“Do begin the list, Mrs. Seton. I shall join you in your sitting room shortly. Oh yes, I should like to inspect all the servants’ rooms as well.”
“Yes, my lady,” Mrs. Seton said, and her departing walk was brisk with energy.
“Now, Aunt Arleth, what would you like to do?”
“Do? Whatever do you mean?”
“I mean, do you intend to keep sniping at me? Do you intend to continue in your unpleasant vein so that all are made miserable by your behavior?”
“You’re a young girl! How dare you speak to me like that?”
“I am Colin’s wife. I am the countess of Ashburnham. If I wish to tell you to go to the devil, Aunt Arleth, I am within my rights to tell you to.”
Aunt Arleth looked so flushed Sinjun was momentarily concerned that she’d overdone her dose of honesty and the good lady would swoon at her feet with palpitations. But then the lady got herself well in hand. Aunt Arleth was made of sterner stuff, and Sinjun realized it fully when the lady said, “You are from a privileged, wealthy family. You are English. You don’t understand what it’s like to see everything rot around you. You haven’t the least idea what it’s like to see the crofters’ children crying with hunger. And yet you come here and flaunt your money and expect all of us to fall at your feet.”
“I don’t believe I expected that at all,” Sinjun said slowly. “What I expected was to be given a fair chance. You don’t know me, ma’am. You are spouting generalities that rarely have anything to do with anyone. Please, can’t we try to live in peace? Can you not just give me a chance?”
“You are very young.”
“Yes, but I daresay that I will add to my age as the years progress.”
“You are also too smart, young lady!”
“My brothers taught me well, ma’am.”
“Colin doesn’t belong here as the earl of Ashburnham. He is a younger son, and he refused to obey his father, refused to join with the Emperor.”
“I’m very relieved that he didn’t have anything to do with Napoléon. However, Colin did oblige his father. He stopped the feud with the MacPhersons by marrying Fiona. Isn’t that true?”
“Aye, but then look what happened—he killed the bitch. Tossed her over the edge of that cliff, then pretended he didn’t know what had happened, pretended he didn’t remember. Oh aye, and now he’s the laird and the MacPhersons are out for blood again.”
“Colin didn’t kill Fiona and you know it. Why do you so dislike him?”
“He did. There was no one else to have done it. She’d played him false, aye, with his own brother. That’s a nice shock for you, isn’t it, you ignorant little English twit. Well, it’s true. Colin found out and killed her, and I wouldn’t doubt it if he didn’t also kill his brother, the beautiful boy, my beautiful clever boy, but that wretched Fiona flaunted herself to him and seduced him all unawares, and he couldn’t help himself, and look what happened.”
“Aunt Arleth, you are saying a good many things and all of them are quite confused.”
“You stupid girl! Taken with Colin’s good looks, weren’t you? You couldn’t wait to bed him, couldn’t wait to have him make you a countess! All the girls want him, no sense at all, none of them, no more sense than you likely have and—”
“You said that Fiona didn’t want him, and yet she was his wife.”
“He didn’t like her after a while. She wasn’t pleased with how he treated her. She was difficult.”
“All I know for certain is that Fiona wasn’t a very good housekeeper. Just look, Aunt Arleth, everything is falling to bits and much of it has to do with a dusting cloth, or a mop and bucket—not my groats. Now I suggest that you calm yourself and have a cup of tea. I intend to set things aright here. You may either help me or I will simply go through you.”
“I won’t have it!”
“I’m speaking truthfully, ma’am. Will you cooperate with me or will I simply pretend you’re not here?”
Goodness, she sounded firm and wonderfully in charge. Sinjun wanted to throw up she was so scared in that moment. Her first ultimatum. She’d pictured her mother as she’d spoken, and that had given her a goodly dose of confidence. No one ever gainsaid her mother.
Aunt Arleth shook her head and left the hall, her shoulders squared. Sinjun was rather relieved she couldn’t see the good lady’s face. She’d won; at least she could believe that she had.
Why, Sinjun wondered, staring at a thick, deep cobweb that was draped over the immense chandelier overhead, hadn’t Mrs. Seton done any housekeeping? She seemed competent; she seemed eager. She got the answer to her question an hour later, once the Great List was done and each of them was sipping a cup of tea.
“Why, my lady, Miss MacGregor didn’t allow it.”
“Who is Miss MacGregor? Oh, Aunt Arleth.”