“Truthfully, I’m not sure where everything was stored. Oren took care of all of the things that ye brought, but I’ll send for him and we can see about unpacking it.”
Elspet sent a chambermaid named Meriel to get the steward, but the lass returned without him.
“Oren said to tell ye he is very busy at the moment and unpacking will have to wait.” Meriel looked oddly smug, but Elspet looked stunned.
Mairead herself was surprised, but thought surely she had misunderstood. No servant in her father’s house would have refused to present himself if summoned by Lady MacKenzie, or any member of the family, for that matter.
Nevertheless, Mairead would give him the benefit of the doubt. She asked calmly, “Perhaps he misunderstood me?”
Meriel shook her head. “Nay, my lady, I’m sure he didn’t.”
Mairead had the unwelcome desire to slap the self-satisfied expression off Meriel’s face. She didn’t know how to handle this. She had never encountered a situation like it before, but she was not going to start a battle over this with a servant playing messenger. “Please inform him I would like to see him immediately after he completes the task he is unable to leave.”
“I suspect it will be a while.” Her flippant answer did nothing to calm Mairead’s ire. To make matters worse, the girl simply walked away, without being excused.
If anything, Elspet looked more upset than Mairead. “My lady, I don’t know what to say. Laird Matheson is not an overly demanding man, but he would have been furious if Oren had sent a similar message to him. I will go speak to Oren.”
“Thank ye, Elspet, but I will let it go for the moment. Maybe there is a good reason. I’m sure he’ll explain when I speak with him.” Wishing to change the subject, she asked, “Perhaps ye could show me Cnocreidh’s herb garden?”
“Is there something I can get ye, my lady?”
“Nay, thank ye, Elspet. I just want to see it.”
“There are two herb gardens. One is in the kitchen garden, but the only herbs growing in it are those suitable for eating and seasoning food. That one is Ide’s domain. I’m sure she’ll want to show it to ye when ye meet with her. The other one contains medicinal herbs. They are separate to avoid a potentially dangerous herb being used accidentally in food.”
Mairead nodded sagely. “That is an excellent approach, we only have one at ho—at Carraigile.” Again Mairead stopped herself from referring to Carraigile as “home.” She had to begin thinking of Cnocreidh as her home now. “My mother, or those of us she trained, were the only ones allowed to tend it and harvest herbs for the same reason. Where is the other garden?”
“It is behind the chapel, my lady. Our priest tends that garden.”
“I would very much like to see it.”
“My lady, I’m terribly sorry, but Father Keenan doesn’t like for anyone to enter the medicinal herb garden. He prefers people to ask him for any herbs they need. Again, it is to prevent someone from accidentally taking something dangerous.”
“Aye, I understand his concern. I won’t take any herbs from the garden. I just want to see what grows there.” This whole morning had taken an extremely frustrating turn.
Elspet’s brow furrowed. “I would be happy to show ye the chapel herb garden, however it is walled and locked. Father Keenan has the key. As ye know he is away at the moment, but as soon as he returns I am sure he will be delighted to show it to ye. He is rather proud of it.”
“That is disappointing. I would have liked to have seen it today.”
Elspet looked distressed at this comment. Although it wasn’t what Mairead intended, her irritation with the entire situation had seeped into her voice. Still, she certainly was not upset with Elspet. She tried to shake her frustration and gave Elspet a warm smile. “Still, I suppose it will give me something to look forward to. I will wait to see it until he returns. Perhaps there is some sewing I could do until time for the midday meal? There was always mending to be done at Carraigile.” As she said the words, it occurred to Mairead one reason for this might have been because of her very large family.
“Oh, nay, my lady.” Elspet smiled proudly. “Ye needn’t be bothered with mending and such, we have seamstresses who take care of any sewing or mending needing to be done.”
She guessed she would have to resign herself to needlework until she had the opportunity to meet with Oren. “Hmm, then perhaps ye know where my tapestry frame would have been put? It was with my things in the chamber where I stayed before the wedding. It seems none of my needlework supplies were brought to the laird’s chamber when my clothes were moved.”