Minna was laughing inside, and trying not to let a triumphant grin spread over her face. She had seen Jamie in this condition many times before, and although she knew that he would be surly and irritable, she could not help enjoying his pain. It was entirely self-inflicted and he deserved it. However, it did not make him a pleasant person to dine with, and she sat down to eat with great reluctance.
She only dined with Jamie occasionally, and even then merely to catch up with any gossip that could be useful to her. However, she seriously doubted that any of that would come her way that morning, since he was very much the worse for wear.
“Get me some willow bark tea, will you?” Jamie asked gingerly, putting a hand on each side of his head and screwing his eyes shut.
Minna was tempted to ask him to say please, but she refrained from doing so, since she did not want an argument today. Likely the reason he was not ringing a bell to ask for a maidservant was because he was afraid of the sound of its ringing. Minna had heard from various avid drinkers that the pain in the morning was akin to an ax splitting one’s head in two, and loud noises made it worse. She had to resist the impulse to roar into Jamie’s ear, since she knew she would regret the consequences. Instead she tiptoed out of the dining room and called the first maidservant she saw.
“Fennie!” She spoke in a loud stage whisper and crooked her finger in a beckoning gesture. Before she could speak again, however, the young woman held up her hand to stop her, smirking.
“I know what ye are goin’ tae say, Mistress.” Her voice was full of mischief. “He is fu’ again, is he no’?”
“Of course not!” Minna replied in mock indignation, then the two women began to giggle. “Willow bark tea?” Fennie asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Please.” Minna wiped tears of mirth from her eyes and went back into the dining room, where she found her brother slumped over with his head resting on the table.
For a moment she thought that he had passed out or died, and her heart skipped a beat, but he stirred, moaned and sat up, running his fingers back through his hair which was exactly the same light brown as Minna’s.
He looked at her in a hostile manner as she piled her plate with food.
“Is my tea coming?” he demanded in a growl.
“Yes, it is,” Minna replied tersely. “But the maids can't move at the speed of a racehorse, brother. Have some patience.”
Jamie humphed then poured himself some ale. He had always subscribed to the theory that having ‘a hair of the dog that bit you’ - which meant another alcoholic drink, would help to cure the headache. Minna had told him oftentimes that it was a myth, and so had the village wise woman, but he refused to believe it. Everyone was always wrong but him.
“It is my body,” he growled. “And no-one will tell me what I can and can't do with it.”
Privately, Minna would have let him suffer, except that he made life so unpleasant for everyone else when he drank.
They waited a short while, and while Minna ate calmly, Jamie fizzed with impatience and eventually stood up and marched to the door, reaching it just as it opened. It hit him, not forcefully, but in his already unsteady state, enough to unbalance him and knock him backwards so that he landed on his back on the floor.
Fennie, who was carrying the tray, somehow managed not to drop it and carefully placed it on the table before crouching by her master’s side, looking at him anxiously. She was not to blame, but that did not matter to Jamie.
“M’Laird - are ye all right?” she asked, her eyes wide with fear. She knew that she could well lose her position over this, and she had a family to feed. She and Minna helped Jamie to his feet and Minna brushed down his clothes with her hand.
“YOU!” he shouted at Fennie. “You no longer work for me! Pack your bags and go!” His face was crimson with rage, and Fennie gasped with shock, while tears sprang to her eyes. This was the worst thing that had ever happened to her.
“I am sorry, M’Laird. It was an accident. Dinnae send me away - please. I am the breadwinner for my family.” She was begging, but her plea fell on deaf ears, for Jamie was not interested. He simply did not care about those who depended on him.
He made a shooing motion with his hand and Fennie burst into tears and turned to flee, but Minna caught her arm as she made to leave the room. “No, Jamie!” her voice was loud and firm. “You will not tell this young woman to go. She has served this family loyally for three years. She works hard, does not complain, and I will not allow you to commit this injustice upon her. She does not deserve it.”
Brother and sister glared at each other for a long moment, but it was Jamie who looked away first. “Very well,” he said grudgingly, “I will let it pass this time, but this is your last chance.” He was scowling at the young woman as he spoke.
“How very good of you, brother.” Minna’s words were loaded with sarcasm. She looked at Fennie again. “If you have any more trouble, come to me, Fennie. Only to me.” She looked at the maid pointedly. She had not said ‘any more troublewith him,’ but it had been implied.
Fennie gazed at her gratefully and nodded. “Thank ye, M’Laird, Milady,” she said shakily before fleeing.
Minna sat down and pushed the cup of tea over to Jamie, who drank it in one draught. He began to pick at his breakfast, but it took a long while for him to eat even half of it. However, he calmed down a little as his stomach began to fill up, and by the time he had cleared his plate he seemed to be a tiny bit happier.
“How are you feeling?” Minna asked as Jamie put his knife down at last.
“Better,” he replied, although his face still had a gray, sickly look.
“Good.” Minna smiled grimly, then took a deep breath. “Because I need to ask you something.”
“What?” Jamie’s voice was hard and suspicious.
“I need you to make some of our capital available to the tenants,” she begged. She had intended her tone to be loud and confident, but it did not come out that way. “It is almost the end of the sowing season and they need to buy seeds, since last year’s harvest was so poor. If they have nothing to plant then soon they will have nothing to eat. Please, Jamie. They need our help and compassion and they need it now.”