Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

any.”
    “ What’s this?” Hannish asked.
    Sassy’s eyes glistened. “You did it, Mr. Hannish, you saved the children in the orphanage.”
    “’ Twas my brother who managed it, Sassy.”
    “ What about James?” Sassy asked, turning back to Cathleen. “Did I hurt him when I stood on his shoulders?”
    “ Nay, a man come and took him to work in the cotton mills.”
    “ Came,” Keith corrected.
    “ Who came?” Cathleen asked. Everyone laughed, which perplexed her even more.
    Sassy frowned at Keith. “Never mind him, sister. He is a plague to us all.”
    “ How old are you, Cathleen?” Millie asked.
    “ Fourteen.”
    Halen wrinkled her brow. “Are you twins? You do not look that much alike and Sassy is fourteen.”
    Cathleen turned to stare at her sister. “If Leesil says we are.”
    “ I dinna say I am fourteen, they guessed and I dinna correct them,” Sassy explained.
    “ How old are you, then?” Jessie asked.
    “ I dinna care to say,” Sassy answered.
    Sarah wondered too. “We are family, you can tell us, Sassy.”
    Afraid to lie, Sassy took a deep breath and looked Hannish in the eye. “I am twenty-one.”
    Keith gasped, “ Twenty-one ?”
    She instantly turned her glare on him again. “Dinna be getting any fanciful ideas, Keith, nor you either, Dugan. I dinna need a husband, leastwise not yet. I’ve a lot of growin’ up yet to do.”
    Keith was so completely embarrassed, he huffed and left the room, but Dugan was not in the least put off and only smiled at her. McKenna, on the other hand, saw something in her brother’s eyes she did not expect to see. He was not at all surprised by Sassy’s confession, and she wondered just how long he had known. Not only that, he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Sassy. “I imagine we should call you Leesil from now on. You are too old to be called Sassy.”
    “ I agree,” said Hannish.
    “ I dinna mind. I rather like you callin’ me Sassy, it suits me very well.”
    “ I like it too,” said Cathleen. “She always be sassin’ me around.”
    Sassy abruptly let go of her sister’s hand. “You dinna miss me, then?”
    “ Not at all, you taked up way too much room in the bed.” It was a moment before Cathleen smiled and everyone knew she was teasing. “Might I have that bath now?”
    “ Of course she can and I will help,” said McKenna. “Cathleen will also need to be measured for her new frock,” She got up and led the two of them out of the kitchen.
    “ New clothes too?” Hannish heard Cathleen ask as they walked down the hall.
    “ And a new ribbon for your hair,” Sassy said.
    “ Is he a put-her?” Cathleen asked.
    “ Nay,” Sassy answered.
    Once he could no longer hear them, Hannish turned to the others and asked, “A put-her?”
    Alistair answered, “They prayed God would give Mrs. Forthright the boot…put-her out, you see.”
    “ I do see. I am happy not to be a put-her in that case.” Hannish noticed a tear in Sarah’s eye and became concerned. “What is it, Sarah?”
    “ Sassy bought that ribbon for her own hair. Now she gives it to her sister. I have never seen such love.”
    “ Nor have I.” Hannish considered it for a moment. “Prescot, the next time you go to town, bring back new ribbons and I shall give one to each of our ladies.”
    “ With pleasure,” said Prescot.
    “ How did Cathleen do on the voyage,” Hannish asked Egan.
    “ She was terrified and not at all convinced I was taking her to her sister. I don’t think she believed it until just now. A kind lady washed her up and gave her the maid’s dress to wear. She was a pitiful sight, dirty and far too thin. Mr. Cameron took us straight to the ship, and gave me extra to see she had plenty to eat. Cathleen was so happy to have the maid’s dress, she could not keep from feeling the soft cloth all the way here. Mr. MacGreagor, I never knew ‘twas so awful for the orphans.”
    “ Nor did I,” Hannish admitted.
    “ None of us did,” said Alistair.
    “ Do not fret,” said Halen, “me and Jessie will fatten her right up.” She nodded and so did Jessie, her new best friend.
    Hannish wrinkled his brow. “What happened to the other servants? I expected more to come.”
    “ They run off as soon as the duchess was gone. I would have too, except I wanted the pay she promised to give when she came back.”
    Hannish again found the lack of servant’s pay sickening. “You shall have your pay and then some. Tomorrow, will you come to