The Key (10 page)

“I told ye to go away an' I meant it,” he bellowed toward the door, trying to remove the
gown from his wife's clutching fingers. It would be difficult to get her back to the place
he'd had her a moment ago. But having been so close to success, he was damned if he was
going to give up now. She had been a hairsbreadth away from revealing where the key was.
So close he could almost feel her hot flesh closing around his.

“Would ye keep her from eatin' as well as sleepin'?”

Sighing in defeat as he recognized that voice,Duncanreleased his wife. Iliana immediately
slid from his lap and set to tugging on her gown as Angus stepped into the room to glare
at his son.

“Did we not agree the lass was needin' her rest, boy?” he demanded as Iliana rushed to do
up her lacings, her eyes wide as she heard this bit of news. “Can ye not keep yer randy
hands off her fer one blessed day? The poor child fainted from exhaustion yester eve, or
have ye forgotten? Are ye faying to work her into the grave with yer blasted demands both
night and day? Damn me, I'm almost ashamed to call ye son.” On that note, he turned to eye
Iliana as she finished dressing and peered at him anxiously.

“Come, child. Tis obvious me son cannot be trusted around ye. He'll not give ye the care
and concern ye be needin' just now. 'Tis a chaperone ye need, and 'tis a chaperone ye'll
have' til yer better.”

With that, he drew Iliana's arm through his and led her toward the door, leaving her to
glance worriedly over her shoulder at her husband. He sat watching them leave with
resigned misery.

Iliana stared nervously at the horde of faces turned toward her and swallowed the anxiety
at the back of her throat. She had told Lord Angus her intentions as they had descended
the stairs to the great hall. He had thought it a fine idea and had been good enough to
gather everyone's attention once they had all filed into the great hall for thenoonmeal.
Everyone butDuncan. He had not put in an appearance yet. In fact, he had not come down at
all yet. She supposed he was still in their room, sulking.

She realized now that he had set out to deliberately seduce her. She could only be
grateful that his plans had been thwarted. Else she would never get him to bathe. That was
becoming a necessity in her mind. 'Twas not so much the sounds he had made as he had got
into and risen from their bed that had awoken

her all through the last night, she thought. It had been the scent of him. She could not
bear to share a bed with such an odiferous man.

Sighing, she peered once more at the people awaiting her words, grateful that, for
whatever reason, her husband was not there.

On that thought Iliana took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I wish to show my
appreciation for all your kindness in welcoming me toDunbarwith a small gift to you in
return. I understand that you are each granted one plaid in January, and I thought it
would be nice if you each had two, so I commissioned a plaid for each of you from Mr.
Cummins. But,” she added as the inhabitants of the room showed surprised pleasure at this
announcement, “I do have a... condition you each must fulfill to gain it.”

She paused then to lick her lips nervously before continuing. “At Wildwood, my childhood
home, my mother insisted that everyone bathe at least once a month. Some even bathed as
often as once a week.” She sighed at the gasps her words elicited but pushed on. “While I
do not insist that you bathe that often, I would see you bathe before accepting the gift
of a plaid. I see little sense in putting a lovely clean plaid on a filthy body.”

Iliana waited for their murmurs to die down before continuing, “I will make my tub
available to anyone who wishes to use it.” Smiling uncertainly, she gave a faint nod, then
sank into her seat and silence enveloped the room. She did not think that was a good sign,
and very much feared she had purchased four hunched plaids that would sit collecting dust
until their next communal bath time.

Iliana peered down at the cheese and bread before her and sighed unhappily. It did seem
nothing was going to come easy here. Not the garden. Not the cleaning. Not even the
gathering of herbs had been easy.

“Me lady?”

Iliana glanced up with a start, a smile on her lips as she recognized Janna, one of the
women who had been aiding her in the gardens.

A tentative smile on her face, the woman murmured, “I should like a plaid and would be
pleased to use yer tub, if I might?”

“Really?” Iliana's smile stretched clear across her face; then she glanced toward the
kitchen anxiously and stood. “You may be first then.” she assured her. “I'll just go make
sure there is some water over the fire.” She moved toward the kitchen as she spoke, aware
thatElginwas rising and hurrying to follow her. He had become very proprietary of his
kitchen since rediscovering his cooking abilities.

Iliana was stopped by six more women before reaching the kitchen. Three of them were the
women from the garden and two were servants from the keep itself. The last was Eda, the
plaid man's wife. Iliana assured them all of an opportunity to get at her tub, then burst
into the kitchen to find thatElginalready had the water on to heat. He also requested an
opportunity in her tub, and Iliana assured him she was pleased to offer him its use.

She was smiling widely when she returned to the great hall. That smile disappeared, her
mouth dropping open in surprise as she saw the women all lined up to have a word with her
about her tub.

The men were conspicuously absent, but Iliana could only think it a good thing. 'Twould
most like take two or three days to put everyone through the tub as it was.

“What think you?” Iliana held up the hat she had been working on for the other women to
inspect. She had tried to fashion the item in the manner of her mother's cook's hat, one
he had brought fromPariswith him. But this one did not seem to stand up as his did, merely
flopping about the wide band that sat on the head.

“Mayhap some starch would do the trick,” Ebba suggested from her seat a few feet away, the
makings of the apron in her lap.

Iliana perked up at once. “Aye. That may do it,” she agreed, then paused as Janna walked
into the room, her hair still damp from its washing and a lovely new plaid fastened around
her body. Janna had decided to wait till the end of the day to take her turn in the tub,
thinking it made more sense to bathe after work than to bathe and return to the gardens in
her new plaid. Iliana'd had to agree with her, but promised she would place her at the
start of a fresh batch of bathwater. They had been changing the water after every third
bather.

The bathers had been waiting in line patiently as one person after another rushed through
the tub, then donned their new plaids. Now, almost all were through. Iliana's original
fear that it would take days to bathe everyone had been quite wrong. It had helped
thatElginhad suggested they set up the tub in a comer of the kitchen, with dirty linens
used as curtains to partition off the section. That had sped up the changing of the water
somewhat, speeding up the whole process altogether. Now there were two or three dozen
children chasing each other about in fresh plaids, their hair shiny and clean and their
cheeks pink. Their mothers, meantime, were assisting in the cleaning of the hall
tapestries as they chatted by the fire, their hair drying as they worked.

That had been a pleasant surprise for Iliana. Her morning had been taken up with arranging
for the plaids and tending to her husband's injury, but she had intended on returning to
her work in the gardens that afternoon. In fact, after the nooning meal, she had checked
withElginto see that all went well with arranging the baths, then headed for the door that
led from the kitchens out into the garden.Elginhad immediately hurtled past her, throwing
his round little body in front of the door, his arms and legs spread wide to bar the way
as he shook his head frantically. He would not see her return to her labor of the day
before. She was to rest.

Iliana might have argued with the little man over his obstinate behavior, but his stance
had quickly been backed up by Ebba, the women she had hired to work the garden, and even
Giorsal and the other servants from the castle itself. Under such unanimous insistence,
Iliana had been forced to give in gracefully and retire to the great hall.

Ebba had then suggested she relax by the fire and start work upon the apron she had
promisedElgin. The idea of sitting about, plying her needle, had not truly appealed to
her. She was eager to finish with the great hall and move her cleaning efforts on to the
bedchambers. For that reason, Iliana had decided that finishing cleaning the wall
tapestries was a more attractive endeavor.

Unfortunately, the moment she had started to work on the tapestries, several women hurried
over. Taking over the task from her, they had claimed they would be “well pleased” to fill
their time while waiting for their turn in the tub by helping her with “sech and the
like.” And why did she not go fix up that apron forElgin?

Iliana had seemed to have little choice but to turn to that task, but had been less than
pleased with the knowledge. It was not that she minded needlework, and she truly wished to
seeElginwith an apron to protect his plaid, but she was feeling oddly restless and would
have preferred to do something a bit more

physical. While she had collapsed from exhaustion the day before, and had still been a bit
tired that morning, she found herself oddly energized now. She suspected that it had
something to do with the episode in the bedroom but did not wish to ponder the idea too
closely.

“All done?” she asked Janna, and the other woman nodded. “Cook said sup would be ready as
soon as he finishes his bath.” “Which should not be long; he was in the tub almost ere ye
were out o' it,” Giorsal commented dryly. “Aye.” Janna laughed. “I have never seen a man
so eager to bathe.” “ Tis not the bath he is eager fer,” one of the women said with
amusement. “Aye,” another agreed. “He's gone on all afternoon about his new apron and hat.”

Biting her lip, Iliana glanced anxiously at Ebba. Once she and the other women had
finished whitewashing the walls, Ebba had offered to assist with the making of the apron.
Iliana had handed over the nearly done item, leaving her maid to merely finish the hem, as
she herself turned her attention to making the hat. Unfortunately, Ebba had a tendency to
chat as she worked and she did seem to find it difficult to concentrate on the two things
at the same time. Her work on the apron had gone much slower than it should have. “How
much more is there for you to do, Ebba? Mayhap I could help.”

“No need, my lady. This is the very... last... stitch. There. 'Tis done.” Breaking the
thread, she set it aside and stood, holding up the apron for inspection. “What think you?”

“Perfect.” “He shall love it.” “Cook will be so happy.” Iliana smiled at the excited
murmurings of the others and nodded her agreement. “Oh!”

They all turned toward the kitchen at that excited exclamation.Elginhad finished his bath
surely the fastest in history and now stood in the doorway of the kitchen in his new
plaid, his gaze fixed on the apron Ebba was still holding up.

“ Tis magnificent!” Charging across the great hall, he ripped the apron from Ebba's hands
and held it up as if it was a priceless golden necklace.

“Put it on,” Janna suggested when he merely stood staring at it. “Oh.” His smile faded
under uncertainty. “But it might get dirty.” Iliana laughed at that. “ 'Tis what 'tis
for,Elgin. To keep your lovely plaid lovely.”

“Oil. Aye.” Smiling crookedly, he donned the apron, quickly tying the straps around his
waist. Once he was done, Iliana stepped forward and set his hat on his head, fussing with
it until it lay in a way she

thought suitable. Then the women crowded close, inspecting and complimenting him until he
was red in the face.

“What the devil is going on here!”

Everyone in the room turned to stare atDuncanwhen he bellowed that question. Except
Iliana. She took a moment to compose herself first, then started to turn toward him, her
expression calm. That calm fled when she found her arm caught up in her husband's hand and
herself being dragged toward the stairs. Again.

“What do you mean, youbought them?”

Iliana shook her head helplessly. She had explained twice now about the coins in her
trunk, and how she had used some to purchase the plaids. Twice nowDuncanhad demanded she
repeat herself. She doubted whether explaining again would help.

“Ye bought those spices!” he accused suddenly. “When the food got better, I jest thought
that ye had come across a few in the garden. But 'tis not what happened. Ye expressly went
against me orders and bought some spices, too, didn't ye?”

“Aye,” she admitted on a sigh. “But I did not go against your orders.”

“I told ye”

“Not to purchase them withyour money,” she said triumphantly. “I used the money my mother
and father put inmy trunks.”

Rather than become angrier at her words,Duncanseemed to grow suddenly calm, and that made
Iliana extremely waiy.

“Being an uneducated woman, ye could be forgiven yer lack when it comes to the law,
wife____”

“I am not uneducated,” Iliana snapped indignantly.

“Ye must be,” he snapped back. “Else ye would ken that from the minute we were married,
everything ye own became mine.Everything .”

“I”Flushing, Iliana looked away. Shehad known of that rather annoying little law. “You
said yourself that the food is better,” she said in self-defense.

“Aye.” He nodded solemnly. “Elgin's fare is much improved.” “And your people were wearing
rags. Tis shameful.” “Shameful to who? They have never said 'twas so.” “Mayhap not, but
just look how eagerly they bathed to get to wear the plaids.”

“You made thembathe ere ye would give them these 'gifts '?” he sneered, and Iliana found
herself blushing again, then frowned at her own reaction and lifted her chin. It had been
the proper thing to do. It made no sense to put a clean plaid on a dirty body.

“The only ones who bathed to gain their plaids were the women,” he said quietly, as if to
himself. “And women like to look pretty.”

“What is wrong with that?” she asked.

“Nothing. So long as they dinna forget 'tis what's inside that is most important. I would
stand next to any one of me 'filthy' men, ere I would a clean but shallow coward.”

Iliana's gaze narrowed She got the distinct impression he was referring to her. She was no
coward. Had she not tried to escape Greenweld three times? Had she not risked a brutal
beating, perhaps even death, repeatedly to save her mother? But when she said as much to
her husband, he seemed unimpressed.

“Mayhap ye should consider what ye were really risking so much fer,” was all he said.

“What do you mean by that?” Iliana asked warily.

“I mean I suspect ye did all that fer yerself as much as yer mother. Ye don't appear to
take well to change.”

“That is the biggest load of cow chips I have ever heard!” Iliana snapped, incensed.

“Is it?” he asked quietly. “Every time ye've done something here, ye've used Wildwood as
the excuse. Ye want Dunbar and its people as clean as Wildwood. Ye want spices and herbs
like at Wildwood. Ye even haveElginall got up like yer mother's chef.”

Iliana frowned at his words, uncertainty plucking at her; then she smiled triumphantly.
“What of you? I did not”

“Have anyone in yer bed at Wildwood either, much as it is now. Yer nearly as pure now as
when ye came to me.” Walking to the door, he paused to glance back. “When ye've decided to
grow up and accept change as a part o' life, ye can come ask me why a clean plaid is not
healthy, or why we bathe so little, mayhap even why we have had few spices in our food.
There are reasons. Just as there is a reason ye willna share me bed as a proper wife.
There are always reasons, and most often they have little to do with the obvious.”

Iliana watched the door close behind him, then dropped onto the bed with a sigh.

Iliana peered at the sewing in her hands and sighed. Often the activity soothed her. Not
tonight. Nothing seemed to be able to settle her tonight. She kept hearingDuncan's words
in her head. Was he right? Did she fear change? It was true that she had been trying to
make this place and its people more like Wildwood, but it was because... Well, because it
was better to be clean. And better to wear clean clothes... wasn't it? And surely there
was nothing wrong with tasty food?

She glanced at the woman seated in the chair across from her. Seonaid. Angus had announced
at dinner that the girl was to stay after the meal so that Iliana could teach her some
wifery... or else. She'd spent the past hour trying to teach the girl how to make a simple
stitch, but Seonaid seemed to have no concept

of what a small stitch was, no matter how many times Iliana showed her. She suspected the
girl was being deliberately obtuse.

Her gaze slid to the tattered old plaid her sister-in-law wore and she sighed. Iliana had
offered her a bath and a new plaid, but Seonaid had refused, claiming hers would do quite
nicely for a while longer. Now Iliana couldn't help recalling her husband's words. “Why is
a clean plaid unhealthy?”

Seonaid glanced up from her sewing blankly. “What?” ~ “Duncansaid clean plaids are not
healthy. Why is that?” “Why do ye not askDuncan?” Iliana's lips tightened at that.
“Because I am asking you.”

Seonaid shrugged and glanced back at the needle in her hand; then, seeming to decide that
this was a good way to get out of the fussy task, set it on her lap and turned her
attention to Iliana. “ Tis not that they are unhealthy, 'tis just that a dirty plaid can
bemorehealthy. Ye see, while a plaid is muckle warm, 'tis not waterproof. 'Less it's dirty
enough.”

Iliana blinked at that. “Dirty plaids are waterproof?”

“Sometimes. It depends on what they're dirty with or how dirty they are. Some men grease
their plaids soon as they get 'em, to make 'em waterproof.”

“I see.” Iliana nodded her head at that, then just as quickly shook it. “But why would one
need a waterproof plaid? Why not simply stay indoors when 'tis raining?”

Seonaid laughed. “That is fine if ye've nothing to do, but if ye've to watch the sheep, or
stand guard, or if yer marching to a war, or on a hunting trip...” She shook her head.
“There is not always shelter. Sometimes yer plaid is yer only shelter. We even sleep in
them at times.”

A memory ofDuncanwrapping himself in his plaid the night she had taken the bed linens from
the bed suddenly filled Iliana's mind.

“Of course, that is only true fer the men. The women rarely need their plaids to shelter
them from the wind and rain. Most oft they're at home warm and dry.”

Iliana considered that, then said, “But the Mclnnes men wear clean plaids. Surely?”

“The Mclnnes are'na warriors.”

Iliana blinked at that. “They aren't?”

“Nay. They have muckle money, but few men trained fer battle. They hire Duncan and his men
if they have need o' warriors.”

Iliana accepted that, then asked, “Why do the men hate to bathe?” “ Tis cold.”

Iliana frowned at the simple explanation. “It may be cold in the loch and out of doors,
but 'tis warm inside, and water can be heated for a bath”

“And then ye'd have to get back into yer dirty plaid,” Seonaid pointed out. Iliana
grimaced, then asked, “Why does yer brother not wish the food spiced? It tastes better.”
“Aye, and makes oat cakes rather bland in comparison.”

When Iliana stared at her blankly, Seonaid sighed. “Duncanhas always planned to build an
addition onto the keep, and to make the walls extend farther to offer protection to more
o' our people. The only way fer him to gain those ends was to earn and save a lot o' coin.
To do that, he sold every stitch o' plaid the women weave here, and he and the men hired
out fer other people's wars, or to stand guard over other people's flocks. Tis hard work.
It gets cold at night and the men must put up with bugs, foul weather, and naught but
oatcakes fer food. 'Tis not so bad when the alternative is a drafty old keep, with bland
food. But next to a warm great hall with clean rushes and tasty food the outdoors can seem
unbearable.”

“He's afraid they'll go soft,” Iliana realized, and Seonaid nodded. “But, now that he has
my dowry, he can afford all that. There is no need to hire out the men or”

“The dowry will be enough to pay for the renovations he wishes, 'tis true. But we must
continue to make money somehow to feed our people. No doubt he will still have to hire out
the men and sell plaid. Just not as often.” Shrugging, she turned grimly back to her
sewing.

Iliana sat back with a sigh, her gaze far off as she considered what she had just learned.
After what Seonaid had said, she could well understand her husband's annoyance with her
over the changes she had made, but had no idea what to do about it. She could hardly
tellElginto stop spicing the food. He would pitch a fit at the suggestion, as would
everyone else now that they had sampled the tastier fare. She supposed she could stop
insisting that the men must take a bath to gain their plaids.

A frustrated mutter drew her gaze back to her sister-inlaw. The girl had her thread in a
terrible knot. Before she could comment or offer help, Seonaid slapped it down onto her
lap and peered at her solemnly. “Ye ken that I'm useless at this stuff.”

“Nay,” Iliana protested at once. “You are simply unpracticed at it.”

She rolled her eyes, then sighed. “Is it very important for a wife to ken how to do this?”

Iliana hesitated briefly. “I do not know. Tis expected, but...” She paused and bit her
lip, and Seonaid gave a growl of frustration.

“Expected. I am no good at any of the thingsexpected . Tis the truth I remember nothing ye
told me about herbs this morning, and I have no clue what needs to be doin' in a keep. I
shall make a terrible wife. Tis no wonder Sherwell never came for me.”

Iliana felt her heart clench at those pained words and immediately sought to cheer the
other woman. “Nay. You shall make a wonderful wife, Seonaid, and there is much for a
husband to admire in you. Why, just look at your skill in... with the sword.” She nodded
her head firmly. “Well, goodness, any man would be grateful to have a wife capable with
the sword.”

Seeing doubt in the other woman's eyes, Iliana forced herself to go on. "And then there is
your skill at..
Page 74

er... hunting. Aye, hunting is a most valuable skill. You shall never go hungry.“ She
nodded vigorously again to back that up. ”And, why, I have never seen a woman ride as well
as you do. Never. Tis a most valuable skill."

“Yer a very poor liar.” When Iliana deflated at the gentle accusation, Seonaid smiled
slightly. “But 'twas kind of you to do so, me sister.”

Iliana blinked at the title in surprise, then brightened. “Weare sisters now, are we not?
My goodness, I have ever wanted a sister to play with. I often thought that...” Sighing,
she smiled wryly at the wistful sound to her own voice and shook her head as she sank back
in her seat.

“Whodid you play with?” Seonaid asked curiously.

Iliana blinked at the question. “Well, I played with... well, I did not really play much.
I was busy you see, with classes and” Seeing the pity on the other woman's face, Iliana
frowned and shook her head. “I really had a fine childhood. I had the best dresses, the
best tutors... I had everything.”

“Everything but friends. Ye were lonely.”

Iliana shook her head at once. “I had my parents. They loved me worry much and I spent
most of my time with them.”

“Mayhap, but they had each other. Ye must have felt like the third wheel on a hand cart”

“I... do not...”

“ Tis all right. I am sorry if I upset ye, 'twas just thinkin aloud I was doing. But, ye
see, it explains a lot about ye to me.”

“What does it explain?” Iliana asked warily, and Seonaid shrugged.

“Yer worry quiet. Ye hardly speak at all sometimes except to give orders and such. It
makes ye seem standoffish, but I think now 'tis just shyness. Ye've no experience at
socializing except with your parents.”

When Iliana's eyes widened in surprised acknowledgment of the truth of those words,
Seonaid seemed encouraged to go on. “And then there is the way ye take charge.”

“Take charge?” Iliana said, dismayed.

“Aye. The momin' after ye arrived here, ye took over running the place. Not that there is
anything wrong with that,” she added quickly at Iliana's alann. “The place needed taking
charge of, but ye didn't e'en think to ask was anyone else in charge. Ye just set to. Ye
must not have had to share yer toys as a child.”

When Iliana opened her mouth, then closed it again helplessly, Seonaid peered down at her
failed attempt at mending, then sighed. “I shall never master this,” she muttered, tossing
it aside and getting to her feet. “Thank ye fer tiyin' to teach me, though. I am to bed.”

Iliana watched her go, then sank back in her seat to consider all the woman had said. She
hardly noticed when her eyes began to slip wearily closed.

“Elgin, do you have any idea what is going on?” Iliana asked in exasperation as she
slammed into the

kitchen late the next morning.

Elginstraightened from the pastry dough he was rolling out and raised his eyebrows at her
question, nearly making Iliana laugh aloud. The man's apron and hat were impeccably clean,
both items as pristine as they had been when he had donned them the night before. However,
his face was smudged with at least three different cooking ingredients.

Smiling slightly, she sank onto a stool beside his work table. She had awoken alone in bed
again that morning. Apparently,Duncanhad again carried her up to bed and undressed her.
Embarrassed by that fact, she had dressed herself quickly and hurried below to join the
household as they sat down to breakfast.

It had taken Iliana several minutes to notice the tension in the room. Angus had been in a
foul mood and surly to both Seonaid and Duncan, though he had managed a weak smile and
“Good morn” for Iliana. But both Seonaid and Duncan had been in foul tempers and surly
with everyone, including herself. Iliana had merely sighed over that. It had not been
difficult for her to realize what was wrong with them.