“Oh dear,” May-Jewel sputtered, “I’ve hurt your feelings. Please let me apolo-”
“Nay, lady,” Alex interrupted. “That isn’t at all necessary but tell me, do you like what you see?”
“Yes,” she replied quickly. “I’ve never seen anyone look quite so dashing. You look like a noble warrior.”
Pleased with her answer, he turned to Katherine. “And you, Mistress St. Pierre, what do you think?”
Eyebrows raised and unsmiling, Katherine responded, “I, sir, am of Scotland, am I not? I have learned to respect our traditional clothing, especially the Feileadh Mòr. This must be a festive moment for you to wear the Great Kilt. I might add, however, if you wish to hear words of flattery,” she paused, her lips barely spreading into a smile, “that you do wear the kilt well.”
Her words were what he wanted to hear, however, the tone of her voice made him question whether he had been complimented or insulted. “Thank you,” he replied, deciding on the former. “Ladies, may I escort you to the table?”
From the position at its head, Alex rang a small silver bell and then poured himself a glass of wine. He glanced over at Katherine. Though her words were light, he sensed that she wasn’t used to frivolity. Her rigid movements and chiseled expressions were the results of a bitter life, he decided. Wealth, power and flattery would hold no sway over her, and he couldn’t, as he originally planned, dismiss her as a mere puppet or silent bystander. Obviously Katherine wasn’t driven by the same force that propelled her sister. She was driven by something worse, something harder to penetrate and to deal with. She was driven by rancor. Well, he thought confidently, I can conqueror that, too.
“Ladies, let’s toast to a long and prosperous union. I, with the loveliest ladies in the whole of Caledonia, and you with faith and trust in the future, and in my years of experience.” He raised his glass.
Although Katherine hesitated, not having the ‘faith and trust’ that Alex spoke of, she finally followed her sister in sipping from her own glass.
Puffing up her sleeves, May-Jewel coyly smiled at Alex. Here at last is a man with charm and good manners. A man who wouldn’t think of me as a child. How gallant. With the war raging between the States, it seemed as if no one in America has had time for gallantry, and I, for one, have missed it.
The door opened, and Charles entered with the first course.
As Charles spooned the soup from the tureen into the bowls, Alex remarked for May-Jewel’s sake, “This is one of our traditional soups. It’s called Bawd Bree, or hare soup, and it contains-”
Katherine broke in, “For heaven’s sake, Alex. If you want her to eat it, don’t tell her what’s in it!”
May-Jewel hesitated, glancing at the contents and then at her sister, who began eating. Still hesitating but growing bolder as she watched the others partake, May-Jewel finally raised the spoon to her lips. “Hmmm, this is good. I thought you were trying to poison me!”
“Oh, banish that thought,” Alex replied, waving aside the suggestion.
The courses that followed were served leisurely and were just as adventuresome for May-Jewel as was the soup. There was venison, fish in sauce, and stovies, sliced potatoes cooked with onions and lamb.
Whether due to the heat of the fire or to the desire to be buoyant, Alex drank freely of the wine before him, and the more he drank, the more openly he spoke about himself.
“To answer your questions from earlier today, Katherine, I’ll tell you how I became Robert’s business partner. My father and Sir Robert were raised together and had been partners for close to twenty years. Having been taught the rudiments of the business early in life, I qualified, in Robert’s eyes, to fill my father’s position when he died.” Alex paused, studying the rich color in his glass as if his mind was caught in another time. “The Flemings, the Craigs and the Murrays have always been more than friends since ancient times when a branch of the Craigs left Aberdeenshire and came to Lanarkshire. Robert’s first wife, Lady Edythe, was a Murray. The Flemings are a sept of Clan Murray. In prior centuries that meant that we were under their protection. As you two,” he added with a wry smile, “have been placed under my protection.”
The wine glass held lightly between Katherine’s fingers suddenly tipped. But her quick reaction saved its contents. Boastful peacock! He speaks as if we are helpless caged doves. He should remember that doves can fly but peacocks can only strut. She looked at May-Jewel, knowing exactly what her reaction would be to Alexander’s last statement… and she was right for her sister’s statement gushed with praise.
“Why Alex, you’re truly gallant to take upon yourself the care of Katherine and myself.” Her eyes sparkled as she rested her delicate chin on her raised interlaced fingers.
Though he couldn’t hide the hint of pleasure that stole over his countenance, Alex pulled his gaze from May-Jewel and directed his attention to Katherine once again. “Does that answer your earlier question about how and why I became Robert’s partner?”
“To some degree,” Katherine answered. There was something about Alexander Fleming that marked her mind with wariness. She decided it was that he was too cocksure of himself and too arrogant. She had always been cautious of his type of man: the type that figured that he controlled the Fates; the type that tried to manipulate women with their boyish charms; a man that insincerely regarded those around him. “But Sir Robert’s loyalty and choice in partners may not be ours.”
“Katherine!” May-Jewel exclaimed, her hands going to her hips in a huff. “We’ve hardly had time to evaluate the business, let alone think about what our choices might
