He nodded, taking her hand in his. “We’ll fetch some food and bring it to your mother.” He didn’t like the idea of Laren working alone, even if her apprentice Ramsay was there. Though her cavern was hidden on the far side of the loch, it didn’t mean his wife was safe from an attack.
Mairin dashed across the fortress toward Vanora’s house, while Alex trailed her. Adaira put her hand in his, emitting a stream of girlish chatter. When his elder daughter emerged with a sack of food, Alex brought both of them close. His claymore was strapped to his back and he had another dirk at his waist, if he needed to defend them.
He said nothing to the girls, but, as they walked, he searched the horizon for any movement or sound. Adaira made him stop several times as she watched a bird hopping upon a tree branch or a fish splashing within the loch. He hoisted her on his hip when she grew tired, her arms settling around his neck. As he drew closer to the cavern, he could smell the smoke from Laren’s fires.
He listened hard, but the sound was gone. A part of him wondered if he could have imagined it. But then, his hearing was acute and he was well attuned to the signs of a forthcoming raid. It might have been an enemy scout, sent to determine their weaknesses.
Or perhaps he was feeling troubled by the long silence from the English. He’d expected an attack long before this, and it was starting to make him uneasy. Since he hadn’t heard the sound a second time, he dismissed it as nothing but his imagination.
Whentheyreachedtheentrance to the cave, he set Adaira down. Laren was inside alone, working with a long pipe. To his surprise, he saw that this time the cylinder was rotating outward, becoming a disc. With deft fingers, she whirled the pipe until it flattened out.
The girls stared at her, their faces awestruck. It was like watching a sheet of sapphires form before his eyes. She rolled the spun glass repeatedly, until it was about ten inches in diameter.
Then she transferred it to the annealing oven and turned back to face them, smiling at the sight of the girls. “I’m glad to see you.” She kissed them on their cheeks, but when she lifted her eyes to Alex’s, her expression grew guarded. “Is the rebuilding going well?’
“Well enough.” He shifted Adaira’s weight to the other hip. “My mother returned.” Laren showed no response, though he knew she wasn’t fond of Grizel. “Nairna found a way to keep her busy.”
“Drowning kittens, is she?” His wife turned back to another crucible, checking the color of the melt.
“Grizel isn’t that bad.”
Laren raised her eyebrows. “Not to you, perhaps. But we’ll leave that subject for a time when little ears aren’t listening.”
Mairin pointed to a piece of glass in the shape of a partially opened flower bud. It hung from a piece of rope, suspended above the fires, and Alex hadn’t noticed it last night. “Do you think there are any witches in there? Mama said it’s a trap for them.”
When he sent his wife a questioning look, Laren shrugged. “If there are any evil spirits lingering, I don’t need them near my glass. It belonged to Father Nolan. I keep it because it reminds me of him.” Her face softened in memory as she reached up to touch it.
“Mama, I’m hungry,” Mairin informed her. “We brought food for you.”
A grateful look passed over Laren’s face. “I haven’t had time to eat.” When they sat down and opened the sack Mairin had brought, Alex started to pass out the food his daughter had selected. To his chagrin, she’d brought a container of honey, oatcakes and every sort of sweet Vanora had in her possession.
“Did Vanora pack this?” Laren asked.
Mairin shook her head. “I did. I packed my favorites.”
Alex sent his wife a private look and a shrug and he saw the amusement on her face. He should have known better than to let Mairin choose the food. Adaira selected a sweetened cake and then toddled over to him, planting herself on his lap. He helped her break off pieces and while they ate, Laren said, “It’s been a long time since we’ve shared a noon meal as a family.”
He didn’t know if she meant it as a compliment or a criticism. “I can’t stay for too long.” There was so much work to be done, his absence would be noticed.
Should he leave Laren alone again? It bothered him that he hadn’t located the source of the sound he’d heard and it was difficult to release the suspicions. The last thing he wanted was to leave his wife unguarded while an enemy was nearby.
Alex was about to set Adaira down when he suddenly felt something warm and wet against his tunic. He pulled Adaira back and she continued to puddle upon the sand.
He grimaced and set her down. Laren saw what was happening and a smile of amusement perked at her mouth as she chided her daughter for the accident. “Wait here, both of you, while I see to your father.”
He didn’t hide his disgust as he stripped off his tunic. Fortunately, he’d caught the mess before Adaira soaked his trews.
Laren took the garment from him and rinsed it in the loch, scrubbing it with sand. “It will dry soon enough.”
Whileshecleanedthetunic, Alex scooped up some water, washing off his skin. Rivulets of water spilled over his hard muscles and Laren found herself staring at her husband. He stretched and shivered from the freezing water. Her eyes followed the water that pooled over his skin, trailing downward.
He saw her staring and sent her with his own frank gaze. Dark eyes moved down her face, past her breasts, to her hips. Unable to help herself, she reached out and touched his cool skin, wiping away a droplet of water with her fingertips.
Alex didn’t move, but he caught her wrist and held it to his skin. “After the girls are asleep, meet me here again tonight.”
He pressed her fingers over his ribs, guiding her hand around his waist. Though his skin was icy cold from the water, she leaned in to warm him. His hand cupped her face and she stood before him, his nose resting against hers.
Though he hadn’t done anything at all, Laren’s breath was shaky, her body seeking his nearness. He was watching her with unveiled desire and she wondered when he would take her to his bed. She’d expected it last night, but he’d surprised her by holding back.
