Page 19 of Highland Sky

“Of course, it does. So, what comes next?”

“Let me show ye.” She climbed back up the ladder and he followed.

After a row of thatch was laid out, she started stabbing the sharp spars over the sway and through the straw to make it secure. He swore she had a maniacal look on her face, as if she liked stabbing things . . . or perhaps people. God’s eyes, how did he get himself married to such a crazy wench?

“Now ye try,” she told him. “But first, let me show ye the finishin’ steps.” She climbed around him and back down the ladder to the ground. When he joined her, she was holding a large wooden mallet in one hand and a block of wood secured to a wooden handle in the other.

Bid the devil, was she going to hit him with this now? He looked out to all the others who were still bringing bundles of straw and sticks to the sight. None of them even seemed slightly concerned. Mayhap he was overreacting. Nay, he decided. She wouldn’t be so stupid to try to whack him right there in front of everyone. Would she?

“What are ye goin’ to hit with that?” he asked, backing up a step, just to make distance between them.

“Just ye wait and see.” That evil grin was back on her face again, doing nothing to calm him.

She headed over to the ladder, climbing up just enough to reach the bottom of the thatch. Then she put the wooden block against it and gave it a good whack with the mallet. The thatch moved upward on an angle, causing the pitch of the roof to become smoother.

“Ah, I see,” he said, understanding now just what she was doing. “Ye are smoothin’ out the roof.”

“That’s right. And when it is finished I’ll use those knives to cut off the overhang where I don’t want it. There is more to show ye when we get to the top of the roof, but it will take a while and I’m sure we’ll no’ even get to it today.”

“Well then, I suppose we should get movin’,” he said, heading back for another bundle of straw. Building a thatched roof proved to be interesting. Nash liked to be good at everything he did, and was anxious to get his hand into this to show the girl that he was useful and could learn the skill quickly.

Now that he realized what she meant to use these tools for, he felt a little more relaxed. Perhaps she wouldn’t attempt to kill him again. Or at least, not until the roof was almost finished. After all, she did need his help. Or at least he hoped.