Highland Secrets (Cree & Dawn)

“I will do my best to help her before I am called to leave,” Tavia said.

Dawn placed a comforting hand on Tavia’s shoulder and smiled, letting her know it was a good thing for her to do.

“I am most grateful, Lady Dawn, for your help,” Tavia said. “I will be able to soothe her now when she has her nightmares. Now please do not let me keep you from Lord Cree.”

Dawn nodded, still smiling, and took her leave, eager to join her husband in bed, though not to sleep. She stopped on the stairs a moment, thinking she might not get any sleep tonight since Flora’s words had left her perplexed.

Je vais vous aider is what Flora had said… I will help you. Why had she said, I will help you, and not, I tried to help you, as one grieving would say. It sounded as if her parents still required help, but how could they when they were dead?

Dawn yawned as she went to open the door to the bedroom glad it could not be heard or her husband might think her too tired to make love, and that she was not.

She entered the room with a smile and her hands at her garments ready to shed them when she stopped, seeing her husband sound asleep and hearing his light snores. She thought to wake him, but she could tell he was in a deep sleep which meant he was tired, and she did not have the heart to disturb such a sound sleep.

She slipped out of her garments and reluctantly into her nightdress, then as gently as possible got into bed to rest beside him, disappointed. She told herself there was always the morning and she intended to make sure they had that time together.

CHAPTER 6

Dawn stepped outside the keep, after eating nothing more than a piece of bread. She was not sure if it was the bairn that had her stomach unsettled or her annoyance when she woke and found her husband gone from their bed. She should not be annoyed at him since he had instructed Dermid to let her know that tracks had been discovered and he had gone with Henry to see if anything could be found. That he had done so told her how truly eager he was to see this matter resolved.

Still, she missed the closeness of their lovemaking and the way it always left her feeling, loved and cherished. It could even be that she needed to feel that even more while here, the fear of the people as well as Tavia’s loveless marriage and Flora’s painful situation making her realize how fortunate she was to have a husband who loved her and protected her and their children.

No snow fell today, though the air was cold enough for it. Dawn intended to take a short walk, in hopes of improving her unsettled stomach. Not having Beast at her side made her glad Dermid followed her. If she were home in familiar surroundings with people she knew it would not matter to her, but here was a different matter, and she was wise enough to realize that.

People smiled and nodded to her, some offered blessings to her and her husband as they did yesterday. It had her seeing the village differently today. With so many people about talking, sharing, watching, how could more than one of them be abducted without notice? And how many people would it take to abduct the ones that had gone missing? Was a group of people involved? Could the dead man have been one of them? But why was he killed and by who?

Though she had not gone far, the walk had helped clear her head and her unsettled stomach. She found herself hungry and with not having been to the kitchen where Bronwyn had worked, it was a good excuse to pay a visit there and see if anyone could tell her anything.

Dawn heard the yelling before she turned the corner of the keep.

“Why should you care? They’re just scraps!”

“They are not your scraps to steal!”

Dawn turned the corner to see a slim man yelling at a scrawny, grime-covered lad.

“I asked you for a few scraps—”

“And I refused you, so you stole!” the man accused.

“What do you expect? I am hungry,” the lad pleaded.

“I barely have enough for those here. Now be gone with you.” The man spotted Dawn when he turned to enter the kitchen. He bobbed his head. “My lady, is there something I can do for you.”

Dawn nodded, her face stern, then pointed to the man before gesturing eating, then pointed to the lad.

“You want me to feed him?” the man asked, annoyed.

Dawn nodded.

The man’s chin went up. “Forgive me, my lady, but you are a guest here and I do not take orders from you.”