Page 48 of Highlander's Sinless Nymph
He had not realized how much he had wanted her to stay until she had said that she would. They had risen early and ridden all day. Now, the sun was sinking towards the west and they had crossed the border of his father’s land. It would be only a few hours more before they were at the gates of MacQuarrie Castle, and Edward found that he was slightly disappointed at the thought.
Perhaps, we could delay fer just a little. Perhaps, it might be all right fer us to dally fer just a while.
“Sassenach?” Edward said over his shoulder.
“Yes, Edward,” Charlotte replied.
“Do ye fancy stoppin’ fer a little rest and somethin’ to eat?”
He felt her sit up straighter behind him. “Is there time, do you think? We won’t run any danger of being caught?” she asked.
Edward shook his blond head. “Nay, I do not think so, lass. So long as we do nae tarry too long, I think we should be fine. We’ll sit and rest awhile, let old Cogar have a mouthful o’ grass and then carry on through the dusk.”
“Does it matter if we ride through the night?” Charlotte asked. “Won’t that be dangerous?”
Edward shook his head again. “I ken this country well, by day or night,” he said. “Even if I didnae, Cogar does, don’t ye, lass?” He leaned forward and patted affectionately at his steed’s neck.
“Where shall we stop?” Charlotte asked.
Edward took a bit more notice of their immediate surroundings. They were riding along the lip of a bluff, following a descending course that he knew would take them down into a valley through which a gentle river flowed. He smiled to himself.
“I ken just the spot, Sassenach,” he said. “What is more ye’ll be able to wash the dust and grime of our journey from yer body if that sounds appealin’ to ye?”
“What do you mean? Like––like a bath?”” the Englishwoman said, her voice colored with undisguisable enthusiasm at the very thought.
Edward chuckled deep in his chest.
“Aye,” he said, “in a manner o’ speakin, Sassenach, in a manner o’ speakin’.”
* * *
“This,” Charlotte said, “does not look like any bath that I have ever seen, Mr. MacAlpein.”
Edward, standing next to her and holding Cogar by her bridle, snorted. “Well, what did ye expect, lass? A fine copper tub, soap, and a maid to braid yer hair?”
Charlotte looked at him. Of course she had not expected that, but she had expected more than, well,this.
They stood on the bank of a section of the river that could be described as a Y shape. Two lazy tributaries came snaking out of the Highlands and joined together in a large reed bed, creating a little lake of continuously moving water.
“It is very pretty,” Charlotte admitted.
Though, if given the choice between washing in here or in a heated copper tub, I think I know which I would choose, pretty or not.
“Aye, it is indeed. We’ve caught it at its best time o’ day too,” Edward told her.
“You’ve been here before?” Charlotte asked, looking sideways at the Highlander. The gentle breeze was blowing Edward’s blond hair about his stern and rugged face in a fashion that very much appealed to her.
“Aye, o’ course, many a time,” Edward said to her. “Amar Na Chrodh Mara is its Gaelic name. I used to swim here often as a lad.”
“What does it mean, the name?” Charlotte asked.
“The Pool of the Crodh Mara,” Edward replied.
Charlotte frowned down at the pool. “And what,” she said, “exactly are the Crodh Mara? Will they take a bite out of me if I decide to do as you suggest and wash here?”
Edward laughed softly. “Nay, I should nae think so,” he said, trying and failing to keep his face straight. “The Crodh Mara are legendary creatures––Highland fairy water cattle to be precise. I think ye should be safe, Sassenach.”
With that, Edward unclasped his cloak and took it off. Then he began to untuck his linen shirt from his breeches.
