Page 12 of An English Rose for the Highlander
“Get some sleep, lass. There will be another long day of travel ahead of us on the morrow.”
6
Laird MacKay had not been wrong when he told Rose that they would endure another day of heavy travel to reach his castle. When they finally approached the outer gate of Castle MacKay, Rose was exhausted. It was still early in the afternoon, however, which meant that she would not be resting when she set foot inside.
While Rose knew little about Scottish culture, she was well aware of the duties expected from her as a wife in England. The two had to be at least similar to each other, though she was prepared to ask for clarification of any customs she did not understand.
Oskar helped Peggy dismount from her horse, and as Rose stepped out of the coach, Laird MacKay assisting her, both women made firm eye contact with each other, preparing themselves for what lay ahead.
Peggy quickly joined Rose and walked just behind her as they both followed the Laird and his man-at-arms to the main doors.They were pulled wide for them, and Rose’s jaw dropped just a hair as she took in the exquisite details of the castle.
The stone architecture was stunning; a large chamber filled to the brim with servants and tenants greeting them all upon their arrival.
“Good to have ye home, me laird.” A stout woman with gray-streaked hair approached Laird MacKay, taking his arms and kissing either cheek.
They were clearly very familiar with each other, and for a moment, Rose half wondered if she was his mother. Still, she wore a practical dress with a large apron tied around her hips, one that was freshly stained with the juice of something she must’ve been preparing in the kitchen.
“And it is good to see ye, too, Eilidh.” The Laird turned back toward Rose, gesturing toward her with a sweeping hand. “This is our new lady of the castle. I trust that as my esteemed housekeeper and cook, ye’ll be more than capable of teaching her what is to be expected here.”
Stepping up, Rose nodded politely at the woman, offering a smile. But she was met with an icy gaze as Eilidh scanned her from head to toe. Hushed voices were unintelligible around her, but held the distinct tone of dislike, and Rose flicked her stare around for just a moment, noting that she was indeed not quite welcome in the castle.
“I will do me best with what the English have handed us.” Eilidh moved closer, inspecting Rose with scrutiny. “Though I willnae be surprised if I find her shirking her duties in less than a fortnight.”
Peggy was at Rose’s side in a heartbeat, standing her ground in front of the stern housekeeper.
“The lady is well accustomed to upholding all her responsibilities, I assure you.”
The two of them glared at each other, and Rose swiftly moved to put an end to the conflict. She was going to be living here, and if that were going to be even a modicum of a comfortable existence, she needed to be accepted. Having a good relationship with the people here wasn’t just more pleasant; it was required for her continued success as a wife and, potentially, her survival.
“I can promise you, Eilidh,” Rose stepped between the housekeeper and her maid, “I only wish to fulfill my duties to the utmost of my ability. I understand that I am to help with managing the household. Tell me, do you have something similar here to the English hierarchy of staff?”
The woman’s brows pinched together and then rose up. She tilted her head, folding her admittedly powerful-looking arms over her chest. The seconds dragged on, but then a smile split her lips, and Eilidh let out a chuckle.
“Well, I’ll be. It is good to ken that those English have something to speak for. We do, me lady. And I will be happy to teach it to ye.”
“Thank you, Eilidh.” Rose grinned back, nodding her head. “I must learn everything necessary quickly. You have my devoted attention.”
At that, the air in the room relaxed somewhat. The woman gestured toward the rest of the castle, a matter-of-fact grin on her face as she led the way down the halls and undoubtedly to the kitchen and dining hall.
“You’ll be running this ship, me lady,” Eilidh continued. “The staff, managing the accounts so that we might purchase whatever the castle requires, provisions, stores, servants…Ensuring our home is clean and tidy. Hosting events, though I imagine the English are quite good at that bit if the rumors are anything to go by.”
Rose and Peggy chuckled at that. “Indeed, they are. Though I am curious. Are there other social concerns for the lady of the house? I have heard mention of tenants?”
Stopping for a moment, Eilidh turned to Rose with another grin, each becoming more and more genuine than the last.
“Goodness, you are a quick one. I’ll give ye that. Aye, we have tenants to care for. They’re nearly like family here, and ye may even be called on to settle disputes. Though the most common function of the lady will be to visit them, to provide provisions tothose that have none, and ensure our dame schools are running for our tenants’ children.”
“Dame schools…” Rose mused. “Fascinating. I shall, of course, learn and perform whatever tasks are necessary. I quite enjoy puzzling out the best solution for any given situation. I find that studying your environment and resources can allow you to make an informed decision. Keep your mind keen and focused.”
Eilidh was quieter at that, but Peggy smiled over at Rose as they walked down the long, winding hallways of the grand castle. Rose did her best to map the layout in her head, wishing to avoid any chance of getting lost. In truth, it was going to take several rounds about the castle before she committed the entire structure to memory.
But just like every other challenge that would surely surface while living here—being the lady of a castle—Rose would face it head-on.
Dominik watched Eilidh walk off with Rose, leading her further into the castle. Something had buzzed in his chest as he’d listened to them speak, and he wasn’t quite sure what it was. Though he could admit that it had been impressive to watch her rise to the occasion with Eilidh.
The housekeeper was a stern woman whom he’d known since childhood, and handling oneself against her took some doing, even for the Laird. It was likely the reason he’d taken to Eilidh somuch. She’d been a constant in his life since his youth, yes, but it was also because she spoke her mind and demanded quality from anyone around her.
Perhaps that had been what he noticed, Rose’s similarity. She didn’t back down, and when his wife had spoken to him during that first meeting, it was clear that she had a strong head on her shoulders.
