Strictly Taboo(137)

“I'm just tired is all.” She said. “I didn't get much sleep last night with worrying.” She lied. It was only a partial lie because she had been up most of the night worrying…in fact the only time she hadn't really been worrying was when she was entangled with her highlander.

“Ye should go home. Get yer head down.” Duncan said. “If yer worried about bein’ alone there's room upstairs, just go get forty winks an’ if things get busy down here I'll come get ye.” He offered. Isobel shook her head.

“I doubt I'd sleep anyway, but thank ye Duncan. I'd be better off getting’ started on today’s lunch before things get busy.” She said. Duncan nodded.

“Suit yerself, but the offer stands if ye get tired. Just come on through and let me know, I'm sure as even I can watch a pot of stobhach.” He chuckled and Isobel forced a smile.

“Thank ye, Duncan, yer very kind.” His kindness made her want to cry. On top of everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, his offer reminded her that last night she truly had slept with the enemy. And what if the highlander's still did attack? Then the only touch she ever would have known would be that of the enemy. It was then that a terrible thought crossed her mind, even if the highlander's didn't attack, she would forever be tainted, her innocence lost forever. This time she couldn't stop the tear that slipped down her cheek.

“Hey, hey, lass, it's alright!” Duncan grabbed her and pulled her tightly to him in a tight hug. Isobel breathed him in, he smelled like sweat and beer and nothing like the highlander had, but his touch was comforting all the same. For a while she just lay her head against his chest and let the tears flow freely and Duncan held her tight. “Ye don't have anythin’ to worry about, do ye understand me? Whatever comes we will meet it when it does.” He said, his thick hand rubbing her back gently. “Okay?” He asked. Isobel nodded, her tears streaming his shirt. She sniffed loudly. “Right, now, I think perhaps ye’d better get upstairs and lie ye head down after all, don't ye?” He asked. Isobel sighed. She was absolutely exhausted and if she could get a couple of hours of sleep she probably would feel much better. She nodded. “Room six is open, just go on up. The bed is made.” Duncan said. “Do ye need me to carry ye up?” He asked. Isobel laughed quietly.

“No, thank ye” she sniffed. “I think as I can remember how to walk.” She said. Duncan laughed.

“Ye better had.” He said. “No use to me, a cook and barmaid who can't walk.” He smiled at her as she pulled away from him. She smiled back. “That's more like it.” He said. “Now get yer head down.”



Isobel had never stayed in any of the rooms upstairs from the pub. In fact, she had never even seen them before. Living upstairs and being an early riser, Duncan simply straightened the rooms each morning himself to save from asking more of Isobel. She wouldn't have minded the duty if she was being honest, but it was nice to know that he worried about her workload.

Of all of the rooms upstairs, room six was the biggest. Isobel knew that this was why Duncan had offered it to her because she also knew that all of the rooms were currently open. It wasn't the travelin’ season…unless you were a highlander it seemed.

The room had a large double sized bed and a makeshift armoire that Duncan had probably fashioned himself given his penchant for woodworking. Isobel opened the door and peered inside it. It was empty. A small chair, identical to those at the bar tables downstairs, was standing underneath the window and over it was draped a quilt. Isobel looked over at the bed which also had a quilt and couldn't help but smile at Duncan’s effort to decorate the place. She glanced out of the window, below she could see the small back garden – a few decorative rocks and a large patch of green grass. It wasn't much, but the grass reminded Isobel of just how beautiful her small town was. She smiled to herself once again and then kicked off her shoes. She was exhausted and heavy heart or not, she needed to rest – at least for a little while.





Chapter 8

Isobel awoke with a start. She had been dreaming that the town had been invaded by the highlander's. She sat up sharply and paused for a moment, her head still swimming with the horrific scenes of brutality. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“It was just a dream.” She told herself before throwing back the covers and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She had been so tired that she had done nothing more than kick off her shoes and climb under the quilt.

Once she found her feet, Isobel slipped from the bed and glanced out of the window once again. Everything looked just the same as it had before she had gone to sleep. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting to see, but finding that nothing had changed was a relief. She slipped on her shoes. How long had she been asleep? It felt like forever, but it could just as well have been twenty minutes. Still, if she was rested, she owed it to Duncan to get back to work.