The reflection in the looking glass now showed her a young lady, ready for light housework and optimistic about her future.
I might have time to tie me hair up in ringlet rags tonight. That will look perfect with me new lace cap. Maybe the lavender-scented man will see me in me fine new clothes and come back.
Emer gave herself a shake when she found her mind wandering to her first kiss and went to clean out his Lairdship’s fireplace.
* * *
Confident his new helper would have things well in hand cleaning his bedchamber and library, Caillen went to see how his father was doing and then proceeded to interrogate each and every worker at the castle. He methodically wrote their names down in his logbook, asked them how well they could read and write, and then put crosses next to the names of all the staff who could do neither. It would not release them from suspicion entirely, someone who was illiterate could still eavesdrop and carry messages, but it would narrow the pool of suspects who could have gone into the library.
Next up was a meeting with the carpenters.
“Thank ye for coming so swiftly, Reeves,” Caillen said to the master carpenter and his apprentices, “I want ye to check the library room from floor to ceiling-looking for priest’s holes, hidden chambers, and secret passages. Ye have me permission to rip out any of the wainscoting ye like!”
The carpenter’s eyes widened at this order.
“Are...are ye sure, Laird Maclachlan? It will make a sorry mess in there, and the castle wing housing the library is particularly auld and venerable.”
“Those are the very reasons I need to check for entrances. I wouldnae doubt one o’ the auld Lairds created a strategic exit somewhere,” Caillen said seriously, “and after ye’ve done that, build a room within a room-it does nae have to be fancy- just a small chamber I ken is only accessible to me.”
The carpenter nodded, and the men got to work.
Caillen looked at his logbook and saw the only name left to be interviewed was Emer Wylie. He smiled to himself and went looking for her.
After quite a bit of searching and enquiries, Caillen found Emer down in the stables, feeding a palfrey pony an apple.
He watched her in silence for a while. She was petting the pony’s velvety nose and whispering words of love and encouragement into its ear.
“I’ll take ye for a ride one o’ these days, Bessie. Mistress Burrough’s gives us one afternoon off a week. Would ye like to go down to the village?”
The pony and young woman made a pretty picture together. Emer shining chestnut ringlets flowed down her back like molten molasses, the curls reached all the way to her small waist, now more obvious with her tightened bodice. A demure kerchief fichu was tied around her neckline, but the outline of her full breasts could be seen underneath it. After all the drama surrounding him in the castle, Caillen felt he could stand and watch his new maid all day.
He had to break the spell in case she thought he was spying on her. There was quite enough of that going on in the keep without him adding to it!
Caillen cleared his throat.
Emer spun around, her beautiful brown eyes wide with shock at being caught down in the stables, but when she saw it was him, she relaxed and gave him a gorgeous wide smile,
“Och, ‘tis ye, me Laird. I thought it might be someone from upstairs coming to chide me for spending me dinnertime down here.”
“Is it dinnertime?” Caillen remarked, “Then why are ye nae up there eating? Or have ye done so already?”
Emer shook her head, which sent her ringlets spiraling around her waist, “Nay, sir, I’ve nae eaten,” she looked down in confusion, not wanting to sound ungrateful, “it’s only that the staff upstairs are all new to me, and I...I feel a bit shy to sit there at the table.”
Caillen came closer and began patting the pony’s neck, “Do ye miss yer auld friends at the kitchen? Ye can go eat there if ye prefer it Emer. I can send a message to Mistress Burroughs for her to allow it,” he said over his shoulder to Emer behind him.
He could not see the relief that flooded her face but could hear it in her voice, “Thank ye most kindly, me Laird! I would prefer to dine with me sister.”
He gave the palfrey one final pat and then asked Emer if she would like to go and find some food within the castle. “We have to partake of dinner, so why nae do it together, seein’ as we are both in sore need of food? I want to find out more about how ye came to the keep, if I may?”
Emer nodded and curtsied, and they both walked together to the morning room, the library being full of carpenters.
They found a loaf of bread in the basket, a fresh pat of butter, and some fruit in a bowl in the room.
“This will suit us just fine, lass,” Caillen said, sat down, and began to spread honey he had found on the tea tray onto the bannock.
Emer had never eaten grapes before and looked at Caillen with a question on her face after picking them up. He laughed and gestured for her to take them and put them on her plate.
“I ordered them up from one o’ the southern markets. Was yer farm too high in the mountains for ye to grow them there?” he said between mouthfuls.
