Love in the Time of a Highland Laird (A Laird for All Time Book 3) by Angeline Fortin (whitelam books .TXT) 📗

“As I was saying, we traveled the Continent together. He was a true romantic, ye ken? A lover of music, poetry, and philosophy. He studied and studied, thinking all the while that I did nothing but pursue the lasses.”

Her lips parted at that but she held her tongue, so Keir continued, “I’m nae like him in many ways but in others we we’re fair identical. A love of learning. To him ‘twas all that philosophical rubbish, but tae me it ‘twas the more practical studies that drew me. Areas where fact and truth told sway. I’ll be the first tae admit it. There’s naught one thing evident aboot ye that provides me any answers. At least nae logical ones.”

Tipping his glass, he drank to Hugh. She lifted her glass and swallowed deeply but he doubted it was in tribute. False courage, more the like.

“How did ye come tae be upon that field, lass?”

She drew in a deep breath. This time he managed to keep his eyes from the distractions trembling below. “I don’t suppose I can just say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

“Nay. ‘Twould nae do.”

“No, I suppose not. But I still feel as though there’s no way you’ll be able to understand this. Even seeing all this.” She glanced around the room. “Though it does give me more hope that you’re not going to…”

“What?”

*

Kill me when I tell you.

Al didn’t say it out loud. Hopefully there was something truly civilized within him. Because the truth was coming out.

“That wasn’t a normal hole your cousin fell into. Or that I came out of.”

His brows lifted. “I gathered that much on my own.”

Al shook her head, gnawing her lip nervously. “It was a wormhole.” He stared at her blankly and she rushed on. “It’s a portal across space able to transport something instantaneously from one spot to another. I helped create it along with a group of other scientists.”

Keir watched her solemnly, his vivid eyes seeming to pierce the veil of her person and delve into her mind. She was struck anew by the notion that he could read her thoughts. Stupid. If he’d been able to do that, none of this would be necessary. “Well?” she prompted when he remained silent.

“Ye expect me tae believe that a wee lass like yerself is a scientist?”

Al blinked. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got? No accusations? No fingers pointing to call me a liar?”

“There’s much I want tae say, but let’s begin wi’ that.” His voice was calm but the hand lifting his glass once more to his lips was taut, trembling just a bit. In rage?

“Begin with what? Which part?”

“Scientist?”

The nerves that had held her in their clutches since she’d walked into the room fell away. Hadn’t she heard that a million times before? From her mother. From her stepfather.

“What? A little thing like me can’t be a scientist? I was this close,” she jabbed her hand out with her thumb and forefinger just an inch apart to measure the distance, “to finishing my doctorate before all this happened. And my entire academic career has been filled to the brim with men like you thinking I don’t belong there.”

He slouched in his chair, brows high. Probably as shocked as she was by her rant. Al couldn’t say what had gotten into her. She’d spent most of her life shrinking from conflict of any sort but had already berated him more than once.

In the silence that followed, a pair of footmen brought plates of food and set them down before them. She thanked them quietly but didn’t touch hers. Despite days of having nothing more than bread and some sort of bland porridge to eat, the thought of swallowing the more exotic fare knotted her stomach. Keir seemed similarly disinclined to partake.

“I’m sorry.” Her apology was soft, filled with shame for harping at him so. “I’m not normally so combative. This whole thing has really brought out my… color.”

“Is that what that was?” There was a hint of humor in the words. His surprise faded and a slight smile graced his handsome face, softening him. Making him more human than the more fictional persona he had so far presented. “I ken why some might call ye this ‘Big Al’ from time tae time. Ye’re e’er so wee in stature but ye make up for it in enormous character.”

It sounded like a compliment but since she wasn’t certain, she merely nodded and studiously straightened the numerous utensils arranged around the gilded plate on the table before her. The salmon on her plate did smell appealing, if she were able to salvage it from the pool of heavy sauce it was swimming in. If she could stomach it at all.

“I do hae many other questions aboot what ye said. Too many mayhap, but the most important… The one I’ve been most hesitant tae ask…”

Caution was evident in his broken words. Al glanced up. “Yes?”

“Ye sprang forth from this wormy hole hale and hearty. It gives me a measure of hope…” Keir sighed heavily, pressing the heels of his hands hard against his temples.

If she hadn’t felt a rush of heartrending sympathy for him, she might have been entertained by his distinct break between the words wormy and hole.

“Obviously it isnae deadly in its own right…”

Another blast of compassion washed away the amusement. “You want to know if your cousin is still alive?”

“Aye.”

Al nodded and saw the gleam of moisture shine in his eyes before he looked away. A stream of Gaelic was whispered under his breath. A prayer of thanks perhaps? Her heart ached for him. Gone forever was the savage she had taken him for. Here was a man capable of genuine caring and feeling.

“Did ye see him?”

“Yes, briefly before I fell into the portal.”

He nodded, obviously hesitant to know more. “Will he be able to return to us? Or is the distance too great?”

It was very great.

“No, Keir. I’m sorry.”

A moment