her?
Whatever the reason was, he couldn’t allow it to stand. This was certainly one of those situations in which he could not allow himself to become emotionally embroiled. Graham had asked him to keep her safe. To protect her, should anything happen. The best way for Craig to see that through was by making certain she made it to her family in the east country—far away from the prince and the Isle of Skye. She’d be angry at first, he was sure of it, but in the end she’d understand that her safety was what mattered above all else.
Which meant he could no longer kiss her. Touch her. Watch her. Think of her… Wish for her to stay by his side. All of those things led to a desire he wasn’t certain he could contain. For aye, he wanted her, like a drowning man wanted land.
Craig turned away from her, heading toward the men playing dice. Better to get involved in a game of chance with his men than a game of chance with a woman he could never have.
* * *
Annie pretended that she was extremely interested in the preparation of the thick pottage that Max’s mother Lila was making, but in truth all she could think about was the look that had crossed over Craig’s face when she’d smiled at him just now.
Flashes of disgust, confusion, and surprise battled with one another on his countenance. At first she’d touched her face to make certain she didn’t have anything on her that might be disgusting, but when she felt nothing, she flicked her tongue over her teeth to see if a bit of jerky might have gotten caught between them. Again, nothing.
So what had warranted that look from him?
She frowned down into the pottage, feeling as though she’d been thrust several months back, the same way he’d avoided her on campaign.
“Is ought amiss?” Lila stared into the pottage, too, and then back at Annie. “More salt, ye think?”
“Oh, sorry, my mind was elsewhere, and I just so happened to be staring at the pot.” Annie smiled and waved her hand absently as though that were a good enough excuse for her distant behavior.
Eppy frowned at her, knowing her well enough to see through her act, but Lila giggled.
“I confess it happens to me often,” the older woman said.
Annie managed a grin that didn’t feel entirely like a grimace.
“Will ye help me make more oatcakes?” Lila asked. “With so many extra mouths, I fear we’re going to need more, and they’re always better-tasting when warm. Make them a wee bit thicker than usual, too, lassies. We like our bannocks to be hearty.”
“Of course.” Annie and Eppy mixed together the oatmeal flour, rendered bacon fat, and water.
They rolled out the dough into rough batches about an inch thick and then followed Lila’s lead by laying them onto a grate in the hearth.
“They’ll bake nicely.”
Annie’s mouth was already watering, her stomach giving a little grumble of approval. None of them had eaten since the night before, having woken before the dawn with Fiona’s warning.
“Are ye hungry? I can make ye some eggs if ye like,” Lila offered.
“I can wait for the bannocks to be ready.”
“I’ve a delicious marmalade.”
Annie didn’t have the heart to tell her she didn’t like marmalade and instead nodded, taking a rag to clean up the scattered flour from their baking. She kept stealing glances toward Craig, hoping he’d look up, but he didn’t. Was it her imagination, or was he avoiding her gaze for some reason? Why?
“Ye look verra tired, my lady,” Eppy whispered. “Ye should rest.”
So many people telling her to rest, as if she actually had time for that. Madness! Annie stared down at the table’s surface, gleaming from where she’d wiped, and did a mental calculation of her body, if only to prove them all wrong. But each muscle and limb she ticked off grew heavier at the thought. All at once, exhaustion hit. She felt as tired as everyone had been telling her she must be.
“I think I will go lie down if ’tis all right with ye.”
Eppy took the rag from her, and Lila pointed her in the direction of the back bedchamber. Annie was slow to move, her feet somehow having gained a stone each. Walking across the cottage felt more like she was dragging dead weight, and by the time she made it to the bed, all she could manage was to collapse facedown onto the mattress. In her weakness, she