“It’s not Roderick,” Rory replied indignantly. “It’s Rory.”
“Whatever. Mother says ye’ve got lambs!”
Rory’s face lit. “We have! Come and meet Dave and Pete!”
And that was that. The three went racing out of the door with Mara running behind them barking excitedly.
“How’s that patch on the barn roof holding up?” Craig asked Deryn.
“About as well as ye would expect considering all the rain we’ve had which means not at all. In fact, ye can make yerself useful and come help me repair it whilst ye are here.”
Craig’s eyebrows raised in mock-surprise. “Charming! We come as guests and get forced into hard labor! There better be a dram or two of whisky waiting for me at the end of this!”
Deryn clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Aye, I’m sure we can manage that. And if ye are really lucky, Madeleine might brew ye up some of her own concoction. Coffee, she calls it.”
He winked at her and then led Craig outside. Maddy found herself alone with Darla.
“Thank goodness for that!” Darla said, rolling her eyes. “I thought they were never gonna leave. Now we can have a proper chat, canna we?”
Darla opened the leather scrip her husband had brought and rummaged around inside, coming out with several large pottery jars.
“If ye want to lay the table, I’ll get the pottage warming on the fire.” Without waiting for an answer, she crouched by the metal tripod which served as Deryn’s cooker and poured the contents of several of the ceramic vessels into the big stew pot, and stirredit with a spoon. Maddy began to see where Darla’s daughter got her bossiness from.
As instructed, Maddy began laying out Deryn’s wooden plates and cups on the table, setting out enough places for seven people. The table was plenty big enough for that many and Maddy again wondered why Deryn had made it that size when there was only him living here.
As they worked, Darla kept up a stream of chatter. “My apologies for barging in on ye, my dear, but if we’d left it to Deryn to invite us to make yer acquaintance, we’d have been waiting all year. Our Deryn isnae one for socializing.”
Maddy snorted. “Oh, so you’ve noticed?”
Darla laughed. “That I have, although we shouldnae be surprised after all he’s been through.”
Maddy’s ears pricked at this. “All he’s been through?” What did Darla know that she didn’t?
Darla colored slightly and her mouth made a little ‘O’ as if she’d revealed more than she meant to. “Ah, dinna listen to me. My mouth runs away with me sometimes: ye just ask my husband.” She bent over the pot. “I hope ye like leeks. We had a glut of them, so I’ve stuck the lot in.” Darla looked at Maddy sidelong. “I’m sorry to hear about yer troubles.”
“My troubles?”
“With Laird MacKay.”
Maddy’s discomfort must have shown on her face because Darla added quickly, “Dinna worry, yer secret is safe with me and nobody else will find out that ye are here or who ye are.” Her expression turned wistful, a little sad even. “Ye are not the first woman to fall foul of a powerful man who thinks he can treat ye as his property.”
From the way she said it Maddy wondered if she spoke from experience.
“I...um...it has been difficult,” Maddy admitted.
That was the understatement of the century. Since the moment Rodric MacKay had returned to her life everything had been upended.
Darla nodded and squeezed her shoulder. “If ye ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”
Maddy smiled, hoping she might have made a friend. “Thanks, Darla, that means a lot.”
The other woman waved a hand. “Let’s get this food ready before the men return. I take it ye’ve met Surly? If ye think that ram is bad, ye should see my husband when he’s got an empty belly!”
A little while later the door banged open and Craig and Deryn came in, followed by the children. Craig rubbed his belly exaggeratedly.
“Damn it, I’m so hungry my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut!”
Darla and Maddy shared a look. Then they both burst out laughing.
