looked at her in shock. “Oh. You know the name of the seasons now?”
“Susara is a very good teacher.”
“I agree, she is. Then you understand?”
“I understand that you want to stay here,” she said more testily. “Why can we not join with my people and spend the winter with them?”
“Because we don’t know if we can find them. I know you’re confident, but I’m not. Have you ever had to find them before?”
She balked at that and tried to pull away, but he held her fast. She looked into his eyes, the moonlight reflecting off her own. “No,” she said, disappointment in her voice.
“It’s too dangerous, darling, especially when the snows come. If we’re not careful, we could both perish.”
“What is this … perish?”
“Die.”
Her eyes widened and she gasped. “No!” she said and shook her head.
“Do you understand now why I won’t risk it?”
Her eyes darted around as she took in his words. He could tell from the look on her face that she was becoming upset. “Why did we not rejoin them earlier?”
Dash it all, she would ask that. No hope for it, then – the truth won out. “Because I’m a very selfish man.”
“Selfish? What is this word?”
“It means, dear one, that I didn’t make the effort I could have to get us back to your people before they left.”
Her expression turned grave. “You not take us there on purpose?”
He nodded. “And perhaps I’m a complete cad for doing so. But I thought your people might take us and not let us ever come back here. I might never see my sister or family again. And … and my father and I are just getting to know one another. I couldn’t risk losing that.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. Uh-oh. “You put words in my people’s mouth! You do not know what they will do! How you think to do this?” She struggled to free herself from his embrace.
He let her go this time. What he did was wrong and he knew it. Yet, the benefits were tremendous. In a few short weeks she’d learned more English than he would’ve thought possible. They could communicate now, and to him that was worth the risk of her anger. After all, she’d never been angry with him before. But who knew how long it would take for her to forgive him?
“Newton!” She looked him up and down as if he were the most vile creature on earth. “You keep me here on purpose! You keep me from my people! I thought we were going back. I thought we would go back when I learn your language.”
“Darling, we can’t go back now. We’ll go in spring when it’s safer.”
“You say, but you do not do!”
That got his ire up. “I never said we were going back to your people when we came here. You assumed that on your own.” He just managed to stop himself from wagging a finger at her.
She sucked in a breath. “Me!” she said and jabbed a thumb at her chest. “I let you make decision for us. I thought you made it.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I did make it. You’re just objecting to the decision I made.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You should have said something to me. Instead you keep quiet. No words come from you to me about this!”
He sighed. “No, that much I admit, and you have every right to be upset.”
She walked a tight circle and threw her hands in the air. “I … I …” She spun on him, her hands balled into fists at her sides, and stomped her foot. “Ohhhh! You make me … want to throw rocks!”
“As long as they’re not at me, go right ahead if it’ll make you feel better.” To his horrified amusement, she began to scan the road for something to throw. He’d best put a stop to this before she carried out her threat. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. “Arya, I said I was sorry. What I did was all shades of wrong and I don’t blame you for being angry. But can’t you see what staying here has done for us?”
She calmed somewhat as her eyes met his. “What is this you say?”
“Just that. You and I can talk to each
“Susara is a very good teacher.”
“I agree, she is. Then you understand?”
“I understand that you want to stay here,” she said more testily. “Why can we not join with my people and spend the winter with them?”
“Because we don’t know if we can find them. I know you’re confident, but I’m not. Have you ever had to find them before?”
She balked at that and tried to pull away, but he held her fast. She looked into his eyes, the moonlight reflecting off her own. “No,” she said, disappointment in her voice.
“It’s too dangerous, darling, especially when the snows come. If we’re not careful, we could both perish.”
“What is this … perish?”
“Die.”
Her eyes widened and she gasped. “No!” she said and shook her head.
“Do you understand now why I won’t risk it?”
Her eyes darted around as she took in his words. He could tell from the look on her face that she was becoming upset. “Why did we not rejoin them earlier?”
Dash it all, she would ask that. No hope for it, then – the truth won out. “Because I’m a very selfish man.”
“Selfish? What is this word?”
“It means, dear one, that I didn’t make the effort I could have to get us back to your people before they left.”
Her expression turned grave. “You not take us there on purpose?”
He nodded. “And perhaps I’m a complete cad for doing so. But I thought your people might take us and not let us ever come back here. I might never see my sister or family again. And … and my father and I are just getting to know one another. I couldn’t risk losing that.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. Uh-oh. “You put words in my people’s mouth! You do not know what they will do! How you think to do this?” She struggled to free herself from his embrace.
He let her go this time. What he did was wrong and he knew it. Yet, the benefits were tremendous. In a few short weeks she’d learned more English than he would’ve thought possible. They could communicate now, and to him that was worth the risk of her anger. After all, she’d never been angry with him before. But who knew how long it would take for her to forgive him?
“Newton!” She looked him up and down as if he were the most vile creature on earth. “You keep me here on purpose! You keep me from my people! I thought we were going back. I thought we would go back when I learn your language.”
“Darling, we can’t go back now. We’ll go in spring when it’s safer.”
“You say, but you do not do!”
That got his ire up. “I never said we were going back to your people when we came here. You assumed that on your own.” He just managed to stop himself from wagging a finger at her.
She sucked in a breath. “Me!” she said and jabbed a thumb at her chest. “I let you make decision for us. I thought you made it.”
His eyebrows shot up. “I did make it. You’re just objecting to the decision I made.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You should have said something to me. Instead you keep quiet. No words come from you to me about this!”
He sighed. “No, that much I admit, and you have every right to be upset.”
She walked a tight circle and threw her hands in the air. “I … I …” She spun on him, her hands balled into fists at her sides, and stomped her foot. “Ohhhh! You make me … want to throw rocks!”
“As long as they’re not at me, go right ahead if it’ll make you feel better.” To his horrified amusement, she began to scan the road for something to throw. He’d best put a stop to this before she carried out her threat. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. “Arya, I said I was sorry. What I did was all shades of wrong and I don’t blame you for being angry. But can’t you see what staying here has done for us?”
She calmed somewhat as her eyes met his. “What is this you say?”
“Just that. You and I can talk to each
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