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Authors: Samantha Holt
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nostrils. He suspected Ceana could be beautiful regardless of her weight but that didn’t mean he enjoyed watching her go without to attend to duties that weren’t even hers. However, the blithe retort sitting on his tongue went unsaid. A blessing, mayhap, as he suspected he’d only rile her further.
“Och, there’s no pleasing ye.” He dropped the shovel and spun on his heel. Damn lass was getting in his head and he’d had his fill of it. Either she wanted his help or she didn’t. If she didn’t, why was he even here?
As he stepped out of the stables, she cried out, the sound ripping at his chest. He spun and dashed over to find her on the floor. Blane glared at the horse. He should have made her leave, damn the lass.
“Ceana.” He kneeled beside her, blood roaring in his ears. Her ankle was at an awkward angle and she whimpered when he tried to move her away from his horse. “Did Dalma hurt ye?”
“Nay.” She sucked in a breath when he lifted her into his arms and set her down in the doorway, out of the rain but in enough light so he could inspect her. “I tripped over the shovel.”
“Damnation,” he muttered. “I’m a fool.” He pressed up her skirt and wrapped his fingers around her bony ankle. When he coaxed her to move it, she released a sound of pain that had him cursing himself anew. “’Tis no broken. Just sprained. Ye’ll need to stay off it.”
“How can I? I’ve too much to do.”
“Put Kate to work. Mayhap it will stop her visiting that lad if she’s busy and tired.”
Ceana stared at him and he knew she could see him now—or at least the outline of him. Her eyes changed when she was focusing on someone.
“Mayhap,” she muttered.
“There’s no harm in letting people help, Ceana.”
“Says ye.”
“Aye, says I. I’m only here for one more day but I’d at least be of some use to ye if ye’ll let me.”
“I dinnae have much choice now, do I?”
“’Tis no’ a bad sprain. Ye’ll be walking again and causing trouble in no time.”
“Am I trouble?” she asked as he lifted her into his arms.
“Aye, a little, wildling.” He couldn’t help grin at her sweet expression of concern. “Yer the kind of trouble I dinnae mind though.” He carried her through the rain to the entrance hall and paused to take a breath. “I hope yer mamaidh isnae still there. She’ll have my head.”
“Nonsense, she’s half in love with ye already.”
Love. Blane’s heart did a little uncomfortable spasm in his chest. His parents had loved him, aye, but they’d passed several summers ago within sennights of each other. And he’d never really considered he’d have time to find the sort of love they’d shared. It was something that took time and patience. Two things of which he had little.
Aileen had moved from her spot by the fire but Kate was eating her morning meal. She stood sharply and thrust her hands onto her hips when they entered. Blane groaned and braced himself for a tirade.
Ceana’s lips quirked. “Kate?” she asked him.
“Aye,” he replied.
The young lass stalked over and thrust a finger at him. “What have ye done to her now?”
“Kate, ‘twas no’ his—”
“’Twas my fault,” he interjected, “but I’ll make this right. Will ye have some food brought up for her, yer sister’s not eaten this morn, and ye’ll need to send someone to finish cleaning out the stables.” He turned his attention to Ceana. “What else did ye need to do this day?”
“The meals need planning and the scraps need to be taken to the pigs. Oh, and the hall is due to be cleaned today.” He turned and paused when she held up a hand. “Dinnae forget to have Claire hang out the sheets from yesterday and make some more bread.”
Kate gaped at them for many moments. Blane waited for the inevitable eruption but instead she pointed at one of the servants and began ordering a tray of food ready for Ceana. He chuckled to himself.
“Seems ye have a way with my
“Och, there’s no pleasing ye.” He dropped the shovel and spun on his heel. Damn lass was getting in his head and he’d had his fill of it. Either she wanted his help or she didn’t. If she didn’t, why was he even here?
As he stepped out of the stables, she cried out, the sound ripping at his chest. He spun and dashed over to find her on the floor. Blane glared at the horse. He should have made her leave, damn the lass.
“Ceana.” He kneeled beside her, blood roaring in his ears. Her ankle was at an awkward angle and she whimpered when he tried to move her away from his horse. “Did Dalma hurt ye?”
“Nay.” She sucked in a breath when he lifted her into his arms and set her down in the doorway, out of the rain but in enough light so he could inspect her. “I tripped over the shovel.”
“Damnation,” he muttered. “I’m a fool.” He pressed up her skirt and wrapped his fingers around her bony ankle. When he coaxed her to move it, she released a sound of pain that had him cursing himself anew. “’Tis no broken. Just sprained. Ye’ll need to stay off it.”
“How can I? I’ve too much to do.”
“Put Kate to work. Mayhap it will stop her visiting that lad if she’s busy and tired.”
Ceana stared at him and he knew she could see him now—or at least the outline of him. Her eyes changed when she was focusing on someone.
“Mayhap,” she muttered.
“There’s no harm in letting people help, Ceana.”
“Says ye.”
“Aye, says I. I’m only here for one more day but I’d at least be of some use to ye if ye’ll let me.”
“I dinnae have much choice now, do I?”
“’Tis no’ a bad sprain. Ye’ll be walking again and causing trouble in no time.”
“Am I trouble?” she asked as he lifted her into his arms.
“Aye, a little, wildling.” He couldn’t help grin at her sweet expression of concern. “Yer the kind of trouble I dinnae mind though.” He carried her through the rain to the entrance hall and paused to take a breath. “I hope yer mamaidh isnae still there. She’ll have my head.”
“Nonsense, she’s half in love with ye already.”
Love. Blane’s heart did a little uncomfortable spasm in his chest. His parents had loved him, aye, but they’d passed several summers ago within sennights of each other. And he’d never really considered he’d have time to find the sort of love they’d shared. It was something that took time and patience. Two things of which he had little.
Aileen had moved from her spot by the fire but Kate was eating her morning meal. She stood sharply and thrust her hands onto her hips when they entered. Blane groaned and braced himself for a tirade.
Ceana’s lips quirked. “Kate?” she asked him.
“Aye,” he replied.
The young lass stalked over and thrust a finger at him. “What have ye done to her now?”
“Kate, ‘twas no’ his—”
“’Twas my fault,” he interjected, “but I’ll make this right. Will ye have some food brought up for her, yer sister’s not eaten this morn, and ye’ll need to send someone to finish cleaning out the stables.” He turned his attention to Ceana. “What else did ye need to do this day?”
“The meals need planning and the scraps need to be taken to the pigs. Oh, and the hall is due to be cleaned today.” He turned and paused when she held up a hand. “Dinnae forget to have Claire hang out the sheets from yesterday and make some more bread.”
Kate gaped at them for many moments. Blane waited for the inevitable eruption but instead she pointed at one of the servants and began ordering a tray of food ready for Ceana. He chuckled to himself.
“Seems ye have a way with my
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