Marblestone Mansion, Book 2

by Marti Talbott

  “I find that odd for a wealthy man.”

  “Wealthy does not mean a man must be stiff.”

  “I suppose not. How many servants are there?”

  Margaret Ann glanced back to check on her son, and then chose the next item of clothing in the basket. “I have not counted, but Alistair, the Scottish butler would know. Mr. MacGreagor made his fortune in silver, sold his mine and built Marblestone. He sent for his Scottish servants as soon as the place was livable.”

  “Will I like Mr. MacGreagor?”

  Margaret Ann smiled. “If you don’t, you’ll be the first. He is a kind man, but you best not get on his wrong side. He is not opposed to sending anyone away, and you do not want to see him when he is riled. He is a very large man with the strength of two.”

  “Have you seen him riled?”

  “I have and I do not care to see it again.” She finished with that shirt and pulled a woman’s sleeping gown out of the basket. “Before the mansion was complete, he lived at the Antlers Hotel downtown, where I worked as a laundry maid. Some of the men liked to pester me, but it was all in good fun – at least I thought it was.” Margaret Ann finished with the sleeping gown, and rubbed her painful wrist for a moment before she took the next item out of the basket. “One night as I leaving out the back door, Wesley Bennet grabbed me, put a knife to my throat and I swear I saw my very own death in his eyes. Mr. MacGreagor heard me cry out, pulled Wesley off me, bodily picked him up as if Wesley weighed nothing at all, and threw him hard against the wall of the hotel.”

  Lillian was horrified. “Did he kill him?”

  “I thought so, and he surely deserved to die.” Margaret Ann pulled her collar down and showed Lillian a two-inch scar. “I was bleeding, so Mr. MacGreagor took me straight away to Doc Parker and got me stitched up. There was nothing they could do about the other.”

  “What other?”

  Margaret Ann slowly looked back at her son.

  “Oh, I see. How awful.”

  “It was at the time, but it is no more. He is a good boy and I love him dearly. I love Mr. MacGreagor too and I’d do anything for him, anything at all. He saved my life and my son’s. I owe him.”

  “But did he kill Wesley Bennet?” Lillian asked.

  “No one knows. Mr. MacGreagor said when he went back, Wesley was gone.”

  “So he wasn’t dead?”

  “I guess not, although I don’t see how he could have just walked away. The funny thing is, no one ever saw him again and his belongings were left in his hotel room. Some say he heard of a new vein of gold and went prospecting. I say he was so scared of Mr. MacGreagor and of getting put in jail, he just ran off. When I recovered, Mr. MacGreagor taught me how to defend myself. He showed me right where to kill a man if I need to.”

  “Could you teach me?”

  “Of course, all women should know how to protect themselves. I pity the poor man who tries to force me again; he’ll not last long if I have my way.”

  Both women finished hanging several more garments on the line before Lillian asked another question, “Alistair warned me not to say anything about the duchess when Mr. and Mrs. MacGreagor get back from their honeymoon. Is the duchess his mother?”

  “Now there’s a story you won’t soon forget. I don’t exactly know what happened, but from what I’ve hear, Mr. Hannish was a duke when he came to America and his wife was his duchess. He gave up his title, and she is not a duchess now, but everyone still calls her that. By all accounts, she is very beautiful, although few saw her when she came, and she stayed only one night before he sent her away.”

  “Sent her away?” Lillian asked.

  “Everyone says she is the meanest woman that ever lived. The duchess hurt one of the servants, so he sent her away.” Margaret Ann tossed the wet shirt back in the basket and ran to catch her son before he crawled too far away. “William, you must stay close.” She carried the giggling boy back, set him down near the clothesline and picked the wet shirt back up.

  “He divorced her then?”

  “Or she died. All I know is, Mr. Hannish was married to the duchess in the morning and then by night, he asked Leesil to marry him. Two weeks later, they were married and I am very happy for him. No man deserves a good life more than Mr. Hannish MacGreagor.”

  *

  In an upstairs window of the mansion, McKenna and Alistair watched Lillian and Margaret Ann hang clothes on the line. “Thank you for tellin’ me what happened. Does everyone know?”

  “Aye, Margaret Ann told us all at dinner last week.”

  “Such a tragic story, but she seems to have recovered. She certainly loves that little boy.”

  Alistair nodded. “He is easy to love, but I am concerned about her, Miss McKenna. Watch how she holds her wrist before she reaches back in the basket.”

  McKenna watched Margaret Ann until she saw what he was talking about. “The poor dear is in pain.” She moved away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed. “What can be done?”

  “Is Cathleen…I mean, Miss Cathleen, not in need of a lady’s maid?”

  “What a splendid idea. Cathleen…adores little William and she won’t mind havin’ him near.” McKenna glanced around the room one more time to be sure everything was in its proper place. “I believe all is ready now. Find Cathleen and send her to me.”

  “Yes, Miss McKenna.”

  *

  Cathleen was dressed in her blue/gray servant’s uniform with a crisp white apron and a white silk and lace cap, when she opened the door. All the guest rooms on the second floor were named according to a color, making it easier to remember which guest was in which room, although they had not yet had many guests. This one was called the pink bedroom.

  “Sit down, Cathleen, I wish to tell you something.” For more than an hour that morning, McKenna tried to think of the right way to explain the circumstances, without totally shocking the fifteen-year-old. Cathleen was about to change from being a servant to a lady, and McKenna was not certain a child raised in an orphanage could comprehend it.

  Far too thin, when Hannish had her rescued from the English orphanage and brought to America, Cathleen Covington’s figure was finally filling out nicely. Several years younger, yet more mature than her sister in some ways, she had Leesil’s same auburn hair, blue eyes and sweet smile.

  “Yes, Miss McKenna?”

  “Come sit beside me, I have something to tell you.”

  Cathleen did as she was told and folded her hands in her lap. “What?”

  “As you know, yesterday your sister married my brother.”

  “Aye and I am very happy for her.”

  “And I am very happy for my brother, but dearest; there is something you might not have thought of. When your sister became a MacGreagor, you became a member of our family too. You are Hannish MacGreagor’s sister-in-law now.”

  “In the orphanage, we learned about that and I am pleased to have him as my brother-in-law.”

  “It also means that you and I are equal. We are sisters now.”

  Cathleen’s expression betrayed her confusion. “What?”

  “You see, it is not seemly for a lad to have a member of the family working for him as a servant.”

  “Miss McKenna, is he sendin’ me away?”

  “Oh my dear, he wouldn’t dare, Leesil would have his head. Besides, he likes you too much to send you away.” She waited until Cathleen took a relieved breath and let it out. “It means, this is your bedroom now. You shall live in it, drink tea with me in the second floor sittin’ room and have a lady’s maid to care for you.”

  Cathleen stared at McKenna for a long, long moment before she slowly began to look around. She had been in the pink room before. In fact, when the new furniture arrived, she helped Millie make the bed, polish the tabletops and arrange all the decorations.

  “If you prefer another room, just…”

  “Nay, pink if my favorite color.”

  “Good, I hoped I had it right. The servants will
gather your things in the servant’s quarters, bring them down and put them away.”

  “Do you mean someone will dress me and do my hair?”

  “Not just someone, Alistair suggested Margaret Ann might be willin’. Her hands hurt awfully doing the wash and we have enough others to do it now. Of course, she will have William with her most of the time, and…”

  That brightened Cathleen right up. “Could she? I mean, I would love spendin’ more time with her baby. I fiercely miss the babies in the orphanage.”

  “If you agree, we shall talk to Sarah. Ring the bell.”

  “Me? You want me to ring the bell?”

  “You must get used to it sooner or later. Go on, ring it.”

  Cathleen timidly looked at the wall cord next to the bed, hesitated for a moment and then pulled it. “I hear nothing, how shall I know it rang properly.”

  “You have to guess it has. Wait a few minutes, and if no one comes, ring it again. Now, are you pleased with the way this room is set out? You can have the furniture rearranged anytime you like.”

  “Nay, it suits me fine.” She abruptly stood up and walked to the window. “I can see the mountains very well from here. I will like this room very much.”

  “I am happy to hear it. You can read in here when you want to be alone, but the whole house is for you to live in now. Tonight, you and I will have our dinner in the dining room and…” Just then, someone knocked on the door. McKenna nodded for Cathleen to answer it, and then giggled when the girl rolled her eyes.

  “Come in,” Cathleen said finally.

  Sarah opened the door and grinned. “You told her, Miss McKenna?”

  “I did. Cathleen, tell Sarah what you want.”

  “What?” a befuddled Cathleen asked.

  “Did you not decide on a certain person to have as your lady’s maid?”

  “Oh that. Aye, may I please have Margaret Ann?”

  “Of…” Sarah started. Sarah was the first American servant hired by Hannish MacGreagor. Having lost her only remaining family member, a little brother, to the Russian Flu, she was happy to have a place to be and a good man to care for. Sarah had a pleasant face and wore her hair in a loose bun that allowed the sides and top to frame her face perfectly. Furthermore, she positively glowed with happiness at the prospect of marrying the Scottish butler.

  McKenna put her hand up to stop her. “Wait, Sarah. Cathleen, we dinna ask a servant if we ‘may have’ something, we say what we want and they obey us.”

  “Oh, but I cannae; Sarah has been very good to me. I am only fifteen and I cannae, Miss McKenna, not for the life of me.”

  “I have overwhelmed you, I see.” McKenna smiled to comfort Cathleen. “Fret not, you will do fine. Sarah, will you see to Margaret Ann and ask Millie to help her learn what to do. Have Miss Cathleen’s things moved to this room, and I think tea in the sitting room for us both would be very welcome just now. Oh, and send the seamstress to us. It is time Cathleen had lots of new clothes.”

  “Yes, Miss McKenna.” Instead of leaving, Sarah went to Cathleen. “I am not allowed to offer my advice unless asked, but I will break that rule just once. We love it here at Marblestone and serving the family is how we keep our positions. I beg of you, keep us busy so we will never have to leave.” She hugged Cathleen and then stepped back. “You are a fine lady now, and I am proud of both you and your sister. We all are.”

  Cathleen returned with a loving smile of her own. “Thank you, Sarah. I understand.”

  *

  By the time Lillian came, Halen and Jessie had a houseful to cook for, plus the four members of the MacGreagor family. Even so, the large kitchen, with its adjoining dining hall, was still spacious enough to hold more servants. As was usual, the two butlers sat at opposite ends of the table and after a full day’s work, they were all hungry.

  “Lillian, have you met everyone?” Alistair asked.

  “Not yet.” She helped herself to an ear of corn and passed the bowl.

  Alistair looked at Halen. “Do you care to do the introductions?”

  “If you insist, but I remind you, I like my dinner hot just as much as you do,” said cook Halen.

  “Aye, but you do it so much better than I.”

  “Very well.” She took a baked potato and passed the bowl to cook Jessie. “We were six in the beginning and the place was nearly empty of furnishings, so we were happy to see them when the Scots came to help. That’s how we got two butlers and two cooks. The original six are down to four now and they are myself, Prescot the butler, head housekeeper, Sarah, and Shepard, the head footman.”

  Lillian smiled at each as Halen pointed them out. “What happened to the other two?”

  “Such a scandal,” cook Jessie muttered. She laughed when Lillian’s eyes grew wide with anticipation.

  “Pay her no mind, Lillian,” said Halen. “Charlotte was asked to leave for telling strangers what goes on here, and Keith left of his own accord. He works for the banker and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin, now.”

  “He did not like it here?” Lillian asked.

  Shepard quickly swallowed. “He liked it well enough, only my cousin had his sights set on the one who married Mr. Hannish. It was a good decision for him to go elsewhere, although I envy him some.”

  “How so?” Prescot asked.

  “Living in the middle of town, he has plenty of opportunities to meet the ladies, whereas some of us do not spend near enough time in town.”

  “Is that a complaint?” Alistair asked.

  “Perhaps.” Shepard waited for Alistair’s famous look of disapproval before he cracked a smile. “I’d not complain if you sent me to town more often. I prefer…”

  “Nor would I,” said Dugan. He intentionally switched to speaking Gaelic. “I like a skirt as well as any lad.”

  Scots Jessie and Millie giggled, but cook Halen glared. “English, Dugan, in my kitchen, we speak English.”

  Dugan grinned. “Beggin’ your pardon, me darlin’ Halen.”

  Halen ignored him and turned her attention back to Lillian. “I’ll take my broom to that one someday, and don’t think I won’t.”

  “I quake in me boots, me darlin’” A man of average height with sandy hair and a neatly trimmed mustache, Dugan’s impish grin lit up his whole face.

  “As I was saying,” Halen continued, “the Scots came to help and they are Cook Jessie, Butler Alistair, footmen Brookton, Ronan, Egan, and the unruly one, Mr. Dugan MacGreagor.”

  “MacGreagor?” Lillian asked. “Are they all related?”

  “They think they are,” Halen answered.

  Dugan rolled his eyes. “‘Tis the way of clans. My other clan names are MacCall, Gordon, MacDonald, and MacGill, which if I counted rightly, goes back a thousand or so years.”

  Ronan was astounded. “MacDonald? Brother, we were never a MacDonald, MacNab, perhaps, but not MacDonald.”

  “Aunt Blanka, have you forgot to tell him?” Dugan asked.

  “Now laddies,” Blanka said, “You are well aware that a lad marries a lass and carries her off to his…”

  Lillian laughed, “Carries her off?” Everyone stared at her and soon her smile faded.

  “‘Tis but an expression,” Blanka explained.

  “Now there’s a pity,” Sarah said. “I rather like the idea of being carried off by a handsome man.”

  Alistair put his hand over hers. “And so you shall be, my love, when I carry you over the threshold on our wedding day.”

  “She said a handsome lad,” Dugan teased.

  Halen cleared her throat. “As I was saying, Millie is Mrs. MacGreagor’s lady’s maid, and Blanka is our wise elder, to whom we all go for advice. She is much loved by Mr. MacGreagor and is no longer required to help with the work. She is to fully enjoy the years remaining to her.”

  Blanka nodded to Lillian. “I am put out to pasture, you see. We are down by one too. My sister, Donnel, died but a few weeks ago. She was Dugan and Ronan’s mother.”

  “Oh,”
was all Lillian said. “Are all you Scots related?”

  “Aye,” Blanka answered, “in one way or another. ‘Tis a small country, Scotland.”

  “Sadly overrun by the English,” Egan muttered.

  “Not that again,” said Dugan. “What’s done is…”

  “Don’t forget the dog,” Prescot interrupted. “He’s a Scot if ever I saw one.”

  Alistair wrinkled his brow. “How so? Traitor was a pup born right here in America when we came by him.”

  “Yes, but who does he like best? First, there was Mr. Hannish, then Cathleen, and now he follows Blanka wherever she goes. He’s a Scot if ever I saw one.”

  “I had not thought of that,” said Alistair. “I believe you might be right, although he would like nothin’ better than to play with little William, if Margaret Ann would let him.” He reached over and ruffled the blond hair of the little boy in the tall chair next to him.

  “May I finish now?” Halen asked.

  At Halen’s tone of voice, Prescot raised an eyebrow. “Lillian, the first lesson one must learn is not to get on the wrong side of the cooks. I assure you, they will make us pay.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” cook Jessie asked.

  “Now, you’ve done it,” Alistair said. “Do go on, Halen, before he gets us in any more trouble.”

  Halen glared at Prescot a moment more before she continued, “Well, you know Margaret Ann already, whom I hear will be giving up her prime position as washer woman to become a lowly lady’s maid to Miss Cathleen.”

  Margaret Ann giggled. “I will miss washing clothes very, very much, but it is for the good of the family.” Just in time, she caught the cup little William was about to throw on the floor, and when she did, she missed Lillian’s look of disapproval.

  Halen didn’t miss it, but she continued with the introductions anyway, “This is Doreen and Harriet. Harriet is to be Miss McKenna’s lady’s maid, Gwen is our seamstress and Doreen is a housekeeper the same as you. Carl is our new driver and he takes good care of the carriage and the wagons, which Mr. Hannish sends to town often for this and that.” Carl tilted his head to one side, accentuated his nod to Lillian and made everyone smile.