Page 38 of Forge of the Highlander’s Destiny

The Last Straw

A melia had been in Montgomery Castle for only two days, and she was beginning to understand why there was a such a need for a head housekeeper. Not to mention, there was only ten people that helped with the running of the castle. And four of them were in the kitchen only.

Gelila was an older woman who had a keen eye and was a master in the kitchen.

So, Amelia was perfectly content to let the woman continue to do whatever she needed.

The kitchen was the heart of the castle, but it wasn’t her job.

It was a lot easier to simply clean after they were finished, and Amelia and Gelila seemed to understand that silent dynamic.

It didn’t take long for Amelia to start adding the largest and most consistent cleaning.

And she wrote out the schedule for everyone to follow, and she listened to what the staff could do, and what they enjoyed in their work.

And a happy house was a clean house, especially when people always did their part.

And that had made the difference for Amelia and the other maids.

When she listened to them, they were more excited to do the work because they got to choose the chores they did.

There was one maid, about Amelia’s age—Maggie was her name—that Amelia felt naturally drawn to.

If she had ever had a little sister, Maggie would have been it.

“Miss Amelia, what do ye need me to do today?” she asked with a sing-song voice. “I was thinkin’ maybe weedin’ the garden. The sun is out, and we may nae get another chance before the frost.”

Amelia nodded, “Yes, that sounds fine.”

Maggie had blonde hair so pure it was almost white, and a tender face with soft green eyes.

She had this bubbly personality that Amelia was just drawn to.

She hadn’t had may close female friends in England, but it felt like Maggie might be something like that in Scotland.

She bounced away and out the door, excited to spend time in the sunshine and outdoors.

The other staff set to work, and Amelia began tackling the rooms for the servants’ wings.

It seemed only right to help clean their rooms given that they were busy with their own tasks.

And she always kept the door open, in case anyone ever thought her untrustworthy.

After cleaning the rooms, she moved to sweeping the hallway and making sure the windows were cleaned.

Soon, she felt like she was able to properly rest that night in a wing that was properly attended to.

“Miss Amelia,” Maggie’s voice echoed as she finished the last room. Amelia turned to the door as the younger woman’s frame came into view. “Would ye like to join me for lunch? Gelila made little bannocks and some roasted meat.”

“Thank you, Maggie, that sounds delightful,” Amelia said with a smile. “Let me just finish this last sheet.”

After tucking the freshly laundered sheet under the mattress, Amelia walked out to join Maggie for lunch.

They made small talk as they wandered back to the kitchens, and Maggie told her some of the history of the castle.

Like herself, Maggie was rather new. But she had grown up in the village at the foot of the hill, and so she knew a lot about Montgomery Castle.

That meal was spent hearing stories and rumors about what lay inside the castle walls.

Secret doors, a private wing, and the crypt.

There was supposedly a wing that no one dare enter, as it was forbidden by the Laird.

Even his closest confidants were under strict orders not to go in the wing.

The problem was that none of the staff knew exactly which area of the castle it was.

Nothing but rumors , Amelia decided. It was her duty to make sure the castle was cleaned and well-tended to, even the places that were deemed to be secret.

Given that Amelia had never gotten the full tour of the castle, after the lunch that day she went exploring.

She tried to tell herself that she was looking for the rooms to clean and places that hadn’t been touched.

But in reality, she was looking for the library and a little secret place she could spend her spare time reading.

And now that she knew the legends and rumors, she wanted to find one of the secret hallways.

The only problem about going exploring on her own was now that she was hopelessly lost. The only bonus was that she was discovering how big the castle was, along with how much cleaning needed done.

She would keep this in mind for the next schedule for the month, especially since winter was approaching quickly and there would be a lot of time indoors.

She was walking down some hallway, unsure of where she was in relation to any of the known landmarks and rooms she knew of Montgomery Castle.

And no matter which way she went or how much she retraced her steps, she couldnae seem to find her way back.

She was on a third floor, that much she knew.

But after that, it was nothing but stone that just looked the same and the same wooden doors every few feet.

Amelia kept walking, not looking where she was going.

Soon she collided with a large mass of firm, muscle.

Large hands cupped her waist, preventing her from falling to the ground.

Her hands clutched at the fabric at his arms, feeling the corded strength there.

She looked up to the telltale face of none other than the Laird of Montgomery himself.

“What are ye daein’ wanderin’ around up here?” Jon asked rather harshly.

His blue eyes were cold, as if she had been caught in a place she shouldn’t have ever found herself in.

But how was that her fault, that she didn’t know what was off limits?

He never gave me a proper tour , she thought bitterly.

So, she refused to crumble under his stare or agree to any sort of consequence.

“I’m searching for the library, if you must know,” she responded, finding her voice as she met him with a glare. “You must have a library in this huge castle somewhere.”

“And why are ye seekin’ it out?” Jon asked her.

Must he have every little detail of her whereabouts?

she wondered, rather annoyed. She tried not to roll her eyes.

He took a step towards her, closing the distance between them with his long legs.

They were merely inches apart now. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked into those deep blue pools of his eyes.

He smirked at her reaction, as if he was enjoying their tense interaction.

“I am nae goin’ to ask again,” he warned, his voice low and like pebbles underfoot. “Why are ye lookin’ for the library?”

“Only barbarians and savages don’t have libraries,” she whispered softly. “You must have one here. And it is my duty to make sure everything is kept clean and orderly.”

“Aye, and what makes ye think we are nae either of those here?” he continued, stepping closer to her with a dangerous fire in his eyes. “Ye have implied as much yerself.”

“Because you know the standards of basic etiquette,” she replied with a tilt of her chin. “You are clearly educated and literate, despite how you talk. And you hold yourself as a well-read man.”

“And what dae ye intend to dae in the library?”

“Well, it probably needs to be cleaned,” Amelia answered. “If I can’t find it, I doubt any maid has. And I was wanting to do what anyone wants to do in a room filled with books. Read.”

There was a flicker of something in his eyes—surprise, admiration. But it was gone in a flash and was quickly replaced by anger. Whatever it was, Amelia had gone weak in the knees. It was as if it was carnal… desire. But that was impossible, and not to mention entirely out of the question.

But she still could recall how he had caught her days earlier in the kitchen.

The way his strong hands had held her, the press of his fingers that she could feel even through her corset.

The way his eyes had roved her body, paying particular attention to the swell of her breasts.

And how much she hadn’t minded, being the object of a man’s desires even if only for a brief moment.

“Aye, women should nae be readin’,” he answered gruffly. “It is nae ladylike.”

And with that, the Laird of Montgomery spun on his heel and walked away from her.

Great , she thought. I’ve managed to anger him and I still havenae found the library .

Though she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

If that’s how the Laird viewed women, then how could he ever treat her with any respect?

It had been towards the end of fourth day when Amelia had really seen the truth of the working conditions in Montgomery Castle.

Amelia created a weekly cleaning schedule for the next month, calculating how much and who would do each task.

However, the food set aside for the maids and the rest of the staff was meager compared to what the Laird and his associates were eating for every meal.

Besides that, it seemed that there was always someone cleaning throughout the hours of the night.

Not to mention, the Laird was strict. He checked in on them constantly, popping his head into doors and hallways where he was neither needed nor invited, and it drove Amelia crazy. He was no better than the slave drivers, she concluded. Cruel, heartless, and without care for anyone but himself.

She was walking down the hallway that afternoon when she saw Maggie coming the opposite direction.

There was nothing that seemed off about the girl from a distance, but as she neared, Amelia saw deep, dark circles under her eyes.

She was carrying a bucket of water that was splashing about, and Maggie stumbled. She caught herself and stilled.

Amelia began to walk faster. Maggie hadn’t seemed to notice her.

She watched in horror as Maggie began to walk again but didn’t make it much more than a step before collapsing.

The water pail was sent flying, pouring out over the floor and drenching Maggie.

Amelia ran to the girl as fast as she could, putting her arms under the other maid’s.

Her eyes met Amelia’s, exhausted yet full of fear

“Aye, sorry Miss Amelia,” the younger maid said sheepishly. “I was up all night cleanin’ the windowsills.”

“Why didn’t you go to sleep?” Amelia cried indignantly.

“If there is a thin’ left undone at the end of the day, the Laird doubles the work for the next day,” she answered.

“I created the schedule for cleaning for the week,” Amelia said, shocked. “There is no way such a small staff could clean all the windowsills in a day! And then expect to double the work!”

“Aye, but that’s how the Laird runs his castle,” Maggie answered. “And if anyone says anythin’, they just get fired.”

Interesting , Amelia thought. She was more than angry—she was downright furious. And the prospect of losing her job was not as detrimental as it should have been. She was going to talk to the Laird as soon as she could. This was simply intolerable.

“Let’s get you some warm food, and then you need some rest,” Amelia comforted.

“Ye are nae angry?” Maggie asked softly.

“Why would I be?” Amelia shrugged. “It is the Laird’s fault for working you all to such a point. It is more his fault than anyone’s.”

After helping Maggie to her feet, the pair walked to the kitchen. Gelila, upon seeing the poor soaked maid, called for a warm soup to be made. Amelia sent another girl, less exhausted than Maggie but not much better, to go mop up the water.

“Aye, thank ye,” Maggie said, shivering as she was handed a bowl of soup. “I am vera sorry, Miss Amelia and Miss Gelila.”

“I will be talking to the Laird, rest assured about that,” Amelia said. At Maggie’s concerned expression, Amelia just smiled, “And trust me, I won’t be going anywhere.”

Maggie finished her soup and was dismissed for the day to rest and change into some dry clothes.

Amelia talked with Gelila until the other maid returned from cleaning up the spilled water, and Amelia dismissed her to rest as well.

There wouldn’t be any cleaning done until the conditions improved.

She wasn’t sure if Scottish people went on strike, but the English—and the newly-formed Americans— did and it had proved to be effective.

So, she made her way through Montgomery Castle to the study.

There was nothing that was going to stop her, not even the fear of losing her job.

At this point, it was just becoming a habit to anger the Laird, so what was one more problem?

Not to mention, it was downright cruel to work a staff to the bone, and if she was to continue to employment here then something was going to need to change.

And Amelia was proud to admit that she didn’t get lost on the way to the study.

The doors were closed, and she paused for a moment.

Would her faither agree with her perspective?

He was a ruthless businessman, but he didn’t drive his staff as if they were slaves.

My faither would never have stood for such treatment of his staff or of me, she assured herself.

And taking a deep breath, she put a hand to the door.

And pushed.

Amelia burst into the study and saw Jon and an older man at the desk.

Their eyes met her with shock, but she didn’t care.

She was too angry to care about anything.

If she lost her job, so be it. But she wouldn’t continue to work in such a place that the staff worked themselves to exhaustion.

She stared right at Jon, uncaring what she had interrupted.

With a tilt of her chin and a hard stare that would make her faither proud, she addressed the Laird.

“My Laird, I demand to speak with you this instant!”