Bedazzled

'You speak Italian?'

His older companion laughed. 'I have lived in Naples and Rome for over twenty-five years, Captain. Although some of my servants are Scots, most of them are local people. It was necessary that I gain a good command of the tongue. It's a beautiful language; very lyrical and romantic, unlike my own Celtic tongue.'

The basin and water were brought, and Lady Stewart-Hepburn quickly cleaned the blood from Thomas Southwood's face. When she had finished, she sent him on his way and hurried upstairs to see how India was faring. She found her in a tub of scented water being tended by Meggie. Her own two serving women, Susan and May, were nearby, seeing to fresh clothing for their guest and preparing her bed.

'I have instructed Captain Southwood to return to his ship, but he will be back for dinner,' she told India.

'I cannot bear his company, madame. Please understand,' India said.

'You do not call me Grandmama as you did in France,' Lady Stewart- Hepburn said.

'I only met you for the first time there. I do not think of you as my grandmother,' India answered her honestly.

'Then you must call me Cat,' the older woman said. 'I was baptized Catriona Mairi, but I was always Cat to my friends and family. I hope we are at least friends, my child.'

'Oh, yes!' India said, favoring Cat with a smile. She arose from her tub, and Meggie wrapped her in a warm towel, seating her mistress upon a small chair and drying her wet hair as the two women continued their talk.

'You must forgive poor young Southwood,' Cat said. 'He was only doing what he thought was right.'

'Like all men, he didn't listen, or if he did, he didn't hear,' India said. 'I have to get back to El Sinut!'

'You are certain you want to return?' The leaf-green eyes scanned the younger woman's face.

'Yes!' India said. 'Ohh, Cat! I love him, and he loves me! I have never been happier than I was with Caynan Reis. We had so many plans. I told my cousin that I was glad to remain. I asked him to carry a message to my parents for me, but no! With his misguided sense of honor, and family loyalty, he had to steal me away. I cannot forgive him the pain he has caused me and my husband.'

'I understand,' she said. 'I truly do, India. When I was separated from my lord Bothwell, I thought I should die. I could actually feel my heart cracking with my misery. The first thing we must do is send a message to your husband in El Sinut that you are safe, and we will say nothing to your cousin about our decisions. As long as you are certain, I shall not keep you from the man you love, even if the rest of the whole world disapproves!'

India burst into tears. 'Ohh, thank you!' she sobbed.

'I shall excuse you from dinner tonight,' Cat said. 'You have had an exhausting voyage. Your cousin will be here for a short time, and before he goes, you will reconcile with him. He need not know the reason why, but you will do it to please me, India, since I have agreed to help you.'

'Ohh, yes, Cat! I will!' India sobbed.

'May…' Lady Stewart-Hepburn called to her serving woman. 'Go to the kitchens and fetch some of Anna's hot soup, a piece of fresh focaccia, some fruit and wine, for Lady Lindley. She must eat, and then I want her put to bed.' She turned to Meggie. 'What is your name, lassie? I am told you are one of us. Where do you come from?'

'I'm Meggie, your ladyship, and I'm from Ayr,' was the answer.

'Go with May then, Meggie, and remain to eat something. Anna will see you are well fed. Then come back to watch over your mistress. There is a nice trundle beneath this bed which Susan will see has fresh bedding and linens for you. You look fair worn, child.'

'Thank you, your ladyship,' Meggie said, curtseying. 'Mistress?'

'Go, Meggie. I will be fine,' India said. She was now quite dry in the warm air, as was her dark hair.

Cat's other serving woman, Susan, came now with a soft silk nightgown which she slipped over India's body. 'There, my lady. There's nothing like a nice bath and fresh clothes to make a body feel better.'

'You're a Scot,' India noted.

'Lord bless you, m'lady, aye, and we are. May and me is sisters. We hae been wi our mistress for longer than I care to remember. Conall is our uncle. We came from Glenkirk wi Mistress Cat many years ago.'

'Do you ever long for home?' India wondered.

'Not really,' Susan said honestly. 'The climate here and in Rome is really far better than in our dear old Scotland. Come along now, m'lady, and get into bed.'

India was glad to climb into a comfortable bed. She was certain she would fall asleep before May returned with her meal, but she didn't. The two serving women bustled about her, tucking a napkin beneath her chin, settling the tray, and then sitting by her side as she ate. They were full of stories of their mistress and her early adventures. India found herself laughing at the story of how Cat was in labor with India's stepfather, yet would still not marry his father until Patrick Leslie returned property of hers that her father had wrongly included as part of her dowry, instead of allowing it to remain in her hands.

'Did she get it back?' India asked, her mouth full of bread and delicious cheese.

'Aye,' Susan said, 'and then her waters broke even as she said her vows to her husband.'

'She had spirit,' India remarked, rather fascinated by these new glimpses of Cat.

'She still does,' Susan replied, 'even if our life is not quite so exciting as it once was.'

When India had finished her meal, and drunk down a goblet of wonderful red wine, the two servants took the tray and left her to rest. She wasn't certain she could sleep now, or that she would sleep well, but she slipped into a slumber that lasted until early the next morning, when she awoke to find Meggie snoring happily upon the trundle. India lay quietly in her bed, listening to the sounds of early dawn. The air coming through the long windows that led onto her balcony was sweet with the scent of flowers. Only the early chatter of the birds broke the silence. It was all very lovely, but she missed El Sinut. Cat had said they would send a message to Caynan Reis, but how? That was something that had to be settled today. Surely Cat was not attempting to gull her.

But the older woman was very serious in her attempt to reunite India with Caynan Reis. She had sent Conall to the harbor that very morning to find a ship that would travel across the Mediterranean and stop at El Sinut. There were none. Finally Conall found a fishing boat willing to make the passage and take a message to the dey.

'But can he be trusted?' India asked the highlander, who had brought his information to his mistress while India was breaking her fast with Lady Stewart-Hepburn.

'The man says he fishes, but he and his crew smuggle a little, too,' Conall said. 'Their little felluca goes back and forth between Tunis, El Sinut, and Naples wiout any difficulty. They pay protection to both ports, and half the men aboard are Arab. They can get there, get your message delivered, and they can get back.'

'And they will do it?' Cat asked her majordomo.

'Aye, they will. I've promised them an extraordinary amount of coin, half before they go, half when they get back. And, I've hinted they are doing the dey of El Sinut a great service for which