by Lynsay Sands
" 'Tis all right," Seonag said quickly, scurrying forward to begin collecting the scraps of cloth off the floor. "We can sew these back into the gowns and fix them. No one will ken they were ever cut apart. I can--"
"Oh, those are not the parts I cut off," Kate said. "Those are what is left to make my dresses out of. I threw the extra panels in the fire as I cut each one off. Although," she added pensively, "I suppose that was silly. I could have made at least one other gown from the scraps I removed from each gown since they were so big. Oh well." She shrugged, and then raised her eyebrows. "Are you not going to sit down and help me?"
"Help you?" Annabel hissed with disbelief.
"Aye. After all 'tis apparently your fault the cloth merchant will not come up to the castle. Otherwise I could have just had you buy new cloth for me to make my wardrobe from, rather than having to make do with cast-off cloth from a dead woman's gowns."
"To make your wardrobe from?" Annabel asked, amazed by her gall.
"Well, you do not expect me to have to make do with just one or two gowns, do you?" she asked as if the answer should be obviously no.
"I do not expect to outfit you with a wardrobe at all," Annabel growled, her temper overflowing . . . a temper she had never realized she even had. If she weren't so furious, Annabel would have been shocked by the rage racing through her as she stalked toward her sister.
"Well, of course you should expect to make me a wardrobe. You are my sister and this is my home now. I expect--"
"This is not your home. You are a guest here, Kate," Annabel interrupted furiously. "And a very unpleasant one at that. Perhaps had you tried to act like a proper sister, I would welcome you here, but as it stands, I do not wish to even see you, let alone house and clothe you." Her mouth tightened and she added grimly, "I have been waiting to hear back from Mother on her willingness to take you in, howbeit I am not willing to wait any longer, and I do not care if she wants to take you in. She shall have to. As soon as Ross returns I am going to ask him to arrange for your return to Waverly. Your lady mother is the one who raised you to be such a selfish, spoiled, spiteful brat, and she can now live with what she has created. I am done."
Kate's eyes widened and then her face crumpled. "How can you say that to me after everything I have suffered!" she said through a sudden storm of tears.
"Because it is true," Annabel answered coldly, unmoved this time by her tears. "You have driven my husband from his home, terrorized the servants and done nothing but bedevil me, and now, now you have gone and cut up every gown I own but one."
"Every gown you own?" Kate asked with amazement and immediately shook her head. "Nay. These were secondhand gowns--"
"In my chest in my bedchamber," Annabel interrupted, growing furious all over again. "You had no business in there! And pray, do not try to tell me you did not know that while they were secondhand gowns, they were all I had to wear."
"Fine, I knew they were your gowns," Kate snapped. "But I only destroyed them so that your husband would be forced to buy you new material for a proper wardrobe as befits a lady."
"Oh, please," Annabel said dryly. "You are the most selfish creature in Scotland and England combined. 'Tis more believable that you did it to ensure I would buy new cloth and you could get new material for a proper wardrobe of your own. Besides, you already said the merchant will not come here so you know that is not--" Annabel stopped abruptly, her head coming up. "The cloth merchant will not come here? Why would the cloth merchant not come here?"
She turned to Seonag in question, but Kate answered.
"Because your dog attacked the spice merchant, and--"
"Jasper did not attack the merchant," Annabel snapped in the dog's defense.
"I am just telling you what I was told," Kate said with a shrug. "Whatever the case, apparently the merchant stormed out of here yesterday morning. He was ranting about being dumped in a room and left to starve, and he would see you sorry for it. He was going to stay at the inn in the village until his wound healed, and then he would tell all the other merchants not to come here if they cared for their hide."
Annabel stared at Kate, absently noting what she was sure was glee in her sister's eyes as she revealed this information. It was as if she was enjoying her misfortune. But Annabel couldn't be bothered worrying about that now. Her mind was taken up with the enormity of what she'd just learned. No more spice, no more cloth, no more trinkets or pots.
Most of what they needed to survive could be produced here at MacKay. They would not go hungry. What they counted on merchants for were the items that they couldn't provide or make for themselves, like silks and spices from Asia, fur from Russia, salt and wine from France, cloth and tapestries from Flanders, and so on. They were luxuries really, not necessary really, but once used to those luxuries . . . Annabel couldn't imagine months or years without being able to buy spices to aid Angus in his efforts. This was horrible.
She turned to Seonag with dismay. "Is this true?"
Seonag looked at a loss for a minute and then shook her head and admitted unhappily. "I'm sorry m'lady. I . . ." She let her breath out on a sigh and admitted, "After the last attack and your sister's arrival I--" She grimaced and confessed, "I just plain forgot all about the man."
Kate made a snorting sound and arched her eyebrows at Annabel as if to say, Will you let her get away with this? Annabel ignored her. She was going to let Seonag get away with it, because she too had forgotten about the man. How could she punish Seonag for something she too had done?
Annabel turned abruptly and swept from the room, uncaring that the linen she wore billowed out around her like a cape. Her mind was racing. What was she to do? She could not allow MacKay to be banned by the merchants. Dear God, Ross would be so disappointed in her.
"I'll help ye kill her," Seonag announced, following her into the master bedchamber and closing the door.
The words made her pause and blink. It actually took Annabel a moment to understand who the maid was talking about, which was surprising since moments ago she would have enjoyed choking the life out of her trying older sister. Truly, Kate had unintentionally given Annabel everything she hadn't known she desired with that one act of running off with her lover. Yet now she seemed bent on ruining and destroying everything Annabel had gained.
However, the news about the merchant had driven her worries about Kate from her mind. The truth was, she only had to put up with her sister until she grew tired of taking her nonsense and her conscience could withstand kicking her out and sending her elsewhere. Had Kate even tried a bit to be a good person, just a bit, if she were just a little less selfish, a little less unpleasant . . . Well, Annabel would have put up with her and given her a home for life. But Kate was a stranger who seemed to love to touch and rub up on her husband, abuse the servants and torment Annabel. The voice of her conscience was quickly growing faint in her ears. To the point where choking the life out of her sister with her bare hands and being dragged to hell by the abbess was beginning to look attractive.
"We'll tell everyone her stable boy returned for her and then bury the body in Angus's herb garden," Seonag continued, and then pursed her lips and said, "He may even help with the task. She has complained and insulted his cooking so much he is ready to take a cleaver to her anyway--"
"Seonag," Annabel said wearily. "Kate is the least of our worries right now."
The maid goggled at her. "Are ye mad? She ruined yer gowns, is driving the laird out of his marriage bed, and--"
"Aye, but Kate will be gone as soon as our mother agrees to take her in. But--"
"Well and surely she's takin' her time about that," Seonag interrupted with disgust. "She probably no more wants her than we do and will no' answer at all rather than say so."
Annabel felt her heart lurch at the suggestion, but simply said, "The point is that Kate is a temporary problem, whereas do we lose the merchants, they could be gone for years, even decades. And then when they do return they will charge even more exorbitant
"Aye, but what if yer mother does no' agree to take Kate?" Seonag asked, apparently more concerned with that than anything else.
Annabel rubbed her forehead with frustration and then shook her head, and teased, "Well, then you can offer to help kill her again and then I may accept."
"Right." Seonag relaxed, a good deal of her anger slipping away. Expression solemn, she then asked, "What shall we do about the merchant?"
"I am going to have to go down to the inn and bribe him," Annabel said grimly.
"Bribe him with what?" Seonag asked with concern.
"What does a merchant like best?" she asked dryly, and answered, "Coin."
Seonag frowned. "Will the laird allow it?"
"My husband gave me the chatelaine keys and free rein to do as I saw fit," Annabel murmured, remembering when he'd done it, and thanking God he had. "He also gave me the coins that were part of my dower and said to use it to buy a new wardrobe. And he gave me the freedom to see to Kate as I saw fit. I shall use part of it to bribe the merchant if necessary."
Seonag nodded, relaxing a bit, but not completely, and then she said thoughtfully, "Then all we need worry about is getting ye past Gilly and Marach and out of the castle so ye can get down to the village. They're still under orders no' to let ye leave the keep."
"Aye," Annabel said with a grimace. The men had been following her about again ever since Ross had regained consciousness. Not that they'd not followed her about while he was unconscious, but then she'd at least been able to order them to go away when they became too much of a nuisance. Now, they were her shadow.
"I can help you with that," Kate announced and both women turned to peer at the girl now standing in the open bedchamber door.
Annabel nearly snapped at her for entering without knocking, but instead merely scowled and said, "I am surprised Gilly and Marach let you enter without knocking. Fine guards they are."
"They are not out in the hall," Kate said, pushing the door closed.
Annabel's eyebrows rose at this news. "I wonder why. They are always waiting in the hall in the morning."
"Ah . . . well," Seonag said, wincing slightly. "They were on their way up here when ye headed to yer sister's room. But they got one glimpse o' ye rushing naked up the hall, turned on their heels and returned to the trestle tables below." She tilted her head, considering briefly, and then said, "I'm thinking the laird may ha'e had a talk with them about what he did and did no' want them doing after that business when they thought they should accompany ye in here fer yer bath."
Annabel supposed that was possible, but simply turned to Kate in question, willing to listen, but still angry enough that she wasn't expecting much from the girl.
"First off, I should like to say I am sorry, Annabel."
That made Annabel's eyebrows rise. Not the words so much as the solemn tone to Kate's voice. She was not whining or trying on tears; she sounded serious and sincere as she continued, "I am afraid I have been behaving badly out of jealousy."
"Jealousy of what?" Annabel asked with surprise.
Kate rolled her eyes at the question. "What do you think, Bel--" She cut herself off before finishing the old nickname, which had to be a first. Sighing, she took a deep breath and said, "I followed my heart and ran off with Grant, and it all fell apart. I did not think it through, obviously. I thought--" She sighed. "It doesn't matter what I thought. The end result is I am now a ruined woman who ran off with someone who was beneath her socially, and then was tossed aside like so much waste. I am homeless, husbandless, dependant on your charity and a laughingstock or fool to most people."
Kate paused briefly, perhaps hoping Annabel would assure her that wasn't true, but Annabel held her tongue and waited to hear what else she had to say.
"And in the meantime, you married the man I was supposed to and have the life I would have had if I hadn't been so foolish. You who have no training at running a castle, are running this one. You who do not have a clue how to rule servants, are doing it and in such a manner that those servants adore you. You have a home, wealth, and a husband and people who love you." Her mouth tightened and she shook her head. "You have everything I wanted, and the worst part about it is that you only have it because I foolishly threw it all away."
She shook her head. "I am angry and have been acting badly because of it," she admitted. "But I have been taking it out on you when the truth is I am angry with myself for my own foolishness." Kate paused, took another deep breath and said, "I am terribly sorry for it and hope someday you can forgive me."
Annabel was silent for a moment, unsure how she should respond. She wanted to believe her sister had realized the error of her ways and would behave differently now, but it would take some time to trust in that. It would be nice if that were true, however. Then perhaps they could have a real relationship. She would like to have a sister again, but it was hard to believe that the selfishness and nasty streak Kate had displayed was so easily shed.
Finally, she simply said, "I hope so too."
"What's yer idea fer getting m'lady down to the village?" Seonag asked when the two sisters continued to stare at each other.
Kate glanced to the maid, resentment flashing briefly across her face at her daring to ask, and then the expression was gone, and she said, "You shall tell Gilly and Marach they may as well relax at the table because we have a good deal of sewing to do to repair the gowns I cut up, and then you shall send that chest"--Kate pointed to the one in which Annabel's gowns had resided before she'd taken them--"down to Effie in the village claiming it holds the gowns that were in such bad shape you did not think they would do, but now have reconsidered and want her opinion."
"Effie works here in the castle now," Seonag pointed out with a frown.
"She did not come this morning," Kate responded promptly. "The maid who attends me said she was feeling unwell."
"She was under the weather yesterday," Annabel explained when Seonag looked displeased. "I told her if she did not feel better today to stay home and recuperate. I guess she felt no better."
"Oh." Seonag nodded.
Annabel turned to Kate and said, "I do not see how that is going to get me out of the castle."
"Because you will be in the chest," Kate answered simply.
"Oh, nay," Seonag protested.
"Aye," Kate insisted. " 'Tis perfect. You and I shall stay in here and cover for her absence, talking and laughing and saying her name a lot as if she is here. Meanwhile, we shall have servants carry the chest down and put it on a wagon, then deliver it to the village and carry it into Effie's house. Once they leave, Effie will open it and Annabel can walk to the inn to talk to the merchant. 'Tis not far," she pointed out.
"Nothing is far in the village," Seonag said dryly. "But how would she get back to the castle?"
"She can ask that Fingal person or someone else to bring her back," Kate said with unconcern. "I am sure he would be happy to. Then he could get another free meal while here."
Annabel eyed her sister silently. Apparently, her effort to change her ways didn't include not insulting people.
"I do no' ken," Seonag said with a frown.
"You do not have to," Kate responded sharply and glanced to Annabel, eyebrows raised. "What do you think?"
"I think it might work," Annabel admitted quietly. "Certainly, I can think of nothing better."
"Good." Kate smiled, suddenly looking happy, young and relaxed. "Then you had best get in the chest while Seonag goes and gets some servants to take it to the village."
As Seonag headed for the door, Kate added, "Make sure you tell Gilly and Marach that we will be sewing so they may relax if they like, and that you are just fetching some servants to send a chest of gowns that need repairing to Effie to work on while she is home."
"I ken what to say," Seonag assured her grimly as she opened the door.
"Hmmm." Kate walked to the chest and opened it. "In you go, sister. We had best make sure you fit in it before the servants come to take it away."
Annabel almost hoped she wouldn't fit and they would have to come up with something else. The idea of being squeezed into an airless trunk while bumping along in the back of a wagon was not very appealing. But it was only a short ride to the village, Annabel assured herself a moment later as she curled herself inside the large trunk and Kate closed the lid. God, she hoped it was a short ride. She had never had an issue with small spaces, but this was something else. She was so scrunched up she could barely catch her breath, and was relieved when Kate immediately opened the trunk again and she could sit up.
"I shall watch the door for Seonag's return to be sure we have some warning and the servants do not just barge in and see you in the trunk," Kate said, walking to the door.
"Thank you," Annabel murmured and then got out and hurried over to the small chest in the corner of the room on the far side of the bed. It was where Ross kept jewels and coin, and where the sac of coins her father had handed over on their marriage resided. Her dower, which had been originally intended to be Kate's dower, sat on top. Annabel opened it intending to take just a portion to use to bribe the merchant, but Kate suddenly said, "They are coming. Two big men are with Seonag. Hurry. Back into the trunk."
Taking the bag with her, Annabel closed it as she rushed back to the trunk and curled herself inside again. Kate immediately hurried over to close the lid for her.
Annabel then waited . . . and waited. All she could think was that time passed terribly slowly when you were uncomfortable, because it seemed like forever before she heard the murmur of voices. She heard Seonag's voice first and then Kate's. A moment later male voices joined them and Annabel sucked in a breath as the trunk she was in was suddenly lifted and jarred about.
Annabel knew exactly when they reached the stairs, for she suddenly found her head tilting downward and her body sliding toward it, squishing her head against the panel of the trunk. Damn, that had hurt, she thought when the trunk evened out again. A moment later, she decided that pain had been nothing compared to being tossed onto what she presumed was the back of a wagon. Her entire body was jarred and jolted about at that, and Annabel had to shove the bag of coins into her mouth to keep from crying out.
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