by Alexia Praks
"How crazy can it get?"
She took a sip as she turned to look at him. "Are you really going to help me?"
Alec smiled, with a knowing look. She hurriedly put the wine glass on the Maltese table and rushed over to him. "Oh, thank you, Alec." She hugged him and kissed him three times on the cheek.
Alec could smell white grape from the wine as she kissed him. That aroma mixed with her strong Dior rose perfume was quite intoxicating.
"I don't know if it will work, but you've seen her."
"Go on."
"I just want to separate them, Alec. I want Brian to stay with me for a couple of weeks--just me and him, getting to know each other. Then he might find that he still loves me after all; and eventually believe that I can still be a perfect wife for him."
"How do you propose we do that?"
"Well, I was thinking that if I were to go to his castle in Scotland, instead of that girl, then--" She hesitated, staring at his blue shirt collar.
"You're saying you will switch places with this girl?" he asked, nodding at the picture on the screen of the BlackBerry. "And what about the girl?"
"Well," she started, touching his dark brown hair that was long overdue for a cut. "That's where you come in."
"Me?" He raised his shapely eyebrows.
"Mm."
"How?"
"You will have to take her far away, somewhere that Brian would never think to look for her, or worry that she might be missing. He would probably go looking for her if she goes missing."
"I'm sure her family or close friends would know if she were missing."
"Oh no, that would never happen."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Because she's alone. We were talking at the restaurant. She said she's from the south island of some country. She's here on holiday. She doesn't know anybody, except for Brian. So you see? It will be all right."
"If this plan of yours is to succeed, where do you suppose I should take her?"
She raised her eyebrows, deep in thought for a moment. Then she said, "To one of your estates, of course. What about Hasting Manor in Scotland?"
"You want me to take her to Hasting Manor? Brian will be in Scotland."
"But he would never think to look for her there, would he? I mean, it's not like she knows Scotland."
"Susan, I just want you to be happy. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Susan smiled and said, "Of course."
Alec nodded. Again, he glanced at the photo, a half smile on his face.
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
Ruby was thrilled at the very thought she'd be staying in a castle that was hundreds of years old. Just imagine, and all thanks to the handsome Brian McArthur--the man she was hopelessly infatuated with. Grinning like an idiot, she started imagining them spending time together. Suddenly, a silly scene conjured images in her head. In the morning, after their wonderful breakfast, they'd be going out for long walks in the woods, enjoying the breeze, the sun, and the beautiful scenery. She'd sprain her ankle in due course, and he'd carry her back to the castle. Ruby had to giggle at that thought, just imagining her small arms wrapped around his neck. In the evening, they'd have a private dinner under the candlelight, chatting about stupid things and getting to know each other. The next day, they'd have a picnic in the large garden, while chatting and laughing. The possibilities were endless, and she shivered deliciously.
She bolted up suddenly as a very important thought struck her. Rushing off the bed, she grabbed her suitcase.
What should she wear when she arrives? A dress, perhaps? Gosh, she wanted to look good for him. She hardly ever wore dresses because of the unpredictable weather back in Dunedin, New Zealand. Four seasons in a day, they always say; as it would be sunny in the morning, rain in the afternoon, hail in the evening, and then sunny again with a bitter, cold wind.
She unzipped the suitcase and raided the contents. Suddenly, her cell phone did a ding-dang-dong.
"Wonder who it is," she murmured as she reached over the bed and grabbed the phone. She flipped it open and saw she had a message from Alex. It said: Hey, Rub, hwz ur big OE so far? U free? Can we chat on fb?
Ruby bit her lip in excitement. Finally, she was able to have a wee chat with her friend. She quickly texted back an emphatic "yes" and jumped on the computer that came with the internet connection in her motel room. She logged onto Facebook and started chatting.
RUBY: Hey, Alex, how's things? You're not having a great deal of morning sickness, are you?
ALEX: Hey, you. Nah, not really. Aren't I lucky?
RUBY: Well, good for you.
ALEX: LOL! I knw. So who's the guy?
RUBY: Wot guy?!
ALEX: The guy you're seeing in the UK?
RUBY: Oh that Nikita! She just can't keep her mouth shut. Don't be silly. He's just a friend who is kind enough to show me around.
ALEX: Oohlala ... He's British, eh? Very nice. Hope to meet him when we're there.
RUBY: Maybe. LOL! Anyways, I'm in Edinburgh now and off to see a grand castle tomorrow.
ALEX: Lucky you. I knw u really like that type of stuff so enjoy, aye?
RUBY: I will. So when will you be here?
ALEX: In three weeks from today. You will be back in London by then, right?
RUBY: Yes. Staying in Scotland for one week then to Ireland, France and Rome. Then back to England before flying home. Just in time to see you, eh?
ALEX: Very good. Anyways, got to go. Jay is nagging me.
RUBY: LOL! Bye then.
ALEX: Bye, see ya soon.
Ruby logged off, grinning from ear to ear. She just couldn't believe it. Alexandra Stewart--that shy girl--managed to get herself a real hunky man and now there was a baby in tow.
She threw herself on the large bed and laughed. She just couldn't believe it. Suddenly, she bolted up, realizing she had something else to do. Now what was it? Ah yes, finding a cute dress to wear.
She scrambled toward the suitcase and continued her search until she found one she thought might be perfect. It was the one Brian helped her pick out in one of those stores on Bond Street. It looked wonderful on her when she tried it on. Brian himself even whistled as she reluctantly and shyly came out of the dressing room, encouraged by his persistent urging. No man ever whistled at her before, and when he did so, he meant it as a compliment, which caused her heart to soar with happiness.
The dress, however, was too expensive for her. She was about to walk away when Brian insisted that he buy it for her. She refused at first, but he persisted and said if she wanted to repay him, she could allow him to entertain her at his castle in Scotland.
She nearly fainted then. Such a grand invitation was hard to refuse. It would be stupid and unthinkable on her part to spend a large portion of her savings coming all the way to Britain, and never getting to stay in a castle--especially of the type she always dreamt for so long, ever since she was a little girl, and her childhood friend, Alec, described and drew his mansion for her.
Ruby picked up the day dress and excitedly rushed into the bathroom. She slipped the soft material over her warm skin, savoring the touch of the cool fabric. After smoothing it over her slim body, she thought she looked rather nice. The olive-green empire dress had short sleeves with a round neckline, and the length of the skirt reached down to just above her knees, showing off her shapely legs. Perfect! To complete her look, she put on a nude pink lip-gloss before brushing her long, dark tresses.
One thing about Ruby was her lack of concern when it came to fashion; yet she always managed to look quite pretty in her own way. She thought it was quite amazing Brian was falling in love with a half-Asian woman like her. To be honest, she looked almost pure Cambodian except for her very fair skin. Her hair was shiny black, her nose straight, her lips plump, just like her mother and four other sisters. Her dark eyebrows were thick, and perfectly arched above her slightly slanted dark brown eyes, and her cheeks were always rosy.
She studied herself in the mirror, i
magining Brian's delight when he saw her.
The sudden, loud ringing of the motel phone jolted her back to reality.
Oh damn! Who could that be?
She rushed back to the bedroom and snapped up the receiver. "Hello? Ruby speaking."
"'Allo, this is r'ception. Yer ride's 'ere."
Ruby blinked, finding it hard to understand the regional accent in Scotland. The brogue was quite thick.
"I'm sorry, what ride is that?"
"There's a man 'ere, said 'e's takin' ya to the Highlands. Will ya be checkin' out today?"
Ruby widened her eyes in surprise. Was Brian's castle up in the Highlands? She didn't remember him telling her that, as she turned her attention back to the phone. "Yes, but not today."
"Oh, I see. Could ya 'old the line fer a sec?"
Ruby waited while the woman on the other end mumbled inaudibly. A moment later, she said, "Ya still there?"
"Yes."
"'E said there must be some misunderstandin'. "E's supposed ta take ya up today, this afternoon."
"Oh, I see," Ruby replied. "There must be some kind of misunderstanding on my part then. I thought it was in two days time. Please tell him to wait there. I will be as quick as I can. I'll just pack up first before I check out. Thank you."
"I'll tell 'im then. Bye."
"Bye," Ruby said as she hung up. Oh, God! She took a shaky breath and ran her fingers through her long hair. "No time to think," she said, rushing off to the bathroom. She gathered all her belongings, then flew back and dumped them into her suitcase, before zipping it up. She quickly tidied the bed and found her sandals. Luckily, she was an organized person, always putting her things back into her suitcase after she finished using them, so her packing didn't take very long.
She shoved her sandals on, took one last scan around the room to make sure she hadn't missed anything, and left, dragging her large suitcase behind her.
Awkwardly, she ran toward the main building and struggled into the reception area with her suitcase in tow. As she came in, the first thing she noticed was the man standing near the front desk. He was very masculine and tall, dressed in jeans and T-shirt. His clothing fitted him so perfectly, she could, even from the distance, see the shape of his hard, muscular body. She involuntary shivered in response.
Was he watching her? She couldn't tell because he was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. Try as she might, she couldn't ignore him. He was so masculine and dominant.
She nervously walked toward the front desk. As she did so, she could feel his eyes on her. She stopped at the counter and smiled pleasantly at the receptionist, the woman whom, she assumed, she spoke to on the phone just moments before.
"Hi, I'm checking out, thanks."
The receptionist glanced at her for the briefest of seconds. She took out some papers, did some number punching on the keyboard, glanced at the hunky man standing near the desk, smiled sweetly at him, fluttered her non-existent lashes a few times at him, and did more number punching.
"'Ave ya got yer credit card?"
Ruby could only understand the words "credit card." The rest sounded like a mumble of incoherent noises to her. She nodded and took out her wallet from her handbag, swiping the card on the machine.
"Thank ya. Would ya like yer receipt?" the receptionist asked, glancing at the man.
"Yes, thanks," Ruby said, taking the receipt.
"That's yer man there," the receptionist said.
"I'm sorry?"
"The man I phoned ya 'bout. That's 'im."
"Oh." Ruby turned and scanned the room, purposely bypassing the hunky stranger with his arms folded across his chest. She did that for two reasons: a) because he was too handsome for her to handle having eye contact with; and b) because she really couldn't believe a gorgeous stranger like that man--the type who looked like he was on top of the world and could even own the world--might possibly be her driver.
Taking a good look around the room, she saw no one else, and turned back to the receptionist. The woman raised an eyebrow at her, and Ruby knew what she was thinking.
Really, how any woman could miss a man as outrageously handsome as this one in such a small room, not to mention, he's the only male in here, was beyond her.
Ruby knew the woman must have thought she was either blind or a lesbian.
Lesbian--she was not! But blind, perhaps just a bit, since she was shortsighted and could not see without her glasses or contact lenses on. Somehow, the stranger reminded her of the kind Scotsman who helped her in the airplane. She had to admit, however, she never really got a proper look at him either, and of course, being so sick and worried about her condition, eyeing up a handsome stranger was hardly foremost in her mind. But somehow, he had the same effect on her. She felt a sense of safety and excitement; that was also mysterious and forbidden.
The receptionist nodded her head toward the stranger, and Ruby got breathless just looking at him. He was so tall that she had to tilt her head to view at him entirely. She cleared her throat and said, "You're here to take me to Brian?"
He abruptly stepped forward, causing her to jump, as he grabbed her suitcase and strode out the door.
Ruby frowned, wondering if she would be safe in the car with him. But seeing as he was Brian's man, that had to mean she could trust him. The problem arose when she suddenly sensed a nagging feeling, which told her something wasn't right. She realized she hadn't seen his eyes yet. Eyes, being the windows to the soul, told a lot about a person.
He didn't smile or say hello either. Most taxi drivers back home would have had the common courtesy to say hello when you met them, or entered their cars.
Outside, she found him putting her suitcase into the boot of the car. She walked over to him and said, "It's not a taxi car."
He slammed the boot shut and strolled to the passenger side. "Nay, it's not," he said, opening the door for her.
She could understand him! Ruby had to blink at that revelation. His voice was deep and resonated with a deliciously nice Scottish brogue. She felt a delightful tremor rushing through her body. Then she remembered the Scotsman back in the plane who had a similar voice to this man; and she wondered if she were going mad for thinking they could be the same person. How could they be? This man worked for Brian as a driver. The handsome Scotsman? Well, she didn't know what he did, but he certainly was not a driver.
She studied the way his large, strong hand touched the car's door as well as his confident stance, indicating to her that no amount of arguing or persuasion would hinder his intent. What? Such strong power from a mere driver?
She moved towards the car; and once she was seated, he shut the door. As she pulled on the seatbelt, she glimpsed him strolling back into the motel reception. A moment later, he returned and slid into the driver's seat before starting the engine.
"How long will it take?" she asked, staring at the side of his strong, firm jaw.
"Not too long."
"Thanks," she said, wanting to add, for not telling me anything. She turned to look out the side window, wondering why Brian didn't come to get her himself.
The car smoothly pulled out of the parking lot and into the busy streets. Ruby was lost in her thoughts as the car drove out of Edinburgh, and not long afterward, into the peaceful countryside.
She was fascinated. The rural scenery seemed mystical or like something almost untouchable as she watched it pass by. She found it not much different from New Zealand after all. There were green rolling hills upon green rolling hills, and forests thick with pine trees.
Her mind switched to Brian. Perhaps it was meant to be. She and Brian first met only six months before, when he came down to New Zealand for a holiday. Of all the things he needed to do, the most important was to get a dental check-up.
"It's been over six months since my last dental appointment," he explained. Ruby always admired guys who had good dental hygiene, and after treating him, she confirmed that he was such a man, since his teeth were perfect. After that, he asked her o
ut a couple of times before they exchanged contact details. When she mentioned visiting the UK six months later, he came to her rescue.
"Are you thirsty?"
Ruby glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the driver's dark sunglasses staring at her.
"How much longer will it be?" she asked, already losing track of time.
"Are you thirsty?"
He was very good at ignoring her questions. "Yes, I'm thirsty."
A few minutes later, he drove into a sleepy village. As the car slowed down, Ruby got excited. She pushed the automatic button to turn down the window and popped her head out to look around. There were historic cottages like the ones in Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, the TV mystery series, which she and her three best friends really loved. It was like a dream for her to actually be here and see them for real.
He parked the car near what looked like a convenience store and got out. She stepped out to stretch her aching legs; and when he disappeared into the shop, she took a short stroll to the small park.
She loved the peaceful scenery, the gentle breeze, and the historic village. She loved everything about the place. She breathed in the fresh, sweet air and stretched out her arms. She smiled and closed her eyes, offering her fair face for the sun to kiss. When she fluttered her eyes open again, she saw him watching her. At least, she thought he was watching her. Those damn sunglasses.
She rushed back and got into the car. He slid in and offered her a bottle of water.
"Thanks," she said, noticing that he had already removed the lid for her. How very thoughtful of him. She took a sip as he drove out.
"The sun's nice today. Is it always so nice at this time of the year around here?" she asked as a way to make conversation.
No reply.
She took another sip. Fine, if he didn't want to talk, that was fine with her. Better yet, she could get back to her daydreaming about Brian.
Another sip.
She started to feel sleepy. Uh-ho! She hoped that damn fever she endured on the plane didn't come back to strike her now. She tried to keep her eyes open, but it was very hard. She was not tired, so why this sleepiness now? She glanced at him, and saw him watching her through the rearview mirror.
She frowned. "So tired," she murmured to herself in confusion before blacking out.
