“I am not being critical of your abilities. What Iam trying to say is that a big part of the keeper’s job had to dowith taking care of the pilgrims that come here in the betterweather.”
He watched Tess crouch before the ewe lying in thegrass.
“What are you going to do when people arrive lookingfor food and shelter? You told me yourself that most of them arevery ill. Now, how are you going to help them when you are hidingin some cave across the island?” He didn’t give her a chance toanswer. “And if youwereto show your face and try to helpthem, how long do you think it will take before the news reachesthe abbot at St. Andrew’s?”
Her head was bent over the pregnant ewe. She pushedsome oats toward the animal, but Makyn turned her head away. Tessdidn’t seem to have heard much of what Colin had been telling her.The rain was starting to fall harder again, and the wind waspicking up. The hood of Tess’s cloak was pushed back and her hairwas gleaming from the rain. But despite it all, she was obliviousto everything but the animal before her.
Colin crouched beside her and pulled the hood overher hair. He saw the slight tremble of Tess’s chin. “What is wrongwith her?”
“I think she is ready to lamb.”
“Now?”
“’Tis nature’s way.”
The sky overhead opened and buckets of rain startedpouring down. “Isn’t this something they do…on their own?”
She gave a hesitant nod but didn’t move.
“How long before…before she is done?”
Tess shrugged. “It could be minutes, hours, ordays.”
“Well, you are not sitting here and holding her footfor days.”
As if to contradict him, Tess settled more closelyagainst the animal and draped her cloak over the ewe. In a moment,the rain had soaked her dress.
“If ‘tis dying that you wish to inflict on yourself,then why not just walk to the west cliffs and jump into thesea.”
“That would be committing a sin,” she whisperedabsently, focusing on the sheep.
“Then why not let me walk over there with you, andIcan push you over the edge.”
“I already know that you won’t do that.” She gavehim a smile that went right to his heart. “Colin, I cannot leaveher here in the middle of this storm. Something is not right withher.”
Colin considered pulling her to her feet and forcingher back to the priory house. It was so much easier to play thebully than to reason with a strong-willed woman. But her simplecomment that she knew he wouldn’t hurt her had touched him deeply.More than it should have.
Frustrated, he pushed himself to his feet andglanced around. “Would you be happy if she were settled in some dryplace?”
Her dark eyes looked up at him hopefully.
“I can carry her to that wall where I settled in twonights ago. ‘Tis fairly well sheltered. I can even make a fire forher, and bring in some seaweed and spread a dry bed.” Mischieftwinkled in his eyes. “I can even go up into your loft and bringdown one of your wool dresses. Perhaps sing for her…”
“You are making fun of me.” The droplets of rainshone like jewels on her face.
“I just needed to find out the extent of yourattachment to this animal. I mean, you don’t give a second thoughtto sleeping out in a freezing storm, but when it comes to…”
“Helping me to get her to that dry overhang willdo.”
Tess stretched her hand up, and he immediately tookit, pulling her to her feet. Despite all the physical work she didon the island, he was amazed by the silky softness of her skin. Helet go of her hand abruptly.
Makyn preferred walking to being carried by Colin,but her steps were slow and wobbly, her head hanging down. Tess ranahead of them, and by the time Colin had led the ewe to thesheltered spot, Tesshadspread a bed of dry seaweed for theanimal.
“No fire,” she said softly before he could make acomment. “And Iwillcome inside, so long as you don’tpester me about occasionally coming out to check on Makyn.”
Colin controlled his urge to say anything, andinstead simply nodded agreeably.
Makyn settled down on the bedding, but continued toshow little interest in what was going on around her. The wind andrain were picking up in intensity. As time passed by, Colin couldsee that cold was having its effect on Tess. Crouching beside thesheep, she was beginning to shiver again.
