Page 16 of My Brave Highlander

"Well. But I look forward to some heat," she said with a shiver.

"Aye." Dirk turned to Rebbie who had dismounted nearby. "Lady Isobel tells me this is where she stayed last night. We can take the horses inside with us out of the wind." Thankfully the doorway appeared wide and tall enough to accommodate their mounts.

Rebbie nodded, although he looked none too pleased about the cottage. Truth was they had stayed in far worse accommodations when they'd fought in France, sometimes sleeping with no roof over their heads. Although it had not been as cold as it was now.

"I'll investigate the cottage first to make sure 'tis empty," Dirk said.

George brought one of the lanterns and helped him search the two-room hut. Finding it empty and the area behind it filled with naught but bushes, they rejoined the others.

Dirk offered Isobel his arm so she wouldn't slip on the snow.

Through the layers of linen and wool, her hand felt small and lightweight lying in the crook of his elbow, almost as if she were afraid to touch him. Something in him wanted to calm her worries. But beyond helping her get to safety, he wanted naught else to do with her, given her close association to his stepmother. Whatever trouble Isobel had gotten into at Munrick only added to the threat surrounding her.

Though it irritated him, his unruly body was on high alert around Isobel… because she was female. That was the only reason. And she was even lovelier than she'd been when they were younger, obviously curvier. The image of her riding astride behind him put lustful thoughts into his head… thoughts that had no business being there. No matter how bonny she might be, this was one female he would not become involved with.

The five of them entered the meager, two-room stone hut. Isobel took her lantern and proceeded through the doorway. "We found this smaller room to be much warmer."

Everyone followed her.

"Indeed, 'tis much more sheltered," Dirk said.

"We burned most of the kindling last night. But I do have two bricks of peat left."

Dirk nodded. "We may need more. The night will be long and the wind is cold."

"Is there a village nearby?" Rebbie asked.

Isobel's eyes grew wide and she hesitated. "Um… aye. Just north, around the bend. But there are no inns."

"Don't fash yourself, m'lady. With such splendid lodgings here, I have no need of an inn." Rebbie winked, then turned to his servant. "George, I need for you to go into the village and buy some dry peat, oats for the horses and some fresh bread if you can find it." Rebbie dropped silver coins into the younger man's hand.

"Aye, m'laird." George gave a brief bow and moved toward the doorway.

"Make no mention of the women," Dirk added, hoping to ease Isobel's worry. "And be certain no one follows you back. If they ask, you work for the MacKays."

George nodded and hastened away.

"Now George works for you. Hmph. I'm astonished," Rebbie said. He liked naught more than to bedevil someone, especially his friends. And now that Lachlan was nowhere about, Rebbie had turned his nettling toward Dirk.

He sent Rebbie a smirk. "I'll help you pay him once we reach Durness. He has been much help in taking care of the horses and running errands for both of us."

"Nonsense. We're along for the rousing adventure." Rebbie rubbed his hands together and blew on them.

Isobel gave a tiny grin, her gaze darting back and forth between them. But she still held her hand in a protected position. Dirk had to find out what was wrong with it and learn her whole story. Why didn't she simply trust him enough to tell him? He would hate having to drag the information from her. Aside from that, he'd never been good at dealing with women. In truth, he was too straightforward to manipulate them with charm, as Rebbie and Lachlan did.

"You said you had some peat?" Dirk asked her.

"Aye." She pulled the two lightweight bricks of dried turf from her arisaid.

"'Tis canny of you to think of bringing this." Taking them, he set about creating a mound of straw kindling and peat in the center of the floor where she'd had a fire pit the night before.

After setting flame to the straw, Dirk searched the main part of the cottage, gathering more of the dried thatch. Not much else remained.

"I'll bring the horses in," Rebbie said, bypassing him to venture out into the snow.

Dirk nodded his approval, then returned to the smaller room where he piled his finds next to the fire pit. Isobel hovered near the small fire, her arms folded over her chest.

"Are you freezing?" he asked.