The little fox cocked his head, eyes bright.
Waiting.
Eager as ever to do her bidding.
Pleased, and with a decidedly light spring in her step, Devorgilla led the way to her special well, her wee helpmate matching her hurrying strides.
And just before they reached the well, Devorgilla cackled again.
Their magic-staff-swinging visitor, all piercing eyes and wild-tossing, white-maned hair, had done more than he’d ever intended.
Far from simplywarningher, he’d shown her what she’d overlooked till now.
And she intended to take full advantage.
Whether it pleased the old goat or not.
Chapter Nine
Gelis stood in the middle of Castle Dare’s great kitchens, her hands fisted at her hips, unwilling to believe that herplanwould shatter on the will of one stiff-necked, nae-saying ox of a man who called himself Dare’s master cook.
To her way of looking at it — at the moment, anyway — he appeared as unbending as the thick stone columns supporting the kitchens’ high-vaulted ceiling.
He certainly seemed to have his mind set on vexing her.
With one notable exception, rarely had she seen a man so utterly unmoved by her best dimpled smile and kindest morning greetings.
Nor did he seem overly appreciative of her rose attar perfume. Not that the delicate scent was noticeable against the stronger kitchen smells of roasting meat, simmering stews, and onions.
So many onions!
The great pile of them made her eyes burn, and she stepped farther away from the table where two young boys busied themselves chopping the odoriferous bulbs.
Unfortunately, the sharp bite ofonion airwasn’t so easily avoided.
Not if she wished to enlist the cook’s aid.
Doing so required suffering the kitchens, pungent as the great groin-vaulted area was.
She bit her lip and tried not to breathe too deeply. She also stifled the urge to tap her foot.
Showing annoyance would get her nowhere.
So she eyed the cook carefully, focusing all her thoughts on winning his favor.
Affectionately dubbed Hugh MacHugh, or so she’d heard, the double name reflected his extraordinary size.
And hewasincredibly large.
Ranging head and shoulders above most men and making up nearly as much in breadth and girth, his great bulk dwarfed even the vastness of the huge, arched roasting hearth looming behind him.
Gelis kept her chin lifted all the same.
Hugh MacHugh would have a chink somewhere.
Most men did.
And those who didn’t weren’t worth the bother.
