Page 31 of Highlander's Sinless Nymph
Charlotte said nothing, but she felt the flush rise once more in her cheeks. It was odd, but she found herself admiring the looks of this man almost every time that she saw him. Now, by the flickering glow of the fire, his face was all hard black shadows and flat orange plains. The scar running through his dark eyebrow was even more pronounced than usual.
“I find it curious,” Edward said, “that when ye’re behind me on old Cogar ye could talk the ears off a mule, but when ye’re sat in front o’ me, like now, it’s hard to get a word out of ye.”
Charlotte fished around in her brain for something witty to say in return, but she found that all she really wanted to do was watch Edward.
I had better say something, or he might start thinking that I really am just an empty-headed over-privileged Englishwoman.
Charlotte held out her hand. “Pass me the game,” she commanded.
Edward tossed her the skinned carcasses, one after another. To her disguised delight, and his obvious surprise, she caught each one. She did not even grimace when blood from one of the gutted animals oozed out of its severed neck and went all over her hands.
“I’m glad that ye have decided to do the cookin’, Sassenach,” Edward said, settling himself comfortably against the trunk of one the dead firs. “A lad cannae be expected to do everythin’ around here.”
“Why you––” Charlotte said, then she caught the flash of the white teeth again and knew that Edward was teasing her.
“While ye cook the meat, I’ll just catch a wee bit o’ sleep,” he said.
“Really?” pouted Charlotte, only half-mockingly. “Why won’t you speak with me? I promise I’ll try and be just as loquacious as I am when I’m riding behind you.”
The slight smile on the Highlander’s rugged face faded. “Nay, I must get some sleep, lass, in all seriousness. Once ye bed down, I shall keep watch through the night.”
Charlotte looked into the fire and nodded. “Should we––should we not take it in turns or something?” she asked.
Edward snorted, but did not tease her. “A kind offer, Sassenach, but what would ye do if some uninvited caller happened along, eh?”
Charlotte rather saw his point. She prodded awkwardly at the fire.
“Besides, I would nae be able to sleep properly, even if we did take turns at the watch,” Edward said.
“Why?” Charlotte asked, looking up and holding his gaze with her pale blue eyes.
Edward looked back at her, his eyes as intense as any she had ever seen, reflecting the flames of the campfire.
“Fer I would nae ken that ye were safe,” he said.
Charlotte, trying not to look too pleased, quickly started getting a bed of ashes ready in the fire with a stick. She did not quite know how meat was cooked over the fire––having only seen it being done in passing, as she walked quickly past the cooking fires in the English encampment––but she was sure that she could figure it out.
When she chanced a glance up through her tangled curly hair, she saw that Edward had pulled his hood over his face and settled down to get what rest he could.
Charlotte bent to her task with a renewed enthusiasm.
I shall show him that I’m more than a––than a Sassenach. I’ll cook this meat so perfectly that he’ll be eating out of the palm of my hand…
* * *
“Well, Sassenach,” Edward said, as he crunched gingerly on the piece of charcoal that had once been a perfectly good bit of meat, “I’ll say this fer yer dinner; it’sdefinitelycooked.”
He snapped off a leg. Charlotte winced. She was fairly sure that she had seen black dust float away from the burned meat that time.
“Would ye mind passin’ over the water flask there, lass,” the Scotsman asked. His face was quite unreadable. “I always find a bit o’ water helps get food down that is a wee bit on the overdone side.”
Charlotte passed over the water skin. She had not touched her portion of food yet. Not because she was not hungry––she was famished––after their long day of nonstop riding. She was on edge, waiting to see what this man would do, now that she had ruined this meat that he had taken the time and effort to track and kill.
If this had been for my father, I think I would have run into the woods before he woke.
She touched at the tender side of her face. She was quite thankful that they were miles from the nearest looking-glass. She did not like to think what her face must look like now, after having a full day to swell and color.
“Charlotte,” Edward said sharply, his hard voice making her jump in the silence of the forest.
