Amanda Scott (16 page)

Smoothing damp palms on her skirt, she faced him, fighting to keep her calm as she said, “I beg your pardon, sir, if I misunderstood you before you left for Finlaggan, but I did believe you gave me license to do as I pleased here. I merely sought to make this chamber more comfortable for you, but if the result displeases you, I can simply order it put back the way it was.”

He did not reply at once but strode to the narrow, arched window and examined the shutters. “You had these polished or oiled or something. They were rough and dull before, but now they gleam.”

“Aye, sir, they’ve been sanded and oiled. They had grown dry, you see, and if one does not oil them regularly, one must soon replace them, as you know.”

“Aye, but I rarely think of such details.”

“You are too busy, sir, tending to more important matters.”

“’Tis true, lass, and this was well done of you. But what of those bed curtains? You scarcely had time to make them, let alone to embroider those birds and flowers all over them.”

“Do they displease you?”

“Nay, though I do not think a fighting man ought to sleep in a field of daisies. I’m just wondering how you accomplished so much in so short a time, and how much all of this is costing me. In truth, I suppose I do think you should have discussed so much change with me, and sought my approval before you began.”

“It has cost nothing but time and effort so far,” she said. “Most of it comes from Lady Mairi, who sent things from Ardtornish and Duart for us to use until we decide exactly what we—that is, you—want to do here. She said we may keep anything we find useful and return the rest as we replace things. I thought it very kind of her, but if you do not like to be beholden to your brother and his—”

“It is not that,” he said.

Cristina waited, but he did not seem inclined to continue, and she did not think she ought to mention just yet that Ian Dubh had offered them things from Seil.

Hector pressed his tongue against the back of his teeth, realizing that since he
had
given her permission to do as she pleased at Lochbuie, he could not say what he was thinking now, which was that the lovely Mariota might not approve of all these changes once he got the marriage annulled. Sakes, he could not even ask Cristina if Mariota liked what she had done.

Noting guiltily that she was still waiting with her usual patience for him to explain himself, he shrugged and said, “You have made the place very comfortable, which is good, because I invited several people at Finlaggan to spend a night or two with us here before they sail on to Ardtornish for the Shrove Tuesday celebration.”

“How many?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “Does it matter?”

“No, I suppose not. I just wondered if we should expect a family or two, or a hundred people.”

He grinned then. “I can try to make a list, lass, but I don’t think it can have been a hundred.”

“Then you need not bother with your list, sir. I know what I must do, and I am sure that Mairi will advise me if I need help.”

“Good lass,” he said. “I think I’ll go out to the barn for a time, to see if anything has gone amiss during my absence.”

She nearly told him his steward had everything in order there, too, but held her tongue, deciding she would rather see him go outside than back to the hall to flirt with Mariota. Instead, recalling his invitation to her sisters, she said, “Do not forget to order horses for us all to ride in the morning after we break our fast, sir.”

He looked startled, as if he had already forgotten, but then he said ruefully, “I can’t do it tomorrow, lass. I promised the lads we’d begin careening the boats first thing in the morning, so they’ll look their best for the Steward’s visit. You’ll have to make my excuses for me, but promise Mariota we’ll do it another time.”

Wondering again if she had been wise to invite her enticing sister to Lochbuie, she waited long enough to be sure she would not encounter her husband again, and then went to the little parlor, where she found her aunt and sisters.

“Was Hector angry with you?” Mariota asked as Cristina walked in.

“Mercy me, my dear, one must not inquire into the private affairs of married persons,” Lady Euphemia scolded. “Even if one is burning to know what happened, one simply must not ask, for it is very rude to do so, particularly when the person you are asking is your hostess, not to mention your elder sister.”

“Well, he looked angry,” Mariota said.

Isobel chuckled. “I think he was still recovering from finding his home littered with Macleod women. I’ll wager you did not tell him beforehand that you meant to invite us, did you, Cristina?”

“No, because I did not think of it until after Lady Mairi spent the night here. She said she thought I might be lonely with him away, and I knew she was right. Moreover, when I learned how easy it would be to fetch you from Chalamine, I could not wait. But he said naught about your coming, Isobel. He was just surprised by all the changes I had wrought here in his absence.”

“Well, he seems much more domineering than I thought he was,” Mariota said. “I like strong men—as who does not—but he is a fool if he thinks I shall allow him to dictate to me, or if he truly thinks I need an armed escort to ride about on the Isle of Mull. I have hitherto sought to please you, Cristina, but now that I have seen for myself that it is quite safe, I would have you remember that I am accustomed to looking after myself. And if Hector thinks there is no discord in Kintail, he is much mistaken. One simply has to know where it is safe to ride and where it is not, and so I shall tell him when he takes us out riding in the morning.”

Cristina suppressed a sigh, recalling many uncomfortable conversations with her father, who strongly disapproved of Mariota’s habit of riding alone but blamed Cristina for not putting a stop to it. Even Macleod realized that Mariota generally did as she pleased without consulting anyone else, and if he could not stop her, Cristina did not know how he had expected her to do so. However, now Hector had given the command, and she could trust him to enforce it. Drawing on her vast experience with her sister, she decided to approach the subject tactfully.

“I am afraid he has realized that he cannot spare the time to ride with us tomorrow,” she said, “but he charged me to tell you he will do so as soon as he can. I was hoping that you and Isobel would ride with me instead. We’ve not yet ridden north along the coast toward Duart, so we can do that if you like.”

“May we visit Lady Mairi?” Isobel asked. “I should like to see her again.”

“It is too far to ride unless we spend the night,” Cristina said. “But perhaps one day during your visit, we can take a longboat up the coast to visit her. Duart’s location provides spectacular views of the Firth of Lorn and the Sound of Mull.”

Before Isobel could reply, Mariota said, “I suppose it would be pleasant enough to ride a short distance along the shore to see more of this island, but I think I would prefer to ride west along the south coast. We’ve not done that either.”

“That is what we will do then,” Cristina said, well satisfied. “I shall tell them to have the horses ready for us directly after breakfast.”

Accordingly, the following morning, she arose at her usual time and hurried down to the kitchen to be sure the cook had all in train there before she entered the hall to find her aunt and sisters awaiting her at the high table.

“Such a lovely morning,” Lady Euphemia said.

“It is, indeed,” Cristina agreed. “Would you like to ride with us, Aunt?”

“Oh, dear me, no,” Lady Euphemia exclaimed. “I dislike bouncing about on horseback and rarely do so unless by necessity, for I never learned to ride without a saddle as you all did, you know, and to be sitting in what amounts to a basket that tilts and sways with every movement of one’s horse, thinking that at any moment it will pitch one onto the ground or into a stream, is not what I call pleasure.”

Cristina had known as much but had felt obliged to extend the invitation. “What will you do whilst we are gone?” she asked with a smile.

“I shall sit quietly with my tambour frame and watch dust motes dance in those sunbeams pouring through yonder windows,” Lady Euphemia said with a comfortable sigh. “You cannot know what a treat it is for me, my dear, to have to do only what I wish to do. Why, I cannot remember another such time in my life, but your servants here require little assistance, and you provide me with no tasks. It is quite delightful, I promise you.”

“If you should desire tasks, Aunt Euphemia, you have only to tell me so,” Cristina said. “I’m sure I can think of something. Your embroidery is lovely,” she added. “If that cushion cover is meant for Lochbuie, I shall be most grateful.”

“Well, it is,” Lady Euphemia said. “But I had meant to surprise you.”

Cristina moved to give her a hug. “Dear Aunt,” she said. “I shall be happy to express all the surprise you like when it is finished.”

“Very well, then you may have it,” Lady Euphemia said.

“Lady Cristina, I beg your pardon for intruding, but I thought you would want to know at once,” the plump housekeeper said importantly as she bustled from the buttery onto the dais, a worried frown on her face.

“What is it, Alma?” Cristina asked.

“One o’ the housemaids ha’ spewed her breakfast all over the upper landing o’ the east tower.”

“Faith, I hope it is nothing serious,” Cristina said.

“I’m thinking it be only summat she ate which she shouldn’t have, but it may be worse. Or she may ha’ taken summat t’ make her sick, so she could have a holiday, but I’ll say it as knows her, that our Tess dinna be the sort for that.”

“I’ll go to her at once,” Cristina said.

Lady Euphemia protested. “You may catch whatever disease she has!”

“And give it to us,” Mariota added.

“Don’t be foolish,” Cristina said. “Tess is part of the household, so I must see how sick she is. I doubt it will amount to more than Alma says, but we cannot have Tess passing some horrid sickness to everyone else at Lochbuie.”

Without another word, she hurried in the housekeeper’s wake, finding that the afflicted maidservant had descended to a chamber in the lower regions of the castle near the kitchen. The girl looked pale and drawn, but she was breathing easily and seemed upset only by the fact that Cristina had taken the time to visit her.

“Oh, my lady, I’m that sorry t’ disturb ye. I’m sure it be nowt t’ concern ye. I’m just thinking I must ha’ eaten summat that disagreed wi’ me stomach. It be a-roiling summat fierce, but the rest o’ me seems well enough.”

“You may be right, Tess, but I think you should rest quietly here this morning until we can be sure that no more is amiss than that. I do not want her working again until she can keep both food and water down, Alma.”

“Aye, m’lady, I’ll see she takes care. However, whilst ye’re here, mayhap ye could just have a look at this storeroom. I were thinking . . .”

For the next twenty minutes Cristina listened to what Alma had been thinking, and approved several ideas the woman suggested that would improve their ability to keep an inventory of the stores throughout the year. Only as she bade her farewell did she remember that her sisters were still waiting in the hall for her, probably in a blistering fever of impatience.

Giving thanks that she had dressed for riding before breaking her own fast, she hurried to the great hall to find her husband entering through the stairway door, her aunt rolling up her embroidery and directing a young gillie to carry her tambour frame, and two gillies sweeping up crumbs. No one else was there.

“Where are Mariota and Isobel?” she asked.

Hector shrugged, glancing at Lady Euphemia, who frowned.

“Why, Mariota said they were going to find you, my dear, so that you could have your ride,” she said. “Did they not do so?”

Fearing they had not really tried to do so, but reluctant to put her suspicions into words with Hector standing there, Cristina said, “No, they did not. I expect I shall have to go in search of them.”

“Where were you?” Hector asked.

“One of the housemaids fell ill,” she explained. “I’ll wager Mariota and Isobel got tired of waiting for me and went ahead to the barn to visit the horses.”

“Then let’s go and find them,” he said amiably.

She caught her lower lip between her teeth, realized that she had done so, and released it again. “I thought you had boats to careen,” she said.

“My lads have begun laying out the logs to roll them onto the beach,” he said. “I’ve plenty of time to bid your sisters good morning. In the barn, you say?”

Not for a moment could Cristina imagine Mariota doing anything so tame as to visit the barn merely to see which horse she was to ride. Still, if her impulsive sisters had done anything they ought not to do, they would just have to suffer the consequences. And consequences there would be, because Hector had been clear in his orders and she was sure he would enforce them.

They walked silently downstairs and out into the yard, from which they could easily see the barn. Noting at once that no horses stood outside, Cristina glanced obliquely up at Hector.

His lips formed a straight, hard line, and as if he felt her gaze, he said, “Do you suppose they are inside?”

“I hope so.” But the suspicion had long since entered her mind that Mariota had taken advantage of Tess’s indisposition to indulge a forbidden whim.

Looking at her now, he said, “Would they have gone without you?”

She sighed. “I did not tell the gillies that they should not. Did you?”

“Nay, lass. I trusted you to obey my commands.”

The unfairness of that statement nearly undid her, but it was exactly the sort of thing that Macleod had said to her often, so she drew a deep breath and said, “I have obeyed you, sir. I told them that they must, too, and they have done so until now. In truth, I do not know how I could have stopped them today, since they left whilst I was with Alma and Tess.” Suspicion stirred again as she heard the echo of her words, and then guilt. Mariota could have had nothing to do with Tess’s illness.

Hector was frowning. Then, to her surprise, he shot her a rueful grin. “I’m a beast to scold you for their behavior, lass. Doubtless, if they are not accustomed to taking an armed escort, they just failed to understand the importance of doing so.”