Page 12 of Tess and the Highlander
“You keep talking, and you shan’t finish your job.And the way I was brought up, if you don’t work, you don’teat.”
“Tell me, Tess. Why is it that you haven’t theaccent of the folk who fish these waters?”
“That does it!” She turned sharply on him, a frowndarkening her fair features. “You are going out this instant.”
“Not so fast, lassie. You can see I’m working.” Witha smile, he started sweeping the broom across the floor. As shereturned to her own tasks, Colin also started sweeping up undamagedseashells along with the shards of broken ones. He glanced up ather back. “I never thanked you properly for saving my life.”
“Well, you might thank me by not getting rid ofthings that I value.”
She hadn’t turned, but she’d known what he was upto. “Are you sure you are not a faerie, lass?”
Tess turned slowly where she stood and shot him amysterious look. “Perhaps I am. And perhaps you should leave offyour talking and not rile my temper.”
“I see.” He contained the smile that was pulling athis lips. “And what will you do if I don’t do as I am told?”
Tess scooped a spoonful of the hoof medicine out ofthe cauldron.
“I feed you this for your supper. Any morequestions?”
CHAPTER 4
The dying fire in the hearth cast an amber glow overthe chamber, sparking and crackling from time to time as a knot ofbrine-soaked driftwood crumbled into the embers. Sheets ofwind-driven rain battered the stout walls, and crystalline mistsdrifted into the room though the narrow windows. Sometimes, a gustof wind would chase the acrid smelling smoke back down through thechimney, but Tess—lying contently on her bedding—was oblivious toall but the Highlander as he slept across the room.
Until tonight, she hadn’t realized how much shemissed the company of another human being. She had her animals, hergardens, her weaving, her fishing…all the tasks of living thatneeded to be done if one were to survive alone on an island. Shehad her shell collecting to keep her busy, as well. She had onlyoccasionally thought about having no one to talk to, but now sherealized that she missed hearing another human voice. And even morethan that, Tess realized that even when Auld Charlotte and Garthwere alive, she’d never known what it felt like to have a companionwho was interested in her, who challenged her…and who tested herpatience every other minute.
And, to be truthful, she loved the feeling.
Garth and Charlotte had been patient and kind, butvery quiet compared to this stranger. They rarely spoke to eachother, and for the most part, they would only speak to her toinstruct. And though they had genuinely cared for her, Tess hadalways felt a barrier. Once, while she was helping Garth clean somefish they’d caught in their nets, he’d looked out across the water.A great ship with billowing white sails was moving southward.Without looking at her, Garth said that one day a ship would comeand take her away from them. He’d said nothing else—and it hadnever come to be—but she’d realized that day that they wereprotecting themselves and their feelings. They knew they could loseher at any time.
Tess could only remember bits and pieces of her lostfamily, but what she could recall she had never revealed. She knewCharlotte and Garth always assumed that most of her family had diedin the same shipwreck that had placed her on their island. But theknowledge that there might be others who wanted her back had madethe couple hide her away any time a fishermen or sailors orpilgrims appeared on the rocky shore.
She knew she had been a welcome addition in theirlives. To be sure, they had been a godsend for her. And she missedthem.
The Highlander made a noise in his sleep. Tess satup and watched him across the way. Restless. Tonight, the two ofthem had argued more than they’d talked during their meal of smokedfish and dried bannock bread. He was so full of questions about whoshe was and who her parents were and what she was doing on thisisland. Tess had taken great enjoyment out of continually changingthe topic and turning the questions back on himself. Naturally, hewouldn’t answer anything unless she did. Alternately funny andangry, Colin had been entirely attentive to every word she said andevery movement she made. So they had gone round and round, andshe’d enjoyed every minute.
Tess tucked her knees against her chest and admiredthe glow of the fire reflecting off the handsome planes of hisface. He was not like any of the sailors or pilgrims from theHighlands that she had spied on over the years. He was not loud orrude. And he had not tried to handle her with any of the roughnessthat Charlotte had warned her of.
As Tess considered him, Colin murmured somethingaloud in his sleep. She scrambled from her bedding and stoodwatching him move his head from side to side. He was strugglingagainst something in his dream.
“STOP!”
She moved quickly to his side. He was still asleep,but his face was covered with sweat, and he continued to thrashabout. His arms and legs were moving, too, as he struggled. Tesscrouched down and placed a hand on his brow, wondering for a momentif he had caught a fever.
His blue eyes opened instantly. She immediately drewher hand back, but stayed where she was.
“I think…you were having a nightmare.”
He blinked a few times, trying to clear hishead.
“Idiedin my dream.” His voice was raspy andhoarse. “I have never before died in my dreams.”
The vulnerability in his voice tugged at herheart.
“Have no fear. You’ll live a long and full life. Thesea cast you up, so your life thread is that much stronger.” Sheused the corner of the blanket and ran it gently over his brow andwiped his face. She brushed back his hair. He still had the dazedlook of one who hovered halfway between sleep and waking. “That’swhat Charlotte used to tell me when I would have bad dreams.”
When she started to pull her hand away, hereached up and caught it in his own. “Stay.”
Her hand seemed so small wrapped in hislarge one. Tess stared at the contrast of their skins—at thestrength that was so pronounced in his sinewy arms and yet thegentleness with which he held her.
