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“We have a room for the night. The woman promises good food too.” He gestured to the stables that dominated the smallvillage. “We can feed and water the horses and stable them for the night there.”

“Oh good. But will we not be losing time by stopping now?”

“We need rest first. Besides, we are but two days away now. A mere afternoon will not hurt our progress.” And he’d be damned if Minerva continued on without food and sleep.

She nodded and helped guide the horses to the long stable. The building looked as though it had been standing for many years with signs of repair in one corner and moss clinging to the gray stones. It might well have belonged to a castle once, but there was no sign of it anymore. Likely any stones that had been used to build the original keep had been taken long ago for the cottages around it. However, the locals would have found the stables useful for their animals, so it had been saved, and now, it appeared it was used as a communal space.

They fed and watered the horses and headed back to the cottage. Raised voices rattled the delicate windows of the one-story building. Minerva swung him an amused look. “Are you certain they are happy to have guests?”

He gave a tilted smile. “According to the wife, aye. I’m no’ so sure about the husband. But it seems the wife will keep him in line.”

The woman let them into a room fit only for smaller people. Lachlan had to duck to avoid the wooden beams. The fragrance of food made his stomach growl. Over the hearth, dinner was being prepared, and a generous warmth seeped into the kitchen. Though simply furnished, the house appeared comfortable and well looked after.

The old woman beamed at Minerva. “What a pretty wee lass you are. I’m Mrs. Campbell.” She thrust a thumb toward her husband, who was chopping up vegetables at the dining table. “That bag o’ bones is my husband. He is happy to have guests, are you not, my dear?”

“Indeed,” he grumbled, giving a carrot an aggressive slice.

She leaned toward Minerva. “He is only grumpy because he is hungry. Once he has eaten, he is sweet as honey. You will see.”

“Oh, of course.” Minerva shared an amused look with Lachlan.

“We do not get many visitors here, so it is exciting indeed to have folks such as yourself in our wee village.” Mrs. Campbell gestured for them to follow her, and she shuffled through an adjoining room and then into another at the rear of the house. “I am certain you know what it’s like, lass. Your husband no doubt has quite an appetite given his size.”“

“Oh, well…” Her cheeks tinged red.

“And here you have a sweet little English lass.” She grinned at Lachlan. “I could listen to you speak all day.” She nudged Lachlan’s stomach with her elbow. “Englishwomen do not normally know quality. You must have a fine one here.”

Lachlan rubbed his torso. He was beginning to understand why Mr. Campbell was so annoyed with his wife. The woman’s elbows were a lethal weapon.

He nodded. “She is a fine one indeed.” He met Minerva’s gaze, and she glanced away.

“Well, here’s your room. ‘Tis wee, but it stays warm. I shall have Mr. Campbell set a fire, but I’m sure you wish to take a moment to get clean.”

Minerva busied herself with her ablutions, and Lachlan had to force himself not to watch. A woman splashing water on her face should not have been so appealing, but she closed her eyes as she rubbed a hand across the back of her neck, catching the curls there and making them wet. He bit back a groan. Sharing a room with her was not going to be easy.

Raised voices came from outside. He shared a look with Minerva, who smiled. “They are…interesting.”

“Looks like we are in for a noisy night,” he murmured.

“I do not mind too much. It reminds me of my siblings.”

“I imagine with four of you, you had a noisy childhood.” He took his turn at the washbowl, throwing frigid water over his face. It did little to dampen the desire that was running rampant through his veins, unfortunately.

Minerva threw herself onto the springy bed, flinging herself back and closing her eyes with a sigh. “My body hurts.”

“Aye, I’m not surprised.”

She opened her eyes and pushed herself up onto her elbows. “Angel and Seth were the noisiest. Though, believe it or not, I was quite a noisy child too. At least before…”

He nodded.

“Theo always tended to be more serious, though he was never quite as bad as he is now. The death of his wife left him horribly dour. I still have hope that he might find some loving woman who can make him happy, but he will not even entertain the idea of marrying again—despite not having any children.”

“I imagine your mother is not happy about that.”

She laughed. “Not at all.”

Lachlan snatched one of the blankets from the bed and found another on a nearby chair. He laid them out on the floor, bundling one up for a pillow.