A Nymph Without Mercy
XIII

Mairi was not at allcertain why her question had caused Garrick to react so violently. He coughed,he spluttered, and she worried for his health and safety but he waved her awayfirmly when she rose and tried to offer him whatever assistance she could.

“Are you tired?” Hefinally managed to croak out.

“A bit. My shoulderaches and so does my...” she blushed, not knowing if it was proper to mentionhow her lower extremities also hurt from being atop Callum. Garrick was the oneto keep her from toppling over, but that did not keep her from growingsaddle-sore.

He looked over herspeculatively and it did nothing to quiet her embarrassment. “You are unused toriding, are you not?”

She nodded. “Callumis the first horse I have ever been upon.”

Garrick smirked. “Ican well remember how uncomfortable I was the first time I began to ride.Finish your bread and you may retire.”

Mairi relented, thewarm bread settling well in her stomach, yet she wondered if it would bepossible to acquire some more sweeties. Not from the horrid woman who looked atGarrick so lustfully, but perhaps from the kind man who had helped her before.

But if those were Mabel’s honey-cakes...

Perhaps she did notwant them after all.

She tried not tothink about what Garrick was eating so vigorously. She understood in a way, shetruly did. So many people had wandered into the forest looking desperately forfood—men, women, and children alike. Some were so frail their bones protrudedharshly through pallid skin, so obviously in need of nourishment.

She had never worriedof such things before. The roots of her tree ran deeply and water and mineralsabounded, providing plenty for her to survive.

But when she tried toeat the meat as Garrick had beseechedher, all she could think of was her little woodland friends, dead and gone asshe buried her teeth in their flesh.

She shuddered,pushing away even the remnants of the bread.

Garrick’s eyesnarrowed but he did not press her further, not on that account. “Drink, mylady, it will help you sleep.”

Mairi’s nosecrinkled. “It is strange, and it burns my tongue. Do they not have water?”

“I would not bedrinking water from an establishment like this—would give you dysentery morelikely than not. If you do not want it then pull out the horn I left you.”

He reached across thetable and pulled her cup to himself, drinking deeply. Belatedly she realised hehad finished his own.

“You do not care forsweeties, you approve of meat, and you replace foamy drinks pleasant. Are we tohave nothing in common?” She did not mean to sound quite so morose, but it was becomingvery evident that neither of them agreed on much.

Garrick smirked ather in bemusement. “There is more to a person than their taste in foodstuffs, Mairi.”

She sighed, supposingit was true yet replaceing it suddenly difficult to keep from beingdiscouraged—not when she knew so little else about him.

He eyed her for amoment longer before releasing a sigh of his own, this one of resignation.“What do you want to know?”

Mairi quicklybrightened. “Have you always been a m’laird?”

Garrick barked out alaugh. “Not a m’laird, little nymph.A lord. Or I suppose a laird if you are from these parts.”

Her heart swelled andshe could not help but smile genuinely when he called her little nymph. It was the first time it was infused with such warmthand it made her feel...

Cherished.

Like he knew what shetruly was and cared for her in any case.

But then she realisedshe had made a mistake yet again and busied herself with replaceing his water horntucked away in one of the vast pockets of his cloak.

“Do not beembarrassed, I meant nothing by it. If you know nothing of titles I can see whyyou would be so confused.”

Her head tilted.“Titles? Like elders and ancients?”

“I suppose so.Although I do not know how one comes to hold such a position for your people.In ours it is through bloodline.” His tone had grown spiteful and she wonderedif she had somehow asked something inappropriate.

“You do not approveof...”

He shook his head.“It is no matter. I have indeed always been a lord in way of birthright, thoughI doubt there are any who would suggest I have any legal claim to the title.Not anymore.”

She knew she shouldnot press. But this was the most forthcoming he had been aside from his storyof Callum, and she found that now that he had begun she thirsted afterknowledge of him—any that he saw fit to share.

“Why?”

He took a long drinkof her ale, not ceasing until that too had been emptied. “Because my facehappened, that is why.” He spat the words bitterly, and the simmering rage wasclear in his expression.

“I am sorry.” Not forasking—she could not be sorry for that. But she was sorry he had suffered so.She wished she could remember more of what he looked like, as perhaps thatcould help her comfort him. Perhaps she could tell if it was a naturaldisfigurement, or if something terrible had befallen him that led to hiscontinued shame.

But no matter how shetried his features were blurred, and only her impression of them remained, andshe was very sorry indeed that anything at all had harmed him.

He rose swiftly. “Itis no matter, you had no part in it. Have you need of the privy?”

She looked up at himblankly. “No?”

His lips pursed as ifjudging her response. “Do you need to... relieve yourself?”

Oh.

She remembered howthe sisterlings had laughed and giggled as the newly charged Mairi blushed andran from a man who was evidently leaking against the side of a tree. She hadthought it a horribly embarrassing and curious feature of mankind, and she wasterribly grateful that her people only leaked tears—certainly nothing else from any other part.

“No, no thank you.”

He seemed surprisedbut took her at her word.

“Do not leave thisspot. And...” He cleared his throat, discomfited. “Try not to make any new friends while I am gone.”

She should mostlikely be offended that he felt the need to leave such a warning before headingout the door, but she was too preoccupied with his previous query. Was shesupposed to need to? She had eaten and drank water as he did, but she was anymph—was she not? It was all very confusing, but she did not feel any pressingneed to relieve herself as he hadsuggested, so she decided not to worry overly much about it.

She had already beendoing far too much wrong to worry about any new attribute.

Mairi had not beenlying when she said her shoulder ached. When Callum had nudged her it had beena blow to her still mending joint, and the sharp pain of it had left herbreathless. But she did not wish to complain and he did not do it again so shesupposed she harboured no resentment toward the beast.

After all, he wasperforming the tremendous favour of bearing her weight as well as his master’s,and she would gladly take a blow to her shoulder over continuing to walk on therocky road that hurt the delicate soles of her feet.

Garrick returnedshortly, and she was glad not to have been forced to be rude had anyoneapproached her in his absence.

“Shall we go up?”

Mairi nodded, theweariness of travel and continued heartache making her anxious for rest. Shefollowed meekly behind up to a large configuration of steps made from woodenplanks, and Mabel bustled over hurriedly before they had ascended too far. Sheappeared ready to continue her inappropriate remarks and insinuations fromearlier, but one glance at Garrick’s mask made her recoil. “Pardon, m’laird, Iwas only wonderin’ if ye or yer... lady, would be likin’ a bath this evenin’. Onlya copper more.”

Garrick stiffened.“Not tonight.”

He took Mairi’s armand ushered her forward, and she wondered if he found Mabel as disagreeable asshe.

They continued on, Mairi peering down at herfeet in bemusement. “I should have liked to have washed them.”

Garrick stopped andstared down at her feet. She had pulled up her skirt slightly to ascend thesteps, and she saw his eyes widen in surprise. “What happened to them?”

They were generallykept covered by her the length of her gown, and he would have had little causeto have noticed them before.

“The road is very cruel. There are many twigsand stones that liked to hide until I stepped upon them.” She wiggled her toes,not liking the way the dirt and yes, bits of blood, came to her attention.

“You, wench!” Garrickcalled.

At first Mairithought he was referring to her and she did not care for the name nearly aswell as when he called her little nymph—sheshivered slightly at the memory—but Mabel came scurrying back from thekitchens.

“Bring a basin of hotwater to the lady’s room. One large enough for her feet.”

Mabel quirked aneyebrow, evidently his mask not fully quelling her usual tawdry manner ofspeech. “Does the lady have terribly large feet?”

Garrick growled andshe realised her error for she bobbed a curtsy and disappeared.

“The wretch,” hemumbled under his breath, taking Mairi’s arm and guiding her to a room.

It was different thanshe had expected, although she had not truly known what to picture when hedescribed a bed. For her a bed was made of moss, or in springtime she and thesisterlings liked to lie among the wildflowers and rest as streams of sunlightwarmed them.

The room was cold,and there was a relatively large structure in the middle that she walked tocuriously. The posts were made of wood, and attempts had been made at carvings,but to Mairi they looked rough and ill-practiced. “Is this the bed?”

Garrick strode overto a stone hole in the wall, placing logs within it quite efficiently. Not forthe first time she was grateful that he was so knowledgeable in worldlymatters. A fire soon lit the room and made it feel much more inviting, butperhaps that was simply because of the way the flames provided a morecomforting light than from any true warmth. “Aye, that is a bed. Soon thattrollop should be here with the basin and we shall see about your feet and youcan climb into it.”

There was somethingamiss about his demeanour. He kept glancing at the door, and while he had risenfrom his position before the fire, he appeared as though he was readyinghimself to depart from her.

She swallowed. “Youare not joining me?”

He shook his head. “Ishall procure a room down the hall, possibly even next door. You shall be safe,little nymph, so fear not.”

It was reasonable.There was no need for him to take his rest in the same bed as she, and she knewin that place of her heart that still ached fiercely whenever he reminded herof it, he did not see her as his wife.

But she could nothelp but feel the rejection, the bitter sting that she would rather continueriding through the entirety of the night if it meant being near him. “Please, please do not. Just stay,” she bowed herhead, “with me.”

All these things weretoo new, too frightening in their unfamiliarity, and he was the only thing thatkept her tethered to this strange, unknown world.

She needed him, yetshe readied herself for his dismissal.

He was silent for along while, yet she made no move to peek at him. It was better this way, if hejust left without providing excuses, or reminding her that he did not care forher as she dreamt he would.

Garrick sighed, andshe heard his footsteps, but to her astonishment they came nearer instead of announcinghis departure into the hall. He was quite close to her and she could not helpbut glance up at him. His expression was shuttered and she found herselfgetting lost in his eyes, a burnt umber in the glow of the fire.

“What do you thinkwill happen if I join you in that bed?”

He was evidentlywaiting for something, for some reaction from her that would absolve him fromany guilt in abandoning her in this room alone.

But he would not replaceit in her.

She was not soinsensible to his disinterest in her as to suggest that they mate—that theyseal the bond truly. She would not suggest such a thing until he cared for her.

“We will rest, as yousaid. But I will not be alone in a strange place with drunken men downstairsthat could stumble in here unaware that the room is occupied.”

She had not trulyconsidered that before and was not very afraid of the notion. She had seendrunken men before and it made them bumbling and slow—she could easily outrunthem if necessary. And perhaps she should feel guilty for exaggerating herfears to her bond-mate, but if it made him stay...

Garrick stiffened.

“They would not dare.Not when you clearly belong with me.”

She looked up at himsharply, and he already looked annoyed at his choice of words. “As in, you aremy companion. They would not be so foolhardy as to try to take advantage of youwhile I am near.”

Mairi nibbled herlip, already sensing his withdrawal.

“What do you think will happen if you join me inthe bed?” She needed to know, needed to understand what frightened him—orangered him—enough to seek a room of his own. She readied herself to hear thathe was desperate for respite from her company, but the censure never came.

A tap at the door anda muffled, “M’laird?” had Garrick stalking away from her, and she tried tosoothe the hurt at the obvious relief in his expression by reminding herselfthat he had called for the basin specifically to care for her.

He opened it to adisgruntled Mabel who tried to balance a pitcher and large bowl with a fewragged cloths peeking out from its rim on her hip so that a free hand could declareher presence. “As ye requested.”

Garrick grunted andushered her in. He approached Mairi again and she drew in a ragged breath whenhis hand extended, skimming down her side. She would not have minded the touchin private, but with a woman in the room...

But he was pullingaway the cloak and fishing through a pocket until a small pouch was revealed.He took out a copper coloured circle of metal and handed it to Mabel—without coming into contact with herskin, Mairi was satisfied to notice. “That will be all.”

She gave one lastscowl before bobbing a curtsy and vacating the room.

Mairi was relativelycertain she had never been so glad of someone’s departure in all her life.

“She admires you. Dowomen not notice when a man is already mated?”

Garrick shook hishead. “She admires the idea of a few extra coins and the satisfaction ofbedding a knight, not looking for a husband. Especially not one like me.”

He proceeded to putthe bowl beside the edge of the low bed, pouring the evidently warm water intoit. “Come. Place your feet here. The heat should do them good.”

If Mairi had thoughtcold water was a wonderful thing, it was nothing in comparison to the comfortof a hot soak. At first she cried out as the warmth crept into every slice andbit of abused flesh it could replace, and her toes brutally protested the changein temperature. She very nearly thought it pain and jerked her feet away, but Garricklaid a hand softly on her knee before she could do so. “Give yourself a momentto adjust. It will feel quite pleasant soon.”

True to his word,soon the stinging abated and she sighed as she wiggled her toes in the soothingwater. “Is this a bath?”

Garrick chuckled, andshe caught herself watching him in fascination as he went about removing hisarmour, piece by piece. It seemed a tedious business and Mairi was grateful forthe delicate silks that fashioned her attire. They were soft and comfortable,and she promised herself she would see about mending the damage to the shoulderbefore they left the tavern for good.

It would be a wasteof Harold’s thread if she did not, and she did so want to keep herself tidy.

“Part of one, littlenymph. Sometimes the water goes to your waist, and other, more luxurious placeshave large tubs that you could drown in.”

Mairi hummed, tryingto imagine such a thing. Would her entire body tingle as urgently against theheat before succumbing to an agreeable lethargy? She wondered if Garrick couldbe persuaded to make a bath their next destination.

Garrick finishedremoving the last of his armour, piling it all neatly in a bundle beside thedoor. His sword, she noticed, did not remain with the rest of his weaponry, butinstead found its home on the small, rickety table that held a strange tapereddevice, a tiny flame perched upon its end. “You shall stay then? Truly? Even ifyou are afraid of what shall happen in the bed?”

His eyes flew tohers, and she decided his scowl was not nearly as intimidating as she oncebelieved. “Do not tease me, my lady. Youseem to lack an understanding of what happens when a man and woman share a bed,otherwise you would not ask it of me.”

She blushed, knowingperfectly well of what he suggested. “I believe you are an honourable man, andyou would not behave thusly with a female unless you intended to recognise heras your mate—your wife.” She allowedher feet to splash in the water, a welcome distraction from what concession shehad to make next. “You are not ready for that female to be me, no matter how Imight wish differently. But I ask you try, for my sake, to keep me company.” Mairipeered up at him, ready to release him from her entreaty should he show somesign of true dismay. “Is that really so cruel?”

He drew a shudderingbreath and his hands tugged at his hair. “You do not mean it to be, but you donot—cannot—know...”

He sighed, and sankdown upon the bed beside her, although not close enough to touch. “Do yourpeople know nothing of temptation? To know that your deepest desires could onlybring heartache and harm, so you struggle and denounce them with all of yourbeing?”

His voice held suchpain that tears came unbidden to her eyes. “We do not deny ourselves thecomfort of our mates—not when they are a part of us. We share a soul now, Garrick.That is what it means to be bonded. Surely you can feel it.”

She hoped he felt it.

“And I do not mean totempt you to act against your will. I only mean to offer you what I can, foryou to know that I am willing to be your mate—your wife—when you are ready.”

Garrick shook hishead, and she could not tell if it was in disbelief or because he simply couldnot understand.

But before she couldpress, to ensure that he understood her clearly, he sunk to the floor and kneltbefore her.

She did not expecthim to take the cloth from beside the basin and dip it into the water.

She did not expecthim to gently take her ankle in his hand and bathe one foot and then the other,softly running the saturated cloth across the sensitive sole and between eachtoe until all that remained were the reddened evidences of her long,unprotected walks.

And she did notexpect his words.

“Then you must allowme to show you that I could make a proper husband—that you do not offeryourself to a brute and a monster, incapable of caring for you the way youdeserve.”

He took the last ofthe cloths, this one dry and rougher than she expected, but his touches weretender as he dried both her feet and bid her to unbind the cloak and lie down.He took away the water and finally removed his boots, coming to the side of thebed nearest the door. “We climb under the covers, Mairi. That is how one sleepsin a bed.”

His voice seemedhoarse, and she took his hand softly in hers, only to replace it trembledslightly. “We can show each other, Garrick. Every day, for as long as ittakes—that we can be good, kind, and loving mates.”

And when they bothlay side by side in the unfamiliar bed, only the barest of knuckles touchingbeneath the coverings, Mairi found that maybe, just maybe, she could begin tofeel at home once more.

As long as Garrickwas beside her.