Duncan, on the other hand, was just plain surly. Iliana was becoming used to that. What had her thoroughly flummoxed was what was wrong with everyone else, for the Dunbar chief and his children were not the only ones whose moods were suffering today. It seemed as if everyone in the keep was angry. Even the women who worked in the garden with her…

Iliana grimaced at the memory of her morning. She had planned on helping the women again today. Seonaid had quickly put paid to that. It seemed Angus had lectured everyone on his concern with her health, so Iliana had spent the morning overseeing the work in the garden and instructing Seonaid in the uses of herbs. Not a very satisfying task, since she had few samples to show her, and could only give her names of herbs and what they were useful for.

Judging by the way the women had been hacking at the ground and snarling at each other, Iliana had decided that everyone was very definitely angry about something. She simply had no idea what it could be, so when Seonaid had excused herself to find the privy, Iliana had decided to take the opportunity to question Elgin.

“I do not ken what ye mean, me lady.”

Shrugging, Iliana began to write her initials in the excess flour on the tabletop. “Everyone seems so unhappy today. The women are sniping and snarling at each other and…” She shrugged again helplessly.

“Aaaah. Well, me lady, that would be because o’ the plaids.”

Her head shot up at that. “What?”

He nodded apologetically. “Ye see, the plaids usually come in January, the same day as the men usually bathe. Everyone bathes that day, and everyone dons their new plaid that day. But this time only the women have them. And meself. And only the women and meself bathed.”

When Iliana stared at him, Elgin shrugged. “The men stink.”

“The men—”

“Stink,” he repeated succinctly. “They also refuse to bathe and stop stinking. And last night when everyone went to their beds, most o’ the husbands, impressed no doubt by how fine their wives looked and smelled, thought to…er…indulge themselves,” he said meaningfully. “But the wives, impressed with how unfine the husbands looked and smelled down to the very last one, told their husbands to…er…go take a bath.”

“I see,” Iliana said faintly, taken aback at the trouble she had started, despite the support the women had unknowingly given to her own silent protest.

“Aye. There was fighting all over the keep last night.”

“I heard not a word.”

“Aye, well, most o’ it was not fit fer a lady to hear anyway.”

“Mayhap I should just give the men their plaids?” Iliana murmured uncertainly.

“’Tis not the plaids themselves that are the problem, me lady,” he pointed out gently. “’Tis not as if they wear them when they—” Pausing, he flushed and shrugged.