“All right, then. You know what to do. Should you have a question, I shall be inside with the cook.” Iliana waited for their nods, then turned and led the cook back inside to discuss what spices he would need.

As it turned out there was very little discussion necessary. Elgin had been thinking hard on the subject. He knew exactly what he wanted. Iliana considered the amount and variety he requested, then gave her approval. He asked for nothing that was too generous or unusual. If anything, she wondered whether he would have enough spices until the merchant returned again and decided to purchase a little more than he asked for. Leaving him to his work, she returned to the garden once more.

The spades and the two boys had been fetched and everyone was hard at work when she reached the garden. Picking up one of the spades herself, Iliana bent to the task of digging out weeds and old herbs and turning the earth, ignoring the surprised glances of the other women as she did. Her mother had taught her to respect clothing, but she had also taught her the importance of hard work. How could you expect servants to perform a chore were you not willing to join them in it? Digging a garden had never hurt anyone.

“Son!”

Duncan turned at his father’s shout, the irritation on his face sending the older man’s eyebrows up in surprise.

“Well, donna ye look a mite unhappy. What be the matter, lad?”

Duncan grimaced at the term lad, his irritation deepening. His father did not usually refer to him in such a manner in front of the men. But then, it had been one of those days so far. Duncan had awoken that morning to find his wife wrapped around him like English ivy clinging to a castle wall. He’d had trouble sleeping the night before and had still been awake when Iliana had started snoring from her spot in the corner. Slipping from the bed, he’d lifted her carefully into his arms and shifted her to the bed. Not that she didn’t deserve to sleep on the floor, but the stone floors in the old keep were fair cold, and she would most like have caught a chill sleeping there.

’Twas the only reason he’d done it, he’d assured himself then and did so again now. At any rate, it had been a sublime experience, awakening this morning to find her cuddled against him. Until she had shifted and that damn contraption she wore had rammed him in the side. It was then, when so close and yet so impossibly far from all her body had to offer, that he had determined to find a lock just like hers and take it to Gilley to learn how to pick it.