Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Lucien St. Martin had never been so confused. This woman must not be right in the head. Determined to forget her, he allowed the warmth of the bath to soak in. He picked up the soap she’d left and was pleased it was not a flowery scent but a more masculine one. At the same time he wondered why she had soap like this.

He shaved first so he was sure to have the energy and was better right away, having never liked beards. He stayed in the water until it started to chill before he got out and dried off by the fire. Later, after he slid back into the wool pants and socks, he looked for the shirt that she had mentioned. It was a heavy flannel that was a little tight in the shoulders but would suffice to keep him warm.

Better, he wandered around the room with little steps as he regained his strength. The items were a mix of African and Celtic heritage. The two blended together in a fashion that made the cabin look more like a home than his ancestral mansion did. His place was large and screamed wealth where her little cabin screamed love. His chest tightened when he realized this was what he needed in his life. Love.

He knew that when he returned to England he was going to look for the appropriate woman to be his marchioness, get her with an heir and go seek his pleasure with a mistress, as did most of the peers. There was no way one woman could keep his attention for the rest of his life and he would not be a cuckold. For some reason, though, the thought of living the rest of one’s life with love held some appeal.

His father had treated his stepmother badly and she in turn had done the same to him. Theirs was a cold, icy relationship, different from his memories of his mother who had died birthing his sister. His father and stepmother had each carried on discreet affairs after they had married. While they lived in the same house, they slept in different rooms and barely said any civil words to one another. Not what he was looking for in a wife.

He walked to her bedroom and pushed open the door. It was barren. Well, not barren, but compared to the women’s rooms he had seen it was. Most of the room was decorated the same. Bright colored cloths on the walls, her bed covered by the same type of quilts he had. There was a shelf along the wall that had some dried herbs on it, making the room smell different. Her scent, however, filled the room. He couldn’t place it. It was a blend of honey and something. Something sweet, like a berry of some kind. Under the herbs were some books. There were no knickknacks aside from a carved rearing horse, a running wolf and a soaring bird. On the wall beside the mirror she had there was a painting, faded with age but still striking.

A tall redheaded man with the same color eyes as Ciara. He stood beside and stared down upon a stunning woman with skin a bit darker than Ciara’s. His hand under her chin as he tipped her face up toward him. The woman had her hand on his chest and her eyes were full of love, life and laughter as they gazed up at the man beside her. Whoever had painted it had caught that with incredible fashion. At the bottom it said, Cormac Aiden and Kerry Jahzara McKay. Her parents? Whoever they were, he had never seen a couple look like that, so in love. He could feel the love coming off the painting. He left the room uncomfortable with the feeling he got.

Lucien made himself eat a bowl of the stew. It was good despite the fact that he had no idea what he had eaten. She had left some bread out for him as well and he ate that. His energy spent, he lay down for a nap.

* * * *

As she headed back to the cabin, Ciara smiled. It had been a productive day. She had located her missing herbs, even though she’d had to dig through the snow to get to them. It was fortunate she had found them for they were almost no good. She had also discovered a small mountain lion kitten next to the body of his dead mother. Not such a nice part, but it all worked out. Faolan was being its surrogate mother whether he wished to or not and it pleased her to watch as the young kitten tried to keep up with him through the deep snow. Her wolf was used to creatures coming and going in the cabin.

She had a deer slung over her shoulders. She had food but fresh meat was always welcome, especially with this growing kitten to feed as well as the very large man in her cabin. She had two rabbits hanging from her waist. Her cloak was split to fit her and as she strode toward her cabin she had a smile on her face.

For the first time since her parents died she would have someone to talk to throughout the winter, even though he was an arrogant man. As they entered the small clearing in front of the cabin, she laughed as the kitten tackled Faolan with his teeth, which caused the large wolf to howl in pain.

The sound of an animal yelp woke Lucien and he sat up slow as he cursed his weakened condition. As fast as he was healing, it was not fast enough for him. He. He despised weakness, a lesson his father had taught him and one he would never forget. He moved toward the window and pulled back the curtain. He observed Faolan as he chased what looked to be a kitten around the yard through the deep snow. He looked past them and saw a hooded figure striding up with a deer over its shoulders.

Ciara? No way.The person turned and headed for a small building to the side and dumped the animal in the snow. Then it came toward the cabin. Not sure what to do, Lucien figured that as long as the wolf didn’t have a problem then it couldn’t be someone bad. The door swung open and a wet wolf led in a figure in black.

After the snow was stomped off the boots, the hood was pushed back.

“You? You were the one carrying that deer?” What kind of world did I land in?

“Yes. How are you doing?” She leaned over and placed the tiny kitten on the floor where it looked at Lucien, arched its back and hissed. Ciara headed to the fire and added more wood, before she began to drag out the tub.

“Wait. What are you doing?” Lucien sputtered.

Ciara returned to the cabin after a brief time while he watched warily as the kitten tried to attack the hanging quilt.

“It won’t hurt you. He is only a few months old.”

“Where did you get him? What is he?”

“His mom was dead. Since I couldn’t leave him, I brought him back. It is a cougar kitten.”

“A what kitten? What are you wearing? And what were you doing carrying a deer?”

“A mountain lion, cougar, wildcat, I don’t know what you know them as. I am wearing my cloak like I always do. I thought fresh meat would be good. Especially with the little one here. I have to go and fix the meat. You stay here with the baby.” At the door she paused, looked at him and smiled, completely open and unreserved, filled with humor and good cheer.

His heart stopped for a second before it started again at twice the speed. Blessed hell, she was gorgeous when she smiled like that. “Play with him, it will help you get your strength back.” She slipped out through the door with Faolan.

The little creature ran to the door mewling and crying. When it couldn’t get out, it made its way back over toward Lucien. The males sat and looked at each other. They sized each other up, not sure what to do. The little tan spotted furball was kind of cute.

Lucien rose with caution before he headed for the chair near the flames. The kitten followed him and rubbed against him, purring. He picked up the little thing and before long both males, wolf and lion in their own right, were fast asleep by the fire.

* * * *

Ciara came in with fresh meat for pies and stew. After the door shut, she looked and found the two weakened males asleep by the fire in the chair. Her weakened males. She put the meat down and unfastened her cloak. The kitten opened its eyes but didn’t move from his warm place on Lucien’s lap.

She moved in silence even as she made them some dinner. After it was in the oven cooking, she opened the door to go back out when the kitten appeared by her side. Ciara snuck a glance at the man in the chair but he was still dead to the world. Soft snores escaped his mouth. A quick glimpse at the fireplace told her that it was fine so she, Faolan and the kitten she had dubbed Kosse headed out to play in the snow that fell in fat flakes.

Lucien woke to the rich smells of cooked food. His stomach growled as he sat up in the chair and looked down at his lap. Empty. He was alone in the cabin yet again. He rose to put more wood on the fire then snuck a peek into the oven.

There was a thick roast surrounded by gravy with biscuits. His mouth watered. He listened for any sound of Ciara and smiled when her husky laugh filtered in from outside. He peered out of the window and saw her with her cloak billowing around her, as she stood between and petting two horses. One was that big black that he had seen before the bear and the other was a bay like the stallion he had ridden the day he was thrown.

Faolan and the kitten romped in the snow and the horses did not seem to be concerned by them at all. This was a strange place and she was a different kind of woman. The wind picked up speed, enough to blow her hood off her head, enabling him a clear view of her face. As he watched, the big black pawed at the falling snow and tossed his head.

Ciara grabbed his mane and swung up onto his back. He gave a halfhearted buck before he trotted around the small clearing. The mare fell into step beside him and as he watched, while in midstride, she leapt from one horse to the next. She rode the mare for a bit then hopped down before the mare even stopped.

Lucien’s heart jumped up to his mouth. Anger seethed through him that she would risk herself like that. He was almost to the door to yell at her when he realized what his situation was.

He was a titled man, set to inherit a dukedom. He was trapped in a cabin, unchaperoned, with a female of marriageable age. If they were in England he would be forced to marry, well maybe not since she was not in any way what one would expect for a wife of the elite. Instead of her trying to trap him, she appeared to be almost indifferent to him. She treated his wounds and took care of him, but was much more comfortable with the animals that surrounded her for when she was with them she was completely unreserved with her emotions.

Here was a chance for him to find himself. Maybe discover that one part of him that had always been kept down before because of who he was and who he was to become. There was no society here that could slander him. No parents to show their displeasure at his activities. He could do as he wished and no one would know or care. Perhaps he would get a friend. He didn’t have many friends, in fact he had two, but he had many acquaintances.

The company he kept obviously did not care about his title so there would be no mindless prattle to try to get in his good graces. What would they think if he came back with a wife in addition to the horse his father had ordered him bring? Shocking his parents was something he did well. What better way than to come back with a wife who was not of ‘good breeding.’ One who was not a blueblood. That bore further thoughts.

Ciara gave a short whistle and Faolan came to her, with Kosse in tow. She made sure that there was some grain for the horses out and she headed back into the cabin. Lucien sat at the table, his gaze predatory. In an instant she was on guard.

“Are those your horses?”

“No.” Her answer came too quick to suit him. She hung her cloak and put some food down for Kosse. She let Faolan out to go hunt his own food.

“Whom do they belong to?”

“They are wild. They belong only to themselves.” She set the table for dinner and, for once, she would not meet his gaze.

“Why did you help me?”

Ciara paused, confused. He was after something. “You were injured. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Thank you for that. I will repay your kindness.” His voice was smooth as if he soothed a savage beast.

“I did not ask for payment, and therefore require none.” She pulled the roast out of the oven and set it on the table. The aroma filled the cabin and she served him then herself. She gave him some coffee and herself some water.

“I always repay my debts.” His voice showed his displeasure at her for having turned him down.

“Eat. It will get cold if you don’t.” Ciara closed her eyes and offered up a prayer before she began to eat.

“Do you pray?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you not do so out loud?”

“I don’t know your beliefs and did not wish to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Tell me about you,” he commanded as he watched her eat.

Ciara looked up from eating. “Why do you wish to know about me? What interest can you have in me aside from the obvious fancy of one who is different from you? I am merely a passing interest, nothing more. I am not on display for you.”

He wiped his mouth. “Tell me about Faolan.”

“I already did.”

Ciara understood what he was after. He wanted answers but she wasn’t up to giving him any right now. So they ate in silence, even though he watched her with an astuteness that bothered.

When Faolan’s low woof alerted her to his return, she got up to let him inside.

Kosse pounced at the black wolf and when Faolan ignored him and went to the fire to lie down, the kitten followed and curled up beside him. Ciara smiled as she got a pie from the back of the stove. She took a piece and set the rest by him.

She blinked and spoke. “Would you like some whiskey? I believe that I still have some.”

“That would be great. Thank you.”

She had to find some common ground or the rest of the winter was going to be long and horrible.