A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (reading comprehension books .txt) 📗

But what then?

Hugh felt for the medallion lying beneathhis shirt over a heart aching with loss. Even glossing over hislife the night before had been difficult, though in the end he hadfelt all the better for it. What would his sisters think of hisdisappearance? Would they think him taken in battle? A prisoner ofwar? With his rank, it might have been a likely consequence if hehad been captured. They might have negotiated for his return. Wouldthe Sassenach’s denial of his capture lead to only more distrustand further hatred?

A gravelly crunch sounded behind him, andHugh turned to find Sorcha solemnly watching him. Taking the mugshe held out to him, Hugh shifted to the side in a silentinvitation for her to join him. She did, and for a long while theysimply sat in companionable silence, sipping their coffee. Hughknew why she was there and her silent support was just one morething to be thankful for. “This place reminds me of home.”

“I was hoping it would.”

“One could look out the windows ofRosebraugh and see a comparable view.” Sorcha offered no response,and that restraint somehow prompted him to continue. “As I said, myhome lies east of Cromarty, where the Moray Firth meets theCromarty Firth. Beyond ye would see the North Sea.” Hugh swept hishand before them. “Across the south sutor, I could see land beyond.More of Scotland, just as ye see that land from here. Thank ye forbringing me here.”

“You’re welcome.” Sorcha fell into silenceonce more before asking, “So should I be calling you ‘yourHighness’ or ‘your Grace’ or something like that now?”

“Nae,” Hugh said softly. “I hae many regretsfor those words. My sense was overcome by my … ” He let the wordfade away. He had many regrets in general. There was little need topoint them out one by one or he might inadvertently voice hisregret that he hadn’t been able to take her in his arms as hewanted. Her rule had manifested itself as something of a challengeto his manhood. Even now he could feel the warmth of her body nextto him, and the rekindled desire called for him to gather her closeand feel that heat pressed against him.

Hugh thrust away the temptation, forcinghimself to remember that she didn’t want him or at least wouldn’twelcome him in that way. “Regardless, everything that made me aduke vanished long ago.”

Years of training and aristocratic hauteurclearly were not enough to mask the pain in his voice when it cameto speaking of his loss, because Sorcha hesitantly asked, “Are youdoing all right?”

“As well as can be expected,” Hugh respondedwith a dismissive shrug. “My decisions plague me. I hae put ye inserious jeopardy, and that cannae be forgiven. If they determinethat yer helping me, they will come after ye, will they not? Therewill be nowhere left tae run.”

Sorcha shrugged as well, though her veil ofnonchalance was not as practiced as his. It was an easy thing tosee that she had her worries as well. “Let’s worry about thatlater.”

“I ken now that there is little I mightaccomplish on my own,” he reluctantly admitted. “But tae protectye, we should devise some strategy, for they will unquestionablyoutnumber us.”

“They’ll have to find us first.” Sorchareached out and covered his hand with her own small one. Hughlooked down at her flesh, so pale against his own. Her protectivecaring warmed his heart and he enveloped her hand between his, butas if she had just realized what she had done, Sorcha drew her handaway and wrapped it around her mug. She looked blankly out over thewater, again changing the subject, as was her wont. “They will haveunderestimated us on some level, Hugh. They’ll assume, as I did,that you are nothing but a savage. They’ll expect some rash,illogical behavior from you. Added to that, they will have tothink—at least initially—that you are forcing me to help you. Itgives us an advantage … two great minds on our side.”

“Ye have been a great comfort tae me thesepast days, Sorcha.”

“Anyone would have done the same.”

“I dinnae believe so. Sorcha …” Hugh saidher name as a request, and after a palpable internal struggle, sheturned to look at him. Her fair skin was dewy in the dense morningair, the brisk air drawing becoming color to her cheeks. Her eyeswere wide and fringed by dark lashes stripped of the artifice thathad covered them in recent days. Still she was lovely. Reachingout, Hugh ran his fingers through the loose strands of her auburnhair, admiring how it shone so vividly red in the dim sunlight.There was so much to admire about her, her courage, her mind, andher beauty. She was like no woman he had ever known.

Having learned nothing the evening before,he caught her chin and gently guided her mouth to his.

The kiss was light and undemanding, butstill he could feel her lips tremble beneath his. Stroking her chinwith his thumb, Hugh parted his lips just enough to sample hers.She tasted delectably of salt, sweet coffee and cream.

Their lips clung a moment before she drewaway and stared down into her coffee cup with a shaking exhale. Hecould see her chest rise and fall rapidly. What was she afraid of,he wondered? Sorcha had shown no fear of his person before, onlyunderstandable wariness. She was not afraid of their situation, asshe should be; yet she feared this untapped passion betweenthem.

The one thing that worried him theleast.

“Perhaps it would be best after all if Ileft ye,” Hugh said, holding up a hand to stall her interruption.“That way ye could turn yourself in, plead coercion, and get yerlife back.”

“I won’t let you do that, Hugh,” she saidwith a sigh. “I just … can’t for some reason. You deserve to getyour life back as well.”

“What life do I have tae regain, Sorcha?” heasked. “What is waiting out there for me tae replace the life I haelost? I miss my home. My family. But they are long gone.”

Sorcha tensed by his side, and Hugh had towonder what she was thinking. It took a long while before hiscuriosity was appeased.

“A-are you married, Hugh?”

There