and hands.
‘What do you mean when you leave in the morning?’ she asked, one eyebrow raised.
‘I told my men I would be gone for no more than one day. I have been gone for almost two. If I do not return soon, they will come to check on me.’
A crease began in the middle of her brow. ‘Tomorrow I was taking the children and returning to my brothers on Colquhoun land. It is north up the Firth of Clyde.’
He did not see how this pertained to him leaving in the morning, but he knew well where the Firth of Clyde was.
‘That is miles north and across cold water,’ he pointed out. ‘You and the children couldn’t possibly make it that far.’
She did not question why an Englishman would have such accurate knowledge of Scottish territory. ‘That is the plan.’
He turned more fully towards her, waiting for her to finish, to comment their next of kin would be here soon and it would be best if he left as soon as possible.
But all she did was look pointedly at him, as though she was waiting for him to say something. He did want to say something. A blind man could see the danger in her plan.
‘You’ll never make it with one horse,’ he said. ‘Flora is so slender and slight in body and spirit, you can practically see through her. Alec and Maisie are too young for such a trek on horseback.’ He took a step closer to her. ‘What if you run out of oatcakes for Maisie—what will she eat? Creighton will not speak—what if he spies danger, but will not warn?’
She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. She looked as though she had no idea how to reply to him. He started to walk past her.
She did not move. ‘You are so good at telling me what cannot and should not be done. You have nae say here. Alec may be small, but his determination is strong.’ Her fists clenched at her sides. ‘Maisie’s teeth may still be coming in, but she has some and if we run out of oatcakes, we can grind the meat we have and mix it with water. I’ll make sure she doesn’t starve.’
She took a couple of steps away as if to distance herself from him and released her fists. ‘As for Flora and Creighton, I suspect they were nae always mute and weak. I believe your soldiers had something to do with that, but they survived; they were smart and quick enough to protect Alec, too.’
The sun was setting behind her, making her hair look licked with fire. The whisky colour of her eyes was shaded a golden tawny. She was all flared anger and determination and she was magnificent. He could not keep from wondering what her hair would look like unbound, what shade her eyes would go when she was feeling emotions other than anger. He could not help feeling a fool for noticing.
‘They’ll make it,’ she confirmed. ‘They’ve grown up despite my trying to protect them.’
She took another step closer to him and he could smell the fragrance of her hair, a mixture of greenery and something sweet, like some berry he’d never tasted.
He tried to focus his thoughts on the children. ‘You’ve come to care for them,’ he said.
‘Aye!’
‘Surely they have kin who would come for them.’
‘Do you think I haven’t thought of that?’ She waved her arms at him. ‘Flora says she has some, but she doesn’t know where. Alec’s too young to know otherwise.’
‘And Maisie?’
‘I know whose kin she belongs to,’ she said. ‘This conversation doesn’t matter. I need to get them to my brothers. It is the only place where I know they will be taken care of.’
He could hardly argue with her on where the children would be safe. It wasn’t as if he could take her back to the English camp, even if she and the children wanted to. The distance to her brother’s land might be dangerous, but he knew of no other place for them, far or near. Still, he repeated himself.
‘You’ll never make it.’
She stepped closer to him, until she was right under his nose, and punched him in the chest. ‘Oh, aye, we will and you’re going to help.’
All sound was suddenly suctioned out of the air. No, that wasn’t right, because she heard the sound of a bee buzzing past them, the rustle of the wind through the grass. It was just Robert who was quiet.
His eyes never wavered from her; his arms hung almost unnaturally by his sides. Had he heard her?
‘No...’ he breathed.
She clamped down on her quick anger. He had heard her. And his unwillingness shouldn’t have surprised her. ‘Aye, you are. Why did you come if not to do something for a village your fellow soldiers massacred?’
He didn’t say anything. She took a step away from him. Guilt for his country wasn’t motivating him. She would have to try another tactic.
‘The children aren’t safe. They must get to my brothers to receive the care they need. You’re right, we’ll never make it alone. But with your help, your supplies, your horse, we will.’
He still said nothing.
Her anger was quickly drowning in her panic. What if he didn’t help? Could this man, could any man, really just walk away?
‘Where are your feelings?’ she accused.
Something moved in his eyes, a dark shadow that left a strange ache in her chest. She suddenly wanted to soothe him and that didn’t make any sense.
She pressed her fingers under her eyes. It could not be his feelings, but her own making her heart ache. It had to be. He had no feelings, while she was rapidly losing control of hers—losing control of her pride, too. But she’d gladly beg if it would get him to move.
‘You inding shirrow weevil, can’t you see I wouldn’t ask if I dinna have to? You’re our only hope!’
To think she had been glad when he arrived. He had barely helped her before and now he wasn’t even answering her request.
‘Auntie Gaira! I saved you some rabbit!’
Alec, his wild hair flying behind him, bounded towards her. Her heart lifted at the sight of his skips and jumps. Despite everything, children were resilient. And in that, she knew they’d make it. If only the children had a chance.
Stepping away from Robert, she crouched in readiness for Alec to join her. It was so natural, so easy. And there was her answer. They did have a chance. They had her. And with that, she stopped her doubting. Feeling as wild as his hair, she grabbed Alec’s loose hand. Alec squealed and tried to get away.
‘Oh, you saved me some rabbit, did you? Is this the rabbit you saved me? It looks so succulent.’
‘Nae, not me, Auntie Gaira. I’m not the rabbit!’
She poked at him, pretending
