Page 38 of Bound By Honor
“I had no sense of any support for Balliol,” said Angus, “though the Maclean chief wants to hear more about his choices.”
“Aye, he would. But I am still encouraged there is hope for the unity of the lordship. You have done well.”
Angus then spoke briefly of Mackay’s prediction, hoping his father would not be overly concerned with the seer’s dire words.
His father’s countenance darkened as he received the prophecy. “He sees more that I would hope to avoid. Conflict and war among the clans may be inevitable but I do not want it. King Edward’s cruelty is well known so a slaughter would not be unusual for him. But where and how many? And this ‘new king’. Who might he be?”
“The future is in God’s hands,” Angus gently reminded his father. “’Tis what your chaplain always tells me.”
His father placed his hand on Angus’ shoulder. The weight of it was comforting. “So it is, my son.”
The next day, Angus and Duncan bid John goodbye, knowing they would see him at the Council meeting in September. As they sailed southeast for Kintyre, rain followed them but there was an occasional rainbow to marvel at.
By the time they arrived at Dunaverty Castle two days later, they were pleased to be home, most especially his crew whose families were standing on the shore to meet them.
Once the ship was beached, Angus and Duncan climbed the rocky headland to the castle, eager to find a warming fire. He had only stepped inside the great hall and handed his wet cloak and sword belt to a waiting servant when his seneschal approached, bearing a folded parchment. “Sir, this arrived after you left. Seeing no urgency, I thought to hold it for your return.”
He thanked his seneschal and took the message to a chair in front of the fire where the heat from the flames helped take away the chill.
Duncan accepted two goblets of hot wine from a servant and brought them to where Angus sat, taking the chair next to him. Placing one goblet on the small table between them, Duncan said, “This will be waiting for you.”
Angus mumbled his thanks and stared at his name written in script on the folded parchment, recognizing the handwriting he had seen only once before. Drawing a steadying breath, he broke the beeswax seal.
I think of you often, Angus Og Macdonald, and would that I could see you again. There is more than one reason for that but the one you may care most about is that I have borne you a son. He has your eyes and there is a look about him that speaks to me of you. I have named him Iain.
Sorcha
7thof May 1292
He looked up and encountered Duncan’s puzzled expression. “Is it bad news?”
Angus sat back and shifted his gaze to the fire, remembering the Glen Coe lass. He wondered if the bairn had her fiery red hair. “That depends on whether fathering a child out of wedlock disturbs you.”
“What?”
Angus returned his gaze to his cousin. “It seems my trip to Glen Coe was not without consequence.” He glanced again at the date on the letter. “In the spring, Sorcha gave birth to a son. She claims he is mine.”
Duncan stayed silent for a moment. “Do you think the child could be another’s?”
Angus heaved a sigh. “I may never know. She says he has my eyes and the look of me. The timing is right. But it matters little, for I’ll not doubt the lass.”
“Will you marry her?
Angus picked up his goblet and sipped the wine, the honeyed spices sweet on his tongue. There had been no love between them, only pleasure and that for a single night. “Nay, nor will I formally acknowledge the lad, else he would be my heir.”
“I see,” said Duncan. “Well, the nobles of the lordship have been known to keep lemans and concubines.”
He detected no judgment in his cousin’s eyes but Angus’ thinking lay along an entirely different path. “I will have only one wife, as my father and my brother. And no lemans or concubines.”
“Will you go and see the child?”
“Eventually, but not now, else Sorcha’s father might, at sword point, insist I wed her. He must realize I did not force her, but whether he knows the truth of it, who can say? It matters little as I will provide for the lad.” Looking again at the message, he said, “I will let Sorcha know she need have no worry for his future.”
Duncan returned Angus an incredulous look. “Very generous of you, considering.”
“Or, a costly lesson well learned.”
CHAPTER 7
