Lost in the Highlands, Volume Two

by Lorraine Beaumont

  Gavin widened his eyes. “Too many mirrors in there. It’s not natural.”

  Sighing, she held up her finger for him to hold on a minute.

  He frowned. “Why are ye holding up yer finger at me, lass?”

  She turned her back on him for a moment. “Yes, that sounds about right. How long?”

  “Forty minutes,” the person said taking the order.

  “Great. Thanks.” She hung up the phone and turned back towards Gavin.

  He was scowling at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “There’s no need ta turn yer back on me, lass. I was only asking ye a simple question.”

  “Gavin,” she said, trying hard not to laugh. “I was trying to listen to our order, not ignore you.”

  “Then why did ye hold yer finger up at me?”

  “It’s just means to hold on for a minute.”

  “Well, why didn’t ye just say that?” Shaking his head, he crossed the room and sat on the bed.

  It was so easy to forget that Gavin was not from this time and was not accustomed to the smallest things that she took for granted. “I thought you wanted to take a shower.”

  He sighed. “And I already told ye before ye stuck yer finger up at me that I didn’t know how ta get it ta work.”

  “Right. I forgot.” She tossed her hair up into a loose bun and stuck the pen she was holding through to hold her hair in place.

  “O’ course ye did,” Gavin grumbled under his breath.

  “Come on. I’ll turn it on for you now.” She crossed the room and walked inside the bathroom. The shower itself wasn’t anything elaborate but it did have a few too many sprayers and handles. Pulling back the plastic curtain, she turned on the water and tested it to make sure it wasn’t too hot. Once the water turned warm, she walked back out of the bathroom. “The shower is ready for you, my lord.” She swept her arm out and bowed like a dutiful servant.

  Gavin made a face and stood. Pulling off his shirt, he dropped it on the floor. Then his jeans followed and lastly, he removed his boxer briefs.

  As usual when she saw him in any state of undress her mouth dropped open at the sight.

  He got really close to her and leaned down. “If ye don’t shut yer mouth, lass, something is bound ta fly into it.” And with that he walked in the bathroom, and climbed in the shower.

  Paige finally shut her mouth.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  HIGHLAND GAMES, WEST VIRGINIA

  The Hotel - Present Day

  The meal arrived about forty minutes later. Gavin, having taken a shower was now lying on the bed in sweats and t-shirt, punching buttons continually on the remote. The erratic sound of stations switching every second or two was starting to give her a headache.

  Trying to ignore the noise and the roiling in her stomach, she set the food up on the linen cloth and pushed two chairs over to the table. She knew it was more than the television making her irritable or that hunger was making her feel sick, it was the fact that she still hadn’t figured out a way to keep Gavin from going back to the games tomorrow. And if she did accomplish that, which would be no small feat, what would he do when he found out that she had tricked him into not going to meet with the gypsy, again?

  Gavin wasn’t really paying attention to the box with pictures but was instead watching the lass get dinner ready for them.

  She looked pretty with her hair pulled up away from her face like that. He would have said as much but didn’t want her to know he was watching her while she made a fuss over the table.

  It did not go unnoticed to Gavin, the strange warmth that would spread throughout his innards each time he watched her. Normally, he would have chalked it up to hunger but he knew it was more than that. He was falling hard for her, harder than he ever thought possible. But back in the recesses of his mind, the guilt he felt for the death of Jillian still crowded his heart and stopped him from saying anything about his feelings out loud.

  And even though he knew his time here was limited he still could not confide his true feelings for his lass, not because he didn’t want to but because it wouldn’t be fair. To tell her how he felt meant she might hold on to some hope that someday he would return for her, which he had no intention of doing.

  ♦

  “Come and get it.”

  “Och, it’s about time,” he said, swinging his long legs off the bed and standing up. “I’m hungry enough ta eat a horse.”

  “Me too.” She pulled the metal lids off the plates and sat down in the chair opposite from Gavin.

  “Have ye eaten many horses, lass?” His blue-green gaze settled on her.

  “No. It’s just an expression.”

  “Not ta me.”

  She did a double take. “Wait…have you?”

  “Have I what?” His dark brows pulled together.

  “Eaten a horse?” She certainly hoped he didn’t but who knew what circumstances could lead him to do such a thing. Food, as she already knew from experience, was on the slim side in the past. At least it was at Greystone.

  “A time or two.”

  “You have?” She couldn’t keep the incredulity from her voice.

  His lips twitched. “Nay, lass. I was only teasing ye.”

  “Thank goodness.

  “This is a lot of food, lass.” He picked up a roll and pulled it apart.

  “Yeah, I know. I couldn’t decide what to get.”

  “I’m no complaining, it all looks good ta me.” He popped part of the roll in his mouth and began chewing. “It may be a long time before I have a meal this fine again.”

  It looked good to her as well, or it did, but the reminder of his intentions of leaving, even though he didn’t admit it fully out loud, made her suddenly lose her appetite.

  ♦

  After dinner was over, she pushed the cart full of empty dishes back into the hall. Once she finished, and shut the door again, she did inane tasks around the room, picking up wet towels from Gavin’s shower and straightening the chairs where they were seated for dinner. She was being a chicken, again, but she didn’t know how to broach the subject of the games tomorrow.

  Propped up on pillows, Gavin watched her from the bed, acting like he was dozing. But he was not. He was thinking about how he would tell the lass about his leaving if the opportunity presented itself. But he wasn’t sure how ta go about it—the situation reminded him of a festering scab he once had. He wasn’t sure if he should just rip it off so ta speak, by telling her the truth o’ the matter, or should he leave it be, say nothing, and let it keep festering? He didn’t know what ta do. Things were certainly more complicated in the future then they ever were in the past. At least that is the way it seemed ta him.

  After Paige strained her brain to the point that it was giving her a headache and not able to find anything else to occupy her time, she finally crossed the room. The bed squeaked slightly as she sat down at the bottom.

  Gavin gave up his ruse and opened his eyes. “I was wondering when ye were going ta sit down.”

  “Did I wake you?”

  “Nay, lass, I was thinking.”

  “About?” She instantly wanted to kick herself for she knew the answer already.

  He exhaled heavily and raked his hands over his face.

  That wasn’t a good sign.

  “Lass,” he began. “I need to tell ye something…”

  The sickening feeling that she was getting used to was back, roiling inside her belly. “Yes.”

  “On the morrow, at the games.” He stopped and cleared his throat. “If I find the witch, err, gypsy, and she can send me back ta the past again, I can no take ye with me.”

  “What?” she gaped at him. Not because she didn’t already know that deep down, but she didn’t expect him to tell her that, at least not now. “Why?”

  “Lass, it is difficult enough ta leave, but it would be even harder for me ta do what needs ta be done with ye by my side.”

  “
But, but…I can help.” Sure, that was a reach, but what else could she say? I know you’re right? Nope. Not going to happen.

  He shook his head solemnly. “It will be too risky.”

  “Pish posh.” She waved her hand dismissively. “What’s wrong with a bit of danger. I was actually thinking this very morning about how much I missed all the excitement in the past.”

  His brow hitched up a notch. “Were ye now?”

  “Yes. I was. And I miss the men.”

  “Which men?” He frowned.

  “Oh stop. Not like that. I miss Callum and Muir. They are barely old enough to fend for themselves.”

  “They are not that young, lass.”

  “Well, I know. Not in the big scheme of things, but they do need a guiding hand once in a while. To keep them out of mischief and such.” She was really reaching now.

  “And ye think I do not do that job well enough?”

  “Of course, you do, but a woman’s touch is needed around the castle.”

  “Lass,” he sighed. “Ye can no even cook.”

  “I can too. Just not well.”

  He chuckled. “Aye, I suppose ye are right about that.”

  “And I do clean.”

  “Aye, ye did that well enough.”

  “See, you do need me to come with you.”

  “I do no want ta put ye in any more danger then I already have.”

  “I already told you that I don’t care about that.”

  “I know ye do not, but I do.”

  “Please!” She resorted to begging.

  “Nay, lass.” His expression turned grim. “I can not.”

  “Well, it might not matter anyway.” She crossed her arms indignantly over her chest like a spoilt child that didn’t get its way.

  “Why would it no matter?”

  “Because it looks like rain and if it rains there won’t be any games tomorrow, so there,” she threw out her boldfaced lie, hoping like hell he would believe her.

  Gavin turned to look out the window. There wasn’t a cloud in sight. “It doesn’t look like rain ta me.”

  “Well, maybe not now,” she continued her lie. “But it is supposed to.”

  “How do ye know that?” He gave her a skeptical look.

  “The weatherman said as much.”

  “The weatherman?”

  “Yes, the weatherman.”

  “When did ye speak to this so-called weatherman? Ye were with me all day.”

  “I didn’t speak to him, it was on the news.”

  “The news?” His brow hitched up another notch.

  Of course, she didn’t even watch the news today, but Gavin didn’t know that. “It was on the television.”

  “I didn’t hear of anything like that when I was watching the picture box.”

  “It happened while you were in the shower.”

  He settled back on the pillows. “Ye wouldn’t lie ta me, would ye, lass?”

  Oh yes, I would. “No.” She shook her head. “Never."

  "We will just have ta wait and see what the morrow brings, aye?”

  At this point she didn’t have much choice in the matter. “Of course. We will wait and see what the morning brings,” she told him, wishing like hell it was going to be a monsoon.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  HIGHLAND GAMES, WEST VIRGINIA

  The Hotel - Present Day

  For the second time in her life, Paige got what she wished for…well…almost. It wasn’t a monsoon, but close enough.

  The sky was dark and sheets of rain poured from the heavens above as pitchforks of lightening speared down in bright flashes of light. Every few minutes a roll of thunder would shake everything in the general vicinity.

  She couldn’t be happier.

  Gavin shook his head and dropped the curtain back in place. “Och, I suppose that weatherman was right after all.”

  “Yes, I suppose so.” She had a hard time keeping from smiling.

  “I need ta apologize to ye, lass,” he said suddenly, turning from the window.

  Her heart started racing. “What for?”

  “I thought ye were telling lies ta me when ye said the weatherman on the picture box said it was going ta rain today.”

  A wave of relief, followed by a smidgeon of guilt assailed her. As usual, she squashed the guilt down—it was a need to know kind of moment and as far as she was concerned—he didn’t need to know that she lied.

  He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “I feel I must tell ye the truth of the matter,” he said. “I am relieved that it is raining.”

  “You are?”

  “Aye. I am.” He took her cold hand in his. Lifting it to his lips, he kissed the top.

  As usual, her entire body crackled in response, much like the lightning outside the window. “Now that we have no place to go, what would you like to do?”

  He lowered her hand but didn’t let go. “Hmm.” He stroked his chin with his free hand as though he was giving it a lot of thought. “What would ye like ta do?”

  “Anything you want?”

  “Anything?” He lifted his brow daringly.

  “Well, I… um, guess so.” Her body tensed with anticipation of what that might be.

  “I was hoping ye were going ta say that.” He dropped her hand and stood. Crossing the room, he sat down in the chair by the fireplace. “Come over here, lass.”

  Feeling nervous suddenly, she stood. The hotel robe felt heavy on her shoulders as she crossed over to where he was sitting.

  “Take a seat, lass.” He pointed at the chair opposite from his.

  Paige dutifully sat down on the edge of the cushioned seat of the chair.

  “Get comfortable.”

  “Um…okay.” She pulled her legs up and tucked her feet under her bottom.

  “Are ye comfortable?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. His expression became resolute. He cleared his throat and said, “We need ta talk.”

  Oh God! She felt sick. “What would you like to talk about?”

  “I have a few questions I would like ta ask ye but I want ye ta know that if it is going ta be too difficult ta speak ta me about yer personal matters jes let me know, aye?”

  She frowned. “Okay.”

  “Where is yer family, lass?”

  “They are gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  His brows creased. “Where did they go?”

  “They passed away when I was younger.”

  “Och, lass, I am sorry ta hear that.”

  “It’s alright. I am used to it now.”

  “Who raised ye?”

  “My Grandmother. The cottage where I live is hers.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She passed away last year.”

  He digested that for a moment and then asked, “So ye are all alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did ye do before I came ta be here?”

  “I worked on my art most days and read a lot.”

  “Aye,” he said, nodding. “I saw a lot of books in yer cottage.”

  “Yeah, it’s one of my favorite things to do.”

  He grew silent.

  Paige wasn’t sure where the conversation was going. Was he just curious or was there another reason for his questions? She would have asked but she was kind of afraid to hear his answer.

  “Why did ye go to the highland games?”

  There was no way in hell she was going to tell him the truth—that she went there to look for a highlander for herself. “I was going to see if they would be interested in taking some of my pieces to sell.”

  “Is that why ye met with the gypsy?”

  “Yeah. I mean, kind of.”

  His brows creased.

  “Tavner,” she said, trying to explain, “he was one of the elders and council members who judged the games. He suggested for me t
o get a reading done by her because I was a virgin.” She didn’t mention that it was not true, just a figure of speech.

  “What type o’ reading?”

  “Just to see who I should represent in the games.”

  “How did ye get my colors ta wear?”

  “I saw them in one of the tents and liked the way they looked, so I bought them and put them on.”

  “Did ye give favors ta anyone in the games?”

  “No. I couldn’t.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Tavner told me that I picked the colors of the um…the um…” Should she tell him what Tavner had actually told her—that by picking the colors of the 13, that she sealed her own fate? “The 13,” she blurted, finally.

  “What did the witch, err, gypsy say ta ye?”

  “She told me to go up on the mountain with a basket and wait.” She left out the part that she was really going up there to meet a Highlander.

  “And ye did that?”

  “Well, yeah. I was there, wasn’t I?”

  “Aye.”

  What was with the twenty questions? She had a feeling he was trying to figure something out, and what that could be though, she had no idea. “Why are you asking me so many questions?” she finally asked.

  “I am jes curious, tis all.”

  It seemed like a lot more than curiosity to her. It seemed like he was trying to figure something out or make up his mind about something. She just didn’t know what that something was. Deciding to turn the tables on him, she asked some questions of her own. “Do you have any family?”

  “Aye. Callum.”

  “Where are your Mother and Father?”

  “They passed away when I was younger.”

  “Who raised you?”

  “Morgan.”

  “Oh.” She cringed at the mention of his name, feeling a pang of remorse for bringing up such a touchy subject. Morgan was the last person she wanted to bring up. “What about the other men? How did you end up with them?”

  “Alec, Graham, Muir, Callum, Morgan and Angus, we have been together for as long as I can remember.”