girl. He simply couldn't help himself. She fascinated him. Not just her beauty, which he thought was passing fair; 'twas her confidence, her sure-footedness as she climbed down the slope, the gentle sweep of her hand over the grasses as she searched for some sort of recognition. The way her brows pulled tight as she immersed herself in heavy contemplation. And by the saints, the quirky thoughts she had of his comeliness all but made him chuckle out loud. Indeed, she was truly something.
A brisk wind caught her hair and tossed it across her face, a thick strand catching on her lip. She ignored it, of course, so caught up she was in her task.
Then she stood, facing the sea, her nose red from the cold. Her hair blew in disarray about her face, her lips trembled, and puffs of white frosty air blew out before her with each warm breath. She shivered and crossed her arms over her chest.
Do I have a husband? Kids? her thoughts screamed.
The air in Gawan's lungs lodged at the sight of her. Beautiful, aye, and she could very well belong to another. With a frown, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets and began to study the rocky sand. Not that he needed to concern himself over that matter. He need only make sure she lived.
With an internal shake to rid his pitiful self of distracting thoughts, he studied the ground. Because of the torrential rain, any prints that would have been made were long swept away now. Nothing but bits of broken shell, pebbles, and rocks. Still, Gawan looked hard at the path straight down from the guardrail. He couldn't be certain why. Mayhap because she'd tumbled over that railing?
Ellie joined him, but continued to gaze seaward, and voiced her previous thoughts. "I'd know if I had a husband or children, wouldn't I?" She turned fully, to face him. "I'd feel it, right? I mean, how could a mother forget something like that?" Her hand strayed to her very flat stomach.
Gawan knew, then, that no matter how fiercely attracted he was to this wayward almost-ghost, he'd have to steady his course and not become attached. 'Twasn't fair to Ellie, by no measure, and he didn't want to add to her confused state, such as it was.
He cleared his throat. "One never knows, I imagine. With a brutal blow to the head, aye, you could have lost a strong memory, such as bearing a babe." He clenched his hands inside his pockets to keep them secure as a powerful desire to touch her came over him, despite his own chastising.
"Mayhap not lost forever, though." He inclined his head toward the path. "Come. Let's be off to the village before this storm blows in full force."
As they made their way back up the rocky path, thick gray clouds swirled overhead, and a light rain began to mist.
A large rock, just off the path, caught his attention. He grasped Ellie's arm.
Ellie stopped. She stared for a moment, then walked toward the rock. Gawan followed. Once there, Ellie knelt and ran her hand over the surface.
Then she brushed her fingers around the base of the rock. Her eyes widened, and then she lifted a small object from beneath.
Gawan bent over and peered into her flattened palm. 'Twas an ear bauble. He fingered the silver stem and light green stone. "Is it yours?"
Her hand flew to her earlobes, and though the holes were present, both were vacant of jewels of any sort. "I don't know." She looked at him. "But something made me search under that rock." She glanced at the bauble. Pushing her hand deep into her jeans pocket, she retrieved something. She gasped as she opened her palm. 'Twas the matching bauble.
Gawan nodded. "So 'tis yours, for a certainty." The rain started heavier now, with big, fat drops splattering the guardrail, making a tinny clink with each fall. "Mayhap your memory will slowly recall. Come, then."
By the time they'd reached the village, the raindrops had turned into a heavy mist. The threat of a storm still lingered, though, as if at any moment, the gray clouds could open up.
It was in the first village
A brisk wind caught her hair and tossed it across her face, a thick strand catching on her lip. She ignored it, of course, so caught up she was in her task.
Then she stood, facing the sea, her nose red from the cold. Her hair blew in disarray about her face, her lips trembled, and puffs of white frosty air blew out before her with each warm breath. She shivered and crossed her arms over her chest.
Do I have a husband? Kids? her thoughts screamed.
The air in Gawan's lungs lodged at the sight of her. Beautiful, aye, and she could very well belong to another. With a frown, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets and began to study the rocky sand. Not that he needed to concern himself over that matter. He need only make sure she lived.
With an internal shake to rid his pitiful self of distracting thoughts, he studied the ground. Because of the torrential rain, any prints that would have been made were long swept away now. Nothing but bits of broken shell, pebbles, and rocks. Still, Gawan looked hard at the path straight down from the guardrail. He couldn't be certain why. Mayhap because she'd tumbled over that railing?
Ellie joined him, but continued to gaze seaward, and voiced her previous thoughts. "I'd know if I had a husband or children, wouldn't I?" She turned fully, to face him. "I'd feel it, right? I mean, how could a mother forget something like that?" Her hand strayed to her very flat stomach.
Gawan knew, then, that no matter how fiercely attracted he was to this wayward almost-ghost, he'd have to steady his course and not become attached. 'Twasn't fair to Ellie, by no measure, and he didn't want to add to her confused state, such as it was.
He cleared his throat. "One never knows, I imagine. With a brutal blow to the head, aye, you could have lost a strong memory, such as bearing a babe." He clenched his hands inside his pockets to keep them secure as a powerful desire to touch her came over him, despite his own chastising.
"Mayhap not lost forever, though." He inclined his head toward the path. "Come. Let's be off to the village before this storm blows in full force."
As they made their way back up the rocky path, thick gray clouds swirled overhead, and a light rain began to mist.
A large rock, just off the path, caught his attention. He grasped Ellie's arm.
Ellie stopped. She stared for a moment, then walked toward the rock. Gawan followed. Once there, Ellie knelt and ran her hand over the surface.
Then she brushed her fingers around the base of the rock. Her eyes widened, and then she lifted a small object from beneath.
Gawan bent over and peered into her flattened palm. 'Twas an ear bauble. He fingered the silver stem and light green stone. "Is it yours?"
Her hand flew to her earlobes, and though the holes were present, both were vacant of jewels of any sort. "I don't know." She looked at him. "But something made me search under that rock." She glanced at the bauble. Pushing her hand deep into her jeans pocket, she retrieved something. She gasped as she opened her palm. 'Twas the matching bauble.
Gawan nodded. "So 'tis yours, for a certainty." The rain started heavier now, with big, fat drops splattering the guardrail, making a tinny clink with each fall. "Mayhap your memory will slowly recall. Come, then."
By the time they'd reached the village, the raindrops had turned into a heavy mist. The threat of a storm still lingered, though, as if at any moment, the gray clouds could open up.
It was in the first village
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