James slapped his hand down on the table. The triple stand of candles wobbled, and Patrick made a grab to set it upright.
The King scowled at Bishop Turnbull. “The Wigtown earldom must go to the Queen. That is an end of it.”
His eyes closed, Turnbull pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your Grace, it isnae only Earl William who objects. Many of your own allies do as well. No one denies that you have a claim to Wigtown since Duchess Margeret—”
“My father granted her a life-rent only. The earldom must revert to the crown. The Queen still does not have the full amount she was promised as tocher, and Wigtown will make up the difference.”
Crichton kept his eyes firmly on his hands, clasped on the table. Kennedy sighed and shook his head. Lord Gray cut his eyes toward Patrick as though he might have the power to change the King’s mind; Patrick only shrugged a shoulder.
“Seizing it whilst the earl was out of the realm has too many people wondering if theirs might nae be next if you could find some pretext for other seizures.”
“Certes, I would not.” James scowled.
Turnbull steepled his fingers. “You made your point to the earl with slighting Craig Douglas Castle; now you can give way on this without appearing weak. Sire, this is nae the time to force a crisis. You made it plain who is king, but that has done nothing to lessen his strength.”
When there was a knock on the door, the King’s face drew up like a fist. Patrick, nearest the door, stood and opened it a crack. The man-at-arms outside thrust a letter into Patrick’s hand and backed away like a deer at the sight of a hunter. Patrick blew out a puff of breath. He held up the sealed letter as he turned.
“What?” James demanded.
Patrick slid his thumb under the seal and opened it. He read it and then read it through again. Crushing it in his hand, he said, “John MacDonald has seized Urquhart Castle and burnt the village. He then seized and destroyed Ruthven Castle.”
The King’s chair crashed over as he jumped to his feet. He stormed to the window and hammered his fist against the wall. “Devil take him! Those are royal castles!”
“Controlling the Lord of the Isles,” Bishop Kennedy said in his calm and measured tones, “has always been a matter to leave until you have gained control below the Firth of Forth. I dinnae see that this changes that. Those are all far north and more a demonstration of his power than a true threat, much as your attack at Craig Douglas.”
The King slammed his fist against the wall again before he turned, rubbing it with his other hand. He let out a gusty sigh. “Aye, I dare not turn to the north with the Douglas at my back.” He righted his chair and sat down. “They have me in a pincer. If I fight the Douglas, the Lord of the Isles could attack from the north. If I attack to the north…” He sighed. “You’re right, Turnbull. I must give up keeping Wigtown to keep the peace with Earl William. But what to do anent MacDonald?”
Lord Gray cleared his throat. “I suggest you do nothing directly, Sire. But there are men in the north who gey much resent the excessive power of the Lord of the Isles—and their overweening arrogance. You need to bring those to your side.” He pursed his lips in thought for a moment. “Alexander, Earl of Huntly, is no friend to the MacDonalds or to the Earl of Crawford for that matter. If you grant him the lordship of all of Badenoch including Ruthven Castle that would do more than if you attacked MacDonald directly. It would give you the beginning of a power base in the north. And it would give Huntley reason to rebuild Ruthven with no cost to the crown.”
James nodded. “Very well. It is better than doing nothing.”
“A wise decision, Your Grace, but that leaves two other concerns,” Kennedy said. He held up a finger. “One, that our truce with England has ended. And two, Earl William has sent his brother James there. No one kens for what purpose.” He dropped his hand onto the table. “With the French pressing the English heavily in Anjou, this is a good time to negotiate extending the truce. At the same time, our ambassadors could quietly inquire what the Douglas purpose is there.” When the King nodded his understanding, Kennedy continued. “I suggest Bishop Turnbull lead the delegation.”
The King shook his head. “I dinnae want to be without his advice for such a long period.”
Turnbull rubbed his chin gazing into the middle distance. “It shouldnae take gey long to come to an agreement. They’ll be eager to extend the peace. If you send the Bishop de Spens, Angus, and Huntly with me as ambassadors as well, it will be a good opportunity to ensure that they are tied to our cause.”