His fingers stroked the side of her face and she lifted her mouth to his, claiming the kiss that he hadn’t given.
At the first touch of her lips, he opened to her, his firm mouth seeking. She’d forgotten this, the way he made her pulse race. Though he kept the kiss gentle, she wanted more from him. She wanted to lose herself in his arms, to let him drive out all the demons of their past.
When he pulled back, he let his hands remain around her waist. “Tonight,” he repeated. She nodded and when he released her, she nearly stumbled, feeling foolish that he could still make her knees go weak. “Will you be all right with the girls, or shall I take them back with me?’
“They can stay. Ramsay will be along soon and he’ll take over the fires.”
Alex donned his wet tunic, shrugging off the discomfort as he turned back to the fortress. Though it was cold outside, he showed no sign of it as he walked away.
When Laren returned to the cave, her girls busied themselves playing in the sand near the entrance. And as she worked to make more sheets of colored glass, she thought about how alone Alex was. He worked endlessly on the building and it was weighing upon his spirits.
But never did he talk to her about his own worries. He kept those thoughts closed off, as if they revealed a weakness he didn’t want to show.
Larensetdownhercutting tool and stared at the afternoon sky. A cold rain began to drizzle and the girls had moved inside the cave for shelter. It was starting to grow darker and she needed to bring them back home before it grew too late.
“Come, girls,” she said, lifting Adaira into her arms and wrapping her younger daughter beneath her cloak. She used the other side of the cloak to shield Mairin from the rain. As they hurried back to the fortress, she glanced behind her and saw a hooded man, mounted on horseback. Her heartbeat quickened for he’d emerged from the woods near the loch. Not far from her son’s grave, if she guessed correctly.
Who was he? And what did he want? From his clothing, it appeared he’d come from another clan. Was he a messenger?
She hastened back to the fortress, but he didn’t follow. It seemed that he was watching her, and Laren wondered why. When she reached the interior of Glen Arrin, she breathed a little easier. It was raining hard now, and most of the men had abandoned work for the day, seeking shelter inside their huts.
She brought the girls to Vanora’s home and the older matron welcomed them inside, fussing over their wet clothes. Alex was speaking with Ross and in the corner sat his mother, Grizel.
The woman’s dark hair was pulled back from her face, a sour expression on her mouth. Her gown was spotless and she wore a woolen wrap to keep out the cold. “Come and give yourseanmhaira kiss,“ she ordered the girls.
They glanced at Laren, who had no choice but to nod in agreement. The girls weren’t fond of Grizel, but she hoped Mairin could manage to control her impulsive tongue.
After the girls had greeted her, Laren came forward and bent to give the matron a kiss of welcome, but Grizel turned her cheek aside. “I meant the children, not you.” Bitterness lined her mouth and she nodded towards the outside. “I see you’ve been neglecting your home and family again.”
“I see you’re as pleasant as ever,” she retorted. As soon as she had spoken the words, she wanted to bite her tongue. She knew better than to fight with Grizel, but there were times when her patience was sorely lacking.
“If you would spend half the time looking after your responsibilities, you’d be a better wife to Alex. Why he ever married you, I’ll never know.”
“That’s enough, Mother.” Alex broke away from his conversation with Ross. “If you’ve nothing better to do than offer insults, you can return to Locharr.”
“I’ll not. This is my home, where I belong.”
Laren moved as far away from Grizel as she could manage, but already she could feel the tension stretching through her. The girls were picking at their food, and Adaira began to whine.
“Hush now,” Laren soothed, picking up her youngest and stroking her hair. “You just need to rest, sweet one.” She began speaking words of comfort, ignoring Grizel’s proclamations about how her boys never fussed a day in their lives.
She tried to block out the words, but the longer Grizel went on, the more she needed an escape. When the girls finally fell asleep, she walked outside, heedless of the rain.
She heard footsteps behind her and saw Alex following. Laren didn’t stop, but continued trudging through the mud until she reached the outer wall. She rested her hands upon the wall, staring at the ruined foundation where they had once lived. “I couldn’t stand it any more,” she told her husband.
“She’s always been that way. Nothing you say can please her.”
Laren turned to face him. Rain was pouring down over both of them, but she’d rather stand outside and be frozen than endure another moment of Grizel’s company. “Tell me that we won’t be living with her for long.”
Alex came up beside her and sat, shielding her from the rain with his cloak. “We’ll finish as soon as we can.”
“Good.” She shivered beneath the makeshift shelter. “Alex, I saw a horseman near David’s grave.”
His arm came around her shoulders, as if to guard her. “When?”
“Not long ago. Just as the girls and I were returning.”
He stood and let the cloak fall away. His hand caught hers and he walked back with her to the low wall overlooking the fortress.
