Amanda Scott (39 page)

“Aye, I know, but if he goes on the way he’s begun, dashed if I won’t do what I can to see that he amounts to something when he grows up. No reason he can’t be educated, you know. Look at James of the—” He broke off, looking ruefully at Mary. “Sorry, lass, spoke without thinking.”

“Don’t apologize, sir,” Mary said. “Despite his unfortunate end, James is an excellent pattern card for Chuff to follow, for he took every opportunity to better himself and was much respected in Appin. If Chuff could do as well, he could grow up to be very proud of himself.”

“Well, I don’t see why he shouldn’t,” Balcardane said.

Duncan said, “When do you want to leave, sir?”

“I’ve already told them to hitch up a team to the coach.”

“You’ll not ride, then.”

“Nay, lad, I’m wiser than that. Let the coachman freeze his whiskers off. I’ll stay cozy and warm with furs piled over me and hot bricks at my feet.”

Lady Balcardane said, “Can you make Maryburgh today?”

He chuckled. “More like tomorrow, I’m thinking. It’s all of fifteen miles or more, and in such weather as they are predicting …”

“You don’t want to get caught in a blizzard,” Duncan said.

“Nay, I’ll take care. I’ll pass the night with MacLachlan at Coruanan. He’s always got horses he wants to sell me, so he’ll be right glad to give me a bed.”

“Are you leaving us, my lord?” Serena stood on the threshold in an elegant blue round gown. She had hesitated, Duncan noted, until all eyes turned her way.

He said dryly, “We had begun to think you were going to lie abed all day.”

“I couldn’t sleep. I want chocolate,” she added when Jessie entered from the passageway just then. “Fetch me some hot, straightaway, Jessie.”

“Aye, mistress.” The maid hurried away.

Serena took her place at the table, smiling at Balcardane. “You did not answer, sir. Do you leave us?”

Before he could reply, Lady Balcardane said, “He has sprung a most delightful surprise, Serena, dear. He means to travel all the way to Maryburgh to buy your new wee nephew a silver christening spoon.”

“And to buy her ladyship a new dress length,” Balcardane put in cheerfully. “Do you want me to bring you anything, puss?”

Serena’s eyes opened wide. “Good gracious, sir, I never thought you—”

“She is amazed by your kindness, my lord,” Neil interjected swiftly, “but I warrant there is little that Lady Serena wants that she does not already possess.”

Serena tilted her head and said saucily, “What very pretty manners you have, Sir Neil. Is it your general habit to interrupt ladies when they are speaking?”

“Only ladies whose tongues skirl like bagpipes,” he said, smiling lazily at her. “That’s a most becoming gown you’ve chosen this morning.”

“Do you like it? I rather thought you would. It is Duncan’s favorite.”

“Then I am right to admire it,” Neil said. “Duncan’s taste is impeccable.”

“You flatter me,” Duncan said, adding untruthfully, “I don’t recall seeing that dress before, Serena. Are you sure that I have?”

“Good gracious, sir, I have been here nigh onto two months now. I warrant you have seen every stitch I own.”

“Oh, surely not every stitch,” Lady Balcardane said, chuckling. “Even Duncan is not so forgetful of his manners as to pry into your unmentionables, my dear. As a matter of fact, though, Duncan, I do recall your having complimented Serena not long ago on that very gown. Of course, it may have been another of the same color, but I distinctly remember that you said something about those cerulean ribbons. So becoming with her lovely eyes, I think, but it might be that she wore those same ribbons with another gown. Do you think that might be the case, Serena? I never can remember, myself, which ribbons my Sarah puts with which dresses, for I am sure she would never turn me out looking a dowdy—except insofar as my gowns have hitherto been sadly out of fashion—and that is all that matters. But I must not complain, must I, for here is Balcardane, promising to provide me with a fine new gown to make up after the christening, and Mary kind enough to say that with no more than a new shawl I shall put everyone else in the shade.”

“Well, if Mary said that—”

“She was very likely right,” Neil said quickly, adding to Balcardane, “If you have already ordered your coach, sir, perhaps …” He paused pointedly.

“Right you are, lad. Mustn’t keep the horses standing. ’Tis likely their hooves will freeze right to the ground, and then where should I be?”

“I’ll walk out with you,” Duncan said, pushing back his chair.

“Excellent,” Balcardane said, standing. Smiling at Mary, he added, “You run up and tell those children I mean to bring them each a wee present from town. That will give them something to think about these next few days.”

“Aye, sir, I’ll tell them, and thank you.”

Mary watched the two men go, then turned her attention back to her breakfast. Neil and Serena continued to engage each other with verbal swords, while Lady Balcardane maintained her usual gentle flow of commentary, to which she seemed to expect no particular response. Mary was able to keep half an ear on what she was saying, enough to murmur appropriate noises in the appropriate places, but the exercise was not strenuous enough to interrupt her thoughts or her breakfast.

She assumed that Neil and Serena enjoyed their prickly sparring, and for the most part she had no objection to it. At least, she thought, Neil’s arrival had occupied Serena’s thoughts sufficiently to keep her from making more trouble.

When she had finished eating, she waited until Lady Balcardane came to a pause in her discourse, then said, “Did you not say that you want to write some letters, ma’am? I will accompany you to your sitting room if you like.”

“Yes, indeed, for I promised several people that I would tell them the instant Juliet’s son arrived—although, of course, I had no assurance that he would be a boy—but somehow I have not yet seemed to get around to those letters. I am feeling much more the thing today, however, so I must write to Ellen Campbell, and to …”

Going right on with her list, she got up from the table and accepted Mary’s arm as they left the room together, then broke off in the corridor to say, “You don’t suppose we ought to have waited for Serena, do you, my dear? I keep forgetting, but perhaps her mama would not approve of her being left alone with Sir Neil.”

“Serena can take care of herself, ma’am, and so can Neil. I don’t see why you should put yourself out at this juncture for either one of them.”

“Well, if you are quite sure.”

Mary chuckled. “You could ask Jessie to remain in the dining parlor with them if you are reluctant to leave them alone.”

“Oh, no,” Lady Balcardane exclaimed. “How Serena would hate that!”

“Just so, ma’am. I think you may rest easy. And pray, ma’am, do try to rest a bit today. Shall I light your candles or fetch your writing desk?”

“No, no, I shall sit at the table to write, I believe.”

“Then I’ll leave you to your task while I look in on the children,” Mary said.

She found Pinkie and Chuff playing spillikins by the schoolroom fire. They looked up with smiles when she entered.

“We’ve still got our own fire,” Pinkie said happily, getting to her feet. “We’ve had one for three days now.”

“So you have,” Mary agreed. “How do you feel today, Chuff?”

“I’m gleg enough,” the little boy said stoutly. “I tellt that chappie Hardwick that I didna need tae stay indoors the day, but he wadna tak’ tellin’.”

“I do think you would be wiser to keep to your couch today,” Mary said with a speaking look.

Chuff regarded her sagely. “Is Himself still in a pelter wi’ me, then? He ha’ said naught else, so I hoped he had forgot.”

“You took a foolish risk, Chuff. He understands that you meant well, but you disobeyed him. Master Duncan does not take kindly to disobedience.”

Pinkie shook her head, watching Chuff with wide and worried eyes.

He reached out and patted her hand. “Dinna fash yerself, lass. Let the tow gang wi’ the bucket.”

Mary chuckled. “You must not teach her such phrases, Chuff. He means to say that you must let matters take their course, Pinkie, and however he says it, his advice is sound. He will have a few unpleasant minutes with Master Duncan before he can put this all behind him, but I have brought you both welcome news, too. His lordship has gone to Maryburgh in his coach, and he said to tell you both that he will bring you each a wee gift from town.”

“Will he, then?” Chuff said. “That’s fine, that is. I never had a gift afore.”

“Coo,” said Pinkie. “What will he bring us?”

“You’ll see when he returns,” Mary said. “In the meantime, Chuff, you must be a good boy. If you like, I will read you both a story, and later, when Jessie brings your dinner, you can eat here by the fire again.”

“And Himself?” Chuff spoke casually, but he did not fool Mary.

Gently, she said, “I don’t know, Chuff. He will either come to you here or send for you. In either case, he won’t eat you, you know.”

“Aye, so ye say.” Chuff sighed heavily, and Mary, hiding a smile, turned away to find a story to read them.

When Jessie came up with their midday meal, Mary left them and went outside in search of Duncan, finding him in the stable, talking to one of his men.

He greeted her with a smile. “Your cheeks are rosy, lass, but I’ll warrant your feet are cold in those thin boots.”

“They are warm enough, sir. May I speak privately with you?”

“Aye, of course.” He dismissed the man and put an arm around her. “Do you want to walk, or shall we go into the house?”

“I’d like to walk. It feels good to breathe out here.”

“Enjoy it while you can. Those clouds yonder are brewing up a blizzard. I just hope my father doesn’t drive straight into it.”

“He will watch the sky, sir. He is not a fool.”

“No, but I always worry when he takes the coach. The ferry men at Ballachulish are accustomed enough to taking heavy loads across, but I still fret whenever I’m not at hand to see that they handle the thing properly.”

“You fret, sir, whenever you cannot order everything to your liking.”

He chuckled. “Perhaps you’re right, but I have been trying not to act the ogre, lass. Have you come out to tell me I’ve failed the test again somehow?”

“No, sir, I came to ask you if you won’t please be gentle with Chuff. He truly did not mean to vex you, although he did disobey your order. He did it because he thought only of pleasing your father. He is just a child, and he misunderstood him.”

“Nevertheless,” Duncan said, “he must learn obedience. If he grows up thinking he can ignore orders and go his own way, he is bound to learn his error in a much harsher way than I will teach it to him.”

Mary swallowed hard. “Please, sir, he won’t do it again, you know. It is not a misdeed anyone is likely to repeat, and he has paid a frightening price already.”

“Mary, look at me.” His hand was gentle on her shoulder as he turned her to face him, and to her surprise, she saw that he was amused. “Do I look like the sort of man who would beat a child to teach him obedience?”

“You threatened often to thrash Ian,” she said. “Did you never do so?”

The amusement disappeared, and she nearly regretted her question when she saw the pain she had caused him, but she forced herself to hold his gaze.

Stiffly, he said, “I cannot say I never struck Ian. We were brothers, and I thought I knew what was best for him. You know my temper. So did he. He rarely provoked me to violence, but he felt the rough edge of my tongue more than once.”

“Rather frequently, I think.”

“Yes. I was wrong, Mary, and I treated him badly at times, but I never did him any real harm. Moreover, he was eight years younger than I, not twenty like Chuff is. I will make it plain to the lad that he must not fish an icy stream again until he is much bigger and stronger, but that is all I mean to do this time.”

“This time?”

“He is a mischievous lad, sweetheart, so I am not going to promise never to skelp him. The fact is that I, or one of the other men, probably will occasionally, but today you can be sure that I’ll do no more than talk to him.”

“Then do it quickly, sir. He’ll be uneasy till he knows how angry you are.”

“Well, I won’t say he doesn’t deserve to worry, but I’ll speak to him this afternoon. Now, come and walk with me to the loch. I want to see if any ice has formed yet.”

She enjoyed their walk, and whatever passed between him and Chuff later that afternoon, she did not know, for neither of them spoke of it afterward. Chuff seemed relieved, however, and he was up and about the next day as full of energy as ever, so she assumed that Duncan had not been too harsh with him.

The predicted storm set in that evening, dropping a foot or more of fresh snow, and making them all worry about whether Balcardane would reach Maryburgh the following day or not.

On the third day, when the sky cleared and the temperatures warmed considerably, Duncan delighted Chuff by giving him a telescope and installing him in Serena’s bedchamber at the top of the tower, where he could see across to the Lochaber road and watch for the returning coach. Another day passed, however, before Pinkie, who had been keeping Chuff company during this special mission, came pelting down the stairs to tell Mary that he had seen the coach.

“’Tis on the far shore, our Chuff says, and the ferry be a-coming tae this side, so it will be a time and all, our Chuff says, afore the laird crosses over.”

Duncan was out riding with some of his men, and Neil and Serena had taken advantage of the improved weather to go for a walk. Mary had scarcely set foot outside the castle since the day she had walked to the loch shore with Duncan, and she decided at once that she had remained inside entirely too long.

“Quickly, Pinkie, fetch your boots and meet me in the hall. We’ll walk to meet his lordship’s carriage.”

“Will Chuff come, too?”

“No, darling, not this time. You and I will get one of Jock’s men to go with us, but Chuff should rest his leg at least one more day.”

Jock received her request for an escort with wary hesitation. “I could send Wull with a pistol, I expect,” he said, “but I doot that I should, mistress.”