Page 12 of To Wed a Laird
“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 hadenjoyed 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 thenthat 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.
