It had not taken me long to find the source of the noise. If not for the weak bark that the creature let out as I approached him, I would have probably stepped right on top of him, the white of his fur matching the snow.
The puppy lay hidden, only his black nose and mouth sticking up out of the drift, quite close to the Conalls’ small cottage. I gasped when I saw him, quickly reaching down to snatch him out of his icy home as I brushed the snow off of him with my bare hands. “Oh you poor thing!”
The creature responded with another small bark. Once he was free of the snow, I lifted him, examining his coloring. His hair was straight but full. Beautiful, but the kind of dog I was sure would shed easily. White fur covered most of his body, but his backside was black. With the exception of his white mouth and snout, each side of his face and both ears were black, too.
I’d expected the creature to squirm in my grasp but, once he became warm, he collapsed relaxing completely, his small legs dangling on each side of my arm. I grinned as I pulled him in close. I hoped very much that Eoin would not object to having a dog in the castle because the pup would come with me regardless.
A voice behind me caused me to jump, jerking my arm so that the puppy came awake, groaning in displeasure.
“Ah, I thought I heard another one making noise. Seems our two little friends must be brothers, aye?”
I turned around to face the most handsome man I had ever seen.
Chapter 7
“Oh my, you scared me. Hello there.” I lifted my knees high as I moved closer to him. I didn’t miss the strange expression that crossed his face when he heard the way I spoke. Everyone in this time did that.
“’Ello to ye too, lass. I apologize for frightening ye. ’Twas no my intention. I heard this wee lad, no far from the one ye hold in yer hands. I still heard whining so I knew there must be another close.” He pointed to the black squirmy ball in his hands. The pup he held was far less content to be held than the one lying like broccoli in my arms.
I stood close to the man now and extended my hand to touch the wiggly pup he held. The dog’s fur felt soft like baby hair. As I rubbed him, the man reached his hand to rub the pup I held.
“They are both fine looking pups, are they no?”
I nodded as we both pulled our hands away. “Yes, beautiful dogs. Look at the markings above their eyes. They look quite different, but they must be out of the same litter.”
“Aye, lass, I believe ye are right. They are the same size and age. Forgive me, miss. Me manners are no what they should be. Me name is Hew. To whom do I find meself speaking to?”
I reached out to shake his hand. My stomach fluttered as he grabbed my fingertips, briefly touching them to his lips. I was far too old to have such a reaction to a man, but God he was a beautiful being. “Um…” I faltered and blushed, totally out of character from my normally over-confident, over-flirty self. “Um…Adelle. My name is Adelle.”
I guessed he was only a few years older than me, if not the same age. Thick, dark, wavy curls, only lightly sprinkled with salt, covered his head. He kept it cropped short unlike many men in this time who wore theirs longer. I preferred that. I didn’t see the appeal in being with a man who had more hair on his head than I do.
Tall, with broad shoulders, every inch of him was covered, I had a feeling he would not be soft like many men our age. He worked hard. It was evident in the tone of his skin and the light crease of wrinkles across his brow. A light shadow of a beard only added to the manliness he exuded.
The way he stood awkwardly after I told him my name hinted at shyness. Now that we’d introduced ourselves to one another, he seemed uncertain of how to continue the conversation.
I had to shake my head to recover, yanking my stare away from the deep green abysses of his eyes. “Um…are you from around here? Do you live in the village?”
He bent his head to glance at his puppy, finally no longer squirming as it slept in his arms. “Nay, lass. I doona live anywhere near here. I’m on me way elsewhere but had to stop here due to the storm. I am staying in this cottage here,” he pointed behind him. “The Conalls were kind enough to grant me refuge from the snow. Me sister lives with them and works in the castle.”
Only one woman worked for the Conalls and actually lived in the castle beside myself, but there was no possible way the god that stood before me could be the brother Mary had been talking about. “You wouldn’t be speaking of Mary, would you? Your sister is someone else, yes?”