nervously.
His attention turned to Maggie. He tipped his knuckle playfully under Maggie’s chin. “I am glad to see you, Nellore,” he said. “Your child is beautiful.”
She could not suppress the chuckle that rose in her throat. “Nay, this is Mary’s daughter. I’ve yet to marry—I…I mean I have no children,” she stammered.
A brilliant smile suddenly lit his face. “Good,” he said quickly.
All the world seemed to slip away except for the large half Viking standing before her, but then a throat cleared, breaking the silence. She knew it was Mary’s polite way of pointing out that Nellore was standing in the midst of a busy village path staring at a man with her mouth agape like a simpleton or a woman smitten. Dear God above, she had to think of something to say. She cleared her own throat then and motioned to Mary.
“Garik, have ye had the pleasure of meeting Mary?” Nellore asked.
“Aye, some years ago during the Yule celebration and, actually, several other occasions,” he said smoothly. “What brings ye to town, Mary?”
“My husband, Gordon, is not well. I came to see Bridget about the matter.”
“Please accept my sympathy. I remember Gordon well from my youth. He was a strong lad who I’m sure has grown into a strong man. He will surely be better in no time,” he said. He drew closer and tugged lightly on Maggie’s red curls. “Now, I do not believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this little lass,” he said.
Nellore turned so that Garik could see Maggie better. “Maggie, love, this is Garik,” she said.
Maggie turned away, nestling her face in the crook of Nellore’s neck while clinging tighter to her rag baby. Nellore laughed and smiled at Garik. “She is shy, and she never puts down Bridget.”
“Bridget?” Garik asked.
Nellore chuckled. “She named her rag baby after our lady.”
Garik put his fingers to his lips, signaling for Nellore and Mary to keep quiet. Then he touched Maggie’s shoulder. She lifted her head and looked to where Garik had stood, but he had already ducked out of sight behind Nellore. A moment passed and then he peeked over Nellore’s shoulder. The wee lass erupted into giggles as Garik continued his game. After a few more rounds, Garik reached his arms out to her. She did not hesitate this time as she strained to leave Nellore’s embrace for Garik’s. Nellore could not blame her as she herself looked longingly at his strong arms.
Mary laughed alongside Nellore. “Thank ye, both of ye,” she said. “Ye’ve lifted my spirits. Laughter has been in low supply around our home these last weeks. But with that in mind, home is really where I ought to be heading. We’ve a ways to go yet.”
“Do you still live in the valley?” he asked.
“Aye,” she said. “But ‘tis not really so far.”
“I would argue differently for someone in your condition. Wait here. I will return at once.” Then he turned on his heel and headed toward the stables.
Mary raised a questioning brow at Nellore.
“I do not ken,” Nellore said.
“Ye don’t suppose he is off to the stables and will return with a horse I am meant to climb onto?” she said.
Nellore laughed as she stared after her Scottish Viking. “I’m not certain what he is up to, but I assure ye, he will do no such thing.”
“Nellore!” Mary exclaimed as a saucy glint filled her eyes. “I saw that.”
“Ye saw what?” she said as she busied herself dusting off Maggie’s tunic.
“I saw that smile.”
“What smile? I do not ken what ye’re talking about,” she said as she fought to suppress the very smile which Mary had accused her of flashing.
“Ah-ha!” Mary said, laughing. “Ye cannot hide that look from me. Ye fancy him. Don’t ye?”
At that moment, Garik came around the corner driving a wagon. “Here he comes. Enough of this talk,” Nellore said. The fluttering of her heart quickened the closer he drew.
“At long last, a man has stolen your
His attention turned to Maggie. He tipped his knuckle playfully under Maggie’s chin. “I am glad to see you, Nellore,” he said. “Your child is beautiful.”
She could not suppress the chuckle that rose in her throat. “Nay, this is Mary’s daughter. I’ve yet to marry—I…I mean I have no children,” she stammered.
A brilliant smile suddenly lit his face. “Good,” he said quickly.
All the world seemed to slip away except for the large half Viking standing before her, but then a throat cleared, breaking the silence. She knew it was Mary’s polite way of pointing out that Nellore was standing in the midst of a busy village path staring at a man with her mouth agape like a simpleton or a woman smitten. Dear God above, she had to think of something to say. She cleared her own throat then and motioned to Mary.
“Garik, have ye had the pleasure of meeting Mary?” Nellore asked.
“Aye, some years ago during the Yule celebration and, actually, several other occasions,” he said smoothly. “What brings ye to town, Mary?”
“My husband, Gordon, is not well. I came to see Bridget about the matter.”
“Please accept my sympathy. I remember Gordon well from my youth. He was a strong lad who I’m sure has grown into a strong man. He will surely be better in no time,” he said. He drew closer and tugged lightly on Maggie’s red curls. “Now, I do not believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this little lass,” he said.
Nellore turned so that Garik could see Maggie better. “Maggie, love, this is Garik,” she said.
Maggie turned away, nestling her face in the crook of Nellore’s neck while clinging tighter to her rag baby. Nellore laughed and smiled at Garik. “She is shy, and she never puts down Bridget.”
“Bridget?” Garik asked.
Nellore chuckled. “She named her rag baby after our lady.”
Garik put his fingers to his lips, signaling for Nellore and Mary to keep quiet. Then he touched Maggie’s shoulder. She lifted her head and looked to where Garik had stood, but he had already ducked out of sight behind Nellore. A moment passed and then he peeked over Nellore’s shoulder. The wee lass erupted into giggles as Garik continued his game. After a few more rounds, Garik reached his arms out to her. She did not hesitate this time as she strained to leave Nellore’s embrace for Garik’s. Nellore could not blame her as she herself looked longingly at his strong arms.
Mary laughed alongside Nellore. “Thank ye, both of ye,” she said. “Ye’ve lifted my spirits. Laughter has been in low supply around our home these last weeks. But with that in mind, home is really where I ought to be heading. We’ve a ways to go yet.”
“Do you still live in the valley?” he asked.
“Aye,” she said. “But ‘tis not really so far.”
“I would argue differently for someone in your condition. Wait here. I will return at once.” Then he turned on his heel and headed toward the stables.
Mary raised a questioning brow at Nellore.
“I do not ken,” Nellore said.
“Ye don’t suppose he is off to the stables and will return with a horse I am meant to climb onto?” she said.
Nellore laughed as she stared after her Scottish Viking. “I’m not certain what he is up to, but I assure ye, he will do no such thing.”
“Nellore!” Mary exclaimed as a saucy glint filled her eyes. “I saw that.”
“Ye saw what?” she said as she busied herself dusting off Maggie’s tunic.
“I saw that smile.”
“What smile? I do not ken what ye’re talking about,” she said as she fought to suppress the very smile which Mary had accused her of flashing.
“Ah-ha!” Mary said, laughing. “Ye cannot hide that look from me. Ye fancy him. Don’t ye?”
At that moment, Garik came around the corner driving a wagon. “Here he comes. Enough of this talk,” Nellore said. The fluttering of her heart quickened the closer he drew.
“At long last, a man has stolen your
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