by Dawn Brower
Nicholas wasn’t certain he wanted to go down that path. It all sounded overwhelming. Though if he intended to stay he might have to revisit the idea at a later date. “Maybe, but not today.”
“If you stay longer, it would benefit you to learn. Everything these days seems to run on some sort of technology.”
He nodded. “I’m willing to learn.” Nicholas wanted to absorb everything that this century had to offer. “I’m interested in you for now. My family here.”
Regina snapped her fingers. “Speaking of that.” She kissed the top of Cameron’s head. “I spoke to my parents. They want to meet you. They are super excited to meet one of Alys’s children. I hope you’re prepared for it; they’ll probably be a little overbearing in their eagerness.”
“I would love to meet them,” he said and smiled. “Especially since Elizabeth married your mother’s brother—that sounds so weird when you say it aloud.”
Regina scrunched her eyebrows together. “With all the time travel we’re linked to; nothing surprises me anymore.”
“Touché,” Nicolas agreed. “When should we expect your parents?” He had no idea where they were or how long it took to travel from one place to another in this century. “Where do they live?”
“In America, New York specifically,” she answered. “They should catch a flight this evening and drive in from London after that.”
“Fly?” He frowned. “Mother mentioned something about that once. I’m not sure I completely understand the concept.”
Elizabeth had mentioned he’d drawn an automobile once. That part of his gift was creating things automatically. He’d sketched it without considering what it meant. Nicholas still didn’t understand or remember drawing anything important.
“About a century ago, the airplane was invented. It has made traveling much easier and quicker over the years. They’ll be able to cross the Atlantic in a matter of hours instead of days.”
“That much I grasped,” he said. “It still baffles me. What are automobiles?” He may have sketched one, but he still didn’t understand the profoundness of it.
“Ah,” Regina said. “That is what they will use to drive here. In the past, they referred to them as horseless carriages. They use an engine and gasoline to run.”
Nicholas ran his hand through his hair. The more he learned, the quicker he was becoming overwhelmed. “I have so much to acclimate myself to…”
“You can manage it.” Regina grinned. “You’re Alys’s son, and she was one of the smartest people I knew. I have no doubt you inherited that intelligence.”
“Good morning,” Peyton said as she entered the room. “Did Eve and Trenton leave already?” Nicholas couldn’t take his gaze off of her. He looked refreshed and lovely. He’d never been instantly attracted to a woman before. What was it about Peyton that drew him to her?
“They did,” Regina told her. “I’m sorry you missed them. Eve said to tell you she loves you and she’d call you the first chance she has.”
“I hope she forgets. She’s going on her honeymoon, and she should enjoy it. I’ll be fine while she’s away. She needs to stop worrying about me.”
It didn’t escape Nicholas’s notice that she had ignored him since she walked into the room. He had moved too fast with her the night before. He could be patient though. There was something about Peyton that drew him to her. Wooing her would be a challenge, and one he fully intended to be successful in winning.
“I know you can,” Regina told Peyton. “To show you how much I trust you, I’m giving you a very important task.”
“Oh?” Peyton lifted a brow. “What is that?”
“I need you to drive Nicholas to London and take him shopping. As adorable as that Dalek shirt is on him, I don’t think it suits him. I’d go, but I have to stay here with Cameron. Bradford had to go to Seabrook for a meeting with Zane.”
Peyton frowned and looked at him for the first time since she walked into the room. She didn’t look happy about this turn of events, but Nicholas wanted to leap for joy. He could kiss his auntie for the gift she’d given him.
Peyton wanted to scream at Regina, but it would do no good. It would make things much, much worse. She couldn’t tell her no. What reason could she possibly give? Nicholas made her feel more than she wanted to admit… He made her want more than she ever thought possible. Peyton was starting to finally consider her future, and if she closed her eyes, she could see him there with her, and that terrified her.
“I can do that.” She swallowed hard. “It’s been a while since I drove…”
“I’m sure you remember how.” Regina smiled up at her. “It’s not that hard to do. It’ll give you some time away from Weston Manor too. You rarely leave the estate.”
The last time had been for one of her many doctor visits… Peyton took a deep breath. Regina was right, of course. She should leave Weston. Maybe while she was in London she’d update her own wardrobe. Eve had been doing all Peyton’s shopping for her. It had been months since she’d chosen anything for herself. “I haven’t had much time to enjoy a day in a while.” She’d said that more for herself than anyone else.
“Then you should do something special while you’re in London. I’ll call ahead and make some reservations. Stay overnight and take your time. Go see a show or take Nicholas on a tour of London. I’m sure that a lot has changed in the past two hundred years. He might enjoy it, and I’m sure you will too.”
“I’d love to spend the next couple days in Peyton’s company,” Nicholas agreed. “I’ll be safe in her care.”
Peyton would not look at him. If she did, she’d lose her resolve to keep him at a distance. The next couple of days would be hell on her. She wanted him. More than she could ever describe, but he was not for her. She might have healed and been declared cancer free; that didn’t mean she had a lot of time left, however. What if her cancer returned? She would not start a relationship that might be doomed. It was much better to stay single. “Is there anything else you need me to do for you?” she asked Regina.
“No,” she answered. “It’s enough you’re taking care of Nicholas for me.” Cameron started to fidget in her lap. “As you can see, I have a handful already with the men in my life.” She glanced at Nicholas and smirked. “Not that I don’t adore my nephew, but I didn’t expect him to pay me a visit…ever.”
“You’d miss out if I hadn’t made the decision to travel here,” Nicholas said. A devilish grin formed on his face. “Admit it, Auntie. You like me, and you would miss me if I decided to leave.”
“I do like you,” Regina told him. Happiness was apparent on her face as she returned his smile. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot to deal with without your sudden appearance. Which is why Peyton taking you to London is a huge help to me.”
Peyton was having trouble listening to them. She had her sister, so it wasn’t like she didn’t have family, but she still felt…lonely. There were ways she might be able to change that. She wouldn’t though. Peyton had made her decision, and she would stick to it. She pasted a smile on her face and said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, “I’m sure Nicholas will be wonderful company while we are in London. We can find a style that suits him.” She tilted her head to the side. “Are you certain Doctor Who doesn’t? That shirt seems to fit his personality.”
Regina chuckled. “Introduce him to the wonders of that particular television show and see if he likes it first.” She stood. “I’m going to put this little one down for a nap. He’s been up for hours now, and Mommy has a lot of work to do.” She cuddled Cameron against her. “You two have fun in London.” With those words, she exited the library and left Peyton and Nicholas alone.
“Do you think you can handle all that time alone in my company?” He lifted a brow. “I can be quite irresistible.”
Peyton rolled her eyes. “I’m sure I can restrain myself.” She wouldn’t say it aloud, but she didn’t think she’d be able to. He was too handsome, too charming, and she d
esired him more than she wanted to admit. She lifted her chin and studied him. “Are you prepared to travel by car? Aren’t you more accustomed to a horse and carriage?”
Nicholas met her gaze with a determined expression. “I’ve heard of these automobiles. I am quite excited to finally see one, and yes, travel in one.”
“Good,” she said for lack of something better to say. “Since we have that settled, we can leave soon.”
“I’m ready to depart whenever you are.” Nicholas sat forward. “When would you like me to be ready?”
Never. She didn’t want to leave at all. Something inside of her wanted to rebel against this excursion. She feared if she left she’d end up giving Nicholas her heart. He already appealed to her in every single way. Any more time spent in his company and she’d be his forever.
“I’ll go pack a bag,” Peyton said. “Meet me in the foyer in an hour.” With that said, she turned on her heels and left Nicholas alone in the library. She reminded herself to breathe each step she took. The more distance between them, the easier it became. She hoped she didn’t come to regret this favor for Regina. Peyton prayed even harder she didn’t end up with a broken heart…
Chapter 7
Peyton had her small travel bag in hand as she descended the stairs. Nicholas waited for her at the bottom. His hands were inside his jean pockets. He rocked back on his heels as he stared up at her. She was so bloody beautiful. He could have kissed his aunt for suggesting Peyton drive him to London. Nicholas couldn’t have planned it better if he’d done it himself.
She stopped on the last step and met his gaze. “You’re not taking anything with you?”
“Considering this excursion involves supplying me with clothing, what did you expect me to pack?” He lifted a brow. “My clothing is inappropriate for this time, but at least I’ve been permitted to wear my boots.” He held up his foot for good measure. “And even those are not acceptable for everything. Aunt Regina told me to purchase something called sneakers.”
Peyton chuckled. “They would generally go better with jeans.” She studied his boots. “Those are not half bad. They have an artistic vibe to them with the jeans. I don’t suppose you fancy yourself a painter or something similar?”
Nicholas frowned at her question. She couldn’t possibly know that he sketched. No one in this time had any prior knowledge of him, or at least, he didn’t believe they did. His mother or even Elizabeth could have written about him. Had any of them mentioned his disappearance in their journals? The family archives were extensive. He hadn’t had the opportunity to look at the library in depth. Perhaps there was a plethora of family journals for anyone to peruse while at Weston Manor. He would have to take the time to actually look through the library when they returned. “I certainly don’t do anything of the sort. At least not in a manner to which you’re referring... Don’t artists need to work?” He lifted his lips into a half-smile. “As the second son of a duke, I’ve been fortunate to have funds aplenty.”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t mean you don’t like to create things. But if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. Keep your secrets.” Peyton brushed past him and headed toward the door. She stopped when she reached it and glanced back at him. “Are you coming?”
He blew out a breath and walked toward her. Nicholas didn’t wish to discuss his talents with her. At least not the ones that spelled out his special gift, and his ability to automatically draw things he couldn’t fathom. He didn’t understand it and wasn’t sure he wanted to. “Lead the way, my lady.”
“Why do you do that.” She frowned.
“What?” Nicholas asked. He was perplexed. What had he done wrong now? “You have me at a loss.”
“Refer to me as a lady,” she said. “I’m not, and it is…odd.”
He shrugged lightly. “More of a habit than anything else, I suppose. Most gentlewomen of my acquaintance are ladies. There are a few misses here and there, but it is easier to fall back on ‘my lady’ when addressing them. Does it offend you?”
Peyton shook her head and opened the door. “No. It’s different, that’s all. Come, the car should be waiting for us in the driveway. I asked one of the servants to bring one around. Bradford has quite the collection of cars in his garage. They’re almost all sports cars.”
Nicholas had no idea what a sports car was, so that information didn’t matter much to him. What did, was Peyton, and spending time with her. “Uh huh,” he said noncommittally.
Peyton stopped and Nicholas almost ran right into her. He’d been so lost in his own thoughts he hadn’t paid any attention to where he walked. She stood in front of some conveyance he was unable to properly describe. It didn’t look anything like he had pictured in his mind, and he didn’t recall what the one he’d drawn looked like. Not that he had any idea what an automobile should look like. He had heard them called horseless carriage…but this was definitely no carriage… “What is this again?” he asked her.
The only thing he could say with any sort of certainty was that it was bright red, brighter than Peyton’s hair by far, and it had wheels, but even those were not like anything he’d seen before. They were made of a material he couldn’t identify. He leaned down and poked one, but it didn’t help him determine what it was made from. How strange…
“It is the car we’re taking to London,” Peyton said matter-of-factly. She opened the door on the left side and gestured for him to get inside.
He shook his head. “Do we really need to go to London?” Nicholas was starting to rethink his desire to travel. He could spend plenty of time with her at Weston Manor. They didn’t need to leave to become more acquainted with each other.
“Are you telling me you’re afraid?” She taunted him with her words. “A big strong guy like you is too scared to get into this little ole car with me?” She puffed out her lip in a mock pout. “You poor, poor dear. Do we need to borrow Cameron’s favorite stuffed bear for you to cuddle?”
His nostrils flared as he met her amused gaze. “What good would that do?” Nicholas hated that he was a little frightened of the car.
She patted the seat. “Get inside and have a little faith. You might find you like it.”
Nicholas narrowed his gaze. “Why are you being so insistent? I thought you’d rather stay here.” He got the impression she was going as a favor to Regina, but hadn’t actually liked the idea of spending time with him. He hadn’t been too worried about that though. He’d fully intended to charm her into liking him on the way. If that had any chance of happening he’d have to get into the bloody car though.
She shrugged. “Would it help if I told you a little about the car first?” It didn’t escape his notice she hadn’t answered his question. If she wanted to deflect from the real issue, or hers anyway, he’d allow it. For now…
“Are you that knowledgeable about automobiles then?”
“Considering I grew up around them, I’d say I’m more educated than you, and that’s all that truly matters in this instance. Now, do you want me to share that information with you or not?”
“Tell me everything…”
Peyton held back a grin. He was adorable when scared. She was still tempted to go into the house and ask Regina for one of Cameron’s stuffed animals. It would be amusing to hand one to him to hold while she drove.
“First of all…” she said as she ran her hand over the hood. “This isn’t the most expensive car in Bradford’s collection, but it is definitely worthy of drooling over all the same.”
“You’re petting that car as if it was a horse in need of soothing.” He stared at her, appalled. “Do you need to coax it into behaving?”
Peyton chuckled. “Cars have feelings too.”
“Honestly?” His tone held a hint of bewilderment in it. “Is it alive then?”
“Not in the strictest sense…” She really should stop messing with him, but she couldn’t help it. “This gem is a Jaguar F-type with a 296 horsepower supercharged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine. Not as
practical as some other choices, but for a sports car, it has more room available.” She held up the key fob and clicked a button. The boot popped open and she went over to lift it all the way up. “For instance, there is barely enough room in this one to store my overnight bag, and yours if you had one.”
“Does anything else open like that on it?” He stared at her horrified. “Wait…this is powered by horses? Where are they stored? What kind of magic is this?”
“The hood opens to check the engine,” she supplied. “Do you want to look at her insides?” His face paled. She didn’t think he could lose any more color. “It’s not that bad…I promise. No horses were harmed to make this car. There are no actual horses involved at all. It is just a way to describe the capability of the car’s engine.”
“I don’t need clothes,” he muttered. He shook his head several times as he stared at the car in disbelief. “I can keep borrowing from Bradford or go naked. No one would mind.”
Her mind went blank at the image of Nicholas walking around nude all the time. She’d never get anything done. Peyton would happily stay inside and let him parade around her. If she didn’t stop the fantasies going through her mind, she was going to lose it. She waved her hand in front of her face in an attempt to cool her heated cheeks. “That’s never going to be acceptable,” she told him. “Regina would skin you alive. She’s not running a nudist colony?”
“A what?” He scrunched up his nose. “That sounds…wrong.”
“Depends on who you ask. Some people believe in loving their body and flaunting it whatever it may look like.” She wasn’t a prude, but the idea of seeing some people in the buff made her insides icky. “You sure you don’t want me to find a community like that for you? Clothes wouldn’t be needed there since you don’t mind nudity.”