"Good idea, Sarah, she is sure to have a headache soon." When McKenna glanced back, Sassy was sitting up, taking all the pins out of her disarrayed hair and letting it hang loose.
*
Hannish was furious. As soon as they were all out of McKenna's room he said, "I will see all the Scots in the parlor… Now!" His long legs quickly carried him away and the others practically had to run to keep up.
Jessie paused just long enough to tug on Prescot's jacket. "Best relieve Alistair. Mind you, keep her in; she often gets worse from here."
Prescot's eyes widened. "Worse?" He nodded his understanding, went around the corner and headed for Olivia's room.
*
Impatiently, Hannish waited until all the Scots arrived, including Alistair. Then he paced for a moment more before he said, "Out with it. I will hear every detail."
Several of them exchanged glances, but the time for honesty had come and it was Jessie who finally spoke up, "She has not paid our wages."
He stopped pacing and stared at her. "For how long?"
"Two years." Jessie answered.
"Two…years? But I sent the money to my banker in Scotland and he… Why did you not just leave?"
"Some did, but the duchess said she would call us thieves if the rest left. Who was the constable to believe, us or her?"
Alistair spoke next. "Mr. Hannish, you asked if the duchess sold the unused passages on the ship, and I told you true, but I dinna tell you all of it. She sold the ones to our compartments and bought cheaper ones. We were four to a room on the bottom level."
Hannish shook his head and again ran his fingers through his hair. "Tell me, did George Graham manage to make the repairs?"
"Mostly," Dugan answered.
"Good." Before he could get the next question formed in his mind, Donnel burst into tears. He quickly went to her, knelt down in front of her chair and put his hand on her shoulder. "What is it, Donnel?"
"She killed two dogs, pups really, she kicked them to death. You won't let her kill this one, will you?" Donnel lifted the puppy out of her lap.
He gently rubbed the pup behind the ears and tried to smile. "Nay, she will not hurt anything or anyone else. I swear it."
"What will you do?" Alistair asked.
"First, I will pay your wages. I hope you kept track of what you are owed." He got up, paced twice more across the floor and stopped. "Olivia believes I am sending her back to Scotland to wait while I sell the house and settle my affairs here. If she suspects it is a trick, she might not get on the ship." He abruptly began to pace again.