The Magnificent Rogue Read Online Free PDF Page A

He sat down on the cot and leaned back against the stone wall. “I assure you, everyone in Scotland found the scandal very interesting.”
    “I did not give you permission to sit in my presence.”
    He ignored the sharp injunction, his gaze searchingher face for any change of expression. “She’s Mary’s daughter?”
    “Everyone knows that Mary has only one child, and he sits on the throne of Scotland.”
    “Not according to Bess Shrewsbury. She claims her husband and Mary enjoyed the closeness of Mary’s captivity to the utmost. What was her story? That Mary bore him two children while he was holding the queen captive for you on his estate all those years?”
    “Bess Shrewsbury is an ambitious, spiteful woman. I reprimanded her for spreading such rumors.”
    “And neatly silenced her.”
    “The earl of Shrewsbury gave himself selflessly to the task of keeping Mary comfortably imprisoned. He’s a loyal servant of the crown.”
    “And Mary was a beautiful young woman and known to be selfish and headstrong … a lonely, passionate woman held captive away from the world. It’s only reasonable she would reach out to the only man within her reach. Was there just the daughter and not another issue?”
    “I told you, Bess Shrewsbury was a liar.”
    “So there was only one.…” His tone was musing. “But that was more than enough. You couldn’t let it be known, could you? There was already too much outcry about you keeping Mary prisoner. Since half of Scotland already looked upon Mary as a harlot, I’m sure you had no trouble convincing her to give up the child. But if the truth had come out, there was always the chance she might have claimed the earl had raped her, and that would have given her supporters in the north of England cause to join with France or Spain to overthrow you.”
    “This is all supposition.”
    He leaned forward. “Then let’s carry the supposition a little further. Suppose this child
is
Mary’s daughter. Suppose she
is
the illegitimate daughter of the queen of Scotland.”
    “Mary is no longer queen. She abdicated in favor of her son.”
    “But James has never been popular with the people. There are many nobles who would be pleased to find another Stuart to rally around. That wouldn’t please you, would it?”
    God’s blood, he had a facile mind. She had known he would probably reach this conclusion, but not with such quickness. “Supposition again. You’re very good at it. However, the child is only sixteen, hardly a threat.”
    “You were not a good deal older when you ascended to the throne, and they called you a young lioness.”
    A rush of fierce satisfaction surged through her. “Yes, by Judas, they had to reckon with me. I sank my teeth into them and made them know a woman could—” She shrugged. “But I was extraordinary. Even if this is Mary’s daughter …” She trailed off, then added, “And I don’t say that she is. Do you think I’d fear a child unschooled in court intrigue?”
    “Yet you fear something, or I would not be here.”
    “I fear nothing.” He continued to stare skeptically at her, and finally she said, “
If
the child is who you say she is, she could be used as a pawn. It would be wise to remove her from English soil.”
    “So you send her to Scotland where James would be eager to dispose of any claimant to the throne and rid you of the task.”
    “No!” She tried to temper the harshness of her voice. “I send her to Craighdhu. You will wed her and take her to your island and keep her there.”
    “Oh, I will?”
    “There are already too many rumors in the air concerning the child. I’ve tried to keep her isolated, but if someone should discover—No, she must be taken away as soon as possible.”
    “And why by me?”
    “Because you’re the most suitable. Do you think Ichose you blindly? I’ve searched over three years for a solution to this problem. You’re not perfect, but you’ll have to do. You hate the Spanish, so you’ll