Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Shade kept herself busy in her garden, refusing to allow herself to dwell on Quint’s departure. She had been dwelling far too much on her feelings of loneliness of late and what might have been and that had caused her improper thoughts and behavior. She would never let it happen again. However she had to admit that she was glad she got to experience a kiss even if it hadn’t been meant for her. She could now put her curiosity to rest about it. The kiss had her thinking about what it would be like to have a man who wished to kiss her, care for her, love her. Was it too late for her?
“If it is meant to be, it will be,” she told herself and continued to work on the twig wreath for her front door.
“Talking to yourself, Shade?”
Shade was startled for a moment but smiled when she saw her step-da, Rawlin, emerge from the dense woods, his horse trailing behind him. He was a good man and a good husband to her mum. He had approached her mum two years after he lost his wife and by then her mum had been a widow for ten years. Her mum had rebuffed his suggestion that they would make a good fit, but he had been persistent, and it had paid off for him. Her mum wed him and went to live at his farm. Shortly after her departure, her grandmother had passed, and she was left alone. Her mum did not live far, and they visited when they could, but the farm kept her busy as did Shade’s healing. She was happy for her mum, but she did miss her.
Her brow wrinkled with worry when she realized her mum wasn’t with Rawlin. That was unusual and she quickly asked, “Is my mum well?”
“Her head pains her as it does from time to time and she has run out of that brew you made for her that helps her so much,” Rawlin said.
“I should have brought her more by now,” Shade said and worried that her mum’s headaches were getting worse, growing more frequent since she had given her more than enough of the mixture to last for a good while.
“Nonsense, Shade. We’ve all been busy with no time to visit.”
“Do you have enough time to have a hot brew before you leave?” she asked.
“Aye, I would enjoy that, but I also need you to tend to a wound of mine.”
“What happened?” Shade asked with concern.
He shook his head. “A splinter I fear that I nor your mum could dig out and since her headache brought me here, I thought I would have you look at it and see if you could help.”
Shade smiled softly, though a laugh tickled her throat. Her mum’s headaches were not growing more frequent, and she had not run out of the mixture. She had feigned both, giving her an excuse to send Rawlin here for the true purpose of seeing his finger tended to.
“The light is better out here. Take a seat on the bench,” she said, pointing to the one in front of the cottage, “while I set a brew to heat before I work on your splinter.”
It took only a few moments to see the task done and gather what she needed. She returned to Rawlin to find him resting back against the cottage wall as he glanced around.
“It really is lovely here,” Rawlin said. “Sometimes I think your mum misses being here. Sitting here now, I can understand why. There is a peacefulness to this place that calms.”
“Aye, there is, and I am lucky to call it my home,” Shade said and placed a small stack of cloths on the bench before filling a bucket from the barrel of rainwater and sitting it on the bench beside him. “You will need to soak your hand in there for a while.”
He did as she told him, and they talked as they waited.
“Have you heard from Ula lately?” Rawlin asked.
“Nay, and I am concerned of news about a possible battle between Clan MacLeish and Clan Glencairn. At first, I thought it was mere gossip but talk of it has increased and the more I hear the more I believe it is only a matter of time. If it comes to that, Caleb will have to fight, and I cannot imagine how frightened Ula must be over that prospect.”
“That is why I asked. Everyone believes a battle is imminent. Land is power in the Highlands and Lord Torrance wants Clan MacLeish so he can grow his power and wealth. It may not be a large clan, but it is a prosperous one, not to mention that there has been bad blood between Torrance and Ryland.”
“Why?”
Rawlin shrugged. “Who knows? It could be anything, though more often it is nothing that is important enough to spark a battle and for people to die.”