by Dawn Brower
Silence echoed back and fear filled him. Had he hurt her? He sat up and stared down at Aubriella. Her eyes were open, but her face was blank. Why wasn’t she reacting? He brought his hand up to brush her hair away.
“Aubriella,” he said trying to rein in his panic. “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t even blink. He placed his hand over her heart and felt it beating rapidly against his palm. Why was she so quiet? What had he done to her?
“No,” he said desperately. He was on the brink of shaking her when she finally blinked. Her eyes were still unfocused, but he took the movement as a sign. What had she said before? She was an empath and felt emotions stronger than anyone else.
“Darling,” he said, kissing her head. “You were right. I do love you and I’m so sorry my first instinct was to push you away. Please don’t leave me now. I’d never survive it.”
She blinked again and her lips twitched. Was she trying to smile? Her tongue darted out and she swiped it across them. He breathed a sigh of relief at the movement. She brought her hand up to cup his cheek, but still hadn’t spoken. What was she trying to tell him?
“I didn’t tell you my biggest secret,” he said. “When you asked if the former earl was my father I started to panic. I didn’t think anyone realized I was a bastard. But my biggest shame is who my father is.”
“Who?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he understood it.
“The prince regent,” he said disgustedly. “My mother was one of the Queen’s ladies. She lived at court and caught Prinny’s eye. When she ended up pregnant, the king arranged her marriage to the earl. She was the Duke of Blackbourne’s daughter, and the scandal would have been too great for them to risk.”
Aubriella chuckled lightly. “I always knew you were a real prince.”
He scowled. “I’m nothing of the sort. I’m a bastard and shouldn’t have been given the former earl’s title. Odessa is his daughter in truth though. No one questions it because my coloring was too similar to the old man’s.”
“Consider it a blessing,” she said. “Some things were meant to be. Your mother was better off married to him, and you’re here for both of them. Don’t you think it’s time to stop feeling guilty for circumstances beyond your control? You didn’t ask for any of this.”
She was right, but he loathed to admit it. “I know.”
“I’m sorry I freaked you out,” she said. “I’ve never overloaded before. It took me a minute to yank my shields back up. It shouldn’t happen again.”
“It better not,” he declared. “My heart couldn’t take it.”
That had to be the most terrifying thing he’d ever experience. For a moment, he’d thought he killed her or at least something inside of her. It had been a bit of a wakeup he’d desperately needed. If not for her minor meltdown, he’d have been a stubborn fool a bit longer than necessary.
“What secrets are you keeping from me?” he asked lightly.
“Nothing much,” she said flippantly. “Other than I’m from a couple hundred years in the future.”
Killian blinked several times. He had to have heard her wrong. “Come again?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” she ordered. “You heard me.”
He had, but that didn’t mean any of it made sense. There were a lot of little details about her that he hadn’t been able to explain. She had odd phrasing from time to time, and then there was her weird description of her family. What had she said? None of them were alive at the moment. Did that mean they were alive? It was too much for him to take in all at once.
“Lass, that is impossible,” he said, bewildered.
She sighed. “I suppose it was too much to ask for you to accept it without digging for more information.”
“Would you, in my place?” he countered.
He wanted to believe her, but he was having difficulty grasping the concept. Time travel? It made his head hurt thinking of the possibilities. She’d claimed to have come to save him. Had she? Was there more he didn’t fully understand?
“No,” she agreed. “It’s not in my nature to take something at face value. In your place, I’d be skeptical too. I will explain a little bit now, and maybe later we can go into more detail if that’s all right with you.”
He wanted to say no. The need for answers filled him, as did the need to demand them, but for her, he’d find some patience. “Give me the basics, and later you can bridge the gaps.”
She remained quiet for a few moments and then began to speak. “It started when my cousin went missing. Genevieve was there one moment, and the next she was gone. I went to see Trenton—the man who loves her.” She stopped and glanced at him and then shook her head. “That’s information I can give you later. To make things simple, I read in a journal how it was possible to travel through time. My gifts make it easier for me, and I knew I had to come here when I caught a glimpse of you.”
“Your gifts told you that?” He tried to control his feelings because they might overwhelm her, but it was becoming difficult to hold them back. “I’m not so sure I will be able to believe all of this with no proof to back it up.”
“I see your point.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “What can I do to make you see I’m telling the truth?”
He wasn’t sure. Was there any way to do that? “Can you at least try?”
“I’ll do my best on one condition,” she said. “Stay here with me tomorrow and forget about that meeting.”
“Why does it mean so much to you?” he asked.
He didn’t begin to understand what her motivations were. If she was truly from the future, she might know something about the meeting in Manchester.
“Because if you go,” she said emphatically. “You could die, and I can’t live with that.” And then she explained the massacre to him and what might happen if he went. As he listened, he couldn’t help but start to believe her tale. Either way, the outcome of the meeting would be telling. If it went as she described, it was a clear indicator she was from the future. He could take her at her word for now and give her some peace. When it was all over, he’d have the truth either way. Something told him that she would continue to surprise him for the rest of his life.
Killian remained quiet for several seconds. He didn’t ask any questions, unsure how to respond to her description of the bloody event. There was one thing he did want more than anything—her. “I’m glad you’ve told me everything,” he said decidedly. His next move had never been clearer. She was the love of his life, and he couldn’t let her go.
“Secrets are a hard thing to hold onto. Will you stay here with me?”
He would. “Aye, I believe I will.”
She smiled. “That’s good. I’d have hated to use the laudanum I smuggled along. It’s much easier if you stay here with me.”
He raised a brow. “Surely you wouldn’t actually drug me.”
“No,” she said. “It didn’t sit well with me and I’d already decided against it.” She frowned. “Can you forgive me for not being honest and considering such a drastic action?”
He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She hadn’t gone through with it and he took a small comfort in that much. “Aye I don’t think there’s anything to forgive anyway. We both held things back and for good reason.” All he wanted was to move forward and have her as part of his life forever. “Right now, I just want to love you again.” He leaned down and kissed her lightly. “Will you consent to be my wife when we return to Kingsbridge. I want a proper wedding with my family in attendance.”
Maybe love wasn’t as bad a thing as he’d originally believed. He still wasn’t comfortable with some aspects of his life and how he’d come to acquire the title of earl. It was something he’d never fully be able to accept. He didn’t deserve it, and he’d do his best to make up for that fact. Aubriella was another matter. Loving her would always be the best part of his life, and he’d fight to keep her in it. If she didn’t agree to be his, he wasn’t sure how he’d react.
“I’d love nothing more,” she said, then smiled coyly. Relief flooded him at her words. “Now stop talking and make love to me again.”
“Greedy wench,” he teased.
“But you love it,” she countered.
Killian kissed her in response because she was right. Aubriella was the one he’d been searching for and didn’t realize he needed. Nothing in his world had been right until he’d found her. He’d be a prince for her if she wanted him to be, but he’d be happy as long as she was his forever. He didn’t need anything else.
Epilogue
Aubriella sat in her personal solar at the castle. She still couldn’t believe she was going to marry Killian. Her life had taken such a drastic turn she wasn’t entirely certain how.
“Pardon me,” a male said. “You have a visitor.”
She snapped out of her own thoughts and turned at the sound of the voice. Killian’s butler stood in the entrance. He was stiff and formal in his address. She’d learned fast that a lot of the servants had conservative ideas about how an English household should be run—even if it bordered Scotland. They were remnants of the old earl’s ideals. Killian kept them on because they were respectful and good at their jobs, but he didn’t care how a house in England as opposed to Scotland should be.
“I have a visitor?” Who the hell could be coming to see her? “Please show them in.”
She would find out soon enough. The butler bowed and exited the room. After a few moments he returned and announced, “The Duchess of Branterberry.”
Ah, yes, that made sense. Serenity would be the only one that it could have been. They hadn’t had much time to visit when they ran into each other in Manchester. She mentioned that she had news she wanted to share with her, but they kept getting interrupted.
“Hello, sister,” she said and nearly bounced into the room.
Aubriella turned her attention to the butler. “Could you have tea sent in?”
“Yes,” he said and exited.
Serenity sat on a nearby chair. “He’s a stuffy one isn’t he?”
Aubriella pursed her lips together. “What are you doing here?” She hated to be rude, but she wasn’t exactly friendly with her stepsister and didn’t plan on doing so now. They had a complicated history. “Whatever you had to tell me could have been sent in a letter.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “What’s the fun in that?” Serenity tapped on the arm of the chair. “Besides do you think it’s wise to put down on paper that both of us are time travelers? This day and age they might think we’re witches or something.”
Aubriella rolled her eyes. “They might be a bit superstitious but they are unlikely to burn us at the stake. We’re not living in Puritan England right now.” Serenity had a passing interest in history, but she hadn’t studied it to the extent Aubriella had. She was getting her centuries mixed up. “Am I to assume you’ll be staying a while?”
“If you don’t mind,” Serenity said. “At least the night. I promised Brandon I wouldn’t be gone long. He’d have come with me, but he had something else to investigate.”
“I’ll inform the maid when she brings tea,” Aubriella said. The butler wouldn’t be back unless summoned. “Now tell me your news.”
“It’s about Genevieve,” she said. “You were concerned about her.”
Aubriella sat up. What did Serenity know about her cousin? “Do you know what happened to her?”
A maid came into the room pushing a tea cart. She stopped in front of Aubriella and asked, “Do you wish me to pour?”
Aubriella shook her head. “We can manage on our own.”
The maid curtsied and left the room. Once Aubriella was sure she was gone she turned her attention back to Serenity. “Please continue.”
Serenity smiled. “It’s not bad. She’s back where she belongs.”
How could she possibly know any of that? “Then why are you stalling?”
“I’m not,” she replied. “I never told you why I’m here. Not at Kingsbridge, but in the past.”
To be fair Aubriella hadn’t actually given her the time to explain. “Why don’t you do so now.”
Serenity nodded and explained how she followed Trenton Quinn back in time to find Genevieve and how she came to work with the Duke of Branterberry.
“Eve was working as a governess for the duke’s son?”
“Yes,” Serenity said. Then stood up and walked over to the tea cart. She poured tea into a cup and handed it to Aubriella, then poured herself a cup. “But that’s not everything. There is much you don’t know.”
Serenity took a sip of her tea and stared down into it. “Peyton is sick and we had to find Genevieve to save her life. It took a lot of convincing but she finally agreed to go home with Trenton. I’m not sure if they have reconciled but I suspect if they haven’t they will in time.”
Trenton and Genevieve loved each other a great deal. Aubriella expected that they worked through their issues. Her interest was in why they believed Eve could save Peyton. “What does my cousin have to do with your sister?”
“Genevieve is my sister too,” she said quietly. “It’s a long story and I promise I’ll tell you everything. The short answer is Pey had one of her visions and the answers were in the past. I didn’t have a choice and I don’t regret coming here. It is the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Aubriella’s mouth fell open. “How—I…”
“It’s a shock,” Serenity agreed. “I’ve had time to acclimate to it and even I find it amazing at times. The thing is we’re both here in the past. The two people we are closest to in the world are hundreds of years in the future. I came here to tell you the truth and to ask you if we can find a way to be more than we were. I’d like to have family here if possible.”
It was a lot for Aubriella to take in. “I don’t know.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “We haven’t exactly been kind to each other. But you’re right—we should find a way to let that go. How about we take it one day at a time and see where it leads us?”
“I find that acceptable on one condition.”
“What is that?” Aubriella was almost afraid to find out the answer to that question.
“That we at least claim each other as family. It would be a start to take us down the path we wish to go.”
Aubriella smiled. “I think that is a good idea. To show a gesture of my agreement we can start with my wedding. Would you like to be one of my attendants?”
“I’d like nothing more,” Serenity agreed. “Where is the groom to be?”
“Aubriella” Killian’s strong timbre rolled down her and made her shiver from the inside out. “I was told you have a guest.” He stopped short when he noticed Serenity. Her duke had invited them to their wedding but Aubriella had not felt comfortable taking Killian to it. It was perhaps a mistake, but she couldn’t take it back now. “What are you doing here? Do you wish your necklace back now?”
Serenity shook her head. “No. I said before I wanted Brie to have it. I hope it helped.”
She scrunched her nose up. “As if I’d want to keep that thing. I don’t want anything from your mother.”
“I’m not afraid to admit I’m rather confused,” he said. He looked back and forth between them. “I thought you didn’t know each other.”
Aubriella sighed. “I explained to you that I’m from the future and that my father married a wicked woman right?”
He nodded. “Aye.”
“Serenity is her daughter and well my stepsister.”
Killian turned to stare at Serenity. She lifted her hand and waved lightly in his direction. “Hello, again.”
“But you said you had no family here.”
“In my defense when I told you that I didn’t know I did. I was surprised to see her at the Stallion and Snapdragon. We never did get on well, but we’ve decided we’d like to try.”
She hoped that Killian didn’t make a fuss. It would be nice to have family in the past with her. It was also rat
her heartening to find out that her cousin was where she belonged and working on her own happiness. Genevieve deserved it more than anyone she knew.
“I fear it will take me a long time to become accustomed to these surprises you keep springing on me lass.” He smiled down at her and then turned toward Serenity. “You’re a duchess correct?”
“I am,” she agreed and wrinkled her nose. “Though I fear it will take a bit for me to adjust to that development. Brandon is lucky I love him despite his god awful title.”
Killian’s laugher echoed through the room. “I think I’m going to like you. Are you staying awhile?”
“Only overnight I’m afraid. Brandon won’t like it if I’m gone long. But we will be back for the wedding.”
Her life had taken an interesting turn. She could never have predicted it would turn out the way it had. Even if she had known she wouldn’t have changed a thing. This was the one thing she’d always wanted. To love and be loved—and now she had the opportunity to have a true family. With Serenity and Killian on her side she would have a happy-ever-after only found in the best stories. But this was her life and much better
“I’ll leave you to be,” Serenity said. “I’ll find a servant to show me to a room. If I don’t see you before I leave dear sister please know that I do care and look forward to our endeavor at a closer relationship.”
With those words she set her tea cup down and exited in a whirl of skirts. She might not like the title of duchess but she sure seemed to adapt to the privilege of it well. Aubriella laughed.
“Lass,” Killian said. “Please warn me in the future if I’m to meet anymore of your eccentric family.”
“I’ll do my best,” she replied. “But I can’t make any promises. We’re all rather special and unpredictable.”
He sat down beside her on the settee. “Can I convince you to go upstairs with me?”
She tilted her head and pretended to consider it. “I don’t know what is it you’re offering me?”
“Pleasure beyond your wildest imagination,” he said huskily and leaned down. His hot breath caressed her ear. “And more love than I have a right to feel. I can’t wait until you’re mine.”