Rogue's Challenge (3 page)
"Now, now, you two. No lover's spats,” the portly guard said with a boisterous laugh, his friend laughing with him.
"The current situation is that you, Mistress Maxwell, are a woman,” the man said. “And women are well known for allowing their emotions to interfere with clear thinking. With the occurrences of this evening, my very presence having unnerved you, it is highly likely
that
is the case."
Nothing but a squeak of indignation passed her lips. No one, not even her father, had ever questioned her intelligence. Ever!
"Now if you do not mind, I would very much like to complete my task and return home,” he said, taking a firm hold of her hand and started walking once again.
"And what would that task be?” she asked, falling instep beside him, although she had no choice. “Hold me hostage for ransom? My father won't pay you."
Ian slowed his stride, struck by the faint fear behind her voice. He damned himself for letting his own temper get away with him. The entire situation, this time travel nonsense had muddled his thinking. This woman had previously been attacked, Amelia had told him of the tale, and here he was trying to carry her off without fully explaining himself. Not only had he yet to convince her of his identity, his charm did not appear to work on this woman. Although he had to admit, he'd not had ample opportunity to win her favor.
A trickling and splashing of water reached Ian's ears, and he knew they were close to the fountain. Rounding the last hedgerow, his eyes lit on the sight that would take him home. The pale moonlight glinted off the water, sparkling like the very stars in the sky. Now was his moment ... their moment.
"Gentleman, I have a request, if you please, before we go inside.” He paused beside the fountain, Jenny's hand still firmly in his. “This, you see,” he said motioning to the fountain, “was where we had planned to meet. So, if you would be so kind as to indulge me for a brief moment, then this journey will not be a complete loss."
He looked at the young miss and her wide, startled gaze. “I am whom I say I am, mistress. Amelia and Colin did send me. They need you, Jenny Maxwell. Do not doubt what your eyes and heart tell you."
Her mouth fell open and she cast a startled glance at the fountain. Ian did not blame her for her trepidation, the trip was a bit nauseating, and one was not completely certain
when
one would land.
"Oh, let the man. What harm is there?” one of the guard's blustered.
"Aye, Errol. It might be a good show,” he said with a chuckle. “Have at it, mon."
"Aye, a very good show, I dare say,” Ian murmured. “The time has come for you and I to take a step into a different world,” he said, clasping Jenny's hand to his chest. “One far different from this one. I made a vow to take you there. One I cannot break. Now is the time for your decision. Do I travel alone or will you accompany me?"
One of the guards cleared his throat, a distinct laugh behind it. “No offense, mon, but that has tae be the worst proposal I've ever heard."
"I—I don't know. I—are you really Ian?” she whispered, her voice a tad shaky to his ears.
"Aye, mistress. ‘Tis the truth. The time grows late,” he said, nodding toward the rising sun. “Your answer, if you please."
She rubbed her brow. “I don't know. I don't understand how you could've come forward,” she whispered. “Nor how you could go back on the same night. And even if you—
we
do, the consequences of what might happen, the things that might be changed because of me...” She nodded toward the sentries. “And the things they'll tell people. As much as I want to go, I can't chance it."
"'Tis worth the risk, mistress. Your friend, our friends need you."
"Och, kiss her ye dolt,” the guard called and the other laughed in agreement.
'Twas tempting, Ian thought. Especially considering he had not kissed a maid in an age. But alas, now was not the time.
"M-my father needs me,” she stammered over the words and licked her lips. They glistened in the faint light, a most appealing sight.
Perhaps words were not what the situation called for after all. He slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her into his arms for a searing kiss, one that brook no argument, and none did he receive.
She melted against him on a sigh and he stole into her mouth and the sheer heaven of her heat. Aye, he had been without a woman in his arms for far too long. But he needed to move on, and not, unfortunately, toward an inviting bed.
He scooped her up and leaped onto the edge of the fountain, regretting the abrupt end to the kiss. There was a small flame burning within this petite female begging to be encouraged, and he would very much like to be the one to accommodate her.
"What are you doing?” she demanded, although her voice was weak at best.
"Gentleman, I ask you. Do you believe in ... ghosts?” Ian stepped into the fountain with a reluctant passenger in his arms, and faded into the last slip of night leaving nothing but a haunting laugh in his wake.
"Errol, do ye still have that scotch hidden in the bottom of yer desk?” the guard asked with a harsh swallow.
"Aye."
With that the two men turned from the fountain, both vowing never to say a word to a soul.
"Oh, my head,” Mistress Maxwell groaned.
"Aye, ‘tis a bit nauseating, but one grows accustomed to it,” Ian said.
"But the castle—the gardens—"
"Have not yet been built."
"Then we—"
"Aye, mistress. We did,” he said, rather smugly, but the woman was a bit of a curmudgeon. It felt good to have proven his claim.
"Would you please quit finishing my sentences? And who do you think you are? You can't just grab a woman like that and—and—"
"Kiss her?” he asked with a chuckle. He really had enjoyed that, but considering the current situation, he doubted he would ever get another from the young lady. A gentleman did not seduce his friends’ guests, well not in this case, at least. This particular guest was not staying, and he had the distinct feeling his advances would not be welcome. Although she did seem to have enjoyed the exchange as much as he.
"I was going to say, step into time portals,” she snarled. “Weren't you listening to me? Have you any idea what you've done? The risk involved, and those men—"
"Those men will say nary a word about what they believe they saw,” he said, striding across the small clearing still carrying his burden, although there was little to her.
"Who are you to decide the track of history? They could very easily try to follow us."
"Nonsense."
"Of all the—” She sighed, tickling the side of his neck with her breath. Rather pleasant, but he forced himself to ignore it as it would do him no good.
"You must try to understand,” she said. “I know that the concept of time travel, although you've experienced it first hand, can be a bit difficult to comprehend, but your rash behavior could very well have changed history."
Ian clenched his teeth and stopped, his eyes shut tight. “Mistress. Your incessant need to slight my intelligence is proving tiresome. I suggest you do not make the mistake again, or I shall quite happily drop you here upon this soggy patch of earth and let you find your way to Arreyder Castle alone."
"I merely made a logical deduction that your comprehension of time travel would be highly limited based upon the period in which you were born. Your education would never have touched on a topic so radical that anyone discussing it would likely have been accused of heresy."
"Aye. I understand so little that I have brought you back through time, a portal you were convinced would not function, to mere seconds after I left."
"That can't be right. It simply doesn't equate."
"'Tis correct, regardless of your way of thinking. The truth is around you, if you would but look. Your time portal does not attach itself to any one person, but has a schedule of its own."
"If you left on a summer solstice and arrived on a winter solstice—"
"I was merely completing the trip that Amelia had begun."
She fell silent for a moment, and he hoped ‘twould be the end of the discussion, but alas, it was not.
"Interesting, but how do you explain our arrival in the correct time? If this is the correct time. We should have started a new loop. No, I'm sorry, your theory can't be correct."
With a weighty sigh, Ian continued across the clearing toward Colin where he stood with a large smile on his face. All the while the woman-child in his arms continued her babbling about the many holes in his theory, while completely avoiding the holes in her own.
Although kissing her had been most pleasant, her remarks toward him were disturbing, and far too familiar. His own father had said things along the same vein many times. Never directly insulting him or his intelligence, but always hinting that he was an imbecile. One of the many reasons he had not ventured onto his father's estate in ten years.
"Did you have to steal the woman, mon? Did your charm no’ have her falling at your feet?” Colin asked with a boisterous laugh, pulling him from his thoughts.
The woman fell silent and still in his arms. Ian dared a look in her direction, wondering if she'd simply worn herself out with all her talking. But she was quite awake, he discovered, and not at all what he'd thought he'd seen in the flash of the sentry's light across her features.
Framing an impish face, deep brown hair that caught the summer sun and held it captive lay across her breast bound in a tight braid. He actually ached to feel the silkiness once again against his cheek. Her head turned and when she looked at him, her bow shaped mouth open in surprise, he fell quite haplessly into the largest pair of brown eyes it had ever been his pleasure to view.
Her form was slight, aye, but a woman's form. He experienced her pleasing shape firsthand, as she lay cradled in his arms. Her delicate, fey-like features, however, were what captured his complete attention. She was, quite simply, the fairest female he had ever seen.
"You mean tae tell me this wee thing is the physician Amelia has gone on about? The scientist?” Colin asked.
Ian pulled his gaze from the disquieting woman and cleared his constricted throat. “Aye. Jenny Maxwell, may I present Colin MacLean."
"I—I—” Ian watched her long delicate throat move as she swallowed. “It's nice to meet you,” she said, her voice all but a whisper.
Colin shook his head with a chuckle. “I'll ne'er understand the future, and glad that I am Amelia wishes tae live here. But I'm happy you've come, lass. ‘Twill make Amelia happy and ‘tis all that matters tae me."
He turned toward the horses and Ian followed. He never once thought to put the lady down, it simply didn't occur to him.
Nearing his mount, she gasped.
"Is something amiss?” he asked.
Jenny squinted, trying to dismiss what she knew she was seeing.
Horses. Wonderful
. Not only had she never ridden, she was petrified at the very thought of such an endeavor.
"Are you not well?” Ian asked. She refrained from clinging to him in terror.
"I'd rather walk, if you don't mind,” she said.
"The lady wishes to walk,” he called to Colin.
The large Scot grumbled, but she heard a ‘so be it’ from his general vicinity. She really wished she hadn't lost her glasses. She could barely distinguish the men from the horses. Well, except for the fact that Ian still held her. It felt awfully nice, but was about to end, and of course he would have no need to pick her up again. Or kiss her again.
She stored the feel of his arms around her in the back of her mind as well as that kiss. Dwelling on it now wouldn't do her any good. According to Tuck's description of the man, he was a regular rogue, a ladies’ man, and not likely to be interested in her. No one was interested in her, her brain at times, but never her.
Slowly her feet touched the ground and the warmth and security from his arms disappeared. She withheld her sigh of pleasure and regret.
"The castle is this way,” Ian said and she fell in step beside him, thankful he was kind enough to lead his horse rather than ride.
Colin rode on ahead a few yards. He was exactly as expected, a very large, gruff Scot full of bluster. She smiled, knowing Tuck had found the man for her.
Jenny's thoughts shifted to the man beside her then abruptly back to Raghnall Castle. She prayed the night-guards wouldn't follow them, or worse find a path to a different time and radically change history.
A keen eye observed from a copse of trees nearby. Although a little shaken by his ride through time, Vernon Cox was not one to let anything or anyone get the better of him. Not even a mousy scientist by the name of Jenny Maxwell. But he'd been so close!
He'd watched her for months since that idiot had blown it last summer. At least he'd made the deal with the thug he'd hired anonymously. He couldn't identify him. But that left Vernon to handle the thing himself. He'd followed her and that bodyguard all over Europe. Pacing himself, waiting for just the right moment. Then it came.
She'd been left alone at Raghnall Castle after her bodyguard stepped into the fountain and vanished. There was nothing to stop him. Although, the woman's disappearance had peaked his interest, he didn't have time to explore it. He had to grab the brat and extract his revenge on her father. That was his top priority. Nothing would detract him from his course. But then that moronic Englishman showed up and ruined everything! Between him and those two bumbling guards at the castle, he'd missed his chance. But it wouldn't be his last.
Vernon followed Jenny closely, he wasn't about to lose sight of her. Not when he'd come so close. “You'll get yours too, Englishman,” he murmured. No one outwitted Vernon Cox. No one.
Her father may think he'd succeeded, but he would soon be proved wrong. Richard Maxwell wouldn't be earning millions on his discovery for much longer. He should've known Maxwell was a cheat and a liar. Stealing was easier than inventing. But he would have his revenge and his recognition, and kidnapping Jenny Maxwell was the best way. With her in his hands, he could bargain with her father, trade her life for full recognition of his discovery.