The rest of the staff seemed to take her enjoyment as permission to serve her. The next twenty minutes were dedicated to introducing Anna to as many different dishes as possible. She was stuffed by the time Eilidh finally put an end to the display.
"Enough," she said, though she was giggling and wiping away crumbs from her own mouth. Eilidh's attention turned to a maid who had just walked in. "We have one more bit of the tour to get to."
Anna nodded, freeing herself from the throng of servants gathered around her. When she stopped at Eilidh's side, the maid was approaching them, wearing a kind smile as her sky-blue gaze swept over Anna.
"Lady McDonald, this is yer maid, Emilia," Eilidh said with a lilt of excitement. "I picked her for ye meself."
"It's a pleasure to meet ye, me Lady," Emilia said politely.
"Oh, you can call me Anna," she said, the idea of being constantly reminded of her new title overwhelming.
I don't know if I'm not used to it yet or if I think I don't deserve it… Either way, being called Lady McDonald by everyone is a bit unnerving.
"Well, then I look forward to bein' yer maid, Anna," Emilia replied easily. "I'll be nearby if ye need me."
"I just wanted to make sure the two of ye had met," Eilidh said as Emilia stepped away slightly, giving the two of them the illusion of privacy. "I'll leave ye be in a moment."
"Thank you," Anna said, bowing her head slightly. "I… You said you thought I'd be a good Lady McDonald. Did you mean it?"
"Of course I meant it," Eilidh said, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "Though I have one more piece of advice for ye."
"What might that be?" Anna asked, unable to keep herself from stepping closer, needing all the guidance she could get.
"Ye must be more confident," Eilidh said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We accept ye as our Lady. Ye daenae need to be so unsure of yerself. Ye'll be a fine Lady McDonald. Nay one expects ye to be perfect from the beginnin'. Just be confident, and ye willnae fail."
The words hit Anna in a place she'd hidden away. Being confident was a foreign concept to her. She had always focused on finding and hiding the parts of herself that might draw mocking looks. The idea of being sure about everything she did felt like an impossible feat.
Anna had seen others be confident. It was a possibility, she knew it, even if it felt wrong for her at the moment. With Eilidh's belief in her, Anna supposed that she could try and that she may even succeed.
"I will do my best," Anna promised. "But only because you're so sure of me."
"Ye're a good lass." Eilidh pulled Anna into a tight, motherly hug. When she released the younger woman, she said, "Now, before I leave ye, is there anythin' else I can help ye with?"
For a moment, Anna considered letting her go without another word. Though there was something that had been bothering her. "I want to become friends with Marcus," she said, trying to deliver the words with a self-assuredness that she didn't exactlyfeel. "If we're meant to be family, it would be best if the two of us got along."
"Aye, ye're right about that," Eilidh said thoughtfully. "But I will admit that as me youngest, he's a bit spoiled and has been actin' out since we arrived at Castle McDonald."
"I see," Anna murmured, wondering what could have happened to make her brother-in-law behave this way.
"But I'll help ye find him," Eilidh said, motioning for Anna to come with her. "If ye wish to speak to him."
"I do," Anna said, the look on Eilidh's face bolstering her.
Even if I don't mend our relationship, perhaps I can finally figure out why it is that he doesn't like me.
"Hugh, there ye are."
Hugh swallowed his groan when he heard Callum's grating voice. As he turned, the man was watching him with an emotion Hugh didn't quite understand plastered upon his mouth. Almost as quickly as Hugh registered the twitch of his lips, it was gone, schooled back into a mask of authoritative indifference.
"What do ye need, Callum?" Hugh asked, keeping his own expression unreadable. "I was a bit busy."
"Were ye?" Callum said, adjusting his stance to make himself appear a bit taller. "I imagine ye're still catchin' up from when ye left us without warnin'."
"Nay, it seems as though whoever stepped in was capable," Hugh replied. "Though they've altered the way me men are trainin'. I cannae say that I appreciate that."
"It's fittin' that the men be loyal to the actin' Laird McDonald," Callum drawled, almost as if he thought Hugh should know this already.
"I'd argue that'd cause confusion," Hugh said, refusing to concede his point. "They end up goin' back and forth with their drills. I ken they're tough, and they're smart, but we cannae ken they willnae make mistakes."
