“It’s almost there.” She sat back, thinking.
Duncan added a few drops from one of the small bottles and held up the scent for her.
When she inhaled, Violet closed her eyes and smiled.
“It’s perfect. What did you add?”
“The one called cotton that smells like the beach towels after you take them from the drying machine. ’Tis the same smell as your new fabrics.”
It was perfect. Violet was going sell the perfumes online or see if Gram knew anyone who would want them.
Duncan inhaled again. “You have stolen memories and bottled them. I could smell this scent twenty years from now and remember you today, the sun turning your hair gold, your eyes the color of heather, and never forget us together in this moment.”
It was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her.
Duncan leaned forward, the scent of him and the perfume mingling together as she inhaled.
As she leaned forward to meet his lips, there was a knocking at the door and then the sound of feet.
“Violet. Duncan. Come see. I got a puppy.” Dora came running into the room, out of breath and face shining.
Duncan ran a finger across her lips.
Heat blooming across her cheeks, Violet sat back. “We should go see the puppy.”
20
The next day Violet seriously wondered if the Universe was trying to tell her something. First her own parents steal her dress designs and then Gram called to tell her she sold the boutique. Gram hadn’t thought it would happen so fast, but a friend of a friend wanted the boutique so Gram said yes, deciding it was finally time to retire.
Everything she’d worked so hard on had vanished. On the plus side, when Violet showed Gram the perfume, her grandmother loved the scents and said she’d send samples to her friend in Italy. Not the same man her parents were working with.
The boutique would no longer be a clothing boutique. The couple who bought it had plans to turn it into a bakery.
Another plus? The man in Italy wanted to buy all of Violet’s designs, and he’d offered enough money that she wouldn’t have to work for a couple of years. Her house was paid off, so she was incredibly fortunate she didn’t have to worry about a mortgage, thanks to Gramps. It had been her inheritance from him with Gram’s blessing.
The final plus? Duncan wanted to stay. Here. In Florida with her. Well, after a trip to Scotland, which Violet was excited about. Gram’s contact in Italy was interested in a collection of perfumes and wanted Violet to send a few more, no rush.
It was funny, sometimes the thing you thought you wanted wasn’t at all what you needed.
She thought designing clothes and having her own label was the ultimate dream. But now? Now it looked like she’d be a perfumer and free to figure out what to do next. Dropping out of college, painful at the time, ended up being the right decision for her.
Feeling lighter than she had in weeks, Violet opened the door to the house and followed the laughter.
“Oh wow, what’s going on here?” Violet clapped a hand over her mouth.
Duncan looked up with a look of horror on his face. It took everything she had not to burst out laughing.
“Hi, Miss Violet. Mr. Duncan said he’d play tea party with me. I wanted to bring my puppy, but Grandpa said the puppy needed a nap.” Dora pointed to the table set for four. The plates, teacups, and saucers were all mismatched.
“Is that tea?”
“Nay, ’tis root beer.” Duncan made a face. “Though it doesna taste like beer.”
There was an assortment of cookies and chips on the plates.
“Did you two eat any lunch or was it all cookies?”
Violet dropped her purse on the counter and came over to join them at the table. She took the empty place with the blue teacup and yellow flowered salad plate.
The stuffed cat had a teacup of milk and what looked like grass from the yard on his plate.
Neither one of them met her eyes. “I see. Cookies for lunch. How about we order pizza?”
“Yay.” Dora jumped up and down.
Duncan raised a hand to his face, stopped, looked at his nails and shuddered.
He held up his hands for her inspection.
“Each finger is a different color.”
He rubbed at the nail polish.
“It doesna come off.”
Dora giggled. “Use nail polish remover, silly.”
The kid turned to Violet. “If your hair was long, I could braid it like Mr. Duncan. I’ve been practicing my braids.”
Half of Duncan’s hair had been French braided. The other half had what looked like a fishtail braid and a regular braid. Each braid had ribbons and beads tied to the ends. Every time he moved his head, the sound of beads clacking filled the room.
“Mr. Duncan looks very handsome. You’re doing an outstanding job with your braids.”
Dora beamed. Duncan scowled.
Mr. Williams had to go to the doctor’s for an appointment, and apparently Dora had begged to come over and play with Duncan.
Unable to resist, Violet took out her phone.
“We need pictures.”
She snapped several. After getting the seal of approval from Dora, she smirked at Duncan.
“I’m keeping these for blackmail.”
“What’s blackmail?” Dora asked, looking much too intrigued for Violet’s liking.
A knock at the door saved her from answering. It was Mr. Williams, come to collect Dora. He took one look at Duncan and clapped him on the shoulder.
“You’re a good man.” He winked. “Better you than me, man.”
After Dora left, Duncan told her he’d planned for them to go horseback riding on the beach. They could ride and watch the sunset.
When Violet saw the horses up close, she wanted to back away.
“They’re enormous.”
Duncan patted the big white horse. “Gentle as lambs.”
“I don’t know how to ride.”
He looked up in surprise. “People no longer ride?”
She shook her head.
“Some do for sport or fun, but otherwise, no. Not since we have cars, trains, buses, and other means of transportation that don’t bite or try to buck you off.”
He stroked the horse.
“Dinna listen to her.”
He lifted Violet up into the saddle.
“Clancy will follow Loki so you won’t have to do much.”
He showed her what to hold on to and how to get the horse to go. Satisfied with what he saw, Duncan mounted his horse and they were off. He was right. Her horse stayed next to the big black horse.
The sound of the ocean and the sun falling in the sky calmed Violet. It was soothing to ride the horse at the edge of the surf, the sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean making her forget her worries.
They talked about Scotland, the places he wanted to show her, his nervousness at seeing where he’d lived. She’d never been overseas and was looking forward to exploring the cities and the countryside. The trip would also give her time to figure out what to do with her life.
Duncan pulled the horses to a stop facing the waves.
“’Tis a beautiful evening.”
He dismounted, then helped her down. They walked along the edge of the water. It was warm as it crested over their feet. The horses trailed along behind them, content to check out their surroundings.
“I love the colors of the sunset.”
Violet let out a sigh. Everything would work out how it should. She was going to quit worrying and be present in the moment.
As the sun set, Duncan turned to her. He pulled her to him, her arms going around him as they watched the sky change colors.
He lifted her up, so they were eye to eye. The guy was tall. Normally she only came up to his shoulders. The moment stretched out, the sound of their heartbeats mixing with the waves. A lone gull called out as he drifted on the wind.
Duncan inclined his head as she
tilted her face up to him. The man looked like the gods had dropped him to earth to tempt mere mortals.
With a soft sigh, she met his lips. The world fell away. There was only them and this moment. Violet wrapped her arms tighter around Duncan, grateful he was holding her so her knees didn’t give out. The man kissed her like it was a promise.
The sound of kids laughing and splashing in the waves broke the spell. Her feet touched the water, sound came rushing in. The waves, the gulls, and the soft sounds of the horses filled her senses.
Violet touched her fingers to her lips.
“I am verra glad I found ye, Violet Wallingford.”
Duncan’s voice was rough. So the kiss had affected him as it did her. The thought made her deliriously happy.
“I’m glad I found you too.”
Someone turned on a radio, an oldies station. As Nina Simone sang, Duncan took her hand.
“Dance with me.”
“The horses…”
“They are content. Dance in the moonlight with me, Violet. ’Tis an eve full of magic and I would spend it with ye.”
She took his hand, letting him pull her close as they danced on the beach. It was getting dark when he helped her up on the horse. The ride back to the stables passed in a blur. It had been the most perfect night ever. The world was full of possibilities.
21
The next day, Violet couldn’t wait to tell Duncan the news. She’d formally accepted the generous offer from the factory in Italy for her design portfolio and if it meant her parents wouldn’t be getting their greedy hands on the designs, all the better.
Violet sent two more samples of the new scents she and Duncan created. Until she heard back, she had plenty of time to spare, so why not go to Scotland with Duncan? See his homeland, explore the cities and countryside. Take her first vacation in years.
The sale of the boutique pulled Violet out of her rut. She’d been so busy dreaming about someday that she’d been letting today pass her by. No more. It was time for big changes.
The other bit of news she had to share?
Gram’s mysterious guy had come through, Duncan’s papers would be ready next week. Violet didn’t want to know how he’d made it happen, and Gram assured her it was best not to ask. Duncan said he would pay for his papers but Gram wanted it to be her gift to him along with two tickets for them to travel to Scotland, with an open-ended return. Life was wonderful.
Practically skipping, Violet tilted her head up, enjoying the fall sun on her face. There were big fluffy clouds in the sky, the ocean was calm, and the scent of possibility filled the air.
She spotted Duncan near the cafe on the beach. Violet lifted a hand to wave, then quickly dropped her hand. Thank goodness she hadn’t called out.
Maybe it wasn’t him? Slowly, she walked behind the parked cars so he couldn’t see her. The sound of her heart beating drowned out the waves as sweat dripped down the inside of her sundress. She wiped her palms against the fabric of her dress and took a deep breath.
Surely she was mistaken?
When she peered around the car, her shoulders slumped. It was him.
With another woman. A beautiful, curvy, sexy woman, not a woman like her who looked like a boy.
The goddess had thrown her arms around Duncan and pulled him to her, kissing him as if she were drowning.
Betrayed. Just like her ex in college. Though at least it hadn’t been posted online and shared for everyone to laugh over.
Lies, lies, lies. He was just like her parents, with their cheating games designed to inflict maximum hurt and damage.
Unsteady, she turned away in a daze. Violet was so focused on not throwing up or fainting that she didn’t see Duncan gently untangle himself from the woman.
“You saved Benjamin.” The girl gathered the dog up in her arms, kissing the ill-behaved beast.
“I can’t thank you enough. If you hadn’t rescued him, that car would have hit him.” She wiped a tear from her eye.
“I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost Benjamin.”
“It pleased me to aid you, mistress.” Duncan had been waiting to meet Violet and hear her big news when he’d heard a scream. He’d whirled around, daggers drawn only to see a medium-sized brown and black dog run into the path of a huge horseless carriage.
The girl was hysterical, weeping and begging anyone for aid so he vaulted over a parked car, rolled across the road scooping up the dog just in time to avoid the car.
He came to his feet, the beast in his arms, unharmed, though Duncan would have a few bruises and aches in the morn.
The girl put the monster dog down who promptly ran onto the beach chasing after seagulls.
She looked up at him and sighed. Before Duncan knew what was happening, she’d launched herself at him, and latched on to him like an octopus he had seen on the internet. The grateful lass slobbered all over his face.
Duncan wasn’t sure if it was her tears making his face so wet or if she had licked her lips so much that she was practically licking him. ’Twas a most unpleasant feeling.
He gently pried her grip and set her on the ground.
“Nay, lass. There is no need for kissing.”
The girl frowned. “But you rescued Benjamin and you’re so sexy with that accent and those muscles. I wanted to thank you.” She batted her eyelashes at him. They were so thick and long it looked like bugs were crawling across her eyes.
“Your thanks is enough.” He stepped back and used the hem of his shirt to wipe his face.
“My heart belongs to another.” He smiled to soften the words.
“You are a kind lass, fetch your wee dog and enjoy the day.”
The girl pouted but did as he bade. Duncan waited and waited for Violet, but she did not come to the cafe. The lass was most likely creating a new scent, or Dora had convinced her to play dress up. He would go home, find her and hear the good news.
“Violet, are ye home, lass?” Duncan called out as he opened the door.
There was no response. He went through the house looking for her, but no Violet. He was about to go across the street to see if she was with Dora when he saw her sitting on the dock, staring at the water.
There was something verra wrong. Duncan ran outside to her.
“Violet. What’s happened? Is your grandmother ill? Tell me, lass.”
He knelt down, reached out and recoiled when she lashed out, smacking his hand away.
Her face was red, tears streamed down her cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” She shrieked at him.
“You’ve got a hell of a nerve asking me that after what you did.”
She put her palms flat against his chest and shoved him away from her. Duncan was so shocked by her outburst, he fell back and landed on his backside.
She stood and paced back and forth across the small dock. Afraid she would lose her balance and fall through the opening in the dock, Duncan dared not move.
He kept his voice calm, the one he used when talking to a spooked horse.
“Tell me what’s happened. I swear, I do not know.”
She whirled around, spitting the words at him.
“You. Cheated. On. Me.” Her eyes blazed with the fire of a thousand suns as she curled her lip at him.
“I. Saw. You.” She pushed him again. “With. Her.”
Duncan blinked, confused.
“Oh, aye. The lass kissed me but I did not kiss her.”
Violet’s eyebrows went up.
“Oh, really? From where I stood, it looked like she was practically inhaling your face. You kissed her back,” she screamed. A big blue heron flew off, startled by the noise.
“I can explain.”
Duncan leaned against the railing of the dock where he could reach her if she fell in. The dock had an opening where someone could climb down into a boat to fish in the water. She did not have a boat and instead of putting up a gate; she had left it open.
“Fine. Explain. Like I haven’t heard that be
fore.”
Violet crossed her arms, leaned against the rail as far away from him as she could get, and glared at him.
Duncan gulped. She was most fiercesome when she was angry.
He took a deep breath and told her what happened.
“… I saved the wee dog, and the girl kissed me to thank me.”
“I saw that part.” Violet snarled.
“Why did ye not come to me then? The girl would have told ye the truth of it.”
She snorted. “Sure, then you both could lie to my face.”
Duncan leaned back as if she had slapped him.
“Nay, lass. I did not lie to ye. I have never lied to ye.”
He reached out to touch her, but she flinched.
“I know the pain your parents lies and betrayals have caused ye, I would never do ye harm.”
She shook her head. “I know what I saw. Words are cheap, actions are true.”
Unwilling to beg, Duncan said stiffly, “if this is truly what you believe of me, I will go.”
When she said nothing and turned away from him, his shoulders slumped.
“I did nothing wrong. I did not lie.” Duncan touched her shoulder. She jerked away from his touch.
“Ye have let your heart turn black with the wrongs your parents do to each other. Until you learn not everyone lies or cheats, you will never be truly free, Violet. The darkness of their deeds will destroy you and everyone you care for.”
The woman he loved more than life itself said nothing, refused to look at him.
“Mind the gap in the dock so ye do not fall in the water.”
Knowing when he’d lost the fight, Duncan turned and left her on the dock, the light turning her to gold.
22
Violet waited until she heard the lanai door slam. Then she waited until she heard the front door slam.
He wasn’t coming back.
The man she had fallen in love with betrayed her. Violet knew what she saw. That was not a one-sided kiss, he had kissed her back. Had it been going on the entire time?
Falling Through Time: A Lighthearted Time Travel Romance (Knights Through Time Romance Book 13) Page 12
