Germain had Jem firmly by the hand, so she allowed herself to be persuaded to sit down with Lizzie, Inga, and Hilda, on the bales of straw that had been placed a little way from the fire.
Und wheres your sweetheart, then? teased Hilda. Yon big bonny black devil?
Oh, him? Brianna said, mimicking Lizzie, and they all broke into rather unladylike roars of laughter; evidently the beer had been making the rounds for some time.
Hes comforting Ronnie, she said, with a nod toward
the darkened coopers shop. Is your mother upset about Sengas choice?
Och, aye, said Inga, rolling her eyes with great expressiveness. Should ha heard them at it, her and Senga. Hammer and tongs, hammer and tongs. Da went out to the fishing, and stayed awa three days.
Brianna ducked her head to hide a grin. Robin McGillivray liked a peaceful life, something he was never likely to enjoy in the company of his wife and daughters.
Ah, well, Hilda said philosophically, leaning back a little to ease the strain of her first pregnancy, which was well advanced. She couldna really say so much, meine Mutter. Heinrichs her own cousins son, after all. Even if he is poor.
But young, Inga added practically. Da says Heinrich will have time to get rich. Ronnie Sinclair wasnt precisely richand he was thirty years older than Senga. On the other hand, he did own both his coopers shop and half of the house in which he and the McGillivrays lived. And Ute, having shepherded both her elder daughters to solid marriages with men of property, had obviously seen the advantages of a match between Senga and Ronnie.
I can see that it might be a little awkward, Brianna said tactfully. Ronnie going on living with your family, after She nodded at the betrothed couple, who were feeding each other bits of cake.
Hoo! Hilda exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Im that glad not to be living here!
Inga nodded vigorous agreement, but added, Well, but Mutti isna the one to be greetin over spilt milk. Shes got an eye out for a wife for Ronnie. Just watch her. She nodded toward the food table, where Ute was chatting and smiling with a group of German women.
Who dye think it is she has picked out? Inga asked her sister, eyes narrowed as she watched her mother operate. That wee Gretchen? Or your Archies cousin, maybe? The walleyed oneSeona?
Hilda, married to a Scot from Surry County, shook her head at this.
Shell want a German girl, she objected. For shell be thinkin of what will happen if Ronnie dies, and the wife marries again. If its a German girl, chances are Mama can bully her into a new marriage with one of her nephews or cousinskeep the property in the family, aye?
Brianna listened with fascination as the girls discussed the situation, with perfect matter-of-factnessand wondered whether Ronnie Sinclair had the slightest idea that his fate was being decided in this pragmatic fashion. But hed been living with the McGillivrays for more than a year, she reasoned; he must have some idea of Utes methods.
Thanking God silently that she was not herself compelled to live in the same house with the redoubtable Frau McGillivray, she looked round for Lizzie, feeling a pang of sympathy for her erstwhile bondmaid. Lizzie would be living with Ute, once her marriage to Manfred took place next year.
Hearing the name Wemyss, she returned to the conversation at hand, only to discover that the girls were not discussing Lizzie, but rather her father.
Auntie Gertrud, declared Hilda, and belched softly, fist to her mouth. Shes a widow-woman herself; shed be the best for him.
Auntie Gertrud would have poor wee Mr. Wemyss dead in a year, Inga objected, laughing. Shes twice his size. If she didna kill him from exhaustion, shed roll over in her sleep and squash him flat.
Hilda clapped both hands to her mouth, but less in shock than to stifle her giggles. Brianna thought shed had her share of beer, too; her cap was awry and her pale face looked flushed, even by firelight.
Aye, weel, I think hes no much bothered at the thought. See him? Hilda nodded past the beer-drinkers, and Brianna had no trouble picking out Mr. Wemysss head, his hair pale and flyaway as his daughters. He was in animated conversation with a stout woman in apron and cap, who nudged him intimately in the ribs, laughing.
As she watched, though, Ute McGillivray made her way toward them, followed by a tall blond woman, who hesitated a little, hands folded under her apron.
Oh, whos that? Inga craned her neck like a goose, and her sister elbowed her, scandalized.
Lass das, du alte Ziege! Muttis looking this way!
Lizzie had half-risen to her knees, peering.
Who? she said, sounding like an owl. Her attention was momentarily distracted by Manfred, who dropped beside her in the straw, grinning amiably.
How is it, then, Herzchen? he said, putting an arm round her waist and trying to kiss her.
Whos that, Freddie? she said, adroitly eluding his embrace and pointing discreetly toward the blond woman, who was smiling shyly as Frau Ute introduced her to Mr. Wemyss.