Her own home had been half the size of this one, and Da had suffered so after the death of Mum that he’d lost all interest in the place. If it hadn’t been for Katie, they would have starved. She’d made sure the larders were full, the servants’ wages paid, and the tenants’ concerns dealt with.
But eventually it had reached the point where no matter how many problems she fixed, another would pop up. When her scouts had returned and told her how well maintained the MacDuff castle and lands were, she knew the move was the best idea.
Da had spent a great deal of time and money in Edinburgh—drinking and gambling, Katie suspected. When he had returned home, he’d no interest in the problems she’d tried to discuss with him.
Then, as if to convince her of the folly of continuing to do it all by herself, a fire had broken out in the stables, which had soon spread to part of the house. ’Twas then she decided to pull out the old document her father had talked about incessantly and move her family and whatever tenants wanted to follow them to Fife. ’Twas far away from Stirlingshire and its problems.
And hopefully far enough away from the threat—the main reason she’d left—that hung over her head.
Chapter Four
“Ye cannot send the lass and her group back to Stirlingshire.” Alasdair tossed the words out to Evan as they enjoyed one of the fine brandies from MacDuff’s cellar. They’d raided the wine room earlier and found several bottles of brandy, smuggled in from France. The MacDuff had known how to live.
It was nearing midnight, and the two brothers sat alone in the Great Hall. Mistress Stirling and her small group had retired for the night. The two men who had arrived with the lasses had joined Douglas MacDuff in rooms in the stables for the night. ’Twas quite a stable, at that. Evan had made a quick survey and had found dozens of fine horseflesh that would bring a nice coin if he decided to sell them.
Mistress Stirling, her brother, and the maid had secured one of the chambers the housekeeper, Mrs. Brody, had prepared for the arrival of Evan and his brother. They had all seemed quite weary, and as tired as Evan was, he was unable to sleep with the problem of the unwanted guests to deal with. And the stubborn lass who led them.
Evan swirled the liquid around and studied it as if it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. “She dinnae own the place, brother. I cannot just walk away from my responsibilities to the MacDuff clan. Trust was placed in me, and I cannot abandon the estate. ’Tis my duty, like it or not.”
“The maid, Meggie, told me the rest of Mistress Stirling’s household, including whatever tenant farmers and crofters decide to join them, should be here in a fortnight. She says it might be well more than fifty and maybe even as many as a hundred people.” Alasdair leaned forward, his forearms braced on his thighs, his glass of brandy dangling from his fingers. “Women, bairns, and old folks, Evan. All of them making the long journey, only to be told to return to whence they’d come.”
Evan swallowed the last of his drink. “What would ye have me do, then? We cannot stay here and see to their well-being. I have my own clan to run. Think of all the hard work that Da and his da before him did to save the place when others were stripped of their lands and their rights. Ye ken that lands were sold out from under many Clans and the Sassenachs tossed the farmers and crofters out of their homes. I must be there to reassure them all that they are being seen to and it won’t happen to us. If I remain here to see to these people, what happens to our people?”
Alasdair studied his older brother. “So ye will sacrifice the well-being of another clan, who may be following a foolish lass’s decision, even though they are not to blame?”
Alasdair placed his empty glass on the table, eyed the bottle of brandy, and pushed the glass farther away. “Another thing to consider, Evan. By the time the rest of them arrive, even if we give them a few days to recover from their journey before setting them back out again, they will be on the road to Stirlingshire as winter hits. I guarantee many will die.”
“Ach.” Evan stood and strode to the small fire in the large fireplace and held his hands out to warm them. “And if we stay any longer than we planned, the same will happen to us. Winter is not a pleasant time to travel.”
“Not only unpleasant but deadly.”
“Aye, I agree. Perhaps Mistress Stirling planned it that way, knowing if someone had been here, they couldn’t force them to return.” Evan returned to his seat and stretched his long legs out, crossing his feet at his ankles.
“I don’t think the lass is that devious. I think she was desperate for a place to call home that wasn’t crumbling around her ears,” Alasdair allowed.
“Devious, nay, but smart, aye. I feel there is more to the lass’s story than she’s told us. She’s a clever one, and moving her entire clan based on an old, faded piece of paper seems too reckless. And if that is the case, keep in mind, our ancestors had to fight to gain other holds. ’Twas lots of blood, death, and injuries to take over another clan’s lands. No one waved a decrepit paper and claimed ownership.”
Alasdair had the nerve to laugh. “I cannot imagine the wee lass, her brother, and her three companions sieging a castle. What would they beat them with? The broken wheel from that sorry cart? ’Tis only good for fuel.”
“With the spirit the lass shows, I would not put it past her to march up to a castle and demand entrance.” Evan shook his head, hating that he admired her. He had to give her credit for uprooting her entire clan and moving them to a strange place. Showed desperation, for sure.
“’Tis another consideration,” Alasdair added. “They would never make it back to Stirlingshire with that cart.”
“I could offer them horses. We have plenty.”
Alasdair stood and slapped Even on the back. “Time to retire. This is not something that will be solved tonight. We are both tired from our own journey. Tomorrow will look much brighter.”
…
The next day dawned dark and full of thunderstorms. Evan rolled over in his bed and stared out the window with the rain pelting against it. Nothing would be done this day. The necessary visits to the tenant farmers and crofters would have to wait. Instead, he would be forced to remain in the castle—with his unwanted guests—and interview the household staff to see what needed to be done inside and if any staff members needed to be added.
After seeing the place, he wasn’t so sure his original plan would work. It would be difficult to imagine leaving the castle empty of residents. He hated that the thought of hiring Mistress Stirling to oversee the castle kept presenting itself as the best solution for that dilemma.
Katie.
A thorn in his side, to be sure. But mayhaps she could also be a solution to his problem with the castle. As he’d noted to his brother, she certainly seemed clever enough. The only problem was he would have to remain here until the rest of her clan arrived. Although she seemed to be somewhat competent, she’d still made a foolish decision to uproot everyone and bring them to a place for which she had an elusive claim.
Before he could return to Argyll, he would need to see all the new arrivals settled. ’Twas his responsibility to make sure everyone was settled before he left. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too far in the future, or he would be stuck here all winter.
With Mistress Stirling.
Later, when he went down, wonderful smells again emanated from the Great Hall. Looking better than the last time he’d seen her, Mistress Stirling wore a fresh gown and had obviously enjoyed a much-needed bath. Her hair had been pulled up into some sort of knot at the top of her head, but ringlets were already escaping around her face and forehead.
She was a bonny lass, no doubt about that. Why she remained unmarried was a question that plagued him. Most young lasses would have had their da set up an arrangement for them long before they reached the age Mistress Stirling appeared to be. He thought she might be about five and twenty years.
She
had that younger brother, so perhaps she’d been involved in raising him. In fact, Evan knew very little about the lass except for the nebulous document she’d waved at him to show proof of her ownership. Why had she left her home, for starters, and why did she have no spouse looking after her and her brother? All questions to which he needed answers.
The lass chatted easily with Alasdair, waving her fork around as she spoke. The maid was nowhere in sight, nor were the two men or her little brother.
“Good morning, lad, Mistress Sterling, brother.” Evan nodded in their direction before taking a seat at the long table. He reached for the platter of eggs, ham, and sausage. He then loaded his plate with tatties, scones, buttered toast, and baked beans.
“Not hungry this morning, Evan?” Alasdair grinned at him over his tea cup.
“Aye. Always hungry, brother.” He nodded at Alasdair’s empty plate. “It looks as though ye had yer own fill of breakfast.” He smiled his thanks at the young lass who poured coffee into the cup in front of him. As much as he liked his tea, coffee was his choice of brew in the morning.
Mistress Stirling viewed their exchange as she continued to eat. He noticed her plate had almost as much food on it as his. He liked a lass who enjoyed her food. It generally meant she enjoyed other pleasures as well. Ach! I’d better get my mind far away from that idea.
“When yer finished with yer breakfast, Mistress, I would like a word with ye.”
Both Alasdair and Katie stopped eating and turned to him.
“Evan, can I speak with ye first?” Apparently concerned that over the night Evan had decided to force the Stirlings to move out, Alasdair watched him under furrowed brows.
“No need, brother. My mind is made up.”
Mistress Stirling’s face paled, and Evan should have sympathized with her concern, but she was in this difficulty because of her own actions. Let her stew a bit before he presented his plan to her. She could stay, but under his command. She would do everything a land steward would do, plus take care of the castle. She would report to him, and there would be no more talk of her owning MacDuff lands and castle.
Apparently more disturbed than Evan realized, Katie put her fork down alongside her plate. “I am ready whenever you are, Laird.”
“Nay.” He waved his fork at her. “Finish yer breakfast. I dinnae believe ye will be too unhappy with my decision.”
Color returned to her face, but her appetite seemed to dwindle. Alasdair continued to sip on his coffee but cast glances every so often at his brother. Finally, Evan put his fork down, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood. “Have ye been to the library yet, lass?”
“Aye. I spent some time there last night.”
Evan nodded. “Good. We can meet there.” He turned and strode from the table. He entered the corridor and passed through the doorway to the library. Katie was right behind him and stood with her arms across her chest. Apparently, she was not anticipating good news.
Evan waved to the settee alongside the south wall. “Please, have a seat. This won’t take long.”
She settled on the chair and smoothed her frock out. “I am not leaving.”
Even rested his arm on the fireplace mantel. “Are ye putting words in my mouth now, lass?”
“No. I just ken what ye are about to say, and I want ye to ken my mind is also made up, and I am not leaving.”
“Suppose ye let me say my piece before ye start telling me what ye will and will not do. Ye might be pleased to ken that I am not putting you and yer clan members back on the road.”
Katie’s eyes grew wide. “So ye had a change of heart? Ye admit that MacDuff belongs to me?”
Evan raised his hand. “I dinnae say that. I said I won’t be putting you on the road back home. However, there is no question now, nor will there ever be, about who owns the MacDuff castle, lands, and everything associated with it. ’Twas passed to me by virtue of primogeniture and reinforced in the old Laird MacDuff’s will. I am the laird of the MacDuff clan and will always remain the owner.”
Katie frowned. “I disagree, but where do I fit in with this plan of yers?”
Evan pushed away from the mantel, his hands behind his back. “It has come to my attention that a land steward—whom I was planning on leaving in charge here when I returned to Argyll—will not be sufficient to see to everything, especially the castle itself.”
She tilted her head to one side. “What does that mean?”
“It means I would like to hire you to oversee the castle.”
Chapter Five
“Hire me?” Katie could not be more surprised at Laird MacNeil’s words. She’d been certain he was about to tell her to pack her things and return to Stirlingshire. She’d been prepared to stand her ground and refuse to leave. Visions of him dragging her out kicking and screaming had filled her mind while she’d waited for him to finish his breakfast.
“Aye. But before we make this agreement, I want to ask ye a few questions.”
Katie nodded, her mind still in a whirl.
“Why did ye leave yer home in Stirlingshire?” He narrowed his eyes. “And I’ll have the truth from ye, lass.”
She could certainly give him the truth, just not all of it. If MacNeil was the sort of man who honored a contract—no matter how false—he would have her back on the road home. She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. “My da suffered a great deal when my mum died giving birth to Gavin.”
“How old is yer brother?”
“Ten years. He was a surprise to my parents.”
Evan nodded for her to continue.
“Da spent a lot of time and money on drink and trips to Edinburgh, leaving me in charge of the land, the castle, and my brother.” The sinking feeling returned to her stomach as she recalled when she used to watch the road for her father’s return. Each time she’d prayed that he would arrive well and hardy and with the coin in his pocket he’d taken with him. She’d needed it to buy food, and pay their debts.
The farmers and crofters had paid their rents mostly on time, but the cottages needed repairs that Katie just didn’t have the coin to cover. Things had begun to fall apart, and Da had been no help.
“During that time things grew from bad to worse. He didn’t have a great deal of interest in our home, lands, or tenants. Many of our people left for Canada and Australia. Unfortunately, most of those who remained were ill, aged, or widowed mothers with children. Da kept telling me ’twas a temporary thing and eventually all would settle down and the good times would return.”
MacNeil shook his head, his expression somber. “Aye. Many clans believed the same thing, but I’m afraid the good times, as our das and grandas knew, are gone forever.”
“That’s what I kept telling him. That we must adjust and work with what we had.” She closed her eyes, remembering the arguments that had gone on forever until she’d thrown her hands up in anger and stormed off. “But he never listened.” She remained silent for a few moments, forcing away the tears that threatened to disgrace her in front of the laird. Perhaps sensing her distress, he remained silent.
She took a deep breath. “Then one night a fire started in the stables. Da was home that evening, but he was passed out in one of the stalls. The fire spread to part of the house, but we were able to keep it from taking the whole place.” She swallowed a few times. “Da never made it out of the stables. We buried him the next morning.”
Evan moved to the desk near her chair and rested his hip against it. He waited a few minutes, then said, “Was that when ye decided to come here?”
She nodded and gave herself a bit of time to erase those memories and force the one that came after it away before she blurted it out. She shifted her eyes, unable to look at him, knowing she was holding back information. “Yes. I remembered the paper that my mum had shown me, and I took it out and decided to make the trip.”
“
And yer household and tenants agreed?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “They had no choice. Not really. They’ve nowhere else to go, and I couldn’t begin to put everything back to rights. The fire was an added burden, and it was just too much.”
“Aye. I agree with ye, lass. ’Twas quite a burden yer da left you with.” After a minute or so, he said, “Why is it yer not married? Dinnae yer da make arrangements for a husband for ye?”
She stiffened and hoped Evan didn’t notice. “Nay. He never had time.”
“And no one ever caught yer eye?”
“Nay. Once Mum died I never had time for socializing.” She didn’t add that even if she’d had the time, there’d been no coin to buy her a new dress or even a hair ribbon. Every penny had gone into keeping food on the table.
Evan swung his leg back and forth as he studied her. “I give ye a lot of credit, lass. Ye did the best ye could with as little help as yer da offered. I ken how hard it is for a woman to do all that ye did and take care of yer wee brother as well.”
Gavin.
The final reason she’d decided to make the dangerous trip across the Lowlands to MacDuff at Fife, with no more than an old, faded piece of paper to claim the land. Yes, desperate measures to be sure.
“I sense in ye a strong nature, Mistress Stirling. If ye were able to keep yer da’s place running, despite all the problems ye dealt with, I am sure ye can do the job I’m offering ye.”
It had been her hope to claim ownership to benefit Gavin when he became a man. Rightfully, Stirling belonged to him, but she couldn’t imagine what shape it would be in by the time he grew to manhood. She had hoped to be able to turn this estate over to him and settle herself in a small house on the grounds—happy with spinsterhood.
Gavin could then marry and have children, making her the doting aunt. ’Twas a peaceful and contented life she’d planned for herself. Now she would merely be an employee, and there would be nothing for Gavin.
A Scot to Wed (Scottish Hearts) Page 3
