“Niall,” he called in a gruff voice. “Ye brought the lady to our little project?”
“Aye,” Niall replied, releasing Charlie’s hand and stepping forward to clap the older man on the shoulder. “Charlotte, this is Knox MacGregor. He’s an old friend and our site supervisor.”
Knox grunted and extended a gnarled hand, which she shook. There was a curious glint in his eyes as they met hers, but she saw no unkindness there. A rough exterior hiding a kind heart, perhaps.
In contrast to Niall’s lithe strength, Knox was a mountain of a man, with muscles honed from decades of hard labor and weathered skin the color of old leather.
“How’s it coming along?” Niall asked, nodding at the flat ground behind Knox.
A structure was being built on the plateau and now that they were closer, Charlie could make out more details—massive stone blocks forming a circular base and wooden beams erected around it like skeletal fingers reaching towards the sky. It looked like a half-finished, conical tower. Charlie had no idea what it might be.
“We’ve got the scaffold up so we can lay the upper courses,” Knox replied, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “As soon as those lazy bastards get those stones hauled from the bottom of the hill, we can get to work on laying them.”
Excitement danced in Niall’s eyes. “So we’re on schedule then?”
“Lad,” Knox growled. “We’reaheadof schedule, just like I said we’d be. We’ll be ready in plenty of time for yer merchant arriving with the finishing touches.”
Niall clapped Knox on the shoulder again. “I never doubted it.” He turned to Charlie. “Come, I want to show ye something.”
He took her hand once more and led her into the chaos of the construction site, weaving through workers and around piles of stone and wood. The workmen paused to nod at Niall as he passed, their faces smeared with dust and sweat.
As they moved closer to the center of the construction, Charlie could see the details: the precision-cut stones carefully laid one upon another, the intricate network of wooden beams that crisscrossed overhead, and a towering wooden frame that stood at its heart.
“What is it?” she asked, trying to make sense of the strange structure. “A tower of some sort?”
Niall’s laughter echoed across the plateau, making the workers pause and look up from their tasks. “Progress. The future. The key to improving all our lives.”
Charlie looked up at the structure. The wooden beams of the interior skeleton sloped gradually inwards until the beams met at the top and crisscrossed like the spokes of a...
“A windmill!” she said. “It’s going to be a windmill!”
Niall nodded, his face bright with excitement. “Aye, a grain mill to be exact. It will grind the corn and wheat for the entire estate and the surrounding villages. Think of the time saved. No more grueling hours of manual labor. No more back-breaking grindstone work by hand, no more waste from inefficient methods.” He glanced at her, his eyes alight. “We’ll have enough flour for our people and plenty left over to trade.”
Charlie absorbed this information, struck by the transformation that had come over him. Here, surrounded by stone and timber, sweat and dust, he was not the carefree rogue she had first met. Instead, he radiated authority and purpose.
His green eyes fixed on her. “Ye said ye wanted to speak to me about something?”
“I...yes...I was wondering when your contact will arrive? The one who can arrange for me to return to Cardiff?”
Niall rubbed his chin, managing to smear the grime a little more. “Antonio will be coming over from the low countries. His timing will depend on the weather and the tides, but we’re hoping he’ll be here within the month.”
Charlie stared. A month? A whole month? She felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. How could she survive for a whole month? She forced a weak smile, nodding as if this news was perfectly fine rather than utterly devastating.
But even so, Niall seemed to sense her turmoil. His expression softened. “Is there a problem, lass?”
“No, no problem,” she said hastily, forcing herself to meet his gaze.” I was just...hoping it would be sooner.”
The wind tousled Niall’s hair. “I’m sorry, lass,” he said softly. He reached out and squeezed her hand.
Charlie stared at him and felt her stomach flutter. Memories of their kiss flashed through her mind. The warm feel of his lips on hers, the strength in his arms as he’d held her close, the earthy scent of him all around her...
Damn it! She most definitely should not be thinking about that!
He stared at her without blinking and there was an intensity in his gaze that made the flutter in her belly worse. Was he remembering the kiss as well?
“Would ye like a tour of the estate?”
The change in topic caught her off guard. “You what?”
