He buried his face in her wheat-colored hair and blessed fate, for the heavens had been generous to him. He grinned, thinking he sounded like his love-besotted brothers, and he almost laughed aloud envisioning their responses to his predicament.
She stirred in his arms and began to stretch her limbs, moaning as she surfaced from sleep. He gave her room and enjoyed the view, watching her arch her back, her round breasts almost greeting his face. She raised her legs in a lazy stretch and rounded her ankles, hearing a crack or two. A huge yawn preceded her eyes fluttering open and once she caught sight of him peering down at her, she startled and crumpled into herself as if trying to hide.
“Forgot where you were?”
She nodded, her eyes wide.
He smiled. “You are beauty and grace when you wake in the morning.”
“Truly?” she asked astonished.
“My word on it,” he whispered and was about to kiss her when his door crashed open.
Andrew rushed in. “Megan is—”
He blanched. “Sorry I interrupted, but…” He looked to Terese and she bounced out of bed.
“Has Megan grown worse?”
“She has a fever. She’s burning up,” Andrew ranted.
Terese fled the cottage without a backward glance.
Lachlan shook his head and glared at Andrew. “How bad truly is it?”
“Rowena told me Megan had a fever.”
“And that she was burning up?”
“Fevers do that,” Andrew said in his defense.
“So you assumed Megan was burning up,” Lachlan said and got out of bed to dress quickly.
“What difference does it make, Megan is ill.”
Lachlan placed a hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “I know you’re beside yourself with worry, but you stole Terese from me.”
“Would you not have done the same if it were Terese ill with fever?”
Lachlan nodded slowly and led Andrew out of the cottage. “Let’s go see how Megan is, though I must ask. What would you have done to me if it was you in bed with Megan?”
Terese was panting and had a stitch in her side by the time she reached the common house. She entered to an empty room and immediately grew concerned. This was the time the women would be gathered for the morning meal with more than one busy preparing the food.
She made her way down the hall fearful of what she would find, and when she heard a shrill cry from Megan’s room she ran the last few feet.
Terese entered to find Rowena, Hester, and Piper crowded in the small room all laughing and sharing the morning meal with Megan, who was sitting up in bed and looking her usual rosy self.
Piper bounced to her feet, holding her bowl of porridge tight. “What’s wrong?”
Terese sighed. “Nothing, though Andrew—”
“That big idiot arrived here looking for Megan,” Rowena said. “And as soon as I mentioned fever, he turned deathly pale and took off running.”
Terese smiled. “He’s worried senseless. He believes Megan is about to meet her demise and had me believing it as well. Burning with fever, he told me.”
“He truly is worried about me?” Megan asked.
“Like a fool in love,” Rowena said.
“I agree,” Hester piped in. “The man is besotted.”
Piper added her agreement. “He follows you around like a love-sick pup.”
“I haven’t noticed it,” Megan said, though a hint of a smile told otherwise.
“Then you’re either blind or a fool,” Hester said.
Megan’s expression turned hard. “I was a fool once; I will be one no more.”
The women turned quiet and then Hester spoke.
“Perhaps it’s a man’s turn to be foolish in love with you.”
Hope sprang in Megan’s face though only briefly. It vanished as fast as it had appeared. “I will not be hurt again. The last one almost killed me.”
The women remained quiet, not knowing Megan’s past but knowing, from the way she had been badly beaten when they found her, she had suffered greatly at the hands of a man. A man who had claimed to love her.
It was Piper who suggested, “Why not give Andrew a chance?”
Hester added her opinion. “He seems like a good man.”
Before Rowena or Terese could offer their own thoughts, a rapid pounding sounded at the door, followed by two more bursts until it suddenly stopped.
Terese laughed. “I bet Lachlan grabbed Andrew’s hand before he could pound again.”
The women all grinned and suddenly made excuses to take their leave.
“What are you doing?” Megan demanded with a note of panic.
“Giving you time to get to know Andrew,” Hester said and scooted out the door, followed by Piper. Terese was about to take her leave, Rowena having already gone to answer the door, when Megan grabbed her hand.