I nursed the baby on both sides without touching her, without stroking her soft little cheek, and then she was yanked from my arms and I was returned to the corner.
I fell asleep and slept soundly for a couple of hours. Then, still asleep, I was jerked up, marched to the prayer corner and forced to lift my outer skirts and was beaten again with the stick. Thwack on the back of my thighs. Thwack on my ass. Thwack across my lower back and upper back and again and again while I peed myself in pain. My face pressed to the wall, she kicked me, and face against the wall I collapsed, crumpling to the ground, sobbing in my own filth.
The morning was the same. I just allowed myself to be pulled from the corner to the chair and back to my knees to pray.
Thirty-six - Magnus
I asked a few of the men about m’wife and ate m’meal, trying tae understand how she could be here without anyone bein’ aware of it, but then Sir Colin, ignoring my purpose, wanted tae shew me around the tower construction.
I went outside and listened tae him speakin’ on the tower, while I turned, eyein’ the doors and windows and passageways around. I discerned where the kitchen would be in the southeast corner. Then I saw a group of women walkin’ together, their eyes cast down, heading from the kitchen tae the Great Hall for their meal.
One among them was the household manager, I could tell from her air. I would speak tae her first.
Sir Colin droned on, “This is where we will situate the door, and there will be the stair.”
The women entered the Great Hall and the door was closed behind them. I said, “Sir Colin, m’apologies, I need tae return tae the hall, for one more...”
“Oh yes, of course, ye dinna eat much before.”
He made tae attend me, but I said, “Nae, stay here with yer masons, I will return in a moment.” I followed the women intae the Great Hall and found a way tae situate myself near their table as they ate their mornin’ meal. I kent I couldna easily approach and speak as a stranger, I dinna want them tae feel alarmed. And if I frightened them, Sir Colin would nae trust me. There were a great many men here, and I was alone. So I stood nearby tae listen tae their conversation, but then I saw it.
A flash of gold on a hand, out of place as it was the only one in the group. It was on the oldest of the women, one with an ugly pinched face. She was wearin’ Kaitlyn’s wedding ring.
She was talkin’ about the nursery, the bairn. She was wavin’ her hand as if proud of the theft.
I stalked out tae the courtyard and demanded of Sir Colin, “I hae seen yer nursemaid, in yer hall. She has a hand that is adorned well past what I am used tae seein’ on a woman of her stature — tis the ring of m’wife, Lady Kaitlyn Campbell.”
"What are ye sayin’?”
"That this fortress holds liars and thieves and possibly worse. Yer nursemaid kens the whereabouts of m’wife. I am a lord and I expect ye tae come tae the truth of it.”
Sir Colin looked shocked. “I assure ye, the nursemaid is nae a thief.”
“I am nae accusin’ her of thievery. Did ye nae tell me ye would be aware of every woman in this fort? That ye would personally ken if m’wife was here? Ye just said that tae me in yer office, and then ye took some of m’gold with a promise tae help me find her, and yet, here ye are, discussin’ yer tower, while m’wife is nae found.”
He looked shocked.
“I hae come tae ye as a man, without m’guard, tae ask for yer assistance, but with these facts afore me I will need tae return with my soldiers—”
The man called, “Mary!” He stalked toward the door, calling again, “Mary!”
I moved tae follow him.
She emerged from the Great Hall. “Aye, Sir Colin?”
“Shew me yer hand.”
She tentatively held out a hand.
“The other one.”
She tentatively held out a hand shewin’ Kaitlyn’s gold wedding ring. The garnet stone was nae as large as I had wanted, but twas plenty out of place on this woman’s hand.
“Where did ye get this ring?”
She said, “I found it, I—”
He withdrew a stick from his belt and hit her hard against the back of her hand. “If ye found it ye should hae returned it tae me. Tis nae yours. It belongs tae me. All things belong tae me. I am the rightful owner as I am your Laird.”
He smacked her again. “This man, Lord Magnus Campbell, says ye are wearin’ his wife’s ring. Dost ye ken the whereabouts of his wife?”
"Her name is Lady Kaitlyn,” I added.
She shook her head.
He smacked her on the back of her hand. “For thievery," he smacked, "and lying!" He smacked again.
Big welts raised on her skin, but she stared straight ahead and wouldna answer tae the charges.
He yanked the ring off her hand and called, “Lady Katherine!” It was easier tae hear him because all work had ceased.
A woman who I assumed was his wife, richly dressed, and verra young, emerged from one of the buildings. Her head bowed. “Aye, milord?”
“Dost ye ken why yer nursemaid has been wearing a golden ring? She has adorned herself with a piece of jewelry she claims tae hae found. Lord Magnus Campbell says it belongs tae his wife.”
“Nae!" She shook her head. “Mary! Ye hae been a thief?” She held her hand tae her heart as if she couldna believe a word of it.
He asked, “Dost ye ken where his wife might be?”
Mary shook her head. “Nae, I daena ken.”
I said, “I am nae leavin’ until all the rooms of this fortress are turned over and m’wife is found.”
“Ye are accusin’ me of hiding a Lady within the walls of m’fortress?”
“Unless the maid Mary will speak tae how she came tae hae my wife’s ring on her hand, then aye, I am of the belief that ye hae m’wife, and ye are attempting tae keep her.”
She repeated, “I found it, tis mine.”
Sir Colin said, “Search the grounds, we are looking for a woman, a Lady Kaitlyn Campbell!”
Lady Katherine wrung her hands. The soldiers went off in all directions. Men and women came from their rooms tae stand in the courtyard watching the drama unfold. A few people leaned from windows on the upper floors watchin’ from above.
I was furious. I tried tae look calm, and dignified and important but I wanted tae kill Sir Colin, and I truly wanted the men tae look in the nursery. I had discerned which room it was, and I kept m’eye on the door.
A soldier reported tae Sir Colin that she wasna found. He explained tae me, “We haena found her, as I said before, she is a—”
“Ye should look in the nursery, since twas yer nursemaid who has been the thief.”
Lady Katherine looked distraught. “Nae, Sir Colin, ye canna send the soldiers intae the nursery, there is a new bairn—”
He said, “Then call the women outside, we need a full accounting.”
“In the snow?”
“Aye, in the snow.”
We all walked over tae the door of the nursery and Lady Katherine called in "All of ye, please come tae the door.”
A lone woman came tae the door. The woman, Lady Katherine, and Mary conferred. In their whispers I thought I heard the words, coigreach, and then bean. They meant stranger and wife.