11. Chapter Ten

They made love twice more and then fell into an exhausted sleep. Hours later Lorena's eyes flickered open and she looked around the empty bothy. Where the devil had Craig gone? Could she not even trust him to remain here until she awoke?

Sometime during the night, they'd dressed in their dried clothes. Craig must have been up and down tending to the fire because it was still warm in the cottage.

She stood and walked to the door just as it opened, and Craig entered. "I was just wondering where ye went."

"Checking on the horses. I had some oats in the bag strapped to my horse. ‘Twasn't a lot for them, but better than no'hing."

"I need the satchel from my horse." Felling dirty and sticky with their night of passion, she needed to clean up. "Can ye get me some water? Is there a creek or stream nearby?"

"Aye, but we doona have anything to carry water. I'll walk ye down to the creek so ye can wash up. I've already been there, the water is clean and fresh, but verra, verra cold."

She raised her chin. "Cold water doesna trouble me. I am not a soft lass."

Craig grinned and grabbed her, pulling her close to his chest. "I disagree. Ye are a verra soft lass."

She loved this teasing side of Craig, but ‘twas important to remember to keep him from drawing her in, making her feel comfortable with him. Maybe even love him. No man could be trusted, and she would never allow herself to relax around him. One day he would turn on her and she would have a broken heart.

They left the bothy together and he grabbed the satchel from her horse. "The creek is this way." He pointed to the back of the building.

"I can go myself. Ye needn't follow me."

Craig shook his head. "Do ye already forget what happened yesterday? Think ye that there are no more brigands and wanderers in these woods?"

She sniffed as she followed him to the creek. "Ye said these are MacKay lands. If yer clan was doing a good job, there would be no outlaws."

"Is that right, lass? Our clan does an excellent job of keeping our lands safe, but we canno' have men all over the place looking for those ready to cause trouble. We would be attacked when word got out that the MacKay warriors were out searching the woods for renegades instead of guarding the brooch."

They had reached the creek and Lorena crouched at the water's edge and removed her washing cloth and the small piece of soap shed brought with her. She washed as much of the dried sweat off her that she could and quickly ran the cloth between her legs, hoping Craig would not embarrass her by mentioning it.

Once all her ablutions were finished, she stood. Craig had been leaning against a tree, his arms crossed, watching her. She felt a flush rise on her face, then drew in a breath and raised her chin. "I need to find a place to relieve myself. Can you at least let me do that in peace?"

Craig shrugged and pointed to a bush across the way from where they stood. "Right there would be good."

‘Twas not far enough for her, but it appeared he was not going to leave her alone, so she gritted her teeth and did what she needed to do.

She walked with him to where the horses were. He took the satchel out of her hand and loaded it to her horse. "What will we do about food? I'm quite hungry since the last meal we had was oatcakes yesterday morn."

"I will hunt after we're out of this general area. I'm still no' convinced that whoever was after us is no' still close by."

The last thing she wanted to do was appear weak in front of this man, so she nodded and told her stomach to behave itself.

‘Twas a beautiful day, which oftentimes happened after a storm. The sun shone bright, almost blinding her when they turned toward it. The air was fresh and clean and after the lovely night of intimacy with her husband, she felt well for the first time in a very long time.

About two hours later, Craig looked around the area and slowed down. "We will stop here. I'm sure I can get a rabbit or two to roast."

"If ye have a piece of rope I can fish."

He grinned at her. "Ye can fish?"

Was the oaf laughing at her? "Aye. I can cook, fish, garden, collect eggs from reluctant chickens, and milk a goat. David did no' allow me to lie about at Clyth Castle like a pampered lady."

"Then I shall look for rabbits and ye shall see what ye can pull out of the water."

She felt good about his acceptance of her abilities. It was important to her that he see her as an independent, self-reliant woman, not some sniveling indulged lass good for nothing but embroidery and bedsport.

Then he annoyed her by saying, "Stay at the creek, doona go wandering about. I will be in the woods near ye."

Since Craig didn't have a piece of rope, she used a method that she'd done before. She pulled the back of her kirtle up through her legs and tucked it into her belt. With the bottom of her legs free, she stepped into the bitter cold water and waded until she studied the fish to see how they acted.

With a quick movement, she reached down and scooped a nice sized perch. She threw it on the bank and continued her search. When she was through, she'd caught two perches, one trout and a small salmon that she threw back.

"Did ye catch all these?" Craig said as he walked up to her, holding a large rabbit in his hands that he held up.

"Aye. I told ye I could fish."

"So ye did. What I'm looking forward to is watching ye milk a goat, or race after chickens."

The mon never took her seriously.

He walked past her, holding the dripping rabbit. "With this and yer fish, we'll have a good meal."

While Craig cleaned the rabbit, she foraged for edible plants to go with the meat and fish. "Doona leave the area, Lorena," he said as he removed the skin from the rabbit.

"You've already told me, Craig. I am no' a dim wit." She sighed, annoyed again at being told what to do like some bairn.

She found quite a few items and set them on a log so she could cook the food. The fire Craig had started was now perfect for cooking the fish and rabbit. He stuck a thin stick into the fish and handed it to her. She held it over the flames, her mouth already watering at the thought of food. Nodding to the pile of plants, she said, "Can ye go to the stream and wash those, we can eat them with our meal."

His brows rose. "'Tis no more than grass and things I step on when I walk."

"It shows me how stupid ye are, husband. Those are plants that we can eat."

He shook his head. "I'll clean them for ye, but I'm going to eat plants. One of them might be poison. Is this how ye plan to get out of our marriage?"

"Nay, my plans run more along stabbing ye in the chest while ye sleep." She had to laugh at Craig's startled look. Aye. Let the arrogant oaf worry about it.

Lorena shook her head as she flipped the fish. The man was stubborn. As all men. She turned the rabbit meat and thought about this fool husband of hers. He was a good man, as Giles had said, but like all men, he was stubborn, arrogant, and assumed to know what was best for everyone else.

She grudgingly admitted that she'd seen no evidence—so far—of a temper. But ‘twas there, she was certain. All he needed was her not doing something he ordered, and she'd see it. ‘Twas best to keep that in mind while she was thinking how protective and caring he was.

She turned the fish and rabbit again and considered the night before. Avery had been brutal and never did anything to make her feel as though bedsport could be pleasant for her.

Lorena sighed as she saw in her mind Craig doing all the things he could to make sure she experienced pleasure as well as him.

So confused in her mind, she concentrated on her cooking. She was wrapping herself in knots and ‘twas not necessary because Craig had assured her he would be spending very little time at Dun Ugadale because he had many duties that took him away for weeks at a time.

Craig returned from the stream shaking the plants, looking at them as if they would bite him. She laughed at this big, strong warrior who was afraid of some greens.

"I think everything is cooked," Lorena said.

Craig went to the bag he kept strapped to his horse and pulled out a plate. He brought it to the fire and picked up fish and rabbit pieces. He waved her over as he sat on a log, and she joined him. She looked around and when she found the plants, she added them to the plate ever though Craig eyed them with suspicion.

"What is Helena Ross like?" she asked while they gobbled the food down.

"Helena MacKay now," Craig said. "Helena is a pleasant lass. She's a healer, so one could say she is caring and compassionate, as well."

‘Twas obvious Craig held this woman in great esteem. Was this someone she would have to compete with? The laird's wife had already caused Lorena to be humiliated by her betrothed asking his brother to step into his place.

"And is she pretty?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to bring them back. She sounded so silly and young. Certainly not how she wanted to appear to Craig.

He smiled and her insides fluttered. "No' as pretty as ye."

She hated that his one statement flooded her with warmth enough to cause her face to flush. She lifted her chin. "'Tis time to go, aye?"

His laughter at her reaction to his words made her want to kick him. Or throw something heavy at his head.

Once they had everything cleaned up and packed, he grasped her around the waist and lifted her to her horse. He vaulted onto his animal, and they rode away.

They would spend another night outside before they would reach Dun Ugadale tomorrow, late in the day, Craig had said. It couldn't be soon enough for her.

Unfortunately, they spent the day sniping at each other. She was, admittedly, grouchy from hour after hour of riding. She hated that she had to ask Craig to stop so she could relieve herself. The man must own a bladder the size of Skye, since he always asked the same question, "Can ye not hold it for a while, we just stopped a little bit ago."

"Nay. I canno'. Do ye think I like asking ye to stop when ye give me such a hard time about it?"

"That's because ye're a woman."

"I have no idea what ye mean by that, but impressed I am with ye no' being as dumb as I thought."

And back and forth they went.

The sun was low in the sky when she shouted to him. "When will be stop for the day?"

Even though he was ahead of her, and she was staring at his back, she could feel him rolling his eyes. "If we want to make it to Dun Ugadale by tomorrow, we have to put more time in today."

She kicked her horse so she rode up alongside him. "I want to stop now."

"Ye always want to stop now."

"Aye. I have needs. And one of them is to get off this bluidy horse!"

He shook his head, mirth in his eyes. "'Tis no' fine language coming from a lass."

She was tired, hungry, and annoyed. "Aye, so it is. I suppose Helena ne'er uses foul language."

He turned to look at her. "What does Helena have to do with ye wanting to stop?"

She gritted her teeth. "I was referring to language."

Craig ran his fingers through his hair. "Lorena MacKay ye do a fine job of making me crazy."

"Doona call me that. I am Lorena Gunn MacKay."

"What ye are is a foolish lass who clings to a name that's brought ye nothing but pain and sorrow."

She suffered in silence for about five minutes, then said, "I am stopping now, husband. If ye doona wish to join me, that is fine, and I will see ye at Dun Ugadale tomorrow." She pulled up on her horse and stopped.

Craig turned and glared at her. "Ye will do what I say."

"Nay."

He rode up to her. "Ye are the wife. I am the husband. Ye do what I say, and I say we will ride a bit longer."

She felt the tears starting to gather in her eyes, but she would rather slide a dirk across her throat than let him see. Instead, she slid from her horse, surprised that her legs stayed under her and stood, feet apart, hands on her hips. "I am no' riding any more today."

Craig's eyes moved back and forth, and she wondered if he was considering tossing her over his shoulder as he'd promised once before. As she watched, he jumped from his horse.

She backed up a bit before he said, "Verra well. We will stay here, but if ye complain tomorrow about how much longer we must ride than today to reach Dun Ugadale, I will tie a cloth o'er yer mouth."

It was a quiet supper as they ate the food Craig had purchased in a small village they passed through earlier in the day. ‘Twas cheese, fruit, cold meat, bread and fresh butter. Lorena had never enjoyed a meal as much.

She began to feel drowsy as soon as she swallowed the last bite. "I guess we will sleep out here. No tent, no bothy."

"Aye. Unfortunately, that is true." He gestured to an area that was somewhat hidden by a group of trees, forming a small cove. "I will lay down my plaid and wrap the both of us in it. See if ye can make a pile of leaves while I tend to the horses."

Yawning the entire time, she kicked and carried leaves into a pile. By the time Craig came back from dealing with the horses full darkness had arrived.

"'Remove yer kirtle and blouse, you will be warmer without them." Were she not so tired, she would have objected to again being told what to do, but weary enough where she only wanted to sleep, she took the garments off, leaving her in just her shift.

Craig unwrapped his plaid, leaving him in a leine and laid the garment on the pile of leaves. He waved at it. "Wife."

She laid down, and he joined her. He wrapped the plaid around them, but if it hadn't been for the warmth from Craig's body, she would have shivered all night.

There was no touching, caressing, or fondling this night. Craig fell asleep almost as soon as he laid down. She joined him right afterward.