The Scotsman Who Swept Me Away

by Hannah Howell

  He was surprised by how well the boat had been hidden, tucked in a small shed well sheltered by the hill. He helped them drag it out and down to the edge of the water. Abel brought the oars, one at a time. Then some time was spent checking the boat for leaks that might have developed while it had been stored for the winter.

  Belle put an odd, brightly colored vest on Abel before he climbed into the boat. He and Belle then pushed it farther into the water, hopping in before their clothing got too soaked. She sat and grabbed the oars. He studied what the boy wore, a vest that buckled on and had a lot of cork on the sides and front.

  “I have never seen one of these.” He reached out to touch the cork he could see.

  “Da saw a cork jacket in a magazine and tried his hand at one so we could take Abel out in the boat. It will keep him mostly above water if he falls in. He is learning to swim. When he feels confident, I may have trouble getting him to wear it,” she added softly.

  “When I learn how to swim I will be a man and won’t need this,” Abel said and shot his sister a firm scowl.

  “No. You will just be a little boy who was clever enough to learn how to swim and one who will be clever enough to know he should still wear it.”

  When Abel folded his arms over his chest and stared out over the water, Geordie leaned closer to Belle and whispered, “Weel played, Miss Belle.”

  “Thank you,” she replied as softly as she picked up the oars and began to row. “Now I just have to hope he likes being thought of as clever more than he wants to be considered a man. Do you want to try your hand at this now?”

  “Aye.” He waited as she moved out of the way, then took her place.

  “Nay as elegant but a bit like the punts on the Thames.”

  “Just in the fact that they are wooden boats needing muscle to move them. You saw those in your travels?”

  “Aye. Just for a few minutes as we were headed to the ships. The ship we had taken out of Glasgow was not strong enough to cross an ocean, so they took us to a port near London that had ships sailing to America.”

  “I had no idea it was such a convoluted thing.”

  “Aye, and with a lot of men along the way trying to get their hands on the funds ye saved up for the trip.”

  “Of course. You’d find them here, too.” She grabbed the edge of her seat as the little boat swerved sharply then was righted. “Need to use the same force on each oar.”

  “I can see that.” He sent Abel an exaggerated glare when the boy giggled.

  “We can turn back and pack it in for the day in a little while.”

  “I think I can keep it smooth now.”

  “Actually, I wasn’t thinking of that, I was thinking about the strain on your arms. It doesn’t matter how big and strong you are,” she continued when she saw the hint of insult in his face, “if you are new at rowing you will feel it after even a short trip. You can end up weakened and shaky.”

  He had to admit there was a powerful pull on his arms each time he used the oars, but could not really see how it would suck all the strength from his arms. Nevertheless, grudgingly accepting that she might know more about this than he did, he carefully turned the boat so it was headed back to shore. It was not done smoothly and he ignored the giggles from his passengers.

  Despite having enjoyed the small trip in the boat, he felt relief when the boat bumped into the shore. At Belle’s instruction he gave one last push and the boat slid up onto the beach a bit. She showed him how to put the oars down and then how to lash the boat to the anchoring post.

  He helped Belle out and then collected Abel. Belle was right about the boy. He was indeed small for his age and was a very good clinger. He was beginning to think he would have to pull the boy’s arms away from his neck, when they reached the top of the stairs and Abel’s grip lessened, and he breathed easier. By the time they reached the house, he was very happy to put the boy down onto his own two feet.

  Watching as Belle shed her coat and went into the infirmary, he rubbed his arms. They were already making a small protest about what he had just done. He hoped they did not get worse because he would have to go to her to give him a hand. That would be more humiliation than he wanted to suffer from.

  He made his way to the settee and sat down. It took effort not to groan as he leaned back. Halfway up his arms, across his shoulders and a short way down his back it was already starting to hurt. He was going to have to soak in a hot bath, which was ridiculous as it was too hot for one of those. Then he heard Belle return and struggled to sit up straighter.

  Belle sat down and fought the urge to grin. He was hiding it very well, but she could see he was already starting to ache. Without saying a word she held out the tub of ointment he could use.

  “What is that?”

  “Ointment that will help sore muscles.”

  He took the tub and took off the top before taking a sniff. At least it was not made with a strong floral scent. Looking at her again, he sighed. He could not wriggle his way out of this and he had to admit, he really wanted something to ease the growing ache. He knew enough about sore muscles to know the ache would only grow worse before it eased on its own.

  “It works?”

  “Oh, yes, and very well, too. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can put it on here, and you cannot do it yourself. Trust me on that.”

  “Then where am I to go?”

  “The infirmary for now. I will rub it in there and we might even be able to get you up the stairs to a bed. If not, there is still one in the infirmary.”

  “All right.” He sighed in resignation when she had to help him stand up.

  Belle helped him into the infirmary, where he was quickly the victim of teasing by her other two patients. She told them to hush and was not surprised when they did not stop. She glanced at Geordie, who was muttering, and shook her head as she helped him lie down on his stomach on the bed, then worked on taking his shirt off.

  The sight of his bare back made her uneasy. She was not sure she could massage the ointment into that smooth, tanned skin without revealing how much she was going to enjoy it. That could prove very embarrassing with the audience she had. Taking a deep breath, she pushed that concern aside and decided to ignore all the watching eyes and do what needed to be done.

  The first touch of Belle’s hands on his back shocked Geordie. They were a bit cool and so soft, yet she massaged in the ointment with a gentle strength. He felt most of the tightness and ache fade away. He also began to feel relaxed, too relaxed, he thought as he closed his eyes.

  By the time she was done, Belle knew he had fallen asleep. She was shocked by the urge she had to crawl on the bed and curl up beside him. Getting up, she closed the pot of ointment, and as she went to put it away in the pantry, she decided to just ignore that strange urge. Work was what she needed now, good hard work to push aside the strange, wanton thoughts in her head. But then she felt Geordie standing behind her.

  Chapter Twelve

  He slid his hand up her ribcage and over her breast, his body tensing as it filled his hand. Geordie heard her breath catch, revealing that she was feeling the same heat. A small voice in his head whispered that this was not the place, that he needed to get her somewhere more private. He slipped his hands around to her back and lifted her up with him as he sat up. Still kissing her, he attempted to keep his eyes on where they were going as they stood to climb the stairs and he began to lead her down the hall.

  Several times he paused, pressing her against the wall to tease her more as well as give her a chance to push him away. By the time they reached her bedchamber, he had little doubt she was willing. She had wrapped herself around him and was pushing his shirt off his shoulders, and he was not even sure when she had undone it. He settled her down on the bed and carefully came down over her.

  “This is not right,” she murmured as she ran her hands over his chest.

  “Ye can say nay,” he said, not surprised at how hard it was to say those words.

  “I
know. Not going to do it though.”

  Thank God, he thought as he began to undo her gown.

  She was as quick to help him shed his clothes as he was to tug hers off, assuring him that she was as willing as he was eager. Finally they were skin to skin, and he sighed as much with relief as with pleasure.

  He desperately wanted to go slow, to give her as much pleasure as he could, but he feared it was all going to be fast and furious. They were panting and stroking each other. He moved to kiss her breasts.

  Belle clung tightly to Geordie as he covered her breasts with kisses. His skin felt taut and warm beneath her hands. Her body ached and she had enough knowledge to guess what it ached for. Then his hand slid over her stomach and continued down until it slipped between her thighs. She cried out at the strength of the pleasure that went through her.

  Geordie groaned as he felt how wet she was. He kept stroking her as he kissed her, then settled himself between her shifting legs. Each step of the way he waited a moment in case she decided she should push him away. Taking a deep breath, he cautiously entered her, feeling only the slightest resistance before he was fully seated.

  The shock of him being inside her faded fast and Belle clutched Geordie tightly. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he began to move. After that, all she was aware of was how he made her feel. Then that feeling he stirred with every thrust of his body condensed into one sharp pulse, and seemed to explode inside her, her whole body shuddering as it swept through her.

  When she came back to her senses she realized she was lying beside him, turned into his body. They were both a bit sweaty and still breathing too hard. Geordie was lightly stroking her back and gently kissing her face. She was a bit shocked that she had done this, and she hoped he would say something that would reassure her.

  He kissed her briefly, then got up. Belle felt the desertion for only a moment before he was back with a damp cloth that he used to clean her up. Embarrassed yet strangely touched, she tried to fight back the blush heating her cheeks. Then he crawled back into the bed and held her close. When he said nothing she lifted her head and sighed. His eyes were closed and she thought of the women who talked to her when she was caring for them in childbirth, and how they often complained about their man just going to sleep afterward.

  “Are you sleeping?”

  “Nay. Just resting my eyes.”

  Belle laughed and slapped his chest. “I wish I had thought of that answer when the women would complain to me about their husbands.”

  He looked at her. “Why would they complain to you about such things when they came to you to birth their babies?”

  “No idea, except they were usually trying to push out a baby and just wanted to complain about the fellow who put it there.”

  Geordie fought to hide the sudden panic that swept through him at the thought of a possible pregnancy resulting from what they had shared. “I suppose. But what else is he supposed to do? He’s in bed after a long day.”

  “Talk? Cuddle a bit? Now that you ask, I really have no idea.”

  “There ye go then.”

  “What?” She pushed herself up a bit and stared at him.

  “What does that mean?”

  He laughed. “I have no idea. Ye arenae sleepy at all, are ye?”

  “Doesn’t appear so.”

  “Weel, I need to go shut the fire down. Shouldnae keep it going during the night.”

  “No. I could go.”

  “Nay. I lit it. I should make sure it is out,” he said as he got out of bed and yanked on his pants. “Be back in a moment or two.”

  Geordie carefully made his way down the stairs. He suspected he should have said some love words, but he was not a good talker. Obviously he should try to learn. He did not want Belle to step back from him because he lacked the sweet words she might want to hear.

  Once he was sure the fire was completely out, he made his way back to her room. He stepped inside, walked to the bed and sighed. All the sweet words he had been practicing in his mind had been wasted. Belle was sound asleep. Worse, she was sprawled on the bed in a way that did not really welcome anyone to join her.

  Determined, he sidled in beside her and got as comfortable as he could. As he settled down, wondering if he could get to sleep, she shifted as if to accommodate him, and he sighed with relief as he turned to hold her close. Geordie closed his eyes. He hoped he would recall the things he had thought of to tell her, in the morning.

  * * *

  Belle woke up and tried to stretch, only to feel a weight around her. She turned her head to the side and her eyes widened as she recalled what had happened the night before. As slowly as she could, she eased out of the bed. After quickly throwing on some of her clothes, she stopped and looked at Geordie sleeping peacefully.

  She sighed as she yanked on her gown. A large part of her wanted to crawl back into that bed and curl up next to him. He was handsome. Even better, he would be warm. That made for a temptation it was hard to resist. She shook her head and left to go downstairs and start breakfast.

  It bothered her that she expected him to speak of something, maybe of love. She had given in to passion, so why should he offer her more than that? It was something she really needed to think about. Belle was not even sure she wanted love from Geordie. There did not appear to be any future for love between them. He was going to return to what sounded like a large, loving family, and she had to stay where she was.

  Walking into the kitchen, she decided to turn her wandering mind to the importance of feeding her guests. She started to wonder what would happen next between her and Geordie and forced the question out of her head. She was an adult woman who made her own living. There was no desperate need of a man in her life. Then she realized she was wearing the same clothes she had worn yesterday, and put aside the batter she had been whipping up to race back upstairs to change her dress.

  * * *

  Geordie woke up in time to see Belle slip out of the room. He cursed. He had thought to woo her a little while they cuddled in bed. Getting up and yanking on his pants, he headed to the washroom. He knew he had to do something, or he might as well just leave for home soon. He just was not sure what he wanted or needed to do. One thing he was sure of was that he did not want to leave Belle thinking he had just used her.

  They ate breakfast in the infirmary with the young men, so there was no chance to talk. Geordie watched as Belle got Will up to walk. She refused his offer to help, and he briefly thought of how she had felt when she had wrapped her body around his. There was a lot of well-toned muscle in that slim body. When Will settled back in his bed, he groaned softly and Belle assured him he just needed to build up some strength in that leg, then she walked over to him.

  “I want Robbie to try standing up, and could use your help. I want to feel his leg and see how the bones are doing as he tries to stand, so it would be best if someone strong can hold him steady.”

  “How is Will?” he asked as they moved toward Robbie.

  “There was some damage to his muscle and it will need building up. He cannot regain what was taken by the bullet, but he can definitely build up all the rest to make up for what was actually a small loss.”

  He urged Robbie to try to stand on his foot. He was as tense as Robbie felt as he stood up and slowly put weight on his bad leg. Geordie closely watched the expressions on his brother’s face as Robbie stood straighter. His body trembled, but Geordie did not think his brother shook from fear or pain. He got the distinct feeling his trembling was from the hope and happiness that swept through him as his leg held. As he adjusted his hold to make sure Robbie stood straight, he realized he was not doing all the work, that Robbie himself was managing it. Geordie was just a support in case he was needed. He looked at Robbie’s leg and could not be sure if it was the boards or the wrapping that made his bad leg look so normally straight.

  “All right,” said Belle. “That was good.” She helped Geordie get Robbie back in his bed. “Did it hurt?” Robbie sh
ook his head. “Any pain now that you are off it again?” Another shake of his head. “Okay then, tomorrow we take you out to start some swimming in the ocean. It will build up the strength you need. You too, Will. Maybe you can improve in the skill. Can you keep yourself afloat now?”

  “Never go to a doctor whom you knew when you were a little kid,” Will told Geordie as Belle laughed and left the room.

  Geordie laughed and then sat down on the edge of Robbie’s bed. “No pain?”

  “No,” Robbie whispered. “As I let my weight rest on it, I kept waiting for the pain, braced myself for it, but nothing. Just the discomfort of the wood and wrapping. And after? Not a twinge to tell me I was doing something I haven’t done for a long time. It is hard not to just bellow with joy because I think she did fix it. Feels strange to be grateful one fell and broke one’s leg, but I do feel that way.”

  “It seems as if it was just what it needed.”

  Abel ran into the room and stopped beside Robbie. “Have you already stood up?”

  “I have.”

  “And it didn’t hurt or anything?”

  “Nope. Not even a pinch.”

  “So now you go swimming. I will come with you.”

  “You can swim?”

  “I can, but Belle will probably make me wear my cork vest.”

  “Well, your da did, didnae he?” said Geordie.

  The boy let his shoulders slump. “Yes. But I can swim pretty good even when I wear it. It will be great. I’ll go tell Belle.” He ran off.

  “He really has taken to ye,” Geordie said.

  “Probably because I let him tell me stories and read his kid books to me. He actually tells some truly fantastic stories, has a very inventive imagination.”

  “Oh, Lord, yes, he does,” said Will, and then he laughed.

  “Very fond of dragons, too.”

  “Sorry I missed that,” said Geordie.

  Belle walked in with Abel and looked at Robbie. “I think we will not be trying swimming out tomorrow as it will be raining, according to Auntie’s bones and her headache. So later today I will take out your stitches. Just thought you might want a warning.”