Black Richard's Heart (The MacCulloughs #1) - Suzan Tisdale Page 0,70
grand time,” she told them. “But ye can oft find satisfaction in knowin’ ye have helped another. Now, let us go inside and be useful.”
Marisse would later describe the look of horror on Hattie’s face when Aeschene announced she wanted to help. A blend of horror and bewilderment that caused the poor woman’s eyes to spring upward and her mouth to fall open.
“But, m’lady,” Hattie stammered as she looked to Marisse for guidance. “I-I would not ken what I could have ye do.”
Aeschene smiled her warmest and most sincere smile. “Do not fret so, Hattie. I wish only to help, as do Raibeart and Colyne.”
“Them?” Hattie screeched incredulously.
All eyes turned to look at what had caused such a reaction from their cook.
“Aye, them,” Aeschene said doing her best to ignore the poor woman’s apparent distress. “They are big, strong lads, do ye nae agree?”
Hattie tried speaking, but the words were apparently lodged in her throat.
Speaking over her shoulder to the boys, Aeschene directed them to fetch water for their cook. Thankfully, neither boy argued. “And do not get lost on yer way,” she reminded them. “Elst I will come lookin’ for ye myself.”
She waited until the door closed before turning her attention back to Hattie. “I understand that the boys are used to getting into mischief.”
More than one woman scoffed.
“Mischief?” The amount of dismay in her tone said much.
Mayhap the accounts of the lads adventurous spirits weren’t exaggerated after all.
An idea began to form in her mind. One that she was quite certain would help keep her brothers-by-law out of trouble and hopefully get them back into the good graces of the clan. “When lads that age have nothin’ to do, they will find something to do, would ye nae agree?”
Hattie opened her mouth and closed it as she began twisting the hem of her apron between her fingers. “I-I suppose so, m’lady.”
“And if left unsupervised, lads that age will find the most disagreeable mischief to get into, would ye also agree?”
More stammering from the cook.
“I think it is time we keep the lads busy,” Aeschene told her. “Too busy to get into trouble. Does that not sound like a good idea?”
Hattie was trying to formulate a good reply when Aeschene heard a familiar voice mumble something quite ugly from a few feet away.
“Would ye care to repeat that a little louder please?” There was no denying the anger in Aeschene’s voice. While she might be blind, she wasn’t deaf. She had heard Loreen as plain as day. They need beaten and frequently.
‘Twasn’t just what the young woman had said but how she had said it that set Aeschene’s teeth on edge. All work came to a standstill. “Or would ye mayhap like to offer that suggestion to yer laird?”
Each of her questions were met with silence, further angering Aeschene. “Loreen, I asked ye a question.”
“And I heard ye,” Loreen replied before slamming a cooking pot down on the table. “I said naught that no one else hasn’t thought before. Those lads have been left to run wild.”
“That may well be true, but no longer,” Aeschene told her bitingly.
Loreen scoffed openly as she angrily shoved her hands on her hips. “And ye think ye can get them to heel?”
“Heel?” Aeschene was doing her best not to wrap her fingers around the young woman’s neck.
Marisse stepped between the two women. “They are not dogs, Loreen. They are boys. Boys who need a little guidance and structure.”
“Bah!” Loreen dismissed the idea at once. “Do not come in here with yer high and mighty attitudes.”
Aeschene shoved her way between the two women before things got out of hand.
“Stop!” she shouted.
She waited for calm before saying another word. Although she would have enjoyed wringing Loreen’s neck, she knew in her heart that diplomacy was called for. “I believe we all want the same things, here.”
“Ye wish to leave as much as we want ye to?” Loreen quipped, her voice laced with venom. Marisse was ready to pounce and ’twas all Aeschene could do to hold her back.
Before Aeschene could tell Loreen exactly what she thought of her rudeness, Raibeart and Colyne returned. “Where would ye like the water?” Raibeart asked from the doorway, a bucket in each hand.
Hattie actually smiled at the boys. “On the table if ye please.”
The last thing she wanted was to have her brothers-by-law to witness her being anything less than stoic. She also didn’t want them to hear anything ugly from Loreen’s mouth. While they might be hellions on