Page 43 of Sutherland's Secret
“No need to apologize to me,” her friend said with a smile. “I’m enjoying watching Sutherland suffer.”
“He’s not suffering.”
“Oh, but he is. He reminds me of Lachlan when I ignored him for a fortnight before we were wed. He was all kinds of furious. It was lovely.”
Eleanor smiled. “And what’s he suffering over? A ‘guest’ who’s serving his people?”
Hannah eyed her. “If ye do no’ know, I’ll no’ be the one telling ye.” She walked off, leaving Eleanor confused and still angry.
She grabbed another tray and finished serving. Brice was not in the hall, and for that she was relieved, but she didn’t feel the satisfaction of working that she usually had, because she knew there was going to be a confrontation when she was finished.
She helped clean up even after Hannah told her she didn’t need to. Shedidneed to, for her own peace of mind and her own pride.
She marched up the steps, weary, her feet hurting, and paused at her own door. She wanted nothing more than to fall onto her bed and sleep. Instead she passed her door and entered the next one.
Brice was in bed, sitting up, the covers pulled to his waist. He had put a shirt on and was glaring at her.
She stopped outside of his reach, not quite trusting him. Oh, she knew at this point that he would never hurt her. She was more worried that he would use his hands and that magical tongue of his to break down her defenses.
“Come here,” he said, his voice low and without anger.
“I can hear you fine from here.”
“Come here, Eleanor. I’ll no’ be yelling across the room.”
She took a few steps closer. “You’ll not be yelling at all.”
He looked at her solemnly. “Why are ye serving in my hall?”
“Because I need something to do.”
“Do what ye would do at home.”
She raised a brow. “And what would that be?”
“I don’t know. Stitching or something.”
“I need to contribute to your household.”
Anger flashed in his eyes. “My guests do no’ serve my men.”
She lifted her chin. “I can’t keep taking from you without giving something in return. Your serving girls need help, and I’m good at it.”
“I’ll no’ argue that they need help. We’ve lost a lot of Scotsmen because of the damned English.”
Eleanor knew that the losses at Culloden had been great, but she wasn’t aware that they had lost women as well as men. She’d never really questioned why there weren’t enough serving girls.
“Ye are a lady, Eleanor.”
She loved his accent, could listen to it all day long. What he said sounded like “Ye rrrr a leeedy.”
“Not anymore.”
His brows shot up.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I’m not a lady. I can’t be a lady anymore.”
