Page 78 of The Daughters of Avalon
Malcom’s look was one of concern, and Elspeth wondered if perhaps he’d recognized the fact that she’d had another premonition. A very disconcerting notion was suddenly closing in all about her, dark and oppressive, like storm clouds descending. “Art well, Elspeth?”
“Oh, yes,” she said, turning to address Cameron as calmly as she was able. “So… are you returning to Carlisle?”
“Aye, my lady. We leave within the hour.”
“And the king… is… there?”
Cameron smiled, a boyish grin he shared with Malcom. “Which king?” he asked pleasantly. “Yours or mine?”
Humor escaped her this morning. “David,” Elspeth said.
Caden Mac Swein looked guardedly at Cameron, then cockeyed at Malcom. Malcom arched a brow in answer.
“My king is, indeed, in residence at Carlisle,” Cameron replied.
There was a feeling Elspeth got when the pieces of her intuition began to meld together. She had that feeling now. And equally as intuitively she knew that even if she could convince Malcom to understand her vision, she wasn’t at all certain he would agree with her interpretation—or, more importantly, put aside his pride long enough to seek help from someone who was not his sovereign.
With a clarity unlike any she’d ever known before, Elspeth realized what her role must be in her crusade for Matilda—and to save her husband.
In helping Elspeth, Malcom had lain down a gauntlet before Morwen, and Morwen would stop at naught until she crushed him, no matter where his loyalties lay. It didn’t matter how well-intended he’d been or to whom he swore his allegiance. Like it or not, Malcom had already made a choice, and lest he embrace it now, his cause would be lost. Even now, her mother could be out there.
Right now.
Elspeth didn’t have time to explain her suspicions. Nor did she intend to allow Malcom to prevent her from doing what she must—particularly if it meant she must commit treason. It was better he didn’t know.
With gooseflesh prickling at her limbs, she rose from her seat at the table, and said with a forced smile, “Pardon me, lords.” And she hurried away before anyone could stop her. She ran all the way up the stairs, taking the narrow steps two at a time, andrushed into the solar, where she’d discovered a desk yesterday. She hurried to the desk, taking up the quill she found there, then looked about for a slip of parchment—anything. She found one beneath a paper weight, dipped the quill into the ink pot, and, hoping her husband would find it in his heart to forgive her for what she was about to do, she wrote, with bold firm lines:
To David mac Maíl Choluim, King of Scots
If your conscience be true, I am certain you’ll not soon forget me. I swear by the love we both bear my sister Matilda, you have impugned the wrong woman. Morwen le Fae is the realm’s true enemy and she arrives here forthwith. You must come to our defense.
Subscribed and sealed this thirtieth day of May… by me…
Elspeth swallowed her pride, but not her self-worth. She knew full well David would come after receiving her letter and warning. He was a very pious man, and he wanted to reveal Morwen no less than Matilda did—no less than Elspeth did. Alas, she could never forgive him for his part in the death of her grandmother, and she wanted him to know precisely where her heart lay. She signed her letter:
Elspeth, lady of Aldergh, loving daughter of your beloved Henry and granddaughter of the late Morgan Pendragon, lady of Blackwood, daughter of Avalon.
Once she was done, Elspeth rolled the parchment, untied her handfasting ribbon and tied the parchment with her ribbon, then she hurried down the stairs, to the stables, realizing time was of the essence.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
With a skip in her step, Cora rushed out of the lord’s chamber, humming as she carried Elspeth’s dirty gown over her arm. What a sweet, sweet lass! Already, she approved of her lord’s choice of lady, and she wanted to surprise the girl with a clean gown. How refreshing she was! How plainly spoken! How delightful and lovely!
But she was so distracted, and in such a hurry, she started at the sight that greeted her as she hurried out of the lord’s chamber—a man, sweat-soaked and feverish, clawing his way down the corridor—and she froze, realizing only belatedly who it was. “Daw! Good heavens. What’re ye doing oot of bed?”
There was a febrile gleam in the man’s gaze that Cora had never seen before. “I’m looking for the lady of Aldergh.”
“Odsbodikins, lad! Ye ought to be keeping your bed. Ye look like the devil! And, anyhoo, what would ye be wanting with our lady?” She waved him away impatiently. “Off wi’ ye, and get well. There’ll be plenty o’ time for everything later.” He took a steptoward her, with bloodshot eyes and it made Cora nervous just to see him. She took a wary step backward.
“Don’t matter any to ye,” he barked. “I need to speak w’ the lady, so tell me where’s she gone.”
There was something about him Cora didn’t like. He wasn’t acting like his old self. Ever since he’d returned two nights past, burning up with fever, he’d been raving like a lunatic about things she didn’t understand. “I-I don’t know,” she said, and he took another threatening step toward her. Cora frowned. “Last I seen her, boy… she was running to the stables.” In a far less sure tone of voice, she chastised, “But you’d best not be bothering her now. She’s too busy and?—”
Like a rabid wolf, Daw lunged at her, shoving her back against the wall. She heard the sound of her own head cracking as she fell.
Confusedby Elspeth’s actions in the hall, Malcom had let her go. He said goodbye to his cousin and gave Wee Davie a bear hug, sorry to see the boy go. And then, once the trio departed the hall, he climbed the stairs to search for his wife, saddened by the turn of events.
