Even if Kade had not asked me to keep our private affairs to ourselves, I had no desire to discuss my husband’s techniques in the bedchambers with my curious sister. And her false assumptions were beginning to rile me. “Maisie, you have no idea—”
I was mildly relieved when she interrupted me, and I decided to keep resolutely mum about the entire subject from that moment forward. “There are ways you can make things more...interesting, of course,” she was saying. “If you’re as timid in bed as you are in every other aspect of your life, ’tis no wonder.”
“What things?” I couldn’t help asking.
“Well, a man likes it when a woman takes control. Don’t wait for him. Tease him. Use your body. Show yourself. Men simply cannot resist once theyseeyou. Use your hands.” Her eyes glimmered. “And your mouth.”
I turned from her, and finished dressing. It all sounded utterly daunting, yet I was imagining all manner of lurid details. A flush of heat rose on my cheeks, which caused my younger but decidedly more worldly sister to smile.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going down to the kitchens.”
“Get some more food for me, too, would you? This bread is hardly edible.”
“I’m not returning ’til later. I’ve been told to oversee the kitchen staff. My husband wants the grand hall cleaned and fresh bread baked for the men—they’ve gone hunting.”
Maisie looked at me, slightly aghast. “Since when areyoubold enough to oversee anything?”
“Since today.” I’ll admit the comment stung; it was a little too accurate. My sister had always been blunt to a fault, a trait that was only compounding itself in the wake of her recent romantic disappointments. I’d seen a similar affliction affect my older sister, who had become sullen and wistful. Heartbreak, it seemed, had affected Maisie differently, provoking bitterness and sharp-tongued candor. I’d always loved her despite her consistent lack of either boundaries or tact, but I hopedfor her sake that she could rebound with some element of grace. “I’ve been given no choice.”
“Just hope Father doesn’t find out that you’re interfering. The bruises from your last transgression have only just faded.”
The thought caused a bolt of unease, but I thought of my husband’s vows, and hoped they were true.If any man threatens to lay a hand on you ever again, he will be exceedingly sorry for it.“Someone needs to interfere. Father might be grateful that someone’s taken an interest, once he sees that it can improve the look of the place. ’Tis ridiculous that we’re not allowed to help when it’s so obvious that something needs to be done to improve the standards of upkeep in the manor.”
“Aye,” Maisie agreed disinterestedly.
“I’ll see you at dinner,” I said.
I made my way down to the grand hall, where there was no one to be found. The single large tapestry looked dirty and dull. The fireplace—long cold—had a pile of ashes that had scattered across the floor from some errant draft. Days-old cups and plates still sat on the many tables, and I wondered why this big room wasn’t used for every evening meal, as it was at Kinloch, to unite the clan members over a meal and a drink, with the fire lit and the atmosphere festive and cozy. My husband was right: the place was a shambles.
I thought of Ailie Mackenzie, who judiciously managed the staff of Kinloch. She was not a woman of particularly forceful character, yet the place ran likeclockwork. I hoped, in time, I might be able to do the same and resolved to start today.
I collected a few of the dishes and carried them through the swinging doors to the kitchen, where some of the staff were busy. Not cooking, however. They were sitting around one of the larger tables, eating from bowls of soup, talking loudly and laughing at a joke one of them had just finished telling. As soon as they saw me, they fell entirely silent and stared at me with a mixture of surprise and contempt, as though I had just interrupted a private party I wasn’t invited to.
“Good morning,” I said, setting the dirty dishes down on a long, high table, where many other dirty dishes were piled.
“Good day, milady.”
I recognized all the women, but I didn’t know all their names. It was Isla who returned my greeting, the head of the kitchen staff. Isla was perhaps twice my age and had been in charge of the kitchens for as long as I could remember.
“What brings you here?” she asked.
“My husband has requested that the hall be cleaned today, and that a meal be prepared for the returning hunting party, by sunset.”
Isla turned to her amused audience, raising her eyebrows. Then she contemplated me, my fine gown and the gold necklace I always wore. “Your husband?”
One of the other women tittered, a petite dark-haired woman with a pointy face and a somewhat ragged-looking appearance, as though she hadn’t taken noticeof her clothing or her hair in some time. “Aye, I believe congratulations are in order, miss. The fierce warrior Kade Mackenzie, no less. We’ve all heard ofhim.”
“Commissionme,if you please, to deliver his meals,” chuckled one of the other women.
“Gladly,” retorted another. “Serve his food cold and you’ll likely get knifed for your trouble.” This comment was followed by uproarious laughter.
Isla attempted to wipe the smile from her face. “’Tis not for you to concern yourself with such matters as the cleaning of the hall, nor the preparation of meals, milady,” she said to me, taking my hand and ushering me toward the door. “I will see to it that some meat is provided for the men upon their return.”
I held my ground, although her grasp and her persuasion were somewhat insistent. “He wants them to be served fresh meat,” I said. “And fresh-baked bread. And vegetables picked from the gardens.”
Isla again made a face of mock obedience, entertaining the women to no end. “I’ll see what I can find.” And with that, she shooed me through the door of the kitchen and returned to her friends. I could hear their laughter as I retreated to the fireplace. How had I never noticed how dirty this hall was? And how mediocre our food was? And how disrespectful the staff was? I suppose we could hardly expect outpourings of respect, however, when we did so very little to earn it. My sisters and I sequestered ourselves behind closed doors most of the time, chatting idly, reading, engaging very little with any of the workers. And my father used threats toenforce his will when necessary, although in truth he appeared to be past caring about the state of his own keep beyond its army, who tended to dine in the barracks.
Something would have to change. And it was clearly up to me to change it. It surprised me slightly to realize that, rather than worrying about his anger, what concerned me more was that I didn’t want Kade to be disappointed in me, and he certainly would be if I failed to follow through with the few simple tasks he’d asked of me. I strode back into the kitchen.
