Sàmhach, the Silent One
Copyright© 2026 by CaptainPig
Chapter 10
Glossary
Ban-tràill (BAN-trail) bondmaid, female who has sworn life-time service to another
Tràill (trail) bondman, male who has sworn life-time service to another
Wapun Ban-tràill Dorrie (WAH-pun, means Dawn) Bondmaid to Dorrie
Hurït Ban-tràill Dorrie (HU-rït, means Beautiful) Bondmaid to Dorrie
Linsey-woolsey is a twill or plain-woven fabric woven with a linen warp and a woollen weft.
mo mhic (mo VHIC) my son
Ainslie woke me from my sleep, saying “Màistir, it is the sixth hour of the morning clock. Breakfast will be served at the seventh hour.”
At some time during the night, the girls had left and when I woke up, I was laying on the couch covered with a light blanket.
I sleepily made my way into the bathing chamber, colliding with only two or three doorways on the way, and undressed. The hot water in the Duschbad finished waking me the rest of the way. When I was done washing, Ainslie was there to hand me a towel. I dried myself and Ainslie held open a soft robe made of toweling for me to put on.
In the wardrobe, I found that Ainslie had laid out clothes for me to put on. I dressed and then examined myself in the mirror. I certainly looked different than I was used to seeing myself.
I was wearing a white shirt with a stand-up collar, billowing sleeves and tight buttoned cuffs, a sleeveless waistcoat of black wool with two rows of brass buttons and a kilt in the McKerr tartan. Thick patterned knit socks came up to my knees, secured with garters with McKerr flashes on them, and a pair of polished black half boots shod my feet.
Ainslie put a belt around my waist. On the right hip was a holster which held the revolving pistol that had been Tàmhas’s. My dirk was on the left. A sporran pouch was suspended below the buckle.
Ainslie led me downstairs and to a small family style dining room near the kitchen. As I entered, my girls greeted me.
They were similarly dressed in white blouses with puffed sleeves and pleated skirts with hems that were just above mid-thigh. Only the color of their skirts varied. Gwen wore dark green, Judith crimson, Katy sky blue, Bride midnight blue, Bet a pale lavender, Ásbjörg a pale yellow and Birgit a color that I later learned was called burnt orange. They were wearing silk stockings and ankle high button boots with high heels of one, two or three inches height. The shorter the girl, the taller her heels were, so that they all stood at nearly the same height.
Seanair was dressed almost identically to me, armed with a claidheamh beag as well as pistol and dirk. I was more than a little surprised to see him wearing a sword to breakfast. Seeing my look, he explained, “Officers of the United Provinces Forces, serving or retired, always wear swords to show their instant readiness to defend the nation at any moment.”
The way Seanmhair Dorrie was dressed shocked me greatly. She was wearing a tightly laced red velvet bodice or corset that barely covered her nipples and pressed her breasts up and together to form a deep cleavage. It left her arms and shoulders bare. The sides of this garment were at least three inches apart in the back, only the lacing strings covered her spine. Her skirt was ankle length; it was slit to the hip on the left. Every time she moved, her leg was exposed to the hip. Her stockings and boots were like those the girls were wearing.
Seanair said, “Let’s all take our seats.” He held the chair for Seanmhair Dorrie. Following his example, I seated each of my girls.
Seanair was seated at the head of the table with Seanmhair Dorrie on his right. Bride, Judith and Bet sat to her right down the table. Gwen sat to Seanair’s left with Katy to her left, then Birgit and then Ásbjörg, putting her to my right as I sat at the foot of the table facing Seanair. Gwen was positioned so that she could see both me Judith and provide a voice to our signing as well as interpreting for Judith.
Dorrie told Netta to have breakfast served. Two twentyish Kickapoo women wearing only collars and dresses so short that the bottoms of their buttocks were exposed when they bent over put plates of scrambled eggs, ham, shredded and fried potatoes and sliced fruit at each place. They offered us tea or fruit juice to drink.
One of them had her hair in two waist length braids on the sides of her head. “This is Wapun Ban-tràill Dorrie,” Seanair said, introducing her.
The other had all of her hair gathered into a single braid which ran down her back nearly to her knees.
“This is Hurït Ban-tràill Dorrie,” Seanmhair Dorrie said. As Hurït put Seanmhair’s plate at her place, Seanmhair ran her fingers up the inside of her thigh and then slid them through her pussy lips. Hurït giggled and swished her skirt as she left the room.
We had a pleasant breakfast, with Seanmhair Dorrie leading a light conversation about the house and staff. She called the head cook, Hannelore by name, into the dining room and introduced her to all of us. Hannelore told us to call her ‘Cook’.
Cook explained that she had two assistant cooks, one full time baker and half a dozen scullery maids who did the prep and washed all of the dishes and pots and pans. In addition to feeding the family and any guests, they also fed the house armsmen and all of the staff.
Cook asked us to tell her if we had any foods that we especially liked or disliked, so that she could prepare meals that met our tastes.
Seanmhair Dorrie promised to introduce us to the rest of the staff as their schedules permitted.