Exiles in Time (The After Cilmeri Series) by Sarah Woodbury Page A

the
throne of England. Unlike Valence, you were only doing what you saw
as your duty. He knows it.”
    Falkes sat back in his chair. “What of
Scotland?”
    “ What of it?” Callum
said.
    “ Bishop Kirby tells me that
King David seeks a peaceful answer to the question of succession
and does not put forth his own claim to the throne. Kirby says that
King David does not seek it.”
    “ That’s true. He has no
desire for the crown of Scotland on his head,” Callum
said.
    Falkes started to scoff his disbelief
again but then stopped himself. “You are right that I have no
evidence or reason to disbelieve my king. I am loyal to the crown
of England. I am loyal to King David if it is my loyalty he
wants.”
    “ He wants it,” Callum said.
“That is as he hoped.”
    Falkes reached for his cup of wine,
though his hand shook as he grasped the stem, and he did not
attempt to bring the cup to his mouth. “Margaret.”
    “ Excuse me?”
    “ The woman, Margaret, who
rescued Thomas. She is the Queen of Wales, then?”
    “ Indeed. She is King
David’s mother,” Callum said.
    Falkes put his head in his
hands as the delayed realization hit him. Callum could hardly blame
him. It was a lot to take in. Then Falkes dropped his hands. He
jerked his chin as if to say okay, moving
on . “While I should have known that he was
more than he said, God protected him from my hand. If you say that
King David forgives my treatment of him, I believe you.” Falkes
scooted back his chair and stood. He bowed low. “Please tell the
king that I will come to London at midsummer.”
    Callum stood to match him. “He will be
pleased to see you.”
    “ Uncle?”
    Callum and Falkes turned to see a
teenager approaching. He wore a surcoat with two doves on
it.
    Falkes held out his hand to the boy.
“Thomas, this is Lord Callum, Earl of Shrewsbury. King David sent
him to greet both of us.”
    “ My lord.” Thomas bowed.
“You have honored Carlisle with your presence.”
    Falkes made an impatient gesture with
his hand, though Thomas’s greeting had been very professionally
done. “Did you want something?” said Falkes.
    “ Just to tell you that
Bishop Kirby has retired for the evening,” Thomas said.
    Falkes nodded.
    “ I will retire as well.”
Callum lifted a hand to Falkes and then stepped off the dais.
Thinking it was time to find Samuel again, he headed down the
length of the hall towards the great doors.
    Thomas fell into step beside Callum.
“I heard what you said to my uncle.”
    Callum glanced at him, surprised. “Did
you really? I didn’t see you nearby and your uncle and I weren’t
speaking loudly.”
    “ Robbie Bruce and I sat
together a few seats down from my uncle. You didn’t see me because
I had my back to him. But I have good hearing.”
    “ So you know who King David
is?” Callum said.
    Thomas shot Callum a grin tinged with
satisfaction. “I knew all along he wasn’t a simple
merchant.”
    “ He has a message for you
too,” Callum said.
    Thomas glanced up, his eyes glinting.
Callum could see why David wanted to be remembered to him. Anyone
who had the audacity to set Carlisle’s stables on fire as a
diversion in order to free David and Ieuan from their
captivity—against his uncle’s express wishes—was worth a second
look.
    “ King David says, ‘thank
you’.”
    “ I was glad he got away.”
Thomas grinned again, but then his smile faded and his face fell.
“You didn’t say anything to my uncle about the manner of the king’s
escape, did you?”
    They’d reached the door to the hall.
Before answering, Callum allowed the guard to open the door and let
them pass through it. Once at the bottom of the exterior steps,
Callum pulled Thomas to one side. “Your uncle still doesn’t know
who set fire to the stables and freed his prisoners?”
    “ No. And I’d prefer he
never knew,” Thomas said.
    “ Your uncle might thank you
now,” Callum said.
    Thomas looked back towards the hall.
“He might.” Then