My Brave Highlander(16)

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.

"Not overmuch."

He glanced back at the open doorway where icy air poured in. They'd be hard-pressed to get this room warm unless they could close off the doorway. One of his thick wool blankets might serve to block out most of the air.

Rebbie had brought his horse into the main room of the cottage. Dirk removed his saddle and bedroll which contained the wool blanket he'd use for a makeshift door. Returning to the smaller room where the two women were, he wedged the material into cracks between the rocks above the door. He pounded a couple of smaller rocks in to hold it securely in place.

"There now. That should help us stay warmer."

"A brilliant idea," Isobel said in a lively tone. "I wish we'd had a thick curtain like that last night."

He nodded, irked that she'd almost frozen the night before. 'Twas a pity he hadn't been here to help her then.

He remembered well how Isobel had been a hoity-toity, spoiled lass twelve years ago, and how she had looked down her nose at his clan. But her clothing wasn't so rich and fancy as it used to be. Her wool arisaid was riddled with moth holes. Had she fallen on hard times? Or was the clothing part of a disguise so no one would guess she was a high-born lady? He needed to ask her a lot of questions, and he hoped she'd lower her guard enough to answer truthfully.