Page 41 of Laird of Smoke
“But alas, it seems to be the nature o’ the male animal ofallspecies.”She winced as she watched a tuft of fur fly free.“’Tis self-destructive and pointless.Yet they’d rather suffer bites and breaks and bruises than settle for not gettin’ what they want, whether ’tis a hare or a dog…or a man.”
“Is that so?”
“Aye.Like those two Rivenloch men at Perth who nigh started a clan feud o’er love o’ the same lady.”
“Rivenloch men?”he said.
She blanched.She’d said too much.
“What do ye know about Rivenloch men?”he asked.
She shrugged.“Just somethin’ I heard at the tourney.A Rivenloch man will draw his sword o’er who gets the last oatcake, am I right?”Then she turned her attention to the battling hares once again.“’Tis foolish.’Tisn’t as if there’s a dearth o’ oatcakes.Or females.”
“Right.As I started to say—”
“Oh.They’ve stopped.”She looked over at him, pleased.“Perhaps they’ve listened to my sage advice and seen the error o’ their ways.”
Before she could fully enjoy her smug satisfaction, he cleared his throat and nodded toward the hares.
One of the hares had leaped onto the back of the other and was now rapidly pumping away in what was clearly fornication.
“Oh.”Her jaw dropped.Her face flamed.
The idea that the second hare was a female had never occurred to her.But it had to Adam.
She heard him snicker beside her, which made her blush even more.
Gathering what dignity she could, she tore her gaze away from the mortifying spectacle, spun with a disgusted swish of her skirts, and paced down the path.
His repressed laughter followed her, but he thankfully spoke no more of it.
Chapter 7
Adam wasn’t about to break the silence.
Not only because it was clear she didn’t want to discuss the incident with the hares.But also because her mention of Rivenloch had chilled him to the bone.
No one had ever uncovered his identity.No one.He couldn’t afford to be revealed now.
Later, when he was old and feeble, perhaps he’d retire from his life of disguise.But for now, he had too many services to perform, too much protection to render, too many cousins to look after to give up his gift of invisibility and his useful occupation.
He’d already made the mistake of giving her his real first name.The fact she’d mentioned his clan meant she was growing too close for comfort.
She’d been at the Perth tournament, of course.But it had never occurred to him she might be acquainted with his family.He’d certainly never heard ofher.
Was it true she’d only overheard the gossip of others?Or did she have some personal connection to his clan?He needed to find out.Somehow he needed to pry into her past without sharing his own.
The morn was more than half gone when Adam heard the burbling rush of water, indicating a burn close to the road.
“Shall we stop for a bit?”he said, breaking the silence.
She nodded.
They descended the bank to a place where the stream hurried over rocks and then slowed and narrowed and deepened.He wasted no time, crouching streamside and scooping up handfuls of refreshing, cold water to wash the dust from his face.
Aillenn cautiously washed her hands.Then she dipped a small scrap of linen from her satchel into the water and wrung it out.She patted her neck and face with exaggerated care, as if she feared she might dislodge a freckle.
Meanwhile, Adam spread a linen cloth on the ground and began pulling out the provender he always carried.A chunk of hard cheese.A sack of oats.Strips of salted beef.Dried apples.
