Highland Barbarian Part 66

"Aye, Majesty. And when the battle was over, Kinloch House was burned and many of its inhabitants wounded. Among them Brice. We feared he would not live."

"And that is how the rumor of his death came about?"

"Aye. Gareth and his men found no heartbeat. Nor did I upon first examination. But finally I found a pulse, weak, feeble, but a sign of life nevertheless."

"And you bravely brought him through the crisis."

Meredith glanced toward the queen to see if she were jesting. But there was no hint of a smile on her face.

"Aye. He survived. Thanks be to G.o.d."

"Why did you leave him?"

"When I heard that Gareth MacKenzie intended to seek an audience with you and have me declared dead, I knew that I had to journey to Edinburgh and fight for my rights."

"Once again you have proven your mettle, Meredith MacAlpin. You make all Scotswomen proud." The queen allowed her gaze to linger a moment on Meredith's face before she turned to Mary Fleming.

"Is it not Divine Providence that has sent her to us?"

Fleming nodded and spoke rapidly in French to the others, who began laughing and nodding.

"What is it, Majesty?"

The queen stood, drawing herself up to her full height before staring down at Meredith.

"You are privileged to write history, Meredith MacAlpin. Because of your strong resemblance to your queen, and the fact that you have been sent to me at my very hour of need, you will provide a great service to your queen."

Meredith glanced uneasily around the table, puzzled by the tension she could feel.

"Tomorrow at Court, Meredith," the queen said somberly, "you will be me."

"You, Majesty? But where will you be?"

"I will be--indisposed," the queen said enigmatically.

"But why?"

The queen clapped her hands and began to laugh.

"I cannot keep this a secret from you, Meredith. Tomorrow I am to be kidnapped by a secret admirer."

"Kidnapped." Meredith was thunderstruck.

"Aye. Is it not the most-romantic thing you have ever heard of? Ever since I heard your story, I have yearned to experience such a thing.

And now it has come to pa.s.s. A certain--n.o.bleman desires to be alone with me. And since the queen can never be alone with a gentleman, I must arrange to be kidnapped. But, of course, if I were not to appear at Court, there would have to be a reasonable explanation. We had thought that I would plead one of my famous headaches. But now that you are here, I need not be absent from Court at all. Is this not truly exciting?"

"But, Majesty, there are affairs of state to be determined each day at Court. How can I handle such issues?"

"Simple. Whatever you decree, it is the decree of the queen."

"Majesty!" Meredith felt a sense of hysteria bubbling dangerously close to the surface. But the queen blithely went on making her plans.

"Flem will help you with names and faces. And Seton and Beaton will sit on either side of you for a.s.sistance.

Because of you, your queen will experience a day of freedom, Meredith."

Feeling desperately alone, Meredith glanced about the room. Candles flickered in sconces along walls hung with rich French tapestries and gilt-framed mirrors. On the floor were elegant carpets. The table, the chairs, nearly all the furniture in the queen's sitting chamber, had been brought from France. The women seated around the queen giggled and made comments in French, and Mary responded rapidly in the same language.

As she sat in their midst, watching, listening, it occurred to Meredith that they could just as easily have been in the French Court. In fact, she realized with sudden knowledge, that was what Mary had created here in Edinburgh. Dismissing the somber landscape beyond the walls of Holy- rood house denying the tension created by John Knox against her, Mary had created a pale imitation of the Court in France, which she so desperately missed. The man she planned to meet secretly would take the place, for a while, of the husband she still mourned. And the women around her, wishing to see to her happiness, were part of the game.

It was all a game, Meredith thought with a sense of panic. The palace, the Court, the pet.i.tioners who awaited the verdict of their queen. All a terrible, awe-inspiring game. And on the morrow, she would become a key player in this deadly game. A game that as yet seemed to have no rules.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Q^s^s^Q -Drenna, Megan and Angus looked up from their early- morning meal as the door to the inn was thrown open. When Brice stepped inside Angus hurried to him. There was no need to ask the question that sprang to his lips. One look at the tight, hard set of Brice's mouth told Angus all he wanted to know.

"You did not find her."

"Not a trace." Brice ran a hand over the stubble of dark beard that covered his chin.

"I inquired at every inn and stable. There has been no sign of her."

"Perhaps she was delayed along the way."

Brice's eyes were bleak.

"Or ran into Gareth MacKenzie's company."

"Come, old friend," Angus said gently.

"Break your fast with us."

"Nay. We must hurry to Holyroodhouse and demand a private audience with the queen." He brushed past Angus. "I will make myself presentable and then we ride."

Brenna and Megan turned to each other with a growing sense of dread.

They had not known until this moment that Brice had stayed out all night searching for Meredith. They pushed away from the table, feeling a hard knot of fear in the pit of their stomachs. What had happened to their beloved Meredith?

Within the hour the four were riding through the city to the queen's residence. The keeper of the gate of Holyrood- house accepted a message from Brice, then withdrew. After what seemed an eternity he returned, along with a soldier who rolled the heavy gate open. The gatekeeper motioned for the four visitors to follow him.

Brice's look was impa.s.sive, his fears carefully hidden behind the mask of a proper n.o.bleman. Behind him, Brenna and Megan could hardly contain their excitement. Despite their fears for their sister, one thought was uppermost in their minds. The palace. They were actually inside the palace and were going to meet the queen.

A servant drew open the heavy draperies, allowing the morning sunlight to stream into the room. In the ornate bed Meredith awoke from sleep as one drugged. After her exhausting journey from the Highlands, her body had begged for rest. And despite the fears that plagued her upon the queen's announcement the previous night, sleep had claimed her the moment she had lain her head upon the pillow.

"Meredith. Meredith." A hand tugged at her shoulder. The voice of Mary Fleming sounded urgent.

"You must wake and dress quickly. You have visitors."