The housekeeper shook her head. “There’s nary a crumb to be had till breakfast. Cook locks up the larder each night.”

Wonderful. Devon began to think, with something akin to envy, of his servants holed up in that dry, snug inn. “Just a bed, then. My valet will be arriving shortly in another coach.”

“Och dearie! Ye brought a valet? Whotever for? This isn’t Edinburgh, ye know.” The housekeeper scratched her chin. “Ye’ll be needin’ a room, won’t ye? Blast Davies fer dodgin’ his duties.”

Devon swallowed a sigh. “I’m certain you know better than he which rooms are ready and which aren’t.”

That appeared to mollify her some, for she nodded. “’Tis unlikely the gold chamber is ready, though it might do in a pinch. Mayhap the green one isn’t too bad off. I suppose we can put yer man—”

“I wrote Strathmore last week,” Devon broke in, a little frustrated. “He should have received my letter stating the date of my arrival and—”

“Don’t ye fash’ ’bout His Lordship. I’m sure he forgot aboot it, whot with—” The housekeeper clamped her mouth closed, as if swallowing something unpleasant. Devon waited, but she just looked away. That was interesting. What was happening at Kilkairn Castle? Devon wondered if perhaps he’d made an error in coming to Scotland after all.

The woman sighed. “Come with me, if ye please. Let’s find ye somewhere to sleep.” She picked up one of the lamps and began walking up the stairs, not once glancing over her shoulder to see if Devon followed or not. “No one ever said whist to me aboot a visitor, and I’ve too much to do to go guessin’ as whot needs to be done and whot doesn’t. I suppose we’ll make a go fer the green chamber first and see if ’tis clean enough. I’d put ye in the gold chamber, but the sheets haven’t been turned in I don’t know how long and…” She rambled on and on, only pausing for a quick breath now and again.

Devon followed her up the stairs, realizing with each step just how tired he was. His back ached from traveling so far, his shoulders were stiff, and his temper was wearing thinner by the second.

They reached the landing and walked down what seemed an interminable length of dark, dank hallway before the housekeeper stopped. She held the lamp high and opened a large oak door. Thick, dusty air crept around them. Devon looked about the large chamber and noted that not only was the fire unlit, but a swath of cobwebs stretched in every corner. Worse, there was a damp spot beside the window, the rug black where water had seeped.