by Mari Carr
At the question, Jack exploded. “What the hell kind of question is that? I don’t rape women, Alex. I mistook Hayley for someone else. Trust me, I came out worse for the misunderstanding. She took exception to my questions and came at me like a wildcat. Any harm that came to her was a result of me simply trying to protect myself without injuring her. If you don’t believe me, ask her.” He rose to pace the length of the room. He had a tendency to prowl like a hungry tiger when angry.
“I’m sorry,” Alex said softly. “I know you would never hurt a woman, but it looked, well, forget it. I believe you. Do you mind telling me who you mistook her for?”
Ceasing his tour of the room, he looked at his friend. “A smuggler.”
“Ah,” Alex replied, with a guilty grin. “I think I understand now. Perhaps I should have sent word earlier that the hunt was over, but as you were out of the country, I didn’t think it mattered overmuch. I can imagine a young woman, dressed as a man, alone in the woods at night would give that appearance. I take it she didn’t appreciate your suspicions?”
“That would be an understatement,” he replied grimly. “I should warn you. Hayley doesn’t intend to bide her time here idly. She’s determined to discover a way back to the future.”
Alex fell silent and merely nodded. Jack fought against the niggling feeling there was something about the magic of the tree his friends weren’t sharing with him. “Anyway, I wasn’t coming to the Grange because of smugglers, but to find Julia.”
“I wish I knew where she was,” Alex answered. “Simon’s been out of his mind since we received word of her disappearance. The two of them have become friends over the past year as you probably know, though he hasn’t seen her since she went into mourning for her sister.”
“I was aware they’d become friends. Perhaps we should call him in to assist us.”
Alex agreed. “Actually, I rose early to make preparations to organize a proper search party as we discussed last night. I’ve sent out messages to the tenants. Julia is well loved in this area. I have no doubt everyone will be anxious to help us.”
Julia Parker and her sister, Helena, had come to the Dover area five years earlier when his uncle, the Earl of Wilshire shocked the town by finally marrying at age fifty-five, determined to produce an heir to cut Jack out of his inheritance. Jack had always wondered why the old man refused to marry earlier, as he so obviously despised him. Rumor had it Wilshire was partial to young men, although he’d never heard anything more concrete than mere gossip and speculation.
Helena, the unfortunate young bride, was practically sold to Wilshire by her dissipated father. Unwilling to leave her sister to such an unsavory fate alone, Julia, only thirteen at the time, accompanied Helena to her new home at the Homestead as a companion.
He was relieved to hear of Alex’s plans for a search party. “I was about to begin my own search as well. Perhaps we should divide the area into sections. Save ourselves searching the same places—”
Before he could say more, a pale-faced Giles entered the dining room, interrupting the conversation. “Sir, I am terribly sorry to disturb your breakfast, but I thought you should be informed—” Giles paused as if unsure whether or not to continue.
“Yes, Giles, what is it?” Alex asked.
“Well, sir, it’s Miss Garland.”
Jack jerked around to look at the butler. “What about Miss Garland?”
“She left a few moments ago. She was dressed quite strangely again. When I asked her if she required an escort, she said no.”
“Did she say where she was going?” Jack asked.
“Well, that’s the strange thing, sir. She said she was going r-r-running,” Giles stammered. “She did the most unusual bending on the front porch and then started running toward the shore as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I’m sure I’ve never seen anything like it, not even her ladyship has ever gone running.”
Alex smiled at his flustered butler, but Jack looked at the butler with disgust. “You let her leave?”
“Sir, it is not my place to stop the guests from doing what they please,” Giles responded, obviously affronted. Then he looked at Alex. “We do have an understanding regarding the marchioness and I wondered if perhaps the same thing applied for her friend.”
Alex had obviously learned to make concessions for Erin’s twenty-first century independence long ago. Jack wasn’t certain he could agree to that when it came to Hayley.
“I should come and inform you of Miss Garland’s actions, my lord? But make no overtures to stop her.” Giles had resumed his haughty air, making sure Jack knew Giles was merely doing his job.
“Yes, Giles, you were perfectly correct,” said Alex. “Captain Campbell and I will take care of Miss Garland, thank you.” Giles gave a short bow and left the room without sparing Jack a glance.
“Running?” Jack looked out the dining room window, hoping to spy the wayward woman. “No doubt her strange attire was men’s clothing. Where the hell could she go? Why aren’t you doing something about this? She can’t be out there alone. What if someone sees her dressed like that?”
Jack turned around and realized from the shake of Alex’s shoulders his friend was on the verge of laughter. Seeing Jack’s dark face, Alex lost total control and burst into great howls. Alex’s amusement fed his growing anger, which in turn, caused the man to laugh even harder. After several gasping breaths, Alex wiped his eyes and attempted to resume control.
“What the hell is so funny?” Jack asked.
“You are, my friend. I’m sorry if I don’t find Hayley’s actions cause for alarm, but I’m afraid my sensibilities are a bit duller than they used to be. I have been living with my time traveler for a year now and have become accustomed to some fairly irregular activities. If it would make you feel any better, you are welcome to escort Miss Garland, but I warn you not to expect her to thank you for it.”
Jack gritted his teeth, biting back the stinging retort at his lips. “Fine. If you aren’t going to see to the safety of a woman in your charge, then I guess I will.” With that, he stormed out of the dining room as Alex burst into laughter again.
A quick glance from the front porch confirmed that either Hayley was a fast runner or she had a good head start. She was nowhere to be seen. Making a quick decision, he turned toward the stables. If he was going to catch her, it was going to have to be on horseback.
Several minutes later, he had Lancelot saddled. He galloped down the path toward the shore. Once he broke through the clearing in the trees, he reined in the horse and looked as far down the beach as he could. He could barely make out a bouncing figure quite a distance ahead. How the devil could she go so far, so fast? He and Lancelot took off toward the running woman at a trot.
He slowed his approach as he drew nearer. He could see Hayley better now, her long red hair loosely pulled back in a ribbon. The curls were swinging side to side as she kept a fierce pace. Glancing back to the Grange, he realized they must have come well over two miles down the beach. Amazed by her strength and stamina, he wondered if he could run so long and so far without a rest. Not ready to announce his presence, he kept Lancelot close to the tree line and followed at a slower pace, retaining his distance. Enjoying the view, he was curious to see what this firebrand would do next.
After more than a quarter of an hour, she ceased her run and began to walk, arms akimbo, attempting to catch her breath. He nudged Lancelot off the beach and into the cover of the trees, while keeping her within view. Eventually, she ceased walking, turned to look at the water and stretched her arms into the air while curving her back. After a quick look around, she sat on the sand and began to take off her shoes and stockings.
Certain she was unaware of his presence, he had decided to approach her when she stood and, with another glance around, took off her shirt. Stunned, he stared as she removed her pants as well. She stood on the shore in the tiniest drawers he had ever seen and the strange, small corset he had briefly uncovered during
their heated interlude in the cabin. Her breasts were firm and full. He noticed how they rose and fell rapidly as the result of her strenuous run. He admired the sleek curves of her buttocks and the shapely muscles of her legs. She had the most striking figure he’d ever seen. She was muscular, yet feminine at the same time. It was a heady combination.
Without hesitation, she began to walk into the channel. When the water reached the top of her thighs, she dove under the water. Mouth dry, he watched as she swam with strong, sure strokes against the current going farther out to sea. His admiration quickly turned to fear as he realized exactly how far she was swimming.
Jack tied Lancelot to the nearest tree and took off down the shore, shedding his waistcoat and shirt. Stopping at the water’s edge, he removed his boots and stockings. Leaving his breeches on, he dove into the cool water and swam after her.
Hayley stopped swimming when she heard splashing behind her. Turning, she felt a jolt of fear as she saw a man heading toward her. Her fear quickly receded when she noticed the familiar dark hair and realized it was Jack. Treading water, she waited patiently until he reached her. As he approached, she admired the muscles of his arms rippling through the water. He was a good swimmer and he reached her quickly. She wondered how long he had been following her. She’d sensed someone behind her during her run, but when she looked around, she hadn’t seen anyone. As he reached her in the water, she realized he was angry. What else was new?
“What—the hell—are you doing?” he asked, between attempts to catch his breath.
“Swimming.” She enjoyed pushing his buttons far too much. “What the hell are you doing?”
His eyes narrowed at her use of foul language. Despite being quite accomplished at provoking him to anger, she realized with some alacrity it was probably wise not to push him too far. Problem was she simply couldn’t help herself.
“I was coming to help you. Do you realize how far away from the shore you are?”
Glancing back at the shoreline, she noticed she wasn’t as far out as she normally swam.
She shrugged lightly. “Yes.”
“You’re naked.”
She laughed. “No, I’m not. This is typical of what women wear to go swimming in my time. It’s called a bikini. Well, actually, this isn’t a real bikini, but it does run along the same lines.” Her undergarments were perfectly respectable for the twenty-first century, although she belatedly realized she must look shocking to this nineteenth century man.
He snorted in disbelief. “It’s indecent. Where are all the men in your time when women are paddling around in next to nothing? I cannot fathom this is permitted, let alone accepted.”
“The men are usually paddling around in next to nothing with the women. People shed their inhibitions about revealing their bodies over the next couple hundred years. My bra and panties are downright conservative compared to most bathing suits.” Imagine if she were wearing a thong.
She could see it was better she had stepped through the tree rather than Jack. The idea of him trying to adjust to life in 2008 tickled her. She splashed him and began swimming back to the sandy beach. While she had worn bikinis in her time, being so close to him with so little on, did make her feel a bit uncomfortable. His attitude toward her attire affected how she felt in it and any time he came too close, she felt an unfamiliar, overwhelming heat course through her body, which she decided was a bad sign given the chill of the water.
She stopped swimming as she neared the shore, her feet firmly on the sandy bottom. She remained where the water reached her neck until he caught up to her.
“I need to get out and get dressed,” she said simply.
“Fine,” he replied. “Go ahead.”
She blushed slightly at the idea of him watching her get out of the water. The feeling was foolish as she’d often sunbathed like this in front of men all the time. It was his feelings about it that made her uneasy to reveal so much of herself to him.
Then she recognized his comment for what it was—a dare. She loved dares. Grinning, she threw her head back proudly and walked through the white foam and across the cool sand to her clothing. Instead of dressing quickly, she sat down and lifted her face to the sun, letting it dry her body.
He stood in the channel, watching her and clenching his jaw so tight she thought it must hurt. She wondered if the cool water would calm his temper. After several minutes, he managed to rein in his emotions. She actually felt a bit of uncharacteristic guilt when his anger was replaced with concern.
He emerged from the water and sat down beside her. When he spoke, it was in a quiet, almost pleading voice. “Hayley, I realize you’re not familiar with how things are done in this time period. However, I can assure you the way you are dressed and acting right now will get you ravished or worse. If any man other than myself had come upon you this morning that is exactly what would have happened.”
She listened to his words and noticed for the first time, his tone was reasonable and polite. He wasn’t barking commands at her. His anger had evaporated and she liked him this way.
“I understand,” she said in a softer voice. “Really, I do. I’m just used to doing things my own way. Jack, I can’t give up my exercise routine while I’m here. It makes me feel happy and healthy—I enjoy it. Isn’t there anyway I can continue to run and swim safely?”
“You should have an escort with you any time you are away from the Grange. It’s not proper for young, unmarried ladies to go anywhere unchaperoned. However, no escort is going to approve of your swimming attire.” She recognized an undeniable spark of appreciation in his eyes as he tried to hide the fact he was looking at her body.
Jack disliked the thought of any man ogling her body as she propelled herself gracefully through the waves wearing what she called a bikini. What an odd term. He rather wanted to keep that image as his own personal gift. It was a vision he expected to see in his dreams for the rest of his days.
“Don’t women swim in this time?”
“Some do, but they wear considerably more clothing,” he answered. “I’m sure Erin can have her seamstress make you a bathing costume in addition to the dresses you will no doubt need made.”
“I think that more clothing would make it harder to swim, but I suppose I could try it. Erin has offered to have some dresses made for me, so I’ll ask for a swimsuit as well.”
Standing, she brushed the sand off her bottom as he glanced toward the house. If Alex came upon them now, his friend would not believe him innocent of seducing her and he certainly wouldn’t believe they had merely gone swimming. In fact, if anyone spied them in their current state, he would be saying wedding vows with this unconventional woman with Alex’s pistol at his back. Somehow, the thought didn’t upset him as much as it should.
Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw she was nearly dressed again. Rising, he pulled on his shirt, and then sat down to pull on his stockings and boots. His breeches were still damp as was her hair. Some explanation would be called for when they reached the Grange. She sat down to put on her shoes. The best thing to do would be postpone their return to the house until they were sufficiently dry.
Hayley broke the companionable silence first. “I suppose I’m not supposed to wear pants either, but I refuse to run in a long dress. If I agree to the escort and the swimsuit, do you think I can get away with wearing pants? I promise they will cover my terribly tempting ankles.” She obviously thought it was absurd a woman showing her ankles was taboo. He shook his head as he recalled how she and Erin had giggled last night as he and Alex tried to explain some of the ways of the nineteenth century to Hayley.
Thanks to the vision of her running in her tight breeches, he felt an overwhelming temptation to lock her up in the Grange for the next year. “I think that would be acceptable, depending on who escorts you.”
“Oh,” she said thoughtfully. “I guess I’ll have to choose my escort well then. Since you seem immune to my alluring ankles, how ‘bout you?”
“Me?
” he asked incredulously. “I don’t think—”
She interrupted, looking over his shoulder toward the woods. “Oh, I see your horse now. I wondered how you ran in those boots. Well, if you’re unable to run, I’ll just have to find a physically fit footman—or maybe that young blond groom who works in the stable. He looked like a capable escort. I’m sure there must be several strong men in Alex’s employ who could keep up with me. I’ll ask him when we get back to the house.”
“I’d be happy to accompany you in your morning activities.” She wasn’t going anywhere with the young blond groom. He’d see to that.
Pleased with his answer, she walked toward Lancelot, trying—and failing—to conceal her grin.
Gritting his teeth, he followed. While he didn’t particularly care to subject himself to the daily torture of watching this firebrand exercising and not being able to touch her, he liked the idea of another man watching her even less. Escorting her on her daily run seemed a small price to pay for the discomfort and actually he felt as if he were the winner of this contest. Now he would have the benefit of spending time alone with her every day.
Chapter 8
“How long do you plan to stay at Fernwood Grange?” Hayley asked as they approached Lancelot. Her initial discomfort at being around horses had passed quickly as she discovered they were quite affectionate creatures.
“I will remain here for a while. I promised to help you find your way home.”
She grinned, before feigning a very serious demeanor, imitating his old fashioned style of speaking. “Then I am quite honored you will be providing me with an appropriate escort, even though I’m very sure I should still be angry with you.”
“Angry?” Jack smiled at her teasing.
“I haven’t forgotten, Captain Campbell, about you kidnapping me rather than bringing me to the Grange right away. I also seem to recollect you calling me a smuggler.”
He stifled a groan. “If you have an ounce of kindness, firebrand, you will forget that minor faux pas on my part.” He quickly recounted Alex’s tale of the capture of the small band of smugglers operating in the area.