Page 90 of Stealing Sophie
Chapter 24
“Over a dozen eggs this morning when I checked the nests!” Mary said, standing in the kitchen with Sophie. “Usually, those hens lay hardly three a day between them. I was thinking they would make a good soup if they couldna earn their keep.”
“That is wonderful!” Sophie peered at the basket of dun-colored eggs.
“Och, and I know a bonny dish for them,” Mary said. “Kinnoull loves it, but we never have the eggs for it. An oatmeal pudding, d’ye see, with oats and cream, a little sugar, cinnamon, and spices, and it needs several eggs. It is thick and hearty and bakes like a moist cake. He will be that pleased to see it on the table.”
Sophie smiled, nodded her enthusiasm. She drew a contented breath, a bit tired but feeling so good after the secret adventure with Connor the night before. A bit stiff from the chill and a bit sore from the loving, she could not regret a moment of it. After what he had confessed about her brother, she had wanted to be alone—but Connor had been right to take her out into the hills. That sense of freedom, and the abandonment of loving, had been far more soothing than being alone with grief. She had needed his arms around her last night, needed to release sorrow and feel renewed.
“It sounds delicious,” she told Mary. “But do we have cream? Connor says the cows do not give much milk.”
“We have cream too,” Mary said, beaming. “The cows gave generously this morning. It is like a wee miracle here at Glendoon. And did ye see yer bonny wee flowers growing so fast? 'Tis a wonder.” As she spoke, she went to the cupboard to fetch the ingredients, setting them on the table beside a large bowl. “I hear you met Fiona.”
“I did. Kinnoull is very fond of her.”
“He is very protective of Fiona, aye.”
“Is he afraid she will be stolen in retaliation?”
“No one would dare take from Glendoon’s fold. Besides, he treats her so well she is more a pet than a milk cow. He has tried to breed her with a bull, but she doesna do well. Though now and then when she goes over the wee wall and meets a bull in another field. Not our bull. But perhaps she is enamored of him.”
“That must be good, as Kinnoull likely wants more cows or bulls here.”
“Any farmer wants more and ‘tis better to make them than steal them. But Fiona loses her calves. That is the difficulty, y’see. She takes but does not keep them. It is a sad thing to see her carry and labor for naught. Kinnoull does his best to save the dearlings each time. He takes it hard, too.”
Sophie caught her breath. “He truly cares.”
“Oh aye. He would rather raise cattle than steal it, that one. If he must take a beast, he only takes from Kinnoull lands. That livestock is his own. Oh, my oatcakes, they will burn!” Mary whirled away to take the cakes from the oven using a wide wooden spatula. “I suppose you are accustomed to fine wheat bread,” Mary said, working. “But we have precious little flour here. Oats are plentiful, though. No matter if foodstuffs are low, we always have oats to see us through.”
“I love oatcakes, especially yours.” Sophie took a folded towel from a stack of cloths on the table and covered the steaming oatcakes that Mary placed there. “I think I heard your castle ghost,” she said then. “I have heard music sometimes, very lovely.”
“Och, that ghost! Ye must ask Kinnoull about that one.”
“He has not mentioned it.”
“The music keeps the soldiers away. They willna climb the hill with eerie music about the place.” Mary’s eyes twinkled.
“So this castle is truly haunted?”
“If it is, a wee oat pudding will brighten our laird’s home today. Crack those eggs in the bowl if you will, dearie.”
“I wish a pudding could fix his troubles.” Sophie reached for an egg.
“As do I. He has no fine life in this ruin. What Kinnoull wants most is to have a true home again. I have tried to do that for him. And I think you are doing that too, just by being here. He is changing, is Kinnoull.” Mary glanced at her.
Sophie cracked an egg, dropped it in the bowl. “He thinks Glendoon is no home and never will be one.”
“It is more a home than before, lass. I think he knows that now.”
Later,Sophie found Roderick working in the yard. “Come with me,” she said. “We have work to do. Bring the shovel and rake.”
“Again?” He pushed a hand through his hair. “I thought we were done with that.”
“With the kitchen garden, for now. Now it is time to clear the big garden.” She smiled. “I do so need your help.”
“That one is a mad tangle. The ivy alone would take a year to remove.”
“We will do it faster. I think we should apologize to it first.”
