Och! Of course. The prison! Where thespecial lasshe’d spoken of had somehow set him free. The meals there would have been verra sparse indeed, and of poor quality. No wonder he seemed to savor each mouthful. If only she dared ask Sean more about his past. Abouther; the woman he owed a great debt to.
“More?” She pushed the soup pot toward him. “Ye must keep up yer strength for all the dirty mixers, pots and pans ye’ll be scrubbin’ tonight.” Unable to stifle a grin, she sat back. “Besides, if I can fill ye up on soup and bread, ye’ll be too full for dessert. I certainly dinnae mind eating both portions.”
Sean glanced at the container Owen had left and reached for another slice of bread. “What is it?”
“Cranachan.”
Sean’s eyes widened. “Truly?” He set the bread down, along with his spoon. “The real thing?”
“Oh, aye! Owen takes his traditional desserts very seriously. He makes the best around. Or, so he tells me.” She made a gruff face, cleared her throat and tested it to see how low she could go. “Layers of toasted oats soaked in whiskey, rich cream blended with heather honey and a bit more whiskey, and crushed raspberries with just a kiss of sugar, a wee bit of honey and another splash of whiskey!” She laughed and shook her head. “That was a terrible imitation. All I ken is how tasty ’tis.”
“Aye,” Sean eyed the container in anticipation. “Wickham’s wife made some as a special treat for their sons’ birthdays when I was there. Wi’out the whiskey, o’ course. Even then, ’twas the loveliest thing I’d tasted in centuries.”
Kenna grinned and raised a teasing eyebrow. “That long, huh?” She glanced at the unfinished portion of his third serving of soup. “Finish yer soup. I promise not tae eat your Cranachan.”
He sighed and pushed his bowl aside. “My belly had its fill some time ago. ’Tis my traitorous tongue that’s the glutton.”
“I completely understand,” she laughed. “I’ve experienced the same, working in the bakery with all those tasty treats readily available.”
Sudden memories of a time when her situation was much different, darkened Kenna’s cheerful mood. Several times during her life, even the most basic foods had been unobtainable. She, her mither and sister, had often gathered wild grains and greens just to keep body and soul together.
Without a doubt, if she made it home to the sixteenth century, she’d experience periods of that type of hunger, again. But she couldnae worry about that, now. She’d face that difficulty if, and when, she had to. Besides, the fate her family faced was far more deadly than an empty belly.
Determined to shove her dark memories aside—just for tonight—Kenna focused on something Sean had said, hoping to learn more. Mayhap, if she distracted him with the dessert, he’d open up a bit about his past.
Assuming the container’s tight-fitting lid would be difficult with her injured hands, she gestured toward it. “Would ye mind?”
“No’ a’tall.” He quickly dispensed with the lid and removed two clear serving-cups from a bed of ice. With anticipation sparkling in his eyes, he set one in front of her. “If ’tis half as good as it looks, I’ll die content.”
’Twas easy to laugh with Sean. She couldnae recall when she’d last relaxed enough to enjoy a conversation or simply delight in the way someone enjoyed their food. Though the ever-present sense of urgency still shimmered on the edges of her consciousness, she appreciated this brief diversion.
But brief, it must be. Tomorrow morning, regardless of her injuries, she’d leave all this behind and resume her search. If all went well—and pray to God it did—she’d leave this century, this town, thisman, behind.
Selfishly, she wanted to coax the most out of the hours between now and then. The more of Sean she could discover, the more memories of him she could take with her. Like the picture of him now, as engrossed in eating his dessert as a wee lad.
“Aye, ’tis as pretty as ’tis delicious.” She pulled her portion closer and reached for her spoon. “Who is Wickham?”
Sean looked up at her with a spoonful of Cranachan halfway to his mouth. She smiled when her question dinnae stop him from taking the bite, chewing, savoring, and swallowing.
“Och. ’Tis amazing.” He scooped another spoonful. “Wickham is many things. But tae me, I ken he’s sort of a…mentor. He took in a bunch of the lads, including myself, after our release, and did all he could tae get us ready tae begin our new lives in a new world.”
She waited, swirled her spoon in the rich cream, hoping he’d say more.New life-new world?“Ye were at the—yer former place—a long time?”
A shadow flickered in his eyes. “Verra long. Centuries.”
She nodded. It must surely have seemed so. She couldnae help wondering what he’d done to warrant being sent to prison in the first place. So far, he’d shown her naught but kindness at every turn. She couldnae imagine him doing anything that would end in such a drastic result.
She’d barely started on her dessert when Sean scraped up the last remnants of his and licked the spoon. “So, tell me about the difficult task I’m tae take on tonight, that Owen doesnae think me capable of.”
How could she explain Owen’s unusual behavior? She’d never had a father, so she couldnae assume he’d acted as one, but ’twas the closest example she could think of. “Dinnae be too hard on him. He’s gone through a rough time, of late. ’Tis worry, I ken, that makes him appear gruff when he’s really gentle as a lamb.”
“I promise tae be gentle in return,” Sean grinned, sliding out of his chair to gather their dishes. “I’ll practice on these while ye critique my skills.”
“Nae, Sean. I can—”
“Dinnae ye dare!” He narrowed a warning look at her before heading to the sink. “Ye can see well enough from there tae point out what I’m doin’ wrong. And when I’m done, we’ll see tae those bandages.”
’Twas the strangest thing, watching a braw Highland warrior—at least she liked to think of him as such—standing at her sink, doing dishes. While he worked, she explained her duties in Owen’s kitchen, cleaning the equipment and tidying up the bakery after a busy day. She described her morning delivery route the best she could and told him what little she kenned of the customers she delivered to.
