Highland Courage (Highland Brides) by Ceci Giltenan

Keenan has the key. As ye know he is away at the moment, but as soon as he returns I am sure he will be delighted to show it to ye. He is rather proud of it.”
    “That is disappointing. I would have liked to have seen it today.”
    Elspet looked distressed at this comment. Although it wasn’t what Mairead intended, her irritation with the entire situation had seeped into her voice. Still, she certainly was not upset with Elspet. She tried to shake her frustration and gave Elspet a warm smile. “Still, I suppose it will give me something to look forward to. I will wait to see it until he returns. Perhaps there is some sewing I could do until time for the midday meal? There was always mending to be done at Carraigile.” As she said the words, it occurred to Mairead one reason for this might have been because of her very large family.
    “Oh, nay, my lady.” Elspet smiled proudly. “Ye needn’t be bothered with mending and such, we have seamstresses who take care of any sewing or mending needing to be done.”
    She guessed she would have to resign herself to needlework until she had the opportunity to meet with Oren. “Hmm, then perhaps ye know where my tapestry frame would have been put? It was with my things in the chamber where I stayed before the wedding. It seems none of my needlework supplies were brought to the laird’s chamber when my clothes were moved.”
    “Are they not in your solar?”
    “I didn’t know I had a solar.” Mairead gave a little laugh.
    “Oh, my lady, I am so sorry. I assumed ye knew. It is one of the two rooms off the antechamber to your bedchamber. One leads to the laird’s study, and the other one was always the lady’s solar, although no one has used it as such for years. Laird Matheson had it freshened up and prepared for ye before ye arrived. I am sure ye will find it comfortable. Shall I show ye to it now?”
    “Oh, nay, that won’t be necessary. I hadn’t actually looked into those rooms yet.” When the implication of what she had just said sunk in, Mairead blushed crimson.
    Elspet just smiled indulgently. “With so much going on, and a braw new husband requiring your attention, I wouldn’t have expected ye to, my lady. I will send Oren to ye when he is available.”
    “Nay,” Mairead said a little too sharply. “I—I—please, when he is available ask him to wait in the great hall and send someone for me. I will meet with him here.”
    “Whatever ye prefer.”
    “Thank ye, Elspet.” Mairead entered the south tower and headed up the stairs. On the second level, the sound of maids’ voices came from one of the rooms being cleaned. She would have ignored them and continued her climb, but a snippet of the conversation grabbed her attention.
    “I thought those MacKenzies would never leave.”
    “We are going to be cleaning for ages. There were so many of them.”
    “A score and ten guests just from her family. Eleven children. Was it completely necessary for all of them to descend on us?”
    Mairead froze where she stood. They were upset because her family came to her wedding? The children had been no bother. All eleven children and their nursemaids stayed in two chambers, and the nursemaids performed all the tasks required for the care and keeping of the children.
    “I won’t even mention her highness .”
    One of the voices laughed harshly. “They certainly did treat their little mouse like a princess, did they not?
    “I can’t believe the cosseted little chit has become Lady Matheson. She can barely speak for herself.”
    “At least she won’t be like the high and mighty Lady MacKenzie, stepping in and bossing everyone around.”
    Her mother was nothing but polite, and she did what Tadhg asked her to do, Mairead thought indignantly. What did they expect? Is this what the Mathesons thought of her and her family? Mairead didn’t want to hear more, she ran the rest of the way to her chambers.
    She shut the door of the antechamber and leaned against it,