Pardoned on the Peak (Sequel to New World Sasanaichs)

Six

February, 1757

        Morgan’s Peak, Rowan County, North Carolina

After spending a week at Helwater in a sorta honeymoon following their wedding, Jamie’d been forced to part his new, legal wife from the bosom of her family at last. He’d been a far more caring and obliging husband than even her mother woulda thought by staying that long to let her remain surrounded by what and whom she was familiar with as she started to adjust to being a wedded lass. But the Time for him to eventually Return home’d come sooner or later, considering he’d a Life and family waiting for him back him North Carolina.

        Thanksta the Power he still hadn’t explained to any of them, he was able to get himself, Geneva, and the few belongings she actually wanted to bring with her back there in a matter of seconds. It momentarily left poor Geneva doubled over as her breakfast made a Return appearance, but thankfully, the sickness he hadn’t even realized she’d suffer was quick to subside. Not only that, but it was far more friendly than the seasickness that woulda plagued him for months on End, had they taken a ship from England.

        But what left her downright floored was when the ginger man’d left her at a small cabin, taking only enough Time to build up a Fire for her before he simply left. She’d known that he didn’t love her–he’d only married her to save her from an even worse Fate brought on by her own headstrong Nature, after all–but she’d thought after the way he’d pleasured her every Night for a week that he’d have actually wanted to spend some alone Time with her so he could get to know her better. It felt like he’d hammered a Wooden stake straight into her heart instead as he’d walked away, and she’d been glad that his back was turned to her so he couldn’t see the tear that slipped down her cheek as she’d watched him. Damned, if she’d let him see her cry, especially over something he’d prolly laugh at her for, if he did ever catch sight of such a reaction.

        Over the next month after their Return to Morgan’s Peak, Jamie’d been an incredibly busy man, but not always putting in long hours at his print shop. While a lotta his work was done in that particular building, just as much of it was prolly done by helping with all sortsa Animal deliveries at the barn that still serviced the four families that’d originally settled here. If that wasn’t the case, he was out with various other menfolk from the homestead to hunt, or pulling a shift at the tower that’d given him his title as a Laird after it’d been built. That meant that he honestly wasn’t spending much Time at home, something his legal wife didn’t realize as she finally set out to find the cabin she thought he was spending all his Time in.

        “Weel, certainly a surpriseta see you here,” Róisín said, her eyes momentarily widening after opening her front door to answer the knock that’d just sounded on it.

        “I came to find out, if you’d seen Jamie lately,” the bitch of a lass admitted.

        She made a noise that was distinct to Scots, typically their males, able to sense that she wasn’t sure whether to cover up a whine with being bitchy or not.

        “You’re the only other person here that I even remotely know,” Geneva sighed. “It gets so boring in that cabin he left me in, but it’s not like I know where to look for him.”

        “No that ye’re likely to find him, and he doesna wanna be found half the Time,” the Healer told her. “But when he doesna mind others knowing where he is–weel, he’s generally no here during the Day, that’s fer certain.”

        She simply nodded, not quite sure how to respond to that.

        “I can tell ye right now that he hasna even been here much–even at Night, ken–fer the last few Days,” Róisín continued.