“Actually, miss, we have come about the bed you had to let?”
“All three of you?”
“If there is room. We want to shelter from the storm that is soon to hit. Maybe stay a day or two to see the ocean and all, if we can.”
“Well, get your things and your horses, if you have them, and bring them up. If you go a short way farther up the beach you’ll find paths you can walk the horses up.”
“All right. Ye stay here, Robbie,” Geordie said, then looked at the woman. “If that is all right with you.”
“It is fine. Come up.” She waved to Robbie to come up on the porch. “You can sit here or come inside. Thor looks mean, but he will not hurt you,” she said as she stepped aside and a huge shaggy brown dog stepped out.
“That looks like a fine guard dog, but what kind is he?”
“A lot of different kinds. You are welcome to come in if you want. That rain is pretty well on the doorstep.” She stepped inside and held the door open.
“Hope Geordie and James dinnae get soaked.” He stepped inside and took his boots off on the rough square of carpet there, then put them on the wooden rack set to the side. “Fine house ye have.”
“Thank you. Great-Grandfather built it. That is why most of it is only one story high.” She flashed him a grin. “He did not like climbing up a big ladder. My great-grandmother preferred length instead of height, as well. My father added the second floor with the bedrooms. Where did you come from? I do not recognize the accent.”
“Scotland.”
“Did you break your leg on the journey?” She steered him toward a large, heavy wooden rocker when he started toward the settee. “My pa said this chair is better if you have an injury or pain.”
“Nay, it didnae happen on the journey from Scotland, which was years ago. In the war some men took me and wanted me to join the Rebs. When I said nay they tried to convince me by bashing my leg and my hand. My brother Iain feels certain they were not trying to fix me when they finally patched me up, but hoped to make me useless to anyone else who might try to take me as a recruit.”
“What were you? Ten? They should have considered you too young and moved on.”
“Nay. I was of an age to join in the war. Didnae want to, but was certainly old enough.”
“Only the ones with money and power should go fight. They are responsible for starting the war and they are the ones who gain from it, so they and theirs should be out there fighting.”
“Ye have a verra cynical view of wars.”
“I have a very cynical view of a lot of things. I’ll get you something to eat and drink.”
Mehitabel went into her kitchen and started to put together a tray of food and drink for her guests. She thought about what else she needed to do to be ready for James, Geordie, and Robbie. It was early in the season so she doubted there would be others looking for a room now. If there was, any male could join them in the infirmary, which, with its beds lining each wall was much like a bunkhouse, and any female could pick one of the two remaining bedrooms. This was a profitable start to the season. She hoped it continued.
Bennet’s anger troubled her. Her refusal to sell to him had always been a source of real irritation for him, but tonight his behavior was extreme. She wondered if he had some deal he could make if it included her land, too. The man had never really been happy with what he had inherited. For some reason he believed he deserved more.
She suspected he wanted to be one of those fancy-dressed men who strolled the streets of a big city. He wanted to be a big man of industry or something similar. There was no city near them where he could fulfill such a dream. If he had reached the point where his life displeased him so much, she should expect even uglier confrontations. Belle sighed with the weariness such a thought brought with it.
After starting something for a proper dinner, she got some linen out of the cupboard and went to make up the beds in the infirmary. The sound of a footstep made her look toward the door, and Robbie stood there. She was going to be nosy soon and find out more about his injuries, she decided, as she sent him a questioning smile.
“I came to give ye a hand,” he said as he walked toward her.
“That is not necessary. You are the guest. Nearer to summer, these beds would be made up all the time for the guests. It is just a bit early for any beach hunters.”
“It is all right. I do this kind of thing at home. Cannae expect Mrs. O’Neal to do everything when there are seven of us ‘boys,’ which is what she always calls us.”
“Seven? You havesixbrothers?” she asked in shock as he helped her spread out the bottom sheet nicely.
“Aye. We lost our home in Scotland because the laird decided sheep or cattle would bring him more profit than tenants, and so he threw us out. ’Tis a long story that many Scots are all too familiar with, and so we came here after a bit of trying to make a living at home. Sadly, my parents died when we went west, as so many others did, but all of the rest of us made it to the Ozarks, and my brother Iain thought it a good spot. We raise sheep.”
“I thought sheep were not much liked out west of here.”
“Nay, they are hated, but up in the hills, we arenae near people who are that rabid about them. We stumbled across a couple of Welsh shepherds and they watch the flock. Good fellows,” he said as he helped her put the spread on the bed. “They were finding it hard to make a living as shepherds, so were happy to take over our flock. Built them some cabins and they went and found themselves wives and are growing families.”
Plumping the pillow and moving to the next bed, she asked, “Who is Mrs. O’Neal then?”
