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

these past days on all I will need tae know as well as thosethings I would rather not.”

“I try,” she shrugged modestly but huggedhis arm to her breast with a pleased smile. “There is still a lotto catch up on.”

“Which I shall do naught but anticipate wi’ye by my side.” Thoughtless words, but Hugh had no desire to amendthem even though they implied more than either of them had spokenof thus far. In the weeks, months, and perhaps even years ahead, hedid want Sorcha with him. Picturing his continued discovery of thetwenty-first century without her was nearly impossible, and notonly because she was a fair teacher.

Clearly she hadn’t given the future beyondgaining his freedom as much thought as he had, since Sorcha merelystared up at him with an owlish expression that rounded her lovelyviolet eyes, her lips parted in surprise. Hugh stroked a thumbacross her lower lip before lifting her sagging jaw back intoplace. “I know in the face of our plight we hadnae spoken of it,lass, but I would like tae hae ye wi’ me when I see the Scotland ofthis time. Will ye come wi’ me?

Her mouth opened and closed again withouteven a whisper of denial or acceptance. Mayhap it had been afoolish thing to ask, but Hugh was becoming more certain about whathe wanted from a life in this new world, and Sorcha was undoubtedlya part of it.

Shouts echoed through the building, catchingtheir attention. “What is the matter?” he asked with some concern,looking around for the source of the commotion.

Though the distraction wasn’t one of her ownmaking, she was obviously eager to welcome it, as she slipped herhand down into his, tugging him through the crowd until they cameto a throng of people forming a large ring about one of thestalls.

“Ya-a-a-ah!” Hugh could hear the long shoutthat had initially drawn his attention, and with his height wasable to see over the group as one man threw a large fish toanother. The crowd cheered and laughed with delight as yet anotherfish was thrown across the space.

“What madness! Why do they do this?” heasked of Sorcha. “This is a market. Not a carnival.”

“It’s like a show for the tourists,” sheexplained. “Don’t tell me your markets never hadentertainment.”

“The marketplace is always filled with thosewho entertain,” he said defensively, though he inwardly embracedthe distraction from his morose thoughts. “Jugglers, musicians, andthe like. However, they do not play with the food.”

Sorcha sighed, shaking her head. “You are ahard man to please. I can only assume you’re hungry. Come on.”

In truth, Hugh was an easy man to please,but he didn’t dare to say so to Sorcha. Instead, he followed herout of the crowd and around the corner, where she motioned for himto wait while she went to a small vendor in the hallway. Inmoments, she was back with a small brown bag. She handed it to himwith a smile, and Hugh could immediately feel the warmth seepingthrough the bag. He raised a curious brow.

“Try it, but if you don’t like this, I willknow you’re truly insane,” she said mysteriously.

Hugh shook his head with an exasperated grinand reached into the bag. He withdrew a rounded piece of whatlooked like a bread of some sort that was covered in what a quicktouch of his tongue told him was sugar and exotic cinnamon, whichhe had only rarely tasted. Encouraged, Hugh bit into the warm treatand was immediately moaning with delight when the sweet, crispexterior gave way. “Mmmmm.” He couldn’t help the childishexpression of satisfaction as he finished the small pastry. A quicklook into the bag showed him nearly a dozen more, and Hugh tookanother with delight. “I promised myself I wouldnae ask this againbut what is this?”

“It’s a doughnut. Deep-fried dough coveredin sugar. Are you going to share? Or will I lose my hand if I reachinto the bag?”

“Perhaps,” he said with a laugh and held outthe bag for her to help herself.

“These are the best, aren’t they?” Sorchasaid around a mouthful of doughnut. “My favorite thing about thisplace.”

Hugh bit into his pastry, casting an eyeover the crowd around them and their ridiculous entertainment. Hechewed once, then paused. The air around them seemed suddenlydense. “I dinnae like this.”

“Are you kidding? How can you not …”

“Nae the donuts,” he said with an impatientslash of his hand. “Something is wrong.”

“What do you mean ‘wrong’?”

Hugh could feel Sorcha’s body tense at hisside as if the danger he sensed had been passed on to her. “Idinnae,” he said, his body tensed. “Just a feeling.”

“A bad feeling,” she clarified.

“Aye,” he answered, still searching thecrowds around them. A bad feeling that was usually accompanied byan unpleasant surprise. It was a precognition that had served himwell in the past, in battle and at court. Hugh had learned to trustit. His gut twisted. He needed to get Sorcha to safety, to protecther at all costs. “I hate tae say this …”

Sorcha groaned. “Then please don’t.”

“I believe they are here.”

Claire didn’t need to ask who ‘they’ were.Damn, she should have known better than to come out. She shouldhave never dragged him off the island. “Have they seen us?”

“Nae, I dinnae think so,” Hugh whisperedbrusquely. “It is probably incidental, coincidence that they arehere. If nae, they couldnae see ye through the crowd and I wouldthink they dinnae ken what I look like now.”

A swift sigh of relief escaped her. “Shouldwe try to sneak away?”

“Nae, if we part from the crowd, we will beeasier tae spot. I dinnae want tae take the risk and be seentogether,” Hugh said, shaking his head as he considered theiroptions.

“What should we do then?”

“Stay here.”

She blinked up at him in disbelief.“What?”

Hugh bent his head,slouching to meet the general height of the crowd.“Ye stay here,”he clarified. “I’m going tae circle aboot and see if I can spotthem.”

Claire grabbed his arm. “Maybe we shouldjust try to sneak away.”

Hugh laid his hand over hers, rubbing histhumb across the top of her hand. “I realize that this is yer timeand yer land, lass, but please trust that I know what I’m