done so before.
When Brice stood up again, she performed the introductions. ‘This is Mrs Murray, the cook, and her helpers Isobel and Fionna.’ They all curtseyed and he bowed back.
‘ Forgive me if I don’t remember everyone’s names at first,’ he said with a disarming smile. ‘I’ll do my best.’ He picked up the tea chest again. ‘Now where would you like this Mrs Murray?’
Greine looked as flabbergasted as Marsaili had felt at the sight of so much tea, but managed to unlock the larder. ‘In here, if you please, my lord.’
‘ You’d better send for a stable lad to help you carry the rest in here,’ he told her. ‘And we’ll need someone to take care of the doves and chickens. Please leave half the sacks of oatmeal behind for the moment though, I have other plans for those.’
‘ Very well, we’ll see to it,’ Marsaili said.
‘ Thank you. Then I’ll go and find out what’s happened to the livestock.’
Marsaili had seen the cattle, goats and sheep on her way to the courtyard earlier, after Seton had given her the news of the new laird’s arrival. She’d wondered why he had brought them and without thinking, she voiced her thought out loud. ‘What are they for? Slaughter? I’m not sure we’ll have space for so much extra meat all at once.’
He looked surprised. ‘Not yet, no. Just a few at a time. I thought the herd here looked a bit small so I decided to add some more females to it.’
‘ But winter is coming. Most of the creatures will be slaughtered or sold soon. And the ones you’ve brought won’t have time to fatten up much.’
‘ They shouldn’t need to, they’ve been well cared for. I selected them myself. Besides, as I said, they’re not for killing. We’re going to keep most of them over the winter to increase the herd for next year. For now, they’ll need to go into the nearest fields I expect. Do you mind if I take Liath outside with me? He looks as though he would like a walk.’
Marsaili was so stunned by his words that she lost the power of speech, but she managed to nod her assent to his request. By the time she’d recovered, he and the hound had gone. She turned to Greine. ‘Did he just say what I think he said?’
‘ Aye, he did that.’
‘ But where will he get the hay to feed cattle over the winter? There’s hardly any been mown.’
Greine shrugged. ‘Perhaps he’ll have some cut? There’s still grass in the meadows that’s not been touched.’ She smiled. ‘Hah! Wish I had time to go and listen when he tells the men that bit of news, if it’s what he’s got in mind.’
‘ Indeed, they won’t like the extra work. Well, it’s none of our business I suppose. We’ve got our own tasks to do and we’d best make a start. His lordship wants a feast, and he’s given orders we’re all to eat in the great hall. I don’t know how he thinks things can be arranged so quickly.’
Greine smiled. ‘We’ll do fine. It’ll be grand to cook a proper meal again without having to stint. And I’ll enjoy it even more if it puts Mr High-and-Mighty Seton’s neb out of joint as it surely will.’
Marsaili laughed. ‘Yes, good point.’
Seton felt as if his well-ordered world had suddenly turned upside down. Only that morning, he had been counting the money he’d saved up. He came to the conclusion it wouldn’t be long now before he had enough to buy back the Seton lands. A few more months and he’d be able to leave Rosyth, a place he’d come to hate.
But his plans had all been scuppered by the arrival of a man he’d thought never to set eyes on. Damn his impudence!
Seton hadn’t stayed to see young Kinross lording it over his clansmen. It was bad enough he had to greet him civilly and pretend he was going to work with him. Hah! Over my dead body! But he realised he’d have to tread warily, or everything he’d worked towards would disappear in the blink of an eye.
He can’t prove anything , he thought. The estate’s accounts all
When Brice stood up again, she performed the introductions. ‘This is Mrs Murray, the cook, and her helpers Isobel and Fionna.’ They all curtseyed and he bowed back.
‘ Forgive me if I don’t remember everyone’s names at first,’ he said with a disarming smile. ‘I’ll do my best.’ He picked up the tea chest again. ‘Now where would you like this Mrs Murray?’
Greine looked as flabbergasted as Marsaili had felt at the sight of so much tea, but managed to unlock the larder. ‘In here, if you please, my lord.’
‘ You’d better send for a stable lad to help you carry the rest in here,’ he told her. ‘And we’ll need someone to take care of the doves and chickens. Please leave half the sacks of oatmeal behind for the moment though, I have other plans for those.’
‘ Very well, we’ll see to it,’ Marsaili said.
‘ Thank you. Then I’ll go and find out what’s happened to the livestock.’
Marsaili had seen the cattle, goats and sheep on her way to the courtyard earlier, after Seton had given her the news of the new laird’s arrival. She’d wondered why he had brought them and without thinking, she voiced her thought out loud. ‘What are they for? Slaughter? I’m not sure we’ll have space for so much extra meat all at once.’
He looked surprised. ‘Not yet, no. Just a few at a time. I thought the herd here looked a bit small so I decided to add some more females to it.’
‘ But winter is coming. Most of the creatures will be slaughtered or sold soon. And the ones you’ve brought won’t have time to fatten up much.’
‘ They shouldn’t need to, they’ve been well cared for. I selected them myself. Besides, as I said, they’re not for killing. We’re going to keep most of them over the winter to increase the herd for next year. For now, they’ll need to go into the nearest fields I expect. Do you mind if I take Liath outside with me? He looks as though he would like a walk.’
Marsaili was so stunned by his words that she lost the power of speech, but she managed to nod her assent to his request. By the time she’d recovered, he and the hound had gone. She turned to Greine. ‘Did he just say what I think he said?’
‘ Aye, he did that.’
‘ But where will he get the hay to feed cattle over the winter? There’s hardly any been mown.’
Greine shrugged. ‘Perhaps he’ll have some cut? There’s still grass in the meadows that’s not been touched.’ She smiled. ‘Hah! Wish I had time to go and listen when he tells the men that bit of news, if it’s what he’s got in mind.’
‘ Indeed, they won’t like the extra work. Well, it’s none of our business I suppose. We’ve got our own tasks to do and we’d best make a start. His lordship wants a feast, and he’s given orders we’re all to eat in the great hall. I don’t know how he thinks things can be arranged so quickly.’
Greine smiled. ‘We’ll do fine. It’ll be grand to cook a proper meal again without having to stint. And I’ll enjoy it even more if it puts Mr High-and-Mighty Seton’s neb out of joint as it surely will.’
Marsaili laughed. ‘Yes, good point.’
Seton felt as if his well-ordered world had suddenly turned upside down. Only that morning, he had been counting the money he’d saved up. He came to the conclusion it wouldn’t be long now before he had enough to buy back the Seton lands. A few more months and he’d be able to leave Rosyth, a place he’d come to hate.
But his plans had all been scuppered by the arrival of a man he’d thought never to set eyes on. Damn his impudence!
Seton hadn’t stayed to see young Kinross lording it over his clansmen. It was bad enough he had to greet him civilly and pretend he was going to work with him. Hah! Over my dead body! But he realised he’d have to tread warily, or everything he’d worked towards would disappear in the blink of an eye.
He can’t prove anything , he thought. The estate’s accounts all
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