7. Isla #2
“No? Surely, properly utilizing your pastures is preferable to letting them lie fallow. I’m offering to pay you a fee in exchange for your allowing my animals to graze on your land.”
The two men, who’d obviously been re-setting the rocks in place for a while, were both sweating profusely.
Jonto used his sleeve to wipe the drops from his brow.
“I’ve seen your upper pastures. Have you been up there lately?
Do you even know the damage your shepherd has done to the grasses?
Overgrazed. It’s no wonder you throw your excess stock onto my land.
No, My Lady. I’ll not have you ruin my land the way you’ve ruined yours. ”
“Overgrazed?” Isla’s temper spiked again, but she ground her teeth to keep from saying something she’d later regret.
Jonto rested a hand on top of the wall. “Yes, overgrazed. I can see you haven’t been up there to check for yourself.
If you’d like, and if you can ride, I’ll happily take you up there.
We should be done here in a couple of hours.
Would you like to meet back here after lunch, say one o’clock, and we can ride up, and I’ll show you what I mean? ”
Isla bridled at the implied insult. Insults, actually.
“I don’t need you to accompany me to inspect my own land, thank you very much.
And yes, I have no doubt I’m a far better rider than you unless you have stables on board your ship I know nothing about?
” Perhaps Isla wouldn’t be so prickly if the brash pirate would stop being so damned reasonable while she continually lost her temper in his presence. Since when were pirates reasonable men?
“I’m sure there are many things aboard my ship you know nothing about, My Lady.
Anyway, I’ll be riding up into the upper pastures at one this afternoon.
Perhaps we’ll see one another there.” He placed his hat back on his head.
“Good day.” Apparently not expecting a response, he bent and picked up a large boulder, which he heaved into place in the middle of the wall.
Isla snapped at his impertinence. “I’m not finished speaking with you, Admiral Jontoreaux.”
“Well then, please talk while we work because the day’s getting away from us.” The two men bent and together lifted a boulder nearly twice the size of the one the Admiral had placed. They dropped it into the center of the opening and wrestled with it until Jonto was satisfied with its placement.
Isla’s nostrils flared. “I can see from the indentations in the dirt that you’ve moved rocks from my side of the wall. I’d like them returned, please.”
Jonto straightened and, with a sigh, indicated the rocks they’d already placed. “Take whatever you’d like, My Lady, and we’ll work with the rest. Go ahead. We’ll wait.” He and Nico stepped back, and both men crossed their arms.
She glared long enough that he raised his brows, indicating that although they were politely waiting, they needed to return to work. Isla turned to Lily and raised her chin. “Shall we?”
Lily’s brows rose to two impressive points, but, with a shrug, she loyally followed her mistress to where Jonto and Nico had stacked the rocks one on top of the other to form a section of wall four feet wide and one foot tall.
There were still nearly three vertical feet left to complete before this repair was done.
Most of the rocks were uniform in size and fit snuggly together as though these men knew what they were about.
Isla took hold of one, lifted it from the pile, and nearly dropped it on her foot.
She danced back to keep it from rolling onto her toes.
Miraculously, when she glared at Jonto, daring him to laugh, she was gratified to see a look of concern instead of the amusement she usually found lurking in his eyes.
He didn’t, however, offer to help. The testiness in her tone said more than her words ever could.
“I realize this may be a foreign concept to a pirate, but a gentleman would help a lady replace the rocks stolen from her land.”
Jonto shrugged. “Actually, that particular rock came from this side of the wall, so I’d appreciate it if you’d return it.”
With an irritated tsk, Isla shoved her hands onto her hips and growled, “You really don’t want to vex me, Lord Jontoreaux.”
Seeing the flash of anger in the pirate’s eyes, Lily, who’d lived with Isla for most of her mistress’s adult life, leaned over and whispered into her ear.
“Didn’t I hear you telling Celie that since you and the Admiral are going to be neighbors, you’d try your best to get along?
I don’t think this is trying your best, My Lady. ”
Isla closed her eyes and pictured herself listening to the winds moaning through the wind tunnel.
She took a moment to draw air into her nose and count to five before slowly pushing the air back out through her mouth.
Her mother had taught her the practice when she was a young woman, and she repeated it several times to bring her temper under control.
When she finally opened them again, she was surprised to see Jonto and Nico striding across their field, heading for home.
“Lord Jontoreaux, wait.” After a short hesitation, she added, “Please.”
Jonto stopped and turned but made no effort to return.