Free All for the Heiress by Cassidy Cayman Page B

with herself because try as she might, she couldn’t think of anything concrete to say about him. She could barely conjure a memory of his smile or eyes. Every time she tried, idiot Shane jostled into her thoughts. He’d been flat out adorable, jumping at the sight of the cockroach. She’d been mean to him, laughing her fool head off, then later snapping at him. As usual, he’d taken it. All her life she’d watch him shrug off unkindness, wheedling people into good moods with his damn sweet nature.
    Taking deep breaths to try to distract herself from the burning bites, and the creepy feeling that she was still covered in miniscule bugs, she hastily got dressed. A milky, cracked mirror on the wall showed her she had the raised red marks on her face and neck as well, and tears burned her eyes. No one could convincingly lie and call her pretty in this state.
    “They’ll clear up by the time we reach them,” Shane said curtly, slamming back into the room. He motioned for her to turn around and then did up her dress, finally handing her a bundle containing a hard roll and some dried haddocks. “I found out we’re in the right year, anyway. I dinna know what month they left from, though, so who knows how long they’ve been back.”
    “How did you find out?” she asked. “Wow, we made it to the right year on the second try. You’re quite the natural at witchcraft, aren’t you?” She was sincerely impressed but he took it as teasing and scowled at her.
    “I just asked the lass in the kitchen what year it was, then joked around a bit to distract her from thinking me softheaded or mad. I dinna think we’ll be chased with pitchforks, anyway. And listen, it feels like an eternity since I’ve seen Catie. We need to move it before she marries that wank— ”
    “Oh, there’s no need for name calling. I’m sure there’s time. She didn’t want to get married at all,” Mellie said, but didn’t want to waste more time either, and absolutely didn’t want to be out in the cold again. “Let’s sell my jewelry and get a horse, or ride on a mail coach, or whatever’s available.” She dug through her bag, becoming more frantic by the moment when several things besides the gold were gone. “Have we been robbed as well as chewed on?” she asked, slamming down her bag. “The gold is missing, as well as our planner, my spare socks, and a canteen.”
    He rummaged through his bag and turned to her with his hands out. “They aren’t in here, but nothing’s missing either. See, we still have the watch and all the knives. Why would a thief miss out on those?”
    Mellie returned to her bag, dumping the contents out on the floor. They both knelt and pawed through it, Mel becoming more agitated as she struggled to remember. She was positive she’d packed those items, she recalled seeing everything neatly laid out on her bed so she could go over them one last time. She’d tucked the earrings and her communion cross into a sock, and along with their planning notebook, put them in a separate waterproof bag, feeling a twinge for using something plastic, but not wanting wet socks.
    She groaned. Piper had called her away on an errand, and then it was all a blank. She must have forgotten to put them in. She felt even worse when Shane patted her consolingly.
    “I’m sorry,” she sniffled. “We’re completely skint now because of me.”
    “Well, we could just as easily say it’s because of me,” he said. “I didna even have anything of value to bring, and it was me who wanted to stay in this five star resort instead of going to the castle.”
    She laughed at his logic and scratched her arms. He grabbed her hands to still them, shaking his head.
    “Try not to. It makes me want to, and they willna heal unless we leave them alone.” He wiped the few tears that escaped off her cheeks. Embarrassed, she shoved everything back into her bag and stood up. Continuing to torment her, he wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and