The Hawk (Highland Guard #2)(54)

By the time he’d finished his story, Meg was already done stitching him and was watching him with something akin to hero worship in her eyes.

“That was a remarkable story,” Ellie said. Orphans and nuns? A bit much, she’d say, but he was nothing if not entertaining. “Was any of it true?”

Domnall started coughing to hide his laughter, and Hawk gave him a sharp glance.

“The lass has your mark, Captain,” Domnall said when he managed to get his laughing under control. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Well?” Ellie demanded.

Hawk shrugged.

“I didn’t think so,” she said pertly. “If piracy doesn’t work out for you, you should consider becoming a bard.”

He grinned unrepentantly. “It was the orphans, wasn’t it?”

“Among other things. The score of men as well. No one can defeat twenty men alone with only a dirk.”

Domnall frowned. “The captain can.” She looked at the older man, expecting to see him smile, but he seemed to be in earnest. “He’s done it before.”

“Don’t you have work to do, Domnall?” Hawk said sternly. “I thought you were going to replace some of the riggings.”

Ellie couldn’t believe it. The braggart was embarrassed. He would make up ridiculously elaborate tales about his feats, but when the truth was told he became suddenly modest.

It was … intriguing. Unexpected. Even charming.

Ellie was still trying to digest the fact that he could take down twenty men by himself—how was such a thing possible?—as Domnall and the other men started to break away.

Meg was looking back and forth between Ellie and the captain with a quizzical expression on her face. Uncomfortable with the other woman’s scrutiny, Ellie said, “I should get back to check on Thomas.”

Meg shook her head. “Why don’t you stay. I’ll check on Thomas.” She tilted her head in Hawk’s direction but spoke as if he were not there. “Make sure he doesn’t get up for at least an hour—until the salve I put on the stitches has had time to dry.”

The sticky, glue-like substance was unlike anything Ellie had ever seen before, but from what she’d seen of the stitches on Duncan’s arm, it seemed to work remarkably well to hold the wound together.

He groaned. “An hour? I have things to do.”

“They can wait,” Meg said, more firmly than Ellie had ever heard her speak to him before. Perhaps she wasn’t as blinded by him as Ellie thought.

Meg left before Ellie could think of a reason to object. At least they weren’t alone. A few of the men were still lingering near the rear of the cave.

She sat down on a rock opposite him, trying to get comfortable, which wasn’t easy with that impressive chest dominating her field of vision. Who knew muscles could be so … intriguing?

She tried not to stare, but it was easier said than done. She lifted her gaze to his face, but her eyes caught on something on his upper arm. It appeared to be a marking of some kind, but with some of the black grease still smudged over him it was hard to tell. “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to his upper arm.

His expression tightened almost imperceptibly. “Nothing,” he said, adjusting the plaid around his shoulders to cover his arm. “An old scar.”

It didn’t look like any kind of scar she’d ever seen. He’s hiding something. Just as she was, she reminded herself. But the secrets between them suddenly felt like a wall. For a moment, she forgot that the wall also protected her, feeling an overwhelming urge to knock it down. To really know him.

“It must have been some fire,” she said.

He gave her a puzzled glance, but she challenged him with her gaze, letting him know that she knew he had lied to her. “The soot. It’s all over you.”

He held her gaze but didn’t say anything. Probably to avoid lying to her again.

“Are you going to tell me what really happened?” she asked softly. “How you were injured?”

Again he didn’t say anything, which she supposed was response enough. He didn’t want to confide in her. This tenuous truce they’d worked out was all there was. He didn’t want anything deeper. It shouldn’t disappoint her so badly.

“A seven-year-old lad got the jump on me.”

“Right,” she scoffed, shaking her head at the ridiculous explanation. He couldn’t be serious about anything. “Just tell me … was it because of what I asked you to do?”

“Nay,” he said adamantly. “It had nothing to do with you. It’s a nick, Ellie, that is all. I was never in any real danger.”

She sensed he was telling the truth and felt unaccountably relieved. These strange, divergent feelings she had for him confused her, but she knew one thing: she did not want to see him harmed.

Her father would see his head on a pike if he ever caught up with him. She forced the chilling thought away. It wouldn’t come to that. She would protect him somehow. “You’re sure?”

He smiled. “You won’t get out of your promise so easily. If it wasn’t for Meg’s salve I’d be holding you to it right now.”

Her heart lifted. “Does that mean …?”

“Aye, your message is on its way.”

Ellie sagged with relief, feeling as if a heavy weight had just fallen off her shoulders. Her family would still be worried, but at least they would know she was alive. “Thank you,” she said, her eyes prickling with heat.