He held his hand out to her. “Allow me to help you sit.”
Her eyes turned wide and if she hadn’t been mute, he had no doubt that his unexpected mannerly action would have turned her speechless.
Hesitantly, her hand stretched out to him.
He didn’t wait; he snatched hold of it. Her chilled hand soon turned warm in his heated one, and he was surprised that her skin felt soft. He had thought with all her chores that calluses would mar her hands, but not so.
With his grip strong, he assisted her to the ground. He then returned to the other side and sat down.
“Did you cook any of this?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“You don’t work in the kitchen?”
She nodded.
“What do you do there?”
Dawn stared at him a moment surprised that he attempted to converse with her and surprised that she favored the idea.
She pointed to the thyme in the bread and the onions in the stew and with her hands demonstrated picking and chopping them.
“You gather and help prepare.”
She nodded.
“Many work in the kitchen?”
She held up her two hands and then closed one.
“Fifteen,” he said and she confirmed with a nod.
He was impressed that she could count and did so without hesitation. She obviously was familiar with numbers or she would have hesitated.
“Column must love to eat.”
Her hand moved back and forth to her mouth as if shoveling in food, and it caused Cree to laugh and Dawn to smile.
Even with the bare amount of light they had he could see that her smile had turned her otherwise plain face quiet lovely. She would never be a beauty, but he found something about her attractive that was just too damn hard to ignore, and so did his groin. It stirred much too much to his liking.
“Does Column feed his people as well as he feeds himself?”
Her smile faded, though she nodded.
“He feeds his people but does not treat them well.”
She shrugged and Cree understood that she would dare not betray the man who could cause her great harm.
“Have you lived in Dowell since your birth?” he asked, deciding to take a different tactic. He’d learn more about her, thus learning more about the workings of the village and in essence Column.
She shook her head and held up both hands spreading her fingers.
“Ten years you’re here?”
She nodded and smiled.
He noticed that her dark eyes lit along with her smile. “You came here with your mum and da?”
Dawn held up one finger.
“You came with only one—your mum?”
She nodded and again her smile faded as she shook her head.
“Your mum died?”
She nodded surprised he understood. She hadn’t been trying to tell him of her mum’s passing. She always saddened at the memory of losing her mum. She loved her dearly and mi—
“You miss her.”
Again he caught her by surprise, understanding her thoughts, as if he could read them. She gave a quick nod.
“You are alone now?”
She shook her head and smiled.
“Column sends me a wedded woman?” he snarled.
Dawn drew back fearful. He sounded like a snarling dog ready to bite and she hastily shook her head.
“Explain,” he snapped.
Dawn panicked, her skin turning hot and her stomach churning. How could she explain to him? Would he understand her gestures or would he grow angry with her?
She quickly held up two fingers.
“You have two friends?”
With a nod, she continued, pointing a finger at him and then to her.
“A man and a woman?”
She gave another nodded as she linked two fingers together.
“They’re wed.”
She grinned, joined her hands together and extended them past her stomach.
“The woman is with child.”
She nodded.
“Are they you’re only friends?”
Dawn thought a moment. While there were many villagers who were pleasant to her, she couldn’t call them friends, and then there were a few who made fun of her and far too many who simply ignored her.
She nodded and patted her chest.
“They are the only ones who you care for and who care for you.”
Her smile grew and she was disturbed to see him grow angry, his eyes narrowing and his jaw tightening. His nostrils even flared.
“No men force themselves on you do they?”
She gave a fast shake of her head.
“Have you taken any man willingly between your legs?”
Her body flushed with heat and she was glad for the darkness that she hoped concealed her red-stained cheeks.
“And don’t lie to me,” he snapped, “for I will learn the truth myself.”
Her stomach churned at his words. He intended to have his way with her and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.
“Answer me,” he snapped again.