Page 18 of An English Rose for the Highlander
Dominik said nothing more, turning and leaving through the door to her bed chambers. Rose stood alone in the center of the room, unable to move for some time. When at last she could, she flung herself onto the bed, screaming into the plush cushion so that it would muffle the sound.
A month to prepare herself for her husband. A month to convince herself of her duty or…admit the calling inside her that still thrummed through her veins.
A single month.
9
The morning came, and Rose was especially worse for wear. She did not sleep well at any point, and the gnawing nervous tension had remained with her through dream and black-filled sleep in equal measures.
Still, there was much to be done. She could not simply mope about and worry over the future. Rose was the lady of this house, this castle, and keep, and she would do her best to serve that role. The people here depended on her to maintain her duties, after all. And Rose was nothing if not the type of person who would resolutely put the needs of others in front of her own.
As she finished dressing, Peggy accompanied her down the hall and stairs to the main level, ready to begin the new day. Children rushed by her suddenly, laughing and swatting at each other. She was surprised to see them so rambunctious and loud, happily squealing as they played.
It was so different from how they would behave in an English home. There was undoubtedly no shouting at this early an hour, and running through the halls? Certainly not.
However, as she turned over her shoulder to watch them rush down another hall, Rose noticed the smiling faces watching them, the men and women exchanging words and greetings. They were some of the clan members that she’d seen last night, and others were newcomers.
A chuckle broke free of her as she continued with Peggy toward the kitchen, seeking out Eilidh for instruction as to the day’s tasks. It was impossible to deny the exuberant energy the children brought with them.
“They’ll bowl someone right over,” Peggy complained, scowling in their direction.
“I think most everyone here is prepared for their sudden arrival and departure, Peggy.” Rose grinned, trying to keep the mood light. “We’ll just have to get used to being on our toes.”
She scoffed at that, and they continued down the hall until they reached the main entrance, turning down the other to reach Eilidh. Rose was proud that she remembered the path, and as she entered the warm space, she was surprised again to see it bustling with life.
Oskar was chatting with Eilidh as if they were the oldest of friends. The men whom Rose had seen yesterday when they came out of a meeting with Laird MacKay were coming andgoing from the room, smiling and speaking with the servants, all in a jovial, jesting manner.
It wassodifferent.
The air of sophistication she noticed in all the homes she’d visited during her youth was always accompanied by one of constraints and restrictions. Lively conversation existed, but there were places and times for such things. This was a wild mix of all social classes, people existing as just that, with no concern for who they should and should not be speaking to.
“What on earth is all this?” Peggy whispered so that she would not be overheard. “Have they no decorum to speak of?”
“Oh, Peggy,” Rose patted her arm, shaking her head at her maid, “it is fine. We are in a new home, a new country. We will simply need to get accustomed to their culture.”
Shaking her head, Peggy stole her arm back, heading toward the back of the kitchen where Rose could spot Eilidh. As her maid went to the rear of the room a few feet away, Rose couldn’t miss the way she muttered to herself, Peggy complaining about “the savagery of it all,” and the “blasted noise.”
Rose had to assume that she meant the children and likely the bagpipes that played from the great hall, which could still be heard down in the kitchens. While it was quite a shock to the usual start of their days together, Rose’s heart sank somewhat. This was to be their home, and it was apparent that Peggy didnotapprove of it.
You must focus on your tasks, Rose. Your duties to the castle.
The thought of duty nearly had Rose stumbling as she crossed through the kitchen to join Eilidh and Peggy where they stood at a table for preparing food. Laird MacKay had been quite blunt about his expectations, and she was still unsure of herself.
But she shook all that away, concentrating on what lay in front of her, which happened to include the open door at the back of the room. Through it, Rose could see a large field that stretched behind the keep, rows of vegetation planted and being tended to supply the kitchen. Both men and women shared a place in the field, and her jaw dropped slightly before she clamped it shut again.
Women in the fields doing manual labor. Quite a different culture indeed.
“And a fine morning to ye, me Lady.” Eilidh’s voice shook Rose from her thoughts, and she spun around, offering a smile and a curtsey to her, Peggy watching curiously.
“Och,” Eilidh shook her head with a smirk, “save yer knees, lass. Ye’re nae in England anymore.”
Rose caught herself, standing upright as heat crept into her cheeks. She rolled her lips between her teeth before letting a grin escape.
“I have forgotten. Though I will admit to being quite happy to avoid curtseying so much. My knees thank you.”
Eilidh barked out a laugh, her hand clapping down on her thigh where it was covered by a stained apron. In moments, Rose found herself laughing right along with her, and the two of them stood with grins for a moment. The conversation had won her a little goodwill from the woman, and she was clearly the most essential member of the clan to win over, aside from the Laird, of course.
As Rose took an apron that hung and a hook, Peggy hurried to her side, grabbing her forearm as she pressed her lips to her ear to whisper.
