Page 12 of Return to Wildsyde

“I’ve nae a side saddle here,” he said, looking her up and down. Whatever he saw did not seem to please him, for he muttered under his breath and turned away, returning to his desk.

“I’ll give the lad a week to settle in and then he’ll go to school with the local boys, aye?”

Luella nodded, relieved to hear he had made some provision for her brother’s education. She had done the best she could, for Jack had not been to school since he was eight, when things had become so very bad financially. He was a bright boy, but not so keen to learn what his sister had to teach him. School and friends of his own age was just what he needed.

“That’s perfect, thank you so much,” she said sincerely.

Lord Buchanan grunted and picked up his pen, giving them a last glance before he began writing. “Ye may go,” he said, before carrying on as if they already had.

Biting her lip to not make a sarcastic remark, Luella towed Jack from the room and closed the door behind her.

14th May 1845, Wildsyde Castle, The Highlands of Scotland.

Luella slept badly despite her exhaustion. Strange dreams plagued her: remembered images of the night her father died mixing with the fatiguing journey to Scotland and ending with the castle itself and Luella running out of it into the night. She was alone in the darkness, the wilderness a living presence around her as she searched desperately for something she needed. Awakening with a start, her heart pounding, she could not remember what she had been looking for, only that losing it had broken her heart.

Sitting up in bed, bleary-eyed and with a dull headache, she started as there was a peremptory knock and a woman barged in carrying a tray.

“Morning, lassie. Aye, Lady Morven had the right of it, ye are done in. Well, this will set ye to rights soon enough. Make room for me now.”

Startled, Luella did as she was told and hurried to pile her pillows up behind her and sit up so the woman could set the tray upon her lap.

“Breakfast in bed?” she said in astonishment, staring at the enormous plate of sausages, eggs, and black pudding.

“Aye, but dinnae get used to it. Tomorrow ye will come downstairs at eight o’ clock.”

“And eat with Lord Buchanan?” she asked, suddenly not feeling quite so hungry.

The woman snorted. “Nae. He’ll be long finished by that hour of the morning.”

Luella let out a breath, and the woman stood back and folded her arms, giving her an appraising stare. She was a handsome woman and must once have been lovely. Her figure was still good, though a little on the stout side, and her auburn hair was streaked with white. This must be the housekeeper, Mrs Baillie.

“Are ye a conniving little she devil like yer cousin, then?” she asked, the question put so baldly that Luella gave an involuntary laugh.

“No!” she shot back.

The woman smiled and regarded her for a long moment in silence.

“We’ll see,” she said musingly, and went away again without another word.

Luella watched her go and turned her attention back to the plate before her. The scent of the sausages made her stomach clamour with impatience, and so she lost no time in tucking in.

“Did you have sausages for breakfast?”

Luella turned on the stool before the dressing table to see a wide-eyed Jack had come in. He looked like he had dressed all by guess, his buttons done up wrong, but at least he appeared to be clean.

“I did,” she said, amused by his reverent tone. “But you ought to knock before you come in. I might have been naked.”

Jack pulled a horrified face at this idea and promised he would do so in the future.

“Did Mrs Baillie bring it to you?”

“Yes,” he said, looking a little abashed. “And she said a footman would bring me hot water and, if I didn’t use it to wash with, she would dunk me under the pump in the yard herself. I think she meant it,” he said anxiously.

Luella’s eyebrows went up. She suspected Mrs Baillie had a good deal of experience with boys and their dislike of washing but felt rather aggrieved that she had spoken so to Jack. It was not her place to give the boy such threats and instructions.

“Well, she won’t be doing any such thing,” Luella said firmly. “But I might, so you may as well do as she says.”

Jack grinned at her, knowing she would never do it.