Free The Bedeviled Heart (The Highland Heather and Hearts Scottish Romance Series) by Carmen Caine Page B

moment of silence, Kate made up her mind. Straightening her plaid, she marched over to the sleeping servants.
    In the dim light, she could barely make out three men, snoring on their backs. Prodding them with her shoe, she flapped her plaid and hissed, “Away with ye now! The Chamberlain’s to be here soon!”
    One of the men stirred and looked around sleepily before shouting at the others. Scrambling to their feet, they bolted out of the hall without a backward glance.
    Pleased, Kate smoothed her skirt and moved to join the others only to find the Chamberlain already there, watching her with a scowl.
    The Chamberlain of the Great Hall was a gray-haired, lean man with a bulbous nose and penetrating green eyes. Dressed in a fine blue plaid and leather boots, he looked very distinguished.
    Kate hurriedly returned to the fireplace under his skewering gaze.
    “Your name?” He asked, scowling.
    “Kate Ferguson, sir.” She dipped a quick curtsey.
    “A Ferguson!” The man’s brows drew into line of displeasure as he pointed at the cluster of women. “Heed me well, all of ye! Ye do as I order, and if ye don’t, ye’ll pay for it. Kate, ye can serve as a warning to all. Ye’ll spend this day mucking the stables with the lads!”
    Kate frowned. She hadn’t disobeyed the man. He hadn’t even been there, but she knew better than to point that out to him.
    Several of the women smirked in her direction.
    “The rest of ye can work to set the hall to rights!” The Chamberlain eyed them critically. “Ye’ll bring the peat, set the tables, and fill the salt cellars. Ye’ll keep your heads uncovered at all times. All of ye are to be gone afore the nobles arrive. Ye aren’t fit to be seen! Ach, what a poor lot!”
    As he continued berating them, Kate took a step back. Aye, mucking the stables was looking finer by the moment. The man hadn’t been nearly so cantankerous when she had met him the day before. She wondered what had happened.
    Signaling for the higher-ranking servants to take charge of the new ones, the Chamberlain eyed her once again and barked, “Off with ye to the stables, Kate!”
    Raising her chin in a slight gesture of defiance, Kate curtsied and sent him a sweet smile.
    He didn’t miss her challenging response, and his brow cocked upwards as a middle-aged woman in a blue dress approached him. With his eyes never leaving Kate’s face, he bent an ear to listen as the woman tugged on his sleeve.
    All at once ashamed, Kate dipped a contrite, deeper curtsey and headed for the door.
    She was right fortunate to have this work. After months of scraping by she now, at least, felt somewhat secure. Ach, she had no cause to be ungrateful or to match wits with the man.
    She had taken only a dozen steps before the Chamberlain’s rough voice ordered her again, “Kate, ye’ll be working in the scullery instead. They’ve need of extra hands this day.”
    Turning to bow at the man yet again, Kate kept her eyes focused on the floor as the middle-aged woman swept into view.
    “Follow me, lass,” she ordered in clipped tones, guiding her from the Great Hall to the North Gate housing the castle kitchens. “Ye can help the lads unload the fish from Leigh harbor and the vegetables from C ambuskenneth, but only those two carts, do ye hear? The others are nae my concern. And then ye’ll wash the pots. Many have taken ill this week, so ye’d best be quick afore the cooks start grumbling. ‘Tis a murderous affair when they do. Ach, I feel chill. I fear I’ve the fever myself now! I’ll show ye the carts first, be quick now!”
    Kate followed her into the courtyard and hurried across, the wind whipping her hair unmercifully. She burrowed deeper into her plaid.
    Spring was slow in coming this year. The bare branches on the trees were only now budding with life. Soon the fruit trees would bloom in the countryside and flowers would spring up along the riverbanks. For a brief moment, she felt a twinge of longing, remembering