Torr felt the cold and was glad of it. He’d been so heated with passion that he hadn’t thought the cold could ever touch him, but it finally had. And now he could return safely to the cottage, or so he kept trying to convince himself.
He had cleaned the rabbit he had managed to catch and he was pleased with the few onions and a turnip he had dug out of the garden that he thought had been picked bare. Luckily or perhaps it had been a smart decision on the farmer’s part, to place the kitchen garden where he did. The cottage kept the snow from falling too heavily on the garden, and although he had to battle the hard ground to get at the lingering vegetables, it was worth it. They would feast tonight.
With precious food in hand, he entered the cottage, though came to an abrupt stop just inside the door when he saw Wintra’s face buried in the bed and her on her knees. He kicked the door shut, dropped the rabbit and vegetables on the table and went to go to her, but she was off her knees as soon as she spotted him and ran to him.
Her arms slipped beneath his cloak to hug his waist and she planted her face firmly against his chest.
His arms went around her to hug her as tightly as she did him, though after a moment he eased her face away to look up at him. “What’s wrong? Why were you on your knees?”
“I feared something may have happened to you, and I was praying for your safe return.”
“I appreciate the prayers, Princess, but death itself would not stop me from returning to you and keeping you safe.”
She pressed her finger to his lips. “Do not tempt death or surely he will knock on our door.”
He pressed his nose to hers. “I will make sure to let him know he is not welcome here.”
Wintra smiled and gave him a quick kiss that so startled her that she jumped back out of his arms and stared, shocked by her audacity or was it the shock that she had kissed him as if it was the most natural thing for her to do.
“Thank you for the welcome and the prayers,” he said and turned his attention to the food he had brought back. He would have preferred a lengthier kiss, but that would have been unwise. And this was her kiss to give and she gave it freely without thought or reservation, and he liked that.
Wintra sat down on the bed, her legs a bit too wobbly to take any steps. Her actions alarmed her, but they also made her think again on the possibility that she was falling in love with Torr. And the idea made her stomach flutter.
“I got us a rabbit and found some onions and a turnip in the garden, not that the cold ground wanted to part with them.”
Wintra stood, her years at the abbey forcing her to do her share when it came to every day survival. Everyone had a chore and if one did not do their chore it affected the others, and so everyone shared in the chores so that they all survived quite nicely, or so preached Mother Abbess.
“I will see to the vegetables,” she said joining him by the table.
He noticed that she was careful not to step too close to him. He almost laughed since if he wanted, all he had to do was reach out and snatch her around the waist and hoist her against him, or better yet carry her to the bed. But he respected the distance she set between them and turned to scoop up a log and use it to nudge the rod in the fireplace out far enough so that he could skewer the rabbit on it.
When he turned to reach for the rabbit, Wintra was busy rubbing one of the wild onions all over the skinned rabbit.
“It will give it more flavor,” she explained.
“Another thing you learned at the abbey?” he asked after scooping up the meat.
“As I’ve told you, the nuns kept me busy.” She took hold of the bucket near the hearth, and then went and slipped her cloak off the peg and onto her shoulders.
“Where are you going?” Torr asked.
“We need clean water and I need to see to…” she let her words drift off hoping he’d understand. Though after the intimate things she had discussed with him, she did not know why it should bother her to let him know she needed to relieve herself.
“I will go with you.”
“I prefer the privacy.”
“I will give it to you, but I will not let you go out there alone.”
“I will stay close to the cottage,” she insisted.
“Aye, that you will,” he said with a laugh, amused by her stubbornness.