Page 23 of The Lyon and the Lass

Christine pinched her bridge of her nose with her free hand, trying desperately to avoid the headache she felt coming on. Then she put the piglet down and approached the young woman. “I see you’re cutting vegetables. Who is the cook?”

All four girls shook their heads. Finally one of them said, “Llioni.”

Christine turned to look at the cold fireplace. “Where is Llioni? Shouldn’t she be cooking the nooning meal, or supper?”

“I doona think so,” Isla said.

As much as she wanted to present herself as a firm, but kind mistress, Christine was definitely losing her patience. She took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, “Why not?”

“Because she died three days ago.”

Chapter Twelve

Christine paced thefilthy bedchamber, waiting for Kerrigan to join her. She knew that her prior life had been very different from what she’d experienced so far in Luffness Castle, but certainly living in filth was not anyone’s lifestyle.

She had worked herself up by the time the bedchamber door opened, and Kerrigan walked in. “Good evening, lass.” He walked up to her and placed a kiss on her forehead, then dropped the rest of her bundles on the floor. So, apparently, someonedidask the laird of the castle to carry her belongings upstairs like a servant.

“Good day to you. If you have a minute I would like to discuss something with you.”

“Aye, I’m here, lass.” He began removing his shirt and tossed it on the floor. He then looked in the wardrobe against the wall and after viewing the empty contents, turned to pick up the shirt from the floor, shake it out, with something small and furry that she didn’t want to think about dropping to the floor and scurrying away, and put it back on. All the while Christine watched in horror.

She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot in the filthy rushes. “Do you not see how dirty this room is?”

He looked around as he finished tucking his shirt into his breeches. “Aye. Ye are right, wife. It could use some straightening up.”

“Straightening up? The only thing to make this room more habitable is to burn it.”

He smiled. “Aye, lass ye will find things different here than in England.”

“Cleanliness is not just an English thing.” She blew out a deep breath. “You said I was in charge of the castle, correct?”

“Aye. Ye can do wha’ever ye want.”

Aside from cleaning this disaster she was expected to sleep in, she had no idea how to run a castle, or a keep. She had learned nothing about running a household from her mother before she passed, and Papa had never had the time nor the inclination to train her after that. All her papa’s homes had been run by very efficient housekeepers who had brushed off any of her questions.

“Who has been running the keep so far?”

He placed his hands on his hips and studied her for a minute. “I doona really ken, lass. I’ve been so busy trying to find ways to keep my folks from starving, and before that attempting to save as many of our sheep as I could, I ne’er paid attention. Ye might want to start off asking Llioni.”

“The cook?”

“Aye. I think I remember something about her being in charge.”

She was growing frustrated. “Llioni will not be doing any cooking. Or managing.”

He stopped brushing his hair. “Why no’?”

“Because she died three days ago.”

He shook his head and sighed. “Aye, she was getting up in years. God rest her soul.” He continued to brush his hair.

That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. “Was there ever anyone in charge that ye remember?” Maybe she could learn from someone who knew what they were doing.

“My mam. But when she died over a year ago, my sister Fiona took over, but she married a few months back and moved to Ireland with her husband.”

“She didn’t train anyone?”

Kerrigan scratched his head. “Well, she did train Miriam a bit, but thenshealso got married and moved to the Highlands. ’Twas a bit of a hurried wedding, so I doona think she had time to do anything except prepare to leave.”