly, "There is yet time for you to save yourself, sir."

"I swore to our father on his deathbed that I would watch over Piers," Kipp said, his defenses down, his mood desperate.

"You have tried to prevent your brother from his folly, have you not?" Adali asked him softly. "I have seen it myself."

"For many years," Kipp confided in Adali, "I have followed along in my brother's wake. He was simply ambitious, and I saw no harm in his actions when he caught the king's attention. And over the years I kept him from much wickedness, although I have not always been successful in my attempts; but the women he so enjoyed abusing, I made certain they were, for the most part, experienced in the amatory arts. Only three or four times did he misuse an innocent; but they were girls of no import, and afterward I was kind to them and paid them not to complain to the authorities."

"You joined him in his deviant practices, I am told," Adali said quietly, not willing to let Kipp escape his censure.

"I did," Kipp admitted, "but by doing so I kept many women from greater harm at my brother's hand. I accept my shame, Adali. Our father encouraged us as young men to such wickedness, for as he grew older it seemed more difficult for him to enjoy a woman without hurting her. I remember telling my mother. It was she who warned me for my own sake I must play my part or risk losing my father's favor."

"But your father is long dead," Adali reminded him. "Your brother has now strayed completely into evil's dominion. There is no going back for him, Kipp St.Denis, but you have not yet crossed completely over into the darkness. You have a conscience, and you now have the chance to save yourself as you will not be able to save your brother. Would your father want to lose both of his sons, if he were here to make the decision? Would he want to see his proud old name wiped from the face of the earth?"

"I am his bastard," Kipp said simply.

"But he gave you his name, and he raised you in his house, and favored you as well as he did his legitimate heir," Adali argued. "I believe your father loved you, too."

"If I do not stay with Piers," Kipp said, "he will continue on to worse mischief, Adali."

"He will continue on anyway," Adali replied. "You are not responsible for his behavior. Save yourself while you have the opportunity! You have lived your whole life through Piers St.Denis. Now live your life for yourself. If you asked the king for his mercy, I know he would give it to you. King James has a large and a kind heart. He might even reward your timely behavior."

An accident of birth. It was only an accident of birth that had kept him from being the marquis of Hartsfield, Kipp thought silently. Did he dare to hope he might change that? Was it possible? Could he betray Piers? Was it really a betrayal? Aye, he had promised their father he would look after his younger half brother; but Piers no longer wanted looking after. He has never really listened to my good counsel, Kipp said silently to himself, and by following him, I have been dragged down in the gutter with him. He will be caught in this attempt to revenge himself upon the Leslies and in his endeavor to steal the fortunes belonging to them.

And whatever made Piers believe that the king would give him custody of all those children? The queen despised him so openly she could not even bring herself to pick a wife for him! She would hardly allow her only grandson or the other children to come under Piers St.Denis's control. Indeed Kipp believed the queen would kill him herself before she would see those children in Hartsfield House.

And what of the Leslies of Glenkirk? And the old and powerful countess of Lundy? Would they allow their children to be put into the hands of a man like Piers St.Denis? It was madness even to consider it, and yet his brother had not only considered it, he assumed it would be because he wanted it to be. But it wouldn't. Suddenly Kipp St.Denis realized that if he did not act now to save himself, he would be as doomed as his brother, and he didn't want to be. Why should he share Piers's fate? How many beatings had he taken for Piers when they were children, and Piers had found it so amusing, but it had not been amusing. Sometimes Piers even did bad things just so he could see his brother punished.

"I have no coin of my own, nor powerful friends to intercede for me," he told Adali, and then waited to see what Adali would say to him.

"I will give you the silver you need," Adali replied softly. "And as for allies, sir, go to the king and tell him the truth of this matter, and you will have friends a-plenty, not only at court, for your brother has made many enemies there who will befriend you, but among my mistress's family. A word in the king's ear, and you could have a reward greater than any you could possibly anticipate, Kipp St.Denis."

"How can I be certain of what you say?" Kipp asked.

Adali drew himself up, and said sternly, "I am Adali, confidant and friend of the royal Mughal princess you know as Jasmine Leslie. I do not lie, nor do I offer my favor or aid lightly. If I tell you it will be so, then it will be so! Make your decision before it is too late, Kipp St.Denis, or suffer your brother's eventual bad end." Then, turning on his heel, he began to walk from the hall.

"Wait!"

Adali turned.

"If I go, I must have coin," Kipp reiterated.

Adali reached into a hidden pocket within his white coat and drew out a small leather bag. "There is both gold and silver in it," he said quietly, handing it to Kipp. "More than enough to get you to England and then some."

Kipp slowly took the bag from Adali. "If I change my mind," he promised, "I will return the bag to you, Adali. What of my horse?"

"When you desire your mount it will be available to you," Adali told him. "I will see you are not followed, but ride swiftly."

The two men parted. It was interesting, Adali mused to himself, that Kipp St.Denis had offered to return the bag of coins if he did not leave his brother. He does indeed have a conscience, the steward thought, but is his loyalty to the marquis greater than his sense of self-preservation, I wonder? We shall see. We shall see.

Adali hurried down to the kitchens to make certain that the dinner would be of the finest quality. The marquis of Hartsfield must be well fed and filled with rich wine, the last few cups of which would be spiked with a sleeping draught that would have him sleeping through into the following afternoon. Next Adali moved on to the stables, and instructed the head groom to make certain that Kipp St.Denis's horse was rested and fed and available to his master on request.

"He's got a loose shoe, Master Adali," the head groom told the steward. "Wouldn't take much to fix it. Blacksmith be working today."

"Have him replace all four of the horses's shoes," Adali said, "and Dugald, this will be our wee secret, eh?"

"Aye, Master Adali," Dugald said, winking broadly.

"The horses belonging to the marquis and his other men," Adali continued, "I think they might be taken to the high pasture to graze until they are needed."

"Aye, Master Adali," the head groom said with a grin. The earl's new steward might not be a Scot, but he thought like one, Dugald decided. At least where the English were concerned.

Piers St.Denis enjoyed sitting at the head of the highboard in the Great Hall that night. He let his eye wander to the banners hanging from the rafters, banners which indicated the many battles in which the Leslies had fought, and to the beautiful tapestries hanging upon the walls that their women had created. He admired the heavy and copious amount of silver upon the sideboard, the two magnificent portraits hanging over the fireplaces, and noted that the lamps burned only the purest scented oil and that the candles were of beeswax, not tallow.

The meal served him was exquisite. There was a fat duck in plum sauce, a small trout poached in white wine and set upon a bed of fresh cress on its silver platter, another silver platter of lamb-chops, artichokes steamed in wine and served with drawn butter, bread still warm from the ovens, and an excellent cheese. For afters an apple tart with thick, clotted cream was offered. Adali had inquired solicitously if his lordship would have wine, ale, or cider. The marquis had, of course, chosen the fine wine that Jasmine had always served. He had eaten alone, but for his brother, Kipp, who was oddly silent.

Now, however, as the evening drew in, he began to feel sleepy. It was not surprising, considering the long journey up from Edinburgh. Yawning, he pulled himself to his feet, but fell back again into his chair, his legs weak beneath him. Piers St.Denis laughed drunkenly.

"Let me help you," Kipp said, coming to his aid.

"Les take a serving wench with us, Kipp, and have some fun," the marquis muttered. "I like the one over there with the big titties and the big bottom. Looks like a squealer, eh? We can fill ‘er at both ends, brother." He laughed again, collapsing against his sibling.

"Perhaps later, Piers, when you have rested," Kipp said.

"Wanna whip ‘er hard," the marquis said, "just like I'm going to do to Jasmine. Whip ‘em and fuck ‘em, eh, Kipp? Thas how to treat a woman. How old's ‘er daughter, Kipp? We'll whip ‘er, too, and teach ‘er how to suck. She's too little to fuck right now, but we can teach ‘er other things."

Kipp helped his brother to his bedchamber and, pulling his doublet and boots off as he had so often done, put him to bed. He had been drugged. Of that Kipp had no doubt. Now it was up to him to decide. Piers was out of control, he knew. The talk of debauching little India Lindley had disgusted him. They had never harmed a child, but he knew if his brother said he would do it, he would. I cannot countenance it, Kipp thought, and if I remain, I cannot prevent it. Only by going can I save myself, and mayhap in the end, my brother. He once again sought out Adali.

"You drugged Piers's wine," he said.

"He will sleep until tomorrow afternoon," Adali said matter-of-factly, not denying it. "You have decided then."

"Will you see that I am awakened so that I may leave at first light?" Kipp said. "I have such a long journey ahead."

Adali nodded. "What made you decide?" he asked curious.

"He speaks of seducing and debasing Lady Jasmine's eldest daughter," Kipp said. "The very idea revolts me. I can no longer be of help to a brother who considers such perversions as brutalizing a child."

"He will not harm her," Adali said tightly, "or my mistress, or any of her family. I would kill him myself this night, but that the earl has insisted we resolve this matter within the tenets of the king's law. Best the marquis of Hartsfield be exposed for all to see as the corrupt creature he is, Kipp St.Denis. You are wise to escape him now while you have the opportunity."

In the hour before dawn Adali himself awakened Kipp, took him to the kitchens, fed him, and gave him a supply of oat cakes, cheese, salted meat, and wine to aid him in his travels. He also instructed him in a shortcut over the mountains known only to the local folk. It would cut two days off his journey south. Then, leading him to the stable, he helped him to saddle his horse.

"I have seen to his shoeing," he told the surprised Kipp. "You will travel better for it. Do not fear that any of your brother's men will see you leave. Like their master, they will sleep well this day." He laughed softly as he led the horse from the stables.

Beneath the portcullis Kipp St.Denis mounted his animal. Looking down at Adali, he said, "I am sad, Adali, but I know I have made the right decision, hard as it was. My brother is lost to me."

"One door closes, another is opened wide," Adali said wisely. "God watch over you in your travels, Kipp St.Denis." Then, reaching into his coat, he drew forth a small sealed parchment. "Deliver this to Viscount Villiers, if you will, and your safety is assured." Then Adali slapped the rump of the horse and watched as Kipp rode forth from Glenkirk Castle. "You have seen nothing," he said quietly to the man-at-arms on watch.

"Aye, Master Adali," the soldier replied.

The night faded away, and the day began at Glenkirk as it always did. A messenger was dispatched to the earl informing him of St.Denis's arrival and Adali's success at subverting Kipp, who had obviously, according to Adali, been considering a departure from his brother's service for some time. In midafternoon the marquis of Hartsfield stumbled into the Great Hall, shouting for his brother, for Adali, for someone.

"Ahhh, my lord, you are awake at last," Adali said coming forth. "Are you hungry? How may I serve you?"

"Where the hell is my brother?" St.Denis demanded.

"Your brother?" Adali looked puzzled. "Is he not with you, my lord? I thought he was always with you."

"No! He isn't with me, or I wouldn't be asking," snapped the marquis. "Bring me some wine! My mouth tastes like a whore's cunt!"

"The last I saw of your brother was last night when he put your lordship to bed. This traveling is hard on you, I can see as you are not used to it. Life at court ill prepares one for such travel as yours, my lord." He poured St.Denis a large goblet of wine and handed it to him. "Your wine, my lord."

The marquis drained the goblet swiftly. "What time is it?"

"Almost four o'clock of the afternoon," Adali said cheerfully.

"Where are my men?"

"Like you, my lord, they slept like the dead," Adali replied.

"Find my brother!" the marquis ordered Adali, who bowed in a servile manner and left the hall. He returned within the half hour to inform Pier St.Denis, "Your brother seems to have left the castle, my lord, for his horse is gone from its place in the stables. It must have been early, for the stable lad did not see him go. I suspect he left during the time when the night watch and the day watch were exchanging places. The night watch thinks he saw a rider leave, but he is not certain, and the day watch saw nothing. I regret I can tell you no more." Adali bowed.

"If you have harmed him …" Piers St.Denis began, but Adali cut him short.

"My lord," he said angrily, "you are under the protection of the earl of Glenkirk. No one would harm you or yours while you are here. If we wished you harm, you, your brother, and your men would have all been slain in your beds last night, and already buried in a pit upon the ben, even as I speak. No one here has harmed or injured your brother in any way. I do not know where he has gone, or why. Now, my lord, would you like something to eat?"

"He'll be back," the marquis muttered almost to himself. He felt headachy and out of sorts. He ate alone, served by men servants. There were no women in sight at all. Finally he called to Adali, and said, "I want a woman, dammit! Fetch me that serving wench who was in the hall last night. The red-haired wench with the big tits!"

"I regret, my lord, that we have no whores at Glenkirk for our guests," Adali replied quietly, his tone firm.

St. Denis stamped from the hall and found his bedchamber. While he did not feel sleepy, he did sleep, awakening again just at dawn. Dressing himself, he returned to the hall. "I will be leaving this morning," he told Adali. "Have you written down the names of the places the earl and Jasmine might be? And the directions to these places?"

"I have, my lord," Adali reassured him, serving the marquis himself. There were no other servants in the hall to be seen at all this morning. Adali placed a bowl of oat stirabout before the marquis with a chunk of bread and cheese and a goblet of cider.

When Piers St.Denis had eaten, he took the parchment with the listings and the map from Adali and strode out into the courtyard, where his men stood milling about. "Have any of you seen my brother?" he demanded of them, but they all shook their heads no. His horse was brought, and the marquis mounted it, looking about him. "Where are my men's horses, Adali?"

"We could not stable so many, my lord, and so we sent them up to the high pasture to graze," was the helpful reply. "It is on your way to Sithean, my lord. If your men carry their saddles and packs up to the meadows on the ben, they can round up their horses, and you will be quickly on your way. To send up for them ourselves would mean the loss of another day for you, and I know that you do not want to lose another day in your search for my master and my mistress." He smiled.

Piers St.Denis cursed under his breath. He suspected that Adali's polite manner masked a successful effort to thwart him in his pursuit of the earl and countess of Glenkirk. Yet Adali had been very cooperative. There was nothing the marquis of Hartsfield could put his finger on to justify his suspicions even if his instinct told him otherwise. "If my brother should return," he began, "you will tell him where we have gone, Adali, will you not?"

"Of course, my lord. If you follow my list as I have written it for you—Sithean to Greyhaven to Hay House, to Leslie Brae to Briarmere Moor and thus on the Huntley, the stronghold of the Gordons—I will know exactly where you are at all times. I shall be able to send Master St.Denis directly to you when he returns."

"But what of those places where the games are held?" the marquis asked Adali.

"My lord, you should catch up to my master and mistress long before then. If you do not, I can only say, Inverness, Loch Lomond, or Nairn. I do not know which they shall attend, nor when. You will have to find that out for yourself."

Piers St.Denis yanked at his horse's head and, without even a simple farewell or thanks, motioned to his men to follow him and rode out of Glenkirk Castle.

"Good riddance!" Will Todd murmured to Adali, coming from the shadows.

"A fool, ‘tis true," Adali said, "but a dangerous fool, Will. What report do you have of Kipp St.Denis? Is he long gone?"

"He is riding like the devil himself is after him," the old man said. "The watch upon the heights have all reported back. He was off Leslie lands by late yesterday. I believe he will be in Edinburgh wi'in a few days. Master Adam's pigeon will inform us when he reaches the city, and he will see that young St.Denis gets safely over the border into England. Where is the earl now?"

"At Dun Broc visiting his in-laws for a brief time," Adali replied. "Where he goes next will depend upon our marquis and his patience. If he is clever, he will send parties of men out to check at all the places I have said the earl might be. It would save him time. By denying him his brother, we have removed his only real ally. Those alley rats of his look neither loyal nor resourceful, just greedy."

"Our clansmen will be watching them every step of the way, Adali. We'll be ahead of them, I promise ye. When do you think we will hear from Jamie Stuart himself?"

"Our messenger must have surely reached the king by now," Adali said. "And when Kipp St.Denis arrives, the king, who is prone to indecision, will finally, it is hoped, have to do something, Will. Then his decision must be made known in Scotland, and St.Denis caught and held for king's justice."

"So ‘tis cat and mouse until then," Will noted.

"Aye," Adali agreed.

"Ahh, ‘tis guid to have the earl home again," Will replied. "‘Twas verra boring at Glenkirk while he was gone."

"‘Tis nae boring now," Adali chuckled.

"Aye," Will said, his weathered face wreathed in smiles. "‘Tis just like the old days."

"The old days?" Adali looked puzzled.

"Aye," Will replied. "When the current earl was but a bairn, and his mother, Mistress Catriona, was loved by her husband, and the earl of Bothwell, and lusted after by the same Jamie Stuart now on the throne. Ahh, what a time we have then, although we clansmen folk weren't meant to know it, but we did. There was comings and goings, and the king wanted the current earl's mother for his mistress, and her husband was lost at sea, and she, so in love wi the earl of Bothwell, who was the king's cousin. They called him the Uncrowned King of Scotland, and Jamie Stuart was so afraid of him that he had him put to the horn and accused of witchcraft; but it dinna get him Mistress Cat. She did her duty by the clan, matching her children up, and then she fled to her true love. Those were the days, Adali! These would seem to be verra much like them. The Leslies of Glenkirk are nae a quiet clan."

Adali laughed. "So it would seem, Will Todd, but then my mistress has never been what one would call a biddable lass. I would say the earl and his wife are more than well matched where trouble is concerned."

"Aye, which is all the more reason we'll keep them safe from this Englishman. We have lost one Leslie countess to perfidy, but we will nae lose another, Adali. We'll nae lose another!"