Iliana watched him go, then peered down on the Englishmen again, watching them work until she heard a series of muttered curses coming from the steps.

“Be careful! Ye’ll spill the—Damn ye fool men!”

Iliana whirled toward the stairs at those harassed words from Elgin, who had apparently accompanied the product of his labors.

“Me lady!” Elgin’s florid face came into view as he mounted the last of the steps. Wringing the hem of his apron in his hands, he hurried toward her. “These buffoons came charging into the kitchens, slid those damn posts under the handle of my vat, and started to leave with it. When I asked what they were about, they claimed ye wanted it up here. I told them they must be mistaken—”

“They told you true,” Iliana soothed, patting his shoulder gently. Stepping past him, she instructed the four men to set the vat of steaming liquid down as close to the wall as possible to make as much room as they could for the six men huffing and puffing along behind them, carrying the boulder she had requested.

“Where do ye want it?” the stablemaster gasped breathlessly as soon as he and the other men had maneuvered gingerly past the steaming vat.

“Set it on the wall, directly in the center,” Iliana instructed, then turned to the four men still standing by the vat. “I would like that on the wall right next to it.”

That they followed her instructions at once was good, but the exchanged looks made her grimace. She was not a stupid woman, nor was she mad, and the fact that they had not yet caught onto her plan was rather irritating.

“Me lady?” Elgin was glancing from her to the vat that was teetering dangerously on the edge of the wall, looking nearly ready to burst into tears. Iliana smiled at him gently and patted his shoulder once more.

“Do not fret, Elgin. All will be well.”

“But me stew…”

Iliana’s mouth thinned out into a straight line. “We have guests at the door. Would you turn them away without at least offering them some sustenance?”

His eyes widened in horror at that, but the other men suddenly began to grin as they understood her intentions. Iliana turned toward Rabbie.

“The rock first to smash the barricade and causeway. Count to three, then tip the vat after it.”

“Me stew,” Elgin whimpered, twisting his apron more frantically.

“’Twill be put to good use, Elgin,” Iliana murmured sympathetically.

“Aye.” The stablemaster grinned at the cook as he and two of the other men shifted in preparation of pushing the boulder off the wall. “’Twill be a meal those English dogs’ll not soon forget.” Pausing, he glanced toward the men now manning the vat. “Remember, on the count of three.”