by Maggie Way
“He disnae need to know. It can be our little secret.”
“No thanks; I’m taken.”
“Aye. I see that you are. If you change your mind, I’m Andrew. Just come find me.” The dancer stepped back. “Have a good night, my beautiful American.”
“I plan on it,” Alice said, lifting the rose back to her nose.
Five hours later, the music had turned mellow, Gwen and Vi could barely keep their eyes open, and Cassie and Celeste were trying to throw darts and missing the board completely. Alice had called the driver from the castle for their ride and helped Celeste into Duncan’s apartment upstairs before helping corral the others and getting them into the car without a single mishap.
Alice left a huge tip after the bartender insisted there wasn’t a tab, grabbed her rose and got in the front seat. There was no way she’d saddle the driver with getting all of her friends upstairs by himself. She fired off several texts, first to Daniel to tell him they were on their way back and to get Rowan to meet them at the door. She sent another one to Duncan.
You still awake?
If he didn’t answer, she was just going to crash in her room at the castle because she was polite like that.
Of course. I’m waiting at the castle to see how many men you brought home that I need to fight off with my sword.
She grinned.
I think my rose scared them all away, but I’m looking forward to seeing your sword. Thank you by the way, for the rose, the aspirin, and the water. I needed them all. You spoil me.
Well, if that’s all it takes, I know how to make you feel like royalty.
You already do. Thank you for being you.
You're welcome, lass.
See you in a few.
The car pulled up outside of the castle, and Daniel, Rowan, Riley, and Duncan were waiting. Alice helped get the girls out of the car, and each guy took one and picked them up in their arms to carry them inside. All except for Duncan. He met Alice at the car and pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly in a deep and passionate kiss. The kind she’d been holding out for all night. When he broke the kiss, she smiled up at him. “Now that was worth the wait.”
“Come on. Let’s get you home.”
“You know how to fly?”
“My home,” he amended and steered her to the SUV. “You’re officially mine for the next twenty-four hours.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It will be.” He opened the door.
She waited for Duncan to climb in the other side. Her head lolled on the seat. “You’re ruining me for all other men.”
He chuckled and put the key in the ignition. “That’s been my devious plan all along,” he said, putting the SUV into gear. “Makes me unforgettable.”
“You’ve accomplished that,” she said, slipping her hand into his. She met his gaze. “Take me home and take me to bed, Highlander.” She lifted the rose into the air as if she were holding a sword charging in for battle.
“That’s the plan, baby.” He glanced at her as he turned out of the castle drive. “Just try and stay awake until we get there.”
Chapter Fifteen
She’d fallen asleep in the SUV, just like Duncan figured she might. He carried her inside and tucked her in before climbing in the bed next to her and falling asleep with her in his arms.
He was getting used to having her there, wanting her there. When he woke the next morning, he lay awake in the bed and tried to burn the feeling and the memory in his mind. She was leaving the morning after the wedding. He’d thought it would be easy to watch her go, now not so much. His heart clenched just thinking about kissing her goodbye for the last time. He was crazy for even asking her to stay, but the thought kept crossing his mind more and more, as her time was fleeting.
They hadn’t known each other long, but maybe she would agree to a while longer if he asked. She felt too right in his arms, too right in his life to not give them a chance to see where things went.
Duncan kissed her forehead, slid out of bed, and got dressed. As he was putting on his watch, he spotted the locket on his dresser. The one he’d been too occupied to figure out. He picked it up and took it into the kitchen. He’d started a pot of coffee when he heard the shower in the bedroom start. She was up. A smile split his lips just as the coffee started to brew.
It was going to be a good day. The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard the persistent knocking on the door.
He pulled it open to find his mother standing on the other side. “Well, donae just stand there.” She patted his arm and pushed her way in.
“Mother. Why donae you come in?” he said sarcastically and shut the door behind her.
His mother tossed a newspaper on the table. It was a picture of Duncan kissing Alice outside the dress shop. “Duncan. You are a McNally, and it’s high time you started acting like one.”
“Are you no’ being a little overly dramatic, Mother? It’s one picture of Alice and me kissing.”
“Alice? How very American.”
“Well, she is, so it suits her.”
She gasped. “Donae get fresh with me, young man.”
“I wouldnae dream of it, Mother. Can this conversation wait until after I’ve had my coffee?”
“When are you going to grow up, Duncan?”
“I have grown up, Mother. This is the life I’ve chosen. Alice is who I’ve chosen. There is nothing you or anyone else can say to make me change my mind.”
“She has no title, Duncan, and here I thought all this time that it was going to be Celeste that puts me in an early grave. Your grandfather is probably rolling over in his grave.”
“My grandfather was never sober enough to care,” Duncan said, pouring his cup of coffee. He took it black, and the way his mother was acting, he was going to need the pure unadulterated brew. “I care about her, Mother.”
“Do you love her?”
“I’ve only known her a week.”
“You’re acting like a child with a new toy, Duncan. We taught you better than this.”
Alice stepped out of the room. Duncan could tell by the look on her face that she’d overheard the entire conversation.
“Duncan has been nothing but kind and compassionate to the people of this town. He’s gone out of his way to help everyone with no strings attached, no matter what country they’re from. Instead of scolding him, you should be proud of the man he’s become. He hasn’t done anything to prove otherwise. He is a good man.”
Duncan’s heart expanded in that moment. No other woman had ever stood up to his mother, especially not to fight about Duncan’s character.
“Do you know who I am?” his mother asked, holding her hand to her chest.
“Yes, ma’am, and I mean no disrespect. I care about Duncan, and I promise you that I have no intention of ruining his possible future, whatever that may be.”
Duncan held Alice’s gaze as he answered his mother’s previous question. “Aye, Mother. You asked me if I love her. The answer is yes.”
Alice’s mouth parted and she stared back at him with shock. A smile slipped on his lips before he broke the connection with Alice to face his mother. “So, you do whatever needs to be done to come to terms with the fact that your son loves an American who’s a psychic. She’s got more class in her pinky than anyone you could hope to pair me with, and I’m going to do everything in my power to talk her into staying to see where things go. If she decides to go back, then you can bet I’ll follow. I’m not ready to give up on her or what we could be together.”
“Even if that means that I disown you and cut you out of the will and your entitlements?”
“Regardless of what you do, I will still want this. I’ll still want to explore a relationship with her. Nothing you say will change my choice.” He lifted his brow.
“How do you know you love her?”
“Lots of reasons. She beat me at darts.”
His mother rolled her eyes. “I can beat you at darts, son.”
“She found a lost boy when no one believed her. She’d do anything to help her friends in need. She even forgave me when she had no reason to trust me again. She’s not some little American with no title, Mother. She has a title as the woman your son loves. That should be enough for you, because it’s more than enough for me.”
“Are you telling me that you’re going to marry her?”
Duncan grinned. “I could spend the rest of my life trying to prove I’m the man she believes me to be. I’m sure eventually, one day, if not today, that I’ll wear her down and she’ll wear my ring and our plaid.”
“You’re cocky,” Alice said and grinned.
“Confident.” He kissed her. “Stay with me after the wedding, or take me back with you.”
She held his cheeks in her palms. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy for you.” He lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he held her gaze. “Go get your shower while I see my mother out. I have a busy day of trying to get you to agree to be crazy with me.”
Alice’s smile widened, and she nodded. She turned to leave and paused, turning back to his mother. “I’ll make him wait a year before I say yes. That way we can see if he can tolerate my bad habits.” She glanced at Duncan. “I can forget to put the toothpaste cap back on.”
“I’m looking forward to learning every one of those bad habits, lass.”
Alice turned and left the room.
Duncan laid his palms on his mother’s arms. “Mother, stay for the wedding and get to know her. I promise you’ll love her too.”
“She’s opinionated and strong willed.” His mother lifted her brow.
“So are you,” he teased. “That’s probably why I’ve fallen for her.”
“Fine,” his mother said with a huff. “I’ll stay for Lord Daniel’s wedding, but I cannae promise anything else.”
“That’s all I ask.” He kissed her forehead and walked her to the door. “See you tomorrow, Mom.”
“Duncan,” she said after walking out the door and pausing. “Don’t make the mistake of getting that girl pregnant until you two have been legally wed.”
“Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t embarrass you.”
She rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. Duncan watched as her driver opened the back door to the Town Car and she disappeared inside.
“Did you mean it?” Alice asked from behind him.
“I did.” He smiled and shut the front door before taking her into his arms. “Did you?”
She grinned. “Everything but the toothpaste cap. I’m very OCD about that.”
He chuckled, and her eyes sparkled.
She took his hand and steered him toward the bedroom. “Come on, I’m wasting hot water.”
He pulled her to a stop and pressed a kiss to her lips. “No, today you shower alone. If I shower with you, we’ll never leave the house, and there are some places I want to take you.”
“Fine,” she said on a huff. “But it better be worth not showering with me.”
“It is to me.” He smacked her ass.
Duncan walked back into the kitchen before he could change his mind and they wasted a full day in bed. Not that he’d mind, but if he was going to convince her to stay, he had to show her the beauty that Scotland had to offer, and not just the death that she’d resigned to figuring out when she’d arrived.
Chapter Sixteen
He fixed his coffee and was on his second cup while standing at the counter trying to figure out what might have been so special about Regina’s locket. There was nothing written on it, the picture inside was grainy at best, and it didn’t even look like real silver but plated.
“Whatcha doing?” Alice asked as she grabbed a coffee cup and the pot and poured herself a cup.
“Trying to figure out why someone would want this.”
“Do you think that is what they were looking for when they ransacked my room?”
“Aye, I just cannae figure out why Regina would tell her dad that it’s the answers to her prayers.”
She slipped it from his fingers. “That’s easy because you’re looking like a man.”
She grabbed a knife from the counter and pried out the piece of the locket that was holding the picture in place. She used her nails to slip the picture out and hidden in the compartment behind it was a small slip of folded paper with writing on it.
He opened it, and his eyes widened and his mouth parted. “Oh my.”
She took it from him and looked. “I don’t understand.”
“This is the name of a bank. Below it looks like an account number.”
“You have a computer?” she asked. “We can look it up.”
“How? We donae know the password.”
Alice sighed. “You’re thinking like a man. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to click forgot password and it will prompt us with a security question. We’ll just need to figure out the answer to access it.”
Duncan grabbed his computer and had logged in for her to pull up the site when his phone rang. He grabbed it. “McNally.”
“Duncan, is Alice with you?”
“Aye, Daniel. What’s up?”
“Put me on speaker.”
Duncan hit the speaker button. “You’re on and we can both hear you.”
“The constable just called. They’ve finished the autopsy and forensics on Regina’s body.”
“And what did they find?” Duncan asked.
“Hair fibers on Regina’s clothes.”
“Were they Kent’s, like you suspected?” Alice asked.
“The fibers, aye, but the fingerprints on the tomb were not.”
“Who’s were they?” Duncan asked and met Alice’s worried look.
“They donae know. It was no one in their system.”
“Well, that’s not good. It means you still donae know who hid her body in there.”
Alice turned back to the computer and hit the button for forgotten password, and there was no security question, just a message that said they’d email a password reset. “Well, that was a bust.”
“Stay vigilant, my friend,” Daniel said.
“We will.” He disconnected the phone.
She turned off the computer and pulled out her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking a picture of the account numbers and information should this slip of paper get lost or, God forbid, destroyed when we take this to the authorities.”
“That wasnae on our agenda,” he said, kissing her cheek. “But I guess it disnae matter now. I’d planned to show you the countryside via horseback, but with Kent still missing, and a new set of prints, I donae think it wise. We should probably stay in town.”
She picked up her coffee and headed into the living room. “Sounds perfect to me,” she said, picking up the remote and clicking on his TV. She patted the space beside her and waited for him to sit before snuggling into his side.
“Movies or sports?”
“Sports.”
She turned her head to look up at him. “Me too. I love men running around in tight uniforms.”
He chuckled and pulled the blanket down over her. He could become addicted to downtime like this, and seeing her so relaxed.
“What kind of movies do you like? Thriller or comedy.”
“Are they no’ the same? Some of those slasher films are comical.”
“I know, right.” She turned her head, and he lowered his lips and kissed her.
“You and I are going to get along just fine.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy, talking, laughing, and getting to know each other on a more intimate level that didn’t include the bedroom. Duncan had called the constable and told him what they’d found, and he’d personally came out to the cottage to get the necklace and the slip of paper before they were left alone again.
Later in the evening, Alice and Duncan were in the kitchen preparing dinner together when Alice blurted out, “What ar
e you going to do if your mother disowns you?”
Duncan bumped her shoulder as they prepared salads to go with the pasta already in the oven. “I’ll be fine.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll be fine. I make a decent living, and I can support us both if I ever talk you into staying long term.”
“I don’t need your money, Duncan. I can support us, but she’s your family. You can’t just toss that to the side and forget,” Alice said, dropping the tomatoes into the salad bowl.
“I’m no’ forgetting or abandoning her. She should respect my wishes, and those include you.”
“Do you think she’s right? Do you think we’re moving too fast? She has a valid concern. We just met.”
Duncan wiped his hands on a rag and turned her to look at him. “I’m no’ asking you to marry me, yet. I’m just asking you to give us a shot. Donae end things before they get going.”
“You told your mother you love me.”
“I know what’s in my heart, Alice. And it’s telling me not to let you go. That you and I are meant to be.”
“I like you, a lot, but I can’t say it back. Not yet.” She lowered her head.
He lifted her chin and held her gaze. Sorrow and disappointment were in her eyes, but he knew it was directed at herself and not him. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready. I’m only asking that you give us time to see if one day you will, and then I can tell you and our children that I told you first, since you’ll be bragging that you beat me in darts.”
She smacked his abs. “You’re crazy.”
“I am.” He lowered his head, giving her a quick kiss. “Crazy hungry. Let’s finish this salad.”
They ate dinner and retired to the bedroom, where they spent the rest of the night making love.
Chapter Seventeen
Alice was fixing Cassie’s veil as Gwen and Violet stared down from a window in the room that Alice had originally occupied, when she first arrived.
“That is a lot of hairy legs,” Violet said.
“I know. Isn’t it great? Now we just need the wind to pick up,” Gwen said, bumping her shoulder.
