Bryce straightened and looked over his shoulder. “Huh?”
MacDuff grabbed his crotch. “Bollocks!”
When the boys just looked at each other then shrugged, MacDuff raised his kilt and swung his hips. “These, lads!”
“Ohmigod, MacDuff! Stop that!”
MacDuff didn’t so much as glance at her as his kilt fell back in place and he pointed to the two hairy beasts grazing to the boys’ right. “Ye yank oncoos,lads. Those withteats!”
Boyish hoots and laughter erupted on both sides of the field as understanding dawned and MacDuff blew through his teeth. Turning his attention to her, he said, “Two of yer princes were nearly knocked into the morrow. What have ye been teaching them that they have yet to ken the difference betwixt bullocks and teats?”
Aghast that he had the nerve to callherto task, Sarah shouted, “I can’t believe you just exposed yourself like that! Are you out of your mind?”
MacDuff looked at her blankly for a moment then laughed, a deep and rich rumble that rolled like thunder about the glen.When he finally collected himself he asked, “And what did my lady see?”
Heat flooded her cheeks. “Well, nothing – naught, but—”
He tapped her nose. “Then ’tis naught for ye to fash over, now is there? Men ken these things.” He pointed to Ty and Bryce in earnest conversation squatting beside a cow. “The quiet one has the look of ye about the eyes. Is he yer bairn?”
The man was impossible. “No, I have no children, and his name is Ty. He’s an orphan.”
MacDuff’s brow furrowed. “And the rest? Have they no parents as well?”
“The rest do have parents.” Parents, who are doubtless going out of their minds right now, listening to news broadcasts, punching cell phones, wondering why their children aren’t answering their calls, can’t be reached.
He bent and plucked a blade of grass. Chewing it, he eyed her in speculative fashion, the corner of his eyes crinkling. “Are ye not spoken for, then?”
“No.” Men rarely gave her a second glance. So why was he scrutinizing her so closely?
“Humph. Ye’veslothful kin, then.”
“No, no kin, slothful or otherwise. My parents married late in life, never expected to have a child, then I came along. My father died when I was three and then my mother developed Alzheimer’s.” Seeing his frown deepen she clarified, “A disease that destroys the mind and then the body. She passed – died – last summer.” Which, although leaving Sarah bereft, had been a blessing for her mother.
“My sympathies.” To her relief he turned his attention back to the boys. “Ah, they’re done.”
A heartbeat later, Bryce and Ty, grinning from ear to ear, placed their bucket on the ground before her.
She was amazed to find it half full. “Wow!” They’d not known the difference between a bull and cow when they started. But them drinking raw milk was out of the question. Their parents would never forgive her if they came down with tuberculosis.
To MacDuff, she said, “Before they can drink it—”
“Drink it? God’s teeth, woman, why would ye have them do that?” He shuddered and grabbed the bucket. “Nay, ’tis for making crowdie. Come along, lads, we’ve much to do.”
Skipping to keep up with MacDuff’s long strides, Bryce asked, “What’s crowdie?”
As she said, “Cheese,” she heard MacDuff say, “Ye’ve not had crowdie?”
When they shook their heads MacDuff gave her another incredulous look then, leading the boys away, muttered, “’Tis a wonder any of ye live.”
Hamish looked about his crowded croft, at the exhausted lads curled in sleep on their pallets, and warmth bloomed in his chest. Far too many years had passed since he’d shared a meal or heard bairns laugh. Were it not so unmanly to shed tears, he would have.
He sighed. If only the Spaniel were as relaxed as the lads in his company.
She would have taken her brood off to Edinburgh had the lads, consumed with their fishing, not begged her wait just a wee bit. Thankfully, gloaming came early to his glen.
By the time the lads were done fishing, the sun was setting and they were hungry. Then the moon rose and the wolves of the forest started to howl, which proved too much for the lady and she agreed they should spend the night.
He reached out and ruffled Ty’s hair as the lad sat beside him carving a rabbit from a soft hunk of pine.
