Highland Light by Cherime MacFarlane

they might wash bedding and air the keep. Now that spring had finally arrived, it was time to clean their home.
    She was tired of the musty smell of the hall. New rushes and a good scrubbing would keep her busy. She wanted her menfolk to have a few days of comfort before they left. Clean beds and clothing would be something they would be doing without for a long time.
    Edeen's young son, Dallas, had accompanied Edeen. Ailene put him to work as well. She set him to minding the fire under the big wash kettle. The kettle was outside well away from the kitchen door but close to the burn. The burn tumbled down the side of the rocky outcrop where the keep sat. Having the wash kettle close to the burn made it easier to heat the wash water.
    Ailene and Iseabal filled the big kettle with water. Dallas kept the fire Ailene had started beneath the big tub burning. The wash tub was located in a stone enclosure closed on three sides. It was set on top of a low wall, which allowed the water to be heated by a fire from the bottom. In winter it could be enclosed when necessary.
    They shaved soap into the hot water, stirring constantly so it would dissolve. Ailene's mother had brought the art of soap making to the MacGrough clan when she had married Cadell. She had acquired the recipe from Ailene's grandmother.
    Wherever it had come from, Ailene was happy to have it. Having the herb scented soap made the whole process so much easier. The prospect of beating the dirt out of all the bedding and clothing was daunting.
    Ailene would have much preferred being out on the practice field honing her archery skills. That would have to wait until a later date. For now there were many chores she put off when she and her father had traveled to the southwest coast. Some things would wait. There were other things, which refused to be put off any longer. Ailene attacked the laundry with a will. The sooner it was finished the less it would prey on her mind.
    By mid afternoon, the surrounding bushes were draped with all manner of clothing. The bedding had already dried and was back on the beds. Ailene had pressed Cait, Iver's wife and Fla, Dalziel's wife into service.
    The old rushes had been scraped out of the hall. Ailene had a use for the still hot wash water. She had Dallas carry buckets of the old wash water into the hall. She tossed the soapy water across the floor. With a wooden shovel kept for the purpose, she scraped the floor of the winter's leavings. Cait and Fla came behind her with rags, wiping down the stone floor behind her.
    When Gideon and her father would have entered the hall by the front door, she chased them to the kitchen.
    "Awa wa ye! Let be! The thing needs to dry afore ye can come back in here."
    Cadell took Gideon's shoulder.
    "Come along lad. It's best we behave."
    Gideon chuckled as he followed Cadell to the back of the house. Gideon dunked his sweat soaked head into the burn. The cold water felt good, so he splashed water over his torso as well. Cadell followed his example. Gideon took advantage of the moment to investigate the wash shed, the burn and the area where the house sat on the outcropping. He wondered if it might be possible to have a passage dug from the storeroom at the back of the kitchen, which would exit behind the wash shed. A trail cut into the side of the rocky out crop which led upward into the forest beyond would give some possibility of escape.
    Cadell listened to his idea then the two men went to look at the store room floor. The floor was of wood. Cadell explained to Gideon that the rock outcropping had been too rough to level without a great deal of work. When Gideon asked if it might be possible to get people through the uneven areas, Cadell allowed that it might. They would need to tear up the storeroom floor in order to find out. They decided that was best left to Ailene as she would be the one in charge of construction.
    The two men decided to sit in the sun while they waited on Ailene to finish with the