his bones. The griminess from the roof matting his hair concerned her, as well. The gash on his head was well on its way to healing completely, but it still needed to be kept clean. “Please, Sutherland. Ye can meet with Da and plot yer revenge after ye’ve taken the time to ease yer wife’s worries, aye?”
Stance wide, eyes narrowed and scowling at every flickering shadow, Sutherland bared his teeth and rumbled out the low throated growl of a cornered animal. “I canna abide a coward who willna battle me face to face. I tire of this foolishness!”
“I know. I know,” she soothed, wishing she could find the words to calm him. She felt the same, never fearing a battle as long as she knew who or what she fought. “Somehow, we’ll find this black-hearted soul and oust them. I swear it.” With a firm pull on his arm, she turned him toward the outer kitchens. “Come. Let me tend ye, and then we’ll battle this together, aye?”
With another swipe at the blood dribbling down from his scraped brow, Sutherland gave a disgusted shake of his head. “I am fine, woman. I dinna need tending like a bairn with a scraped knee.”
“But I need to tend ye.” With an arm locked through his, she reached up, took hold of his chin, and forced him to look at her. “I know ye’re a braw, fierce warrior who fears nothing and doesna need coddling, but as yer wife, as the woman who cares about ye, it gives me solace to do so. Would ye deny me such a simple thing that pleases my heart?”
Sutherland stilled like a dog commanded to stay. He stared down at her for what felt like a long while. Finally, his scowl faded. With a squeeze of her arm, he gave her the hint of a smile, just enough to lift her hopes. “I doubt I could ever deny ye anything, my lovely, determined lady.”
“Good.” Sorcha tucked closer and nudged him forward. “Now come, we’ll cut through the kitchens to get ye out of this wind.”
“As ye will it, m’lady,” Sutherland agreed in a resigned tone, casting another look back over his shoulder. “Who is usually assigned with the cleaning of the rooftops?”
Scooping up additional clean linens and a crock of cook’s best soap from the large cupboard just inside the door, Sorcha paused as she thought back over the past few wintry months. “I canna recall any one individual being responsible for the chore. Just whichever lad Mrs. Breckenridge happens to pick.”
Sutherland remained quiet, apparently a prisoner to his thoughts. They took the back stairs to the second floor and entered their chambers as a pair of lads were dumping buckets of steaming water into a large copper tub placed in the center of the main bedchamber.
“Mrs. Breckenridge had us fetch the laundress’s water since it was already boiling for today’s wash. Said it was urgent we get the bath ready right quick.” One of the young men beamed with a proud smile as they headed for the door with their empty buckets. “Got it nearly filled already, m’lady. Just another round or two and the chore will be done.”
“Well done, Steenie, and thank ye.” Sorcha pushed the chamber door closed behind them but didn’t latch it since the boys would soon return with more water. Turning back to Sutherland, she held out her hand. “Give me yer kilt. I’ll drape it as best I can between the chairs so the fire can dry it.”
Without a word, he complied, which, she had to admit, surprised her. He’d been unusually quiet ever since the kitchen. She placed his damp leather belt on the floor in front of the hearth, then draped one end of the great plaid across the back of a chair. Carefully fluffing and spreading out the folds, she stretched the long woolen cloth across the space between the two chairs, securing it so it wouldn’t fall nor draw up as the warm air from the fire dried away the wetness.
“Jacket and waistcoat, sir.” She held out both hands, then nodded down at his boots. “And be ridding yerself of those muddy things. I’ll have one of the lads clean them for ye.”
Again, Sutherland complied without speaking.
A rap on the door alerted Sorcha the boys had returned with more water. “Ye may enter,” she called out as she hurried to her dressing table and retrieved a pleasant oil Aderyn had made from last summer’s flowery herbs.