by Katy Baker
Darcy skidded to a halt at the sight that greeted her. The valley was flooded. The waters of the stream had risen so far that it had burst its banks, turning the valley bottom into a lake. A group of sheep huddled on a strip of quickly shrinking dry ground on the far side, trapped between the water and a sheer cliff behind them. Darcy could hear the plaintive bleating over the drumming of the rain.
Old Mac and his three sons were down at the bottom along with at least half a dozen men from Dunbreggan. Darcy's eyes sought out Quinn and she found him on the water's edge, shouting orders to the others. He'd stripped to the waist and had a rope tied around his waist, the end held in the anxious hands of the other men. Even as Darcy watched he took a step into the rushing water.
Terror flashed through Darcy. He was going to ford the river! Was he insane? One wrong move, one slip, and he'd be washed away in an instant.
She was running before she even realized it. "Quinn!"
She pelted down the valley side, slipping and sliding in the mud until she reached the bank.
"Ye came," Quinn said.
"Of course I came," Darcy snapped. "What did you think I'd do? Go home and sit by the fire while you're out here?"
A faint smile quirked Quinn's lips. "I suppose not. I'd be grateful if ye would check the animals as we bring them over. Some may be hurt."
Darcy nodded. "Of course." She looked at the raging river and the sheep huddled on the other side. She swallowed. "You're not seriously going to cross that are you?"
"What choice is there? I canna let Old Mac lose half his flock."
Darcy let out a long breath. "Okay. But Quinn, please, be careful."
His eyes met hers. The driving rain, the wind and the cold seemed to recede. "I will, lass. I promise."
He began inching out into the river. In only moments it was up to his knees, then his hips, then his chest. Darcy ground her teeth and clutched her bag so tight her knuckles went white.
William pressed himself into her side, grabbing her skirt. "He's awful brave isn't he?" he said.
"Yes," Darcy said. "Yes he is."
It seemed to take Quinn an age to cross. In reality Darcy supposed it was little more than a few minutes, but for her it was measured in the rapid beating of her heart. Several times Quinn stopped, checked his footing and adapted his route. Twice he stumbled, going under the water to the shocked gasps of those watching on the bank. But each time he emerged unscathed, water streaming off his body and gave them a wave to show he was okay.
Finally he reached the far bank and tied his end of the rope securely around a tree.
Darcy breathed out a sigh of relief. She ran a shaking hand over her brow and then gently peeled William from her side. Crouching down until she was on eye-level with him, she said, "I'm going to need your help now, William. Do you think you could run back to the house and bring as many dry blankets as you can find?"
William nodded, and, eager to have something to do, pelted back up the path towards Old Mac's cottage.
The men on the bank began filing into the river. Each one had a length of rope tied around their waist which in turn was tied to Quinn's anchor line with a clever knot that allowed it to move along the rope already strung across the river.
Old Mac himself went all the way across, joining Quinn on the far bank to catch the sheep. The other five took positions in the river so they formed a human chain.
Darcy positioned herself on the near bank where the rope was anchored to a tree on this side, rolled up her sleeves, tucked the hem of her dress into the tops of her boots and quickly twisted her hair into a knot and tied it with a leather band. She'd need to be able to move freely for the task ahead.
Over on the other side, Old Mac and Quinn grasped the first ewe. The terrified animal bleated pitifully and struggled as the men grabbed her. Quinn hugged her to his chest, catching her legs in one strong arm so she couldn't kick and carried her to the water's edge. He passed her down to the first man who took the struggling beast and handed her to the next man. In this way they carried the sheep along the human line until she reached the far shore.
By the time she reached Darcy the ewe was soaked and terrified and it took all of Darcy's strength, aided by one of Old Mac's men, to manhandle the beast onto the shore. William came pelting back down the trail, skidding and slipping, and dumped an armload of blankets next to Darcy.
"Well done, William," Darcy said, shooting the frightened lad a reassuring smile.
Old Mac's man held the ewe in a firm grip whilst Darcy examined her. First her head, then her teeth, eyes and ears. Lastly she ran a hand along her limbs, checking for breaks or abrasions.
Satisfied, she nodded. "She's fine. Let her go."
Old Mac's man stepped back, releasing the ewe. She scrambled over to the rest of the flock who were huddled under an oak tree halfway up the valley and well away from the rising water.
Already the second ewe was being hauled across the river. As she was pulled up on the bank Darcy bent to her task. Her training took over. She no longer saw the rain, no longer felt the wind or the cold. She didn't even see the men who struggled in the river. All her concentration was focused on the animal in front of her. Time wore on. Luckily most of them were uninjured and were sent up to join the flock at the side of the valley.
"Lady Darcy," William said suddenly. "I think Quinn may be wanting ye."
Darcy looked up to see Old Mac carrying the last ewe down to the river bank. Quinn walked anxiously by his side and he was waving at Darcy and then pointing at the sheep. Darcy couldn't hear his words over the roar of the river but she understood the signal well enough. Something was wrong.
She nodded, surreptitiously checking her bag to ensure she had everything she might need. The men waded out of the river and gratefully grabbed the blankets William had brought, wrapping them around their shoulders and stamping their feet to get warm. Old Mac himself carried the last ewe over. Quinn waited until the old man was safely ashore before untying the rope and wading across. The two men reached the shore and Darcy leaned down quickly as they held the ewe to examine.
It became clear immediately what the problem was. A jagged branch had impaled her, piercing her neck.
Darcy went to her knees by the ewe's side and gently examined the wound. "She's going to need surgery," Darcy muttered. "Get her into the house, quickly."
Quinn carried the injured ewe up to Old Mac's cottage. Darcy ordered everyone but Quinn to wait outside and then scrubbed down the kitchen table before scrubbing her hands and forearms with antiseptic soap.
She took a deep breath. The ewe wouldn't survive unless Darcy could remove the wood, clean and repair any damage and then close the wound. She couldn't do it alone.
She was going to need Quinn's help.
She opened her bag and took out a bottle of sedative and a needle. "Hold her still," she instructed Quinn.
Quinn nodded, doing as she asked.
Darcy quickly injected the struggling ewe then pressed her fingers against the ewe's neck, measuring her heartbeat as she sank into sleep.
"We don't have much time," Darcy said. "I daren't give her too much anesthetic. You're going to have to help me. Don't ask any questions and do exactly as I say. Can you do that?"
Quinn looked at her then at the sleeping ewe. "Aye, I can do that."
"Good." She dug into her bag and laid out the instruments she'd need in a line on the bench.
Quinn's eyes widened at the equipment she revealed but true to his word, he asked no questions.
"Wash your hands," Darcy instructed. "There's antiseptic soap over there,"
Whilst Quinn did this, Darcy examined the sheep. She listened to the chest and was relieved to hear a normal breathing pattern. This meant the branch hadn't pierced the lung or trachea. The biggest threat was blood loss when she removed the branch.
"Are you ready?" she asked Quinn.
He came to stand by her side. "Ready."
"Okay. Pass me those scissors."
Darcy quickly packed away her equipment and called Old Mac into the room. Quinn lifted the groggy ewe down from the table and handed her to Old Mac.
"She should be fine," Darcy said. "But keep her confined for at least a week until I've taken the stitches out."
Old Mac looked to the ewe, to Quinn and then to Darcy. "I canna believe it," he breathed. "I thought this beast was a gonna for sure. Ye surely are a wonder, Lady Darcy."
She shrugged. "I couldn't have done it without Quinn." She smiled at him. "You've missed your calling in life," Darcy said. "You should have been a shepherd."
"Do ye think so?" Quinn replied with a mischievous smile. He looked at Old Mac. "Do ye need an apprentice, Mac? Darcy thinks I'd make a fine one."
Old Mac snorted. "No disrespect my friend but I think yer too used to the soft life within a castle. I couldnae see ye spending days out on the moors with nowt but yer loyal dog for company."
"Aye," Quinn laughed. "Perhaps there's some perks in being the laird’s brother after all."
"I'd say," Old Mac replied. "If ye hadn't been out patrolling ye'd have never found Lady Darcy, would ye? And then where would we be? In a fine mess, that's where."
Darcy blushed at the compliment. The men murmured their approval and William grinned widely at her from where he was crouched stroking the ewe.
"Aye, we would indeed," Quinn said, so softly she barely heard the words. "And me especially."
She looked at him sharply and found his eyes fixed on her. Her heart began racing. To cover her sudden discomfort she turned to the basin and washed her hands and forearms in the cold water.
Old Mac and William filed out, leaving Darcy alone in the kitchen with Quinn. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he stepped up beside her.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," she said. "You could have given me a coronary."
"A what? Never mind. Sorry."
He was doing it again. Staring at her. Staring with that look in his eyes. The one that made her breath come in sharp little gasps.
"Ye have my thanks for what ye did today," he said. "And the thanks of the whole clan."
"Me?" she said. "I didn't do anything. You were the one who waded across a river to save the flock."
He shrugged as though this was unimportant. "We might have lost some of those sheep without ye. We certainly would have lost the injured ewe. I've never seen the like. Old Mac is right: ye are a marvel. I've always known it. Right from the moment I first found ye."
"Just doing my job," she mumbled, heat rushing into her cheeks.
"Well, thank ye all the same."
"Your help was invaluable," she said. "You'd make quite the veterinary nurse."
He snorted a laugh. "I take it from that grin on yer face that's an image that amuses ye?"
"Yeah, I can picture you in the uniform. You'd look quite fetching."
"Fetching is it? Ye flatter me, lass."
All of a sudden Darcy was painfully aware of how he stood less than an arm's span away from her. Before she knew what she was doing, she reached out and ran a finger down his bicep. He went very still, watching her with those piercing eyes.
"You'll catch a cold if you're not careful," she murmured.
"It'll be worth it," he breathed.
His eyes locked with hers. "We make quite the team, don't we?"
"Yes," she whispered. "Quite the team."
Something seemed to shift between them. Darcy couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It was as though a balloon had burst and the tension that had built between them suddenly leaked away. She found herself grinning. Quinn grinned back.
Old Mac stuck his head around the door. "Sorry if I'm interrupting," he said, "But the rain's getting worse. The lads and me are gonna get the flock to higher ground."
"I'll help ye," Quinn said, turning, but Old Mac laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Nae, lad, ye've done enough for us already." He glanced at Darcy. "And I think Lady Darcy could do with being escorted back to Dunbreggan."
"Aye, I think ye might be right." He held his hand out to Darcy. "My lady?"
Darcy took his hand.
"Let's get ye back to the castle, shall we?" he said. "I'm guessing ye would nae say no to a dry set of clothes and a warm bath."
"That sounds wonderful," Darcy agreed. "Though probably not in that order."
"Aye, yer right," Quinn laughed. "If ye'll let me, I'll escort ye back to Dunbreggan."
They set out, Quinn walking so close by her side their elbows were almost touching, William running ahead, splashing in puddles. They walked in silence but it wasn't an awkward one, for once. It was companionable and Darcy felt herself feeling more relaxed than she had in days, weeks, even. She glanced over at Quinn and found him looking at her.
He smiled, a warm, friendly smile and she found herself grinning back. Then, for no reason she could name, she burst out laughing. After a moment, Quinn did the same. She loved hearing him laugh. It was a deep rumble that seemed to echo in his chest. It was like a rare jewel that lit up the day with its beauty.
QUINN LAUGHED FOR THE pure joy of it. For a job well done, for a worthwhile task completed. But most of all he laughed for the joy of having this wonderful woman at his side.
He'd been an idiot. A damned fool. He'd tried to deny his feelings, tried to put the clan first. It hadn't worked. Today had proven that. Darcy drove him crazy half the time but that only made him want her all the more. He'd never felt more alive, more complete as he had today as they'd worked together to save Old Mac's flock. A team.
The words of Irene MacAskill suddenly came back to him. Ye'll have a choice to make. Make sure you make the right one.
Was this the choice she'd been talking about? Should he choose to risk his heart on this woman? This woman who might leave him and go home?
Yes, he'd take that risk. She might reject him. She might leave him. But he had to try. He had no choice. Perhaps he never had.
He turned to look at her. Even with her hair and clothes plastered to her, even with rain running in rivulets down her face, she still stunned Quinn with her exotic beauty. But it wasn't her looks that made her wonderful. It was her fire, her spirit, her wit and skill. What she'd done today was nothing short of miraculous. He'd never met a woman like her before. Everything she did confounded him. Everything she did left him scratching his head.
But everything she did also filled him with fire and made him feel alive.
The village loomed ahead. William gave them both a hug and then pelted off towards his father's house, already shouting out his news. No doubt Darcy would be a hero out of legend by tonight.
He smiled. So be it. His she-wolf deserved such accolades.
They crossed the causeway together and approached the open gates of the castle. Quinn found himself wishing the end of the causeway would never come. When it did Darcy would disappear up to her room and he'd be without her. Then the strictures of his position would keep him from her side. He had so many duties pulling at him.
No, he told himself. I've made up my mind. Darcy will be mine. If she'll have me. No more of this nonsense about duty.
They paused on the steps. The rain was still pelting down and the only people visible were the guards on the battlements. Quinn took Darcy by the shoulders and turned her to face him. She didn't resist. She stared up at him, her eyes wide, her lips parted.
"Darcy, I-" he began. Why was this so hard? Why did words never come easily to him? He tried again. "I want to apologize. Ye know, if I've been a little...difficult..." he trailed off.
Darcy raised an
eyebrow. She wasn't going to make this easy for him.
"What I mean to say is...after that kiss at the forge...well, I kept away from ye. Not because I didnae want to see ye. Lord help me, I wanted that more than anything, but because I didnae want to ruin things. I didnae want ye thinking badly of me. I didnae..." he threw up his hands. "Oh, I didnae know why I did it!"
Her big brown eyes seemed to draw him in. "Quinn, what are you trying to say?"
He didn't have the words. If he tried to explain he'd only make a mess of it so he did the only thing he could think of.
He kissed her.
As his lips touched hers fire exploded in every nerve of his body. The ache in his groin became almost painful. He pulled Darcy close to him, encircling her in his arms, pressing her against his chest. She melted into his arms and their kiss deepened. Darcy's lips were soft and warm. And hungry.
Arousal flared through Quinn as Darcy curled her fingers into his hair, moaning softly against his mouth. Lord help him, but he wanted her. He wanted to lay her down right here and take her. Make her his. He wanted to-
"Well that's not something ye see every day."
Quinn and Darcy jumped apart.
Rebecca was standing on the top step, looking down at them with a wicked grin on her face. "Here's me getting worried about the both of ye when it looks as though ye've both been having the time of yer lives!"
"Rebecca I-" Darcy said, just as Quinn said, "Ye shouldnae have been watching!"
Rebecca waved away their hasty words with a laugh. "Look at the two of ye! Like naughty children been caught with their hands in the cake tin! Ye dinna need to worry, half the clan have been taking bets on when this would happen!"
Quinn found a stupid grin spreading across his face. He looked at Darcy and found she was grinning too.
"Well, are ye gonna come inside or not? Ye'll catch yer deaths standing out there!"
Quinn took Darcy's hand and led her into the hall. A servant was waiting with two thick blankets which she threw around their shoulders. Rebecca took charge. With a few swift words she sent servants running to prepare baths. She took Darcy's arm and steered her towards the stairs.