He nodded and turned to the stairs. “Signy said she’d be over to help out after she had breakfast.”
“She’s a good lass,” the housekeeper said. “Did the old laird tell you that he thought you should wed her?”
Ramsay paused, his left hand on the railing of the stairs. “Several times. But the lady and I have doubts.”
“Early days yet,” Mrs. Donovan said. “Now along with you, my young laird.”
As he made his way up to the room, Ramsay reflected that during his years of traveling, he’d been able to keep his private life private. Now he was recalling the drawbacks of living in a place where everyone knew your business, and usually had decided opinions about it. He needed to become used to that again.
After a swift wash and shave, he dressed in a black coat and trousers, an outfit suitable for greeting mourners. It was still early, so he headed down to the kitchen for a quick breakfast.
The cook, Mrs. Amundson, was grim-faced and the two kitchen maids were red eyed and sniffling. He introduced himself to all of them and accepted their condolences on his grandfather’s death. The younger maid broke out into full-blown tears. It was going to be a long week as everyone around him mourned the loss of the man he would miss so much.
Mrs. Amundson produced a robust breakfast of eggs, ham, and fried potatoes, saying, “You’ll need your strength, lad.”
He wondered if the older servants would ever stop calling him “lad.” Probably not. More significantly, he wondered how long it would take him to adjust to a place that no longer fit him.
Chapter 9
Aservant was sent to attend the front door, and it wasn’t long before the first knock. Ramsay moved into the entry hall and saw that his cousin Roald Ramsay had arrived, accompanied by two tall young people, one male and one female. Roald’s children, presumably. They would be Ramsay’s second cousins.
Determined to be hospitable, Ramsay approached the visitors and held out his hand. “Roald! Thank you for coming. It’s been too many years.”
“And whose fault is that?” his cousin said jovially as he shook Ramsay’s hand. There was a touch of gray in his hair, but he looked sleek and prosperous. “I’ve been right here. Sorry we meet again under such unfortunate circumstances. I heard you only got home yesterday?”
“Yes, in time to say good-bye to my grandfather, though barely.” Changing the subject, Ramsay continued, “I’ve heard you’ve done very well with your kelp business.”
“So I have,” Roald said complacently. “Come visit the works when you have time.”
“I will. Once things settle down, I plan to travel around the islands to reacquaint myself with the people and places.”
Roald nodded, then gestured at the young people. “You remember my son, Axel, and my daughter, Annabel?”
Ramsay offered his hand to Axel. “It’s good to meet you again. I recall that you were a promising scholar. Have you been to university?”
There was a flash of annoyance in Axel’s eyes, but his voice was steady as he replied. “No, it seemed better to stay in Thorsay and learn about running the family businesses.”
Ramsay suspected that Axel would have preferred to go to Edinburgh rather than stay under his father’s roof, which was understandable in a young man. Ramsay had been delighted to move into the wider world, and Duncan had encouraged his pursuit of knowledge.
Turning to Annabel, who had become a striking young beauty, Ramsay said, “I will refrain from saying, ‘My, how you’ve grown.’ But you certainly have!”
She smiled, her gaze on him frankly assessing. “I was in the schoolroom when you left. It’s good to see you again, Kai.” She cocked her head to one side. “They say you’re going to marry Signy Matheson?”
“Where do these rumors come from?” a tart female voice interjected. Signy had entered the hall and was crossing to join them. She looked tall and commanding in a severely cut black gown, her red-gold hair restrained in a coronet of braids that made her look even taller. A Nordic goddess in the flesh. “Ramsay and I scarcely know each other.”
“That will surely change,” Annabel said, her gaze calculating as she studied Signy. “They say you were the old laird’s right hand. I imagine you’ll be assisting Kai as he learns his new duties?”
“Yes, but that won’t take long, because Kai is a clever fellow,” Signy said. “Then I’ll be free to leave and follow my own interests.”
Ramsay came sharply alert. She’d said nothing of the sort to him. “You may be overestimating my cleverness and underestimating your knowledge.”
“We’ll see.” She gave him an amused glance, and he realized that she’d recognized Annabel’s interest in him and was enjoying the sight of him as prey. He rolled his eyes at her. Annabel was very pretty but too young and, he suspected, rather shallow for his taste. Luckily he was good at avoiding pursuit.
Roald said, “I’d like to offer the use of my Sea Gift House for the gathering after the funeral. There’s a great deal of space, and it’s close to the cathedral.”
“Thank you. That will be very convenient,” Ramsay said, grateful for the offer even if it stemmed from Roald’s political judgment rather than simple helpfulness. “I’m told an ox has been earmarked for roasting for the funeral feast.”
“That will be a good start,” Roald said, “and very welcome to those who haven’t had much beef lately.”
