Elspeth nodded. “I suppose.”
As they started to talk, she finished eating and came to sit next to him on the bed. The winds from the storm had brought an icy chill that rose goosebumps on his arms. He noticed her shiver from the cold and pulled the blanket off the bed to wrap it around her shoulders.
“This should help,” Graeme told her.
She eyed him curiously. “What about ye? Aren’t ye cold as well?”
“I am, but I can manage,”
Elspeth pouted as she pulled it closer to her body. “Ye’re being very kind to me…I suppose it would nae be only fair if I kept this blanket to myself while ye’re out there in the cold. Perhaps, just fer tonight, ye could hold me a while.”
He stared at her for a moment and considered the appealing offer. “Are ye sure?”
“Aye.”
Elspeth held open the blanket and Graeme scooted next to her, so she could rest her head against his shoulder. As she settled in beside him, Graeme wrapped his arms around her to add an extra layer of warmth. Her hair tickled the whiskers on his chin when she arched her back and Graeme found himself inhaling her aroma while humming softly.
He began to relax and enjoyed the softness of her body while listening to her breathe. She eased into his embrace and Graeme thought there was nothing quite as sweet, or wonderful as the way a woman smelled. Her skin was the softest thing he had ever touched and Graeme traced intricate patterns across her arms. She sighed in appreciation of his touch and responded encouragingly by inching nearer to him.
It had been a long time since a woman let him hold her thus, and he was not accustomed to the intimacy of her nearness. Graeme sighed, closing his eyes once he felt her breathing slow to a constant pace.
Sleep now, Elspeth. Nae harm will ever come to ye while I can stop it.
She was a mystery to him, and one he was aching to unlock.
***
Elspeth sighed as the captain wrapped his arms around her. His fingers slowly traced up and down her arms as he hummed them both to sleep. It went against every rule she’d set for herself after getting on his ship.
Lying in bed with a pirate, what would her father think? Elspeth shuddered at the thought.
Graeme was not at all what she expected him to be. In front of the crew he was hard and brash, using coarse language to keep them all in line. Yet, when he was alone with her, she could see the mask come off.
It was like he was two different men.
Her heartrate quickened but not from fear, when she felt his lips on the edge of her neck. Graeme’s warmth enveloped her with his soothing presence. One of his arms draped around her waist and she shivered at the touch. She felt peace. She felt safe. She felt wanted.
Little by little, she drifted into sleep.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
That night Elspeth had her best night of sleep in weeks.
When she woke up the following day the feather pillow was cool against her cheek and she let out a contented sigh. The morning rays of sun came streaming through her window and Elspeth rolled over to see Graeme still in bed beside her. Realizing they had fallen asleep and accidentally spent the night together, her panic began to rise.
She knew she should feel ashamed. She knew she should regret letting him hold her. Yet, Elspeth couldn’t find it in herself to regret anything. His touch was light and gentle, and he’d been kind. What she felt while looking at him now was not regret—it was realization. Realization that she enjoyed Graeme’s arms around her. Realization that letting him touch her was something she’d allow.
Carefully, she tried to sneak out from beneath the covers, but it proved a difficult task without waking him. Elspeth bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do when suddenly he stirred and Graeme’s eyes fluttered open.
“Mmm… good morrow,” he drawled out sleepily. “Did ye rest well?”
“I did,” she responded with a smile. “Thank ye fer staying with me.”
The edge of his mouth curved up into a lopsided smile. “’Twas my pleasure.”
Just then, there was a knock at the door and Bess threw it open, carrying a basket on her hip. “Elspeth, Graeme’s nae in his room. Have ye seen…” Her eyes drifted over to where Elspeth and Graeme were lying on the bed and she sighed. “Oh… well, that explains it. Ye’ll have to forgive me, I dinnae realize there was a party going on in here. I’ll see ye both downstairs when ye’re ready.”
Bess closed the door and Elspeth’s cheeks flamed from embarrassment. She listened to the footsteps retreating down the hall and descending the stairwell when Graeme turned to her and sighed. “Sorry about that. Bess has impeccable timing.”
“Should I go explain it to her? She may have the wrong idea.”
He sighed, repositioning his head against the pillow. “Dinnae fash yerself about it, love. Bess is nae going to tell anyone.”
“But—”
“It’s nae her way,” Graeme insisted. “There’s nae need fer ye to be embarrassed.”
Elspeth rolled over to look at him and he met her with a smile. There was something inexplicable about the way Graeme looked at her, when his eyes met hers she could feel her heartbeat quicken.
She lost herself in his cool gray stare and was acutely aware of his body next to her. A thrill of pleasure when they touched. “I should probably get dressed.”
She threw back the rest of the covers and stepped out onto the wooden floor.
“Aye, ye should,” Graeme nodded, propping himself up on the weight of his elbow. “And while ye’re at it, we should probably adjust yer wardrobe.”
Elspeth glanced down at her skirts and then back at him confused. “My clothes?”
“Aye, before we sail again ye’ll have to do something about those skirts. There’s too much fabric and it gets in the way of the other men. Come with me.”
Graeme climbed out of the bed and strode off toward his room across the hall. Elspeth followed him, mostly out of curiosity, and watched him rifle through his belongings. “Come inside and close the door,” he commanded.
She did as he bade and stood at the foot of his bed. A faded rug was on the floor with a wooden chest on top of it. Graeme walked over to the chest of clothes and she noticed some others scattered across the room. His coat hung from a hook on the back of the door and a linen shirt was draped across the bedpost.
He pulled out a pair of calfskin pants and a linen shirt and offered them to her. “Here. Ye can wear these until we find something better. The shirt is one of mine, but the pants are smaller and should fit just fine.”
Elspeth stared at them in horror. “Ye want me to dress in men’s clothing? What’s wrong with the clothes I have?”
“I cannae have superfluous skirts and petticoats getting in the way of the oars.”
Elspeth groaned. “It’s improper.”
Graeme eyed her sternly from across the room. “Yer attitude is growing wearisome, Elspeth. It would nae be considered socially appropriate fer us to share a bed together either, yet I did nae hear ye complain about it this morning. Up here in the islands we do whatever is needed to survive, in yer case that means dressing fer the occupation. A shirt and pants are more practical and comfortable when rowing on the ship.”
She huffed in agreement and snatched the clothes away from him, saying, “Fine.”
He bowed and walked over to the door. “I’ll leave ye to change.”
When his back was turned she sneered at him. Now alone, she took the shirt and pants back to her room and begrudgingly removed her tunic. The soft material of the calfskin pants fit snugly around her hips and were more comfortable than she anticipated while accentuating her feminine curves. The white linen shirt was too big, and the neckline extended the entire length of her collar bone. It wasn’t ideal, but it did allow her greater movement and the ability to do her chores.
After checking her reflection in the mirror, Elspeth sighed and ran a comb through her hair before retying it with a piece of fabric. The wavy, blonde
tresses hung wildly out the back and curled down across her shoulder. It had been a week and she already looked like a different person than the girl who had left Oban.
She turned on her heel and marched down the stairs in hopes of finding breakfast. Graeme was waiting for her at the bar, leaning against the counter to speak with Bess. They both turned at the sound of her arrival and Graeme’s jaw fell open when he saw her.
Elspeth blushed and asked him, “What do ye think?”
“Elspeth, dear. Ye look radiant,” Bess gushed in approval.
“Ye look…it’s perfectly adequate,” Graeme stuttered. “What can I get ye fer breakfast?”
Her smile faded with his dismissal and she told him, “Anything ye have available is fine.”
Bess nodded and went to fetch something from the kitchen. Elspeth sat down at the table beside him. Moments later, Bess returned with a bowl of porridge and handed it to Elspeth with a smile. Elspeth thanked the tavern owner for her hospitality and ate her meal before the food turned cold.
Elspeth spoke up from beside them, saying, “I need to check on Jack before we go. It’s been a few days since I last treated him.”
Graeme turned to her and nodded. “That’s good of ye. Give me a moment and I’ll collect Alistair to escort ye down the road.”
“Is that really necessary?”
His eyes narrowed. “Aye. I would nae be taking any chances now that Duncan is about. I’d take ye to Jack’s myself, except the storm ripped up part of the fence and I promised Bess I would stay with her to help.”
Elspeth sighed. “Very well. I’ll wait fer Alistair to come.”
Graeme stood up from his seat and smiled before disappearing out the door to the tavern. Elspeth finished her bowl of porridge just as he returned. The large, auburn-haired sailor was right behind him, nearly blocking the entire doorway with his girth.
“I understand ye’re off to visit Jack,” Alistair told her.
“Aye. Thank ye fer taking me.”
“It’s a pleasure, Miss Elspeth, and a noble cause. Shall we be off?”
Elspeth nodded as she stood up from her seat, waving goodbye to Graeme and Bess. Alistair stepped aside to let her out the door and together they started down to road to Jack’s cottage.
***
It was late afternoon before Graeme finished helping Bess clear out debris from the lawn—at times it seemed the repairs were never-ending. The recent storm had knocked down some of the fence around the garden and left a considerable amount of damage. It took him the entire morning to clear it out and finish the repairs, only to be given another job. Bess was a notorious task master, but he knew she needed help. More than that, his inexhaustible affection for the woman required him to say “aye” to each and every demand. Otherwise, they’d probably have gone separate ways long ago when Jamie died.
When it was about noon, they both retired to the kitchens to sit down and have a drink. She smiled at him as she poured them each a tankard. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a low bun at the base of her neck, and there was a sheen of sweat across her forehead when she turned to him and said, “Tell me what’s going on between ye and Elspeth, Graeme. I dinnae just happen upon a coincidence when I walked in on ye this morning.”
Graeme sighed, knowing his aunt would eventually pry it out of him. “There’s nae much to say. Elspeth’s working on my ship to pay off her da’s debt. Soon as our settlement is reached, I’ll return her to Oban as promised.”
“Ye’re nae a fool, Graeme. She’s a person, nae a piece of cargo.”
“Are ye suggesting I’ve mistreated her?”
Bess shook her head and laughed. “Nae at all. I’m suggesting ye like her quite a bit more than ye’re letting on and it’s going to complicate yer relationship with the crew. I saw the look on yer face when ye were holding her this morning. Yer affection fer that lass runs deeper than ye think.”
“Ye dinnae ken what ye’re talking about,” Graeme told her crisply.
His aunt fixed him in her gaze and stated, “Graeme, I’ve seen ye take many young lasses up to yer room before, and nae one of them has stayed the night. This one is different, and ye ken it. Ye like her.”
“Of course I like her, what’s nae to like? She’s beautiful and easy to get along with.”
“Are ye listening to yerself?” Bess questioned him.
Graeme sighed, taking a drink from the tankard and setting it down on the table in front of him. “I hear it,” he responded, though it was mostly to himself.
Just then, the front door opened and Elspeth came walking back inside. Bess cast him a glance and covered her mouth behind the tankard to keep from laughing. Graeme rolled his eyes at her and said, “Good morrow, Elspeth. How is Jack?”
“He’s doing well. The stitches still look clean, and he is able to get out of bed, so I consider that progress. He should be good as new in nae time.”
“That’s wonderful,” Bess agreed. “I’m sure his wife is grateful.”
“Aye, Sarah is lovely.”
“Well, if ye dinnae mind helping me in the kitchen, I could use some extra hands preparing rations fer the next time ye sail.”
“Of course.”
Graeme watched them leave and downed the rest of his drink before rising from his stool. “Thank ye fer the drink, Bess. I’ll be back in time fer supper.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Graeme set out from the tavern to collect the members of his crew.
It was long past time for them to careen his ship, and it needed to be done before they set out on another raid. The process was not a task he’d be able to complete by himself, it would take at least five men. Seamus and Alistair were already committed to the chore since they begged off last time, but he still required two more.
He slung a coil of rope over his shoulder and headed down the road to look for them.
After wandering around the village, Graeme was able to find Iain and Bruce, neither of whom were excited to be a part of it but agreed to help him, nevertheless. Iain grumbled when he collected his carpenter’s tools and followed them out toward the ship. “Ack, quit yer bellyaching, Iain. Ye ken it would be yer turn eventually.”
“Perhaps it will nae be too bad this time,” Seamus offered.
Iain nodded, throwing the bag of tools over his shoulder. When they reached the birlinn, Graeme stepped on board and positioned himself at the rudder while the other four took control of the oars.
As they untethered it from the landing, Graeme released a frustrated sigh. The men rowed the ship out to sea and managed to steer it along to coast to a stretch of land where they could complete their careening undeterred. They approached the shore and all of them jumped out into the water, pulling the ship cleanly onto the rocky coast.
Alistair pulled out his rope and handed it to them, saying, “Let’s tie her to the rock. We can get enough leverage to tip her over and clean the hull.”
Graeme and Iain nodded, securing the rope by tying it to some portholes along the side.
“Bruce, collect some beams to prop her up along the side.”
They went to work, pulling the spools of rope and tying it to heavy boulders capable of holding the weight of the birlinn.
“Heave!” he commanded forcefully.
They pulled together as a cohesive unit and little by little, managed to tip the entire ship over on its side.
“Again.”
Alistair and the others tied the mast to a sturdy tree several yards away, then propped up the hull with wooden beams so it was exposed for them to clean. When the ship turned over on its side, Graeme could see the layer of barnacles growing underneath the waves. There was also a fair amount of wood rot that needed to be replaced before the ship would be considered sea-worthy.
The men saw the damage too and groaned, pulling out their carpenter’s tools. Slowly, they began chipping away at the barnacles and cast them on the beach. Hundreds of them were nestled up against each other, coming off in bits and pieces.
“When was the last time the hull was cleaned?” Alistair demanded.
Graeme winced, clearing off another portion of the growth, saying, “Six months ago. If I’d kent it was this bad I would nae have put it off so long. ‘Tis a miracle we’ve been able to sail thus far without more difficulty steering.”
Bruce sighed. “It dinnae matter, we’re taking care of it now.”
They grunted in agreement and continued with the time-consuming project. Once they removed all the barnacles and exposed the wood underneath, it would be possible to repair the parts eaten way from rot. Graeme chipped away at them piece by piece until suddenly Iain cried out in pain. He dropped his tool and rushed over to him instantly. Iain’s hand was red with blood and there was a deep gash along the side.
“Augh!”
The second he saw it, Graeme knew exactly what happened. The chisel skidded off the barnacle when Iain struck it with a hammer and lodged itself into his hand. Red drops fell like crimson along the shoreline and he was looking pale.
“Sit down,” Graeme insisted, ripping a scrap of fabric from his shirt.
He glanced back toward the water wondering the fastest way to get him back to Castlebay. The boat was flipped over on its side and tethered securely to the rock, rendering it unusable. There was a lot of blood, more than he expected. Graeme frowned, wrapping the fabric around Iain’s cut and then tying it with a knot.
“Come on, I’m going to take ye back to Elspeth. She’ll stitch it up fer ye.”
Iain shook his head, breathing heavily through his nose. “Nae. I dinnae want the blonde wench touching me. I’ll be fine.”
Graeme snorted at the man’s stubbornness and said, “Ye’ll do what ye’re told. Now walk.”
Iain grunted as he stood up, swaying into him for support and growing paler by the second. Graeme put his arm around him to support his weight and led him back along the dirt path. Castlebay village was visible over the cresting hill, and well within walking distance. Yet, in his weakened state Graeme could not in good conscience send Iain back there by himself.
Taken by Graeme (The Pirates of Barra: Highland Raiders Book 1) Page 9