Page 52 of Edinburgh Escape
Maggie smiled down at the boy. “We’d need to ask your mother, and you’d need to change your clothes.”
Bryce glanced down at his pajamas. “Montana doesn’t care if I wear my pajamas.”
“He might not care, but riding clothes help protect you,” Maggie said.
Bryce glanced up at her, his eyes wide. “Do you ride?”
Maggie nodded. “I ride my friend Sadie’s horses back in the United States.”
“Can I meet your friend Sadie?” Bryce asked. “Would she let me ride her horses?”
“It’s a long way to go to where I live in the United States. And what’s super cool about where I live is that the state is named Montana.”
Bryce’s eyes widened even more. “Like my horse?”
“That’s right,” Maggie said. “Like your horse, only it’s a place with grasslands so big you can’t see a single tree. In other parts of the state, there are mountains with snow on top of them.”
“My mother let me play in the snow one time,” Bryce said. “Not for long. But I got to make a snow angel and throw snowballs. Ewan said he’d help me build a snowman if it snows enough this year.”
“We get lots of snow in Montana, where I live,” Maggie said. “You could build a lot of snowmen.”
“I’m going to ask Mother if I can go to Montana with you.” Bryce led them to one side of the dual staircases. They descended to the ground floor and the marble foyer. They turned into the hallway between the two staircases and walked toward the back of the manor, passing the dining room where they’d had dinner the night before, and continued to a swing door that led into the kitchen.
Maggie didn’t speak to Callum the entire way. Though she smiled for Bryce, she didn’t direct smiles in Callum’s direction. Not that he expected it. But he missed those smiles and her happy optimism. She appeared subdued. God, he hoped she wasn’t afraid of him, though he deserved it. He wouldn’t want to be around someone who attacked people in his sleep.
Maggie found eggs in the refrigerator and a skillet in a cupboard and whipped up scrambled eggs. By the time she had the eggs cooking, a woman appeared in a white jacket, her gray hair pulled back and secured under a net.
“You must be Cook. I’m Maggie.” Maggie held out her hand. “I’m sorry to take over, but Master Bryce was hungry.”
Cook’s eyes narrowed at the pan on the stove and the scrambled eggs cooking. She nodded her head as if approving and shook Maggie’s hand. “You must be Lord Drummond’s sister. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I can take over if you like.”
Maggie smiled and handed the spatula over. “Of course. Can I help?”
Cook tipped her head toward a cabinet. “Master Bryce prefers milk and buttered toast with his breakfast. You can find glasses in that cabinet and milk in the fridge. The bread is in the keeper on the counter. And if you want coffee, there’s a coffeemaker on the counter by the bread.
While Maggie went for the milk and glasses, Callum found the bread, popped four slices in the toaster and got the coffee brewing.
Cook brought out two more skillets, turned on the stove beneath them and laid slices of bacon across the surface of one while cracking eggs into the other for fried eggs. In a saucepan, she poured a large can of beans and set it on the fifth burner. Then she deftly returned to stir the original eggs until they were fluffy and cooked through. She scraped the eggs into a serving bowl, flipped the bacon to cook on the other side and helped Callum apply fresh butter to the lightly browned toast.
Maggie found plates and cutlery and set the long table in the kitchen.
“Oh, you’ll want to eat in the dining room,” Cook said,
“If it’s all right with you, it’s much cozier in here,” Maggie said.
Cook shrugged. “As you wish. It’s just that the former Lord Drummond required the family to eat in the dining room.”
“Since the old Lord Drummond isn’t part of the family anymore, we can eat wherever we like.” Ewan entered the kitchen and smiled at Cook. “And we’d like you to join us at the kitchen table.”
Cook’s cheeks flushed a ruddy red. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s never done. Alastair and I ate in here.”
“Then it’s about time you ate with us.” Ewan touched her arm gently. “You and Alastair are as much a part of this family as I am. I remember how you’d sneak extra cookies for me when I was a boy. And I rode all over the estate with Alastair. We were like brothers.” He smiled. “I’d offer my help, but it appears you have everything under control.”
“Lord Drummond,” Cook said as she stirred the beans, “please take a seat. I’ll bring your breakfast to you.”
“Nonsense.” Ewan eyed the serving bowl filled with scrambled eggs. “The least I can do is help carry things to the table.”
Maggie set a glass of milk at the table and went back to the cabinet for more glasses, filling each with orange juice.
