Page 27 of Married to the Icy Highlander
The little girl, who had been hiding behind her, grinned and peeked out from behind her skirts, and then invited herself inside merrily.
“Good morning!” she greeted the room as if she had never met a stranger in her life.
Ida turned around with a smile. “Oh my! I wasnae expectin’ company like this either! How happy I am to meet ye, lassie!”
Jeanie wasted no time in skipping over to the table and then the pot on the fire, inspecting every single thing that she could get close to.
“This is where ye lived, Ceana? I love it!” she exclaimed.
“I’ll give ye a tour soon, hm? Breakfast first?” Ceana tried to guide her toward the table gently.
“Is that a kitty!?” Jeanie gasped and reached for Myrtle, who was not at all interested in anyone other than Peter—as always.
The cat’s hackles rose as he hissed at her and crawled under the table. Always a strange creature, he was.
“Och… the kitty doesnae like me…”
“Dinnae feel bad about it—he doesnae like me either,” Ersie said easily, for it was certainly true enough.
With that, Jeanie was back up on her feet, looking at everything on the shelves and mantelpiece as if she needed to commit everything to memory.
“The spread might nae be as lavish as the one ye are used to at the castle, little lass, but I?—”
“Nobody can cook like ye, Maither,” Ceana interjected.
“And if ye eat it all, we can show ye the gardens after yer tour,” Ersie offered.
“Aye! The gardens!” Peter piped up. “I can show ye me favorite places to play!”
Peter was a few years older than Jeanie, but he was still small for his age and preferred to play alone. So, his offer meant a lot to Ceana. Not that she had any worries about her family getting along with Jeanie.
Now that she was thinking about it, she couldn’t really remember what Peter had been like at that age. He had Myrtle by then, so he was more content to occupy himself than seeking company. But Jeanie seemed to want to be around others desperately.
Ceana helped to set the table while Ida finished frying the last of the bannocks. She heaped the bacon and pan-fried tomatoes on the plates and passed them around while the rest sat in a bowl beside the fresh apple jam and butter that Ersie had helped churn the other morning.
It was nice living at the castle—it was a whole new world for her to explore. But it was nothing compared to the comforts of her family home.
“Are ye excited about the festival tonight, dear?” Ida asked, motioning for Jeanie to take her seat, which she did right across from Myrtle once more.
“Very much!” Jeanie answered, digging into her food with enthusiasm. “I have always wanted to go, but Faither said I was too young! But he promised I could go with Ceana this year! I want to see everything!”
“Well, ye had better pace yerself, lassie—there’s always next year for whatever ye miss,” Ersie advised, chewing slowly.
“But that willnae be the same as this year! It will be different!” Jeanie insisted. “I can do it! I can see all of it!”
Ceana and Ersie exchange knowing glances. Were Blaine here, this was exactly the sort of thing that her friend would have bet on.
Thinking about him brought her pain. He had not only jilted her at the altar but had also abandoned his brother and his niece.
No, if she thought about it any longer, she was going to get herself too worked up, and today was a day for celebration.
The rest of breakfast passed much the same, with Jeanie and Peter exchanging comments about the festival and the things that he had seen the years before. Ersie commented here and there about the safest ways to do the various things, since she would likely be overwhelmed by everything happening around her.
The next thing Ceana knew, she was washing up with her mother, the pair of them taking turns watching Ersie and the children playing tag in the garden. It was for the best, as Ersie was the only one who had enough energy to keep up with them.
“He hasnae come back,” Ida said softly, wiping the table before setting out the vegetables and things to prep for the next meal.
Ceana knew who her mother was referring to, but she was almost afraid to ask her to elaborate.
