Page 7 of Highlander's Secret Heiress
“And the Laird?” Alyth continued. “I have heard he looks fierce.”
“Aye, he looks that way, Jeannie,” Catriona said, “but dinnae let that fool ye. He has a heart o’ gold. But ever since his wifewas killed he has become quite stern-lookin’. An’ he adores wee Davina, his daughter. He has never said an unkind word tae any o’ us, has he?” She looked around the table and there was a series of nods and a murmur of agreement.
Just then, the cook beckoned them to come and collect their food, and Alyth found herself with a hearty plate of lamb stew and two freshly baked bannocks in front of her, as well as a glass of warm ale. The stew was so delicious that she disposed of it in a few moments, and was surprised to find that when she looked up the other young women were laughing at her.
She was deeply embarrassed and a little hurt, but Flora patted her hand and said kindly, “Dinnae worry, hen. We are a’ glad ye enjoyed the food sae much. We have just never seen anybody eat sae fast. Ye must have been hungry.”
“I was,” Alyth confessed. “I might have enjoyed a dead rat if you had put it in front of me!”
They all laughed again, before Morag and Elise fetched some hot spicy fruit pudding from the cook, and they shared it between them.
“Clootie dumpling is usually for Halloween,” Alyth said, frowning.
“Well, I’ll have yours if ye dinnae want it,” Heather said eagerly, then laughed. “This is a wee treat Mairi, the cook, makes for us sometimes if she’s in a good mood.”
“I see.” Alyth was pleased, since she loved Clootie dumpling. “I came at just the right time then.”
“Mistress Maisie didnae tell us about ye,” Alison pointed out. “It was quite a surprise tae see ye here. How did ye come by the job?”
“Well, by accident really.” Alyth took a deep breath, then began to spin the tale of the ambush by the bandits and how she had walked for days to get to Leithmuir. “I just about fell down with exhaustion when I got here, but the Captain of theGuard was very kind to me and brought me into the castle, then Mistress Maisie took care of me. They are both so kind, are they not?”
“Aye, they are,” Flora said, smiling. “We are lucky tae have them.” The others murmured in agreement.
“What did ye dae before ye came here, Jeannie?” Alison asked curiously.
“I was a lady’s maid,” Alyth replied. She had rehearsed her story so many times that the use of her false name did not startle her. She frowned and waved her hand in dismissal. “But that’s a story for another day.” She paused to drink her ale, then looked around her again.
“I just met the Laird, actually,” she said carefully. “He seemed very angry. I got a bit lost in the corridors and his daughter came and found me. She seemed a bit puzzled. She looked at me for a long time, then called for her mammy. I have no idea what she means, but when we met the Laird, he was mad.”
The young women all exchanged glances, seeming absolutely astonished.
“She spoke tae ye?” Flora asked, her eyes wide with amazement.
Alyth nodded. “Yes,” she answered. “Why are you so surprised?”
She looked around at the ring of bemused faces, baffled.
“Because that wee lassie hasnae said a word since her mother was killed,” Flora replied. “The guards say they have seen her condition before; it’s called shock. Are ye sure, Jeannie? It couldnae have been another noise ye heard?”
“I am quite certain,” Alyth said firmly. “I heard her very clearly because there was no other noise around us. She definitely said ‘Mammy’.”
Heather stood up and walked around the table to squat down beside Alyth and look up into her face. She stared into her eyes for a long moment before she asked, “Dae any o’ you see what I see? Jeannie looks an awfu’ lot like Lady Carrick. Maybe the poor bairn thought her mother had come back.”
She stood up and looked around at the others, who all began to stare at Alyth.
“Aye,” Flora agreed thoughtfully.
“She also called me a friend,” Alyth went on. “When the Laird saw us together, he became so angry, I thought he was going to hit me. It was only because little Davina spoke up that he stopped himself, I think. He loves her very much, does he not?”
“Aye,” Flora replied. “Especially since his wife died. But he wouldnae hit ye, hen. If ye had been a man he might have, but he would never harm a lassie. I am surprised he even laid a hand on ye at a’. It isnae like him.”
“Well, if he thought Jeannie was goin’ tae hurt Davina…” Morag said, leaving the rest of the sentence unspoken.
There was a silence between them all for a moment before Flora clapped her hands.
“Why are we a’ gettin’ sae miserable? Come on, talk about somethin’ more cheerful, for heaven’s sake.”
She launched into a funny story about her sister, and in a few moments all the young ladies were chatting and laughing amongst themselves. Alyth pretended to join in, but it was all an act.
