She
had that younger brother, so perhaps she’d been involved in raising him. In fact, Evan knew very little about the lass except for the nebulous document she’d waved at him to show proof of her ownership. Why had she left her home, for starters, and why did she have no spouse looking after her and her brother? All questions to which he needed answers.
The lass chatted easily with Alasdair, waving her fork around as she spoke. The maid was nowhere in sight, nor were the two men or her little brother.
“Good morning, lad, Mistress Sterling, brother.” Evan nodded in their direction before taking a seat at the long table. He reached for the platter of eggs, ham, and sausage. He then loaded his plate with tatties, scones, buttered toast, and baked beans.
“Not hungry this morning, Evan?” Alasdair grinned at him over his tea cup.
“Aye. Always hungry, brother.” He nodded at Alasdair’s empty plate. “It looks as though ye had yer own fill of breakfast.” He smiled his thanks at the young lass who poured coffee into the cup in front of him. As much as he liked his tea, coffee was his choice of brew in the morning.
Mistress Stirling viewed their exchange as she continued to eat. He noticed her plate had almost as much food on it as his. He liked a lass who enjoyed her food. It generally meant she enjoyed other pleasures as well. Ach! I’d better get my mind far away from that idea.
“When yer finished with yer breakfast, Mistress, I would like a word with ye.”
Both Alasdair and Katie stopped eating and turned to him.
“Evan, can I speak with ye first?” Apparently concerned that over the night Evan had decided to force the Stirlings to move out, Alasdair watched him under furrowed brows.
“No need, brother. My mind is made up.”
Mistress Stirling’s face paled, and Evan should have sympathized with her concern, but she was in this difficulty because of her own actions. Let her stew a bit before he presented his plan to her. She could stay, but under his command. She would do everything a land steward would do, plus take care of the castle. She would report to him, and there would be no more talk of her owning MacDuff lands and castle.
Apparently more disturbed than Evan realized, Katie put her fork down alongside her plate. “I am ready whenever you are, Laird.”
“Nay.” He waved his fork at her. “Finish yer breakfast. I dinnae believe ye will be too unhappy with my decision.”
Color returned to her face, but her appetite seemed to dwindle. Alasdair continued to sip on his coffee but cast glances every so often at his brother. Finally, Evan put his fork down, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and stood. “Have ye been to the library yet, lass?”
“Aye. I spent some time there last night.”
Evan nodded. “Good. We can meet there.” He turned and strode from the table. He entered the corridor and passed through the doorway to the library. Katie was right behind him and stood with her arms across her chest. Apparently, she was not anticipating good news.
Evan waved to the settee alongside the south wall. “Please, have a seat. This won’t take long.”
She settled on the chair and smoothed her frock out. “I am not leaving.”
Even rested his arm on the fireplace mantel. “Are ye putting words in my mouth now, lass?”
“No. I just ken what ye are about to say, and I want ye to ken my mind is also made up, and I am not leaving.”
“Suppose ye let me say my piece before ye start telling me what ye will and will not do. Ye might be pleased to ken that I am not putting you and yer clan members back on the road.”
Katie’s eyes grew wide. “So ye had a change of heart? Ye admit that MacDuff belongs to me?”
Evan raised his hand. “I dinnae say that. I said I won’t be putting you on the road back home. However, there is no question now, nor will there ever be, about who owns the MacDuff castle, lands, and everything associated with it. ’Twas passed to me by virtue of primogeniture and reinforced in the old Laird MacDuff’s will. I am the laird of the MacDuff clan and will always remain the owner.”
Katie frowned. “I disagree, but where do I fit in with this plan of yers?”
Evan pushed away from the mantel, his hands behind his back. “It has come to my attention that a land steward—whom I was planning on leaving in charge here when I returned to Argyll—will not be sufficient to see to everything, especially the castle itself.”
She tilted her head to one side. “What does that mean?”
“It means I would like to hire you to oversee the castle.”
Chapter Five
“Hire me?” Katie could not be more surprised at Laird MacNeil’s words. She’d been certain he was about to tell her to pack her things and return to Stirlingshire. She’d been prepared to stand her ground and refuse to leave. Visions of him dragging her out kicking and screaming had filled her mind while she’d waited for him to finish his breakfast.