“’Tis all right. I am sorry if I upset ye, ’twas just thinkin aloud I was doing. But, ye see, it explains a lot about ye to me.”

“What does it explain?” Iliana asked warily, and Seonaid shrugged.

“Yer very quiet. Ye hardly speak at all sometimes except to give orders and such. It makes ye seem standoffish, but I think now ’tis just shyness. Ye’ve no experience at socializing except with your parents.”

When Iliana’s eyes widened in surprised acknowledgment of the truth of those words, Seonaid seemed encouraged to go on. “And then there is the way ye take charge.”

“Take charge?” Iliana said, dismayed.

“Aye. The mornin’ after ye arrived here, ye took over running the place. Not that there is anything wrong with that,” she added quickly at Iliana’s alarm. “The place needed taking charge of, but ye didn’t e’en think to ask was anyone else in charge. Ye just set to. Ye must not have had to share yer toys as a child.”

When Iliana opened her mouth, then closed it again helplessly, Seonaid peered down at her failed attempt at mending, then sighed. “I shall never master this,” she muttered, tossing it aside and getting to her feet. “Thank ye fer tryin’ to teach me, though. I am to bed.”

Iliana watched her go, then sank back in her seat to consider all the woman had said. She hardly noticed when her eyes began to slip wearily closed.

“Elgin, do you have any idea what is going on?” Iliana asked in exasperation as she slammed into the kitchen late the next morning.

Elgin straightened from the pastry dough he was rolling out and raised his eyebrows at her question, nearly making Iliana laugh aloud. The man’s apron and hat were impeccably clean, both items as pristine as they had been when he had donned them the night before. However, his face was smudged with at least three different cooking ingredients.

Smiling slightly, she sank onto a stool beside his work table. She had awoken alone in bed again that morning. Apparently, Duncan had again carried her up to bed and undressed her. Embarrassed by that fact, she had dressed herself quickly and hurried below to join the household as they sat down to breakfast.

It had taken Iliana several minutes to notice the tension in the room. Angus had been in a foul mood and surly to both Seonaid and Duncan, though he had managed a weak smile and “Good morn” for Iliana. But both Seonaid and Duncan had been in foul tempers and surly with everyone, including herself. Iliana had merely sighed over that. It had not been difficult for her to realize what was wrong with them.

Angus had again insisted that Seonaid would learn lessons in proper behavior. She was to accompany Iliana throughout the day. Seonaid, understandably, was not happy about that.