Page 14 of Transporting a Ruthless Highlander
“Yes. Your treatment worked, it seemed.” He avoided her eyes and felt his cheeks warming. Damn, he was blushing like a girl. “I hope I did not disgrace myself. If I did, I am sorry.”
“Disgrace yerself?” Gavina was puzzled for a moment, then she realized what he was trying to say. “Struan, I have been around men since I was ten years old. I saw everythin’ there is tae see long before I met ye. Ye did not disgrace yerself, an’ I am no’ embarrassed.”
They smiled at each other, and the moment of awkwardness passed.
Gavina clapped her hands together. “We must eat and go,” she said briskly. “Maybe we can find a burn tae drink fae. I am fair dyin’ o’ thirst.”
“I am too,” he agreed.
They ate quickly, and since neither had any baggage, they left at once and strolled along companionably but slowly since Struan’s injured ankles were too painful to allow him to walk for any length of time.
At last, they found a little burn from which they both quenched their thirst. Sitting back on her heels, Gavina splashed fresh water over her face, wishing she could immerse her whole body in the burn and wash the salt away. As it was, she could only wash her hands and forearms and knew that a hot bath was a distant dream.
“I know this place,” she announced. “I think we should come across a village soon…I hope. I would really like tae drink a pint o’ good ale an’ a nice bit o’ roast pork or suchlike. My stomach is complainin’ somethin’ awful.” She rubbed the offending part of her body and groaned.
“I know how you feel,” he sighed. Then he looked up at the sky and stretched out his arms, breathing in the fresh sea air.
“Is it good tae be free?” she asked, smiling at him mischievously.
“It certainly is!” he laughed. “And if I were feeling just a little better, I would dance!”
Gavina laughed with him for a moment, then grew silent.
“What are you thinking about?” Struan asked curiously.
She sighed. “About how I can make a livin’,” she confessed. “I have no ship, no crew, no convicts. I havenae any way o’ feedin’ myself.” She shrugged. “I suppose I can go back tae pickin’ pockets. ’Tis what I did before.” She looked desolate, and he felt infinitely sorry for her.
“I am a convicted criminal,” he pointed out. “Would it not be to your advantage to hand me over to the authorities?”
Gavina stared at him. It had not even occurred to her to do such a thing. Then she gave a bitter little laugh. “Why? I have no ship, an’ even if I did, one passenger is no’ goin’ tae earn me very much. I need at least a hundred tae make it worth my while.”
“What will you do?” he asked curiously.
“I can always sell my body.” She laughed, but it was a hollow, bitter sound. “No, I can try goin’ back tae Captain Hunter an’ hope that he will take me in. If he cannae, then I will have tae be a thief. I am good at that.”
Struan was shocked. “You are not serious!”
“Would ye rather I starved?” she asked casually. “I can dae that quite easily. We both can.”
“No!” He turned toward her, gripping her arms tightly. “No, Gavina. Somehow we will come through this together. I know we will.”
“Aye, we will,” she said softly as she looked up into his dark eyes. “I dinnae know how, but I believe ye.”
9
After a day of walking, both of them were footsore, particularly Struan, who was struggling on through sheer force of will. They had improvised a bandage for his ankles by tearing a strip from the bottom of his shirt, but Gavina prayed that there was no infection since they had no way of treating it. Even if they found a healer when they arrived at a village, they had no means to pay her.
Eventually, they noticed that the trees were thinning out, and just in front of them, a broad, winding path appeared.
“Look.” Gavina pointed. “A village cannae be too far now.”
“This place looks so familiar,” Struan remarked, frowning. “I am sure I have been here before.”
Suddenly he stumbled, and Gavina grabbed his arm to help him keep his balance. She was astounded at the thick, hard muscle she encountered under her palms and fingertips. Even though she knew he had done his best to keep in shape on board the ship, she realized that the density of his muscle had taken years of hard work to achieve. This man was powerfully built, and she wondered why.
“No harm done,” he said brightly, even as he winced with pain. “I can go on.” He stood up straight and squared his shoulders.
“Ye are no’ a very good liar,” she observed, laughing. “Here, put yer arm around my shoulders, an’ I will help ye.”
