“Don’t worry, Lady Gruoch,” Morag said, taking my arm. “You are in Lochaber. Not a soul in this castle will speak a word about anything they see here.”
“No, Your Majesty, we certainly will not,” Lewis agreed.
“We are all loyal to this house. Lewis has been here longer than me. But don’t let our old bones worry you. There are plenty of young, strapping boys and girls about to get things done. And, of course, your Moray men. She has her own guard,” Morag told Lewis.
“Oh! Very good. I will make arrangements for their comfort.”
“Thank you,” I told the man.
“Come along, my lady,” Morag said, leading me upstairs. “Now, there is one thing you must know about Tor Castle.”
“What is that?”
“Despite all our love and loyalty, we have the worst cooks in the realm.”
“All things considered, that is terrible news,” I said, my hand resting on my stomach. I laughed.
Morag laughed. “Don’t worry, Lady Gruoch. Don’t worry. I’ll look after you as best I can. And I’ll send for my niece to help me.”
“You have a niece?”
She nodded. “Smart girl. She always wanted to come to the castle. She’ll help me look after you since Rhona and Tira were too lazy to come this far.”
“I think they missed their families.”
“They are lady’s maids, and their lady is with child. Well, no matter. Come along. I’ll have you settled in no time.”
Morag led me upstairs to the second floor. We followed a narrow hallway which led to yet another set of steps to the third floor.
“This is the family wing. The southern end has the best view of the river,” Morag told me.
She led me to a chamber at the end of the hall. She pushed open a wide door to reveal a beautifully bedecked room.
“Well, look at that,” she said, her hands on her hips. “It’s all new.”
“All new?”
“The bed, the linens, the rugs, the tapestries. This was the old thane’s chamber. Banquo closed it. But look at this place, like life has been breathed in once more,” she said then chuckled. “My thane is acting like a newly married man.”
Stepping inside, I turned around to look at the room. Red and blue silk drapes covered the bed. The room was made of fine furnishings, the tapestries on the walls depicting forest and farm scenes.
“Lovely,” I said, turning about.
“Why don’t you take a little rest, my lady? I doubt they expected you to be such a worker. I’ll see to it that you have a conference chamber ready,” Morag said then left me alone.
I went to the window. The room had a good view of the river. I could see the mountains and fields all around. Lochaber was beautiful. Wind blew in the open casement, carrying with it a warm summer breeze. I closed my eyes and let the wind caress my cheek.
“Well, my little one, what do you think of this place?” I whispered, setting my hand on my stomach.
The baby moved and kicked.
I laughed. “I agree.”
I left the chamber and explored the other rooms in the hallway. Beside our bedchamber, another room had been prepared. There were other chambers all along the hall, many of them recently refreshed. At the other end of the hallway, however, I found a second large bedchamber. This one looked out on the forest. The place had not been used of late, but I noticed there were ladies’ things—a spinning wheel, dresses, and a tray with a comb and mirror sitting at the bedside. I looked at the small ladies’ items, spotting a familiar comb amongst them. The adornment was made of ivory, a merwoman carved on it. It was Merna’s. This must have been the room she and Banquo had once shared.
I glanced around the room.
I didn’t feel Merna’s presence there, but all the same, I felt like I was intruding. I exited the space. Retracing my steps, I found the stairs leading to the second floor. I worked my way down the hall, looking here and there, familiarizing myself with the castle. Morag was right. It was a small citadel, but it was warm and cheerful.
I had just arrived on the balcony overlooking the second floor when Banquo entered.
In that single moment, my breath caught in my throat. If we had gotten married from the start, would I have been lady here? How many times would I have come to this balcony to welcome my husband? Lochaber, rather than Moray, would have become my home. It was a beautiful country with tall mountains, dense forests, and lochs.
I smiled at Banquo.
He returned the gesture. His expression told me he shared my thoughts.
Maybe everything had been delayed.
Maybe a life with Banquo had seemed impossible.
But here I was.
At last.
At last.
Banquo.
Chapter 32
Summer passed peacefully, and soon, autumn came to Lochaber. The forest vista outside Tor Castle changed to ruby red, burnt orange, and vibrant yellow. The landscape was lovely, and I felt very much at home there. While Lochaber proved quiet, my work continued to be challenging. I’d finally received correspondence from the Irish king. He was willing to negotiate a release of Donaldbane, provided I came to talk in person. While I knew there were risks involved, I agreed. Being Emir’s daughter, I wanted to see my mother’s lands and maybe even meet my own flesh and blood. I promised the Irish king I would come in the spring.
I wasn’t surprised to see Banquo was a caring and thoughtful thane. Much like Gillacoemgain, he rode out to ensure his people’s harvests were coming along well. Many of the local families fished the lochs and rivers, Banquo often joining them for a day trip onto the water. Since arriving, I had eaten more fish than I had my entire life—most of which was terribly seasoned and often burnt, but Aelith never complained. In fact, I’d grown very round and fat-cheeked. When I was pregnant with Lulach and Crearwy, I often felt ill and tired. Aelith was proving to be considerably kinder to her mother.
I was resting in our chamber when Banquo returned home early one evening. He was tapping a scroll in his hand, a pensive look on his face.
“What is it?” I asked, setting down the letter I was writing.
“From Macbeth. He’s making some plans and would like me to come to Dunsinane in the spring.”
“What kind of plans?”
Banquo shook his head. “I don’t know, but he says he could use the help of his most trusted general.”
“I don’t like the sound of that. He has said nothing to me.”
Banquo nodded. “That’s what worried me as well.”
We were not yet sure if Macbeth had learned that I was in Lochaber. Thus far, his letters to me had been delivered to Cawdor—Standish sending them along to me on a weekly basis. It was only a matter of time before someone said something. Yet Madelaine assured me all seemed well. Macbeth stayed busy moving the court to Dunsinane, which was nearly ready. And she applauded Macbeth’s tact in dealing with the southern lords. Part of me wondered if Macbeth’s invitation to Banquo was nothing more than bait.
“I do have other news, good news,” Banquo said with a smile. “Our sons are coming home.”
“You’ve had word from Balor?”
Banquo nodded. “He sent a casting.”
“Thank the gods.”
“I knew you would be happy. And, my Cerridwen, there is a fresh delivery of honey in the kitchens. Morag promised me she’d make something special for you and my little one,” he said then got down on his knees before me. Wrapping his hands around my waist, Banquo pressed his cheek against my stomach. “How are you, my wee babe?”