CHAPTER SEVEN
“WHY THE SOUR LOOK?” Dair repeated, wanting to know what he’d said to cause such a strong negative reaction. He’d be sure to avoid a similar mistake in the future.
“I just…I don’t…oh, my.”
She drummed her fingers on her pants leg and Dair was momentarily distracted by the intriguing sight of a woman wearing male clothing. Tight-fitting male clothing. His fingers itched to touch her.
Instead, he cleared his throat and searched his mind for something to distract them both. “Jake will be good for your sister. Rest assured.”
“This isn’t about my sister!” The words exploded from her mouth. “Why does everyone always think the world revolves around Kat. What about me? If your theory is correct, where do I fit into the equation? If you’re trying to tell me that since my necklace is somehow connected to your family that means I’m fated to be tied to…to…to you, then I have to tell you, MacRae, you’re crazy.”
“What? I don’t think I ever said that.” Fate was tying him to the grave, not a beautiful woman. He opened his mouth to reassure her that he wasn’t crazy, but dying instead, when instinct stilled his tongue.
He didn’t want her to know he was dying. Be damned if he’d open himself up that way, to her or to anyone. He didn’t want pity. Didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for him. He’d rather Emma think he’d lost his mind.
Dair reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles. “That’s exactly what I think, Texas. I think you and I are destined—” he bit back a grin as she snatched her hand away “—to be lovers.”
“My God. You are crazy.”
Warming to the game, he continued, “We’ve exciting times ahead of us. It will be a real adventure to—”
“Stop it!” she demanded. “I won’t listen to this. Not only do I not believe a word you say, it’s asinine for you to think I’d even consider the possibility of a relationship with you.”
“Why? We were great together in bed.”
She blinked hard twice. Aha. That struck a blow, didn’t it? She might not admit it, but he’d curled her toes.
Now, color crawled up her skin. If a cartoonist were portraying the moment, he’d draw her with steam shooting from her ears. Maybe the top of her head blowing off. It was all Dair could do not to chortle, to guffaw, to laugh out loud. She was so damned beautiful when she was angry.
Dair settled back into his seat and idly took her measure. Obviously, he had a lot of ground to make up. Emma felt betrayed, and he couldn’t blame her. He didn’t like how events had played out, himself. Emma Tate was a good and decent woman, and he’d treated her poorly.
Yet, he didn’t know what he’d change. If he had to do it over again, would he pass up the night spent in her bed? No. Absolutely not. He could live with a little guilt in the time he had left. One more sin. And this one he’d gladly burn for. He might regret hurting her—but he’d never regret bedding her.
Since he wasn’t letting her walk off with the ruby, it only made sense to convince her to accompany him to Scotland. In fact, this might work out for the best, after all. Maybe he’d solve the puzzle of the ruby and convince her to take the position at the children’s home. And if he soothed her ruffled feathers enough to lure her back into his bed, could it get any better than that?
Besides, she’d already seen him at his worst. Once the pain faded to where he could think again and he realized where he was and who he was with, he’d been torn between anger and gratitude. He’d been embarrassed, his pride battered at having been observed in vulnerable circumstances. He hadn’t experienced those emotions in years. He’d found it humiliating.
Yet, the sensation of lying on her luscious lap, her fingers stroking his head with gentleness, comfort and care had appealed to something within him long neglected, long forgotten. If he’d died right then, it would have been all right. Instead she’d caught him playing possum as he’d tried to string thoughts together that made sense to his sluggish, pain-muddled mind.
He’d recovered well enough, he assured himself. Now he needed to set aside his lingering embarrassment and go on the offensive. Her appearance—surprising though it was—offered an opportunity. Dair simply needed to take advantage of it. Take advantage of her.
Judging by the furious look on her face, he faced an uphill climb gaining what he wanted, but Dair never shied away from difficult tasks. In fact, he enjoyed a challenge now and again, and it had been quite some time since a woman offered any. If he tired of the effort, he could always fall back on force.
Calling on his vast experience with women, he leaned forward, braced his arms on his knees and went to work. “Come with me to Edinburgh, Emma. I want to take the necklace to an acquaintance of mine who is an expert on clan history. I suspect he’ll know what those words and symbol on the ruby mean.”
Temptation sparked briefly in her eyes, then she shook her head. Hard. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not going anywhere with you. You’re certainly not taking my necklace anywhere.”
His voice ringing with an honesty that even he found surprising, Dair continued, “Leaving you the way I did was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. I’m sorry if it hurt you. I thought I was doing what was best for you.”
She’d gone totally still. Though she obviously tried to hide it, she was listening hard.
“Now, after reliving those wondrous hours and analyzing my own reaction, I realize just how wrong I was. I should have been honest with you from the beginning. I should have given you the choice to come along with me, to pursue this quest. In my effort to protect you, I hurt you, and for that I apologize.”
“You amaze me.” She shook her head in wonderment. “That speech was as shy of the truth as a pig is of feathers.”
Dair sat back, unaccountably pleased. This wouldn’t be as easy as it usually was. He’d find it a pleasure to match wits with an intelligent woman for a change. “Obviously, trust is a problem I must overcome. What do you need from me, Emma?”
She folded her arms. “Your head on a platter, for starters.”
“Vicious, Texas. Vicious.”
He allowed silence to fall, giving her a chance to think matters through. Giving himself a chance to do the same.
Emma Tate invariably managed to surprise him. The woman was unpredictable. Exciting. Stimulating. He had spoken nothing but the truth when he’d talked of their night together. He couldn’t wait for a repeat performance.
“I borrowed some books from Jake’s library, and I learned some interesting things about rubies. Do you know it’s a common belief that when one dreams of rubies, it means coming success in matters of love? Have you dreamed about your ruby as of late?”
“Last night I dreamed of wrapping my chain around your neck and using it to strangle you.”
He let out a laugh at her petulant tone. “In China, rubies were carved with images of dragons and snakes to increase their owners’ power and wealth. It’s thought that a ruby grows darker when its owner is in danger, and that rubies can be used for protection from evildoers, enemies and thieves.”
“Well, my ruby must be broken in that case.”
“Ah, Emma, I’m crushed.”
He stretched out his legs, propping one boot on top of the other. He intended to continue his ruby soliloquy, but she attempted to take the conversation in a different direction. “So what was wrong with you, MacRae? What made you so ill?”
Dair gave a nonchalant shrug. “Bad kidney pie at breakfast, I expect.”
Emma’s eyes narrowed with doubt. “That didn’t look like a case of bad food to me.”
“Well, I’m fine now,” he replied, waving her concern away. “No need to go to the doctor, after all.”
She did that drumming thing with her fingers again. Dair could all but see the wheels turning in her head. “No. It’s better if a doctor examines you. We’ll continue as planned.”
Dair dragged a hand down his jaw and considered his options. Judging by what he knew of Emma
, she’d be suspicious if he refused. Hmm…it’d probably be more expedient in the end to go ahead and humor her. He’d lie to the doctor, hand him the food poisoning diagnosis on a platter and few pound notes for his cooperation, and they could be on their way. “It’s a waste of the man’s fee, but I’ll talk with him if it will reassure you.”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t care what you do. It doesn’t matter to me. I’ll be leaving at the first opportunity.”
No, Texas, you won’t. Dair continued his subtle campaign. “The ruby in the King of England’s coronation ring is engraved with the figure of St. George’s cross. Aren’t you curious to understand the engraving on your ruby?”
“If I am, I can find out on my own. I don’t need you.”
“So you know an expert in ancient languages to consult? Someone in Fort Worth, perhaps?” he added, knowing the scant likelihood of that.
Emma narrowed her eyes. “I thought your expert was a historian, not a linguist.”
“He’s a man of many talents with extensive contacts in the academic world. One way or another, he’ll be able to solve the mystery of your ruby.”
Emma looked away, staring out the window. Sensing he’d made a bit of progress, Dair waited, allowing time for his words to simmer and stew. He watched her carefully, reading her response in the tilt of her head, the firmness of her chin. When a slight squaring of her shoulders clued that she was shoring up her defenses, he casually added, “I would have thought that the mystery of the ruby would have fired your imagination. I expected that a woman with such a strong streak of adventure in her character would leap at the opportunity to track down answers about the necklaces playing such a large part in her life.”
Her head turned slowly, regally. Her voice dripped with disdain. “I won’t be manipulated.”
“I’ll say it again, Emma.” Dair reached out, but she shied away from his touch. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. That’s honesty, not manipulation.”
Her eyes flashed with anger, then glimmered with pain and humiliation. “I was easy plucking for you, wasn’t I?” she said, bitterness heavy in her voice. “The lonely widow, desperate for a romp between the sheets. And I just happened to have something you wanted. A mysterious ruby. How lucky for you.”
Seeing that look on her face, hearing the ugly words made his stomach churn. “It wasn’t like that. It wasn’t just about the necklace. I wanted you, too.”
She flinched away in disbelief. “You know, it doesn’t matter. No matter what you say at this point, it won’t change the past. That’s the past. We’ve only the present to deal with. I’ll see what the physician says, then I’ll make my decision.”
“But I said—”
“What you say doesn’t matter. My eyes are opened to you, Dair MacRae. You might as well keep your lying mouth shut. You have no influence over me whatsoever.”
Frustrated, Dair set his teeth. How could he make her listen? How could he make her want to stay? That, Dair realized, was imperative. He didn’t want her to leave, not his mind and not his presence. In a moment of selfish self-honesty, he admitted that, mysterious rubies and needy orphans aside, he wanted her with him for himself.
He faced a fierce battle to get back into her good graces. He’d need better weapons than his usual charm and wicked grin. She wasn’t like other women whose defenses he could breach with a suggestive wink. The memory of Emma’s telling him she hadn’t had sex in a decade flashed in his mind.
Weapons, hell. He might need a miracle to win this fight.
Dair braced himself for battle when the coach rolled to a stop in front of a small building and Charlie opened the door saying out, “This is the doctor’s place.”
“Very well,” Dair replied, his gaze locked on Emma. When he made no move toward the door, the flash of temper in her eyes betrayed her frustration.
Finally, she let out a sigh. “Oh, for goodness’ sake. Go in and be examined. Have him look into your ear. He’s likely to be able to look straight through to the other side.”
“Will you be here when I return?”
“I’m going with you.” She placed her hand in the driver’s and allowed him to assist her to the ground. “The doctor might have questions I can answer since I witnessed the event.”
Hmm. Dair followed her from the coach, mentally preparing a classic description of food poisoning symptoms to present to the doctor for Emma’s benefit.
Then another thought occurred. If he managed to get her to come along with him, she’d likely witness another headache. Food poisoning would be a tough sell twice.
Once inside the office, Dair allowed Emma to do the talking while he pondered a solution to his problem, eventually deciding that an exotic illness was his best bet. It took the portly, gray-haired physician a few minutes to get past the scandalous sight of a woman dressed in men’s pants, but once he started listening, he began to ask questions. He played right into Dair’s hands when he asked Emma to adjourn to the waiting room while he conducted a physical examination.
When the door shut behind her, Dair reached into his pocket and withdrew a wallet. Setting a handful of banknotes on the doctor’s desk, he said, “You’ll tell her I have a rare disease similar to malaria—call it Malaysian Yellow River Syndrome—that can strike at odd times.”
“What?” The physician’s eyes widened at the sight of the cash. “But…but…I’ve never heard of such a syndrome.”
Of course not. Dair had just made it up. He added another bill to the stack saying, “Is that a problem for you?”
Avarice gleamed in the physicians’s eyes. “No. No. Not at all.”
“I didn’t expect it would be. Now, listen well. You are to tell Mrs. Tate to take her caretaking cues from me. When I tell her to leave me alone, she must do that. Tell her it’s very important I not be disturbed in any way.”
Now that he thought about it, Dair could see other ways such a diagnosis could come in handy. “On the other hand, tell her that if I request her presence, ask for her touch, then it’s imperative that she accommodate me. This syndrome is a tricky thing. Tell her she may well have saved my life this morning.”
Hell, for all he knew it could be true. This morning’s headache had been horrible, and her touch had soothed him.
The doctor’s brow furrowed as he accused, “You intend to take advantage of that poor woman!”
What he intended was to win the battle. While he didn’t want her to pity him because of his mortal condition, he wasn’t above accepting any comfort she might be inclined to provide. As long as she offered it as a result of his lie, rather than the truth. Perverse of him, Dair realized, but a man had his pride.
Arching an inquisitive brow toward the doctor, Dair scooped up the cash. “I’ll take my business elsewhere if you’ve trouble—”
“No. No.” The physician waved both hands as he watched Dair start to put the money away. “Malaysian Yellow River Syndrome is a serious illness, and as your physician, I want you to have the treatment you need.”
“Sensible thinking.” Dair deposited the money into the desk drawer before taking a seat on the examination table where he shrugged from his coat and unbuttoned his shirt. “Make it good.”
“Oh, I will. I spent a summer with a theater troupe in my younger days, and I played an excellent King Lear.” He opened the door. Dair could see Emma seated in the waiting area thumbing through a book. “Ma’am, would you care to join us now?”
Dair was gratified by the worry she tried, but failed to hide. “Well, is he going to live?” she asked, just the slightest bit grudgingly.
“That depends.” The physician’s tone was solemn, his expression serious. “He’s a very sick man.”
Emma’s concerned gaze darted toward Dair as the doctor launched into a theatric description of Malaysian Yellow River Syndrome. He overacted a bit, Dair thought, and when he saw the first flicker of doubt in Emma’s eyes, he stepped in.
“I still think it was bad food,” he said as he buttone
d his shirt, then pulled on his jacket. “Don’t pay any attention to the man, Emma. It’s simply coincidence that I’ve had these spells from time to time since visiting Malaysia. I’ve had a finicky stomach all my life.”
“I watched you eat eels at Chatham Park. Mr. Kimball’s cook fixed haggis for breakfast specifically for you.” She turned to the doctor. “What treatment do you recommend?”
Noting Dair’s cautioning stare, the man kept the directions simple, repeating Dair’s instructions almost to the word. Emma’s brow furrowed as she considered what she’d just heard, and Dair thought it best to ease on out the door before she took it in her head to ask for more details. He handed the physician one final bill saying, “Your fee, sir. Thank you for your assistance.” He then took Emma’s arm and ushered her outside.
“But wait a minute,” she began.
No, he didn’t want her to have time to think. Emma was too intelligent. Better to close the deal now. “So, Emma. What will it be?” He reached out, fingered the ruby pendant. “Will you join me in the coach, or shall we ready your horse for a ride?”
She slapped his hand away from her necklace. At the show of spirit, Dair felt a surge of lust and he halfway hoped she’d refuse him. Look at her, dressed like a man, those britches showcasing her curves. He wanted his hands on her. He could easily visualize scooping her up and tossing her into the coach. He’d hold her tightly to restrain her, and he’d be forced to muffle her angry screams with his kiss. Either way, Dair came out a winner.
“I’m not a fool,” she said, crossing her arms, her right foot beginning to tap. “I don’t entirely trust that doctor and I certainly don’t trust you. I recognized your attempts to prick my curiosity. I suspect that if I tried to climb on my horse right now, you would attempt to prevent me from leaving. You wouldn’t succeed, MacRae. I’ve taken precautions.”
“Oh?” He bit back a smile. Damn, she was something.
“I despise men who lie. That’s one reason why I find the idea of traveling with you so disturbing.”
“So, you’ll come with me,” Dair said, sensing victory, if not in the battle, at least in this initial skirmish.
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