The Key (11 page)

Angus had again insisted that Seonaid would learn lessons in proper behavior. She was to
accompany Iliana throughout the day. Seonaid, understandably, was not happy about that.

Duncan, on the other hand, was just plain surly. Iliana was becoming used to that. What
had her thoroughly flummoxed was what was wrong with everyone else, for theDunbarchief and
his children were not the only ones whose moods were suffering today. It seemed as if
everyone in the keep was angry. Even the women who worked in the garden with her...

Iliana grimaced at the memory of her morning. She had planned on helping the women again
today. Seonaid had quickly put paid to that. It seemed Angus had lectured everyone on his
concern with her health, so Iliana had spent the monŸng overseeing the work in the garden
and instructing Seonaid in the uses of herbs. Not a very satisfying task, since she had
few samples to show her, and could only give her names of herbs and what they were useful
for.

Judging by the way the women had been hacking at the ground and snarling at each other,
Iliana had decided that everyone was very definitely angry about something. She simply had
no idea what it could be, so when Seonaid had excused herself to find the privy, Iliana
had decided to take the opportunity to questionElgin.

“I do not ken what ye mean, me lady.”

Shrugging, Iliana began to write her initials in the excess flour on the tabletop.
“Everyone seems so unhappy today. The women are sniping and snarling at each other and...”
She shrugged again helplessly.

“Aaaah. Well, me lady, that would be because o' the plaids.”

Her head shot up at that. “What?”

He nodded apologetically. “Ye see, the plaids usually come in January, the same day as the
men usually bathe. Everyone bathes that day, and everyone dons their new plaid that day.
But this time only the women have them. And meself. And only the women and meself bathed.”

When Iliana stared at him,Elginshnigged. “The men stink.”

“The men”

“Stink,” he repeated succinctly. “They also refuse to bathe and stop stinking. And last
night when everyone went to their beds, most o' the husbands, impressed no doubt by how
fine their wives looked and smelled, thought to... er... indulge themselves,” he said
meaningfully. “But the wives, impressed with how unfine the husbands looked and smelled
down to the very last one, told their husbands to... er... go take a bath.”

“I see,” Iliana said faintly, taken aback at the trouble she had started, despite the
support the women had unknowingly given to her own silent protest.

“Aye. There was figliting all over the keep last night.”

“I heard not a word.”

“Aye, well, most o' it was not fit fer a lady to hear anyway.”

“Mayhap I should just give the men their plaids?” Iliana murmured uncertainly.

“ 'Tis not the plaids themselves that are the problem, me lady,” he pointed out gently. “
'Tis not as if they wear them when they” Pausing, he flushed and shrugged.

“Aye, you are right, of course.” Sighing, she underlined her initials in the flour and
stood, pausing when Elginsuddenly leaned forward to change the W she had written to a D.

“Yer a Dunbar now, me lady,” he reminded gently as she stared blankly at the letters on
the tabletop somewhat surprised that he could even read.

“ 'Tis something me wife has difficulty recalling. I thank ye fer remindin' her,Elgin.”
Groaning inwardly, Iliana raised her head slowly to meetDuncan's furious gaze. “I'd be
having a word with ye,wife . ” His emphasis of the title was added with biting sarcasm.

AvoidingElgin's eyes, Iliana got reluctantly to her feet, mumbled her excuses, then moved
to stand in front ofDuncan. The minute she came to a halt, he grabbed her arm and turned
to drag her out of the kitchen.

Seonaid was crossing the great hall toward the kitchen door when they came through it. She
looked once atDuncan's furious face, then raised an eyebrow in Iliana's direction.

“Duncanwishes to talk to me. I won't be a minute,” Iliana assured Seonaid asDuncandragged
her past the other woman.

“She'll be quite a while,” her husband corrected. “So ye might as well go about yer
business.”

After a hesitation, Seonaid started to follow them, muttering, “She's supposed to be
teaching me wifery. How long do ye plan to keep her?”

“Long enough to teachher some wifery,” was his gŸm response.

“Nay,Duncan!” Seonaid cried in alarm. “Yer not to wear her out. Da said”

“Da can get his own wife,”Duncansnarled, charging up the stairs, pulling Iliana behind him
She had time only to throw a vaguely reassuring smile at Seonaid before the great hall was
out of sight andDuncanwas opening the door to their room.

“In.” It was a silly order; he was already propelling her through the door and toward the
bed as he spoke. But Iliana kept her thoughts to herself as she bounced onto the bed to
the sound of the door being slammed shut.

“Ye've done naught since arriving here but make a nuisance o' yersel'!” he shouted,
crossing the room to loom over her. “Ye've disobeyed every order I've given ye. Wasted
money on luxuries better done without! And refused me me rights as husband.” He glared at
her bitterly as he said that, then added, “If that were not bad enough, now ye have every
wench in the clan pitted against her own man. What have ye to say fer yersel'?”

Iliana sat up slowly on the bed, frantically searching her mind for the correct response.
“I am sorry,” she offered helplessly at last, andDuncangaped at her.

“Yer sorry?” “I'll give the men their plaids. They need not bathe.” “Thatis yer answer?
That will not put the women back in their beds.”

“Well...” She stared at him helplessly for a moment, then allowed her frustration to rouse
her own temper. “Nay, you are right. It will not. No woman wishes to sleep with a
stinking, filthy oaf of a man unless she herself stinks so bad she does not notice his
stench.” She glared at him, chin up. “ Tis understandable. It seems I am not so different
from everyone else.”

“Are ye not? Well, I would be reminding ye we did not have this problem ere ye arrived.”

“That's because the women stunk then, too.”

He glared at her. “The men are all comin' to me, looking fer the answer. They wish to ken
if I have the same problem with ye , and what I do about it.”

Iliana shrugged. “What did you tell them?”

“I told them ye caused this problem and ye would fix it. Now...” He propped his hands on
his hips and raised his eyebrows. “What are ye going to do about it?”

Iliana glared back, then shook her head in bewilderment. “I do not understand why you all
do not simply take a bath. If you and the men would simply bathe”

“ Tis only the middle of June.”

“Aye, I know it is, but surely”

“We have a certain order here, wife. There is a certain time o' year that the sheep are
sheared, a certain time o' year that the fields are reaped, and a certain time o' year
that we take a bath.”

"Bathing is not a seasonal activity, husband.

You could bathe anytime and not suffer for it. You could not harvest the fields at any
time. They are two entirely different things."

“Ye don't ken what I am saying”

“Aye, I do!” Iliana snapped, then sighed. “Seonaid explained to me about the plaids and
how grease and dirt keep out the rain. She explained about oatcakes on marches. I
understand that you fear the men going soft, but what of the women?”

He blinked at that. “What?” “Are you not lord over all who reside here?” “My father” he
began, but Iliana cut him off with irritation.

“Do not quote semantics at me, husband. Legally and technically 'tis true your father is
laird here, but in reality you are the one to give the orders. I have seen it. Do you not
rule over the women as well as the men?”

“Aye.”

“Then why do you not concern yourself with the welfare of the women as well? Tis all well
and fine that the men must brave the weather and make do with oatcakes while on marches,
but what of the women?”

When he merely frowned at her, Iliana sighed.

“Could there not be a compromise? Could the men not have two plaids? One that is clean and
pleasant to look upon while they are here at the keep with their wives, and one that is
gieased and dirty to protect them from the elements when away?”

Duncanglared at her for the suggestion.

“Things have worked well enough the way they have been for years, wife. There is no need
fer __”

“Who is the coward afraid of change now?” Iliana interrupted dryly. Then she rolled to the
side of the bed, gained her feet and headed for the door, only to be caught up byDuncanas
she moved past him.

“I am not finished with ye yet.”

“But I am finished withyou !” Iliana said coldly. Tugging her arm out of his hold when it
slackened in surprise, she hurried to the door. She had it open and was rushing down the
hall before he regained himself.

“Wife!” he roared, stalling after her.

Muttering under her breath, Iliana grabbed up her skirt and raced down the stairs to the
great hall, nearly colliding with her father-in-law in the process. Iliana paused long
enough to give him a nervous smile and quick curtsy, then skirted around the man and
hurried to the kitchen.

“Duncan!”

“Not now. Da!”Duncansnapped, maneuvering around the older man and sparing barely a moment
to spear his sister with an accusatory glare before chasing after his wife.

Iliana castElgina nervous smile as she charged through the kitchen, intent on escaping to
the gardens. Her steps didn't slow until she pushed through the door and came upon the
women, chattering away in the garden as they worked. It seemed her absence had loosened
their tongues. While they had been silent and grim all morning, now they were chattering
away like magpies.

“And then the smelly fool just stood there naked, bellowing like a sick cow.”

“What did ye do?” Janna gasped, seeming totally enthralled by the older woman's story.

“I yelled right back. 'Ye'll not be touchin' me, Willie Dunbar! 'I says to 'im.Not til ye
take a bath!'”

“What did he say?”

“'Yer me wife, Mavis Dunbar, and ye'll be seeing to me needs or else. 'Tis yer duty.' ”

“Nay!” Janna clucked with disgust. “Sean said the very same thing to me! I'd like to have
brained 'im.”

“Idid brain Willie.”

Janna gaped at the older woman in disbelief.

“Nay! Ye dinna! What did he do then?”

“Slept the night through with nary another peep out o' him.”

Her jaw dropped at that. “What did he do when he woke this mom?”

“Naught. I told him he'd too much to drink last night and passed out drunk on the floor.”

“Ye didna! Oh, Mavis, yer awful.” She shook with laughter. “I could never brain Sean.”

“Aye, well, yer Sean's a different kettle o' fish than me Willie. He'd never raise a fist
to ye.”

“Nay, he wouldn't,” Janna agreed solemnly, sadness on her face as she peered at the older
woman. “Why do ye not tellDuncanabout Willie, Mavis? He'd tend to him fer ye.”

“I told ye, Janna,Duncancares little if we women are happy, so long as the men have no
complaint and will follow him off to battle.”

Janna opened her mouth to respond, then froze, catching sight of Iliana. Fear crossed the
woman's features, and Iliana opened her mouth to quickly reassure her that all would be
well. But before she could, the scuff of a footfall chew her gaze around to
seeDuncanstanding behind her. The shock on his face told Iliana that he had heard the
whole conversation. She actually managed to feel sorry for him. Then his face closed up
and he whirled away, rage oozing from every pore of his body as he headed back the way he
had come.

“Oh, lord.”

Biting her lip, Iliana glanced back at a worried-looking Mavis and tried to offer a
reassuring smile. “He is not mad at you, Mavis. There is nothing to fear.”

“Aye,” Janna agreed, sighing. “ 'Tis my guess it's Willie who should be worrying.”

Iliana's eyes widened at that; then she muttered under her breath and hurried after her
husband, aware that the women were dropping their hoes to follow.

Duncanhad already exited the kitchen by the time she reached it. Rushing past a
startledElgin, Iliana hurried to the door that still swung slightly from her husband's
exit and pushed through into the great hall. She was just in time to catch a glimpse of
his stiff form as, ignoring his father's startled questions, he slammed out of the keep.

“What the devil?” Angus stared after his son with astonishment, then glanced toward
Seonaid, who only shrugged in bewilderment.Duncanhad looked furious. The swish of the
kitchen door opening caught his ear and brought him around in time to step out of the way
as Iliana charged by in pursuit of her husband.

“Lass! What” he began, but she was already charging out of the keep.

“What the devil,” Angus repeated and took a step after her, only to pause when several
women crashed through the kitchen door and raced across the room withElginhard on their
heels. Catching the roly-poly little man, Angus drew him to an abrupt halt, demanding,
“What goes on here?”

Elginshook his head in bewilderment. “I don't ken, me laird. First they rushed one way,
now they rush another. But judging from everyone's expressions, 'tis not something to be
missed.” With that, he hurried on.

Muttering under his breath, Angus took up the tail end of this odd parade, gesturing for
Seonaid to follow.

Grabbing up her skirts, Iliana sped after her husband as he charged toward the men working
on the wall. Her steps slowed, and dismay made an O of her mouth a moment later when

Duncanreached them, grabbed a tall burly fellow by the scruff of his neck, and tossed him
to the ground.

The man was up at once, ready to defend himself. But he lowered his fists in confusion
when he saw through his rage that his assailant wasDuncan.

“Me laird?” was all he managed to ask beforeDuncanplowed his fist into the fellow's face.

Muttering under her breath, Iliana gathered her skirts closer and hurried forward again.
By the time she had reached the practice area, the men had formed a circle around the two
combatants, their expressions a combination of curiosity and excitement asDuncanyelled at
Willie Dunbar.

Iliana had to push her way between and around the larger bodies to reach the inner fringe.
She paused there, worrying her lip anxiously as she saw Willie rise again, only to be
knocked down once more. It was the gasp behind her that made her look to see that Janna,
Mavis, and the other women had followed her through the crowd and were even now being
joined by Elgin, Lord Angus, and Seonaid.

“Get up! Get up and fight like a man, ye coward!”

Duncan's bellow drew Iliana's gaze back around.

“What be the matter, me laird?” Willie was asking as he got warily back to his feet. “I
don't ken” His words broke off whenDuncansnatched him by the collar and chew him close.

“ Ye've been raisin' yer fists to Mavis. A woman half yer size and less than that in
strength.”

Willie speared his wife with accusing eyes andDuncangave him a shake. “She didn't tell me.
I overheard it.”

His words had little effect on Willie's venomous glare, soDuncanshook him again. “And
ye'll not be punishing her fer me kenning. Fer every blow ye dare to give her, I'll be
giving ye ten o' these.” With that, he released the man's collar and smashed a fist into
his face again. This time, Willie was prepared for the blow. He stumbled backward but did
not fall. He even managed to bring his fists up and get in a retaliatory blow
beforeDuncanbackhanded him, then punched him in the stomach.

Iliana winced at the whoosh of air Willie expelled as he stumbled backward, then grimaced
asDuncan slammed his fist into his jaw with enough force to knock the man senseless. He
stood there for a moment, panting over the unconscious man, then turned to glare at the
others gathered around.

“Any one o' ye who raises a fist to a woman'll receive the same and well ye'll deserve it,
fer only a coward beats on someone so much weaker than himself.” His gaze landed on Iliana
then, and his month tightened briefly before he turned away and pushed through the crowd,
headed for the stables.

Iliana staited after him, only to be held back by Angus.

“Leave him go. He needs time to himsel' to calm down.” His gaze slid to the unconscious
Willie Dunbar and he shook his head on a sigh. “Duncannever could stomach bullies.”

“May I go to him, me lady?”

Iliana glanced at Mavis in surprise when she asked the question, but nodded. “Aye. If you
have a wish to.”

The woman gazed at her unconscious husband with pity. “Fer good or bad, he's me husband.
'Sides, I don't think he'll be eager to raise his fists to me again.”

“Nay,” Iliana agreed quietly, and the other woman moved to her husband's side.

Angus glanced at Iliana's worried face as she peered toward the stables into
whichDuncanhad disappeared, then urged her toward the keep. “Rabbie has a muckle o' manure
he was wonderin' if ye would like fer yer garden.”

Iliana frowned at him, distracted. “Rabbie?”

'The stablemaster," Janna reminded, falling into step on her other side.

“Aye. He cleans the stables every other day or so and has been collecting the manure at
the back o' it,” Angus told her. “He wondered if ye would like some orit.”

“Oh. Aye,” she murmured. “ 'Twould be helpful.”

“I'll have a couple o' men bring some up to the garden after lunch then. That way it'll be
handy when yer ready fer it.”

“Thank you,” Iliana murmured. Nodding, Angus glanced toward Seonaid, who was sidling
toward the stables. “Daughter!” Duncan's sister froze in her tracks, then turned
reluctantly toward her father. “I believe the gardens are this way,” he said pointedly.
Grimacing, Seonaid slumped and moved back toward them. “Ye're not suppose to be workin'
hard.”

Iliana sighed at those words from her sister-in-law. Straightening, she brushed the hair
back from her face and peered at the sun overhead. It had been more than twenty-four hours
since the incident in the bailey that had sentDuncancharging off on his horse. Iliana
still did not know where he had gone, only that he had left the castle and ridden off
alone into the woods.

She had not been surprised when he did not appear for lunch, but had begun to fret when he
was not at sup either. Angus, Seonaid, and Janna had all assured her that he would be
fine, but she had found herself oddly worried about him. Iliana was sure he could take
care of himself, but he had appeared oddly vulnerable to her when she had first seen him
standing on the path to the garden. The conversation he had overheard had appeared to
truly stun him. Iliana suspected it had to do with Mavis declaring that he cared little
for the well-being of the women of his clan. She supposed the comment had hit too close to
what she herself had accused him of only moments earlier.

Oddly enough, rather than being pleased that her own opinion had been supported, however
unintentionally, Iliana wished it were not so. She did not truly believeDuncandid not
concern himself with the welfare of the women. Instead, she suspected that, having been
raised with very little female company after the age of five, he had simply never realized
the lack of comfort and warmth of his home. He simply was not aware of what he had been
missing.

Worried as she had been, Iliana had found it hard to sleep last night and had been
disappointed and anxious when she went down to breakfast and there was still no sign of
him. WhenDuncanhad finally shown up for the nooning meal, she had been terribly relieved
to see him hale and healthy, but even more worried by his silent and sullen air. It had
been obvious that he had not yet gotten over yesterday's incident. Iliana had not known
what to say to ease his anger. Perhaps there was nothing she could say.

“Ye should sit in the shade an' rest.”

Rolling her eyes, Iliana turned on the other woman. “I am not working hard,” she argued
for the tenth time since announcing that she would help to plant the garden that day. “I
am planting seeds. Tis not hard work.”

Seonaid glowered at her briefly, then turned back to the seeds she herself was burying in
the newly turned soil, muttering under her breath as she did.

Iliana caught Janna's anxious expression.

“Me lady, the job is sore hard on the back. Mayhap ye should rest a bit and” She paused as
Iliana shook her head in disgust.

“You all behave as though I were made of feathers and might blow away in the first wind. I
am young, healthy, and strong. I will be fine.”

“But ye fainted,” the servant pointed out. “Aye, ye did,” Seonaid agreed. “Ye aren't as
well as ye like to think.” “I am not ill,” Iliana said firmly.

“Mayhap she's with child,” Mavis suggested, bringing a scowl to Iliana's face. The older
woman had returned to the gardens that morning, announcing that Willie was too ornery to
deserve her care. The man had risen at dawn this morning with a splitting headache and
complained about it incessantly. Other than that. Mavis had said little about the incident
that had seen her husband carried to his bed and sentDuncan riding off into the woods on
his own.

“I am not with child,” Iliana muttered impatiently, then grimaced and glanced toward the
small hill of manure beside her as its putrid smell wafted to her nose. As promised,
Angus'd had two men cart the manure the stablemaster had offered her to the garden
yesterday afternoon. They'd dumped it at the base of the garden, putting it within easy
reach for spreading once they were ready for it. Unfortunately, Iliana kept forgetting
about the blessed thing and had stepped it every time she had reached the end of a row of
seeds. As she had this time, she saw with a sigh.

She was about to step to the side, away from the pile, when a buzzing by her ear brought
her head up warily. A bee was buzzing ominously about her.

Frowning, she waved a hand in front of her face and stepped instinctively backward as the
bee swooped at her.

“Me lady!”

Iliana had a glimpse of Janna's dismayed face and realized at once her mistake, but 'twas
too late. The manure beneath her feet was slick and wet, and her slippers immediately
skidded on the sloppy ground. She twisted frantically, trying to save herself, and instead
managed to send herself sideways into the mire of the oozing, smelly muck.

Janna, Mavis, and Seonaid rushed forward at once, gasping and gagging as they grabbed at
her hands to pull her free of the mire, but the ground was slippery with the stuff. Janna
and Mavis both had her by the hands and were dragging her back to her feet when those feet
skidded out from beneath her again. This

time when she fell she took both women with her. They landed in the manure beside her with
dismayed squeals. Seonaid joined them a split-second later as Janna's flailing legs caught
her at the ankles and swept them out from beneath her.

The smell was putrid, the feel disgusting. Iliana was nearly in tears as she struggled to
her knees in the goo and crawled to the edge of the pile. Reaching the good clean dirt,
she regained her feet, and turned back toward the hill. Janna and Mavis, too, had
struggled to their feet and were slip-sliding together out of the manure, while Seonaid
was simply lying where she had landed, laughing so hard she could not seem to move.

Iliana shook her head at the other woman in exasperation but could not contain a small
smile herself as she peered at her companions. Janna's red hair was red no more. 'Twas a
muddy brown, with great clumps of horse dung hanging from it. Her lovely new plaid was in
a similar state. As was Mavis, who also had a great smear of the stuff down one side of
her face. Both women stood, arms akimbo, heads bent as they peered with disgust at
themselves. 'Twas not a picture Iliana would soon forget, she decided, shaking her head
with amusement and turning back toward the pile and a still laughing Seonaid.

Stepping to the edge of the pile again, she braced herself and reached out a hand to her
sister-in-law. Sobering slightly, Seonaid took the offered hand and tugged even as Iliana
lurched backwards. Between the two of them, they got her to her feet and managed to lurch
several feet away from the manure.

“Ugh!” Janna muttered, shaking her arms and watching the clung fly. “Gor!” “ Tis
disgusting!” “Putrid.”

“I smell like a”

“Privy?” Iliana supplied dryly.

Janna paused and glanced up at Iliana, then suddenly burst out laughing. “Oh, me lady!”
She tried to stem her laughter and replace it with an apologetic expression, but failed. “
'Tis sorry I am, me lady. But yer hair, yer lovely hair looks”

“Like yours?” Iliana suggested wryly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“No doubt,” came the self-deprecating laugh, then she groaned as she caught a good whiff
of herself. “I smell worse than Sean now.”

“And I worse than Willie.” Mavis muttered. They shared a wry glance; then Janna suddenly
perked up, miscThef playing on her face.

“I think I'll find him an' plant a nice big kiss on his lips... if he doesna fight me off
first.” “Do not let him,” Iliana suggested lightly. “Mayhap he'll be willing to take his
bath early.” “Aye, mayhap.” Janna grimaced as she peered down at herself. “If ye'll excuse
me, me lady?”

“And me?”

“Aye, of course.” Iliana watched the two women go, then glanced toward Seonaid, who was
scraping dung from her legs and feet with her sword. “Would you like first crack at my
bath?”

“Nay. The loch is good enough fer me.”

“As you wish.” Iliana turned toward the keep, only to pause. She could not, would not, go
through the kitchen like this. Sighing, she headed around the building. Much to her
amusement, no one seemed to notice the state she was in as she hurried to the front door
of the keep and nished inside. It was not until she came across Ebba on her way upstairs
that she got any reaction at all.

“My lady!”

Iliana smiled at the servant's dismayed expression as she passed her on the stairs. “Aye,
Ebba. I shall need a bath.”