Page 6 of To Wed a Laird (English Brides and Highland Vows #1)

CHAPTER FIVE

When Rose arrived at the door of Elspeth’s bedroom, she did not enter right away, but stood outside for a few moments trying to calm down, since she was terrified of the reception she was going to receive. Elspeth had already thrown missiles at her—what would she do next?

Finally, she plucked up the courage to knock the door softly and venture into Elspeth’s chamber. As usual, she had to pick her way across the floor because it was covered in toys that had no doubt been launched from across the room, since some of the dolls’ faces were cracked and scratched.

Rose could not see well, since the room was still dim, as the curtains had not yet been opened. However, she could just about make out a lump under the blankets on the bed, and as she approached, it stirred and shifted away from her.

“Good morning, Elspeth,” Rose said brightly.

She waited for a response, but there was none, so she walked to the window and drew the curtains, flooding the room with light.

The weather was lovely, the torrential rain of the day before having disappeared completely.

It was rarely cloudless in Scotland, as Rose had learned, but today there was only a slight haze over the sun, and she could feel its heat reflecting from the window.

“It is such a lovely day,” she went on, as she turned and made her way towards the bed. She sat down on a chair beside it, and could just see Elspeth’s eyes peeking out over the top of the blanket. “Did you sleep well?”

The only reply to this was a grunt, but at least it had broken the silence.

Rose went back to the window and looked down at the activity in the courtyard below.

She saw Cormac speaking to one of the guards, who laughed at something he had said, and Rose felt a spear of jealousy stab through her.

Why could he not laugh with her? She had a sense of humour too, but all she had received from the Laird were frowns.

Suddenly, she realised how foolish she was being. Cormac MacTavish was not her friend, but her employer. He had no obligation to be her companion; it was enough that he was civil to her, which he always was.

She sat down next to Elspeth again and began to hum a little tune, looking around herself at Elspeth’s drawings on the wall and her toys on shelves around the walls.

She was amazed that there were any of them left whole, but she was sure that they were repaired or replaced often; after all, Elspeth was a Laird’s daughter and could not be short of playthings.

Rose wondered if any other little girls came to play with Elspeth, or if there was anyone that she visited.

Surely, she must have some friends? It would be very strange if she did not.

Rose had always had her sisters, of course, but there were always dozens of other girls and boys, mostly children of her parents’ friends, running around, especially at weekends.

Those were such carefree days, she thought, with a twinge of sadness. If only I could have them back. Then suddenly, she jerked herself back to reality. She had a job to do, and here she was, sitting daydreaming the time away and neglecting Elspeth.

She stood up again and gave a theatrical sigh. “Well, as it is such a lovely day, I was hoping to go out for a walk instead of doing sums, but if you would rather not—” Rose turned her back on Elspeth and began to walk across the room to fetch her writing materials.

That was when she heard the sound of the little girl jumping out of bed and picking up a dress from the floor.

Rose was about to point out to her that it was the same one she had worn the day before, but decided to say nothing.

Neither did she mention the fact that Elspeth had not washed, but that could always be done later, she thought.

Elspeth did not ask for help, but Rose assisted her anyway by fastening the buttons at the back of the dress, then helped her to put her shoes on.

As she gave the little girl a final look over to make sure she was neat and tidy, Rose thought she saw a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips.

She certainly looked a lot less gloomy than she had the day before.

“Ready?” Rose asked, raising her eyebrows. Elspeth nodded, and slipped her hand into Rose’s as she reached out to open the bedroom door.

Rose blinked in astonishment as she felt Elspeth’s touch, but she smiled at her, and Elspeth hesitantly smiled back.

As they walked outside, Rose passed the servants as she had done before, yet now, since Elspeth was with her, they were full of smiles and waves.

She did not waste her energy being angry, however.

She was responsible for Elspeth and answerable only to the Laird, and that was all that mattered to her.

They emerged into the bright daylight, and Elspeth led Rose over to the garden, which extended outwards a considerable distance from the castle.

Many of the herbs and vegetables used in the castle grew there, and this was where they saw Nell, who was on her knees planting seedlings in the kitchen garden.

She looked up as she heard Rose and Elspeth approaching and got to her feet, smiling widely as she saw Elspeth’s and Rose’s joined hands.

She said nothing about it, however, but asked, “So ye have come tae help me?” She dusted her dirty hands on her apron.

“Well, I didnae expect any help, but ye are most welcome!”

Rose and Elspeth exchanged glances. “I have never planted anything in my life, Elspeth,” she said. “Have you?”

Elspeth shrugged. “No,” she replied. “But it cannot be too hard. I would like to try it.”

“Ye’d better get tae work, then,” Nell said briskly. “I will get ye an apron. Your Da will have my hide if ye get a’ dirty!”

They laughed, and Nell patted Rose’s shoulder in a gesture of approval and smiled as she went to fetch aprons for both of them.

For the first time, Rose felt as though she was truly making progress with Elspeth.

Perhaps she would succeed where the others had failed—then she reminded herself that it was still early days, and there was a long way to go.

The apron was, of course, far too big for Elspeth, but somehow they made it fit by folding it up and winding the ties at the waist around her three times. Elspeth was fascinated by this process and looked down at herself. “I look silly,” she said, giggling.

“No more than I do!” Rose answered.

Elspeth looked her up and down. “At least your apron fits!” she said, still laughing.

“Are you two finished actin’ the goat?” Nell was standing with her hands on her hips, pretending to glare at them. “Get tae work!”

She knelt down on the soft earth again, indicating that they should do the same, then she showed them how to dig holes with their trowels and plant seedlings in them.

“What are we planting?” Elspeth asked curiously.

“This is a herb called parsley,” Nell replied. “It goes in a’ your stews an’ soups, an’ we sometimes put it intae a sauce for meat.”

“It’s very good for you,” Rose told her. “It makes your bones and muscles strong.” Rose had no idea if that was true, but it seemed to impress Elspeth, who began to speed up her work.

When Elspeth had planted all of her seedlings, she stood up and looked down at them, and Rose got to her feet to admire them too. All the stems were a little crooked, but she knew that Nell would come to fix them later.

“Well done,” she cried. “You are much quicker than I am. I am nowhere near finished.” They both looked down at Rose’s row of plants, which was much shorter than Elspeth’s and the little girl shook her head.

“Maybe I should help you,” Elspeth suggested.

“That is so kind of you,” Rose replied, clapping her hands in delight.

They both knelt down again, and, working together, they finished planting the row of seedlings.

After that, Nell gave them another row, and Rose deliberately slowed down so that Elspeth would have to help her again.

“You really are not good at this,” Elspeth said, shaking her head with a despairing sigh, then she looked at Nell. “Is she?”

Nell shook her head, frowning. “No, Milady. She isnae. May I call on ye the next time I need help?”

Elspeth smiled, almost preening herself. “As long as I am not busy with my lessons,” she answered. “Da gets mad when I don’t do my schoolwork.”

Then, suddenly, she was back to being the same sad little person she had been before she came into the garden.

For a moment, Rose panicked. Surely, she had not come this far to land right back at the beginning? Then she had an idea.

“Can you tell me all the best hiding places?” she asked. Hide and seek had been one of the games that she and her sisters had enjoyed most growing up. “We can play hide and seek, and we can avoid him when we want to get away from him.”

Elspeth looked wary. “Do you not think my Da will say no to that when you tell him?”

Rose bent down and pretended to whisper in Elspeth’s ear. “I am your tutor, and I am on your side. He does not have to know.”

Elspeth looked into Rose’s brown eyes, which were sparkling with mischief. She giggled. She felt as though they were in a conspiracy, something naughty and rebellious, and she loved the notion.

“Oh! So it would just be you and me?” she asked, smiling widely.

“Yes, nobody else would know!” Rose replied, laughing.

Elspeth clapped her hands and did a little dance. “Yes!” she cried happily.

“Excuse me, you two, I want tae dae somethin’ else first,” Nell said suddenly. “I have some scones bakin’ in my oven, but I have made too many. I think, so could ye both help me tae get rid o’ them? Otherwise, I might have tae gie them tae the guards or throw them in the midden.”

Elspeth did a little dance of excitement. “Ooh! Yes, please,” she cried.

Rose’s heart warmed at the sight of the little girl’s happiness, and she began, tentatively, to believe that she had finally achieved something.

They went into the castle and proceeded to Nell’s rooms, which consisted of a little parlour and kitchen and a bedroom.

She had been given the little suite by Cormac after his wife died because of her long service to him and Elspeth as a token of his appreciation.

Rose had known as soon as she arrived at Inverrigg that Nell was special. Elspeth adored her.

Now she led them into the parlour where they were met immediately by the aroma of baking cakes, and it was only then that Rose realised how hungry she was. Her mouth began to water and as Nell poured out a cup of milk for each of them, and her tummy rumbled loudly, causing her to blush bright red.

Elspeth giggled again, then sipped her milk, looking over the top of her cup at Rose as she did so with mischievous eyes.

“Here ye are,” Nell announced as she put a platter of scones and butter on the table, as well as a dish of fresh strawberries, a bowl of honey, and yet another bowl filled with thick cream. Then she handed out plates and spoons and invited them to eat.

“My goodness!” Rose said in wonder. “This is a feast!”

Nell laughed as she filled her plate. “I wouldnae go that far,” she said, “but I like cookin’, an’ it’s good tae have somebody that appreciates it. Anyway, the Laird has retired me, an’ I need tae have somethin’ tae fill my time up wi’. I cannae sit here a’ day daein’ nothin’.”

“I certainly appreciate it,” Rose said, licking crumbs from her lips. “What do you think, Elspeth?”

Elspeth’s mouth was full, making it impossible for her to speak for a moment, but her answer was written on her face in the form of a great ring of cream around her mouth and crumbs all over her face.

Rose laughed at the sight of her, and when Elspeth began to giggle too, she spat crumbs all over the table.

“I wish I had some wine tae offer ye, Rose,” Nell said regretfully. “I know the Laird would gie me as much as I want, but I dinnae like it, an’ I dinnae have many visitors tae share it wi’.”

“I only drink it with dinner,” Rose consoled her. “Milk is fine.”

She patted Nell’s hand, and a moment later Elspeth patted hers, so that the three of them made a little tower. They all laughed, then Elspeth jumped to her feet and moved towards the fireplace, holding her hands out to the flames.

Rose glanced at Nell, who winked at her and patted her back. “She’s happy,” she murmured.

Rose flushed with pride. “I hope I helped her,” she said.

“I know ye did,” Nell answered, smiling. “I havenae seen her like this for a long time.”

Elspeth came back to the table and began to tuck into her food again, and they all ate happily for a while. When the food was finished, Elspeth sat back in her chair and patted her tummy, then sighed with satisfaction.

Rose knew she should continue with Elspeth’s lessons, but she could not bring herself to spoil the joyful expression on her face.

Obviously, days like this did not happen often, and Rose decided to ask the Laird to let them have a free day every so often so that the two of them could do nothing else but have fun.

“By the way,” she said to Elspeth, “did Cormac the Brave manage to rescue Princess Mary from the pirates?”

“Of course!” Elspeth replied. “Cormac the Brave once rescued a flying horse from the jaws of a dragon. He is so brave, he can do anything.”

“What happened to the dragon?” Elspeth asked. “Did he kill it?”

Elspeth nodded, a fierce frown on her face. “He kills all the monsters he finds.”

Rose could not help thinking that Elspeth’s words, although she did not realise it of course, were metaphorical. The flying horse was her mother, although of course he had not managed to save her, and the dragon was the army who had killed her.

“He sounds like a real hero,” Rose remarked, smiling. “Now, I am full up, so perhaps we had better go and do some walking to help all this food go down.”

“And I can show you all my best hiding places,” Elspeth offered, her eyes shining with mischief.