The Bastard Laird's Bride by Emma Prince

Author:Emma Prince [Prince, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Highland
Published: 2017-11-15T16:00:00+00:00

* * * *

Corinne slipped out of the chamber a short time after Reid and scurried up the stairs to her old room. She dressed quickly, making a mental note to ask Gellis to move her few belongings into Reid’s chamber. Then she headed for the great hall.

She found a few servants wiping down the long trestle tables that had been used for the feast, though the hall was nearly empty now. It seemed that people in the keep had risen before the autumn sun to break their fast.

Lifting her skirts, she hurried to the kitchens. Inside, several women bustled about, apparently cleaning up from the morning meal.

Corinne cleared her throat discreetly, and all eyes shifted to her. The scullery maids stilled in their pot-scrubbing, the servants turning to her as they wiped their hands on their aprons.

“Good morn,” Corinne began. “Thank you for the wedding feast last night. I appreciate your hard work.”

A few of the servants dipped into curtsies, but the lot remained silent.

“I thought to acquaint myself with the running of the kitchens,” she tried again. “In case there is an area where I might help, or…”

A rotund, short woman stepped forward from the others, planting her hands on her hips. “I’m Bitty, milady, the cook. Thank ye for visiting, but I dinnae think ye’ll find much to help with here. I’m sure ye’ll be busy seeing to other matters.”

Corinne blinked. She’d been taught that it was the lady of the keep’s responsibility to plan meals with the cook, monitor supplies, and ensure that the kitchens ran smoothly. Truth be told, Corinne wasn’t sure how to do any of that, for she’d shirked her lessons many a time in favor of practicing her quillwork. Still, oughtn’t she try to be a proper mistress of Eilean Donan?

Yet it seemed as though Bitty was dismissing her before the others. Slinking away now would seal in the servants’ minds that Corinne was weak and incompetent.

“Pleased to meet you, Bitty,” she said, straightening her spine. “Thank you for thinking of my other responsibilities, but naught could be more important than keeping the castle well fed.”

Bitty eyed her. “That is indeed what we’ve been doing all the years before ye arrived, milady.”

Corinne faltered. “Everything is running…smoothly then?”

“Aye, milady,” Bitty replied. “The winter stocks are strong, the meals planned, and we dinnae hear complaints from anyone. I keep a tight, clean space here, as ye can see.”

Corinne glanced around. The double hearths roared cheerily, the working surfaces were clean and orderly, and the servants had seemed well-occupied—that was, until Corinne had interrupted them.

“Do ye have experience running a kitchen, milady?” Bitty asked. “Or a special request? Or mayhap some expertise that could be applied here?”

The only experience or expertise Corinne had was in transcriptions. And she had never paid much heed to food before. Her palate was neither sophisticated nor picky; she merely ate what she was served and tended to enjoy it.

Corinne silently cursed herself. Why had she thought she could simple

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