by Katy Baker
THIS WASN'T GOING WELL. The lass clearly hadn't enjoyed the meal. Andrew cursed himself for a fool. Why didn't he ask her what food she liked before sending his orders down to the kitchen? She was an outlander, not used to Scottish dishes. What kind of host was he to not even enquire about his guest’s tastes?
To cover his discomfort, he took a swig of wine. This, at least, the lass seemed to be enjoying. He tried to think of something to say but nothing sprang to mind. What was it about this lass? Why did she make his thoughts spin in circles and tie his tongue in knots?
The servants came in to clear away the dishes and Andrew was glad of the distraction. It had been a long time since he’d been in a lass’s company and making conversation wasn't one of his strong points.
Still, there was one thing he could tell her that might cheer her up. "The crofters arrived today. I questioned them this afternoon. They've confirmed that ye had nothing to do with the theft of my horses. That means ye are no longer confined to Dun Arnwick. Ye are free to go where ye please."
As the words left his mouth a sinking sensation filled his stomach. Free to go where ye please. Free to leave. Free to be on her way. That meant she would soon be gone and he might never see her again. His gut twisted at the thought.
Idiot, he said to himself. Now ye’ve gone and lost her!
But what else could he do? He couldn’t keep the lass here against her will.
And besides, Andrew Harris was very used to losing people.
THEY WERE THE WORDS Lucy had been waiting to hear since she arrived at Dun Arnwick. She was free to go, no longer a prisoner. She was free to go find Irene MacAskill and figure out how to get home.
So why wasn’t she elated? Why did she feel as though somebody had kicked her in the stomach?
"That's great," she muttered. "Thanks."
Lucy took another sip of wine to give her time to gather her thoughts. Was he telling her to leave? Did he want her gone? Had he asked her to dinner just to tell her this?
It doesn't matter, Lucy told herself. All that matters is getting home. You need to go and find Irene. But where? You've no idea where she is, you've no friends other than the ones you've made here in Dun Arnwick.
Sure, Andrew’s words had been the ones she’d been waiting for but now reality kicked in. She was free to leave but she had nowhere to go.
And she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
ANDREW WASN’T SURE whether Lucy was pleased by this news. Her face remained neutral and he couldn't tell from the tone of her voice what she was thinking. He watched her closely, looking for any hint.
Ye are an idiot, he chided himself. Why would she want to stay here with ye? She's only here in the first place because ye took her prisoner! What self-respecting lass would want to spend more than a moment longer than she had to with the likes of ye? She'll be gone in the morning and ye’ll likely never see her again.
His fingers tightened around his goblet. He couldn't let that happen. Not without at least trying to get her to stay. Even if she laughed at him. Even if she looked at him in horror, he had to try.
He scratched the stubble on his chin. "I was thinking, ye need to find this Irene MacAskill am I right?"
Lucy nodded. "She's the key to getting home.”
"And ye dinna know where she is right now?"
"That's right."
Andrew took a deep breath. "In that case, if ye wanted, ye could always stay here. For a bit. Until ye find her. Only if ye want to, of course."
LUCY'S HEART THUDDED in her chest. Had she heard him right? Had he just invited her to stay?
He was watching her intently and this time there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. Her pulse increased, her breath coming a little more quickly.
"Yes," she heard herself say. “I'd like that. I'd love to stay. Until I can find Irene, of course."
"Of course," he said. He breathed out and it sounded to Lucy like a sigh of relief.
She found herself grinning and Andrew suddenly grinned in response. It made him look younger, less careworn. And a whole lot more good-looking, if that was possible.
“I propose a toast!” he announced. “To strange old women and their cryptic messages!”
Lucy raised a glass and laughed. “Very appropriate. To strange old women!”
She drained her goblet and the tension leaked out of her. The servants came in this time bearing a plum pudding covered in custard. As it was set down in front of her, Lucy breathed in the aroma, letting her eyes slide closed in appreciation
"This smells amazing!"
"Cook still makes it to my mother's recipe," Andrew said.
Lucy took a big bite and swallowed. "Well, your mother was quite obviously a wonderful cook.
"Aye," Andrew said softly. "She was."
Lucy set to, intent on clearing her platter.
"Whoa, lass!" Andrew said. "Ye’ll give yerself a stomach ache!”
“This pudding is worth stomach ache, believe me!"
Andrew smiled. "Well I'm glad ye like it. I was worried for a moment that ye wouldnae eat anything tonight."
Lucy winced. "I'm afraid I might have told a bit of a porky-pie. You know I said I wasn't hungry? Well, I was actually starving. I just couldn't bring myself to eat that haggis thing you served me. Sorry."
To her surprise, Andrew threw his head back and laughed. It was a beautiful sound full of pure joy and humor and Lucy found herself laughing in response.
"What's so funny? I'm bearing my heart here and you're laughing at me!"
"Ah, lass," he said. "Yer honestly is mighty refreshing. Almost everyone walks on tiptoes around me and watches what they say. It's nice to have somebody speak plainly."
"Does that mean I can tell you exactly what I think if you?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.
Andrew held up a hand. "Steady on there, lass. I dinna reckon my ego is quite ready to take that yet."
"What makes you think it will be all bad?"
Their gazes locked and something crackled between then.
"Come on then," Andrew said, leaning back in his chair and gesturing with his goblet. "What kind of food do ye like? I'll be sure to tell cook so she knows what to prepare for our odd outlander guest."
"Who are you calling odd?" Lucy shot back with a grin. "So, my favorite food?" She tapped her lips with a finger. "That's a hard one. I don't suppose you have hamburger and fries in Dun Arnwick? Pizza? Noodles?”
"Lass, I havenae heard of any of these things!” Andrew said, looking bewildered.
Lucy waved a hand. "That's okay, I'm only being facetious anyway. My Aunt Helen always says I'm a dustbin and will eat anything that is put in front of me."
"Anything except haggis?"
"Ah, good. You're learning."
Andrew clasped his hands on the table in front of him and leaned forward. "I want to give ye my apology, lass. When I found ye with that horse rustler I jumped to conclusions. That was wrong of me. I’m sorry."
Lucy wasn't sure what to say. She took a deep breath. “No, you shouldn't have assumed the worst of me and jumped to conclusions the way you did. You shouldn't have confined me to my room and assumed I was a criminal. I was angry about that for quite some time, I can tell you.
"But if you hadn't done all those things I don't know what would have happened to me. You brought me here, to a place that’s safe and where people welcomed me. Because of you I have new friends that I never expected to make. So no apology is needed because I'm grateful you brought me to stay at Dun Arnwick. I'm glad I'm here with you."
Their gazes met and Lucy’s breath caught. The way he looked at her... Nobody had ever looked at her like that—not even Garth. Andrew’s stare was full of desire and Lucy found warmth spreading through her body.
"Lucy, “he breathed. “I—”
But at that moment the door opened and the servants came bustling in to clear away the dessert platters. Lucy took the opportunity to collect herself.
What was happening to her? Why di
d Andrew Harris affect her like this? She’d vowed never to feel like this again. It was dangerous.
As soon as the servants left she sprang to her feet. "Well, it's getting late. I suppose I ought to be going back to my room now. Thanks for dinner."
She hurried to the door but Andrew leapt from his seat, gently took her arm and turned her to face him. She found herself staring up into his face. That look was in his eyes again, that look that made her heart pound and her legs turn to jelly.
He brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Thank ye for tonight, my lady."
For a moment, just for a moment, Lucy thought he might kiss her. And God, she really wanted him to. But at the last moment he seemed to think better of it and instead took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.
“I’ll see ye on the morrow. Sleep well.”
“Um, yes. See you tomorrow.”
She hesitated in the doorway and looked back. Andrew was staring at her. It took all her willpower to turn around and walk away.
Chapter 12
"SO ARE YE GOING TO tell me how it went or not?" asked Aniss.
Lucy smiled as she and Aniss walked along the beach. It must have been the fifth time Aniss had asked that question. “I’ve already told you haven’t I? It went fine."
Aniss threw up her hands in frustration. "That gives away absolutely nothing!”
"It would hardly be polite for me to tell tales about the laird, would it?" Lucy said, teasing. "Dinner was fine. Laird Harris was a gentleman. There. Does that satisfy you?"
It was clear from Aniss’s sour look that this didn't satisfy her one bit. No doubt she and Mona had had their heads together, gossiping about Lucy and Andrew and what might have happened between them at dinner last night. Well, they could keep on guessing because Lucy wasn’t about to tell them.
It was a fine day and the waves lapped against the shore in its unending rhythm. Ahead of them a gaggle of children were playing on the beach. It was some sort of ball and stick game that didn't seem to have many rules. They shrieked with laughter as they chased one another, trying to get the ball. One of them, Lucy noticed, was Jamie.
He spotted Lucy and Aniss and broke off from the other children and came pelting towards them. “Aniss! Lady Lucy! Have ye come to play? Ye can be on my team if ye like. We are winning!”
“Winning are you?” Lucy said, ruffling his hair. "What game is this then?"
Jamie shrugged as though this was unimportant. He grabbed the pair of them by the hands and began pulling them enthusiastically towards the game. Aniss rolled her eyes at Lucy as if to say, we've done it now.
The other children gathered around them as they approached, talking excitedly in high voices. Jamie began a loud argument with a taller boy who seemed to be the captain of the other team. He claimed his team were winning, rather than Jamie's.
Lucy put her hands over her ears. "Quiet!"
The children fell silent and looked up at her expectantly. She held out her hands. "May I have that ball and stick?"
Jamie and the taller boy cautiously handed over the equipment. The ball was made of leather and was quite small and hard whilst the stick was a thick branch that had been shaped and polished until it resembled a bat. An idea came to her.
"Would you like me to teach you a game from my homeland? You'd all have to be good and promise to abide by the rules."
"An American game?” Jamie cried. "Yes please, Lady Lucy!"
"All right," Lucy said, handing the ball to Jamie and the bat to the tall boy. “I’m going to show you how to play baseball.”
She had them all gather around while she explained the rules but she was careful to keep the explanation short as she knew they were eager to get playing. In no time at all she had them arranged into two teams and a miniature game of baseball set up on the beach. The children took to it immediately and as they began playing, she and Aniss sank gratefully onto the sand to watch.
"Ye have a way with the young ones, Lucy," Aniss observed.
Lucy shrugged. "I don't have any brothers or sisters but my Aunt Helen and Uncle Nathan were known by all the kids in our neighborhood. They'd always come to our house if they grazed their knees or broke a toy they wanted fixing so I guess I got used to having kids around from an early age."
"Ye'll make a wonderful mother one day.”
Lucy raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Don't you need a man for that first?"
"Well, who knows? If yer dinner with our laird was as ‘fine’ as ye claim...”
“Don’t start that again! It was only a meal! Honestly, you and Mona are the worst matchmakers in history!"
Aniss chuckled to herself. "Well ye canna blame us for trying.”
"What about you?" Lucy asked. "Has Donal asked you out yet?"
Aniss sighed. "Ye mean has he begun to court me? Nay. I dinna think he ever will. He's polite enough when we speak but that's as far as it goes. I dinna think he feels aught for me."
"Rubbish!” Lucy said. "I've seen the way he looks at you. Anyone with a brain in their head can see how he feels about you. Why don't you tell him how you feel?"
Aniss looked horrified at the suggestion and Lucy rolled her eyes. Well, if Aniss wasn't going to do anything about it, perhaps Lucy herself ought to nudge things along.
Aniss suddenly straightened, looking back towards the castle. Following her gaze, Lucy saw the two men in question standing together by the base of the curtain wall. Lucy's heartbeat increased at the sight of Andrew. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from him. Good God, he was gorgeous. The fact that he didn't seem to realize this only made him more attractive.
The two men were deep in conversation. They paused and looked around. Captain Donal pointed at the steps that led up to the castle then pointed at those that lead down to the beach from the headland on the other side. Andrew nodded and then said something. It looked to Lucy as though they were discussing the castle's defenses.
They began to turn back towards the gate but then Andrew spotted her and Aniss sitting on the beach and he hesitated. He said something to Captain Donal and they strode down the steps towards them. The two women scrambled to their feet.
“Lucy. Aniss,” Andrew said in greeting.
Aniss dropped a curtsey. "My laird."
Lucy would be damned if she was going to do the same. Instead, she inclined her head. "Andrew."
A small smile played across his lips. He nodded towards the beach. "Would ye walk with me awhile?"
"Of course," Lucy said. "I'd love to."
She noticed that Aniss and Donal kept glancing at each other. The captain scratched his cheek.
"Well, I'd better be getting back to my duties then, my laird."
"No," Lucy said quickly. "How about you keep Aniss company?"
Aniss blushed to her hairline. “I wouldnae want to keep the captain from his duties.”
Andrew frowned. "Ye've been training the men since dawn, Donal. Relax awhile and spend some time with Annis."
Aniss’s flush deepened and Lucy couldn't help but smile to herself as she and Andrew walked away, leaving Donal and Aniss standing there together.
"Did you do that on purpose?" Lucy asked.
Andrew turned a stern gaze on her but she was beginning to be able to read him and she saw a flash of mirth in his eyes. "I'm not quite sure what ye mean. Captain Donal has earned a break and who better to spend it with than the lass he's smitten with?"
Lucy's eyebrows shot up. She was surprised he’d noticed how the two of them mooned after each other. Clearly, Andrew Harris wasn't as oblivious to his people as he seemed.
They walked past the baseball game and down the beach. Andrew clasped his hands behind him and a light breeze stirred his hair. The sand crunched underfoot and the soft sighing of the water filled the air.
"Did ye sleep well?" he asked at last.
"Yes," she answered. It was the first time she'd not woken in the night since she arrived here. She wanted to ask how he’d slept, and whether he’d got u
p in the middle of the night and walked the battlements like she knew he did. But she knew that wouldn’t’ be the right thing to ask.
Lucy breathed in deeply, savoring the fresh sea air and the nearness of Andrew beside her. He didn't touch her but walked close enough that his arm occasionally brushed her sleeve. She felt comfortable in his presence, and the silence between them wasn't awkward this time but companionable.
"Dougie tells me he sent out enquiries about Irene MacAskill," Andrew said. "As soon as we hear where she is, I’ll take ye to see her. To be honest, I'd like to talk to that old woman myself. She seemed to know too much about me for a chance encounter."
Lucy nodded. "Tell me about it. There's definitely more to her than meets the eye."
Lucy wondered whether she should tell Andrew the full story. Hiding this secret was gnawing away at her inside. But how could she tell him? By the way, I'm actually from the future and that mad old woman sent me back here to save a life although she didn't bother to tell me whose life I was supposed to save or how I was supposed to go about doing it.
No. It sounded too ridiculous.
"What is it?" Andrew asked. "Ye look like ye've got something on yer mind."
She shook her head. "Just wondering how I’ll find Irene again, that's all."
"Dinna worry yerself, lass. If she's on the island, we’ll find her."
"And if she's not? If she's disappeared like a puff of smoke?"
Andrew stopped. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed down at her. "I give ye my word that if she can be found, she will be. And if she can be found, I'll see ye safely back to yer kin somehow. But if ye so choose, ye have a place here. Clan Harris would be mighty glad to add ye to our ranks."
"You would let me stay here?"
"Aye, lass. I'd have ye stay here with us. With me."
Then he bent his head and kissed her.
Something like electricity rushed through her body. Lucy's eyes slid closed. Her heart hammered suddenly in her chest. Her pulse roared in her ears. Andrew held the kiss for a moment before straightening.