Plead Forgiveness: Betrayed Twice (Loyalty Series) (4 page)

Gavin and his men
departed for England over a sennight ago, and with each passing day, Ella’s
fears rapidly increased. To ease her trepidation, she engrossed herself in
training Righ and filling the role of healer to Macleods. Although she had
befriended many of the men and women of the clan, with the exception of Paen
and Leif, she had remained distant to those who lived within the castle.

After declining
Lady Esme’s numerous invitations to dine within the great hall, Ella finally
decided to stop acting like a child and agreed to be present during the evening
meal.

When she returned
from the village in the late afternoon, she headed to her chamber to wash and
dress for supper. While passing the hall, she heard a commotion coming from
kitchen.

Lady Esme had
warned her to stay clear of the kitchen because the cook, Ualan, was a
miserable beast of a man. Apparently, Ualan had been one of Gavin’s finest
warriors until a battle wound left him crippled a few years ago.

Ella silently
crept down the spiral stone staircase, stopped outside the threshold of the
kitchen, and then slowly peeked inside. She instantly saw an enormous man, with
poker straight bronze hair tied back with a leather strip and coal black eyes
narrowing with ire. He looked at least a score and ten years, but with his face
crimson with rage, she could not be certain. Apparently, a serving girl
displeased the madman, who thrashed around, insulting the girl’s stupidity. She
eventually ran out of the kitchen crying, so distraught that she did not even
glance at Ella as she rushed past.

When she looked
back into the kitchen, the cook had turned his wrath on a petite young woman
with raven black hair. The poor lass seemed dwarfed by the barbarian as she
took bread out from the oven, a few paces away from him.

“We have less than
an hour’s time until we serve the evening meal, and that worthless wench has
the audacity to spill wine over the freshly baked bread,” Ualan shouted,
causing the pots that hung on the walls to vibrate.

“I am pulling out
another batch of-” Her words abruptly stopped, replaced by a gasp of pain.

Ella saw the
female cook needlessly burn her hands when she attempted to save a tray of
bread threatening to fall on the ground. In her haste to retrieve the new
batch, the cloth covering her hands slipped, and with lightning speed the girl
hurled the bread onto the counter adjacent to the two large ovens.

“Are ye as daft as
that severing wench, Fin? Ye threw the bread tray on the counter-” Ualan’s
words ended abruptly when a petite woman entered the kitchen, fuming like a banshee.

“Enough!” Ella
roared at the insensitive man. “Can you not see that she is hurt? You will quit
your tirade this instant or I will give you something to rage about!”

Just then, Ualan
noticed Finella doubled over with her back to him, but clearly trembling with
pain. He instantly ran to her, his anger replaced with genuine concern.

Ella quickly went
to see the extent of the girl’s injuries, while Ualan stood next to her, with
his hand on the small of her back.

“Fin, what has
happened? Are ye alright?” Ualan’s demeanor completely changed when he saw his
wee Fin in pain.

“My name is Lady
Ella and I am a healer. May I see your hands?”

When the girl saw
the laird’s new wife crouched down in front of her, words failed her. Instead,
she opened her hands and showed the kind, young women her burnt flesh.

The burn extended
over both palms and all her fingers. Immensely glad that her new medicinal
satchel hung over her shoulder, Ella said, “I need a basin of cool water, now.”

After giving those
instructions to Ualan, she turned her gaze back on Fin. “Come, have a seat on
this stool while I tend your hands. The cool water will alleviate some of the
pain.” Pausing for a moment, she then asked, “What is your name?”

“Finella, but
everyone calls me Fin.”

Opening the small
chest that housed her medicinal jars, Ella took a pinch of common comfrey,
daftodi, and mandrake, and then added it to a goblet of mulled wine.

“This fowl tasting
tonic will alleviate your pain for many hours.” With Fin’s hands submerged in
the large bowl of cool water, Ella needed to assist her.

The dark haired
girl complied with her request, even though Fin’s face showed her distaste for
the warmed concoction.

Ella quickly made
a salve of yarrow, white willow, and marigold, and then said, “If I may, I will
apply this paste directly to the burns. Your hands will feel numb as it kills
any infection and speeds the healing process. Then I will then bandage your
hands.”

“Aye, Milady. Do
as ye see fit. I have heard ye are a verra skilled healer and trust yer
judgment.”

When Ella finished
applying the salve and wrapping her hands, a serving maid appeared and asked,
“When will ye-”

“Get out!” Ualan
bellowed as loud as he could at the young maid, who turned on her heels and ran
from the kitchen.

Both Ella and Fin
looked at Ualan as he explained in a gruff manner, “The meal will be served
when I am good and ready to serve it, and only after I ken Fin is well.”

Ualan’s profile
spoke of power and enormous strength. Yet, seeing Fin suffer such misery
transformed the boorish cook into the most tenderhearted man in the Highlands.

The former warrior
knelt by Fin’s stool and took her bandaged hands in his. “Forgive me, please. I
ne’er should have yelled at ye. If I could, I would take yer pain in a
heartbeat.”

Ualan’s eyes did
not mask his love for the petite woman, half his size.

“I ken ye would,”
Fin said softly before her expression changed abruptly to one of concern. “What
about the evening meal?”

“Dinna concern
yerself with such trivial matters,” he began, “I will have one of the maids
assist me in preparing the meal.”

“How can they help
when they fear to be near ye?”

“I dinna need
their help anyway. Witless wenches all of them.”

“But Ualan,” Fin
cried.

“Enough, I will-”

“I can help.”

Both Ualan and Fin
turned to look at Ella.

The ill-mannered
cook faced her and said, “I have learned much about ye these last few days and
have come to respect ye, even though ye are English.” He spat the last word,
then continued, “For that, I canna let ye-”

“For this eve, you
can. A more permanent arrangement can be made on the morrow, since I will not
allow Fin to use her hands until they are fully healed.”

Turning her
attention back to Fin, she asked softly, “Has the pain lessened?”

“Aye. Thank ye,
Milady.”

Ualan, disturbed
by the woman’s bold suggestion, just stared at her in bewilderment. Before he
could argue, she made her way behind the counter and donned an apron that hung
on a hook by the ovens.

“I should warn ye,
I possess mediocre cooking skills at best,” Ella stated. “But, I listen well,
if Fin would be good enough to instruct me.”

Fin saw her
determination then glanced at Ualan, whose expression displayed utter
disbelief. Trying to hide her giggle, she said, “Ualan, she has been trained in
the kitchen. I believe-”

Ella cut in, “To
be honest, I have not been trained in the kitchen.”

“Oh, I thought
that all English ladies trained in the kitchen,” Fin assumed.

Shame washed over
Ella as she explained, “Aye, you have the right of it. My. . .my duties at
Greystone are. . .um. . .they are. . . of a different nature than the norm for
English ladies.”

Fin and Ualan
exchanged a look, then he walked over to Ella and said, “I would be proud to
have ye assist me this eve.”

“You may feel
quite differently in a few hours.”

“We shall see,” he
said with a smile.

*

Over the next
hour, Ualan and Fin learned that Lady Ella had not exaggerated her lack of
culinary skill. This became painfully evident when it took her three attempts
to make manchet bread.

On her first
attempt, she forgot to add the yeast. On her second attempt, she added three
times the amount of salt needed. Thankfully, on her third attempt, she managed
to make an edible loaf of bread.

Giddy from the
pain medicine, Fin’s laughter filled the kitchen. Ualan cared little about
Ella’s numerous mistakes. His main concern centered on Fin, and when he heard
her contagious laughter, he too found amusement.

Although Lady Ella
could not bake bread to save her life, she could cook rabbit, not well, but
acceptable.

“As a child, my
father often took me hunting. He taught me how to prepare and cook any game we
brought down.”

Seeing Lady Ella’s
pain filled expression when she mentioned her father, Ualan attempted to lift
her spirits. “’Tis my belief he would be verra proud of what ye cook this eve.
As for what ye baked. . .” He then pointed to the flatten bread beside the
salt-rich bread.

With a mischievous
grin, he suggested, “I’m thinking Tavish would be delighted to taste the bread
made with a wee bit more salt than usual, especially when I make him aware that
Lady Ella slaved over the oven to produce such a fine dish.”

Both Fin and Ella
laughed at his outrageous suggestion, but their mirth ended when Tavish and his
mother walked into the kitchen.

Lady Esme had been
ready to storm into the kitchen and rescue her new daughter from the beastly
cook, when a servant explained that the normally surly, discourteous man now
acted with the patience of a saint. She and Tavish did not believe it, but upon
entering the kitchen, they quickly noticed the easy amity between Ella and the
cook.

After asking how
Fin fared, Lady Esme commanded the lass not to lift a finger until she healed.
 The long-time mistress of Doran Castle then turned her gaze on Ualan and
Ella. “My compliments for an excellent meal.”

Keenly aware she
did not deserve such praise, Ella decided to reveal her inadequacies in the
kitchen to Gavin’s mother. Her shoulders stiffened as she took a hesitant step
forward, but before she could speak, Ualan responded to the older woman’s
praise.

“Thank ye,
Milady.” Turning to Tavish, he said, “Ye are a lucky man, for Lady Ella made ye
a special treat.”

More than pleased
by this announcement, Tavish looked at Ella and said, “Thank ye, I truly
appreciate the kind gesture.”

“Tavish, I am not
sure. . .”

Ualan nudged Ella,
then said, “Now, lass, let the man enjoy the most delicious bread in all of
Scotland.”

Handing the bread
to his laird’s brother, he added, “I assure ye, Tavish, ye have ne’er tasted
anything like this before.”

“I can hardly
wait,” he exclaimed then took a monstrous bite. The look of true enjoyment
disappeared like a flash of lightning.

He refused to
chew, until his mother said, “Go on and finish it. I’m sure it’s wonderful.”

A pleading look
crossed Tavish’s face as he slowly shook his head. Realizing his actions would
hurt Ella’s feeling, he reluctantly began to chew. The distasteful bread
remained in his mouth until he swallowed it whole, then the foul creation sat
heavily in his stomach. Assailed by guilt, he looked up and noticed Ella, Ualan,
and Fin’s animated expression. Dawning quickly fell upon him.

Not one to be
outdone, Tavish turned to his mother and said, “How inconsiderate of me to nae
share this delightful treat with ye.” With a smile on his face, he handed her a
piece of the unpalatable bread.

Smiling at her
thoughtful son, Lady Esme lifted the savory treat to her mouth and took a bite.
Shocked and unprepared for the horrific taste, she instantly spit the odious
bread onto the counter.

“God Almighty,
‘tis the worst bread . . . Ella, ye are my daughter now and I love ye, but lord
in heaven, ne’er have I . . .” Due to the vile taste lingering in her mouth,
she did not finish, instead, she rushed to drink a goblet of water.

To the amusement
of those watching, the sweet and delicate older woman swirled the liquid around
in her mouth, and then in a most unlady-like fashion, spat it onto the ground.

Peals of laughter
rippled through the air while the victims of the tomfoolery washed their mouths
out. Both Lady Esme and Tavish thought it a great jest, but were more pleased
that Ella no longer opposed their company.

Ella stood
mortified as Ualan went on to explain her first two attempts of making bread,
which clearly defined her lack of culinary skill. She soon discovered that even
with her faults, they still accepted her. Not once did they berate her efforts
or criticize her scant knowledge of cooking. Instead, they merely jested with
her, but did not expect her to rectify her limited education in the kitchen.

“I'll find you in
the morning so I can tend to your hands,” Ella told Fin before retiring to her
chamber.