Mystic Mountains

following night?
     
    * * *
     
    Tiger was at her side the moment she emerged bleary-eyed from the tent the next morning. She'd had little sleep.
    "You can 't ignore me forever, Bella."  He stepped closer until she could feel his breath, warm and sweet, on her face. Abruptly she turned away. He pulled her around with a gentle hand on her chin. "You may think you can  pretend nothing happened between us, but eventually you'll have to face up to it, we were meant to be lovers, always were."
    "Nothing much happened between us. We lay together like a pair of rutting animals, that 's all." Isabella pulled away, turning to avoid his penetrating gaze. Hands on hips she watched Tim as he helped Agnes to prepare his morning meal of wheat cake spread with butter and honey. "You do something to me that makes me lose my commonsense, but it'll not happen again, I assure you."
    Tiger sighed roughly. "That 's what you said last time. Time you faced up to it same as I have, Bella. We were meant to be together." He touched her arm, but she pulled back sharply.
    "Nonsense. I feel so ashamed of myself I want to scrub and scrub my body until I've got rid of every trace of you."
    Tiger ran a finger down her cheek, and she jumped out of his way as if touched by a hot poker.
    "You never will. I'm part of you same as you're part of me. Without the other we're nothing. Why not admit it. I have. And I'm not ashamed." He gave her a half smile.
    "You don 't know the word. You have no shame. How could you take advantage of me with Dougal just dead?"
    "Don 't be a hypocrite, Bella. Dougal hadn't been a proper husband to you in years and you know it. Perhaps he never was a proper husband. He certainly wasn't a good one. And never accuse me of taking advantage of you. You were with me every step of the way."
    "Yes, proving I 'm no better than the whore you think me," she said tightly.
    Tiger sighed. "Let 's not go over the same boring path again and again. I gave up thinking that of you long ago. You're my woman, always have been, so just own up to it." Tiger grasped her upper arms
    "Never. " She struggled until he freed her.
    "Now that 's a long time." He glanced about. The wagons were almost ready to move, everybody watching the two of them with interest. "We can't talk with this mob eyeing us. We'll sort this out later."
    "There 's nothing to sort out. Will you never learn? You gave up all rights to me on the day you let me wed Dougal. Just leave me be."
    Isabella went to get some tea and damper. Thelma gave her a look that said she knew exactly what had gone between her and Tiger last night, but said not a word about it.
    "Looks like the weather's clearing up," she said instead, looking to the sky.
    "Aye." Isabella nodded absently. Why did the infuriating man have to set her emotions on such a seesaw? Only a fool would believe him when he said he 'd faced up to his feelings for her. No, it would be better for her by far to imagine their passionate loving last night had been brought on by his need to slake his lust on any woman.
    There was no time for talking the rest of the day or the next as they went up and down steep hills that seemed never ending, the going so slow they managed only about eight miles each day. Everyone was so worn out at nightfall that once the food was eaten they all went off to their tents to sleep.
    Isabella made certain she wasn't alone with Tiger for a moment, and when she saw him eyeing her, scurried to the tent she shared with Agnes and Tim.
    They began to climb what Tiger assured them was the last hill . It was so steep and long it took hours to get to the top, the horses having to help the bullocks once again. How this trip would have been managed without them Isabella didn't know. More small trees were lopped to wedge beneath the back wheels as they'd done before to prevent the drays and wagons sliding backwards.
    The view when they reached the top made everyone gasp in awe.
    "Now, wasn't it worth it?" Tiger asked as he gazed at the vista before them, the light of the conqueror filling his eyes. "This is the Sidmouth Valley. Have you ever seen such beautiful country?"
    Isabella had to admit she hadn 't. Lush pastures stretched to the horizon, shimmering green after the rains, with more hills in the distance, trees marching up their slopes.
    But instead of telling him what she thought, she asked, "When will this awful journey be over?" She was sick to her bones of the jolting and wearisome hours spent on the