I recovered myself and went to the living room. Zach and Emma were at the table. Magnus and Jim had raced down the boardwalk to the beach searching for Lady Mairead.

Zach said, “Katie, I would never drug you guys, I swear. I don't know what happened.”

“I know Zach, I'll talk to Magnus about it, but I don't think he would ever suspect you. Emma, are you okay?”

“Head hurts. I took some aspirin. But Zach promised a big healthy breakfast, so?” She looked at him expectantly.

“Yeah, I'll make some food for everyone, yeah definitely. I just, you'll talk to him Katie? I really don't want to lose this job.”

“No worries, I'll talk to him if I need to.”

“Thanks.” He went to the kitchen. “How do you like your eggs?”

Through the window I could see Magnus and Jim standing on the dunes, staring out at the ocean, and looking up and down the beach.

I said, “Fried, but thick, like the plasticky egg they put on an English muffin at McDonalds, with American cheese? And a lot of coffee. But not the fancy kind, the regular kind of coffee.”

Zach looked at me with his eyebrows raised. “I have eggs. I can probably pull that off. But with cheddar cheese, because seriously, American cheese? But hey, you're the boss. But I would like to add that pancakes are on the list of possibilities, fucking, excuse me, waffles, if you want them. Or crepes. With blueberries. And the coffee is fancy. I'll put your favorite on my shopping list.” He poured me a mug of coffee and brought it to me with cream and sugar.

Magnus came to the door, slid it open, and stormed in. “Chef Zach I will need tae speak tae ye in a few minutes. Emma, I am verra sorry about this, are ye well?”

She nodded.

He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “I will be upstairs searching Lady Mairead's things.”

“Do you think we've been robbed?”

“Nae, I think Lady Mairead has been involved.” He jogged up the steps.

I turned to Emma, my eyes wide. She said, “Well, he told us not to trust her.”

“Oh man, what the—” I followed Magnus up to Lady Mairead's rooms. I found him on his knees yanking a drawer from her dresser and pouring it out on the floor. The room was full of art — paintings, sculptures, plates and candlesticks all around the edges, some leaning layers deep.

He sifted through the pile then poured out the next drawer and shoved his hand around through the pile. “What are you looking for?”

“I dinna ken, anythin', paperwork, trinkets, artifacts. If I think tis important —” He finished with the last drawer and sat back on his heels with a sigh.

“Let's go tae the office.”

The office had already been searched by the guard. Magnus rubbed a hand down his face and collapsed in Lady Mairead's desk chair, a pile of papers and effects in front of him, all the drawers open.

I pulled a chair up beside the desk.

“It looks as if Lady Mairead is gone, nae, tis nae exactly right. I know Lady Mairead is gone, and she hae made it so I canna follow her.”

“Why not, like your passport or the ticket or something?”

“Aye.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I will hae tae wait.” He put his forearms on the desk. “The trouble is, I daena hae any idea what is happenin'. I canna help.”

“Maybe she doesn't need help. Maybe she's right, maybe she can handle this, and you're better off here.”

He sat quietly for a moment. “Lady Mairead's husband is a verra dangerous man. He would like tae know where tae find me. I am worried he may convince her tae tell him where I am and how tae get tae me.”

“Why does he want you so badly?” I was twisting my shirt, worried.

“Because he wants revenge, but also greed. And evil spite.”

“Lady Mairead sounded like she wanted to protect you. Just because she went back doesn't mean she'll tell him where you are.”

“You hae seen her face. He can be verra persuasive.”

I sighed. “You could buy a new ticket, get a new passport, you have the money...”

“I hae much tae tell ye about, but — my head is verra pained, and I hae pressing problems. I need tae hire a new security man. Jim is leaving.”

“Really?” My heart sank.

“He has been here temporarily anyway.”

“He doesn't like it here?”

“I think Lady Mairead poisoning him hae changed his mind on it.”

“I can't believe she did that.”

He shrugged. “Tis her way. I need ye tae call Mistress Hayley and tell her tae hire Master Peters for my security.”

“Master Peters, who, Quentin? Why?”

“I hae been thinking on it for a while now. He is military trained and—”

“But Quentin? He's never been that smart and he—”

“He has been tae war. He knows a great deal about weapons and battle. You daena think he is a good pick?” He squinted his eyes.

“I don't know, he's just kind of a troublemaker.”

“Aye, he hae trouble with the law, but he also has a fighting spirit. I believed him tae be your friend?”

“Kind of, he's in the same friend group, but he's more James's friend.” I huffed. “I'm not being very fair I guess. I'm still kind of pissed because he hid that James was sleeping with other girls from me, because of the bro-code. He's a big believer in the bro-code.”

“Ah, he is loyal. Tis also a good trait in a guard.”

“Loyal to James though, I don't think it will be a good idea.”

He leaned back in his chair and looked at me for a moment. “Tis how ye see it? Because I am grateful tae him for the service he did ye the other night. If you remember it was Master Peters who helped ye discover Master Cook's true nature. He told me he was nae comfortable with Master Cook's behavior tae ye.”

“He did?”

Magnus nodded. “Tis enough for me tae trust him. I would like him tae start today.”

“Okay, that makes sense.”

We sat quietly for a moment. He was sprawled in the desk chair. I was staring down at my folded hands. “That was our first discussion about running the household,” I said. “I think it went pretty well.”

“Aye.”

“We've had a lot of firsts in the past twenty-four hours.” I was trying to be calm, matter-of-fact, grown up, but my chin was beginning to tremble. “I just — It's been less than a day since I married you, and already I don't know if I can — what if something happens to you? It was so scary, I thought you died.” I sobbed into my hands.

Magnus knelt in front of me and wrapped me in his arms. His head bowed beside mine. He dried my eyes with his fingers and tucked some of my hair behind my ears.

“I don't know how I went from getting married to you, barely knowing you, to this, so scared something might happen to you.”

“We art bound, mo reul-iuiel, tis a magic.”

I nodded. “I didn't know Lady Mairead wasn't to be trusted. You never told me. I'm really sorry I signed a contract with her, that I sided with her against you. I didn't know.”

“I dinna tell ye. Tis nae your fault. And Lady Mairead is wrong about many things, but marrying ye was nae one of them.”

He climbed back to his chair looking tired and worried. “I haena lied tae ye though, tis dangerous for ye tae be Kaitlyn Campbell. And tis likely I will nae survive—”

“Magnus, please don't.”

The worried look had grown heavier, his face wore a pained expression. “I know ye are strong enough, ye must be ready for what comes.”

I chewed my lip. Ready for what? How could I possibly be ready for something dangerous?

“Will ye be?”

“No.”

He watched me quietly.

I felt like a petulant child, so I said, “I can try.”

“Tis all I can ask.”

The clock on the wall ticked, it was familiar from the day I was here signing the marriage contract with Lady Mairead.

“How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts, I am verra hungry, but I suspect Chef Zach will remedy that in a moment. First, I want tae show ye this.”

He twisted in his chair and leaned low to a cabinet and opened the door revealing a safe. I kneeled beside him and he showed me the combination and how to open it. Inside were more jewels and some gold. There were rolled up papers on top, yellow, legal pad pages.

“Is that…”

“Tis your contract with Lady Mairead.”

“Oh. And you have more gold, more jewels?”

“Aye, we hae kept some for emergencies.”

He closed the door of the safe and asked me to open it. Then he locked it and asked me to open it again and then again. “Will you remember the numbers?”

”I will.”

“Good.” He seemed relieved. “Let's go for breakfast.”

At breakfast Magnus explained to Zach and Emma that Lady Mairead had put a sleeping potion in the wedding cake so she could steal away unnoticed.

Zach remembered hearing footsteps earlier in the night but they weren't Magnus's so he assumed they were Jim's and didn't get up to check.

“I dinna believe she would do this. She hae returned tae Scotland. I thought we were still discussing the plans, but she apparently believed we were done with the discussion.”

Emma asked, “Will she be back?”

“I daena believe she plans tae return, and we should behave as if she will remain in Scotland. We should begin, after breakfast, which is delicious, Chef Zach, with running through our morning exercises and the house security drills.”

He turned to me. “Kaitlyn, will ye call Mistress Hayley? Also we will nae longer need the services of Lady Mairead's nurse.”