The Heiress Bride - Catherine Coulter [91]
The target was a straw-stuffed scarecrow that Sinjun had borrowed from the wheat field. It was only twenty paces distant.
“Now, very easy . . . that’s it, easy.”
He released the arrow and it sped toward the scarecrow, striking it squarely in the groin.
MacDuff yowled in feigned pain.
“Good shot,” Sinjun said, and turned to face her cousin-in-law. “MacDuff! Goodness, it’s about time you came back to visit. Your timing is quite perfect. Do you shoot?”
“Oh no, Sinjun, not me. I’ve never had to. I’m far too big and too ugly for any man or any three men to try to take me on.” He held up a meaty fist and shook it at her. “This is all the protection I need, at least bullies think so.”
“You’re right,” Sinjun said. “Did you see Philip’s shot?”
“I certainly did. Where did you learn, Philip?”
“Sinjun,” the boy said. “She’s quite good. Show him, Sinjun.”
She did, deftly targeting the scarecrow and releasing the arrow quickly, with no fuss. It struck the scarecrow right through the neck, the arrow coming out six inches through the back.
“My God,” MacDuff said. “That was excellent. Your brothers taught you?”
“Oh yes, but they have no idea that I can now outshoot them. Perhaps they do, but it would never occur to them to admit it.”
“You’re wise not to tell them,” MacDuff advised. “They would be crushed, their male pride stomped underground.”
“Men,” Sinjun said. “What does it matter?”
“I don’t know, but it does.”
“Philip, why don’t you tell Aunt Arleth that MacDuff is here. You will stay some time with us?”
“A couple of days only. I’m on my way to Edinburgh and just wanted to see if there was anything you needed.”
Yes, I need my husband, she wanted to say, but said instead, “You were staying here in the neighborhood?”
“I have friends, the Ashcrofts, who live near Kinross.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here, for even so short a time.”
MacDuff merely nodded, watching Philip race back to the castle. He said, wearing a small smile, “I see you have quite won over Philip. How goes Dahling?”
“Ah, she’s a tough little nut, but I believe I’ve found her weakness.”
“She’s only four and a half years old, Sinjun, and she already has a weakness?”
“Oh yes, she’s quite horse mad. I took her out to see my mare, Fanny, and I thought she would burst the seams of her gown. It was love at first sight. I haven’t yet let her ride Fanny. But when I do, that should quite drop her into my net.”
“You’re dangerous, Sinjun. So all goes well, then.”
“I suppose all goes. How well or not is a matter of the time of day and the mood of the inmates here.”
They walked together to the castle, Sinjun stopping every so often and frowning.
“What is the matter?”
“Oh, I’m just making a mental list of things that still need to be done. It’s endless, really. The chickens need a new roof on their house, and the fencing there needs mending. I imagine we’ve lost many hens due to that. Ah, there’s so much. Let me show you the new garden. Cook is all atwitter about it and the scullery maid, Jillie, is sheer magic with plants. She is now only a scullery maid half of the time and a gardener the other half. Cook is happy, Jillie is radiant, and our meals are better by the day. All that remains is talking Cook into trying her hand at some English dishes.”
“Good luck to you,” MacDuff said, and laughed. He admired the garden, still stubby green sprouts just showing above rich dark earth. “Colin isn’t happy,” he said suddenly, coming to a halt near the cistern. He leaned his elbows on the worn stones and looked down.
“It’s very deep,” Sinjun said. “The water is sweet.”
“Yes, I remember that it is. I see that you’ve put a new chain and that’s a new bucket.”
“Yes. Why isn’t Colin happy?”
MacDuff lowered the bucket, letting it down slowly, listening closely until it finally hit the water. He raised it and took the wooden mug hanging from a hook and dipped it into the bucket. He drank.
“As good as I remember,” he said, and wiped his mouth