Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

Scotland? Back across all that water? Miss McKenna, you’ve plumb lost your wits!” When she realized everyone was laughing at her, she became suddenly shy. She slumped, leaned her head against McKenna’s arm, and looked up pleadingly. “You’ll not truly make me go, will you?”
    McKenna patted the young girl’s hand. “I‘ll not truly be going either, but let’s don’t tell him, shall we?”
    Appeased, Sassy’s shyness instantly disappeared. She sat up straight again, and went back to enjoying her meal.
    Hannish took a few more bites before he said, “We should get to know each other better. Dugan you begin; why did you choose to come to America?”
    Dugan carefully set his sterling silver fork on his bone china plate and folded his hands in his lap. Cousin Egan and I both wished to come, so we drew sticks and I won.”
    “ Drew sticks?” Hannish asked; his brow wrinkled. “Why did you not both come? I arranged for twenty and only eight of you came?” He watched Dugan bow his head and it appeared the footman needed nudging before he would explain. “Dugan?”
    McKenna drew in a long breath. “Olivia would not let them all come.”
    “ What?” Hannish studied his sister’s eyes for a moment and then lowered his gaze. “I see.” He set his fork down and then rubbed the back of his neck.
    “ She brought but six with her,” McKenna pointed out. “Donnel and Blanka came with me.”
    Seated at the other end of the table, Alistair studied the pain in his employer’s face. “It dinna mean she’ll not be stayin’.”
    Hannish couldn’t help raising his voice a little, “Why else would she leave servants in Scotland?”
    “ Perhaps she arranged for them to come later,” McKenna tried.
    He took his sister’s hand to comfort her. “McKenna, I love you fiercely, but all of you must say the truth, even if it concerns my wife.” He let go of her hand and picked his fork back up. “Ronan, were you forced to draw sticks as well?”
    Ronan cleared his throat. “I would have come no matter the short stick, Sir, but the duchess said I was chosen to come.”
    “ I see,” Hannish took a deep breath to calm himself. He noticed Donnel watching him and tried to smile. “I need not ask why Blanka and Donnel have come. They have been with the family for years and are like cherished aunts to my sister and I.” He nodded to each and then turned his attention to the one he knew least about. “Sassy, where are you from?”
    “ I am Scottish born and English raised, if you can call it that in an orphanage.” She looked at McKenna and then at Hannish. “Must I be completely honest?”
    “ I insist upon it,” Hannish answered.
    “ Well, I dinna…exactly pay the fare when I got aboard that ship.”
    Keith’s jaw dropped. “You are a stowaway?”
    She glared at Keith. “Never you mind about that. Lady…I mean, Miss McKenna found me. She asked if I would pretend to be her lady’s maid. She promised to feed me real good if I would do her the honor, so I agreed and here I be.”
    “ And pleased we are to have you,” Hannish said. “Now let us hear a bit from the Americans.”
    Shepard spoke next. “Keith and I are cousins. We come from Pennsylvania and we tried the mines a time or two, but when you said you needed help here, Mr. MacGreagor, we came straight away. We are happy in Colorado, am I right Keith?”
    Keith nodded. “You are indeed. We have never been more content than we are this day.” For cousins, Keith and Shepard didn’t look much alike except for matching brown eyes. Keith had a round face and curly dark brown hair. Shepard’s face was oval, his hair was straight and it was a lighter shade of brown.
    Hannish only half listened to Sarah and Charlotte explain which State they came from and how they ended up in Colorado. Yet when Jessie mentioned Olivia, he paid far more attention.
    “ I mean to say it and I dinna care if I do,” Jessie said as if to warn the others not to interfere. “I told the duchess I’d be doin’ no more cookin’ in her kitchen whether she let me come or not. I’ve enough of that one, I have. You wait, you’ll see, there be no way a pleasin’ the Duchess, no way atall.”
    Hannish bowed his head. “I should not have left you.”
    McKenna gently put her hand on his. “It could not be helped. The place would have crumbled had you not sent back the wages to repair it. I can see no other way for you to have done it.”
    Ronan quickly swallowed the