Page 46 of Ruined By the Ruthless Highlander
But Lilly did not know where to look herself. She came up to the chamber, sweating and panting, and asked on their behalf, “My Lady, can you please come down to the kitchen?”
Marian’s eyes lit up.
Thank heavens.
She stood up immediately, grateful for a distraction from the dullness of the afternoon. “Why? Did Mrs. MacBride request my presence?”
Her shoulders fell slightly when Lilly shook her head.
She had hoped to win the favor of the most difficult person in the castle—Mrs. MacBride—by rearranging the pantry despite her initial resistance. And now that she had grown far too intent upon it, it felt like an impossible task.
The Laird will certainly be surprised if I get on good terms with his cook as well. What better way to prove I belong here in Glen Carrick?
Her lips pressed together as she headed down the stairwell with Lilly, their footsteps echoing softly along the narrow stone steps.
“Promise me you won’t get upset, my Lady,” Lilly said as they approached the kitchen corridor. “The maids have been searching for some time. They might have ruined your immaculate arrangement.”
The sound of distant voices grew clearer with each step they took, and by the time they reached the kitchen corridor, the faint clatter of hurried footsteps had already begun to fill the space around them.
Lilly slowed down slightly as they approached the entrance, casting Marian a brief, apologetic look before stepping aside to let her pass first.
Mrs. MacBride was nowhere to be seen, so Marian headed straight into the pantry to go over the arrangement with the maids.
“Sorry to bother ye, me Lady,” one of them said quietly. She seemed the most senior, but her voice was soft and timid. “The girls are only too scared. They ruined yer good work.”
It cannot be that serious.
Marian laughed softly, walking toward the shelf where she’d stored the herbs. “The purpose of an orderly pantry is to make things easier,” she began. “One cannot simply ruin it. Just follow the order, and it will come naturally with time.”
She picked out some of the herbs, showing them one by one.
“Rosemary goes there, thyme beside it, and lavender in the back. It is quite easy.”
She stepped aside, allowing the maids to sort the rest of the herbs themselves.
“That’s it,” she said gently as they moved the herbs around. “You see? There’s nothing complicated about it.”
Their eyes fixed on her, and they were so taken with her explanation that none of them realized it when Mrs. MacBride returned to the kitchen.
“Me Lady,” she greeted first, and the maids turned white. She stepped between them, coming face-to-face with Marian before breaking out in a smile. “I see ye’ve chosen to grace us with yer presence again.”
Marian smiled back at her, her chin rising slightly at the look of approval on the head cook’s face. “Yes, Mrs. MacBride,” she replied. “I came to show the girls the herbs for my tea. But I was just leaving.”
Mrs. MacBride’s brow furrowed. She turned to face the maids, her voice rising slightly. “Did ye nae hear that? The Lady wants her tea!”
Does this mean…?
The maids scrambled into the main kitchen, and Mrs. MacBride turned back to face Marian and Lilly, muttering under her breath, “Always need a push, the lot of them.”
Her gaze lingered on Lilly for just a second.
“Fetch yer Lady a seat, will ye?” Her voice was not nearly as friendly as it was with Marian. “Come, me Lady.” Marian followed, struggling to keep her smile from growing too wide. “I’ll show ye the best brew we have in Scotland.”
Marian sat at the table with Mrs. MacBride as she put together the materials for her tea. She leaned forward, paying raptattention as the head cook went on about tea blends and her most delicious herb combinations.
“See here,” Mrs. MacBride said, holding up a sprig of mint. “Ye want it to steep just so, or its flavor will overpower the chamomile.”
“Yes.” Marian nodded in agreement as she plucked a few leaves. “Just a touch of it balances things up nicely.”
