What made her suddenly afraid? Rather than press her, he pretended not to notice. Instead, he accepted her praise with a slight bow. “Thank ye. We have worked verra hard here, and continue to do so to make our keep the finest.”
“Ye better have knocked the mud from those boots afore stepping in here.”
He turned to find Mrs. Cain doing her best to look threatening. “I assure ye I did, Mrs. Cain. Come meet Mistress Mila Abernathy, our newest guest.” He took on a low, ominous tone while aiming a mischievous look at Mila. “Mrs. Cain is not only Éirich’s housekeeper but also the fierce beastie to whom all troublemakers and layabouts are fed.” He leaned closer and continued in a horrified whisper, “If ye listen close, ye can hear her crunching their bones in the wee hours afore dawn.”
“Hmpf!” The plump matron, elderly yet still spry enough to strike fear into the surliest warrior, swept forward. She gave Mila a hard up-and-down squint. “Pleasure to meet ye, Mistress Abernathy.”
“Please. Call me Mila.”
“Good enough.” The housekeeper planted her fists on her wide hips. “Ye may call me Mrs. Cain.” She ambled closer and shook a finger at Teague. “What the devil did ye do to her? Drag her behind a horse?”
“I did not.” Why did everyone keep accusing him of such? “When have ye ever known me to treat a woman in such a coarse way?”
Mrs. Cain hissed out a very prim huff. “A few have come here that ye shouldha dragged some sense into.”
A faint noise that could almost pass for a giggle escaped Mila before she clapped a hand across her mouth.
“Already siding with Mrs. Cain?” He struggled to maintain a somber air, even though her reaction pleased him. “Just as well. She will be the one helping ye settle in.” He turned back to the white-capped matron. Her critical scowl had returned as she eyed his boots and the floor behind him. “I didna track up the floor, ye worrisome old hen.”
“Mallie and Dorrie worked all morning scrubbing it clean. I willna have their work undone in a flash of ill-consideration, ye ken?”
Mila ducked her head, but her twitching shoulders betrayed a struggle not to release her pent-up mirth.
Perhaps he should keep the banter going for a while. He loved it when this lady was happy.
He cleared his throat and turned back to Mrs. Cain. “Mistress Abernathy has a son. I reckon they will need the space and privacy such a wee family entails.”
The housekeeper studied him. Her wrinkly face tightened. “A pair of bedchambers connected with a sitting room, aye?” The mischief in her eyes gave her away even though she maintained a terse tone. “Since there be no mistress of this keep, what say ye to her and the lad staying on yer floor? Not yer personal solar, of course, but the suite intended for yer wife whenever ye trick some poor lass into marrying ye?”
“Ye are a cold, hateful woman, Mrs. Cain.” But he didn’t mean it, and she knew it. “But aye, that will be suitable enough as long as Mistress Mila here doesna mind.”
The lovely lass’s fearful, doe-eyed look had returned. “Just Mila. Aye? And I am not too sure about such an arrangement.”
“The door between my bedchamber and yers locks, mistress. From yer side, and Mrs. Cain shall see to it that ye possess the only key. Agreed?”
Her dubious expression shouted that she still didn’t believe or trust either of them.
“There is naught but the one key, lass,” Mrs. Cain said. “And if ye wish, I can show ye how to bar the door with a good, sturdy chair.”
Mila squared her shoulders. “Thank ye, Mrs. Cain, but I already know well enough how to block a door.” She held out a hand. “I would appreciate the assurance of the key, though.”
The housekeeper removed a key from the large ring at her waist and placed it in Mila’s hand. She tipped a nod at the lass’s strange trappings. “Since I see no belongings with ye, I assume ye have no proper clothing?”
Mila swiped her palms on her strange trews. “These are all I have.”
Mrs. Cain nodded, then turned back to him. “Grissa can make the rounds and see what can be gathered for her, aye?”
“Aye.” Although he thought it prudent that Grissa avoid any donations from Vivyanne and her girls. “Have her choose appropriately, ye ken?”
“Well, of course,” the housekeeper replied. “I shall have food and drink fetched for her as well. Anything else afore I take this shivering lamb to her rooms?”
“I dinna mean to be rude, but can ye not talk about me as if I am not standing right here in front of ye?” Mila tucked a muddy strand of hair behind her ear. “I am grateful for such generous hospitality, but afore I wash up a bit, I would like to see Robbie.”
“He is fine, lass.” Teague supposed it was natural for a mother to fret about her bairn, but her lack of trust grated on him. “Bhric and Calder willna let anything happen to him.”
She squared off in front of him as though ready to battle. “Be that as it may, take me to him. Now. If ye please.”
“Appears to me ye best do as yer told,” Mrs. Cain said. “While ye are gone, I shall set the girls to airing out the rooms and making everything proper. All will be ready when ye return, Mistress Mila.”
