The Beauty of the Mist (36 page)

Maria saw the fleeting but disdainful glance he gave her as he got closer, then he averted his eyes. Summoning all the courage she could muster, she steeled herself to the hot pokers that were punching holes in her heart. She had to get through this, she reminded herself. For him. She continued to watch him with a gaze she hoped appeared cool and reserved.

As he came to a halt, he bowed at the waist, then, raising his gaze, he seemed to fix on something directly behind her. He was truly beautiful, she thought. His long, black hair was tied back, and his face had the chiseled look of a god. His tartan and his kilt were dark and colorful in relief of the brilliant white of his linen shirt. His muscular legs were spread at shoulder width, and the high, soft leather of his boots told of a man of wealth, a man of action. Maria gazed up into blue eyes that once had been so full of love for her, but were now cold and vacant. He stared through her as if she didn’t exist.

The two stood facing each other, and for a moment, neither spoke.

She drew in her breath and tried to steady her trembling hands. Then, turning to the nobleman standing beside her, she picked up–from a velvet cushion the man held–a heavy golden chain and medallion and held it up before her.

They both knew what she had to do, but there was no way she could accomplish the task without his cooperation. Her green eyes pleaded with him, and he returned her gaze...but with a look that spoke of utter contempt. Then he lowered his head, allowing her to place the chain around his neck.

“Please accept this token of our gratitude for your service.” Maria thanked God her voice was clear. She nodded in Charles’s direction. “The Emperor himself has made arrangements to reward you amply.”

The Highlander bowed at her in courtesy. His face was a mask, and he never took his eyes off of Maria.

“I thank the Emperor,” John said graciously, his expression never faltering. “But no more reward is necessary. You yourself, Your Majesty, have already rewarded me well.”

He bowed again before turning on his heel and striding into the crowd.

If the Highlander had slapped her across the face, driven a sword into her heart, Maria’s pain could not have been more grievous than the agony she felt as her beloved moved across the Hall and disappeared into the night.

It was a mistake to try to see him aboard the
Great Michael
, and Maria knew it, but she was desperate to have a moment alone with him. Yesterday, on their first day at sea, she had sent a messenger requesting his presence in her cabin, but he’d ignored her request and had never come.

Now, though, she had a valid reason to see him. News of Janet Maule’s elopement had apparently spread like wildfire among the ship’s occupants, but word of it had only now reached her ears. And Maria needed to find out from John whether Janet and David were, in fact, safe and had been adequately provided for, financially.

Maria had known that it would come to this. From personal belongings, the young queen drew out the short letter left for her by Janet at the Palace. Maria glanced at the neat script of the young woman’s hand. According to the note, Caroline had threatened to disgrace her before her father if she would not agree to certain conditions having to do with her future queen. Maria didn’t need Janet’s full narration of Caroline’s intentions to know what the young woman was so discreetly referring to. But in Janet’s own words, she knew that this would be only the first of many actions that her stepmother would extort from her in the days to come. And knowing also that her father would never understand her love for David Maxwell, Janet had written that perhaps the time was nearing for her to cut her ties with the past and seek her destiny at David’s side.

Maria held the note in her lap. After their meeting a few days ago, Caroline had not ventured from her bedchamber. But Maria knew that the Scottish woman’s deep hatred would not be constrained for long, especially when the woman realized that–considering her stepdaughter’s closeness to Maria–she had a way to strike back. From Caroline’s point of view, Janet’s friendship with Maria had to offer first hand knowledge of the Queen’s romance. The fact that Janet had no prejudice against John would make her a very credible witness–to Charles and to King James. Maria had no doubt that Caroline expected her stepdaughter to cooperate ‘freely’ and supply corroborating details of the affair between Maria and John.

But Janet had thwarted her stepmother’s plans. At the side of her beloved, Janet Maule had eluded Caroline and fled to freedom.

Freedom. Maria put the letter away and allowed one of her attendants to open the cabin door. Moving quickly through the ship, the young queen stepped out onto the ship’s deck. As another attendant placed a cloak around her shoulder, Maria thought how unpleasant it was to be surrounded with servants and attendants every moment of one’s life. For as long as she’d lived, this had been her experience, but she had never even noticed it. At least, not until she’d tasted the sweet nectar of freedom for a few precious days.

She simply couldn’t breathe with so many surrounding her. Pampering her. Doing their utmost to please her. But these young noblewomen were strangers to her, and Maria knew Charles had seen to it that this would be the case. Less chance for anything more happening that might jeopardize his plans. All strangers to her–with the exception of her aunt.

Isabel presence on the ship provided Maria with the only agreeable antidote to the lethal doses of cheerfulness that these other women provided. Of course, listening to her, one wouldn’t normally think Isabel’s conversation as agreeable. Cranky and difficult to the bitter end, the elder woman had finally agreed to accompany Maria to her destination. But no further. Whatever miserable port they put into, that port was the one she’d be departing from, immediately. That was how she’d put it to Maria and to Charles. Indeed, her approach to her niece and nephew could hardly be described as subtle. Isabel made no attempt to hide her dissatisfaction with the new arrangements and with Maria’s decision to cooperate with such “bone headed, old-fashioned diplomacy.”

So the young woman had listened to everything Isabel had said and then had warmly, and mildly, thanked her for accompanying her throughout this ordeal. Though Isabel’s contribution thus far would hardly be categorized as ‘moral support,’ Maria knew that if the time came that she needed her, Isabel would prove invaluable by her side.

For somewhere, buried deep in the recesses of her mind, the young queen was not yet willing to give up. She hadn’t wed the Scottish King yet, so perhaps there might still be a chance.

Maria breathed in the fresh sea air and moved casually across the crowded deck toward the railing. It was a colorful group on deck, and Maria sensed a bit of competition between the passengers for her notice. As she passed, groups of boisterous and restless nobles–both Scottish and Spanish–approached Maria, but she simply nodded to them and moved on, scarcely paying any attention to them at all. As she walked, her eyes searched for only one man. But the search proven fruitless.

He should be here, she thought. He was commanding this ship and the three others that she could see flanking the
Great Michael
, sailing them to Scotland without his best navigator, and John should be right on deck. But he was nowhere to be seen. Hiding the feelings of hopelessness and despondency that were washing over her, Maria gazed back at the high stern deck where she knew he preferred to keep watch over the activities of the sailors on deck and aloft. But he wasn’t there, either. Then, letting her eyes drift toward the doorway leading to his cabin, she considered going below, storming in and demanding that he speak with her. She considered it, but for only a moment. Maria knew she couldn’t go to his cabin. Any misstep now could prove fatal for him..

Well, she could wait, she decided, resigning herself to just stay there for as long as it took to get even a glimpse of him. Maria leaned against a railing, pretending to enjoy the sun and the salty breezes, and watched as her dutiful attendants did the same. Why can’t he? she thought, growing angry. Why couldn’t he come to terms with their loss and leave his cabin? Why couldn’t he seek her out?

Letting out a long breath, Maria caught a glimpse of someone else’s eyes upon her. Not a tall and handsome Highlander, but a young sandy-haired lad was seeking her out–but shyly. She could see David’s young brother, Adrian, standing not too far away beside one of the ship’s officers, feeding line to sailors who were repairing a section of rigging. The boy, obviously feigning indifference to the groups of nobles milling about on the deck, still peeked now and then in Maria’s direction. The next time she caught his eyes upon her, she motioned to him to come closer. But the lad quickly turned his back, pretending that he never saw her gesturing to him.

Well, she certainly should be able to handle an eight-year-old, she thought. Speaking quietly to one of her attendants, Maria asked her to go and invite the boy to join her where she stood by the railing.

Maria watched the burly sailors pause attentively as the young woman approached them. Adrian and her attendant exchanged brief comments, drawing smiles from the onlookers. Upon seeing her messenger come back alone, Maria realized that perhaps this wouldn’t be as easy as she thought. The message the boy had sent was that he was working and not allowed to rest in the middle of his shift.

This time Maria didn’t hesitate an instant and went after him herself.

She fought back her smile on seeing the expression of terror in his face as he realized that she was coming after him, herself. The sailors formed a circle as she entered their midst.

The boy had courage, she thought, noting that he was clearly fighting the inclination to turn and run away.

“Adrian,” she said, stopping only a step away. She realized that a few more sailors working in the area had stopped their work and were watching the exchange with some interest. “I was hoping we could talk just for a short while?”

He shook his head in denial, focusing on the rope in his hands.

She stepped closer and ruffled his hair with one hand, which made the boy pale and the sailors around him laugh.

“I thought we were friends. I’ve missed your company,” she said quietly, leaning down and speaking into his ear. “I’ll give you a choice. I hug you, a tough young man, in front of your fellow sailors, or you come and keep me company for just a short while.” She straightened up and looked at him. “Which is it, Adrian?”

Maria knew from the look in his eyes, that he would have preferred death to hugging. After only the shortest of pauses, the boy dropped his chin to his chest and led his captor out of the circle of the grinning sailors.

Maria followed him to the railing, where she gestured for her attendants to give them some space to communicate privately. Adrian turned and sat against the gunwales of the ship, only to spring up again immediately as if he were on fire.

“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly, glancing at the railing.

The lad looked at her awkwardly. “I am not allowed to sit before you, am I, Your Majesty?”

“Of course you are,” she answered. “I invited you to join me, didn’t I?”

He just shrugged his shoulders in response. Maria pointed to a pair of casks that not far from where they stood, and the two sat down, though Adrian still had the look of one being led to the gallows.

“You’re angry with me,” she said decidedly. “Why is that?”

“Who says I’m angry?” the young lad’s eyes flashed with alarm only for a moment before he quickly averted them. Maria bit her lips to keep from smiling as he took in everything around them, but never turned his gaze back to her.

“I am not blind, Adrian. Have I done anything to you? Anything that has upset you?”

Again, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Answer me, Adrian. Or I swear I’ll hug you right here.”

He turned abruptly in her direction, wide-eyed.

“And kiss you, too, if that’s what will get your attention.”

“Queens are used to having their own way, aren’t they?” he grumbled.

“Of course, but obviously not so much as you are accustomed to having your own way.” Maria looked down at the lad for few more moments before continuing on. He was wearing the same leather doublet and wool shirt that he’d been wearing on the way to Antwerp. His kilt was long, hanging over his roughly-sown shoes of sailcloth. “Are you warm enough, Adrian?”

The boy looked up, startled by her question. “Aye, of course I’m warm. It’s a fine day.”

“It is, isn’t it,” she said, her gaze sweeping over the sparkling expanse of sea. “Aye, the wind is from the southeast, and we’ll be home in...no time.” His voice faltered as he finished.

“Tell me what has upset you so.” Other than your brother David leaving the ship, she thought silently.

Adrian scuffed the painted wood of the deck, and squirmed uncomfortably.

“Is there something I can do to make you...”

“You’ve made the commander sad!” the boy blurted out suddenly, his eyes flashing. “And angry, too!”

The boy’s straightforward accusation stunned her momentarily.

“I am angry because he is,” Adrian continued with the bluntness of his age. “When Sir John heard that you were headed up here, he went below to his cabin. He didn’t want to see you or talk to you. Well, what Sir John says, goes for me, as well. I answer only to him...er, Your Majesty.”

Maria just stared into the boy’s large brown eyes. The fact that John avoided her so openly that a child could see it, hurt her deeply. But the fact that Adrian had been left behind by his only kin, hurt her, as well. But what else David could have done, she wondered.

“Sir John is a fine man to look up to,” Maria whispered. “But whatever differences exist between Sir John and me now...well, I hope to mend.”

“It’s not that easy, you see. With Mistress Janet and David, it was different. To make it work...well, they had to go away and leave me behind. But now, I’m left with the commander. And he is different than you. So...so...” The boy’s voice trailed off, and he stared glumly at his feet.