Page 76 of Sins of a Scot
Resting her head on his chest, she listened to the soft thud of his heart, allowing his chest to lift and fall beneath her.
“I love ye so much, Owen Sinclair,” she whispered. “But I am afraid the gods have made their choice, and me life isnae tae be spent with ye.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Owen woke to Iseabail’s soft kisses, and with a smile lining his face, he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her on top of him.
“Be careful,” she said. “Ye have injured yersel’ enough fer one day.”
He gave a wry grin. “I dinnae mind injuring mesel’ a little more.”
“Nay. Absolutely nae,” she countered, pushing herself up and standing beside him. “I’ve caused ye enough damage on this journey. I cannae face causing ye anymore. Ye need time tae heal.”
He was still smiling when he pushed himself up off the ground. Towering above her, he held her chin between his fingers and thumb and gazed down at her tenderly. “And I’d dae it all again in a heartbeat,” he growled, before lowering his lips to hers.
She sank into his embrace, parting her lips and bidding him entry as his tongue roved about the sweetness of her mouth. But Iseabail gently pushed him away, and looking a little flushed, she breathed. “Come on. We have wasted enough o’ this day. We need tae return tae the cottage and let the healer take another look at that wound.”
Reluctantly, Owen stepped away, and bending to the ground, he scooped up the bag and donned it across his chest. Side by side, they began the journey back to the healer’s cottage, Iseabail seeming far more relaxed now after their rest.
“Perhaps there is someone else in Huna. Another villager who can tell us about the crystal,” she said as they walked. “If Ada kent about it, maybe someone else has some other information.”
He liked her optimism, and thus, kept his thoughts to himself. He doubted anyone else would know anything, though he could not know for certain. Still, surely, they had used all their luck over the last few days? And it would only be luck that would put them in contact with someone who might have more information. The fact that Ada had known anything at all about it was a miracle. He just couldn’t see that their fortune would be so great as to have another miracle anytime soon.
“For now, we should return tae Ada,” he said, diplomatically neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her suggestion. “At the very least, we could both use a decent night’s sleep after today’s excitement.”
“More tae the point, Ada needs tae check yer wound,” Iseabail countered.
“I’m sure it will be fine.”
“Och, o’ course, it will,” she quipped back dryly. “The fact that ye were in pain earlier means naething at all. And dinnae get me started on that daring rescue at the waterfall.”
He cast a smirk in her direction, and seeing it, Iseabail grinned back.
An hour later, they were back in the village and knocking on Ada’s door.
“Och, come in. Come in,” she waved eagerly. “I have news tae tell ye.”
The old woman hurriedly closed the door and looked from Owen tae Iseabail. “Ye didnae find the crystal, did ye?”
Iseabail, looking forlorn again, shook her head.
“Well, sit ye down. I’ll make us tea, and I’ll tell ye what I discovered today,” the old woman said with palpable excitement.
When the tea was made, Ada joined them at the table, and leaning forward, she began. “A man came in fer a healing today.We were talking about the many herbs available in the area, and how nature takes care o’ us. Somehow, the waterfall came intae the conversation, and ‘afore I even mentioned anything about it, he began talking about the crystal that once was hidden in a cave up there.”
Iseabail gasped. “What did he say?”
“He told me that a man has taken the crystal and has begun breaking it intae pieces tae make intae jewelry so he can sell it. He’s turned it intae a business and travels about selling them tae merchants and traders. That’s where yer crystal came from.” She nodded to Owen.
Owen frowned. “But we ken about that man. He drowned on South Ronaldsay.”
Ada shook her head vehemently. “It wasnae the same man. Apparently, yer drowned fella worked for the man who took the crystal. I hear he got murdered by some wicked men who were trying tae get their hands on it.”
Iseabail and Owen shared a look.
“Laird Sutherland’s men?” Iseabail said.
Owen shrugged. “Likely.”
