Chapter 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 to those 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 so much.
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.
“The council wishes to meet with ye, me laird.” Oskar nodded at him, interrupting his thoughts and gesturing toward the men who milled about in conversation with each other. “I shall ensure the horses are tended to and have the meeting chamber opened.”
“Excellent. And have the servants keep an eye on our new lady. I want to ken if she is truly set upon settling in or if our Eilidh will be proven correct.”
“Of course, me laird.” Oskar was off to tend to the horses, and it did not take long for him to return and for the council meeting to be officially called together.
Dominik stood in his meeting chambers, the expansive table long enough to seat everyone there. He sat at the head of the table, looking about the room at the men who had been a part of the Castle MacKay council when his father was still alive.
In truth, it was his friends whom he wished to meet.
Together, they were Lairds of a massive portion of the Highlands, and they were like-minded and loyal.
He trusted them with his life, proven several times over by the battles he’d been through with them.
Odhran, in particular, would be a valuable voice right now, and he made a mental note to reach out to him by letter as soon as he was able.
“Me laird,” Layton Harrison began, and Dominik readied himself for the verbal onslaught that was undoubtedly about to start. “After months of working with ye to better our clan through marriage, ye return to us with an English bride?”
Doing his best to hold back the annoyed sigh, Dominik cleared his throat and nodded.
He knew this would be an issue between the two of them when Miss Wood had first brought Rose to his attention.
It was no secret that a Highlander didn’t think kindly of the English in most regards, and it was particularly troublesome for his own clan.
After all, his father had married an Englishwoman as well, and that marriage was one of an uneasy political alliance.
Dominik’s mother had never fully embraced her Scottish life, always viewing herself as apart from and better than the clan.
She was cold, distant, and spoke down about Highland ways of life from the moment she arrived until the moment of her death.
Layton was not about to let Dominik forget that.
“I have.” He spoke calmly, his stare directed entirely at his council member’s face.
“As ye all have been so adamant about me finding a wife, I ensured that me choice would do this clan well. While an alliance can still have its downfalls, I have high expectations for this one. A plot of land in England, right on the other side of the border, in fact, and better still, access to a port that we now possess. The trade possibilities are numerous, and our clan will do well with an expanded network of shipping contacts.”
Gentle murmurs floated through his council, but it was Layton whom Dominik was most focused on. The others could be made to understand much more quickly, and Layton’s knack for stirring up trouble was something the Laird had been forced to manage since the moment he stepped up into the role.
“And ye’re quite certain that the woman willnae be the same type as yer mother? Afford you a better outcome? Ye ken that I only wish to protect the clan, ensure yer own good match. Repeating yer father’s mistakes would be a terrible loss for us all.”
Only Layton held the talent to say such unassuming words and still lace every syllable with such disdain and aggression as an angry snake.
“I am aware of yer concern, Mr. Harrison,” Dominik spoke through gritted teeth, his temper flaring as he squeezed his hands together into fists. “And as stated, I have secured a match that will afford this clan much in the way of potential wealth. Had I more time…”
Dominik let the words hang, insinuating to everyone there how they’d all pushed him to marry and do so quickly.
“…perhaps I might have been able to find a Scottish bride who might tickle yer fancy, but alas, the long months waiting for one to show up had not been successful.”
The room was quiet; nearly all the men there understood immediately that they should not press this matter.
Still, Layton held Dominik's eyes, a silent challenge.
While the man had yet to do anything that could be qualified as actually treasonous, Layton was a thorn in his side that poked and prodded regularly.
He always had something to say regarding any decision Dominik made.
Always.
Standing, Dominik pushed his chair back from the table, thoroughly done with this meeting. As he walked to the door, Oskar behind him as always, the Laird called out over his shoulder.
“Ye all will do well to make yer peace with the choice I have made. We are wed. It is done. And yer new lady is here to stay.”
Without another word, Dominik left the chambers, thinking longingly about fetching himself a drink. It was going to be quite the adjustment period, indeed.