Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A t the bottom of the waterfall, the place opened up into a wide, grassy space surrounded by pine trees, with the dashing waters from above plunging into the pools, to be carried away by a wide, shallow burn.

"That's the house," Thorsten shouted to Raven above the sound of the rushing waters. Arne carried Thorsten over to the wooden pavilion. It had a red painted roof, windows, and even a small chimney poking out at the top. At the front was a small, covered deck, like a veranda. Arne lifted Thorsten down from his shoulders and set him on his feet on the deck before opening the doors. They folded back, so the occupants could sit comfortably and enjoy the view of the waterfall and the surrounding scenery unimpeded.

"Well, this is lovely, ye have everythin' ye could ever need in here," Raven observed in admiring tones as she stepped inside and pulled off her gloves. "Why, 'tis a proper little house. Ye could live in here!" she added, laughing. Arne turned to her and saw that Thorsten was holding her hand. Or maybe she was holding his. The boy looked perfectly content as he pulled at her hand and said, "Come sit here." He led her over to a large wooden settle that had been liberally padded out with blankets and cushions at Arne's request.

"All right, darlin', I'm comin'," she murmured, her face glowing as she allowed the little boy to lead her by the hand.

"Ye can sit here, and I'll make ye warm until Da makes the fire," Thorsten lisped, gesturing at the settle.

"Thank ye, hinny, that'll be very nice." She sat down as directed, and Arne had to smile to see what childish care Thorsten took to cover her up with blankets. His tongue stuck out of his mouth as it always did when he was concentrating on something hard. He even put a cushion behind her head.

"Och, that's very comfy, thank ye, Thorsten," she said, beaming at him. Arne glanced at them from time to time from the corner of his eye as he knelt beside the little stove. He opened it and saw with satisfaction that a fire had already been laid for them, according to his orders. All he had to do was light it using the tinder supplied.

"Now we'll be nice and warm," the little boy announced, astonishing Arne by proceeding to climb up next to Raven on the settle and snuggle up to her under the blankets. She put her arm around him and cradled him close, and he leaned his head against her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Which Arne could only suppose it was.

Arne took off his gloves and laid them aside. He took the tinder box and made a spark, and the tinder flared. He blew on it gently to bring it to life and lit a piece of kindling with it. He nursed the flame until it was strong enough and then laid it carefully in the stove. He watched the little flames steadily grow, and once he was sure it would burn well, he shut the door.

He stood up and rubbed his hands. "There, that should get good and warm in a wee while," he told the pair snuggled up together under the blankets. He stood looking at them. They made a sweet picture, both smiling at him from the cozy spot.

"Are ye nae gonnae dae any runnin' about today, little man? Ye're usually in that water getting' yersel' good and soaked as soon as we get here," he said to Thorsten.

"I'm gonnae later, Da, but now I want tae stay here with Lady Raven. She's warm."

"Well, all right, if that's what ye want. Shall we open the picnic basket and see what we've got tae eat?"

"We have a picnic as well?" Raven exclaimed, laughing the musical laugh Arne remembered so well. The sound sent tingles down his spine.

"Is there cake?" Thorsten asked.

"Och, I think there might be. Let me see." Arne opened the basket and started to lift out the various packets, tins, and flasks. "Well, this is a feast," he said unwrapping the packets of oiled paper. "We have some sweet rolls with sugar on top, ye like those, eh, Thorsten?"

"Mmm, can I have one now, Da?"

"Aye, ye'd best take off yer mittens first."

Raven helped Thorsten to take them off and put them in her pocket. "There ye go." Arne passed a roll over to Thorsten, who promptly gave it to Raven.

"Why, thank ye, darlin'," she said, looking at Arne with amusement. He could not help but smile back at her.

"And another one fer me, Da," Thorsten stuck out his hand. Arne put another roll into it. "Thank ye!" the little boy said, biting into the sugary top with obvious enjoyment. Raven was nibbling her bun delicately.

Arne continued with his unpacking. "Och, look, we have a packet of tea fer the grownups, and milk fer ye, Thorsten," he went on. "Would ye like me tae warm it up fer ye?"

"Nay, thank ye. 'Tis nice cold." So, he had his beaker of cold milk to wash down his bun.

Arne went on spreading out their picnic on the small table. It featured a large cottage loaf, a half a pound of butter, sliced meats, cheeses, apples, cooked sausages, some small meat pies, and a host of sweet things of the kind he particularly enjoyed.

The stove soon began to warm the place up, even though they had the doors folded back to see the sights, letting the brisk air inside. When the tea kettle began to sing merrily, it suddenly struck Arne as being a strangely cozy domestic scene. He found himself enjoying it, his little family being together like this.

This is how it should have been all along , he thought to himself as he pottered about making the tea, pouring it for himself and Raven, then making up a plate of tasty delicacies for her and Thorsten to eat. She seemed to like everything, and Thorsten liked everything she liked. Finally, Arne sat down to eat with them, finding himself enjoying Raven's company.

As the afternoon wore on, they ate and drank and talked, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Eventually, Thorsten fell asleep, still cuddling Raven. By this time, Arne was settled in the only other available seat, a rather battered armchair. He had a cup of tea and a plate of sweet things close at hand, and he could look across at Thorsten and Raven as often as he wanted. He wondered if this was what life would be like if they became a happy little family.

With Thorsten fast asleep, he decided to ask Raven a question that had been bothering him since her return.

"Raven, can I ask ye somethin'?"

"Of course, I'll try tae answer it if I can," she replied over her beaker of tea. "Ye ken nearly everythin' about me now."

"Before I found ye after the shipwreck, what happened? Ye ken that captain was renowned fer operatin' in the black market. How did ye come tae be on it?"

She thought for a few moments, a faraway look in her eyes. He half expected her to say she could not tell him because it was too dangerous. So, he was quite surprised when she said, "It does seem like a foolish thing tae have done. At the time, I kent it was a mistake tae get on that boat. The weather was so bad, it was obvious there was gonnae be a bad storm, but the captain insisted we could outrun it.

"At any rate, if I wanted tae leave the island, I really had nae choice but tae get on the boat."

"Ye were that desperate tae leave that ye'd risk yer life?"

"Obviously. I told ye, me life was nae worth livin' if I couldnae see me son. I would have done anythin' tae get off that island."

"Ye almost drowned."

"Aye, but fate decreed otherwise, fer which I'm very grateful." As she spoke, she looked down at Thorsten sleeping peacefully beside her and tenderly brushed away a stray lock of jet-black hair from his forehead. Again, Arne felt his heart thump in his chest to see how she loved the boy.

"D'ye think it was just coincidence that it was me who saved ye?" he asked, voicing the question he found so confusing.

She smiled at him, her eyes soft. "D'ye mean as opposed tae fate havin' a hand in it?"

He shrugged, not even sure himself what he was getting at. "I dunno, I suppose so. I mean, it was pure chance I was there that night, that I went tae the beach tae help search for survivors. It must have been pure chance, a complete coincidence, that of all the people I pulled from the sea, the first one happened tae be ye."

"Arne, are ye askin' me if it was somehow meant tae be? That ye were supposed tae be the one tae save me?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.

He suddenly felt uncomfortable at the idea fate might have decreed they should be reunited. "I dinnae believe in such things," he replied shortly. "And even if it were true, what would be the purpose of it? The love I had fer ye is long since dead. 'Tis nae as if we can turn back time and make everythin' as it used tae be between us. I'm certain I'll never be able tae trust ye again, so why would fate put us together again? Nay, it was pure coincidence, that's all."

He stopped speaking, noticing the dark shadow that had passed fleetingly across her eyes when he spoke. Had he hurt her by saying that? His mind went back to their time at the village, when she had raced to help him after the branch had fallen on him. The way she had behaved suggested she might still care about him.

And then there was all that business the night before with Muriel. Raven had shown all the classic signs of jealousy. Though he had teased her about it, afterwards, he put it down to her being jealous of Muriel usurping her role as Thorsten's mother. However, he was both ashamed and afraid to admit there was a part of him that wanted her to be jealous because of him, that badly wanted her to want him as she used to. But he suppressed it mercilessly as it rose in his mind.

She had been silent while he was turning all this over in his mind, her smile having faded a little. "I'm sure ye must be right," she said eventually, a trace of sadness in her voice. "It was nay more than a coincidence, but it turned out tae be a fortuitous one fer me." Once more, she looked down at Thorsten with doting eyes.

However, Arne could clearly see the small line that had appeared between her arching brows. He sensed a deep sorrow within her but could not begin to tell why it was there. He gave himself a mental shake, telling himself to stop thinking about it. It is what it is, and it'll dae nay one any good tae dwell on what might have been.

"Tell me again about how ye escaped," he said, wanting to see if any details of her story changed.

She looked up, the little line vanishing suddenly. "But I told ye all that back at the castle."

"Aye, but just humor me. I want tae hear it again," he insisted.

"Well, all right," she agreed and told him the story again. Arne listened intently, asking questions now and then, his active mind logging every small detail of her description of the castle and the island, comparing the two versions of the story. Skilled in interrogation, he was looking for any discrepancy that he could pull her up on and expose her as a liar.

But when she had finished, he was discomfited to realize he could not find any. The two accounts matched perfectly, except she had added more detail the second time, and she had readily answered all his questions. It was almost reluctantly that he told himself she must be telling the truth—about everything.

Something shifted inside him that moved him a fraction closer to Raven, and a long time later, he would pinpoint that moment as the one when he started to hate Struan MacDonald.

Thorsten woke up shortly after that and wanted to go outside to play. So, they all got up and wrapped up again and left the warmth of the pavilion. Thorsten ran on ahead across the grass toward the pools, while Arne and Raven strolled side by side after him.

"Will he be safe, Arne? I'm afraid he might fall in," Raven said worriedly, keeping her eyes fixed their son.

Arne laughed, but he secretly warmed to her further because of her obvious motherly concern. "He can come tae nae harm, the pool's very shallow. He's paddled in it many a time when we come here in the summer."

She seemed comforted by his reassurance. They walked on down to the pool, where Thorsten was squatting down and throwing small sticks he had collected into the rushing water and then jumping up and racing after them along the bank when they floated away downstream.

"Look, they're me boats," he told her excitedly, the end of his nose glowing red from the cold. But he did not seem to notice it as he dashed about, engrossed in his game. "Here, ye can have one as well, and Da too." He handed them both some of the twigs.

"Shall we have a race?" she asked him, bending down to his level.

"Aye, but mine will be fastest," he told her with childish certainty.

"I expect so," she agreed.

"If ye want tae let him win, ye need tae throw yer stick just a wee bit after he throws his," Arne whispered to Raven, getting a waft of her floral perfume as he leaned closer. It made him feel quite heady.

"Och, thank ye fer the advice," she said with a radiant smile, her cheeks pink from what looked to him like sheer happiness rather than the cold.

He found himself enjoying the spirited game that followed as Thorsten shouted, "One, two, three, go!" and they each flung their "boats" into the rushing waters. Arne covertly watched Raven as he joined in the laughter, clapping, cheering that went on as they watched the sticks spin and turn in the waters before being whisked downstream.

After that, they played tag for a while, running around on the grass, with Arne and Raven chasing Thorsten very slowly to let him catch them, with much laughter along the way. When Arne tagged Raven with a light touch on her arm, and she whirled around to him, eyes shining, giggling like a young girl, he felt a strange jolt go through his body that snatched his breath away. In spite of all his doubts, his resentment at her leaving them, and his fear of being hurt again, he seemed powerless to stop himself warming to her.

Eventually, when the sun had made its arc across the sky, Arne knew it would soon be time to return to the castle. But he found he wanted to delay it as long as he could.

"Shall we go inside and have somethin' tae warm us up?" he asked, catching Thorsten and putting him up on his shoulders again. He galloped around like a horse, neighing and huffing, with Raven watching, holding her sides from laughing, while Thorsten shrieked with joy.

"Aye, there's still a lot to eat, and I could dae with another cup of hot tea," she said as they headed inside. "Let me dae it," she told Arne when he set Thorsten down on the settle and went to make the tea.

So, Arne allowed himself to cuddle Thorsten while watching Raven moving about, once more finding he was enjoying the domestic atmosphere. She hummed a happy tune to herself as she made tea, fetched Thorsten some more milk, and set out some of the uneaten treats for them, smiling across at them from time to time before she finally came and sat with them.

A little while later, when they had eaten and drunk their fill, he said, "'Tis time tae go home soon. We should start packing up our things so the servants can come and collect everythin' later."

"I dinnae want tae go home!" Thorsten protested, his little brow wrinkling in consternation.

"I think we must if ye Da says so, me pet," Raven told him gently. "It'll be turnin' dark soon and it'll get very, very cold indeed. Why, it might even get so cold our noses could turn intae icicles and fall right off our faces. I'm sure ye dinnae want that." She pressed his little button nose playfully.

Thorsten snorted with laughter, and Arne could not help joining in. He silently marveled at her knack of knowing just what to say to get Thorsten to do what was required while making him laugh at the same time.

"I dinnae want me nose tae fall off," the little boy whispered, chuckling. "We better go home."

"Aye, I think ye're right. But we can come back here another time, eh?" she asked him, patting the top of his little woolen hat.

They cleared up the mess they had made, leaving everything neatly arranged so the servants could easily collect everything later on. Arne put out the stove, put Thorsten back on his shoulders, and they slowly made their way back up the steps by the waterfall. At the top, they squeezed through the rocks and went down the little rocky path back the horses, who were waiting peacefully for them.