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her trust really mattered.
    “I see you have a very interesting
collection of things upstairs.”
    She tucked the weapon in a pocket of the
dress and started climbing up, too.
    “In case you are interested in adding my
dirk to your miscellany…” As he backed into the large chamber, the
sound of crunching shells drew a curse from his lips. “By the
devil…”
    “This is better.” She was biting her lips to hide a
smile.
    “ What is better?”
    “Saying what you think and feel, instead of
playing these games with words.”
    “Games with words?”
    She shrugged. “I know what you were trying
to do. But I am not afraid of you.”
    Colin extended his hand at her. “Then can I
have my dagger back?”
    “Nay, you cannot.” She went around him and
walked toward the fire.
    He turned, managing to crush more shells.
“Why, in the name of St. Andrew, MUST you keep these bloody…?”
    “Colin Macpherson.” She glanced over her
shoulder at him and actually smiled. “A little restraint is good,
too.”
    She was even more beautiful when she smiled,
he thought. “Who are you?”
    “Tess.”
    “Tess,” he repeated, liking the sound of the
name. Colin tried to pay attention to where he was stepping as he
followed her. “Do you live here alone, Tess?”
    “Nay…there are others.” Despite her
immediate answer, she couldn’t hide the shade of color staining her
cheeks. “My father…and my…my older brothers…”
    He glanced about the room. As he’d noticed
before, everything from the sparse furnishings to the few utensils
indicated that only one person lived here.
    “But they are on the mainland now,” she
blurted out, reading his thoughts. “They were out fishing when the
storm swept in. I assume they must be on the mainland.” She
shrugged and moved toward the hearth. “They are very good water
folk. They’ll be worrying about me out here alone. Aye, I should
think they’ll be getting back anytime.”
    She was lying and Colin knew it. And she was
nervous again. He’d seen the two recently dug graves last night.
And he’d never heard any sailor speak of anyone other than the
keeper and his wife living on this island. But, of course, there
never had been any talk of Tess, either. He decided to let the
subject rest…for now.
    She was attempting to stir the contents of
the cauldron. “Did I destroy your food last night by moving it from
the fire?”
    “This is not food.”
    “Then what is it?”
    She pulled out the spoon and let the
congealed mixture drop back into the pot. “Some of the sheep have
foot rot…from the wet.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “You
didn’t try to eat this, did you?”
    He swallowed hard. “Not successfully.”
    She smiled, and Colin was enchanted again.
She hefted the cauldron aside and pushed herself to her feet. “So I
assume you won’t be hungry for awhile.”
    “I am starving.”
    “So am I.” She pulled down a piece of smoked
fish hanging from the beams overhead.
    “Can I be any help to you?” The crunching
sound of shells under his boots made him wince.
    “Aye. You can stop crushing my shells with
every step you take.”
    Colin glanced down at the hundreds of
annoying items spread everywhere. He had managed to grind a good
many of them into dust already. “Why do you need so many, and why
can’t you pile them all in one place, so they are not
underfoot…”
    “Why can’t you watch where you step?”
    He took the broom that she handed him. “I
asked my question first.”
    “Aye, but this is my place. I can do
as I wish. You asked to help. I am giving you a chance. Why don’t
you start?”
    He planted his hands atop the handle of the broom
and watched her move around the room, preparing their meal. “I
thought you said you live here with your father and brothers.”
    “I do.” She avoided looking at him.
    “Then why did you say… my place?”
    “I was speaking for all of us.”
    “How many brothers do you have