Bri laughed and bent down to squeeze me while placing her face up against my own. “I’m sure you would, but those days are over, I’m afraid. At least it’s not expected that we shave our legs in this time.”
“Thank God for small mercies.” She was right. It would have been considered quite strange for us to do so in this time and that was fine with me. I always thought it a pain in the rear anyway.
“Are you nervous, Mom? You like him quite a lot, don’t you?”
I stood, wishing I could shorten the dress a good eighteen inches just so I would be able to move more freely. “A little, but every time I’m around him whatever nerves I may have had before dissipate quickly. And yes, I like him very much, which is probably foolish. Once the snow melts, he’ll no longer want to stay here.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure, Mom. I think if he had reason to stay, he would. You may just end up being that reason.”
I hoped she was right. The thought of him leaving filled me with sadness, but I would not worry about that now. Today, I was simply going to enjoy his company.
Chapter 16
Damn Mary straight to hell; she’d known exactly what activity Hew had planned for us. When Hew arrived at the back entrance of the castle carrying a sled, I caught sight of Mary hiding around a corner, cackling like a banshee.
“It is not the least bit funny, Mary! Now, he will be forced to wait on me while I change. There’s no way I’m going to get this dress sopping wet.”
Mary stepped out from her place in the shadows, laughing as she waved her brother inside. “Oh, doona be such a grumpy bairn, Adelle. Hew, get yerself inside whilst the lassie changes.”
Hew stomped his snow-covered feet off outside before following Mary’s instruction, casting me an apologetic glance before reprimanding his sister. “’Twas no kind of ye, Mary.” He turned to address me. “But I willna say I’m no pleased to see ye in such a fine dress, lass. Ye look lovely.”
Mary piped up once again, not giving me a chance to thank him for his kind words.
“Ach, if ye find her pleasing in that, I’m sure ye shall fall over when ye see what she will come down in next. I’m certain she will use yer idea of playing in the snow as the perfect excuse to don her horrific garb from her own time. I doona see what the lads seem to see in it, but every time Adelle, Bri, or Blaire decide to squeeze themselves into their modern clothes, all the lads, me own Kip included, can hardly keep their tongues inside their mouths. ’Tis truly pathetic.”
Hew’s brows pulled together quizzically, but he said nothing. I ignored her as well and turned to make my way back upstairs.
I was almost out of sight when Mary called out to me. “I’m right, aye? Ye are going in search of yer ‘jeans?’”
I smiled at the anticipation of ripping this burdensome dress of and sliding into the comfy denim. I screamed over my shoulder back at her. “Yes, Mary. You are very right, indeed.”
*
Mary had also been right about Hew’s reaction to seeing a woman in such clothing. It was certainly something men in this time were unaccustomed to. His mouth nearly fell open at the sight of me. Though entirely covered from head to toe, bundled up as much as I could for our snowy activities, I suddenly felt self-conscious under his gaze.
“Ach, lass, I doona know if ye should trust yerself with me when ye look as ye do. Do women truly dress in such a manner commonly where ye come from?”
I laughed and marched out into the snow ahead of him. “Oh yes, all of the time. This is quite a conservative outfit, I assure you. Would you rather I went and put my dress back on?”
He caught up to me quickly, throwing his arms around me from behind. He kissed me roughly on the cheek, his facial hair tickling my ear. “Nay, lass. I wouldna let ye go and change even if ye wished it. Come. I found a bonny hill near the cottage that shall be perfect for sledding.”
Excited by his choice of activity, it rather surprised me as well. He was much more fun than he’d originally let on. Taking his hand in my own, we made our way to the snowy hill.
*
The lass meant to torture him. No other explanation for dressing the way she had made sense. He could make out the shape of her bum in her trousers, and what a fine bum it was. Round and full, just like a woman’s should be.
If the lass spoke true, and there seemed no reason why she would not, he imagined men in her time spent a good portion of their days walking about quite uncomfortably, such a feast for their eyes laid out in front of them daily.
Hew breathed in deeply through his nose, hoping the chill in the air would cool the fire that burned inside him. Thankful when they reached the hill, he promptly placed the sled he’d built down into the snow and instructed Adelle to sit in the front so that he could join her on the back end.