Page 28 of A Scottish Lord for Christmas
“My lord?”
Quinn waited, arms crossed as Morris walked toward him.
“Is there a reason my wife’s bedchamber cord is not working? No one has come to light a fire. No one has brought her tea or helped her unpack. She wasfreezing, Morris. Explain that to me. The mistress of this house treated like she’s invisible?”
All the color drained from Morris’s face and he tugged at his collar, his gaze darting anywhere but at Quinn. As his butler stalled, several maids and footmen gathered in the hall to watch. Someone hissed, “Sassenach.” Quinn met each of the watching servants’ eyes before speaking again.
“I will not tolerate this treatment of my wife. I expect the bell cord to be repaired, and I expect all of you to go out of your way to treat your mistress with care and kindness, or else you will be tossed out on your ear without references. Is that clear?”
He did not like the idea of doing this to anyone on his staff, but in the few minutes he’d spent down here, he realized that his staff did not like Rowena for the simple reason she was English, and that infuriated him.
He left the servants’ quarters, frowning as he went back upstairs to summon his gamekeeper. He planned to go deer stalking in a few days and needed to make arrangements. Hunting would give him time alone to think about his new wife and how she was getting under his skin…and coming perilously close to getting into his heart.
Chapter 10
Rowena had a devil of a time getting dressed for dinner without a lady’s maid. She pulled her dress up and gave the cord in Quinn’s bedchamber another tug. It wasn’t that she wished to cause trouble, but sheneededsomeone to help her. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and a young woman, red-faced and a little breathless, appeared in the doorway.
“My lady, I’m so sorry! I’ve only just heard the bell.” The maid brushed some of her blond hair back beneath her lace cap and smoothed her skirts.
“Would you mind?” Rowena offered the maid her back, blushing, even though she knew she had every right to have a servant assist her.
“Of course, my lady.” The girl flashed her a shy smile and started fastening up the hooks on the back of Rowena’s gown.
“What’s your name?” Rowena asked, and tugged up the front of her rose-pink silk dress. Turkish panels of silver gilt embroidery made the gown elegant and imperial but the soft silk showed off her figure by draping over her breasts and hips and gathered with a sash at her waist.
“I’m Gwen, your ladyship.” She held out a pair of long, white elbow-length gloves.
“Thank you, Gwen.” She slipped the gloves on, tugging them tight, and then she studied her appearance in the mirror critically. Her hair was…well, a bit wild. The locks were free and unbound after her bath.
“Shall I arrange your hair?”
“Oh yes, please.” She seated herself at Quinn’s small desk in the corner and handed the maid a comb and a few pins she’d kept from before her bath.
“If it would please you, my lady, I’d be happy to attend to you as your permanent lady’s maid, unless you wish to send for someone else.” Gwen offered this nervously.
Rowena smiled before she replied and remembered all too well how nervous she’d been coming to Forres. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. A lady’s maid would be loyal to her and would be trustworthy.
“Thank you, Gwen. I would like that very much.”
Once she was properly attended to, Rowena smiled at Gwen and made her way to the dining room. Kenna was waiting for her, wearing a lovely plum silk gown accented with black beaded embroidery on the bodice and hem.
“You look lovely!” Rowena embraced her sister-in-law.
“So do you.” Kenna gave her hand a little squeeze. “Quinn is running late. Shouldn’t be—”
“I’m here.” Quinn strode into the dining room. He wore a tailless black dinner jacket and black trousers with a black tie. The coat molded to his frame, displaying that muscled figure she’d glimpsed undressed on only a few occasions.
Tonight I shall be with him again.She fretted with her gloves as he came toward her and Kenna. When he gave them both a gentle, chaste kiss, Rowena swallowed down the flutter of longing and disappointment.
Throughout dinner, Quinn and Kenna talked about friends they shared and old acquaintances, but Rowena didn’t know them and could add little to the conversation. As the courses came and went, Rowena tasted only ash in her mouth. She’d been so excited to look nice for dinner, but after Quinn’s almost brotherly kiss she feared tonight would not work out as she had hoped.
I’m an outsider.She hadn’t wanted to face that realization and she’d been a fool to ignore it. Poking a fork around on her plate, she nudged the roast goose in an attempt to distract herself.
“Rowena?” Quinn’s gentle voice rumbled her name and she glanced up.
She dropped her fork and it clinked sharply on the china. “Yes?”
“Blair was asking after you. If, after dinner, you wished to see her to bed…” The look of longing in his gray eyes startled her.
