Highland Fire by Crosby Tanya Anne

Author:Crosby, Tanya Anne [Crosby, Tanya Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical, Romance, historical romance, Paranormal, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780989840828
Goodreads: 22816341
Publisher: Tanya Anne Crosby
Published: 2014-01-08T08:00:00+00:00

As though the Mother of Winter herself had inspired the Highland mists, holding back the approach of wintertide yet one more day, the morning’s fog retreated into the belly of the mountain, leaving a carpet of green sprawled before a late summer sun. The sound of laughter murmured through the rowan trees and a gentle breeze shimmied the leaves.

Hope rose like a second sun, brightening the mood, and Lìli allowed herself a moment to pretend she was a bride for the first time, free of the sins of her father and her duty to the crown. It was easy to do with these joyful people.

The women led her to a secret place along the loch where the bluffs rose high alongside it, and there, cascading into a small pool, she discovered a spectacular waterfall. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, and she stood, mouth agape, marveling at the sight, while every last woman in their gathering undressed and tossed aside her gown. One by one they dove, naked, into the crystalline pool, screeching over the cold, though hardly fazed enough to keep them dry.

Lìli laughed, horrified, for she had never once in her entire life been naked under the sun—and never in the presence of so much nudity. All shapes and sizes, these women were completely devoid of modesty, it seemed.

Aveline looked at her aghast, stepping back from the edge of the pool as though she feared they might drag her in the crystal clear waters. The look on her face made Lìli giggle all the more. “I will if you will,” she challenged Aveline.

Poor Aveline shook her head vehemently, and Lìli could hardly believe she had suggested it anyway. She waffled, suddenly self-conscious about her pale complexion, for these women all had sun-kissed skin. These people clearly enjoyed their lives and did not worry overmuch about keeping their skin unstained by the sun.

From the pool, Glenna shouted up at them. “Ach! Ye havena a thing we all dinna have, ladies! Come and get yourselves clean!”

“Aidan will thank ye later!” someone shouted and laughed, the sound bawdy.

The women giggled, and Cailin splashed water at the bank toward Lìli.

“What if someone should come?” Aveline fretted.

The womenfolk squealed with laughter, frolicking in the water. Lìli peered up along the rise of the hill to see if any of the men were watching, but they were alone here by the pool. What could it hurt? In truth, they had all the same parts, and why should she be so modest when they were not? She removed her shoes and tentatively set them aside.

Aveline, who must have sensed her thoughts, appeared horrified. “God will abandon you!” she warned. “The devil will find you!”

“Ach, ’tis but water,” Lìli argued, still not quite convinced she wanted to go in. But everyone was having so much fun. In all her life, she had never been in the vicinity of so much laughter, and she envied these people their ease with one another.

“Come in!” Sorcha demanded.

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