Always and Forever (10 page)

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Thaddeus grew serious. "Katherine is a cold fish, Arch, and she'll never warm to you. Before you make the second biggest mistake of your life and marry another hag, let yourself get to know Quinn. I know it was your father's voice in your head when you picked Katherine but you know better than anyone the kind of man your father was. Choose for yourself, Arch, choose someone who even if you had your lifetime to do over, you'd still pick her. I know I ask a great deal but think about it."

Archer didn't reply but Thaddeus knew he acquiesced and in the hall just beyond, a smiling Quinn made her way back up to her room.

The following morning Quinn collected Nickie from the nursery and planned to work with him on reading and math in his school room but after seeing the dreary room she decided to conduct the lessons outside. Nickie was a very eager student and before Quinn knew it half of the day was over. She closed the primer and placed it on her lap before turning her full attention to him.

"How would you like to pack a lunch and go fishing in the river?"

"Oh, yes, could we?"

"Absolutely. Let's put your books inside and then we'll see if we can get Cook to pack us something tasty."

A little while later Quinn and Nickie sat on the river's edge with fishing rods in hand. Quinn had removed her shoes and stockings so she could dip her feet in the water.

"It's beautiful here," she said mostly to herself but Nickie responded anyway.

"I've never fished in the river before."

Quinn looked at him incredulously. "Never? Your father never brought you?"

Nickie's little head lowered before he answered, "No."

Regardless of the warm feelings burning through Quinn for Archer Scarcliff after eavesdropping on his conversation last night, she couldn't deny the disappointment Nickie's words caused. She reached over and covered his hand with her own.

"Maybe we should ask him to join us one of these days?" she pondered.

The light that filled his little eyes almost broke Quinn's heart but as quickly as it flashed, it faded again.

"He won't. He's very busy."

"I think he can find the time to share an hour or two with his son." Even if he didn't agree, she would drag him to the river by his hair if necessary. The visual of that brought a smile to her lips.

As the sun moved across the afternoon sky, Quinn found herself humming. There was nothing she liked more than jamming to tunes on her iPod.

"What is that you're humming?"

It was, in fact,
AM Radio
from Everclear and Quinn told him as much.

"Sing it for me?" Nickie begged.

Quinn looked around her to make sure they were alone since most of the words in the song would make absolutely no sense to anyone living in this time. In fact, eavesdroppers would be more inclined to believe she was speaking in tongues.

"Okay."

Quinn started singing softly but anyone who had ever heard
AM Radio
knew it wasn't a very soft song. The more the beat took over, the more you just wanted to get up and dance: which was exactly the sight that greeted Archer and Thaddeus when they appeared, drawn to the boisterous singing.

Quinn was singing to Nickie, holding a "microphone" stick to her mouth, while he wailed with laughter. And when she wasn't singing into the stick, her hips, hands and head were shaking wildly. For Archer, it was both the oddest and most erotic thing he had ever seen. He wanted to put his hands on those hips and pull her up against him while he buried his face in her hair. He wanted to kiss her: wanted to feel as her lips molded to his. He shook his head to clear it before he called Quinn's name and if his voice sounded harsher than normal, well, he couldn't help that.

"What are you doing?" he insisted.

Quinn immediately stopped singing and stood straight up realizing with embarrassment that Archer and Thaddeus had been watching her. Archer looked pained which was completely unfair since she had quite a good voice. And Thaddeus was not even attempting to cover his laughter. She started to speak when she realized she was still holding the stick to her mouth so she quickly dropped it and innocently clasped her hands behind her back.

"Singing lessons," she explained which only made Thaddeus laugh louder. Archer said nothing, only continued to stare at her with that odd pained look.

"Well, instead of spying, why don't you two come and join us?" she asked.

This suggestion was met with blank looks causing Quinn to roll her eyes as she added, "Rather than catching flies with those open mouths of yours, how about catching some fish?"

Nickie literally rolled off his rock in a fit of laughter. Thaddeus was the first to recover as he stumbled toward them.

"I'd love to throw in a line. How about you, Arch?" Archer knew he had a thousand things to do and the idea of wasting his day away doing something as unproductive as sitting by the river where he most likely wasn't going to catch anything was ridiculous so he was just as shocked as everyone else when he replied, "I'd like that."

Nickie stopped laughing and looked at his father with intense love and gratitude. Quinn's heart warmed watching Nickie help his father set up his line because though Archer clearly knew how to do it, he listened closely and took instruction graciously from his son. After all the lines were cast, Quinn looked over at Nickie. When she finally caught his eye, her breath stilled at the expression of pure love and contentment staring back at her.

Quinn was on her way to the library to locate the household journals that Mrs. Hamston had told her about. She was very interested in the accounting for such a grand estate and didn't want to disturb Archer with her questions. She was only halfway to the library when she heard her name being called. She turned to see Archer making his way towards her.

"Miss Shaughnessy."

"Please call me 'Quinn'."

A slight smile touched his lips as he replied, "Quinn, Mrs. Hamston mentioned you were interested in reviewing the household journals. If you would prefer, I could show you how an estate like this is run."

Quinn was speechless for a moment because Archer had been thinking about her and even sought her out. She was delighted by this turn of events and even more excited about the look on his face because there was that familiar warmth there that she had seen before. More surprising was her reaction to it: she felt lightheaded. She realized by the smile that pulled on only the one side of his mouth, that she had yet to answer him. "I would like that very much," she barely whispered.

"Excellent. We can start in my study." He seemed to hesitate a moment before he reached for her hand and as soon as they touched, they both stilled at the heat of their contact: a heat that burned in an astounding way. She looked up at him to find he was watching her with an expression that matched her own, he was smitten too. The sound of one of the maids scurrying down the hall ended their moment and wordlessly they started toward his study.

He detailed every aspect of his estate, from the farming to the investments. He even explained how disputes were settled among his tenants. After their time in his study, he took her for a tour of the grounds and what an experience to see the place through the eyes of the man who had envisioned it. He was so animated when he spoke and in seeing him like this Quinn realized what she felt for him was more than simple attraction. She knew she was in serious trouble of losing her heart and that thought terrified her because she knew all too well that there could never be a future for them.

Archer took her to visit some of his tenants and while he discussed concerns with the men, the wives treated her to sweet cakes and tea. She watched as he interacted and though he was the Earl, he was kind and fair. He listened, he didn't decree, and he was humble enough to not believe that his way was the right way. There was no denying the respect, and even affection, that his people had for him. It was this thought that had Quinn more determined than ever to learn what happened here because in the future, the townspeople feared Whispering Winds and all its inhabitants.

They ended the day walking along the river's edge. Archer's head was down as they walked along. He couldn't recall enjoying a day more and he knew it was all because of the woman walking at his side. There was something about her that called to him, like a perfect memory being remembered.

Then she spoke. "It's beautiful. You have created a wonderful home here even despite its size. It is a happy, comfortable home. You must be very proud."

He stopped walking which made Quinn stop and turn to him. His voice was so soft making his words seem even more meaningful: "Never more so than at this moment."

It wasn't a conscious action when he ran his finger down along the line of her jaw; he just needed to touch her. When he moved his focus to her face, he saw what he had hoped to see. She felt it, too. It took a great deal of willpower to keep from pulling her into his arms and kissing her as he longed to do. He couldn't, at least not until he handled Katherine, so with regret he instead reached for her hand and pulled it through his arm.

"I should get you back," he stammered.

"Thank you for the tour," she replied crestfallen.

"It was truly my pleasure."

Later, while Lady Danvers and Katherine dressed for dinner, Quinn sat in the music room before the harpsichord playing feverishly lost in the music. She played works from some of the greatest composers the world has ever known though in this time they had yet to be born. She was in the middle of Mozart's
Sonata in G
when Archer appeared in the doorway. She quickly pulled her hands from the keys.

"Please don't stop," his voice was just barely over a whisper but there was that warmth to it that stirred Quinn's blood. Her fingers found their keys as she took up the melody from where she left off. The last note of the piece faded into silence and Quinn turned to see Archer watching her with a look of longing so powerful it had her heart flipping over in her chest. He started towards her, those green eyes burning into hers, and he moved like a man who had no control over his body. Quinn was held spellbound by him so she didn't even realize that she had risen from the bench to move just to the side of it. He was so close that she only needed to reach out for him and she'd be touching him and then the spell was broken by Katherine's voice echoing from down the hall. Archer stopped, looking almost confused as to how he came to be standing so close to her while Quinn remained perfectly still as she fought her need for him knowing it was wrong.

"Excuse me," she whispered before she started from the room but his soft voice stopped her.

"Instead of running, will you take a walk with me tomorrow morning?"

She knew she should say 'no' because of the look in his eyes and she tried, really she did, but when she answered it wasn't 'no' that left her lips.

"Yes." And before another word could be spoken, she slipped from the room.

Sleep didn't come easily for Quinn since she spent the entire night replaying her time with Archer in the music room -- remembering the look on his face. He wanted her -- there was no doubt about that -- but he was already pledged to another and even though it wasn't a love match, Archer was an honorable man and had to stand by his choice.