JAMES. You’re a great-great-great-grandson of the Bruce. Like me. You could be King. Or would your friends not like that?

WILLIAM. What friends?

JAMES. Crawford, up Aberdeen way, remember him? MacDonald Lord of the Isles.

I heard you were quite friendly.

WILLIAM. I don’t even like them. I’m not even talking about that…

MARY comes in with a baby.

JAMES. Mary, get out of here.

MARY. I am not in the way. I am just walking the baby. We will stay over here.

JAMES moves to her.

JAMES. No. You need to stay out of here. I told you.

WILLIIAM. Christ, man, your women have you where they want you, don’t they?

ANNABELLA (quiet). We’re not afraid of you, William Douglas.

WILLIAM. Well, you fucking should be!

There’s no human soul tells me what to do now. And there never will be again.

JAMES turns back to WILLIAM.

JAMES. Well, that’s funny because I heard you were dancing to Tiger Crawford’s tune these days, or maybe John MacDonald’s.

WILLIAM. That’s still preying on your mind, is it, wee Jamie?

That’s got you all of a quiver, has it?

JAMES. I heard you’d made a deal with them.

WILLIAM. A deal?

JAMES. A pact then. Do you want to call it a pact? Fine, we’ll call it a pact.

WILLIAM. To do what?

JAMES. Kill me. First chance you get.

A beat.

WILLIAM. You think I’d murder you?

JAMES. Oh aye right, push me off the throne then. And I suppose then you’ll just let me run around Stirling playing football and singing songs, that’s likely, eh?

WILLIAM. I never talked about murder. To anyone.

JAMES. Christ, man! Stop lying to me!

WILLIAM. I’m not lying to you.

JAMES. See, I thought that was maybe what you came to apologise about. Your little deal with Crawford and MacDonald.

Crawford to the north-east, MacDonald to the north-west, fearless wee Douglas with his radiant good looks blazing his way up from the borders… I’m a sad little hazelnut in your jaws, amn’t I? You thought I didn’t know?

WILLIAM. I didn’t know you listened to what they’re blethering about in the kitchen, Jamie…

JAMES. So it’s not true?

WILLIAM. I don’t know what’s in another man’s head. Crawford and MacDonald can think what they like. Doesn’t mean I’ll dance to their tune any more than yours. And I never talked about murder. All the rest… you brought on yourself when you decided to show the world you were master of me, Jamie. You’re not. You never will be.

JAMES. So it’s true.