Furthermore, no matter how early he got up, he found a fresh flower in a small glass vase carefully placed in the center of his roll top desk. It was not hard to guess one, or perhaps all of them were trying to ease his distress and he greatly appreciated it.
The maids made up beds as more furniture and bedding arrived, and told the men where to place dressers, chairs and Mahogany dressing mirrors; that is, until McKenna came along and changed everything. The maids didn't mind, but the valets soon learned to ask McKenna's opinion first.
Among the new furniture came a writing desk and the necessary writing supplies. McKenna chose the downstairs sitting room, warmed by plenty of western sunlight, to make into a writing room. She was certain Olivia would complain, but for now, it was a great place to sit and share all the happenings with friends she left in Scotland. Yet, there was only one she intended to share the whole truth with, and that was her sister-in-law Flora - what a lot she had to tell Flora.
*
Sleep normally came easily to all the exhausted members of the household, but on the fifth night since he received Olivia's telegram, Hannish could not seem to keep a thousand thoughts from racing through his mind. After tossing and turning in his bed for the better part of an hour, he decided to give up. He put his robe over his pajamas, tied it at the waist, and went to find something to eat in the kitchen. He was not yet halfway across the parlor when he noticed the door to his study was slightly ajar. Certain he had closed it, he quietly walked that way, gently pushed the door to the moonlit room open, and spotted the silhouette of a woman standing at the window. "Sassy?"
She quickly brushed her tears away, turned and curtsied. "Do forgive me, I dinna think anyone would find me here."
"What is it? Is someone making you unhappy?"
"Nay, everyone is wonderful…too wonderful." She couldn't help herself; the tears would not stop.
"Here, sit down and tell me what is wrong." He guided her to a chair, moved back, leaned against the front of his desk and folded his arms. With the moonlight on her face, she was very becoming and he wondered why he had not noticed that before.
"I am so sorry," she said, finally pulling herself together.
"I cannae imagine anything you have done wrong."
"I dinna know America was so far away. I left a little sister in the orphanage, and here I am in all this splendor…while she has little to eat. Please, Mr. Hannish, I have my pay now and I wish to go home."