At Glenkirk Abbey, Abbot Charles Leslie pondered a letter from his niece, the Countess of Glenkirk, in which she requested that he obtain her a divorce from Patrick Leslie. Divorce was not unusual in Scotland among the nobility of either church, but Charles was shocked that Catriona wanted her release. That it should come to this, after all the fuss to wed them! And they had seemed so happy all these years! He knew his nephew was in residence at the castle, and he sent one of the monks to fetch him.
The first thing Charles Leslie noticed when his nephew arrived was that Glenkirk looked tired and worn. Something was very wrong, and Charles Leslie wondered why he had not been told sooner. Without saying a word he handed the earl the letter, and while pretending to busy himself pouring the elderberry wine, he covertly watched Patrick's face.
Intense pain and sorrow creased Glenkirk's face. 'She has not told ye why she seeks to divorce me. She is justified in her actions, ye know. But God help me, uncle, I dinna want to lose her!'
'Come, come, Patrick,' said the abbot, further startled to see this breakdown in his usually assured nephew. 'It canna be so bad. Is it that little Danish girl ye lay wi? Surely Cat doesna hold that against ye?'
'Nay, uncle. She forgave me that, and that is why what I did to Cat is doubly terrible.'
Charles Leslie demanded an explanation. Upon hearing it he roared a string of oaths at his nephew. 'Tool! Stupid, arrogant fool! How could ye? Tell me no more. I’ll nae let my sister's only daughter return to ye!'
The earl protested nervously. 'I will nae gie my consent until I have spoken wi her. Who delivered the letter?'
'A Kira servant'
'Then I shall go to Edinburgh to see the Kiras,' said Patrick Leslie, 'and I shall find Cat. If, after she has spoken wi me, she would still divorce me… then I'll gie my consent.'
The Earl of Glenkirk rode secretly into Edinburgh. He did not want the king to learn of his visit. James had been very wary of the Leslies of Glenkirk since that fatal night in February. The earl explained to his Edinburgh housekeeper that his visit must not be public knowledge. Used to dealing with the eccentricities of the Leslies, Mrs. Kerr smiled cheerfully and nodded.
Patrick's next stop was the house of the Kiras in Goldsmith's Lane. Both brothers greeted him, and he could tell from the wary look of sympathy in Benjamin's eyes that the elder Kira guessed the reason for his visit. The amenities over, and Abner Kira gone, Benjamin and the earl sat before the fire.
'Well, Benjamin,' asked Glenkirk, 'where has she hidden herself now?'
'My lord,' replied Kira, 'my house has served yours since the days of your great-grandmother, but I cannot divulge that information. I cannot even tell you if I know where her ladyship is. I could no more break faith with her than I would with you.'
Patrick had expected such an answer. 'Then can ye get a message to her ladyship, Benjamin?'
'I think so, my lord. Shall I have parchment and ink brought?'
'Thank ye, my friend.'
The writing materials were brought and Benjamin Kira left the earl alone. Patrick sat thinking for several minutes. Finally, he composed the following message. 'Cat-I will nae gie ye yer freedom until ye hae spoken wi me face to face. If ye still wish to divorce me afterwards, I will nae stand in yer way. I hae wronged ye, but I beg of ye to hear me out. I still love ye. Glenkirk.'
He sanded the parchment, rolled it, dripped wax on it, and sealed it with his signet. Leaving the room, he handed the roll to the waiting servant. 'Gie it to yer master, lad. He'll know what to do wi it. Tell him I will be at my house here in town.'
A few minutes later, Benjamin Kira handed the parchment to a messenger. 'Take this to Lady Leslie at Hermitage Castle,' he said. 'And be sure you are not followed.'
Cat did not want to see her husband, but Bothwell insisted. 'Ye carina be certain in yer own mind that ye no longer love him unless ye can look him in the eye and tell him so. Ye can meet him at Kira's house. Stay wi yer cousin. Fiona. I shall go to Edinburgh too. I hae been meaning to do something about these stupid charges that I practice witchcraft against the king. Now is a good time. Too, since Margaret has agreed to gie me a divorce, there must be papers to sign.'
'Do ye think Jamie knows about us?' she asked him.
'Nay. No one does except Home. We will ride to town secretly. Hercules can go wi us, and when we reach Edinburgh he will escort ye as far as yer cousin's house.'
'What if I need ye, Francis?'
'I'll know if ye do, my darling. Dinna fear. We will complete our separate business quickly, and be safe back at Hermitage before ye know it.'
So they rode to Edinburgh and parted. Fiona Leslie was delighted to see her cousin, and consumed with curiosity.
'Promise me,' said Cat. 'Promise me, Fiona, that ye'll nae tell Patrick I am here. He stays at Glenkirk House, and I hae nowhere else to go if ye will not shelter me.'
'I would promise ye, Cat, but Adam is sure to tell him.'
When her brother-in-law arrived home. Cat confronted him. 'If ye tell Patrick I am here, I'll tell him ye advised me to sleep wi the king,' she threatened.
'I hae already told him,' said Adam, rubbing his jaw in remembrance.
'And did ye tell him ye offered me to Jamie when Jamie actually sought yer own wife?'
'That's nae true!' roared Adam.
'No, 'tis not. but I will tell Glenkirk that it is, and Fiona will back me up. won't ye, cousin?'
'Aye,' said Fiona blandly, her smoky-gray eyes twinkling at her husband.
Adam Leslie flung up his hands. 'All right, ye two bitches! Ye win. Ye hae yer refuge. Cat. When Glenkirk hears, I likely as not will receive another crack on my jaw.'
Cat put her hand on her brother-in-law's arm. 'Sit down, Adam. Ye too, Fiona. I would speak seriously wi ye both.' They sat. Looking at Fiona, Cat said, 'By now Adam has probably told ye that James forced me into his bed for a time.' Fiona nodded, and Cat continued. 'When Glenkirk found the king wi me, he was furious. What he did to me I will never speak of again. I hae now asked him for a divorce, and he will nae gie his consent unless I speak wi him face to face. I hae come to Edinburgh to do just that.'
'Where hae ye been these last months?' asked Fiona.
Cat smiled. 'I'll nae tell ye that, cousin.'
Adam Leslie grunted and got up to pour himself some wine. If she wouldn't tell, she wouldn't tell. But Fiona had understood the softness in her cousin's voice, and thought with amazement, My God! She's in love! She is in love wi another man!
Fiona was desperate to learn the identity of Cat's lover, but she could think of no man that Cat had ever been friendly with outside the family. She was determined to find out somehow, however. Seeing Fiona's grim look, Cat laughed. 'I'll tell ye eventually, Fiona, but not now.' Caught, Fiona laughed back. 'Ye always were the deep one,' she returned.
On the following day a messenger was sent to the Kiras. The Countess of Glenkirk would arrive at their house to meet with her husband at one o'clock in the afternoon if the Kiras would send word to the earl informing him of the meeting.
Glenkirk arrived promptly. He was anxious to see Cat, sure that when he explained and apologized, their estrangement would be over. He had taken great pains with his appearance. A young maidservant ushered him into the room where Cat waited and then left, closing the door behind her.
The Countess of Glenkirk wore a high-necked deep-blue silk dress with ecru-colored lace cuffs. Her dark- honey-colored hair was braided and twisted into a severe knot on the nape of her neck. It was Cat, and yet somehow she looked different. 'Patrick.' Her voice was cool, and there was no welcome in it.
He rushed forward, stopping suddenly at the sight of the jeweled dirk in her hand.
'Touch me, and I use it,' she said. 'On you!'
'Sweetheart, please!' he pleaded. 'Yer my wife, and I love ye.' This was not going right
She laughed bitterly. 'Ye didna feel so strongly two and a half months ago when ye and the king spent the night raping me! My God, Glenkirk! I was yer good and faithful wife for thirteen years! I never once gave ye cause for doubt. Yet the moment ye found me in the king's arms ye assumed me the guilty one, simply because I was a
