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She said, “Oh, really?” With a level of condescension that I might hope someday to aspire to. Bitch.

Her hand went to her stomach and her eyes leveled on me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kaitlyn. Magnus has told me so much about you.”

I took a deep breath in my 18th century just-been-at-a-birth bodice and muttered, “Jesus-fucking-H-Christ you did not just say that to me.” Probably in my head, but how could I tell, the blood was rushing around all up in there, it was likely that I was a step away from eruption.

Lady Mairead said, “I am verra glad ye could join us Bella, we have much tae discuss with Magnus over our plans and his child with you.”

Tyler’s eyes cut to me, to check on me — no worries, none of this was new information.

I took a sip of my wine. Lady Mairead watched me the whole time with that malicious spark.

She said, “Are you enjoying the wine, Kaitlyn? I had a special one decanted for⁠—”

Poison.

I spit my wine onto my plate.

I scrubbed my tongue with my white cloth napkin. Tears welled up in my eyes.

Either my mother-in-law just killed me. Or I spit on my plate, scrubbed my tongue, and embarrassed myself in front of Magnus’s mistress. Plus look how I was dressed in front of her.

Oh god I was not doing this well.

I used my napkin to dab at my eyes, unadorned, because I had no makeup. Bella was, of course, perfectly made up.

Magnus picked up his plate. “Tyler, would ye mind changin’ places?”

Tyler said, “Yeah, of course, sheesh, this is — whoa.”

Magnus gestured for me to move my plate to the side. He put his plate and his wine in front of me. When the waitress bustled over to take my plate Magnus said to her, “All of Madame Kaitlyn Campbell’s dishes and drinks should be placed here, so I may taste of them first.”

Lady Mairead said, “I hardly think that is necessary.”

Magnus said, “Tis necessary. Ye have threatened her life many times afore and ye have used poison in the past, have ye nae?”

Tyler glanced worried at his food.

“Suit yourself,” said Lady Mairead.

Magnus had a new plate brought to him and I was finally able to eat and breathe and deal a bit more with Magnus beside me.

He asked, “So why has Bella been brought intae this?”

“Because her child is now directly in line for the throne.”

“I haena married her. I daena intend tae. And when Kaitlyn has a child, our son would take the place.”

Lady Mairead made a high pitched ‘hmm’ sound, a lot like someone who was saying, we shall see. Like she had already seen. And it hit me that she might know my future. And from the expression on her face, she looked like someone who had the foreknowledge to pick a team and the team she was picking was clearly Bella’s.

Was I never able to have Magnus’s child?

I moved my hand to Magnus’s thigh. It was jiggling up and down like he wanted to rush into a fight.

Lady Mairead asked, “Were you able tae get Quentin home from my brother’s castle?”

Magnus said, “Barely. Commander Davis was stationed there. Your son, Sean took his side. He turned me over tae him.”

She shook her head, “He has the wisdom of his father. If he is nae careful, he will have his early death too.” She took a bite of her pork. “What of Lizbeth?”