X Marks The Spot (The Plundered Chronicles Book 6) Page 17

  Quinn felt her knees go weak at this reprieve. “I merely know of my Irish history and the changes Christianity has imposed upon it.”

  “Oh, I do believe you know far more than that, my little Irish pirate. I am impressed, and I do not impress easily.” The queen motioned for Quinn to sit before resuming her own seat. “If Catherine believes it is someone close to me, then I cannot trust this information to any of them.” She gazed into Quinn’s eyes. “Can I trust you, Captain Callaghan of Ireland?”

  The moment extended for eternity as Quinn weighed her options. “Your majesty, I am a woman of integrity and fierce loyalty. To that end, and perhaps to my detriment, I must tell you that I have aided Mary of Scotland, and did all I could do to free her from the shackles placed upon her by your monarchy.”

  Elizabeth’s countenance was unchanged as she held Quinn’s gaze and said nothing.

  “I tell you this,” Quinn continued, “with complete disclosure lest you discover it later and doubt my allegiance and loyalty to the group.”

  Still, Elizabeth did not move. Her eyes, piercing as they were, seemed to penetrate to the mallow of Quinn’s soul. “Because you viewed me as the enemy of Ireland.”

  “Aye.”

  “And you believed my cousin would protect Ireland from me if she were ever to remove me from the throne.”

  Quinn nodded again, fully aware of the noose she was knotting for herself. “I did.”

  “And now? Now how do you see me? Am I a necessary evil to a country collapsing from within?”

  “I do not know, to be honest, of the benefits of being absorbed into your kingdom, but I do know that fighting with ourselves as well as with England will destroy us.”

  Elizabeth pulled back slightly. “Fascinating. Not much surprises me these days, Callaghan, but you… you have managed that feat twice in one day.” She slowly rose and paced away. “You are aware, of course, that this information could have you sent to the Tower.”

  Quinn nodded, her heart banging wildly in her chest.

  “And yet you still shared it with me when you could have hoped I would never find out.”

  “I am not one to live looking over my shoulder. You asked if you could trust me. We cannot trust something we only know part of. Now you have all of the important facts to make that decision yourself.”

  A very slight twitch flashed at the corners of Elizabeth’s lips. “That was quite a risk you took.”

  “The truth is always riskier than a lie. I am here because I want to be part of something greater than myself. To accomplish that, I must be forthcoming with you.”

  “Did you… did you meet her?”

  “Mary? Oh yes.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes lit up. “Please. Tell me about her. Tell me everything. She ought not go to her grave unknown by me.”

  Quinn thought the request odd until she remembered Elizabeth and Mary had never met. “She’s tall. Much taller than you. And her laughter…” Quinn smiled widely. “Robust and free. You could not help but laugh with her.”

  Elizabeth’s face softened, her eyes lit up like Mary’s once did.

  Quinn could actually see the familial resemblance.

  “Please. Go on. Most of her jailers said what they thought I wanted to hear.”

  “I can only tell you what I saw and experienced with her. She was quick-witted, loved to tell stories, and asked great questions. She loved her dogs, enjoyed riding, and was quite enamored with the outdoors.”

  “Was she… happy?”

  Quinn frowned in thought.

  Elizabeth had kept Mary under house arrest for nearly 20 years.

  Happy?

  “She made the best of a tough situation, your majesty. I suppose she was as happy as she could be under the circumstances.”

  Elizabeth sighed. “I suppose so. What… what did you think of her?”

  “Your Majesty, I not only thought her an amazing woman, I daresay she captivated both mind and heart. She was bright and energetic. Her mind was keen, her ability to engage in fascinating conversation second to none. She cared for her people and was deeply devoted to Scotland.”

  Elizabeth blinked rapidly. “Oh my. You truly cared for her.”

  “I did. She was brave, wise, and very interesting to talk with.”

  Blowing another loud breath out, Elizabeth licked her lips. “Thank you for your honesty.”

  “You are very welcome. You…” Quinn stopped and shook her head.

  “Please. You must trust me as well, Captain Callaghan. There will be no consequences for your trust. You have my word.”

  “I was going to say you would have liked her.”

  “I imagine I would have. I had always hoped we might meet, but we ran out of time.” Rising once more, Elizabeth shielded her eyes from the sun. “It would appear I have run out of time now.”

  Quinn rose as well. “Your work must never be done.”

  “Never. Now, upon our return to the palace, one of my ladies will show you to your room.”

  “My…room?”

  Elizabeth turned. “Why, of course. Captain Callaghan, you have given me a great deal of food for thought. I’m afraid I am going to need some time to consider the information and release you to find this would-be assassin.”

  “Your Majesty, I was under the impression all I needed to do was deliver the message. I… have two ships at the mouth of the Thames. They will be very worried if I do not return.”

  “But of course. I shall send a messenger to Shell Haven to let them know you will be staying for a bit.”

  “A bit?”

  “Calla—can I ask you what your name really is?”

  “Quinn.”

  “Pretty. The Irish always did have beautiful names. Quinn, if I have someone close to me trying to murder me, then I need someone else to find out who it is. That person is you.”

  Quinn hesitated, but then understood that Catherine hadn’t send her as a messenger, as Quinn had supposed. Catherine had sent her as protection.

  “I would be honored, your Majesty. If I could write the message, my crew and I would be grateful.”

  “Consider it done.”

  Quinn walked next to Elizabeth, whose stride was long, but slow.

  “I will tell those who need to know that you are teaching me Gaelic, one of the languages, as you know, I am not familiar with. We can have lessons two or three times a day so you can have a reason for being around my presence. When not in our lessons, I give you free reign to see if you can discover who intends on murdering me.”

  “Why don’t you leave London?”

  “Oh, Quinn, if I left every time my life was endangered, I would never set foot in London again. No, that would never do. We must ferret out this cowardly would-be killer and make an example out of whomever it is. I shall leave that up to your capable hands.”

  And that was that.

  A beautiful, young lady-in-waiting lead Quinn to a large bedroom with a big bed in front of an even larger fireplace. On the bed lay several sets of male clothes.

  Quinn smiled widely.

  Queen Elizabeth was proving to be far more surprising than Quinn had expected.

  After a quick change, Quinn began her exploration of the castle. It was like a maze. She could see how easy it would be to ambush the queen even with a myriad of guards all over the grounds. Nooks and crannies abounded, but Quinn did not believe Elizabeth’s would-be killer was creeping around or lurking in those crannies. No, whoever it was had to be closer than that. That was the way of things in a monarchy.

  After changing her clothes, Quinn strolled about the castle grounds, becoming familiar with the areas where her quarry might be.

  Suddenly, the task seemed much greater now that she had a lay of the land. It wasn’t until she returned to her room that she realized the Queen had sent some assistance.

  Sitting at a chair outside Quinn’s door was an average looking woman with an angular face, light brown hair, and a swan’s neck. Her light dress matche
d the color of her eyes that Quinn thought looked a great deal like lavender.

  “Good eve,” the woman said in a voice that seemed to sing rather than speak. “I trust you had a pleasant walk.”

  “It was more of a wander,” Quinn answered.

  The woman smiled. “I am Corrine. The Queen has tasked me to see to your comfort.”

  Quinn opened the door to her room. Corrine did not move. “Please. Come in.”

  When Corrine hesitated, Quinn stepped back outside in the hall. “It is not improper for a woman to enter another woman’s room.”

  Corrine cocked her head. “You think I did not know what you were? On the contrary. I was wondering why a woman as beautiful as yourself would dress thusly.”

  Quinn looked down at her own attire before locking eyes with Corrine.

  Definitely lavender.

  “I would venture to guess I am far more comfortable than you.”

  Corrine smiled a bit wider. “I would not take that bet…”

  “Quinn.”

  “Interesting. So you are here to teach our queen Irish Gaelic.”

  “I am.”

  “Then I welcome you, and I am here to answer any of your questions.”

  “Out here in the hall.”

  “The queen did not assign me to you willy nilly. She is a very astute judge of character and from my first impression, you are trouble.”

  This made Quinn laugh out loud. “Trouble?”

  “Oh yes. In more ways than one. So if it is all the same to you, I’d prefer to wait out here until you need me.”

  Leaning against the door frame, Quinn crossed her arms. “Can you ride?”

  Corrine’s right eyebrow twitched. “I can. Quite well, actually.”

  “Excellent. Would you be so kind as to send for me when the horses are ready?”

  “Horses?”

  “Aye. You and I are going on a ride. If the queen has, as you say, tasked you with seeing to me, then I would like a ride. My horse is the black one with the two lines on her nose.”

  Corrine curtseyed. “As you wish. I will send for you.”

  An hour later, a young man knocked on the door to Quinn’s room and escorted her to the courtyard where two horses waited.

  Striding a bay gelding like a man, sat Corrine, her dress one that was more pliable and manageable. “I hope you can keep up.”

  Chuckling, Quinn swung her leg over her saddle and grabbed the reins. “Do your best, m’lady.”

  Corrine’s best, it appeared, was superior to Quinn’s, who had to urge her steed to keep within four horse-lengths of Corrine’s horse.

  When, at last, Corrine stopped her horse beneath a large oak tree, Quinn pulled her horse to a stop soon after.

  “Well done,” Quinn said, dismounting. “Not many women I’ve met can ride like that.”

  “Then perhaps you do not know the right women.”

  Quinn walked over to the oak tree and ran her hand over the bark. Oak trees were sacred to the Druid and other pagan religions. Druid meant oak wisdom, and there had been groves and groves of them until Caesar and his Romans cut them down. “I have some questions,” Quinn said quietly.

  “Her Highness told me to tell you whatever you asked, so feel free.”

  “There have been a number of murder attempts on her life. Can you tell me about those?”

  Corrine cocked her head. “What an odd question.”

  “I am a guest of a queen with many enemies, not the least of which are my own people. I would like to live to see next month.”

  Corrine joined Quinn at the tree. “You are quite an enigma, Quinn. Of all the questions I anticipated, murder was not among the top thousand. I do hope you do not intend to do the queen harm.”

  “Absolutely not. I only wish to protect myself.”

  “Very well. As long as you are aware I must repeat all question to Her Majesty.”

  “Report away.”

  “Very well. The most notorious attempt was the poison dress.”

  Quinn nodded. She’d heard of the gift that came to Elizabeth that one of her ladies tried on before Elizabeth had seen it. The poor women could not get the dress off before she died from the poison.

  “She was shot at while floating down the Thames. She had a gargoyle dropped from above. It missed, of course, but not by much.” Corrine thought for a moment. “There was a poisoned Bible, a box of adders, and… let me think…”

  Quinn held her hand up. “That’s good. It must be exhausting keeping her safe.

  “There was also a huge hole in the road, which killed the lead rider and his horse. And yes, it is a never ending job.”

  Quinn sat on the ground and leaned against the tree. “So tell me about your job with the queen.”

  “Me? I am nobody.”

  “Shall we try that again?”

  Corrine sat opposite Quinn facing the trunk. “I am one of her confidantes and ladies. She trusts me as much as a queen can trust anyone.”

  “So you are one of her ladies in waiting?”

  “No. I am not in waiting. I am of her personal council, away from the Walsinghams of the world.”

  “I see.”

  “I doubt you do, otherwise you would not have brought me all the way out here to play twenty questions.”

  “Twenty—”

  “What is it you really wish to know?”

  Quinn studied her a long time before asking. “Who would you suspect would attempt to murder the queen?”

  Corrine leaned forward. “Still not the question you wish to ask.”

  “Fine. Who do you think acts suspiciously around and about the palace?”

  “That’s better, Quinn. By process of elimination, I would remove any female off the suspect list.”

  “Why?”

  “Because that is my job. I am the eyes and ears, and when I cannot see or hear, I have others who do it for me. There are rings around the Queen. I am the innermost circle. Then there are my soldiers. I rely on them exclusively to tell me what I ought to know.”

  “And is there anyone you have your eyes and ears on now?”

  “Not at the moment, no. If we did, I would have moved the queen to her summer residence.”

  If this were true, Quinn thought then Elizabeth did not fully share with Corrine the nature of her visit.

  Interesting.

  “You’ve still not asked what it is you wish to know.”

  Quinn wondered what question she was directing Quinn to, so she rose, dusted off her ass, and helped Corrine the Cautious to her feet. “I believe I know as much as you’re willing to tell me.”

  “Then it is my turn,” Corrine said, using Quinn’s hand to pull her to her feet, “to ask the questions.

  Quinn smiled sardonically. “I am an open book.”

  “Oh, I suspect that is not true. You do not strike me as a woman without secrets or prevarications.”

  This made Quinn chuckle. “Secrets? Well now. Those I do have, but I have invited you to pry open the lid to some of those if you choose.”

  “You dress like a man. You speak English, though it is not your own tongue, and the Queen seems to be a little taken with you. Are you here as a lover?”

  Quinn barked out a laugh. “Not even remotely. I am, as she said, here to teach her Gaelic since she will inevitably take over my country… a country I love very much, and which will benefit by having a monarch who can speak to them in their tongue.”

  Corrine grinned. “You must be used to dealing with the dim-witted, an affiliation I do not belong to. You see, I am a very astute judge of character and it is my job to assess certain situations. You may be teaching my queen your language, but that is not why you are here.”

  Quinn mounted her horse. “I’ve told you why I am here.”

  Corrine looked up at Quinn. “I admire your willingness to keep the ruse in play, but I cannot assist you if you do not confide in me.”

  Quinn leaned closer. “I will confide in you, m’lady, when you have
earned my trust, and not a second sooner.”

  Trust.

  What a fragile thing of beauty.

  While she wanted to trust Corrine, she would do nothing of the sort until she had a better lay of the land. She was still trying to come to terms with this new role of hers; a role that was part messenger and guard, sleuth and confidante.

  At first, she wasn’t certain she was at all worthy of such responsibility. Then she realized there were few women who could pass as both genders, who could act as a noble as well as infiltrate the lower class. Her command of English and French as well as her ability to converse with men and women alike made her the perfect choice for a mission such as this.

  Mission.

  Quinn smiled. She had had to admit to herself that she accepted this new role in the group. It felt like the most natural of segues from her pirate life to one where she could actually make a difference in the world she would eventually leave for Gallagher. For what good was a life that did not try to make the world better for the next generation?

  This was Fiona’s gift to her in the guise of a child. Fiona had always known Quinn was cut out for more than plundering and rabble rousing – she’d always known that Quinn would one day want to do more.

  She’d always known.

  So she left her to care for a child who deserved a better world – a world where Quinn was now up to her chin in political intrigue.

  Intrigue she was fascinated by…a world that was up to her to usher in the changes that needed to be made for Fiona’s daughter.

  A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

  Opening the door, Quinn faced a young page. “Yes?”

  “The Queen regrets she cannot make her lessons with you this morning but requests your presence this afternoon.”

  “Excellent. Tell her I will be there at four.”

  When she closed the door, she quickly changed into the more comfortable nobleman’s attire and headed to the stables.

  She had to get back to the ship to let Tavish know she would be longer than she realized. Already she was beginning to feel torn between new and old responsibilities.

  As she entered the stable, she directed the stable boy to saddle up her horse. When the stable boy left to attend to her horse, a hand clamped around her mouth and Quinn found herself being lifted off the ground and thrown into a closet.