Page 28 of In Search of a Husband
Maisie whinnied and neighed around her sister.
Kate fought back a laugh.
“But Kelpies are vicious spirits that will trick ye. They’ll lure ye on their back by singing or the like.”
Maisie jumped forward, screaming, before grabbing Lorna and tackling her to the floor.
“They’ve magical hides that will stick ye to their back so as ye canna dismount, and then they dive below the water until ye’re drowned.”
“Dead!” Maisie rolled over and stuck out her tongue, blinking up at the ceiling.
The girls paused, waiting for Kate’s reaction to their dramatic retelling of the Scottish folklore. She never believed in such fairy stories before, and she wasn’t about to let Maisie and Lorna believe they could scare her away with a good tale.
“I will be cautious around the river, and watch out for Kelpies, girls. Thank you. But that doesn’t excuse you from your lessons today. If you don’t want to finish your arithmetic, then it is time to join Mrs. Malcolm in the kitchen.”
The older girl snorted a dismissive laugh. “I dinna wish to be taught anything. I’m smart enough.”
“Do you know how to read, Lorna?”
“No.”
“And can you write your name, Maisie? Well, either of you actually?”
“No,” they said in unison.
“There is nothing wrong with learning new things. And if you wish to take over the world or whatever diabolical plans you have, then you will need to read, write, and do basic sums. That much is important.”
“Why, when all we are meant to do is grow up pretty and marry?”
Kate jumped down from the comfortable window bench andstretched. Her whole life she had been a prize, and she hated it. A good match? Ha!
One mistake, and she was tossed to rot with the rest of the undesirables as if she had nothing left of value to offer.
“That is what society wishes, yes. But you should wish to better yourself, first of all for yourself, not for the benefit of anyone else. If you want to buy new ribbons or whatever else you desire, then you must be able to manage money and do arithmetic. If you wish to escape… hmm, what did you call it earlier? Oh, right, your prison here at Dunsmuir Castle, then you must learn to read. A map at the very least.”
Maisie tilted her head, assessing Kate as if she were spouting nonsense.
“Listen,” Kate said, bending down, “if you want to best a man, then you must be smarter than a man. You must be clever but not too clever. You must be beautiful, but you aren’t allowed to try too hard, or else you are vain. You must…”
“That’s a lot of rules,” Lorna complained.
Kate laughed, her chest suddenly feeling funny as her charges looked up at her in horror. “It’s only the beginning girls. I am telling you, learn what you can here at Dunsmuir. Being a woman is hard enough without helping yourself first if you have the opportunity. Trust me.”
“Ye’re pure dafty. Ye learned all this, but ye’re here with us. Why?”
Because it was more complicated. It always was. As a woman, it was her reputation that was completely and utterly ruined. Any hopes of a good match were gone. And Kate was far too young to settle for some older man who wished only to sire children as if she were some thoroughbred.
“And I am leaving for the rest of the afternoon,” she said with a large smile. It was now or never, and it was high time she washed herself.
“Why should we trust ye?” Maisie asked as Kate gathered her books and headed out of the makeshift classroom she set up in thelibrary. The tall room was painted a dark emerald green, and a large stag was mounted over the cracked marble fireplace.
“I guess you don’t have to. I am here to teach you, but it’s up to you if you wish to learn.”
“No, I mean about men.”
“Some other day, Maisie. Now, go help Mrs. Malcolm.”
She dashed down the hall to the chorus of groans, feeling as if her dress was too tight or the castle’s air was suddenly stale. Or perhaps she hadn’t slept enough. Whatever it was, it was odd, and she wished to be rid of the uneasiness that coursed through her.
