“I told you that you didn’t belong, young lady, and I meant it. And now you have the gall to spend the laird’s money for this sort of nonsense.”
“Oh no,” Sinjun said, smiling. “It’s all my money, I promise you.”
“I think it looks nice, Aunt.”
Serena, looking even more like a princess who’d lost her bearings than the last time Sinjun had seen her, floated down the wide staircase and into the entrance hall wearing a soft pale blue silk gown.
“What would you know? You, who do nothing but take and take. Just look at you! You’re daft!”
“Look at what, Aunt? I look beautiful. Mirrors don’t lie. You’re old, so I understand that you would be jealous. Now, dear Joan, how may I be of service?”
“Well, that is very kind of you, Serena. Why don’t you come into the Laird’s Inbetween Room now and we’ll discuss it over breakfast.”
“Oh, I don’t wish breakfast now. I believe I will pick some purple thistle, it’s the emblem of Scotland, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know.”
“Oh yes. It seems that some Vikings came ashore to rape and plunder, but one of them stepped on a bed of thistles and cried out in pain. It alerted all the native Gaels, and they were able to escape the enemy.”
“Silly nonsense,” said Aunt Arleth. She added under her breath, “Why don’t you go sit under a rowan tree?”
“That is unkind, Aunt. Even if I did, nothing would happen. I become stronger by the day. I’m a witch, you know, Joan, but a good witch. I will speak to you later, Joan.”
She floated through the massive front doors, humming softly to herself.
“What’s a rowan tree?” Sinjun asked.
She heard Annie suck in her breath.
“Just never you mind.”
“Very well. You will kindly leave Annie alone, Aunt Arleth. Should you like to have breakfast with me?”
“I will rid this place of you,” Aunt Arleth said in the meanest voice Sinjun had ever heard. Then she turned on her heel and walked quickly from the entrance hall, not outside, as Serena had done, but upstairs. Now what was upstairs for her to ruin? Nothing, Sinjun thought, relieved.
“When you’re tired, Annie, please stretch your legs and go to the kitchen. Cook has made big urns of coffee and tea for everyone, and I do believe there’s also a grand tray of broonies.” Sinjun rolled her tongue as she said the name of those tasty little oatmeal gingerbread biscuits.
“Thankee, m’lady.”
Sinjun smiled, hearing the carpenters working on the stairs. After all the main stairs were repaired, the railings sound again, they would continue to repair the stairs that surrounded the minstrel’s gallery. Then it was onward to the stairs in the north tower. All was proceeding apace. Sinjun felt quite pleased with herself.
She went into the Laird’s Inbetween Room and was delighted to see Dulcie seated between Philip and Dahling.
“Good morning, Dulcie, children.”
Dulcie said, “Good morning to ye, m’lady. Philip, dinna frown like that, it’ll put creases in yer forehead fer all yer lifetime, ye ken? Dahling, stop smearing yer eggs on th’ tablecloth!”
Another normal breakfast, Sinjun thought, remembering the breakfasts with all of Ryder’s children. Bedlam, sheer and utter bedlam.
She served herself from the sideboard and sat down in Colin’s chair, since it was closest to the children.
“That’s Papa’s chair.”
“Yes, and it’s a very nicely carved chair. It’s even big enough for him.”
“You don’t belong there.”
“You don’t belong here,” Dahling added.