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Hester’s wave and approach drew Terese out of her musings and she soon joined Terese, the basket on her arm revealing a bounty of food for them both.
“Rowena says eat then rest,” Hester said, spreading out a white linen cloth to place the food upon.
“All goes well?” Terese asked, realizing just how hungry she was upon smelling the delicious fare.
“Lachlan is true to his word. His men behave,” Hester said, pouring them each a tankard of freshly brewed cider.
“You fancy not a one of them?” Terese asked with a smile.
Hester didn’t smile, she was blunt. “I want no man. I’m happy as I am.”
“Piper seems busy with Evan,” Terese said.
That brought a smile to Hester. “Those two are alike, both loving the woods. She even confided to him that the woods had birthed her and was her mother.”
“What did Evan say to that?”
“I was impressed with his response,” Hester said. “He told Piper that her mother had taught her wisely, and he would like to learn what she knew.”
“Evan’s a good man, don’t you think?” Terese asked.
“Is he a good man for Piper is what you’re asking?”
“Piper deserves someone good, if that’s what she chooses,” Terese said. “And he does share her love of the woods.”
“It wouldn’t work,” Hester said. “Evan wouldn’t leave the Sinclare clan and make his home here and Piper will not leave.”
“I suppose that would be a true test of things,” Terese said.
“And what of you?” Hester asked and shook her head when Terese appeared to protest. “Don’t deny it. I and the others have seen the way you and Lachlan have been meeting on the hill in the morning, how he keeps you company while planting, and most of all how you look at each other.”
“And how is that?”
“With a desperate longing,” Hester said with a merry glint.
“It’s that obvious?”
“Only to those who know you,” Hester assured her.
Terese sighed. “I had resigned myself to never knowing a man…then Lachlan came along and I began to wonder.”
“I wonder if it would not be better for the warriors to leave,” Hester suggested with reluctance. “It seems the longer they remain here, the more they learn. And that could prove dangerous for you.”
“Lachlan has informed me that he has no intentions of leaving.”
“Then be careful,” Hester warned. “You don’t want to lose more than you’re willing to give.”
“I will give sparingly.”
“But will your heart?” Hester asked.
The men kept busy building extra shelters, having generously given the first one finished to the Moore family. Beatrice and Harry were thrilled and their parents grateful. Soon George and Gelda had prepared a patch of land for a garden and were planting seeds the women had given them.
Lachlan had set the men to erecting a small cottage a good distance away from the others and from the common house. It would be for him and he hoped Terese. He had never failed to charm a woman into his bed, but this was different. He couldn’t even say for sure how it was different; he only knew how it felt.
With other women, they didn’t matter to him beyond the bed. With Terese, she seemed to matter to him all the time. He had never felt so relieved when she had confessed that she was not a nun. He had been having nightmares about burning in the fires of hell, the flames scorching then devouring his flesh, yet his wicked thoughts refused to leave him alone.
With no further worry over that prospect he was free to pursue Terese, but it wasn’t only his bed he wished to get her in. No, he wanted more from her, but again just what that more was he wasn’t sure.
He did want to learn more about her, where she was from, about her family and who in the past had hurt her so badly. He liked that conversation never failed between them. They always found something to discuss or debate.
Most of all, he liked the way she kissed. She hadn’t shied away from him; she was as eager as he. And she freely admitted that he tasted good. He thought about that moment often since it had happened two days ago. Unfortunately, he had little chance to spend with Terese since. When he was free she was resting, when she was free he was busy with his men.
It seemed everyone was busy. Everagis was growing with the help of him and his men, and he was beginning to wonder if there was some way he could make certain the women remained in the home they had forged with their own hands. He would give it thought and see what he could do.
“Can I interest you in a walk?”
Lachlan spun around with a smile and as soon as he saw Terese with a glow to her cheeks and her honey blond hair secured in a braid, he knew she was well.
