The Recruit by Monica Mccarty Read Free Book Online Page B

king’s sister Christina when she was released from
     English captivity. The king wanted an alliance with the Sutherlands, and now that
     duty would fall to him, as William had named him his heir. Kenneth didn’t know the
     details, but Muriel apparently was barren. At some point—he hoped many years from
     now—the earldom would fall to Kenneth or his son.
    But finding a wife hadn’t been foremost on his mind. It wasn’t that he didn’t want
     one; it simply didn’t matter to him who he wed. As long as she was noble with the
     right connections and could bear him a few sons, one woman was as good as another.
     He supposed he’d prefer if the lass was attractive, as it would make the begetting
     of those heirs easier, but he had enough experience to call on memories if he needed
     a little help.
    It wasn’t as if a wife would have any effect on his day-to-day life. He’d go on as
     he had before. His sister and brother might feel differently, but Kenneth was not
     moved by emotion. For men like him, marriage was a duty. He’d loved lots of women;
     he didn’t need to love his wife.
    “Aye,” he lied. “I have. Did you have someone in mind?”
    Kenneth was expecting the king to put forth his sister Christina, as he had to his
     brother Will. The former Countess of Mar was still being held in England, as was her
     young son, the current Earl of Mar. Kenneth knew how important it was to Bruce to
     unite all the Scottish earls under his banner, and the countess’s next husband might
     help influence that decision.
    But it was a different widowed countess that Bruce spoke of—Atholl. “I’m not sure
     whether you are aware, but my former sister-in-law, Mary, is a part of Edward’s delegation.”
     Suddenly, the bishop’s presence made a little more sense. He vaguely recalled seeing
     Atholl’s wife onceyears ago when he was still a squire with the Earl of Ross. She’d been quite pretty,
     he thought, and much younger than her husband. He also knew she’d been kept a virtual
     prisoner these past few years in England after her husband’s execution.
    He nodded, and Bruce continued, “The lass is dear to me, she was still a child when
     I married her sister, and I thought if she could be persuaded to remarry one of my
     men …”
    He didn’t need to say the rest. As with Christina Bruce, Mary of Mar had a young son
     and earl in England. The right husband might be able to persuade her and her son to
     join Bruce. Of course, there was one major obstacle. “I doubt Edward would approve
     of the match.”
    Bruce smiled wryly. “You’re right, with the way things stand now. But there are ways
     we might be able to get around that. There is, however, a bigger problem.”
    “What’s that?”
    It was the bishop who answered. “The lass has no interest in remarrying.” He paused.
     “She’s had a difficult time of it the past few years.”
    Understandable, given the circumstances. He resisted the urge to rub his neck, thinking
     of the traitor’s death that had befallen Atholl.
    “Where does her allegiance lie?”
    The king and the bishop exchanged looks, but it was Bruce who spoke. “To her son,
     but beyond that I am not sure. She holds no love for the English king, but whether
     she would convince her son to rebel against him and join us, I don’t know.” He smiled.
     “My former sister-in-law is far more obstinate than I remembered—and far more politic
     in her answers. I doubt anything will come of it. All I ask is that you meet her,
     and see if you would suit. If not, I have other women for you to consider.”
    They spent some time discussing a few of the other possibilities, but it was hard
     for Kenneth to feign enthusiasmwhen he had something else far more important on his mind. He finally had his opportunity
     when the meeting dissolved.
    “Sire, there is something I should like to discuss with you if you can spare a few
     more minutes.”
    The king nodded. Kenneth suspected he knew