Page 38 of Long Live the King

Ash said, “Don means you’re trying to ask me out on a date.”

“Och aye, I would like to take ye tae dinner, Mistress Ash, tae yer favorite restaurant.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to pick my favorite restaurant before, um… what would I like..?” She said, “What’s your favorite food?”

I chuckled. “I am verra fond of cookies, it has made me verra popular with m’nieces and nephews.”

Then Ash said something that won m’heart completely. “I love baking, my aunt runs a bakery, not here, in Atlanta, but she taught me to bake.”

“Ye bake, ye love tae bake…? Yer aunt runs a bakery...?”

“Yes, I love it, my favorite things to make are pies.”

Twas all I could do tae keep from droppin’ tae m’knees right then. I ran a hand through my hair. “I verra much like cherry pie.”

“I don’t have cherry, but I have a peach pie, most of one, on my kitchen counter right now. Would you like to come have a midnight slice?”

“Aye, did I mention peach pie is m’favorite? I would like it verra much.”

CHAPTER 14 - LOCHINVAR

ASH’S ATTIC APARTMENT

We rode in her car and she pulled up in front of a large two-story house on a tree-lined street, verra close tae downtown. She explained twas an easy, safe journey, and she usually walked alone, even at night, but she drove if it were goin’ tae rain.

I looked up at the house. “Tis a verra fine house, Mistress Ash.”

“Oh yes, it is, but it’s not mine. I rent an apartment on the top floor. Which reminds me...” She turned off the car and dropped her key into her bag. “We have to be very very quiet when we climb the stairs. My landlady is asleep and she’s old as the hills and wakes up.... let’s just say,irritated.”

“I will be quiet as a mouse.”

She flashed her bonny smile and said, “Good, follow me, mouse.” We climbed from the car and she led me up tae the house and unlocked the door. We crept verra quietly up the stair, nae small feat as the boards creaked. I whispered, when a tread creaked under m’weight, “Tis somethin’ a hammer and nail might fix.”

She giggled.

I whispered, “Wheesht, we will wake the?—”

A feeble auld voice called up, “Is that you, Ashley?”

Ash froze on the step. “Yes, ma’am, coming home from work. Sorry I woke you.”

“Are you alone? Don’t be bringing strangers home.”

“I have a friend who’s come for a piece of pie, he’s not a stranger. You can go back to bed, I’m sorry I woke you.”

She began walking up again, and gestured for me to follow as the voice behind us said, “Try to keep it down, you sound like an elephant clomping up the steps.”

I whispered, “Och nae, I tried tae be verra quiet.”

She whispered, “Don’t worry about it, she says that almost every night, there’s no way you were going to be quiet enough you’re twice my size — speaking of, low ceiling.”

She tapped it, and I had tae duck at the top of the stairs where we came to a small door. She unlocked it and we entered.

Her apartment was in the attic, and down the middle of the room I was able to stand, but the ceilin’ sloped down on both sides. There was a wee kitchen near the front door, a small table and chairs, an over-stuffed chair on the opposite side with a table and lamp beside it, and a bed under a small window at the far end.

She said, “You don’t have to worry about sound up here, landlady sleeps on the bottom floor, thank heavens, it’s only the stairs that wake her.”

She pulled out a chair at the table so I could sit without needin’ tae hunch. “I am sorry it’s so small, it’s... I love the location. It’s probably much smaller than you’re used to, your brother is a lord and all.”

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