Much to her disappointment it was not Greer, but a servant at the door. Saidh stared at the woman blankly. "Aye?"
"M'laird ordered a bath fer yer pleasure," the maid said, offering a smile and curtsy.
"Oh," Saidh murmured, peering past the woman to the small army of servants behind her. Two bore a huge tub, and half a dozen others carried pails full of water. Her smile softened at Greer's thoughtfulness, and then she pushed the door closed, shouting, "Jest one minute."
Rushing back to the bed, she dragged the top sheet off to wrap around her body. Saidh started to turn away then, but her eye caught on a large stain of blood on the bottom of the bed. It was where he'd first taken her and breached her maidenhead, she realized with a grimace, and quickly threw the furs over it before yelling, "Come in."
The door opened at once, and Saidh whirled, and then dropped to sit on top of the furs covering the stain as the servants began to bustle in with their burdens. They were quick about their business, and filed out of the room within moments, leaving a steaming bath in their wake. All of them left but the woman who had greeted Saidh on opening the door. She merely pushed the door closed behind the others and then turned to smile at Saidh.
"Lady MacDonnell said ye must ha'e left yer maid at Sinclair since ye arrived without one. She suggested I might take her place while ye're here," she announced and then added quickly, "If 'tis all right with ye?"
"Oh." Saidh hesitated. She'd happily made do without a maid this past year but she could hardly admit that. She was quite sure Lady MacDonnell would be horrified at her lack. However, she wasn't pleased with the idea of having one again. As much as she'd loved Erin, the maid had driven Saidh mad with her constant attempts to make her more a proper lady. She'd fuss forever over her hair, fiddling and fixing it into silly little ringlets and whatnot. As for the bath, the woman had been nothing but a bother there, wanting to fill it with all sorts of herbs, spices and flowers to make her "smell sweet" and then trying to wash her arms and legs for her as if she couldn't manage the task on her own.
Saidh did not mind help rinsing the soap out of her hair, but other than that, wanted no assistance when it came to bathing. She didn't feel like she could refuse the offer of a borrowed maid, though. Sighing, she stood and said, "I'd appreciate help rinsing the soap out o' me hair after I've washed it, but other than that need little in the way of assistance."
"As ye wish, m'lady," the woman said easily.
Relaxing a little, Saidh nodded and walked to the steaming bath.
"What is yer name?" she asked as she dropped the sheet and stepped into the tub.
"Joyce, m'lady," the woman said as she retrieved soap and a scrap of linen to offer to her.
"Thank ye," Saidh murmured taking the items.
"Yer welcome." Joyce started to turn away, but paused when she noted Saidh running the soap over the linen. She hesitated briefly, but then said gently, "It works out best if ye wash yer hair first. Then the water is fresh fer rinsing out the soap. As well it will dry a bit while ye wash the rest o' ye."
"Oh." Saidh peered at the soapy linen with a frown. Erin had always tried to get her to wash her hair first, but had never offered an explanation as to why so she'd waved away the suggestion. But what Joyce said made sense. She supposed 'twas easier to rinse yer hair in water that was not already soapy, and allowing it those extra moments to dry before getting out would be helpful too.
Smiling tentatively, Joyce asked, "Shall I take the linen and set it aside while ye wash yer hair?"
"Aye, please." Saidh handed it over and Joyce set it on a small stool that had been brought up and placed by the fireplace.
"Shall I jest straighten the room and make the bed while ye bathe?" Joyce asked as she returned and bent to pick up the sheet Saidh had discarded on the floor beside the tub.
"Nay!" Saidh said with alarm, then forced a smile and shook her head. "Jest put the sheet on the foot o' the bed fer now, Joyce. I prefer me bed unmade today."
Joyce's eyebrows rose, but she merely nodded and carried the sheet over to lay across the foot of the bed.
Saidh set to work washing her hair then, her wary gaze on the maid the whole time. The last thing she needed was to explain the bloodstain on the foot of the bed, but she started trying to come up with some explanation for it just in case.
"What would ye like me to do now?" Joyce asked, turning uncertainly toward her.
Saidh hesitated and then glanced toward the gowns strewn around the small chest she'd brought with her.
"I was trying to decide what to wear when ye arrived," she explained, nodding toward the mess she'd left. Clearing her throat, she added, "Mayhap ye can see what's clean and what ye think would look nice on me?"
"O' course." Joyce beamed at her, then rushed over to begin gathering up the gowns and Saidh returned to massaging the soap into her hair. After a moment, she then shifted her position in the tub, sticking her legs in the air to hang over the end so that she could lean her head back in the water and swish it around to try to remove the soap she'd just put in.
"I kept a couple of pails of water to help rinse yer hair."
Saidh gave a start at that announcement as she lifted her head out of the water and was able to hear again.
Joyce stood beside the tub once more. Smiling at her gently, she offered,"I could pour them over yer hair now to finish rinsing it."
"Oh . . . okay," Saidh said with a weak smile and then watched as Joyce proceeded to take an empty pail and set it between the two full ones that remained. She first poured in water from the steaming pail, and then water from a second not steaming pail. After testing the temperature, the maid nodded with satisfaction and straightened.
"Just lean yer head back a bit," Joyce instructed. "And here, hold this over yer eyes so none of the soapy water gets in them by accident."
Saidh accepted the fresh bit of linen and pressed it tightly to her eyes. She leaned her head back, a small sigh of pleasure slipping from her lips as warm water flowed over her hair and ran down her back.
"One more pail ought to do it," Joyce announced, and Saidh mumbled acquiescence and remained where she was. A moment later, another rush of water coasted over her head.
"There," Joyce said brightly and Saidh stiffened as she felt the woman gather her dripping hair, but relaxed when she said, "I'll jest wring out the worst of the water, and wrap a linen around it to help it dry and keep it from falling into the soapy water while ye finish yer bath."
Joyce did what she said as she spoke and Saidh took the linen away and sat up slowly as Joyce finished wrapping the larger linen around her head.
"Thank ye," Saidh murmured.
" 'Tis me pleasure," Joyce assured her and took the damp scrap of linen she'd held over her eyes from her hand, replacing it with the soapy one. "I'll jest go sort through yer dresses now. Give me a holler if ye need any assistance."
"Thank ye," Saidh repeated, feeling rather bemused. She was beginning to warm to Joyce as a maid. She didn't irritate her like Erin did. Perhaps it was because she was younger than Erin. She didn't seem much older than Saidh was herself. Perhaps being younger, Joyce didn't feel the need to scold and harass her as Erin did.
"How long ha'e ye been a lady's maid?" Saidh asked curiously, beginning to wash her arms and shoulders.
Joyce chuckled softly. "I'm no' really. I work in the kitchens, but I've been asked to fill in on several occasions when there were large parties staying here and one o' the ladies was without her maid fer one reason or another."
"Ye seem to ha'e learned well fer someone who has only filled in on occasion," Saidh commented, rinsing her arms and shoulders.
"Aye, well, I seem to learn something new from each lady," Joyce said with a smile. "Lady MacKendrick was the one who taught me that the hair should be washed first, and how best to rinse it. She said if ye did no' get all the soap out, it made yer hair flat and dull. Lady MacKendrick is well admired for her fine hair."
"Tell me what else ye've l
earned," Saidh suggested as she lifted one leg out of the tub and began to soap it.
"Lady Buchanan is awake and taking the bath ye ordered fer her, m'laird."
Greer turned from watching two of his men at that announcement and nodded at Alpin as the boy climbed up to sit on the fence next to where he leaned. He smiled faintly at the lad, but merely grunted, "Good. Now we jest need wait fer Bowie to return from his swim."