Page 58 of Much Ado About a Scot

The crowd gasped.

King James’s face darkened. “This is not justice!”

The Earl of Bothwell’s smile was almost sinister. “This is your court and your justice system. You have only yourself to blame that it has worked in my favor.” Bothwell, a free man, headed toward the door.

“This isn’t over, Cousin.” The king stood and pumped his fist in the air. “You might have won your freedom, but I am the one with ultimate power over you. Just you wait and see.”

As the others drifted from the tribunal chamber, Xander gathered Isobel in his arms. In that moment, it felt as though they were the only two people in the world. She wrapped her arms around him and let the warmth of his body chase away the chill that had been her constant companion for the past three days.

Closing her eyes, she let the moment register so that she would always be able to draw on this memory in the years ahead. Her worries were behind her. The villagers knew the truth about who had killed her husbands. Her debt had been forgiven. She had a new source of income that would help her keep the farm profitable until Jamie took control. There was possibly a new life growing inside her, and she had Xander’s love.

Yet one thing remained uncertain. She opened her eyes. Where did she and Xander go from here? “I never thought I would say this, in light of all that has happened, but a part of me is glad the Earl of Bothwell chose Gladmuir Hall and Dunbar Manor to be a part of his scheme to overthrow the king. If he had not, I never would have met you.”

Xander sighed. “Bothwell has caused nothing but chaos for many over the years, but I agree: much ado about that Scot is what brought our lives together.”

“What will happen to him now that he was freed of the charges of witchcraft and treason?”

“Bothwell was freed of all charges because he placed only men who would favor him on the jury panel. Even so, King James is not one to let this farce of a trial go unpunished. If he cannot trap his cousin in the courtroom, he will do so with his own power by stripping Bothwell of everything he owns and all that he is. Bothwell’s life as he once knew it is over. If he doesn’t flee Scotland at this moment, he would be wise to do so soon. He won’t be safe anywhere or around any of his supporters any longer, or they will suffer the same harsh punishment the king intends to heap upon Bothwell.”

He smiled down at her. “Did you mean what you said? Do you truly love me?”

“Quite desperately.”

He threaded his fingers through hers, bringing her hand to his lips.

“You turned my life upside down from the moment I met you.”

He sobered. “You mean from the moment I lied to you.”

All that she’d forgotten in the moments of darkness and pain came back to her. He might love her and want to be with her but his duty was to the king. She pulled her hand from his. “Do you escort the king back to Edinburgh tonight?”

He shook his head. “My brothers-in-arms can protect him while I see to something even more important.”

“What is that?”

“Revealing my true self to you. There will be no more secrets between us. We will share everything. Our joys and our fears.” Concern darkened his brown eyes as he placed a gentle hand over her abdomen. “Is the baby well?” He drew a strangled breath. “The pricker . . . Did he damage the child? Did he . . . damage you?”

At the intensity in his voice, a pang of tenderness stirred within her. “We are both well and whole. I knew I could not let the witch pricker harm our babe. When he started to prick my abdomen, I lost my senses. When I came to, there was only the one slight mark. For which I am grateful.”

A muscle jerked in his jaw. “My brothers-in-arms had to hold me back while they took you away. They convinced me that attacking the tolbooth, searching for you, would only make things worse in the end.” His face was a savage mask until she raised her hand to his cheek. He leaned into her touch. “I cannot imagine how you suffered . . .”

“There must be darkness in order for there to also be light. I am a fighter, Xander. Or do you not know this about me yet?”

“You are the strongest woman I have ever known.”

“I am strong enough to handle whatever secrets you have kept from me, Xander.”

He nodded. “Retrieve Jamie from Freya while I gather a few supplies for our travels.”

Startled, she asked, “Are we going somewhere?”

A tender smile lit his face. “It’s time I took you both to my home so you may know the real me.”

“But the harvest, what is left of it anyway, will need to be threshed and sold in the next week.”

“We should only be gone for two days. Can you spare me that time?”

She nodded. “Where is your home?”