Katie crossed her arms over her chest, spread her feet apart, and glared at him. “Ye are not a MacDuff, and I am a MacDuff. I am not leaving.”
“Ye are not a MacDuff, and ye are not staying.”
“Ach, are you two at it again?” Alasdair sauntered into the keep, with the cart, two horses, and the lass’s traveling companions with him. “Do ye think ye can stop yer squabbling long enough for us to see if there is food to be had in the kitchen? My poor stomach thinks my throat’s been slit.”
Evan pointed at Katie. “’Tis not over.”
Katie swatted his hand away and flounced off, heading to the castle. She passed through the keep, noting how well tended everything seemed to be. No doubt the villagers, crofters, and farmers brought their goods to the keep to sell. ’Twould be a pleasure to see to a castle that was not ready to collapse because most of its tenants had fled their beloved lands.
The minute she passed through the large wooden door to the castle, the aroma of fresh baking bread and some sort of roasting meat greeted her, reminding her how very hungry she was.
“Oh, something smells wonderful.” She hurried down the corridor and came to a halt when she arrived at a sizeable room that must have been the Great Hall. Slowly, she walked into the space. A good portion of the west wall was taken up with a fireplace that was large enough for several men to stand in.
Massive tapestries lined the walls, depicting battles and scenes of the hills and lochs of Scotland. The detail was incredible and even though many years old, they were absolutely beautiful. Her own hands twitched as she imagined how many hours and sore fingers it had taken to create them.
She walked closer and studied the detail.
“’Tis beautiful, is it not?” Evan’s soft, deep voice startled her. She hadn’t realized he’d followed her into the room.
“Aye. I’m thinking of how hard the women must have worked to make these.” She waved her hand around and moved in a circle. ”Months and months, I am sure.”
Evan nodded and moved away from her to examine a tapestry on another wall. Katie followed him and they stood side by side, admiring the work of countless women from years gone by. She had little patience for sewing herself, and only did what she had to do to keep her clothes repaired. Meggie did most of it, but Katie oftentimes had to help her out, since Meggie also did the sewing for the entire household.
“We have some fine tapestries in our castle, as well,” Evan offered. “Many of them were done by my ancestors, hundreds of years ago.”
“How old is the MacNeil clan?” Since they seemed to have settled into a peaceful conversation, ’twas a good time to gather information on her foe. See what she could use against him.
“The clan gets its name from someone named Niall who lived in the thirteenth or fourteenth century. He belonged to the family of Cowaland and Knapdale. They were ancestors of the Lamonts, MacEwens of Otter, and a couple others.”
“You’ve been around for quite some time.” She turned to look at him as he continued to study the tapestry. “It sounds as though that is something you were told to memorize in the nursery.”
“Aye. My da was verra proud of our clan. ’Twas sorrowful after the heavy loss at Culloden, and so many restrictions were placed on us by the English.” Evan shook his head. “They tried so verra hard to crush us. But our clan refused to bow under.”
“Where is that wonderful food I smell?” Rubbing his hands together, Alasdair—followed by Meggie, Gavin, Colum, and Angus—entered the room.
“Aye. I am quite hungry myself.” Katie moved away from the wall. “I shall go to the kitchen and ask for food to be served.”
She expected Evan to follow her there as well, to maintain his ownership in greeting the cook, but Alasdair engaged him in conversation.
With the wonderful smells floating in the air, it did not take much effort to find the kitchen. As she walked into the room, a woman with a very large apron wrapped around her sizeable middle was stirring something over the fire. She turned and offered a bright smile. “Good afternoon, mum. I am Mrs. MacDuff. I am pleased to meet ye. Are ye the new laird’s wife?”
Katie felt the heat rising from her middle to her face. “Nay. I am Mistress Katie Stirling.”
The cook’s bright smile dimmed a bit. “Oh, are ye a guest of Himself?”
How to explain the situation when she wasn’t quite sure herself what it was? After the report back from the men she’d sent to investigate, she’d felt comfortable that no one was going to claim the castle. After all, MacDuff had died more than a year ago. Now with Evan claiming ownership and it not likely that he’d allow her to stay, the situation was indeed awkward. She decided to take the easy road for now.
“Aye. I am a guest of Laird Evan MacNeil.”
The cook put down the spoon she’d been stirring the pot with and turned to her, wiping her hands on her apron. “Lovely. It’s been some time since I’ve had guests to cook for. Tell the laird I will have luncheon on the table in fifteen minutes.”
“Oh, by the way, Mrs. MacDuff, there are six of us.” When the woman raised her brows, Katie added, “All guests of Laird MacNeil. Well, except for Alasdair MacNeil, who is his brother.”
The cook nodded. “I will be happy to serve all of you. I will have Brenda set up the table in the Great Hall.”
“Thank you.” Katie turned to leave and ran smack into Evan’s chest. “Oh, for goodness sake, you scared me to death.”
“I thought
