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“Fate watches over me.”
“Fate can be a cruel mistress,” he said with more anger than he intended.
“I have found through the years that fate is often wiser than we are.”
Trey shook his head. “I cannot agree with that. I believe man determines his own fate.”
Bliss smiled. “With help.”
“I believe you are tenacious in your opinion,” he teased.
She leaned close. “Beware. I am tenacious in more than just my opinion.”
Trey laughed. “At least you are honest about it.”
“To a fault at times, or so I’ve been told.”
“How could honesty ever be a fault?” he asked.
“When it hurts?”
“If someone doesn’t want to hear the truth, he should not ask the question.”
“Sometimes a person cannot help but ask,” she said.
They continued talking as they walked, Trey finding her a delight to converse with and finding their thoughts and ideas much alike.
They both sniffed the air at the same time, but it was Trey who first said, “Fire.”
“It is a distance away yet,” she said.
He sniffed the air again while bringing them to a halt. “It smells as if it smolders.” He shook his head, his features turning angry. “It could be the king’s soldiers. They have grown bold, attacking defenseless crofts on the outskirts of MacAlpin land.”
“We need to see if there are those in need of help,” she said, urging him with a tug to hurry.
“It will delay us,” he informed.
“It cannot be helped,” she said.
He nodded, and as they hurried off, he could not help but admire her courage. She gave no thought to her own safety, only to those of others in need. And what made him admire her all the more was that he knew if he were not with her, she would still tempt fate and see if there were those she could help. Or perhaps fate took her where she was meant to go.
He almost smiled, for he realized he was beginning to understandhis wife.
Almost an hour later, Trey urged Bliss behind him with a gentle hand, and she went willingly as they approached the edge of the woods. Beyond, through the sparse trees, they could spy the smoldering croft. The cottage was all but gone, with only embers left glowing.
Trey came to a halt, and she stepped around him, his hand shot out to stop her from going any farther.
She gently pushed it aside. “There are no soldiers here, but there is a child in need of care.” She was relieved that he didn’t doubt her and hurried forward with her.
A mother with a young lad no more than five cradled in her arms staggered to her feet in what was once a garden beside the cottage. Bliss rushed to her, but Trey was faster and had her and the child up in his arms by the time she reached them.
“On the ground by the tree,” Bliss said, directing Trey where to put the pair.
Bliss immediately went to work on the two while Trey went in search of water. Working together, it didn’t take long to ascertain that the pair suffered no serious wounds though both suffered the loss of a husband and father.
“The soldiers took my Kevin,” she cried, hugging her son to her.
“How many soldiers?” Trey asked.
