A shout from the house disturbed him, and he jerked upright, scrambling to his feet as Willy raced towards him, his red hair flying.
“The cellar’s on fire!” he shouted.
Fook, Aihan!
Galvanised, Col ran towards him and the boy turned to join him as they raced back to the house, where, sure enough, smoke was billowing out the entrance to the cellar. Fergus and the boys had formed a bucket chain from the trough and pump into the cellar entrance. Fergus appeared through the smoke just then at the top of the steps, a neckcloth wrapped round his face to block the smoke.
Seeing Col, he blinked red eyes and said hoarsely, “Do ye have the key? I cannae get the lassie oot!”
“Aye, I’ll fetch her,” said Col, tying his neckcloth round his face and diving down the steps. His hand reached for the key in his pocket. The smoke was thick and made his eyes sting as he tried to breathe shallowly, his heart beating hard in his chest.What has the little wretch done? Set fire to the mattress?
When he reached the cell, that was obviously what had happened. Fergus was close behind him with another bucket; he’d been dousing the mattress with water, but hadn’t been able to reach the furthest parts, which were still alight. The cell was filled with smoke, and he could just make out Aihan lying on the floor in the corner.
Shite!He fumbled with the lock and got it open. Swinging the door wide, he dived through and gathered her up. Leaving Fergus to deal with the mattress, he headed for the stairs up to the kitchen and thence to his bed chamber, where he laid her on his bed and checked her pulse.
She is still alive!The relief that coursed through him made his knees go weak. He dropped onto the bed beside her and patted her face gently.
“Lass, wake up, ye’re safe. Wake up lassie!”
She took a sudden deep breath and coughed, opening her eyes and blinking up at him. He fetched a glass of water and offered it to her as she continued to cough helplessly for severalminutes. Eventually she took it and sipped as the coughing subsided.
“What were ye thinking, lass?” he asked, not expecting to be understood. His heart had settled back into his chest, but the fright she’d given him was still causing ripples over his skin. He ought to be furious with her. If the fire hadn’t been stopped so quickly, she could have burnt the house down, as well as killed herself. But his predominant emotion right now was just relief that she was alright.
Fergus appeared at the door, wheezing. “The fire’s oot!”
“Thank ye, Fergus. Are ye well, man?”
“Aye—when I’ve coughed up a lung—no doubt I’ll be—fine!” he said, his words punctuated by hacking coughs. When he could speak again, he nodded at the bed. “She do it deliberately, ye think?”
“Almost certainly.” Col looked down at her, exasperated. “Ye coulda killed yerself, lassie!”
The only response he got was more coughing. Her eyes and nose were streaming, and he fetched her a handkerchief which she took with a grateful half-smile.
“Where are the lads?” he asked Fergus.
“I left ’em cleanin’ up the mess.”
“Good. If they find her satchel intact, have it brought up here. It is all she has.”
“Aye.” Fergus frowned. “What ye meanin’ to do wi’ her now?”
“I’m not sure,” murmured Col.
“Humph!” Fergus’s tone of disapproval wasn’t lost on him. “Best let her go, lad, she’s trouble,” he grumbled.
“Aye, ye’re nae wrong, Fergus,” he admitted.Trouble I can do without, yet . . .
How he could respond to Aihan’s blatant seduction with such visceral desire, he couldn’t fathom. The tender passion he felt with Cat had not been like that.
Whether it was because Aihan had such an otherworldly allure, or he had just been alone for too long and his body was craving touch, he didn’t know. But he couldn’t deny the powerful need she evoked in him; she was as dangerous as she was fascinating. And hewasfascinated by her, he realised.
He should let her go. She wanted to leave. Let her. Let her walk out if his life and leave him in peace. Yet he knew the damage was already done. The lid was off Pandora’s box. His body was awake in a way that wouldn’t leave him in peace. She had snared him like a rabbit.
And he still feared what her intentions towards his brother were. He would not allow her to hurt Merlow. The man might be mystifyingly strange to him, but he was his little brother, and he loved him.
He sighed and wiped his face with the neckcloth he’d pushed down round his neck. It came away sooty.
Aihan was sooty too; she would need a bath.
