attention. Then, came the sounds of cooking, a bit of lard sizzling before a slice of black bread was toasting in it, a slew of feminine whispers. Morgan couldn’t think beyond listening to each and every sound.
Her eyes moved to Zander. He was looking for it and gestured with his eyes toward the women. “Thank you,” he mouthed.
Morgan curled her lip.
“He’s young, but he’ll grow,” one of them whispered loudly.
“He’s tall enough already, just needs some fattening. I think he’s sweet.”
“You should feel the strength in his....”
Morgan’s eyes were wide, her pulse was erratic. She had her own array of muscles in her belly, so Zander wouldn’t have any clue of her gender from the contact they’d experienced, but every single nerve ending she had was aware and tingling. And the MacPhee lasses were discussing her?
“You like my new squire, ladies?” Zander spoke over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving hers.
“He’s your new squire? Oh please, don’t say you’re going to take him with you, too!”
“His name’s Morgan. You’ll have to pardon the lad, he’s a bit shy. You know,” his voice lowered to a whisper, “...untouched.”
“U ntouched? Truly?”
Morgan panted with the fright as they all looked at her. The smell of burning gruel on the fire’s log was what stopped them. He was doing this on purpose, too! She knew by his smile.
“He’s very handsome, Zander. Where did you find such a handsome lad to squire for you?”
He was still watching her, and she tried to control every reaction. They were calling her handsome? She’d never gone beyond an occasional glimpse in a creek. She had no idea what she looked like. But handsome? she wondered.
“The same place I find all my squires, ladies. A battlefield. Is na’ that so, Morgan?”
“A battlefield? Truly? How exciting, and how brave.”
Morgan’s eyes were wide as they all looked to her. She knew she was hot with the flush and filled with hate at the man causing it. The MacPhee lasses really should have been paying attention to their cooking, though, as the croft filled with smoke.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Thank the lasses, Morgan, and assure your return. ’Tis the only way we’ll be leaving.”
Morgan stuffed another bite of milk-soaked toast into her mouth and nodded at all of them, without looking at any. She hadn’t any idea food could taste so good, nor that she could eat so much.
“ My squire is properly thankful, ladies, and I’m certain he’d tell it to you, if he could keep his mouth empty long enough. As I’ve said before, the greatest cooks in leagues. Morgan?”
“Aye,” she said, after swallowing, “my thanks.”
“Come along then, lad. We’ve a fair piece to walk.”
Morgan beat him out of the croft. She wasn’t going to be left alone with those women. It was some moments before Zander joined her, and he had a girl linked through each arm when he did. She kept backing and waving until Zander could catch up.
“That was uncalled for, lad.”
She had already told herself she wasn’t ever speaking to him again, and then he had to go and remonstrate her. Her! Her back stiffened. She reached with a fingernail and pulled a wheat piece from her front teeth and spat it out. “Do you have another of those loin-things?” she asked.
His eyebrows raised. “Aye.”
“I’ll be needin’ it.”
“You will?”
“I’ll not have lasses poking and prodding where they’ve no business.”
He hooted at that. She wrinkled her nose at him.
“ You could sit back and enjoy it, too, you ken.”
“You were na’ enjoying Lacy. Otherwise, why would you thank me for stopping her?”
“ We’ve got a ways to go, and I’ve a bit of posturing and speaking to do. I canna’ do it with legs that tremble.”
Morgan glanced at him, and wished she hadn’t. Legs that tremble? she wondered. What does that mean? He had legs stouter than the tree he’d rammed her into the previous eve.
He laughed at
Her eyes moved to Zander. He was looking for it and gestured with his eyes toward the women. “Thank you,” he mouthed.
Morgan curled her lip.
“He’s young, but he’ll grow,” one of them whispered loudly.
“He’s tall enough already, just needs some fattening. I think he’s sweet.”
“You should feel the strength in his....”
Morgan’s eyes were wide, her pulse was erratic. She had her own array of muscles in her belly, so Zander wouldn’t have any clue of her gender from the contact they’d experienced, but every single nerve ending she had was aware and tingling. And the MacPhee lasses were discussing her?
“You like my new squire, ladies?” Zander spoke over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving hers.
“He’s your new squire? Oh please, don’t say you’re going to take him with you, too!”
“His name’s Morgan. You’ll have to pardon the lad, he’s a bit shy. You know,” his voice lowered to a whisper, “...untouched.”
“U ntouched? Truly?”
Morgan panted with the fright as they all looked at her. The smell of burning gruel on the fire’s log was what stopped them. He was doing this on purpose, too! She knew by his smile.
“He’s very handsome, Zander. Where did you find such a handsome lad to squire for you?”
He was still watching her, and she tried to control every reaction. They were calling her handsome? She’d never gone beyond an occasional glimpse in a creek. She had no idea what she looked like. But handsome? she wondered.
“The same place I find all my squires, ladies. A battlefield. Is na’ that so, Morgan?”
“A battlefield? Truly? How exciting, and how brave.”
Morgan’s eyes were wide as they all looked to her. She knew she was hot with the flush and filled with hate at the man causing it. The MacPhee lasses really should have been paying attention to their cooking, though, as the croft filled with smoke.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Thank the lasses, Morgan, and assure your return. ’Tis the only way we’ll be leaving.”
Morgan stuffed another bite of milk-soaked toast into her mouth and nodded at all of them, without looking at any. She hadn’t any idea food could taste so good, nor that she could eat so much.
“ My squire is properly thankful, ladies, and I’m certain he’d tell it to you, if he could keep his mouth empty long enough. As I’ve said before, the greatest cooks in leagues. Morgan?”
“Aye,” she said, after swallowing, “my thanks.”
“Come along then, lad. We’ve a fair piece to walk.”
Morgan beat him out of the croft. She wasn’t going to be left alone with those women. It was some moments before Zander joined her, and he had a girl linked through each arm when he did. She kept backing and waving until Zander could catch up.
“That was uncalled for, lad.”
She had already told herself she wasn’t ever speaking to him again, and then he had to go and remonstrate her. Her! Her back stiffened. She reached with a fingernail and pulled a wheat piece from her front teeth and spat it out. “Do you have another of those loin-things?” she asked.
His eyebrows raised. “Aye.”
“I’ll be needin’ it.”
“You will?”
“I’ll not have lasses poking and prodding where they’ve no business.”
He hooted at that. She wrinkled her nose at him.
“ You could sit back and enjoy it, too, you ken.”
“You were na’ enjoying Lacy. Otherwise, why would you thank me for stopping her?”
“ We’ve got a ways to go, and I’ve a bit of posturing and speaking to do. I canna’ do it with legs that tremble.”
Morgan glanced at him, and wished she hadn’t. Legs that tremble? she wondered. What does that mean? He had legs stouter than the tree he’d rammed her into the previous eve.
He laughed at
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