Page 22 of A Bride for the Kilted Beast

“Now, what can I dae fer ye, melady?”

“Well, I dinnae quite ken how tae explain it. I just dinnae feel quite meself, if ye ken what I mean. Me nerves are all jangled, and I feel on edge and anxious. ’Tis hard tae get tae sleep, fer I cannae seem tae relax at all. It must be all the excitement of the wedding.” She pitched her request for assistance as precisely as she could, knowing that if she got it right, he would give her the herbs she desired. “I just feel I need something tae calm me down and help me get tae sleep.”

“I see,” Finian said, a frown creasing his handsome brow as he regarded her. She knew he was scrutinizing her for signs of any significant problems. She tried to look anxious by fidgeting with her fingers. “I’m sorry tae hear it. I hope it has nae spoiled yer joy in yer wedding,” he added.

“Well, it has a little,” she confessed. “I was very nervous yesterday, of course, which I’m sure has something tae dae with it. Can ye give me a wee something tae calm me nerves and help me sleep?”

“Of course, naething simpler,” Finian told her, rising from his chair and crossing to a jar-lined shelf. He took down a jar full of dried herbs that resembled tea. He opened the jar and poured a generous measure of the herb mixture onto a slip of parchment before folding it up tightly into a small package. Lillie surreptitiously noted where he replaced the jar.

He returned to the table and handed the package it to Lillie, saying, “Just let a couple of spoonfuls of this steep in some boiling water for a few minutes, let it cool, and then drink it. That should cure the problem, though be careful nae tae take too much in one go, or ye may find yerself falling asleep when ye dinnae want tae.” He gave her a cheeky grin, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that tugged her heartstrings, reminding her strongly of Darragh once again.

“Och, thank ye kindly, Finian,” she said, slipping the packet in her dress pocket and rising to her feet.

“Come back and see me if ye have any trouble with it, and I’ll find something else tae suit ye better,” he said.

“I’ll be sure tae dae that,” Lillie said, making for the door. Finian followed and opened it for her.

“Good day, melady. ’Tis an honor tae have met ye.”

“Ye too, Finian. Thank ye again.”

As she had promised, Penny was waiting for her in the hallway, chatting to the guards, who were lounging against the wall. When she saw Lillie, the maid immediately broke off her conversation and came to join her mistress.

“Did he give ye something tae help, melady?” she asked as they retraced their steps to the staircase, the guards following a discreet distance behind.

“Aye, some herbal tea,” Lillie told her.

“Well, I hope that does the trick.”

“Aye, so dae I.” They reached the landing. Lillie stopped and said, “D’ye ken, Penny, I think I could eat a wee bit of something fer breakfast now. D’ye mind if I go tae the dining hall fer a while?”

“Ye’re the Lady of Kincaid, melady. Ye can do as ye wish,” Penny said with a merry smile. “I’ll go and tidy yer chamber and fetch some more of Miss Maddison’s things fer ye tae chose from later,” she offered.

“That’ll be grand, thank ye. I’ll be along presently,” Lillie told her as they parted, Penny going upstairs and Lillie descending to the great hall, with her trio of guards trailing behind her. She tried to ignore them. Once there, she oriented herself and took the grand hallway she recalled from the wedding procession the day before.

She patted her pocket as she entered the great dining hall for reassurance. There was hardly anyone else there. Everybody was busy going about their business, she supposed. A lad was clearing the tables, so she approached him.

“Good day tae ye,” she said. “Am I too late fer something tae eat?”

“Melady,” the lad said, sweeping off his cap and bowing low. “’Tis never too late fer whatever ye wish. If ye tell me what ye’d like and take a seat at the top table, I’ll fetch it for ye right away.”

“Thank ye. I’d like some porridge with honey, please, and some toasted bread with butter, and some tea.”

“Of course, melady,” the lad said and hurried off to fetch the food.

Lillie went and sat at the top table alone, while the guards stationed themselves at a table on the main floor, to her right. She noticed the place was still decorated with the garlands of greenery from her wedding the day before. She looked around the cavernous room. It had been impossible to see it all properly before because of the sheer number of people present. Surprisingly, any evidence of the party had been meticulously swept away.

Her breakfast duly arrived, and she began eating, looking around the dining hall with interest. It was very much like the one at Castle MacDonald, and all the others she had visited in her time. It was a large stone edifice with a vaulted timber ceiling and two enormous hearths on either side. Tables and benches to accommodate several hundred people at any one time formed serried ranks on the stone flagged floor below the dais, where the Laird’s table perched.

She sat quietly enjoying her porridge, thinking her plan had gone well so far, but now she had to try to figure out a way to complete it under the eyes of the three guardsmen.

That willnae be easy. I just have tae hope some unexpected opportunity will come up that I’ll see in time tae take advantage of it.

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted when a group of children suddenly ran into the hall. There were about five or six of them, all aged roughly between about six and ten, she calculated. They did not seem to notice her presence at first, though it was evident they saw the guards, who continued their quiet conversation and ignored them. As far as Lillie could make out, the children were in the middle of a spirited discussion about which were the best hiding places in the castle.

But when her spoon hit against the side of her bowl, they stopped talking at once, and the group of little faces all turned to her with expressions of surprise.

“Hello,” she said, giving them a warm smile. “I’m Lillie. Who are ye all? D’ye live here at the castle?” Her voice echoed strangely in the airy space.