Anise

The next morning Cameron was awake just as the sun was coming over the horizon, she figured some time around six. She dragged herself out of bed and went over to the door, poking her head out to make sure no one was in the hallway before heading to the garterrobe. When she finished with her business she headed down towards the kitchens to see Bessa already starting on supper.

"My, oh my lass, ya look a fright. Did ya nay sleep well?" the woman asked concerned as she kneaded a big ball of dough.

"I slept fine," she lied as she took a seat at the small table and watched the woman.

"Donnae lie ta me, lass. I heard aboot ya givin' Drustan what for." She chuckled and stopped pounding on the bread and turned to her. "But I must ask, why'd'ya strike him?" When Cameron blushed trying to figure out how to tell the older woman that Drustan had been dirty talking her she chuckled again. "That boy has always been a scoundrel. Ya did what he deserved and in front o' his men, no less."

"Do you think he'll be mad at me for hitting him in front of his men?" She gulped as she thought about all the stories she'd read about how in times like this when the man had been showed up he made it his obligation to discipline the woman in a very public way. "I didn't mean to, I lost my temper and his face was just there. I don't usually lose my temper that bad."

Bessa rinsed her hands in a large barrel of water before drying them on her apron and sitting at the table with her. "That lad deserved no less and if he tries ta get rough with ya just do what ya did last night. He is a sweet man, lass. I donnae think it'll come ta violence if he is mad. He'll stew, jus' like his pa always did, and he'll be a grouch fer a few days but it'll pass like a bad storm."

That did little to comfort her but she sighed, "I'm... I'm just not use to having a man boss me around."

"Ya didn't have a pa?" Bessa asked.

"Well, I did. Its just... uh... in the small village we lived in my father was always working and when he was home he let me do as I wanted. My mom was the one who always told me what to do." She wasn't quiet lying, her dad had told her what to do on several occasions but nothing really beyond "do the dishes", "clean your room", and "take out the trash". She had never been a troublesome child so there was never a reason for them to punish her by yelling.

"And Drustan isnae use to being disobeyed. Ya two are perfect fer one another." Bessa smiled at her and touched her shoulder soothingly before getting a small frown on her lips, "In truth, I think ya are better fer him than Anise ever was. Donnae get me wrong, that lass was a sweet girl. She was caring and always very polite and quiet, but she blindly followed every order she was given. Such a malleable girl, that one. An' when he was away she wallowed and fell in on herself, confined ta bed most the time, cried like a babe when he left too, always made a scene and begged fer him ta stay. I cared fer that girl deeply but Drustan needed a wife that would stand tall in his leave and run the keep, taking charge as the Lady of the keep should, she was jus' to fragile ta do so."

Cameron remained quiet as she thought of that. "But he loved her."

"Aye, which is why no one dared ta nay say him. We all loved her. Tis a tragedy she was lost the way she was." She sighed and stood, going back over to the dough that had almost doubled in size. "But donnae worry yer pretty head over that big oaf, he'll stew and grumble but it'll pass. Now, would ya like ta help me with this bread?"

Cameron smiled, "Of course, I've never helped make bread before."

Bessa laughed, "Aye, ya were pampered by yer pa then. But donnae worry, tis easy once ya get the hang of it."

– - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - –

Breakfast was done by nine in the morning, the bread smelled delicious and Bessa had fried up some of the previous nights ham, eggs, and fruit was set out. There was only a few people expected to eat but once again a small feast had been prepared.

"Why do you always make so much food?" she asked in shock as she helped set the food on the table.

"Ya never know who will stop by, besides Drustan an' Murray eat like two horses who've been starved. The food will be mostly gone once everyone has had their fill and Drustan has ordered any scraps be given to the servants." She smiled, "We eat like kings most nights. Drustan is a good Laird when it comes to taking care of those in his home."

"So Lairds usually don't feed their help?" She asked curiously as she set four plates onto the table.

"Nay. What they pay is meager but it is all they give. Some have to make do with little pay and even less food, which leads to stealing from the kitchens and trouble. Drustan's father, while he was a good man, dinnae believe in feeding the servants. When he died, god rest his soul, Drustan ordered that food should not be wasted and if one was hungry just to take it." As she finished everything was set on the table and she sighed. "Now, lass, why don' ya go get that man ou' of bed. He doesnae get to laze in bed all day while the rest of us work. An' ya may want ta change yer dress, lass."

Cameron looked down at herself and saw that she sad more than a few flour spots and laughed. "I'll do that before I wake the beast." She hurried to her bedchamber and dug a dress out of the chest at the end of the bed. The dress itself was simple, it was a plain white dress that pulled over her head and a red vest thing that fit snugly under her beasts, pushing them up and buttoned.

She ran her hand through her hair before leaving the room and walking to two doors down to Drustan's bedchamber, knocking on the door loudly. When she heard a rustle of the sheets and his grumbled, "Wha' do ya want?"

"Bessa said to get out of bed and come to down breakfast."

"Cameron?" he asked groggily from the otherside of the door. She heard his feet hit the floor as he called out, "Donnae go anywhere lass."

She sighed, "I'm going down to breakfast. I will see you there."

Cameron didn't want for him to answer before heading back to the dinning hall where a William was already sitting at the table along with Murray. "Good morn', Lass," William greeted, "How twas yer trip? I have nay seen you nor Drustan since yer return."

She smiled at him and sat down, "It was good, but we didn't find what we were looking for."

"I am sorra to hear that, Lass."

Thats when Murray butted in, "What was it ya and Drustan were lookin' for? I doonae remember him saying anything about it, just that ya and him were goin' ta see Alexander."

"Umm... Fabric." Cameron sputtered. Not realized that Drustan hadn't said anything. "I... I like to sew and Drustan said there was a good merchant in Fraser but she didn't have the fabric I was looking for."

Murray scoffed, "Traveling all that way fer a scrap of linen fer a dress for some silly girls fancy." He took a sip of whatever was in his glass before saying. "There were things that needed ta be done here."

Cameron shrugged, "He said he needed to talk to Frasier anyways, he said something about the MacDonald threat. But then again I wouldn't know anything about that since I'm just a silly girl."

"He dinnae mean it like that, Lass." William reassured. "Tis just uncommon fer us to have to tend to occupying a female who is use ta sewing fancy dresses and gardening and such."

At that moment Drustan walked in and she clammed up, looking at him as he strolled over and sat down in his seat. She turned her nose up at him and looked away towards William before asking. "How have you been?"

"I have been well, lass." He smiled a bit before leaning in and whispering, "I have been enjoyin' tha' book of yers."

Cameron flushed, she had forgotten about that book. "Just don't tell anyone about it, please. Drustan hasn't told Murray or anyone else for a reason."

"Aye, I know."

She was gonna ask him what he had planned for the day when she heard Murray ask, "What of the MacDonald threat? What did Fraiser have ya say aboot it?"

Cameron glanced towards Drustan as he looked at her before he replied, "The threat is hovering as it always has. Without the Campbell support I hadta ask Frasier fer his. He agreed, though I didnae doubt otherwise."

"Is Campbell a threat now that the engagement was broken?"

"Nay, he made it clear in his missive he was skeptical from the beginning of my idea but he says he cannae afford ta wage war with the MacDonalds' without a wedding."

Murray laughed, "Who needs Campbell when we have Frasier. If they dare ta attack us again we shall slaughter them."

As she listened she couldn't help but think of several questions and one picked at her at Murray's last statement. "What if they attack in the middle of the night again? None of Fraiser's men are here and its a two day ride for just Drustan and I, a whole army of men would take longer."

Murray's eyes snapped to her, as if surprised a woman would be interested in the workings of war. "A ride to Frasier only takes a day without a woman in tow. If they do attack we can hold the keep fer a day without a problem."

"But they got into the keep before without a problem."

"The cowards waited 'til we had rode out. They donnae understand the rules of war and we donnae plan ta leave the keep unattended." Murray stated. "Tell yer woman, Drustan. Explain the way men do war."

"War is complicated, lass." He began. "Tis something ya donnae just sit around and talk aboot. Ya figure out the best way to strike, gather yer forces, and attack before the enemy has a chance. But if ya know that they may be waitin' fer ya to march on them so they can sneak onta yer lands then ya pretend ya donnae have plans against them. They cannae wait outside fer eternity."

"So no one is in danger as long as you and your men are here?" She asked.

"Aye. Ya donnae have ta worry yer pretty lil' head over them attacking us. Yer perfectly safe and there is no threat that my clan cannae handle." He reassured.

Cameron just rolled her eyes and began picking at her breakfast.

Breakfast proceed but not in the silence she wished it would have, Murray and Drustan continued talking about the McDonalds and war and William kepts going on and on about how the book hadn't gotten some of the details of their ancestry right. By the time she finished her breakfast she told William she'd talk to him later that she was going to find something to occupy herself. She stood up only to find that Drustan's attention was on her.

"Where ya goin' lass?"

"To find something to do, listening to the two of you go on and on about claymores and headings isn't my idea of an ideal conversation." She stated.

"Donnae stray to far, lass. I wished ta talk ta ya aboot last night."

Cameron's stomach dropped to her toes, "Fine, I'll be in the stables or something. I need fresh air."

With that he let her leave and she went right for the stables, hoping that maybe some fresh air would help and figuring she might as well get to know horses a bit better now that her extended visit seemed permanent.