Read Online Call Home the Heart by Shannon Farrell - Free Book Online
Authors: Shannon Farrell
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hurry! The coach will be leaving soon, and this snow is
freezing over."
They walked, ran, and skated along the streets breathlessly as
they hurried to the coach depot. At one point Muireann tumbled in
the snow, having lost her footing.
Lochlainn ran over to kneel down by her, his concern apparent on his
handsome features.
"I'm fine," she laughed up at him. "I love the snow!"
He lifted her and held her close, feeling the warmth radiating from
her soft body through the voluminous folds of her gown and cloak.
She might just as well have been naked, he was so painfully
conscious of her alluring form.
She reached up and stroked his cheek. "Don't look so worried. I'm
fine. Let's go."
She tugged him along until at last they made it back to the depot.
Once there, Muireann marched up to the counter, where Paddy gave
them some welcome news. While he had been waiting for them, the man
running the coach had announced that it would have to be canceled
because the second man who usually helped to drive it had come down
ill. Paddy had immediately offered his services.
After confirming with Muireann and Lochlainn that he was definitely
an experienced coach driver, the manager accepted his offer, and
thus waived Paddy's fare, and gave Muireann and Lochlainn a discount
on their two inside seats.
Paddy, middle-aged but very grizzled, skipped up onto the box like a
young goat, while Muireann went inside to pay for their places.
Lochlainn began to protest at the expense and impropriety of
allowing him to ride inside with her, since he was only her servant.
She waved his argument away airily, and counted out the necessary
coins.
"I won't have you freezing to death on top of the coach. As for
propriety, anyone who would object to you accompanying me would not
be a person with whom I would choose to associate, or whose opinions
I would value. You are a human being, not an animal. I wouldn't even
want the horses outside in weather like this, if it were my choice!"
she argued stoutly, daring him to protest again.
Muireann climbed up into the already nearly full coach, and found
herself sandwiched in between Lochlainn and a rather portly elderly
woman. She smiled shyly at her new traveling companions and then
took the rugs which Lochlainn handed up to her. Muireann asked him
if Paddy had enough cloaks and blankets to keep him warm up on the
box, and he replied in the affirmative.
Lochlainn stowed their three small bags safely up top, and
disappeared for a few moments. He only entered the carriage just as
it was about to leave.
"Here. You didn't have any dinner. It was the best I could do,"
Lochlainn said as he offered her a paper wrapper with some hot
muffins in it.
Muireann saw he was shivering after having been outside in the cold
for so long. She tugged the carriage rug off her lap and tucked it
around his legs as well, before looking up at him and offering him
one of the muffins.
He shook his head, but she whispered, "You haven't had anything
either. From now we share everything, Lochlainn, even starvation if
we have to. Is that clear?"
Lochlainn signaled his agreement by taking one of the muffins and
biting into it.
"Did Paddy eat?"
"Aye, while he was waiting for us."
Muireann took a muffin then, and chewed thoughtfully as she gazed
out of the window as the coach headed out of Dublin and into the
great unknown.
"Are you all right there? You must be crushed," Lochlainn observed
worriedly in her ear.
She smiled wanly. "At least I won't be jolted about too badly."
"You could trade places with me, so you could look out the window."
"No, really, I'm fine as I am, thanks."
Feeling it was ridiculous to try to be stiff and ladylike in the
coach, she relaxed against him, their legs touching under the rugs.
One of her elbows came
freezing over."
They walked, ran, and skated along the streets breathlessly as
they hurried to the coach depot. At one point Muireann tumbled in
the snow, having lost her footing.
Lochlainn ran over to kneel down by her, his concern apparent on his
handsome features.
"I'm fine," she laughed up at him. "I love the snow!"
He lifted her and held her close, feeling the warmth radiating from
her soft body through the voluminous folds of her gown and cloak.
She might just as well have been naked, he was so painfully
conscious of her alluring form.
She reached up and stroked his cheek. "Don't look so worried. I'm
fine. Let's go."
She tugged him along until at last they made it back to the depot.
Once there, Muireann marched up to the counter, where Paddy gave
them some welcome news. While he had been waiting for them, the man
running the coach had announced that it would have to be canceled
because the second man who usually helped to drive it had come down
ill. Paddy had immediately offered his services.
After confirming with Muireann and Lochlainn that he was definitely
an experienced coach driver, the manager accepted his offer, and
thus waived Paddy's fare, and gave Muireann and Lochlainn a discount
on their two inside seats.
Paddy, middle-aged but very grizzled, skipped up onto the box like a
young goat, while Muireann went inside to pay for their places.
Lochlainn began to protest at the expense and impropriety of
allowing him to ride inside with her, since he was only her servant.
She waved his argument away airily, and counted out the necessary
coins.
"I won't have you freezing to death on top of the coach. As for
propriety, anyone who would object to you accompanying me would not
be a person with whom I would choose to associate, or whose opinions
I would value. You are a human being, not an animal. I wouldn't even
want the horses outside in weather like this, if it were my choice!"
she argued stoutly, daring him to protest again.
Muireann climbed up into the already nearly full coach, and found
herself sandwiched in between Lochlainn and a rather portly elderly
woman. She smiled shyly at her new traveling companions and then
took the rugs which Lochlainn handed up to her. Muireann asked him
if Paddy had enough cloaks and blankets to keep him warm up on the
box, and he replied in the affirmative.
Lochlainn stowed their three small bags safely up top, and
disappeared for a few moments. He only entered the carriage just as
it was about to leave.
"Here. You didn't have any dinner. It was the best I could do,"
Lochlainn said as he offered her a paper wrapper with some hot
muffins in it.
Muireann saw he was shivering after having been outside in the cold
for so long. She tugged the carriage rug off her lap and tucked it
around his legs as well, before looking up at him and offering him
one of the muffins.
He shook his head, but she whispered, "You haven't had anything
either. From now we share everything, Lochlainn, even starvation if
we have to. Is that clear?"
Lochlainn signaled his agreement by taking one of the muffins and
biting into it.
"Did Paddy eat?"
"Aye, while he was waiting for us."
Muireann took a muffin then, and chewed thoughtfully as she gazed
out of the window as the coach headed out of Dublin and into the
great unknown.
"Are you all right there? You must be crushed," Lochlainn observed
worriedly in her ear.
She smiled wanly. "At least I won't be jolted about too badly."
"You could trade places with me, so you could look out the window."
"No, really, I'm fine as I am, thanks."
Feeling it was ridiculous to try to be stiff and ladylike in the
coach, she relaxed against him, their legs touching under the rugs.
One of her elbows came
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