“You must be Ellen,” the present kitchen maid said. Plump, pretty and pregnant, she wore her dark hair piled on top of her head. Three inches taller than I was, she greeted me with a smile. “I’m Agnes. Have you had the tour of the steading, yet?”
“Not yet,” I said, already prepared to like this woman although it was far too early to consider friendship.
“We’ll go out in a few moments,” Agnes said. “Don’t let Mrs Lunan worry you. She criticises everybody. I think it’s because she’s Mr Lunan’s second wife and younger than he is, so has to prove herself.”
I nodded. I was not concerned about a carping woman, for I had faced much worse in my time. “Thank you,” I said, hoping the words suited the occasion.
“Come on, then,” Agnes said. “We don’t get much free time here, so we’ll go now before
