Rogue's Challenge (22 page)

"Ian, come have a look at your godchildren,” Tuck said.

Ian moved on unsteady legs to the opposite side of the bed. “They are beautiful, Amelia.” He glanced at Colin. “'Tis a lucky happenstance that they did not take after their father."

Colin shot him a half-hearted glare, but there was little that could touch the immense joy emanating from him. Not even a teasing comment.

"You'd best watch yourself, Sassenach. My son will put you tae shame in the lists when he's of age."

"You'd better not be thinking that our daughter won't be allowed in the lists, MacLean,” Amelia said.

Colin chuckled. “Nay, mavourneen. She will have the entire keep wrapped around her finger. I've no doubt of it."

Ian turned his attention back to the babes. He'd held his half-sister's child once, the only member of his family who cared for him, and had been more than proud to be an uncle. Her husband had not been quite as congenial as his sister, placing a pall on the entire affair, but this was something different. His dearest friends were now parents and had chosen him to be the children's godfather. He could not be more proud. Nor could he deny the painful longing burning in his chest.

His gaze turned to Jenny sitting quietly by the fire. His child, his babe was nestled in his love's womb not but a few feet from where he sat. And he could not make them his.

He'd never know the joy he'd seen on Colin's face. He would never know the joy of a woman's love, one whom he loved with all his heart and soul.

His eyes misted over with pain. She had said no, and he did not wish to renew the pain with another rejection. But she did carry his child and her fatigue was evident. She had at least given him some leave to take part in the child's well being while she remained in his time.

Ian cleared his throat and kissed Amelia on the forehead. “Congratulations, dear heart."

He moved across the room to where Jenny sat. “You should be abed,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet.

"I'm fine."

"You have dark circles under your eyes. ‘Tis obvious that the birthing has taxed you greatly. You should be resting."

"In a little while."

She started to move away, but he snagged her by the arm. “Nay. Now."

Her face flushed with annoyance. “I'm the doctor around here, and I say when I need to rest."

"And I am the father of our child, and I say you need to rest now."

Jenny gasped, while Colin, the unhelpful sod, chortled. Amelia, however, was not happy. “Ian Southernland, I am going to kill you,” she growled. “You promised—"

"I have asked for her hand, but she refuses me!” That took the anger from Amelia's face and replaced it with one of pure mystification.

"Jen?” Amelia asked.

"I won't marry him just because I'm pregnant,” she bit out tearfully, and looked at him. “You don't want to marry me. Not really."

"I do."

"No, you don't. You have scores of women to choose from, there's no logical reason to choose me."

Cupping her cheek, he leaned closer. “Love isn't logical."

"You don't love me. You just feel guilty,” she said, tears flowing down her cheeks as she ran from the room.

He should not have tried, but every time he saw her, caught a whiff of her scent on the air, he was lost.

"She's just confused, Ian,” Amelia said. “She'll come around, I'm sure of it."

He shook his head and cast her and Colin a grim smile. “Would that were true,” he said, and left the room.

He stood atop the castle for ages, ignoring the wind whipping at his clothes, chilling his body, but ‘twas nothing compared to the chill in his soul. She would never have him. She could not be convinced he would be true to her and only her. If he could only undo the past, but even then he feared the true cause of her rejection was not his past roguish ways. She did not love him, not in truth. Not as he loved her.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Jenny stared out the large window in the solar to the rolling hills, wondering if her heart would ever feel the same again.

"There you be,” Colin said. “Amelia wishes tae have a word with you."

"Tell her I'll check in later, Colin. I'm really not up to it right now."

He snagged her hand and dragged her from the room. “If you doona come with me now, my wife will be comin’ tae fetch you herself."

"But—"

"Now, in you go,” he said, shoving her into the room.

"Why you ever married that man will forever be a mystery,” she grumbled.

Tuck laughed. “We're a lot a like."

"No kidding,” she said, and flopped down into a chair. “Okay, present your arguments, your commiserations, your theories, and so forth so I can go to bed,” she lied. Bed was the last place she wanted to be. It reminded her of Ian and she found she couldn't sleep a wink in the blasted thing. Or maybe she just wouldn't ever sleep again. Not after today and that look on his face.

"He loves you,” Tuck said plainly.

Jenny shook her head. “No. He doesn't."

Tuck sighed. “Okay, so you want proof. He asked you to marry him."

"Because I'm pregnant."

"I don't believe that."

"Well, it isn't your place to believe or disbelieve,” she snapped. She leaned forward and rubbed her face. “I'm sorry, Tuck. I'm just tired."

"And in love."

She shook her head, but couldn't voice a denial.

"Jenny, not long after you got back, I asked him what was up between you too. After I set him straight on a few things, he admitted that his heart was involved. He was afraid you wouldn't
welcome his suit
, which I can only assume means a proposal. That, according to my count, was long before you figured out you were pregnant."

"What do you mean he was afraid?"

Tuck sighed and grinned. “The big dummy thought you'd be bothered by his status. He's got no lands, no title, and he's illegitimate.” Her grin faded. “I told him you didn't care about any of that. Was I wrong?"

Her head ached. “No, you weren't wrong.” She massaged her temples. “But that still doesn't mean—"

"Jenny, the man is in love with you. And you're in love with him. Don't blow this with some twisted logic. He swore to me he'd be faithful, and I for one, believe him."

"What if you're wrong?"

"Then you end up with a broken heart. But how is that any worse than the one you've got now?"

Jenny lifted her head, a small grin on her face. “You know that's almost logical."

"I do have my moments,” Tuck said with a snort.

"I'll think about it. Now get some rest. Doctor's orders."

"You too."

Jenny wandered the corridors until she found herself atop the castle over looking the loch, the setting sun sent yellow spears of light across the waters. The wind bit at her skin, but she paid no attention to it. Her brain was generating enough heat to throw off the seasons.

Did he really love her? Would he be faithful? Was she just letting her fears stop her from being happy? True he had played the field rather heavily, but not once since they'd met had he seemed interested in other women. There was that night in Edinburgh when he got drunk, however, but she had no proof he'd been with a woman. He's said he was with the peddler and the man did in fact show the next day.

But was he sincere? The same question she asked herself a million times when dealing with the opposite sex. She couldn't tell when they lied or not. It was beyond frustrating. But Tuck believed him. Colin trusted him. Elspeth adored him. Did he really want her?

Possibly. The odds were...

"To hell with the odds,” she grumbled. Sooner or later someone always won the lottery. Maybe it was her turn ... or not, but standing there wondering about it wasn't going to do her any good. The answers weren't floating in the loch.

With a newfound determination, she turned to the stairs, eager to find Ian, and came face to face with Vernon Cox.

"I'm glad to see you're in such a hurry,” he said, the gun pointing straight at her.

She eased back several steps.

He snickered. “I know there's no way off this roof but behind me, so you might as well give up.” Jenny didn't move. “It's time to go home and pay Daddy a visit."

Her brow furrowed. “Why? What is it you want, Vernon?"

"Only what's due me."

Jenny saw a shadow from the corner of her eye in the small alcove beside the stairway. “And what would that be,” she said, stalling him, hoping to heaven it wasn't Fiona or Elspeth, but one of the guards.

"My name belongs on EQ13!” He pounded his chest, his face red with rage. “I discovered it! Not you and not your father!"

"Really, Vernon, it's just a diet pill."

An unnatural laugh gurgled from his throat. “You're wrong."

She needed to change her strategy, insulting the man wasn't very smart. But then lately she didn't feel very smart about much of anything. “Um, I was under the impression you sold it to my father."

"He stole it! He tricked me into signing everything over to him!"

"I see, and you think that by kidnapping me, you can force him to tear up the contracts? Not likely, Vernon."

"He'll do more than that. Now that I've got a gateway to the past, I'll fix it so his entire empire belongs to me."

"Then you don't need me."

He grinned crookedly. “I need you to make the gateway work."

"Well that might be a problem. You see it only works on the Solstice and it only comes here,” she lied, having no idea if it went to other time periods. But she felt certain, even with Ian's rather interesting theories on the operation of the loops that it still only worked on the solstice.

"You're lying,” he hissed.

"I am afraid the lady is correct,” Ian said, stepping out of the alcove directly between her and Vernon. “She cannot make the portal work. And the next solstice is—"

"Five months, six days, sixteen hours, and twenty-nine minutes."

Ian cast her a grin. “Thank you, love. ‘Twould seem you have now begun to finish my sentences."

She shrugged with a small smile.

"No, you're both lying. You're just trying to trick me, like I did those stupid McKenzies."

Ian sighed. “Little man, you are sorely trying my patience. I do—not—lie,” he growled.

Jenny's heart flipped and tripped all over itself. No, Ian didn't lie. The outrageous flattery he showered on Elspeth and others was the closest thing to a lie to ever leave his lips, and even then there was always a bit of truth to them.

"No, you don't, do you?” she whispered, completely stunned that she hadn't seen the truth from the beginning.

Ian turned, blocking her from Vernon's view completely. “Nay, I do not. I have seen the immense pain a lie can inflict."

The image of him rushing toward her when Vernon had grabbed her at Tobor Morar, the look on his face when he'd laid her on the bed with a bullet hole in her leg, the many moments she'd had with him rushed before her mind's eye. He did not lie, which meant...

"Move, Southernland. I didn't tolerate the cold nights, the harsh work, a stinking cesspit of a dungeon, to let anything or anyone stand in my way."

She swallowed the burgeoning fear before it could take over her mind. “Ian. Step aside."

"Nay.” His gaze bored into hers. “I will not let him harm you."

"I'll shoot you. I swear I will,” Vernon said, his voice shaky.

Jenny shook her head, almost frantically, the fear of losing Ian now nearly overtaking her. “Ian, please. He won't hurt me. He needs me.” She took one wobbly step to the side, easing around him.

"Nay!” He spun around and threw himself at Vernon before she could take another step.

The gun went off and Jenny screamed. She rushed to Ian lying atop Vernon on the cold stone, neither of them moving. With quivering hands, she reached for Ian just as he rolled over. Blood covered his doublet and she fell to her knees beside him, her hands running over him frantically. Where was the cool calm doctor? Why couldn't she be who she needed to be?

"Nay, love. ‘Tis not my blood.” He caught her hands in his and pressed them to his chest. “I am unharmed."

Jenny's gaze slid to the side to Vernon's lifeless body then jumped back to Ian. The man had thrown himself into the line of fire for her. “You really do love me."

"Aye, love. With all my heart."

She shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks. “I'm so stupid."

He chuckled hoarsely. “Nay, just stubborn."

"Oh, Ian,” she cried, and buried her face against his neck, her body trembling.

"Take care of him, lads,” he said to the guards who'd come running at the sound of the shot. He climbed to his feet, lifting her into his arms, and hurried to her room.

Carefully, he placed her on the edge of the bed. She didn't know where the shaking came from, but she couldn't seem to stop.

"Here.” He pressed a cup to her lips and she sipped it.

She looked into his worried eyes, so blue, so beautiful, and he was hers. It seemed so incredibly impossible, but it was true. “I'm all right. It's just a little shock. Vernon—me—you. All this time I didn't see—I didn't believe. Oh, Ian. I'm so sorry I doubted you."

He nodded and ran his finger down the side of her cheek. “'Tis in the past, love. And your doubt was not completely unfounded. I do have a bit of a reputation,” he said with a rough chuckle. “But I have been thinking,” he said softly.

She smiled. “Dangerous occupation."

"Cheeky woman. You will not deter me from this,” he said with a grin. “I asked you to be my wife, but I fear I have not done so in a manner pleasing to your ears.” His smile fell as he studied their linked hands in her lap. “'Tis true that I have no prospects, no title, and am a bastard by birth. But I have ne'er lied to you, nor will I e'er be unfaithful. I love you, Jenny Maxwell, with all my heart. All my soul. So I ask you, once again, to consent to be my bride. If you do not love me, then I will ask no more.” He looked at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty. “Do you love me?"

"But I can't stay in this time,” she choked out.

"Then we shall go forward, backward, I care not which, as long as we are together. Do—you—love—me?"