Cam stopped being paranoid the moment he looked her over; now, she had his full and complete attention. “Were ye waiting for me?”
She cocked her head. “’Tis an arrogant man who would ask such a question.”
“’Tis a disappointed man if yer answer is nay.”
Isadora laughed softly. “Then I would not want tae disappoint ye.”
“Hold out yer hand.”
She did, but timidly. “Why?”
“Come along, now. Yerwholehand. Open it.”
When she didn’t move fast enough, he opened it for her. Into her open palm he deposited three perfect hen’s eggs.
“There,” he said. “I told ye I’d bring ye eggs and I did.”
Isadora looked at the eggs in her palm and she started to laugh. “Ye’re a rascal, Cam Netherton,” she said. “I wanted birds’ eggs.”
“A chickenisa bird.”
She shook her head reproachfully, but it was all for show. His trick was humorous. “Small birds,” she said. “Colorful birds.Thoseare the eggs I want.”
He was grinning at her. “Then ye’ll have tae wait until I have the time tae find ye some real ones.”
“Or we could hunt for them now.”
He lifted his eyebrows at the excellent idea. “Aye, we could,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “Come along, my little demon. Let’s see what we can find.”
With her eggs in one hand, Isadora reached out with her other to take Cam’s hand. The moment his big, warm hand closed over hers, Isadora truly thought she might faint. The mere touch of the man sent bolts of warmth shooting through her body, lifting her feet off the ground until she was certain she was walking on air.
Together, they began to follow the path into the vale.
For a few stolen moments, neither spoke. They simply enjoyed each other’s company, back in the place where they’dfirst met. It didn’t look different to what it did eight years ago, except for the fact that now, one of the demons wasn’t so wicked any longer. There was attraction in the air. Cam kept glancing over at Isadora, who was starting to flush bashfully.
“Do the demons still come tae this vale?” he asked her.
Isadora shrugged. “I’ve not come here in years,” she said. “Ever since I realized that stealing from terrified men was not something I wanted tae do with my life. As a child, I suppose it was different. I dinna care much for others. But now…”
He finished for her. “Now ye’d rather trap hares and sell their skins,” he said. “And what else?”
She felt him give her hand a squeeze and her heart leapt with the thrill of it. She’d never been this close to a man who wasn’t her father or a brother, and who made her heart sing. It was a struggle to keep her head and not melt to the earth in a giddy puddle.
“There is always a great deal tae do,” she said. “Skin hides, tend the horses, milk the cow. I am never idle.”
He was gazing at her intently. “Those are duties,” he said. “What aboutye, Isadora? I used tae help my grandfather with his birds, but what do ye like tae do when ye’re not tending tae yer duties?”
He was probing her, personally, and the normally reserved woman caved in without a fight. “My brothers and I have swords and pikes,” she said. “I like tae fight with them sometimes, though I fight better than they do. They dunna like being beaten by a woman.”
“So ye like combat, then?”
“I do. When I win, that is.”
Cam laughed softly. “Ever the warrior woman,” he said. “I seem tae remember that from when we first met and ye told me I needed tae learn tae fight. Ye spoke as if ye had cause tae learn yerself.”
He was starting to venture into a subject that she’d already made clear was forbidden. To speak of fighting might lead to whom she might have fought, and Isadora didn’t want to tell him her history of skirmishes and battle. She knew he was loyal to Lindsay; being from Netherton, that was established. But he still didn’t know where she was from or whom her loyalties were with. He didn’t know she hated Lindsay and everything about them. For all he knew, she was simply a lass from a village in the hills.
Perhaps it was wrong of her, but she wanted to keep it that way.
