“It’s lovely.”
“Aye,” he said with a shrug. “I dinna come here very often. I’m on the road most of the time.” He cleared his throat and turned away. “It’s bloody cold in here. I’ll build a fire.”
He put her bag down on the floor and crouched by the hearth, tossing logs from a basket into the fireplace and then lighting it with flint and tinder. In only moments a merry fire was crackling, chasing away the cold.
Lily dragged over one of the chairs and set it in front of the fire, sinking down into it gratefully and stretching out her feet towards the flames.
“Oh, wow,” she breathed. “You have no idea how good that feels.”
Oskar brought over the other chair and joined her. Lily stole glances at him, watching the dance of the firelight cast shadows upon his rugged features. She wondered what stories lay hidden behind those brooding eyes.
As if sensing her curiosity, Oskar glanced over and caught her gaze. Their eyes locked, and Lily saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes—guarded yet yearning.
“Ye are wondering about this place aren’t ye?” he said softly, breaking the silence.
“Am I that obvious? I must admit, it doesn’t quite fit my picture of you. This looks like the house of some wealthy merchant.”
“Rather than the house of an uncouth rogue?”
“I didn’t say that!”
“Nay, but ye were thinking it.” He smiled to soften his words. “And ye would be right.” He looked around at the sparse room. “I canna say this place has ever really felt like home. Dun Saith is more my home now than Edinburgh. Even camping on the road with my sword-brothers feels more like home than this house.”
“So why have you got it?”
“I was given it,” he replied, picking up a log and picking bits off its rough exterior and chucking them into the fire. “For my service to the Order of the Osprey.”
“So you didn’t grow up here then?”
His eyes flicked to hers and something flashed in them for an instant, like a memory of old pain.
“Nay. I grew up...somewhere else.”
Lily didn’t push it. She’d gotten to know him well enough to be able to sense that he wasn’t ready to share that part of his past just yet. Instead, she shifted the conversation to something lighter.
“Well, regardless, it’s a beautiful house,” Lily said genuinely. “And it’s nice to have a warm place to rest.”
“Aye, ye’ll get no argument from me there.” His eyes fixed on her. “How are ye feeling now?”
“I’m fine,” she said automatically, waving a hand. Then, seeing Oskar’s eyes narrow, she added, “A bit achy still. Nothing that a long hot bath wouldn’t cure.”
“A hot bath, eh? Well, this place is good for some things. Follow me.”
They went into the hall and along the corridor to another room at the back. This one had a tile floor, a huge fireplace with an iron rack set in it and a large copper bathtub sitting in the middle.
Lily’s eyes widened. “Perfect!”
Oskar gave a lop-sided smile. “I thought ye might like it. I’ll haul water if ye can get a fire going?”
“Um.” She wasn’t at all sure she could get a fire going but she’d give it a go if it meant getting a hot bath. “Sure.”
Oskar grabbed a couple of buckets from the corner and disappeared out the back door. Lily crossed to the fireplace. It was already stacked with firewood and kindling and several large pans sat on top of the iron rack. In a pouch by the fireplace she found flint and tinder.
“All right,” she breathed to herself. “You can do this. A hot bath awaits if you do.” It was all the motivation she needed.
It took several attempts and a lot of swearing before she got a tiny flame to catch in the kindling. Just as she’d seen Oskar do, she breathed on it gently until the tiny flamed strengthened and began to lick through the logs.
The back door opened, letting in a cold breeze that made the flames flicker, and Oskar came in, carrying two large buckets of water. He kicked the door closed and turned to face her, his muscles flexing with the weight of his load.
