Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

down opposite Sassy.
    Charlotte let Sassy finish a few bites before she asked, “Why do you say he’ll not be happy to see his wife when she comes?”
    Sassy looked at Alistair’s stern expression. “I should not have said it.”
    “ Indeed not,” Alistair agreed.
    “ You know ‘tis true, but…” Sassy argued.
    Alistair was still frowning. “Sassy, we are not to speak ill of the duchess. Did we not agree?”
    “ I suppose we did, but…”
    “ But nothing, Sassy,” said Alistair. “Dinna make me talk to Lady McKenna about it.”
    Sassy rolled her eyes. “As you wish…as you always wish, Alistair.” Reluctantly, she went back to eating and kept her mouth shut.
    The vast dining room in Marblestone Mansion was more complete than most rooms, with a long oak table, ample tall back chairs, a buffet, and two sideboards. White curtains were tied back on each side of three large windows, a gold-rimmed mantle clock sat on one of the sideboards and two electric floor lamps gave the room plenty of soft light.
    “ It smells divine,” Hannish said. He helped McKenna sit and then remained standing at the head of the table. With the men lined up on one side of the table and the women on the other, the servants seemed reluctant to sit, all except Sassy who sat down next to McKenna right away. It made him smile. “Please sit down. Tonight you are my honored guests and I assure you, my sister and I are quite capable of passing bowls and platters. Sit, I wish to hear all about the voyage.”
    The servants finally did as they were told and carefully passed the full platters and bowls toward the head of the table, where Hannish held each for his sister, helped himself and passed it on. “May I assume you all introduced yourselves? He glanced at their nods and then passed another platter to his right. “Sassy, did you like the voyage?”
    She vigorously shook her head. “Not at all, Sir, I greatly fear the water. ‘Tis sink or swim, but swim to where, I be askin’.”
    The others smiled and Hannish chuckled. “I am not fond of it myself. Were the accommodations satisfactory?” he asked them all. To that question, he only received slight nods from the Scots, found it a bit odd and decided to ask Alistair about it later. He passed the platter of sliced roast beef down and asked, “Are there no questions you wish to ask me?”
    Jessie, the Scottish cook, hurried to pass the bowl of carrots before she spoke up. “What shall we do…with two cooks, I mean?”
    “ Aye,” said Alistair, “and two butlers?”
    “ I assure you, there will be work aplenty for you all, and I do not intend to send anyone away. There is a great deal yet to purchase and since the shop owners are familiar with Prescot, I will need him to go to town often. Two butlers, means each of you will have more time to see the sights. There is a place called, ‘the Gardens of the Gods,’ you all must see. ‘Tis red, blue, and purple sandstone formations that can take a breath away. As well, there is a place or two not far from here where a man can enjoy a drink and watch a friendly fist fight.” Hannish expected Alistair’s eyes to light up and was not disappointed.
    “ Still, one of us must decide who is to do what,” said Prescot. “Which will you choose?”
    “ How can I choose between two such fine lads?” Hannish put a spoon full of beans on his plate. “Allow me to think about it for a day or two.”
    “ And the cooks?” Jessie asked.
    “ By my count, we are nearly twenty to cook for, or will be when my wife arrives. The canning for winter must be done, and ‘tis far too much for any good woman to do alone. Perhaps, we might have a morning and an evening cook. The morning cook might do the baking and the evening cook might make our mid-meal. I trust the two of you can talk it over and strike a good bargain.” It was not a request, but a command and he was glad to hear no argument from either Jessie or Halen.
    They finished serving themselves and ate in silence for a while before Hannish spoke again, “Heretofore, no one is to give my sister twenty pounds.” Everyone stared at him until, as he hoped, McKenna finally had something to say about that.
    “ He means, he wishes you to help him keep me from getting my hands on the money. I have only come to collect the twenty pounds sterling he borrowed, and once I get it, I intend to go back to Scotland.”
    Sassy’s eyes grew large and her voice began to rise. “Back to