Highland Courage (Highland Brides) (12 page)

Elspet looked stunned. “But I sent—nay, my lady, I am sorry. I will make sure there is no mistake today.”

“Thank ye. I’m sure there won’t be. Elspet, I know it has taken several days to put the keep to rights after so many guests. How are things coming along?”

“It is mostly completed. We should be back to our normal routine today.”

“Very good. Then if ye have no other pressing work, I would like the hall cleaned and the rushes replaced and strewn with rosemary. I know ye probably did this right before the wedding, but since we had so many guests and days of feasting, the reeds are well trampled, and there is probably more debris in them than there might be otherwise.”

“Certainly, my lady. I will see to it right after the midday meal. Will there be anything else?”

“Other than my—”

At that moment an extremely tall, gaunt, man with sallow skin and a dour expression approached. He paid no heed to the fact that Mairead was mid-sentence. “Ye wished to see me, Lady Matheson?” His voice dripped with contempt.

“Pardon me?” asked Mairead, incredulous at his lack of manners.

“I understand ye wished to see me.”

“Perhaps ye didn’t notice I was speaking to Elspet when ye approached. Otherwise, I am sure ye would not have interrupted me. If ye will wait a moment, I will finish here, and ye will have my full attention.” She turned back to Elspet. “As I was saying, other than finding my harp and having it moved to the solar, I think replacing the rushes in the hall will be sufficient for today.”

“Aye, my lady, I’ll see to it.” Elspet started to leave, but Oren stopped her.

“Oh, nay, replacing the rushes now won’t be necessary, they were only done less than a fortnight ago, just before the wedding,” said Oren.

“Thank ye for your attention to these matters, Elspet,” Mairead said. She smiled, but her frustration with Oren grew by the second.

“Ye’re welcome, my lady.” Elspet bobbed a curtsy before she left.

Oren raised his voice a notch. “Didn’t ye hear what I said? The rushes don’t need changing.”

Mairead ignored the insolence. “I don’t believe we have met. I am Lady Matheson, and I assume ye are the steward, Oren?”

“I know who ye are and aye, I am the steward here, and I am in charge of this household. Did ye hear what I said about the rushes?”

The servants in the hall had stopped their work and were staring openly as the steward argued with her. Oren’s voice carried, and he had made no attempt to be discreet.

“Aye, I did, and while I appreciate your observation, I would—”

“It isn’t an observation, it is a fact.”

With more pluck than she felt, Mairead lowered her voice so as not to make a scene. “That is the second time ye have interrupted me, and my tolerance is wearing very thin. As we have already established, I
am
Lady Matheson, and as such, I am in charge of this household. The decision regarding when to change the rushes is mine to make. It is abundantly clear ye disagree with my decision. However, in the future if ye wish to discuss a request I have made, ye will have the courtesy to do so without an audience.”

The servants who had been staring took the hint and returned to their tasks. More gently, she continued, “I understand ye are the steward, and ye have taken on many additional responsibilities over the years to help this household run smoothly. I know Laird Matheson truly appreciates your service. However, now he expects that, as his wife, I will manage his household going forward, including directing Elspet, Ide, and ye in your tasks.” She waited for him to acknowledge what she had said, but when he didn’t, she asked, “Is that clear?”

“It is my responsibility to plan the daily meals with Ide. I have been doing it for years, and it only makes sense. I am the person who is fully aware of all of our inventories.”

“Again, I appreciate that ye have been doing this, but ye needn’t any longer. However, I’m glad ye mentioned the inventories. Ye are right, in order to run any household efficiently, one must be aware of what resources are available. Therefore, I would like to meet with ye daily to review the books briefly so I can make informed decisions. As I am new to Cnocreidh, I would like to start by reviewing the books in depth.”

“My lady, I do not have the time to spend days going over the books with ye.”

“I don’t expect ye to go over them with me. I can review them on my own and return them to ye when I am through. Please deliver them to my solar this morning.”

Oren’s sallow face turned nearly purple. He practically hissed, “Ye may warm Laird Matheson’s bed now, but that fact certainly doesn’t qualify ye to run this keep. If ye think Laird Matheson is going to let an upstart MacKenzie lass take over his well-run household, start issuing orders, and delve into his financial affairs, I’ll warrant ye have another thing coming.”

Mairead looked down for a moment to compose herself. This was not going well. “Oren, ye and I have gotten off to a very bad start, and that was not my intention, but I am Lady Matheson. And yet, for some reason ye feel it is acceptable to ignore my requests and speak to me with frank hostility. I know ye have been an invaluable asset to this clan for many years, so I am going to overlook this one last time. I assure ye my actions are consistent with Laird Matheson’s expectations. I have spoken with him on the matter.”

“Pardon me, my lady, if I am unwilling to accept your word on this. I will speak with the laird, and we’ll just see what his expectations are.”

“Ye must do what ye think is best. However, after ye speak to him, please deliver the books to my solar.”

Looking angry enough to burst, Oren turned to leave, and Mairead stopped him. “Oren, before ye take your leave, I have a bit of advice for ye.”

He turned around, looking stunned, and arched one eyebrow, hissing “And what’s that,
Lady Matheson
?”

“When ye speak to my husband on this matter, ye may wish to avoid phrases such as ‘upstart MacKenzie lass’ when referring to me. I can promise ye he will be less tolerant than I have been.”

Oren turned and stormed out of the hall without another word.

Although it gave her a moment of satisfaction, Mairead was not happy about the interaction with Oren. She was shocked at her own boldness, but it occurred to her it is very hard to be shy and angry at the same time. This was not the way she wanted to deal with the staff at Cnocreidh; however, Oren hadn’t really given her a choice. After the unpleasant confrontation it became clear she would probably have a more productive conversation with Ide if she spoke with her alone. Oren did not seem overly disposed to be helpful, so she headed out of the keep in search of the kitchens.

The kitchens were located behind the keep, but connected by a covered walkway. Mairead walked into the main kitchen, and although she had never met the cook, she instantly identified Ide by her efficiency and the tone of unquestioned authority in her voice as she directed the work underway. Ide was tall and sturdily built; she wore a kertch over her braided dark hair, and her weathered face suggested she had at least two score and ten years to her credit.

Mairead stood just inside the door. She intended to wait to address Ide until the older woman had finished her litany of instructions to her staff. However, as soon as Ide glanced toward Mairead she stopped to ask, “My lady, is there something I can do for ye?”

“Aye, I would like to discuss a few things with ye, but I can see ye are quite busy. I am happy to wait until ye have a free moment.”

“Of course, my lady, I’ll just get this lot organized then I’ll give ye all the time ye need. Ye are welcome to wait here, or I’ll find ye in the great hall.”

“If I won’t be in the way, I will wait here.”

“Suit yourself, then.” She pulled out a chair from the large worktable, indicating where Mairead should sit. While she finished giving orders, she put some dried herbs in a small jug and added boiling water along with a liberal amount of honey. When she had given the kitchen staff their marching orders, Ide poured the hot herbal tisane into two mugs and brought them to the table. “Do ye mind if I sit with ye, my lady?”

Mairead smiled. “Not at all, please do.”

“Ye might like this.” The cook put a steaming mug on the table in front of Mairead without preamble.

“Thank ye.” Mairead nodded. She inhaled the delicious aroma before taking a sip. “Oh my, it is very good.”

“It is brewed from oregano, thyme, and mint,” said Ide matter-of-factly.

Mairead gave a little laugh. “Thyme is for courage. My sisters would approve. It was in my wreath, my bouquet, and even my bath water on my wedding day.”

“And did they think ye needed so very much courage to marry the laird?” Ide made no attempt to hide the slightly disapproving tone in her bold question.

Mairead laughed, taking no offense. “Aye, but not because of Laird Matheson. My sisters think I need courage in general. They would have done the same if I had been betrothed to St. Joseph himself.”

The answer seemed to appease Ide. “Aye, there were some rumors suggesting ye were a timid one, but I prefer to make up my own mind. Ye said we had some things to discuss,” prompted Ide.

Mairead was taken aback a bit by Ide’s blunt comments. “Aye, I suppose we do. I’d like to talk with ye about the planning of meals.”

“The steward, Oren, plans the meals and that has been done for today, my lady, changing things now would be difficult.”

“I know Oren has been in charge of this until now, and I don’t intend to change any plans that are underway. I just wanted to address plans for going forward. If possible, I would like to confer about both the specific plans for the day and general plans for the next few days every morning.”

“Hmm. I’ve been in the habit of planning meals for the next day with Oren in the evening. We’ve done that for a while now.”

“Would ye be willing to try discussing things with me right after breakfast, and if it doesn’t work well for ye, I will try evenings?”

“Aye, we can. The laird’s mother preferred to discuss things in the morning as well.”

Feeling more confident, Mairead asked her about today’s plans and some general questions about the laird’s and Ide’s own preferences. Finally, they discussed overall plans for the next few days.

Before Mairead left, Ide asked, “My lady, pardon me for asking, but have ye made Oren aware of this new arrangement?”

“Aye, I have spoken with Oren about this. At the moment, he is seeking clarity from the laird about certain changes. However, I can assure ye my husband expects that I will be working with ye to plan meals.”

“Fair enough, then.”

~ * ~

Elspet met Mairead as she entered the great hall from the kitchen, “My lady, did your discussion with Ide go well?”

“Aye, it did, Elspet. Thank ye for asking.”

Elspet seemed relieved. “I just wanted to let ye know Oren has delivered the account books to your solar, and the laird has set him several tasks in the village this morning. When he returns, I will sort out your harp for ye.”

“Thank ye, Elspet.” Mairead couldn’t help feeling a bit dejected.

“Is something wrong, my lady?”

“Nay, not really. I just feel I have gotten off to a very bad start where Oren is concerned, and I am sorry for that.” Sighing resignedly, she asked, “Am I needed for anything down here?”

“Nay, my lady.”

“Then I will be in my solar reviewing the books should ye need me.”

“Aye, my lady, I will send for ye when the midday meal is ready to be served.”

Mairead spent the rest of the morning reviewing the accounts. Oren kept excellent books. She did an initial overview to learn how he chose to record things. After this she went more in depth into areas in which mistakes were commonly made. She found everything in perfect order. Mairead was very impressed and would tell him so.

“Give praise in public,” her mother always said. This was hard for Mairead to do, but she vowed she would. When she arrived downstairs for the midday meal, she was glad to see Oren at the laird’s table, however, he looked very irritable.

As soon as everyone began eating, Mairead took a deep breath. She may as well tackle this now. “Oren, thank ye for delivering the account books to my solar.”

Oren nodded curtly. “I am happy to oblige,” he said, although he didn’t sound happy at all.

“I am finished reviewing them and I must say they are in exceptionally good order.”

He swallowed what was in his mouth and looked a little surprised. “Thank ye, my lady.”

“I’m sure ye know people can choose to keep records in a variety of ways. Frankly, I expected it would take me most of the morning to figure out your system. However, it only took a few minutes, and it was so easy to find all the details I looked for.”

“That’s kind of ye to say, Lady Matheson.” Oren was beginning to look marginally less grumpy.

“Aye, in fact, the next time my mother visits, I would very much appreciate it if ye would show her your system. My father’s steward might find it helpful to use.”

“Certainly, my lady, I would be happy to.” He sounded more sincerely happy this time. Then he turned to Tadhg. “Laird Matheson, it isn’t every wife who is as good with figures as yours is.”

Tadhg arched an eyebrow. Mairead wasn’t sure if he was confused or amused. “I suppose ye are right in that.” He glanced at Mairead, who blushed and looked down.

Mairead ate her meal quietly, listening to the conversations around her. She had hoped to chat a little with Flan. With all of the uproar yesterday, she hadn’t spoken with him since their family left. However, she was surprised to see Flan was not sitting at the laird’s table today. He sat at one of the trestle tables but seemed to be by himself. Furthermore, he didn’t make eye contact with her.

After the meal, Flan left the hall with the men, again without saying anything to her. Mairead decided she would try to talk with him at supper, or afterward if need be.

Determined to be involved, Mairead thought she would help with changing of the rushes, and she found Elspet.

“Oh, nay, my lady, ye can’t be changing the rushes. It is dirty work and I’m sure the laird wouldn’t approve.”