"I ken it." He picked up a stick.
She loaded the fallen deadwood into her arms. When they both held all they could carry, they headed back toward the ruin,Rebbie'sload far larger than her own.
Devil nickered and approached in greeting, then followed them to the door as they went inside the cellar of the castle ruin.
With his head stuck inside the kitchen, Devil laid back his ears and looked annoyed.
"You'll not fit through the door, you behemoth," Rebbie told him, dropping his load of wood.
Calla chuckled.
"'Tiswhat you get for growing so tall,laddie."
The horse backed away and discovered a new patch of grass by the door to devour.
Calla tossed her armload of sticks onto the floor. A sharp pain stabbed her finger. "Ouch!" Hissing in a breath through clenched teeth, she examined her finger, finding a splinter imbedded in the tender flesh.
"What have you done?" Dusting off his hands, Rebbie drew near and took her hand into his large warm one.
"'Tisnaught but a splinter."
"I knew you should've left the manual labor to me. A wee fragile lady like you…." He shook his head, a teasing glint in his eye. "You should never carry wood."
"Don't be silly. A little work never hurt anyone."
"Och. But it hurt you." He lifted her hand and drew her injured finger into his mouth.
"What are you…?" Her breath whooshed out and her heart thudded as the wet warmth of his mouth captured her attention and sent shivers through her body. Looking into her eyes, he carefully clamped his teeth onto the tiny sliver of wood and pulled it out. With his other hand, he removed the splinter from his teeth, flicked it away, then examined her finger. "There, now. Good as new." He kissed her wee injury then dropped her hand.
It still smarted, but she hardly noticed after his unique treatment. She was too busy staring at his mouth. "I thank you. Is that the way you medicate everyone?"
He snickered. "Nay. Only lovely lassies."
Burning heat covered her.Saints!The man had suckled on her finger like…. Nay, she couldn't think about what else he'd suckled all those years ago. Her nipples beaded at the memory.
Crouching before the fire-pit and using a flint, Rebbie started a fire in the dried grass they'd collected earlier. "You're good with fires, you said?"
"Aye."
"If you'll keep this going and build it up slowly with the kindling and wood, I'll see if I can find a rabbit." He removed a pistol from his belt. "Stay here and guard her well, Devil," he said as he passed through the door.
Just outside, the horse nickered and eyed Rebbie, then her, his ears perked.
"Good luck," she called, her stomach aching. She hated to think about a poor rabbit losing its life, but she and Rebbie needed food.
She crouched by the small fire and added twigs, then larger sticks, thinking about wee Jamie. She missed him terribly and wished he were here now. He'd love this adventure. But of course, 'twas daft to even imagine such a thing. They were in great danger from Claybourne. Besides, Rebbie could never meet Jamie; he would no doubt see the uncanny resemblance. And then what? 'Twouldbe hell on earth. If he or his father were angry enough to report it, she'd be taken before parliament and the Kirk, her deception and adultery exposed to all, her son's life ruined.
A few minutes later, a pistol shot sliced the still air. She leapt to her feet and peered out the gaping hole of a window into the early twilight. Had Rebbie shot a rabbit or had someone found them? Hearing no more sounds, she ventured outside, past the horse, and glanced around.
Finally, Rebbie came into view carrying a cleaned rabbit on a wooden spit.
"That didn't take long," she said, glad the hunt was a success, for she was becoming hungrier by the minute.
"The place is crawling with rabbits. I saw five." In the cellar, he placed it on the brackets over the fire-pit. "I'm going out to the stream and wash my hands," he said. When he returned a few minutes later, he also brought his pack from the back of his horse and tossed it on the floor. "You did a wondrous job on the fire. You must be hungry." He gave her a smidgen of a grin.
"I'm famished, if you wish the truth," she said dryly.
His grin widened. "I'll have to remember to carry food about with me for when I rescue you."
