Page 49 of In the Highlander's Bed

“We start by cleaning,” Constance said. “And I’d recommend a common cooking fire. A few women could cook for all, leaving the rest of us free to see to other matters.”

Grace’s brow furrowed with concern, andthen she said, “I like the idea of a common cooking fire. I’ll organize it. What else needs to be done?”

“The latrine area needs fresh dirt. It’s not nice work, but necessary.”

Silence met this task.

Heaving a weary sigh, Constance said, “I’ll see to it. At home, as the youngest, my sisters always expected me to do it anyway.”

Grace turned to the orange-haired woman. “What about you, Sarah Kimball? Are you with us? And how can you help?”

“I will help with the fires. I’ll send my sons out to gather kindling for the whole camp. I’m not so interested in the latrines.”

Her words were met with a smattering of laughter.

Grace sighed. “Then I shall help with the latrines.” She looked to a pale blond woman with a baby in her arms. “Linnea, will you cook? You are the best cook in the clan.”

Linnea shifted her baby in her arms before admitting, “Cook what? My family has no meat and very little but oats and barley.”

“Why did you not say something?” the woman closest to Linnea asked.

Linnea didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. They all understood pride.

“Everyone will bring what they have to you,” Constance said. “We will all share, and you will cook for the clan.” Her words were quickly seconded with offers of food and other aid from everyone.

The tension eased from Linnea’s shoulders. “Very well, yes, I will cook.”

“I have meat,” Grace said, mentioning an item that few of the others had claimed.

The clanswomen turned tight-lipped. No one spoke. Constance realized it was up to her to answer. “Thank you—” she began.

“I don’t know that we should include her,” Sarah challenged.

Emma Reivers, the wife of the couple Gordon had put in charge of Constance the day before, stood beside her, nodding agreement. Others shifted uncomfortably.

“She’s a tart, plain and simple,” Sarah said. “Good folks don’t associate with her. She gives our daughters bad ideas of how a woman should act. There are many of us who question the Lachlan’s judgment in allowing Thomas to keep her.”

Constance understood what Sarah was saying. Whenever there were men and women together, this was always an issue. The clanswomen were content to let Grace do what theydidn’t have the courage to do—such as confront Fiona—but that didn’t mean they wanted to break bread with her.

Grace lifted her head in defiance, but a bright spot of color rose on each cheek.

Constance stepped between them. “You don’t have time to pick at each other. You are in a dangerous situation. Why else would Gordon want the Sword of the MacKenna? However, Grace is one of you. And I will say, I know how hard it is to survive as a woman alone. I don’t know that I would turn to a man for protection, but I won’t hold it against any woman who is forced to place herself in those circumstances.We”—she used the word deliberately—“can’t afford outcasts. We are all we have, until we convince others to join our cause.”

Dead quiet met her announcement.

And then Sarah said to Grace, “Bring your meat to Linnea.”

That was it. Afterward, three of the women volunteered to help sort the food supply and others came up with ideas about what they could contribute. Constance stood in the middle of the chatter, bemused that her words had actually inspired them.

Grace looked to her. “What of you? You can’t be digging in dirt in those clothes.”

Constance looked down at the muslin dress that was hopelessly the worse for wear, and felt strangely buoyed by it. She would miss the sailing of theNovus,but in its stead she’d found a new adventure. “Do you have something I could borrow?”

For the first time, a hint of a smile came to Grace’s lips. “I might.”

“Good,” Constance said. “Let’s set to work.”

Within the hour the camp thrived on activity.