‘You heard me. Get to it.’
‘Very well, my lord.’ Kerr threw him a fierce stare and then bowed stiffly before turning to go.
‘Oh, and Kerr…’
‘My lord?’
‘Don’t ever question Lady Ashlynn’s orders again.’
The tone was soft but the look in the laird’s eyes was not. Kerr swallowed hard and nodded, then scuttled away as fast as he could.
Iain continued on up the stairs and came to the hall. He stopped in his tracks on the threshold. The room was a hive of frenetic activity with servants bustling about in every direction, armed with brooms and pails and scrubbing brushes. Ashlynn’s slender regal figure stood in their midst directing operations. Homespun gown or not she had an air of natural authority about her and no one questioned the instructions she delivered with such cool and firm assurance. The men looked slightly bemused but the women’s expressions approximated more to triumph. For a while Iain stood and watched in silent amusement and considerable enjoyment. If he’d ever entertained any doubts about her ability to run his household they had just been removed. He’d seen military commanders with less skill.
‘What the devil’s going on?’asked a voice beside him.
Iain glanced over his shoulder to see Ban. ‘I believe your sister is readying the hall for the Yuletide celebrations.’
‘Ah.’
‘I take it you’ve seen this before.’
‘Oh, yes.’
‘She looks to be very thorough.’
‘You have no idea.’
Iain grinned. ‘So what would you advise?’
The younger man surveyed the scene for a few moments longer. ‘That we make ourselves scarce.’
‘My thought exactly. How about a jug of ale and a game of chess?’
‘A most excellent suggestion, my lord.’
* * *
It took most of the day and a small army of servants to clean the hall to Ashlynn’s exacting standards. By then the men she had sent out earlier returned with a cart full of fragrant greenery to decorate it. When it was carried indoors it filled the air with sweet fresh scent. Ashlynn drafted all available hands to help and by the time they had done she surveyed the result with real satisfaction. Beside her Morag nodded approval.
‘The place looks like it used to in the old days, when Lady Alice was alive.’
‘Lady Alice?’
‘Lord Iain’s mother, God rest her soul.’ Morag shook her head. ‘She always had the hall decked thus for the feast. After she died things were never the same. But then men have no sense of these things.’
‘Some might say they have so sense at all,’ replied Ashlynn.
Morag chuckled. ‘You’re not wrong there, my lady.’
Ashlynn gathered all the servants together. ‘You’ve done a magnificent job. Now go and get something to eat and drink. You’ve earned it.’ Having dismissed them she went to sit down by the fire feeling weary now herself.
Ban and Iain found her there a little later. Both men stood looking round the room in open-mouthed amazement.
‘God’s bones,’ murmured Ban, ‘it looks like a different place.’
Iain mentally agreed. It did. Apart from the obvious cleanliness it smelled wonderful, a mingling of green foliage and fresh straw and scrubbed wood. The old tallow lights had been replaced with fine beeswax candles which threw a sweet soft-scented glow over the whole room. In an instant he was transported back to his childhood when his mother had been alive, and he felt his throat tighten. Then he became aware that Ashlynn was watching him.
‘Do you like it?’ she asked.
‘I think it’s perfect, lass. Just perfect.’ He took her hand and carried it to his lips. ‘Thank you.’
He had never used quite that tone before. It was gentle and tender and it took her unawares, like the warm touch of his fingers on hers and the imprint of his kiss on her skin. She made no attempt to withdraw her hand from his and he seemed in no hurry to relinquish it. Only when a servant appeared with a query for Ashlynn about the serving of the evening meal did he reluctantly let her go.
* * *
The atmosphere in the hall was different that evening, for once the men had recovered from their initial astonishment their mood lifted to match the cheerfulness of the surroundings. There was more laughter and good-humoured banter. Ashlynn too relaxed in the lighter atmosphere, and she was gladdened to see Ban smile. However, as time wore on the exertions of the day began to take their toll and eventually she excused herself from the gathering. This time Iain rose with her and escorted her as far as the door. For a moment the dark gaze surveyed her in concern.
‘You look tired, lass.’