themarquessofislay:
“Mah accent is real.” Kenneth argued. He stood straight and puffed out his chest. Many language tutors attempted to rid him of what they deemed a speech problem, with little success. That’s not how a future Marquess should sound, they would say. "Ah coods nae feign it, e'en if Ah tried.“ He mumbles the last line.
The hand in front of him was surprising. "Ah am supposed tae dae th’ offerin’.” Jane was the first girl to try to be different that Kenneth met. She did not try to be the proper lady. It was equally fascinating and confusing. Perhaps it is what led to him following her around as a child.
Kenneth chuckled at her statement. "Ye lack th’ clan accent, but yer feit may ken th’ steps. Dinnae greit tae me when ye stumble.“ Kenneth took her hand and led her to the center of the garden. "A barn jink isnae tay difficult. First,” Kenneth leads her through the steps, trying not to laugh as she hops and adds a step to each three-step dance. It takes a few minutes for her to adjust to the casual form of dancing. “Very guid. We return tae th’ ballroom hauld, then ye skip tae yer right fur tois steps, an’ we come back tae the hauld.” Kenneth takes a step back, a proud smile on his face. “We might make a Scot ay ye.”
“You say that, but I’d have no way of knowing if it was true or not. You’re devilishly clever. I know your mother sent you to very good schools, and if I know anything about good schools, they absolutely hate anyone being different.” Her own school had been good in that sense at least. “You could do anything you set your mind to. You tricked me into jumping into the loch and I wouldn’t have thought anyone could do that.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “Yes, and then I would be waiting the rest of the night. I’m titled now, I’m going to be terribly bossy. Manners haven’t gotten me very much up until now. Have they done well by you?”
Jane pretended to have no idea what he’d said. “Je suis desolee, Monsieur, je ne comprends pas.” Following the dance moves he was providing, she kept up, stumbling over the steps only a little. It was easier when no one else was watching. “If you call me a Sassenach, I shall steal your cattle and burn your castle to the ground.”













