And it was a gift beyond price.
EXCERPT FROM UNRAVELED BY THE REBEL, BOOK TWO IN THE SECRETS IN SILK QUARTET
SCOTLAND, 1811
“YOU’LL BE the next to marry!” The housekeeper beamed. “Isn’t that wonderful, lass?”
Dr. Paul Fraser never took his eyes off Juliette Andrews, though she was staring at the blue silk bonnet as if it were a poisonous snake. She’d caught her sister’s wedding bonnet by accident, and the cheers were deafening.
Before he realized what was happening, the bridegroom had tossed his hat over the top of the railing. It was about to fall into the hands of one of the Highlanders, and Paul seized it before the man could lay claim to it.
He knew what the token meant, and he wasn’t about to let another man court the woman he was determined to marry. Ever since he’d laid eyes upon her five years ago, when he was hardly more than an adolescent boy, he’d developed an obsession with Juliette. They had been friends for years, though she had grown more distant in the past year. He couldn’t understand what had happened, but he was determined to win her affections.
She was an enigma to him, with her sad green eyes and the brown hair that often escaped from its topknot. Like her eldest sister, Juliette kept apart from the others. But she wasn’t softspoken or a coward. No, there was an undeniable strength, and she never hesitated to speak her mind.
She shoved the bonnet into her younger sister Amelia’s hands and started for the door. Paul couldn’t have stopped himself from following if he’d wanted to. One of his friends, Rory MacKinloch, caught his arm.
“She’s a bonny lass, but with a tender heart, Doctor. Mind yourself.” Rory tightened his grip upon Paul, as if he considered himself Juliette’s adopted big brother.
Paul shrugged the man’s hand away. “I’ve known her e’er since the day she set foot in Scotland. I’d kill any man who threatened her.”
A knowing smile spread over the man’s face. “She doesna seem to be loving you back, Fraser. You might set your sights on another.”
“She’s the one for me. Always has been.” He crossed through the crowd of wedding guests, knowing Juliette had slipped away outside. When he reached the front door, he opened it and saw that the clouded sky held the promise of rain. Juliette had grasped her skirts and was running toward the barn.
Paul fingered the hat in his hands and set it upon the doorstep. He trudged through the soft mud, ignoring the wind that buffeted his clothing. When he reached the barn, he stood at the entrance. Juliette had retreated farther inside, her hands resting against one of the stalls as if to steady her thoughts.
“You followed me.” She glanced at him, her face frowning. “I was afraid you would.”
She tucked a strand of fallen brown hair behind one ear. “Why won’t you leave me alone, Dr. Fraser?”
“I’m watching over you,” he said. “To be certain you’re safe.” It was partly the truth. But even more than that, he suspected that Juliette wasn’t entirely angry with him. She crossed the distance and folded her arms across her chest, staring at him.
“I’m safe. Now you can go back with the others.”
Her eyes blazed with frustration, and she pointed outside. Instead of obeying, Paul took a step closer. She didn’t retreat, but instead stood her ground. “I said you should go.”
“So you did.” He reached out to take her hands, bringing them to rest upon his chest. Her gloved fingers were small, but when he released them, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she glared at him.
“Why me? There are dozens of women back there who would fall down at your feet, if you would but look at them.”
“They know it wouldna make a difference. There is only one woman I want.”
“Not me.”
But he remained silent at her insistence. He knew she was not indifferent to him, by the very fact that her hands were upon him still. He liked the soft pressure of her touch and the way she lifted her chin to defy him.
“We’re meant,” he told her. “Our fates have been tied together for years. Ever since the day I first saw you.”
Her hands pushed back against him, but she only stumbled herself. “I’ve told you a thousand times. I won’t marry any man, least of all you.”
He moved behind her, his mouth against her ear. “Because I’m poor?”
“Poverty has nothing to do with it.” She leaned her head back against him. “I know the sort of life you want. And it’s not for me.”
“I want the life every man wants. I want a wife and bairns. I want to spend my days making you happy.” He leaned his face against her temple, but at his words, she jerked away as if he’d struck her.
“Leave me alone, Paul Fraser.”
He took a step backward. “Is it all men? Or just me?”
She turned around, her eyes piercing. “All men. And if it’s a wife and children you want, you should look elsewhere.”
He said nothing, knowing that words would never wear her down. Someone had hurt her, he was certain. But like a stream that could wear down any mountain, he intended to quietly smooth away her reluctance.
“Why did you run?” he demanded. Though he kept his distance, she wrapped her arms around her waist, as if to ward him off. “Have I done something to make you afraid?”
“I don’t want you to be led down the wrong path,” she admitted. “I can’t give you the life you want. It’s not fair to let you believe in us.”
“Tell me this. Why did you write to me, all those years whilst I was in Edinburgh?”
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I was being polite.”
“If you had wanted to forget me, you would ne’er have accepted any of my letters. But you answered every one.” He kept her palm in his, watching the play of emotions over her face. “Something happened in the last year, didn’t it?”
She went utterly pale at his words, and he saw that he’d stumbled upon the truth. “M-my father became a baron.”
“No. That isna the reason. You’re no’ the sort of woman who cares about a title.”
She flushed and pulled away from him. In her green eyes, he caught a glimpse of heartache, as if she’d lost the best part of herself.
“What happened to you, Juliette?” He deliberately used her first name, wanting to remind her of the days when they’d been close friends, hardly more than adolescents. “Did someone hurt you?”
She closed her eyes, crossing her hands around her waist. “You’re a good man, Dr. Fraser. And you deserve so much more than a woman like me.” Juliette braved a smile before she returned outside, leaving him to wonder about the secrets she held.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First, I want to thank my agent, Helen Breitwieser, for believing in this book from the very beginning. You saw the potential and were an unfailing support every day of this journey. I’m so grateful to you for your faith in this story and in me.
Special thanks to Larissa Ione for being a true friend and for suggesting that I make the story slightly naughtier.
And thanks to Kelli Martin for giving this series a home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Frank Willingham, 2010
Rita® Award Finalist Michelle Willingham has published more than twenty books and novellas. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her husband and children and is working on more historical romance novels. When she’s not writing, Michelle enjoys baking, playing piano, and avoiding exercise at all costs.
Visit her at www.michellewillingham.com or interact with her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans.
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