I laughed but, as I did so, Mary’s brother crossed my mind once more. I imagined if what Bri and Blaire thought they knew about Hew was true, it had been quite some time since he’d been kissed as well. For some reason, I wished to be the person to change that for him. “Mary, would ye mind if I brought Hew some food to eat after the evening meal?”
She clucked her tongue at me, knowingly. “Ach, I knew there was a reason ye wished me to ask Hew to help with the decorations. Ye have taken a liking to him then, have ye?’
I reddened, something that seemed to be happening much more frequently. I didn’t like it one bit. “Well, what if I have?”
Mary laughed and looked down to concentrate on the bunch of stems in her hand. “Nothing, dear. It has been far too long since Hew has shared his company with another. Please, I would love for ye to take him his food. I doona like getting out in the snow anyway.”
“Will he be angry, do you think? I don’t want to upset him. I just thought perhaps I could bring some of the decorations that we didn’t use, and I could leave them for him to set up at the cottage. It would give him something to do and, with the snow still piled up, I don’t think he will be leaving us anytime soon.”
“Right ye are, lass, and he willna be angry at all. He’s a kind man, although I’ll admit that he is slow to warm. But once ye reach the man he really is, behind his shyness, why…” she paused smiling down at her wreath, “he’s a man worth getting to know.”
Chapter 10
The cottage stood silent in front of me. For a moment I feared he’d already gone to sleep for the evening, but the puppy I cradled underneath my arm let out a high-pitched yelp. Within seconds, the door to the cottage flew open.
“Ach, evening, Adelle. I feared for a moment there was a third pup who had found his way out of the snow, but I see ’tis only yer little fellow.”
“Ah, yes.” I paused and waved Arran away now that he’d dragged the small tree we’d just cut down in front of the cottage and helped me carry the food and decorations close to the door. “Thank you, Arran. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”
Arran called back to me over his shoulder as he turned and made his way through the darkness, leaving Hew and I alone. “Nay, there is no need, Adelle. Be careful on yer way back to the castle.”
I’d instructed him to leave as soon as he dropped off all of the items. I wanted a chance to be alone with the quiet, strange man, and I didn’t want to chance that he would ask Arran to stick around as well.
Not that I should’ve been concerned. With the look of surprise on Hew’s face, I wondered if I would even be invited inside. I lifted up the basket of food I held in my left hand as I set my pup down on the ground. He immediately ran inside the cottage to join his brother. “Um…Mary was busy so I told her I would bring you something to eat. I hope you don’t mind. I also,” I pointed to the items behind me, “brought some decorations. We had some left over from today, and I thought it would give you something to do, ya know, if you wanted to decorate the cottage for Christmas.”
He scrunched his brows together. I couldn’t tell if he was just confused or disgusted. I’d not given much thought to the fact that he was a man and probably didn’t give two flips about beautifying anything. I’d simply been trying to spread the cheer. “I…you don’t have to take the decorations. I can come back with Arran in the morning and get them. But at least take the food. I’ll just head back to the castle now.” I squatted awkwardly, whistling to my pup to come, but to no avail. The two brothers wrestled playfully on the floor with no intention of ending their little games anytime soon.
Hew surprised me by reaching out to put his hand on my shoulder. “Nay, lass, I shall enjoy the decorations. Please, come inside.”
He stepped aside to usher me in, and I immediately did so, running my hands up and down over my arms to warm myself.
“Come sit by the fire while I set the table. Surely ye are in no hurry to return to the castle. Why doona ye stay and eat with me? I’m sorry if I gave ye the feeling I wished for ye to leave. ’Twas simply that I was surprised by yer presence.”
“Oh.” I wanted to smack myself square in the forehead at my inability to speak like a grown woman in front of him. It was absolutely ridiculous. No man, not even Bri’s father, had the ability to render me speechless so completely.
“Did ye already eat, lass? If so, I shall wait until after ye have gone. Perhaps ye can at least warm yerself by the fire for a little while, aye?”
For someone so shy, he tried. I rewarded his efforts by appearing far less friendly than I actually was. I loved to talk and, by golly, I intended to do so. I sat my mind to acting human again before I opened my mouth. “No. I haven’t eaten.”
He stood and moved to the small table, laying out the spread I’d brought for him. “Come and join me, lass.”
* * *
We ate quietly. While I searched my mind for ideas of what I could speak to him about, each time I stopped myself short. He could sense my hesitation as sometimes I even uttered a syllable only to then stop talking. He took pity on me by speaking himself. “I apologize for the way I behaved when I opened the door. I am verra much accustomed to being all alone. Although I am a visitor here, visitors of me own are verra unexpected. Might I tell ye something?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
“It occurred to me that perhaps ye keep stopping yerself from speaking because ye are worried that I might notice the odd way in which ye speak.”
That had nothing to do with it, but I didn’t want to object when he obviously put so much thought into it. Instead, I remained silent and waited for him to continue. He did so shortly.
“I confess that I did take note of it when I first met ye, but ’twas only after Mary told me yer story about where and when ye came from that I understood. So doona worry, lass, I willna judge the way ye speak. I’m no so good at speaking with others meself.”
Surprised by his words, I smiled before speaking. Mary hadn’t lied. Her brother was a kind man. “How is it that you seem to have believed what Mary told you so easily? It is hard for even those of us who have experienced Morna’s magic to accept it.”
“Ach, ye have found yer voice. I am glad for it.” He smiled slightly.
If I’d been standing, I expect my knees would have grown weak at the beauty of it.
“I knew Morna when I was a child, and I grew up hearing stories of her powers. I know me sister well enough to know that she wouldna lie to me about such a matter. Besides, life is such that many things happen that we canna explain how or why they do. It must have been quite a change for ye to come here, aye?”
Our food was now gone, and I knew I would be expected to take my leave soon. “Yes, it was, but one I welcomed. With my daughter being here, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be, and I love it here very much.” I stood, pushing my chair in before walking to the door. “Why don’t I help you carry these things in then I’ll leave you be for the evening.”
The same unreadable look that had crossed his face earlier resurfaced, and I was afraid I’d somehow upset him. He cast his palm out in the direction of the empty room. “Are ye no going to stay and help me? It seems ye have brought enough to decorate an entire village, and I havena celebrated the holiday since I was a small child. I’m afraid I shallna know what to do with all of it on me own.”
I beamed and stepped out into the darkness so he wouldn’t see my reddened face. “Yes, I would love to.”
For someone that didn’t like the company of others, he seemed to be in no hurry to rid himself of mine.
* * *
The lass must still carry Morna’s magic with her for her to have such an effect on him. He’d been surprised by her slim presence at the door but was pleased to see her, blonde hair blowing wildly in the breeze, as she quickly sent Arran away. She wanted to be alone with him. While he wasn’t sure why, the thought made something deep within him warm for the first time in ages.
At first, Adelle had
seemed more nervous even than he felt, and it somehow helped to calm his nerves in the beauty’s presence. In fact, he felt very much himself with her and talked as freely as he did with anyone.
The lass’ shyness had not lasted long. After he’d asked her to stay and help him with the decorations, she’d talked with him at length, telling him grand stories of all that had happened at Conall Castle within the last months. Hew found himself for the first time wishing he had not stayed away from his homeland for so long.
When all that Adelle had brought him was set just as the lass would have it, he walked her back to the castle, his heart more sad than he would allow himself to admit that their evening together had come to an end.
“Thank you for allowing me to interrupt your evening. I hope I wasn’t too much of a bother.”
The lass was mad if she was unable to see how much he had enjoyed her company, but he suspected his feelings that he always kept locked deep away within him did not show clearly on his face as he sometimes wished they would.
He stared directly into her green eyes, so vibrant and alive that he couldn’t help but realize how little he’d allowed himself to truly live for far too many years. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, her pale face pink from standing out the cold. He wanted to do nothing more than warm them with the touch of his lips.
“Nay, lass, ye were no a bother at all. I had a wonderful time.”
Mustering all the courage he had left in him for the evening, he quickly leaned in to kiss her on her cheek. Turning before she could see his reaction, he marched back into the darkness, his heart beating faster than it had in decades.
Chapter 11
I left my bedchamber early the next morning to join everyone in the dining hall for breakfast, still high on the endorphins that had surged through me at the touch of Hew’s lips on my cheek the night before. I reminded myself repeatedly that it had only been the cheek, but it did nothing to push the giddy flurries away. What would I have done if he’d given me a proper kiss?
Visions of me pouncing him in the middle of the snow, begging him to take me right up against the castle wall flashed through my mind, and I shook my head in disgust. I was going to be a grandmother for goodness sakes.
But honestly, who was I kidding? If I expected that to turn me into a respectable, ‘normal’ woman in her fifties, I was sure to be disappointed. I’d always been a bit young on the inside, immature some would say, and I didn’t have hope that that would change any time soon. I’d given up on it ages before.
I walked into the dining hall, and I was sure my eyes widened in surprise at seeing Hew sitting at the table alongside everyone else. Doing my best to hide my shock, I sat at my usual place at the table and turned to listen to Eoin, who was addressing the table.
“Are ye finished with yer meal, lads? If so, let us be on our way. I’m no so inclined to leave Bri’s side, but she was verra insistent that we make this trip.”
Bri nodded and waved him off, patting her stomach with her other hand. “Yes, I was. Be gone, all of you, and have a wonderful time. The baby seems content where it is. I’m certain it will be days until the birth.”
“Where are you going?” I’d obviously missed the front of this conversation, but regardless, I was not one willing to be left out of the loop.
Bri responded from across the table. “Since Christmas Eve is only days away, the men are leaving us for a few days to go on a hunt. Hew has agreed to stay with us until after the holiday. He’s going to help them on the hunt. Mary says he is a fine shot with an arrow.”
“Wonderful. Are you boys certain you trust us to have free run of the castle while you’re away?”
Eoin laughed as the other men rose from their places at the table. “Oh Adelle, ye all have free run as it is now, do ye no?”
I had nothing to say to that. He was right. We most certainly all did exactly as we wished. Headstrong women filled Conall Castle.
As they prepared to leave, Hew walked from around the table to stand at my side, carrying his puppy that had been hidden underneath the table at his feet.
“Will ye watch over him for me while I am away, lass?” He sat him next to my pup, and they instantly began gnawing at each other’s faces playfully. “They seem quite attached to one another.”
I grinned, nodding emphatically. I was so pleased and surprised to see that he’d decided to join the men on their hunt. “Of course. I’ll take excellent care of him.”
“Aye, I’m sure ye will, lass.”
He turned and left without bidding farewell to anyone else in the room, even Mary, and I could almost see the steam coming from her ears.
* * *
“What did ye do to him last night, Adelle? Ye are the hussy I always thought ye were, are ye no? Why, ye have gone and soiled me brother the first evening ye spend alone with him!”
Mary had waited all of five seconds after the men had left the dining hall to tear into me, and my mouth fell open in response to her attack. “What? Are you mad? Of course I didn’t! But even if I had, he wouldn’t have been ‘soiled.’ He was married once before, was he not? I didn’t do anything to him, save talk his ear off. He was very kind to put up with my presence.”
I watched as Mary’s face changed from one of anger to sheer surprise. “So ye swear to me then, ye dinna bed him?”
Whatever anger that had faded from Mary had moved into me. “Mary, if I weren’t afraid you would knock me flat onto my ass, I’d be half tempted to throttle you right now. It is absolutely none of your business what I did with your brother.”
“So ye did then?”
Bri and Blaire glanced nervously at one another, and I could tell they wondered if they must stand in between us to keep us from attempting to strangle one another. Both of us needed to calm down. “No, I did no such thing, Mary.”
“Oh.” Mary stood and walked around the room as if trying to accept my words as truth.
“Oh, is right. You should feel mighty ashamed of yourself for assuming such a thing.” I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms to show my frustration.
“Mom, in Mary’s defense, Hew is her brother, and it’s not as if what she accused you of would be completely unheard of with you.”
I shot Bri a look that must have been frightening for she sank down into her chair and didn’t say another word as we all waited for Mary to say something else.
Eventually, she exhaled exaggeratedly and moved to resume her seat at the table. “Well, if ye dinna bed him, me brother must fancy the oddest of women, because he’s mighty taken with ye.”
“Why do you say that?” My face warmed, and I reached up to fan myself. At least at this age, I could pass any sudden redness off to hormones.
“I all but begged him to join us as ye bid me to do yesterday, and he would no come. He spends one evening in yer company, and he shows up at the castle this morning without being asked. He’s always welcome o’course, but ’tis shocking behavior from him, Adelle. He even suggested the hunt. He went to Eoin early this morning and told him that he thought he’d found some great places for hunting on his way here.”
“Is that so?” I looked down at myself. Damn the lack of air conditioning in this century.
Bri smiled and pointed at my face. “Mom, you’re blushing. You like him, don’t you?”
She skated on thin ice this morning. “Yes, I do but I am not blushing. I’m far too old to blush. It’s just very warm in here is all. I think I’m having a hot flash.”
Blaire spoke up, ganging up on me with Bri. “Nay, Adelle. ’Tis no warm in here at all. I doona believe ye are having a flash of warmth. I think Bri is right, ye’re blushing.”
“Why don’t the two of you just bugger off?” I stood and left the dining hall so that I could find some cold water to splash on my face.
Chapter 12
They’d stayed close to the castle, finding shelter for them and their horses in the village, but the hunt had done them all good. Hew was accustomed t
o spending his days working hard on his land. He didn’t like being cooped up in the confines of the small cottage each day.
He’d wanted to learn more about Adelle while away but had hoped he would be able to keep his growing feelings for her a secret. He’d been completely unsuccessful. It seemed all of the men had assumed his sudden eagerness to join in the castle activities had something to do with her.
As they made their way to their rooms in the inn they’d rented for the evening, Arran nudged him in the ribs as if they’d known one another forever. “Did ye enjoy Adelle’s company last night? Ye must have, for I know I was unable to convince ye to step inside the castle walls.”
Hew couldn’t lie to him. Just the thought of her made something deep within his chest hum with an excitement he’d thought himself no longer capable of feeling. “Aye, lad. I verra much enjoyed the time we spent together.”
“And ye find her a bonny looking lass, do ye no?”
The lad was forward, but Hew expected it was how he was with everyone. Arran didn’t seem the kind of man to mince his words no matter who he found himself in the company of. “Aye, she’s as beautiful a lass as I ever have seen. Do ye know her well, Arran?”
“Aye. I’ve spent much of the last year with her. She’s wonderful, a little more forthright with her words than most lasses, but I wouldna have her any other way. Mary, Blaire, and Bri are much the same way, so perhaps that is why I doona mind her so much. I find fiery lasses to be the best company.”
“Nay, I doona mind it either. Me wife was verra much like that. She always said whatever came to her mind. ’Twas a treasure to be with a woman I never had to wonder what she was thinking.” Hew smiled, slightly surprised at himself. It was the first time he’d spoken of his wife in years that sadness hadn’t crept into his heart.
Morna's Legacy: Box Set #1 Page 45
