Page 24 of Kilty By Association
“Ye mean, if I tell him to make me chicken instead of mutton, he’ll run me through with his meat spit?” Katharine gasped in delight.
Chuckling, Coira sent a glance Elspeth’s way. “I dinnae envy ye this one, milady.”
“Katharine is a gem,” Elspeth corrected, attempting for a haughty tone. “A gem who understands manners, but has no use for them, and also is turningremarkablybloodthirsty and refuses to brush her teeth. And if you refuse her demands, she threatens to chop you in half with her battleax.”
“Aye,” Craig intoned, nodding solemnly. “A gem.”
“Sounds like me,” Coira quipped.
Craig grinned. “Aye, she does!”
“Yay!” Katharine bounced on Craig’s hip. “I wanna be a laird too!”
Elspeth was already shaking her head when Coira tugged one of her daughter’s braids. “Nay, ‘tis mostly paperwork and letters and boring disputes and schedules. Do ye ken anything about sheep herding or wheat farming?”
The girl frowned. “That sounds terrible.”
“’Tis. Ye best stick with battleaxing.”
“Ikennedthat was a verb!” Katharine announced.
And Elspeth had to turn away to hide the roll of her eyes.
The meal was delicious—Coira’s sister was gifted in thekitchens, indeed—but chaotic. She sat with Robbie on one side of her and Doughall, Coira’s husband, on the other. Craig sat on Robbie’s other side—although he assured her the lad needed no protection here in Oliphant Castle—with Katharine beside him, chattering up a storm.
Doughall was the Oliphant Commander, but more than that, he was married to Coira, and thus was the Lady’s consort. He made it clear he wasn’t the laird of the Oliphants—his wife was capable and strong. And Elspeth thought that was just wonderful of him. ‘Twas clear he loved his wife, and from the amused looks she occasionally shot him, Coira loved him deeply as well.
He shared the story of how Coira’s father had decided to choose the next laird from among his sons-in-law, but none of the six daughters had liked that idea, although they all married quickly after that decree. Since the decision rested on whoever had the first grandson, they all had done their best to keep from having children…
Until Coira hadfinallybeen able to prove to her father that, as the eldest, who had handled clan business for years, she was most fit to lead the Oliphants after him. He’d retired, and he and his wife spent their time in peaceful pursuits now.
“Which doesnae always include dining with this rowdy bunch,” he murmured, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Doughall kept up a running commentary for her, introducing the others, as well as his own daughter, Bess, a pretty girl mayhap five years older than Robbie. “Be warned, milady,” Doughall intoned, “Bess will try to give ye an animal.”
As Elspeth raised her brows, Bess scoffed. “No’anyanimal! I love my pets, and I love to share them with good homes. I have three ducklings right now, milady, that need good—”
“Nay,” Elspeth was quick to deny, but tried to soften it with a shake of her head. “Forgive me, but when we reach Dungotit, ‘twill be difficult enough to find our footing after so longaway.” She chose not to mention her worries about Robbie. “Having three children is enough for me, thank you.”
“Dotheywant ducklings?” the lass asked.
“Bess, she saidnay,” growled her father.
“I’ll take them!” called out a wee girl from down the table, who was sitting across from Katharine. When everyone stopped talking to turn and stare at her, she smiled. “I like ducks.”
The slender man at her side, who had his hair braided into dozens of little plaits, shook his head. “She doesn’t speak for ages, and thenthisis what I get?”
“I like ducks,” the angelic lass repeated.
Katharine piped up. “I dinnae like ducks. Do you know the boy ducks have a penis withbarbson it? And when they try to have baby ducks, if the mama duck doesn’t want to have babies, she fights the daddy duck?”
The other little girl was wide-eyed. “I dinnae like ducks any longer, Da.”
Elspeth had dropped her forehead to her hand, embarrassment heating her cheeks as Robbie leaned around Craig to frown at his sister.
“Penises are no’ a polite dinner conversation topic.”
“Why no’?” she shot back at him. “Boys talk about their penises all the time!”
