And he'd missed all of it by actively avoiding her.
Boyd's hands clenched and unclenched as he walked.He was going to have a very long conversation with his wife about the meaning of the word "husband" and what it meant to share a life together.
It was time they stopped living like strangers under the same roof.
***
THE AFTERNOON SUN SPARKLEDon the surface of the loch, turning the water into a sheet of molten gold.Bella stood at the water's edge near the small stone bothy, watching with satisfaction as the last of the clanswomen gathered their belongings and prepared to depart.
"That was wonderful, mistress!"Young Fiona, the miller's daughter, was practically bouncing with excitement."Did ye see how I disarmed Morag?"
"Ye did very well," Bella replied warmly."But remember, the goal isn't just to disarm.It's to create distance so ye can escape.Getting away from danger is more important than continuing the fight."
"Aye, mistress."Fiona's eyes were shining."Will ye teach us that spinning move next time?The one ye used earlier?"
Bella laughed softly."Perhaps.Once ye've mastered the moves I taught ye today."
The women tittered with excitement, chatting among themselves as they prepared to leave.Bella felt a warm glow of satisfaction watching them.These were good women, wives, daughters, sisters, who deserved to know how to protect themselves.Who deserved the confidence and skills that Bella had learned at the abbey.
As the women gathered their cloaks and prepared to head back up the path to the Keep, Bella called after them."Be sure to practice those grip changes I showed ye!"
"Aye, mistress!"they chorused, their voices fading as they disappeared up the path through the trees, passing her guards Gilroy and Darach who stood at a respectful distance.
Bella noticed with amusement that both guards were now surrounded by giggling lasses.Gilroy was leaning against a tree, grinning at something one of the girls said, while Darach only had eyes for Fiona.
Good, she thought.Her guards deserved a bit of harmless flirtation, and they were still close enough to come running if she needed them.
At least Boyd was away on clan matters.By the time he returned, she'd have established her training sessions as a normal part of Keep life.
Bella turned back to the loch, her body hot and sticky from the exertion of the training session.The water looked inviting, sparkling in the late afternoon sun.
A quick wash in the loch would be heavenly, she thought.
She glanced once more at her guards, still thoroughly distracted, then moved to the bothy to retrieve her bathing supplies and a drying cloth.She'd learned to be prepared, keeping a clean shift, spare undergarments, lavender soaps, mint-paste and her arisaidh stored in the cottage for just such occasions.
The water was cool and refreshing when she waded in wearing a thin shift for modesty.Bella let herself enjoy the simple pleasure of washing away the sweat and grime.She did not linger long, just enough to scrub her entire body clean under the shift, then she made her way back to shore.
Once on the grass, behind tall shrubs and hidden from view, Bella removed the shift and placed it over a shrub to dry.Then she quickly dried herself with a large cloth and dressed in her newly sewn garments.Clean shift and undergarment first, then a warm fitted dress, kirtle and finally she wrapped her new arisaidh around herself.The length of the plaid cloth draped beautifully over her left shoulder, the fabric securing her clothing while leaving her arms free for movement.
She used the drying cloth to squeeze excess water from her hair, then began to finger-comb through the dark, wet strands.They hung in thick waves down her back, droplets of water still clinging to the ends, catching the afternoon light like tiny diamonds.
Bella donned new slippers and made her way back to the front of the bothy.She was just finishing with her hair, her face tilted up to catch the warm sun, when she heard footsteps approaching.
"Mistress Bella."
She turned to find Tobias standing at the edge of the clearing, a leather-wrapped bundle tucked carefully under one arm.He'd stopped mid-stride, and his dark eyes had gone wide, his lips parting slightly in an expression of pure wonder.
Bella smiled, unaware of the picture she made, freshly bathed, her damp hair catching the golden light, the arisaidh draped gracefully over her simple dress, making her look like a Celtic goddess.A siren who'd emerged from the loch itself.She placed the drying cloth on a hook by the side of the bothy then greeted her visitor.
"Tobias!"she said warmly."Is that the knife?"
For a moment, Tobias seemed unable to speak.He simply stood there, drinking in the sight of her, the way the afternoon light made her skin glow, the graceful drape of the plaid that somehow made her look both modest and ethereal at once.
"Aye, mistress," he finally managed, his voice rougher than usual.He cleared his throat and took a few steps closer."I finished it this morn.Wanted to bring it to ye right away."
Bella's face lit up with genuine delight."Oh, I've been so eager to see it."
She moved toward him with natural grace, thearisaidhswaying with her movements.Tobias's eyes followed her, transfixed.
