He finished his last log and rested the axe on the ground to lean on the handle while he looked her over.
"Ye look rested. I thought ye were going to sleep well past the noon hour."
She looked more than rested. Her lovely auburn-tinted hair curled around her shoulders and stirred with the breeze behind her, now and again blowing a strand to annoy her dark brown eyes. Reaching up, she unconsciously flicked it back only to have to do it again in a few breaths.
One thing for sure, he may not have picked her to be his bride, but he had to admit she was the most beautiful lass he'd seen since his unfaithful Elspeth. His teeth clamped together and he blinked.
They were complete opposites. Elspeth had been small with blue eyes, light skin and blond hair; Elyne was tall with dark eyes and hair, and sun-kissed skin.
Turning his back to her, he pretended he had drawn a black curtain over his memories and willed them to disappear. He went over to the water and splashed his face, head and chest. The water was cold. What little sunlight filtered through was not enough to warm it. He'd cleared a space about twelve paces wide to make it easier to get into the water.
He looked forward to swimming after his body cooled and he'd broken his fast. Hopefully, there was still something for him to eat. He wouldn't put it past her to throw it out the window if she was still vexed about last eve's meal.
His hands stopped to rub thoughtfully over his face. Was he foolish to leave the food unattended? What if she'd already eaten and had dosed the rest with one of her nasty herbs? He couldn't let her know he was uneasy, for she would get pleasure from it. He snorted, disgusted with himself. She was a woman, after all, not a warrior he had to fear.
He straightened and wiped the water from his arms. Elyne was throwing a stick for Squat to fetch, but he sensed she'd been watching him. She turned and started walking back to the lodge. He would leave the firewood until after he'd eaten. Once he fetched it, he would be ready for a swim.
Watching Elyne's hips sway gracefully over uneven ground, he pictured her unclothed, her dark curls falling down her spine to rest on her creamy buttocks. He'd thought of her when he cleared the area, making it wide enough to stretch a blanket over the leaves. Before the sennight was over, he intended to make love to her there.
Elyne glanced back over her shoulder and saw the brainless look men get when their cockstand was about to burst through their kilts! She skidded to a halt and shoved her hands on her hips, looking pointedly at the evidence.
"Ye had best forget what ye are thinking!"
"Ye are a vain one. What makes ye think it was ye who entered my thoughts?"
"Nay? Then I hope your memories are keen enough to give ye comfort!"
"Aye, they are most keen, so I would thank ye to turn yer back and let my hands and memories comfort me in privacy!"
"Huh!"
Elyne's chin lifted as she swished her skirts and walked faster until she reached the door. Before he got to the bottom step, it slammed in his face.
His cockstand died a shameful death.
Graemme waited outside for a goodly time—time enough for her to believe he had comforted himself but not too long to make her think he'd had trouble finding fulfillment.
"Ye had best get all the frowning and door slamming out of yer mind whilst we are here."
She stood in the center of the room tapping her foot and looking about to explode.
"What do ye mean?"
"Dratted Lucifer's pickled eyeballs, lass. If ye keep scowling all the time, yer face will forget any other expression. By the end of the sennight, people will truly believe I'm wedding an old crone with wrinkles from the top of her hair to her chin!"
She frowned all the harder, then the words seemed to sink in. He could see she mulled over his words for she stopped scowling and reached up to feel over her face.
"There's a new wrinkle right here," he said and put a fingertip between her brows. "Ack! In fact, there are two. One for each eye."
"Ye lie!"
Elyne pulled away and turned her back. He could tell from her movements that she felt for the telltale wrinkles.
"Rub them with mud paste. The women at Clibrick do such when they start to show their age. Ye possibly played the crone so often yer face decided to change early."
Graemme kept his features straight though he wanted to chuckle. Not a woman in Scotland was immune to fearing the ravages of time. He saw she worried by the way she stayed stony-faced when she turned.
"Bad humors also cause creases to form beneath the eyes."
He shook his head hinting he noted a change there, too. Her hands twitched, but she didn't allow them to feel her face again. He pretended to ignore it.
"Come, if we dinna break our fast now, I will drop from hunger."
Keeping his back turned, he spooned enough porridge to fill each bowl near to the top. Placing them on the table, he laid a spoon by each.
"I think I saw an earthenware crock of honey and one of butter beside the window. Likely, it keeps them cool."
Still not looking at her, he went to fetch them and placed them between the two bowls. He pulled out a chair and waited until she sat before he went to his own.
"I hope ye notice how helpful I'm being. Yer father never said yer age, but I reckoned ye must be getting up in years for him to worry so about yer future."
"I am much younger than ye are," she scoffed.
"Uh huh. It's what yer father said."
Graemme poured ample honey and spooned butter atop his food then licked his lips. Every spoonful he took, he savored as he would a gift from the gods. As hungry as he was, it wasn't hard to do. After the first bite, he knew she hadn't done any nasty tricks to the food, for she ate the same thing.
"Dinna expect me to have porridge made every morn ye decide to sleep in. From now on, ye will prepare all the food. I will do the hunting."
She gave him a disgusted look and kept on eating.
"I saw near six hares this morn while I was chopping wood. Curious creatures. They didna even seem afeard of Squat."
He looked down at the dog and put his bowl on the floor for him to finish.
"Dinna think to sneak away, though, lass. Ye slept so long I had ample time to set some snares around the grounds. I'd hate to think of ye dangling in the air until I returned."
"Heh! Ye think I am chicken-brained enough to believe ye and will stay cowering in this room until ye return?"
"Test me and find out for yerself."
Chapter 21
Elyne paced around the big room until she was near dizzy. She had nothing to occupy her mind, so she decided she may as well make her bed. How hard could it be? Pull up the sheets and blankets, flop the pillows atop them and she was done. He could take care of his own bedding.
The idea made her grin until she tripped over the corner of his pillow and landed on her face. She thanked God for the furs on the floor else, she'd have had a nasty bruise.
Mayhap even a broken nose.
'Twas not necessary to fold his blanket, for he never used it. The fool slept bare arsed and seemed to enjoy the cold. A grin played with her lips. After he was fast asleep this night, she would open the shutters and let the cold air sweep through the room. Let's see how hale and hearty he was then! She put the blanket and pillow at the foot of her bed and looked around.
She found washing the bowls was no great chore after she put her own bowl down and had Squat clean it. A quick swish with a cloth and soap and her 'chores' were done.
"Come, Squat. 'Tis too lovely a day to stay inside." She patted her leg and the dog followed her out to the lean-to.
The door was open on the small room at the end of the shelter. There were tools stacked against the walls and a fresh bale of hay. Everything for caring for a horse was inside. In the far corner, two buckets were stacked together. They looked in much better shape than the one he'd brought her to use.
Carefully, in case they were spiders inside, she leaned over to check their condi
tion. No spiders of any kind, no webs showing the critters had been there! In face, nothing disgusting at all. Why, the randy goat had brought her the bucket used to clean the manure out of the stalls! No wonder it was so foul.
She would bide her time, but he'd find she didn't take kindly to his treatment of her. Leaving everything as she had found it, she wandered over to the pool. The water was calm and clear. She began thinking of the wrinkles he spoke about. Could they be true?
She lifted the hems of her clothing and fastened them high on her waist. Elyne approached the water, testing the ground with each footfall. It was solid, thank the heavens. Getting down on her knees, she peered at the reflection of herself. The light wasn't strong enough for her to tell. Was there a wrinkle between her brows? Or had the water moved? She gasped, for she was sure she saw more wrinkles around her eyes and lips!
Hopping up, she near ran back to the room and got a bowl. Someone had planted flowers around a big Spruce tree and they bloomed. The dirt looked black and rich there. Using a spoon, she half filled the bowl with dirt, took it inside and added enough water to make it thick so it would dry easily. Without anything to look in, she used her fingers to take small gobs of mud and spread it between her eyes.
Hesitating, she looked at the dark mud.
"If a little is good, a lot should be better," she muttered. She scooped most of it out and spread over the rest of her face.
After she finished, she dumped the remainder of the mud outside and washed out the bowl.
"Come, Squat, let's find some sun to sit in"
She and the dog found a tree to lean against. As the sun dried the mud, she could feel her face tighten. She tried not to talk to the dog too much, for the mud cracked and crumbled to her lap. He kept looking back at her and sniffing her hand. She guessed to reassure himself she was still there beneath the wrinkle treatment.
The sun made her sleepy and soon her eyes closed.
o0o
Graemme was far more successful than he thought he'd be and had brought down three hares in a very short time. He expected Elyne would still be in the lodge, perhaps taking a light sleep after she'd broken her fast. But there she was slumped against a tree, snoring as loud as any blacksmith.
With mud on her face! She'd taken the bait, but didn't think he'd know. He half wanted to go back into the woods and wait until she awoke and washed the disgusting stuff off. He would have, but Squat decided to greet him with barks shrill enough to wake the dead.
Elyne jerked upright. Her eyelids fluttered but had a hard time opening. Finally, the mud broke and she brushed it away. With a horrified look at him, she jumped up and whirled to turn her back.
Graemme knew better than to do it, but he couldn't stop laughing.
"Ye big blob of moat scum! Ye lied to me, didna ye!"
He tried to stifle his laugh, but the harder he tried, the madder she became. She turned and dashed for the pool. He followed, not wanting her to go in before he'd tested it for submerged tree branches and things which could snag her hair and keep her below the water.
By the time he reached her, she'd whipped her clothing over her head and threw it on a rock. Sunlight came through and lit her body in a glorious golden glow.
Except for her face.
"Keep the Hades away from me, ye pox-minded buffoon!"
Graemme could swear she had tears in her eyes, for they glistened more than ever. He felt shameful as the lowlife she'd called him. Before he could stop her, she went further out on the rock and did a low dive into the water. He threw down his catch and jerked off his boots, ready to jump in to save her. Fortunately, she surfaced quickly, unharmed.
"Ye should not swim in waters where they have not been tested!"
"Tested? I'm sure my brothers swam here many times. And dinna speak to me!"
She turned her back and swam to the middle of the pool, refusing to look at him. The mud stained the water as she swam until it was gone. Her hair lost its pins and floated out behind her covering her lovely back down to the dimples on her buttocks. He tore off the rest of his clothes and followed her.
"Keep away from me, else I'll skewer ye in yer sleep!"
Whenever he came close, she dove under the water and changed direction.
Surprisingly, she was one of the best swimmers he had ever seen. He hated to admit it, but she swam better than he did. Once he saw he would be unable to catch her, he washed from head to toe, using sand to clean the filth off his arms and chest. When done, he heaved himself up on a rock, shook himself and sat in the sun. He'd wait until she tired and came out of the water.
'Twas then he thought to look at Squat. Graemme shot up.
"Blasted Lucifer's minion! Little hellhound! Ye've ruined the hare!"
Squat stopped tearing at the dead hare's leg and looked at him. He was thoroughly sated, for he shoved the side of a leg out of his mouth, yawned as heartily as any man and put his head on his paws for another nap.
Elyne snorted a laugh and swam close to the shore.
"The great hunter canna protect his game from one little dog? Any halfling knows ye dinna leave fresh game on the ground for the hounds to pick up."
"And any halfwit knows ye dinna put mud on yer face and bake it like a mud pie,"
Graemme had replied without thinking. He groaned as soon as the words left his lips. So far, their getting to know and like each other was suffering a sad fate. One look at her face and he knew he'd ruined everything he'd done since coming here.
Her eyes were icy with haughty contempt. 'Twas enough to chill him to the marrow of his bones. He thought of the weapons over the fireplace. If she pulled the table close and stood on it, she could easily reach them. He'd be wise to sleep with a shield over his body.
If he'd had one with him.
No doubt, she was as good at archery and swords as she was at swimming and riding astride. He cursed Chief Broccin. He knew as if she'd told him she'd secretly trained with Moridac and Ranald as youths.
He could no longer trust her during the night. When they settled to sleep, he would do as they'd told him. Tie her ankle to him so he'd know whenever she moved.
Graemme washed and salvaged what he could of his hunt, which was most of two hares, and let Squat finish gnawing on his prize. He would have to go out again tomorrow and hopefully find grouse. He was tired of eating hare since he left Clibrick.
Elyne stayed in the water and swam to work off her anger. She was not used to anyone making a fool of her. She didn't like the feeling. Ignoring the man on shore, she wished he'd go away.
When he glanced toward her, hesitated then went back to the lodge with the meat, he fulfilled her wish.
Seeing more smoke than usual coming from the chimney, she knew he'd built up the fire to cook the hares.
Taking her time, she got out of the cold water and stretched out on a rock. The sun would dry her. She near fell asleep again. Last eve she slept lightly, forever aware Graemme was too close for comfort on the floor. How could she trust a man who had a cockstand most of the night? Now, more than ever, she couldn't believe him. She should have known better than to have fallen for his tale. She felt her face and wondered if the mud would cause her to break out or something equally as ghastly. She near gagged, thinking there could have been worms in the mud.
Well, she would have her revenge when he least expected it.
o0o
While the hare roasted, she put water on to boil and added some turnips and carrots. Both were silent. They still had more than half a loaf of bread, so she placed it close to the fire to let it warm and make the crust crispy. Graemme kept quietly turning the spit, not wanting the meat to overcook on one side and be rare on the other.
When the food was ready, they both picked up a pewter plate and goblet. Graemme took a skin of wine out of the food locker and poured it into both their goblets. He carved the meat and looked up at her.
"Do ye prefer the upper parts or the leg meat?"
"Either is fine."
&
nbsp; He gave her generous portions of both. She spooned out a turnip and several carrots and sat down to eat.
"The forest is filled with woodland creatures. Perhaps tomorrow I can bring down some grouse."
"Do ye fancy yerself enough of a hunter to put an arrow through a wily grouse?"
"Aye" He held a leg in his hand and bit off a chunk of meat. A little of the juice ran from the corner of his lip down to his chin. He used the back of his hand to wipe it away.
She gave him a scornful look.
He raised his brow at her.
The tension in the room was enough to strike sparks. She kept silent and was thankful to see the sun setting. Some type of married life they would have if they couldn't stand to be in the same room with each other!
'Twas a shame, for he was better looking than most men. In fact, she couldn't think of anyone who was more pleasing to look at than him. Other than the men in her own family, and his brother Magnus, of course. From what she'd seen of the man they called Magnus the Ruthless, he seemed far more agreeable in his disposition than Graemme.
Graemme thought about the day and wished he could take back what he'd said to her in anger. He had never treated a woman so harshly afore. But this woman seemed to nettle him at every turn. She forever scowled and never tried to be pleasant as other women did. Why, half the women of Clibrick tried to snare him for their bed partners.
How had the fates selected this one woman to fall into his lap? For truth. She hated the very thought of marriage to him, and here he was forced to marry her in a few days.
By the time Ranald arrived for them, he'd be lucky if they were both able to stand and walk around! He stole a quick glance up at the weapons on the wall.
Should he take them down and hide them in the woods?
At nightfall, when he stepped outside to give her privacy to bathe and prepare for bed, he stood outside the door. His hearing was keen, and when he heard her soft footsteps immediately approach the door, he opened it so quickly it near knocked her over.
Surrender Page 21
