Quinn: A Scottish Outlaw (Highland Outlaws Book 2) by Lily Baldwin

Author:Lily Baldwin [Baldwin, Lily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Duncurra LLC
Published: 2016-03-20T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Catarina felt a lightness in her stride as she walked arm and arm with Mary. Ruth and several other ladies had barreled ahead toward several long trestle tables, positioned in a row in the courtyard. The tables were covered with various bowls, knives, spoons, and sacks.

Lady Joan caught her eye when she signaled for Ruth to come forward. Catarina could tell Ruth listened to her lady’s words intently. It was clear the clan’s lady was instructing Ruth on her expectations for the feast. Likely they were reviewing the menu and ensuring there would be enough to go around.

“Don’t stand there staring,” Mary said, waving her hand in front of Catarina’s eyes. “Not when there’s work to be done. Ruth will give ye some ghastly task if she thinks yer not pulling yer weight.”

The threat of a ghastly task made up Catarina’s mind. She charged toward a table and blurted, “I will make bannock,” to the women standing there. She did not wait for anyone to confirm or deny her intention. She didn’t dare when bannock was the only thing she knew how to cook. She grabbed for the sack of ground oats before anyone else could volunteer and poured a heap into a wooden bowl. Then she reached for the water bucket and scooped a ladle full.

“What are ye doing, lass?” Mary said, staying Catarina’s hand.

Catarina smiled at the plump woman, trying not to look like a rabbit caught in a trap. “I am making bannock of course.”

Mary chuckled, her green eyes sparkling. “Don’t skimp on the flavor, lass. We’re not sending our men off to battle. Use the milk and lots of butter. ‘Tis St. John’s Eve, don’t ye know?”

Catarina glanced down at her bowl of ground oats. Could bannock actually have flavor? She cleared her throat. “Right you are, Mary. You’ll have to forgive me. You see my family is quite poor. We have seldom enjoyed the privilege of milk and butter.”

Mary raised a skeptical brow. “Yer people had money enough to see that ye could speak like one of yer betters.” She tsked her disapproval, eying Catarina’s trim waist. “What they should’ve done was fatten ye up with some cream and butter.” Clearly determined to do just that, Mary cut off a large hunk of butter and added it to Catarina’s bowl of oat flour. Several minutes later, Catarina had a bowl of dough ready for the grilling stone. She set to the task of shaping cakes and placing them on the hot stone, pausing only to add more peat to the fire when necessary. Cooked bannock went piping hot into a linen covered basket.

She had to admit it was all very satisfying. The women chatted while they worked. Catarina laughed outright when Aileen, Mary’s daughter, told them that her wee brother, Finn, had woken up as an eagle that morning.

“I tell ye, Katie. He climbed up onto the roof of our cottage and after sticking a foot through the thatch, he leapt off, his arms spread wide, a look of pure joy on his wee face.

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