"I've heard of it but never eaten any."
He shook his head. "Ewan said you're a Sassenach, but I'm thinking you're worse."
"I'm American. And, no, that's not worse."
He pointed to the bowl of oatmeal and the fried egg. "'Tis porridge and an egg."
She nodded. He must think her dense. "I'm glad there's no smoked fish or haggis on here." She pointed at a piece of meat. "What's this?"
"Grouse."
"Seems a strange breakfast food."
Crocker shrugged. "We eat what we can get, lass… er, I mean m'lady."
"Better than rabbit, I suppose."
Crocker scowled and drew back as of affronted. "Did you nay care for the rabbit stew last eve?"
"I have to admit it was tasty. First time I'd eaten rabbit." She took a bite of the butter-covered bannock. "Mmm." She hadn't realized the extent of her hunger.
"You like that too, aye?" He grinned and puffed up like a cocky rooster.
She nodded. "It's delicious. You're an excellent cook."
"I thank you, m'lady." He bowed, delight staining his face red.
"I thank you too." She took a bite of the porridge, surprised to find it both salty and sweet. "Wow, this porridge is so much better than what you sent me in the dungeon. What happened?"
"Our supplies arrived this morn. Salt, butter, honey, spices, eggs, flour, and a few other things."
Thank goodness. Maybe she could handle the food a lot better. She took a sip from the pewter mug by her plate. Big mistake. She choked down the potent, lukewarm ale with a grimace. "Oh my gosh! Don't you have any fresh, clean water… or better yet, coffee?"
"Now, what would you want with that when you can have fresh ale? I brewed it myself."
She might die of thirst in this century.
Once she'd finished eating, she asked, "Do you guys use toothbrushes?"
Crocker eyed her, quirking a bushy brow. "Toothbrushes? What's that?"
Cripes. Now her dental hygiene was going down the drain. "In America, we use a small brush with paste on it to clean our teeth. How is it done here?"
He grinned, showing part of his stained teeth were missing. "Some tooth powder and a rough linen cloth works wonders."
"What's in the powder?"
"Salt, sage, and mint."
That didn't sound too bad. "Do you have some I can use? I hate having bad breath."
"Aye. 'Tis what his lairdship uses."
She'd noticed Gavin had nice teeth and fresh breath. Maybe she could even make her own dental floss.
"I'll mix some fresh for you and bring it to your chamber in a wee bit," Crocker offered.
"Thank you."
