Highland Moon #1 (BBW Scottish Werewolf / Shifter Romance) Read Online Free
Author: Mac Flynn
leaned forward and poured the mead into the large mug. Graham turned to me and looked me over. His eyes brightened and his smile widened.
"Well, well, it seems you have a new serving girl, my laird," Graham commented. I was glad to fill the mug and move away from his prying eyes to the others.
"So it seems," the laird replied, "but to the matter at hand."
"Ah, yes! The wedding! The dowry will not be as great as we planned. Poor harvest, you know, what with the English raids and such," Graham commented.
Laird Campbell frowned. "What is it to be then?"
Graham waved away his worries. "Merely a few head less and some bushels of barley fewer, but nothing of great consequence."
I poured a glass for my lady Annabel. She looked up at me and sneered. I bowed my head and held my tongue at such unearned disdain. We knew each other not and yet I had the feeling she disliked everything about me. My hair, my clothes, my chubby figure, and most especially my station.
I stepped back and listened to their conversation, for I had nothing else to do.
"We had agreed on that number," Lord Campbell insisted.
"I know, my laird, but the English will not be convinced to stop their raids any more than our people will stop theirs," Graham protested.
"I will take no excuses," Laird Campbell warned him.
Graham straightened and I saw a gleam of sweat glisten atop his forehead, though the room was a touch chilly. "Perhaps I might find enough bushels and meat to meet the dowry, but I will be hard put to do so."
Campbell's dark eyes flickered down to Graham's ample stomach. "I have faith that you can." He clapped his hands.
The women from the kitchen hurried out and removed the food. Aili gave me a gentle push towards the kitchen.
"My laird, we have hardly had repast," Graham protested.
"This is a reminder that you are still my vassal, Graham," Campbell tutored him.
We servants hurried our steps faster and swept into the kitchen. Aili closed the door behind the last of us and shooed us to the tables.
"Now off with the food and wash those plates now. There'll be more soon enough for the wedding," she warned us.
Mary shook her head. "An ill omen, this is. . ." she muttered.
"Why's that?" one of the girls spoke up.
Mary glared at her. "Don't you know there's to be no talk of dowry in the presence of the bride. Tis a curse on the wedding. It shall not come to pass."
"You've heard too many tales," Aili argued. "The deal's as good as sealed, and I'll not here another word about it."
"Mark my words, there'll be no marriage between them," she insisted.
"That's enough now," Aili ordered her.
Mary sulked over to the dishes and plates. We scrubbed and scalded the fine ware and stoked the fire that had the duck roasting. A woman with a bundle of fresh white linen slipped into the kitchen and over to Aili. She was over a great age, possibly sixty, and bore herself with the pride that was unbecoming even an old servant. They spoke a moment before Aili turned to me.
"Muira, you're wanted," she told me.
I walked over and glanced between the two women. Aili gestured to the other woman. "This is Bean Lyel. She's charged with the rooms. The chamber maids are shorthanded and are in need of you."
"I'm not to remain in the kitchen?" I asked her.
"You're to go where you're needed, and you're needed upstairs," she instructed me. She nodded at Bean Lyel. "Bean Lyel here will show you what to do."
Bean Lyel stiffly bowed her head. "A pleasure to meet you, miss."
"I am at your service," I replied as I bit my tongue. As one newly arrived I had no right to refuse work.
"This way," Bean Lyel commanded me.
CHAPTER 4
Bean Lyel led me from the kitchen and across the great dining hall into the entrance. To our right was the front doors that led to the courtyard, and to our left was a wide stone staircase that led to the higher floors. The top of the stairs ended in a landing that ran along the wall in front of us and disappeared into the depths of the
"Well, well, it seems you have a new serving girl, my laird," Graham commented. I was glad to fill the mug and move away from his prying eyes to the others.
"So it seems," the laird replied, "but to the matter at hand."
"Ah, yes! The wedding! The dowry will not be as great as we planned. Poor harvest, you know, what with the English raids and such," Graham commented.
Laird Campbell frowned. "What is it to be then?"
Graham waved away his worries. "Merely a few head less and some bushels of barley fewer, but nothing of great consequence."
I poured a glass for my lady Annabel. She looked up at me and sneered. I bowed my head and held my tongue at such unearned disdain. We knew each other not and yet I had the feeling she disliked everything about me. My hair, my clothes, my chubby figure, and most especially my station.
I stepped back and listened to their conversation, for I had nothing else to do.
"We had agreed on that number," Lord Campbell insisted.
"I know, my laird, but the English will not be convinced to stop their raids any more than our people will stop theirs," Graham protested.
"I will take no excuses," Laird Campbell warned him.
Graham straightened and I saw a gleam of sweat glisten atop his forehead, though the room was a touch chilly. "Perhaps I might find enough bushels and meat to meet the dowry, but I will be hard put to do so."
Campbell's dark eyes flickered down to Graham's ample stomach. "I have faith that you can." He clapped his hands.
The women from the kitchen hurried out and removed the food. Aili gave me a gentle push towards the kitchen.
"My laird, we have hardly had repast," Graham protested.
"This is a reminder that you are still my vassal, Graham," Campbell tutored him.
We servants hurried our steps faster and swept into the kitchen. Aili closed the door behind the last of us and shooed us to the tables.
"Now off with the food and wash those plates now. There'll be more soon enough for the wedding," she warned us.
Mary shook her head. "An ill omen, this is. . ." she muttered.
"Why's that?" one of the girls spoke up.
Mary glared at her. "Don't you know there's to be no talk of dowry in the presence of the bride. Tis a curse on the wedding. It shall not come to pass."
"You've heard too many tales," Aili argued. "The deal's as good as sealed, and I'll not here another word about it."
"Mark my words, there'll be no marriage between them," she insisted.
"That's enough now," Aili ordered her.
Mary sulked over to the dishes and plates. We scrubbed and scalded the fine ware and stoked the fire that had the duck roasting. A woman with a bundle of fresh white linen slipped into the kitchen and over to Aili. She was over a great age, possibly sixty, and bore herself with the pride that was unbecoming even an old servant. They spoke a moment before Aili turned to me.
"Muira, you're wanted," she told me.
I walked over and glanced between the two women. Aili gestured to the other woman. "This is Bean Lyel. She's charged with the rooms. The chamber maids are shorthanded and are in need of you."
"I'm not to remain in the kitchen?" I asked her.
"You're to go where you're needed, and you're needed upstairs," she instructed me. She nodded at Bean Lyel. "Bean Lyel here will show you what to do."
Bean Lyel stiffly bowed her head. "A pleasure to meet you, miss."
"I am at your service," I replied as I bit my tongue. As one newly arrived I had no right to refuse work.
"This way," Bean Lyel commanded me.
CHAPTER 4
Bean Lyel led me from the kitchen and across the great dining hall into the entrance. To our right was the front doors that led to the courtyard, and to our left was a wide stone staircase that led to the higher floors. The top of the stairs ended in a landing that ran along the wall in front of us and disappeared into the depths of the
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