REDEMPTION (𝓒𝓞𝓜𝓟𝓛𝓔𝓣𝓔)

CHAPTER SEVEN

Roisin had been unable to avoid noticing a change in her perceptions of Niall. She had recognized from the beginning that he was a very handsome fellow, but there was far more to her present awareness than the mere appreciation of his male beauty. It was that fine form coupled with the spirit, the soul within that made her breathing—and her heat rate—accelerate in his presence. Roisin was far too knowledgeable to ignore what that meant. She was falling in love with the man, if indeed she had not already fallen.

That fact could present problems, did she not step carefully. The very last thing she wanted was to cause Niall any discomfiture. At this point in his life he did not need any more to deal with. It would take restraint and vigilance on her part to guard their friendship and not allow her amorous emotions to manifest and make him either wary or distressed on her behalf. For her part, she was not willing to sacrifice the relationship they had. If, after his parole was over, he elected to remain in Heston, she might make the attempt to discern if there was the possibility of a more intimate relationship between them.

For now, the welcoming smile he gave her made her feel warm inside. Niall began to wash the dirt away in the flow of the spring as she walked forward. Taking up the towel, she waited for him to finish.

"It is a bit warm for weeding today," she said as she handed him the towel.

"A bit," Niall agreed. "But the weeds were growing as fast as the herbs." He smiled warmly at her. "As we planned to distill glycerine tomorrow and search for roots the day after, the weeds had to go today. Besides," he said as Ash, having finished also, came to the spring, "with the two of us it went swiftly." He gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Good job, Ash. Your afternoon is your own."

"Thank you, sir," replied Ash, beaming. "Gerny and Sefton invited me to go  fishing."

"Off you go, then," said Niall. "Do not forget to grab something to eat from the larder. Maybe you can catch supper."

"I will try," said Ash enthusiastically as he headed for the cottage. A few moments later the boy reappeared, headed for the river.

Watching man and boy interact warmed Roisin's heart. The attachment between the two had been nearly instantaneous. Roisin sometimes had to hide a smile at the way the lad strove to emulate Niall's crisp diction, graceful manner and  precise movements.

Shortly after Ash had come to live with him, Niall had encouraged the boy to choose a day to celebrate his birth, explaining that although Ash did not know the exact day, that did not mean that his birth was not important and an occasion for celebration. Ash had finally chosen the same day Niall celebrated, which had pleased Niall a great deal. Roisin had help the two celebrate just two weeks ago—Ash for his eleventh year and Niall for his twenty-eighth.

"I  am glad he has made friends," said Niall, slipping his arms into his shirt. "Gerny and Sefton are good lads."

"They are," agreed Roisin. And you are a good man, she thought. His own childhood made Niall very sensitive to Ash's needs. "Since your afternoon is free, would you like to help me collect pearl moss?"

"Certainly," he said, pulling the garment over his head. To her delight, he did not tighten the laces or don the cowl. "Shall we sit down to lunch, or emulate Ash and grab a bite to take with us?"

Roisin elected to take lunch along, largely because she knew what Niall had in mind. The first time he had introduced her to one of his favorite foods, she had been amazed at how good it was, even as she had to fight tears. It consisted of a slice of cheese and a slice of ham put between halves of a roll. It had the virtue of being quick, portable and easy to tuck away—all good things to an orphan boy. Once lunch was procured, they left for the forest.