"Yes, Sir." As soon as they were gone, Keith took a forgotten breath and pulled a silver tray out of the rack. "Sassy is right, she is mean." When he turned around, Jessie had tears in her eyes and Halen, who just last night said she hated the woman, had her arms around her.
"There, there now," Halen said. "Mr. Hannish will not let her run you out."
"He cannae be here always to protect me." Jessie pulled away, retrieved the handkerchief she kept in her pocket and dried her eyes. "You've yet to see the worst of it."
*
Hannish sat on one of the marble window seats in the "mausoleum" and watched as the footmen finished bringing in the luggage. Just as McKenna warned, there was far less of it than a joyful wife would bring. His sister had mysteriously disappeared, Olivia was upstairs and he doubted there would be a happy face in the whole mansion, once they all heard what happened in the kitchen. It was as if someone put eggs on the floor and everyone was being careful not to step on them. He tried to think of something he could say to calm everyone, but after Olivia's tantrum, his own nerves were on edge.
Had he missed something when he courted Olivia and fell so madly in love? He did think she spoke a little too harshly to Millie once, but he thought Olivia was just tired. The woman he loved could never be vicious, or so he believed when he married her.
Just then, he spotted a figure he had admired since he was an easily infatuated boy. Only a few years older than he, Millie had flaming red hair and green eyes that seemed to know exactly what he was thinking back then. Those days of young lust turned into a mutual fondness and when he asked Millie to tend his wife, she was honored.
"Millie," he said, quickly standing up. "How happy I am to see you." He was surprised when she quickly curtsied, but refused to look him in the eye.
Instead, Millie headed for the luggage. "I thought we would never get here, Your Grace. I dare say I have seen more of New York than I ever care to see again." She heard a bell ring, cringed and picked up a small handbag. "She wants her necessities."
Hannish reached out and took hold of Millie's arm. "You are tired, I will see to her. He looked back just in time to spot one of the butlers coming. "Prescot?"
"Yes, Sir."
"See that Millie and Brookton are relieved, and send someone else to tend Mrs. MacGreagor."