Page 16 of Tess and the Highlander
“Hmm…but ‘tis so easy to mistake one for the other.”She started rubbing the salve on Makyn’s front hooves first.Teasing, she reached for one of his boots.
“If,” he said sharply, “you want any of thoseprecious shells of yours left intact, you won’t eventhinkabout putting any of that on me.”
“Do you mean the shells that you have alreadycrushed by the hundreds?”
“There are a few left, I believe.” He sat the eweback on her hindquarters so Tess could tend the back feet.“Actually, there is something soothing about the soft crunchingnoise these shells make when I…”
His blue eyes widened as Tess held the salve upbefore his face.
“I am done with Makyn. You must be next.”
CHAPTER 5
Though the storm’s force had lessened somewhat, thewind continued to lash at the island. It wouldn’t be long though,Colin thought darkly, before his brother’s ship reappeared.
He worked alongside of Tess as she went about herchores, tending the animals, drawing water from the well inside thepriory walls. She was capable and beautiful. Yet she was quick todiscourage any advances he might make. Though he was not entirelysurprised, given the lack of society here on the island, it wasstill somewhat disconcerting for him. To have a woman shy away fromhis touch was not something Colin was accustomed to.
Oddly, though, Tess’s gentle rebuffs only managed toentice him more, for he knew it was not a coy game she was playing.She was as genuine as the sea was deep.
“Thank you for bringing this wood up from thestrand.”
Colin straightened after stacking the last of itinside the door. She had just come down the stairs. “‘Tis enough,do you think?”
“So long as you don’t start another fire in the yardas great as the first night. What a waste of wood!”
He smiled. “’Twas a grand trick to draw you out,wouldn’t you say?”
“I shouldn’t be bragging about that toomuch…considering you’re still trapped on the May with me and no wayoff.” She brushed past him and went outside.
‘Trapped’ wasn’t the word he’d have used. If sheonly knew. Actually, he was beginning to think this arrangement wasnot bad, at all. Still smiling, Colin followed her into theyard.
“What’s next?”
“Usually Garth would be turning over the gardenabout this time of year.”
“How long ago did he die?”
“December. Little more than a fortnight afterCharlotte.” A deep blush immediately crept up her cheeks, and Colinsaw Tess’s gaze turn warily to him.
She had blundered again and told him more than shehad meant to. If Garth and Charlotte were the old keepers, thenTess was totally alone. He turned away, looking absently at theruined buildings that stood within the priory walls.
Concern for her slipped unexpectedly into his chestlike the blade of a dagger. What was going to happen to her whenthe Macpherson ship came back for him? He frowned at the skies withthe broken clouds scudding across occasional patches of blue.Determined not to press her for answers that she was obviously notready to give, he turned back to her with a smile. Reaching out, hetucked a wind-whipped, silken lock of hair behind her delicateear.
“Would you show me around the priory before the rainstarts again?”
Tess gave a small nod and turned toward the ruinedbuildings surrounding them.
“Sailing past the island, you never get a feelingthat this place is even livable.”
“Is this what you do? Are you a sailor?”
“I suppose I am.” If he wanted her to trust himenough to answer his questions, Colin knew he needed to set theprecedent. “I have sailed on Macpherson ships for as long as I canremember. I have traveled from the Orkneys to Africa. But up tonow, I’ve been more student than sailor.” He glanced out at thestormy sea. “But now that I am finished at the university, Isuppose you can say I’m a sailor.”
Tess pulled the hood of her cloak up. The wind—wetand cold—was picking up. She started toward the building Colinguessed had been the original church. A long ago fire had taken theroof and the door was gone. Looking in, he could see a chancel witha stone altar at the far end. He could almost envision gray-robedmonks chanting their prayers there. The end wall was half gone, aswell, and several gray and white sea birds were perched on thebottom ledge of an arched stone opening that had once undoubtedlyheld a stained-glass window.
Her voice broke into his thoughts. “May I ask howold you are?”
“Twenty.”
