Timeless Mist (24 page)

Final
ly
, Kris s
mothere
d
a huge yawn.

"I'm sorry." She
smiled, "It's been a
very
long day. I think I ought to head off to bed and get some sleep. I
have
quite
a bit to think over, do
n't
I?"

"Aye," Sorcha nodded. "It
will be hard on you at first, but you'll come to terms with it in the
end."

"I
really
do
n't
have
much choice, do
I?" She hugged Sorcha then Elsie.

"I will show ye back to your
room, lass." Iain stood.

"After ye do
that
, Iain, would ye come
back here for a bit. I wish to speak wi' ye about a few more th
ing
s."

He promised he would, then led
Kris to her rooms. Outside her door, Kris shifted her feet nervous
ly
.  

"Thank you."

"For what, lass?"

"For an interest
ing
day." She smiled at
him. "For tak
ing
me on
that
picnic and
for talk
ing
with me. You're
really
a
nice
guy when you want to be
you know."

Iain gave her a low bow, "I
do my best."

Before she knew what he intended,
Iain put his arms around her and drew her close. She cursed her traitorous body
when it relaxed, sink
ing
into his cushion
ing
embrace.

"Thank ye, as well,
lass." He whispered.

Before she could ask him what he
was
thank
ing
her for, he captured her
mouth with his. His kiss
was
more persuasive than she cared to admit, and before she knew it, she
was
kiss
ing
him back. His lips were
soft and tender, sending a flood of sensations through her body. She could not
stop herself from sliding her arms up around his neck, giving in to the need to
be closer to him. When he nudged at her lips with his tongue, she readily
opened for him. The pleasure he evoked with each stroke of his tongue made her
body grow warm. It was a different kind of warmth he was creating the longer he
kissed her. If she could have, she would have crawled inside his skin.

Just when she thought she could
bear no more, that the tension building inside her would explode with the need
she felt, he ended the kiss. He placed a quick peck on her nose, opened her
door and
almost
pushed
her inside.

"Sleep well,
Kristianna." He shut the door and she heard him walk away.

Kris sank back against the door
and put her f
ing
ers to
lips
that
still burned
in the aftermath of his fiery possession. She let her backpack drop to the
floor and stood there for several moments. Her lips still tingled and felt
swollen by his kiss. Finally, she pushed away from the door and began to ready
herself for bed. She
was
so tired and she
had
much to think about. After
that
depart
ing
kiss from
Iain, however, she could
n't
quite
remember what it
was
she
had
to think on except maybe
gett
ing
more of those
kisses from him.

Chapter Fourteen

Iain strode back to his
màthair
's rooms, his
thoughts focused more on Kristianna than on what his
màthair
wished to discuss. He vague
ly
wondered what
was
so important
that
it could
n't
wait until the morn
ing
to talk about, then
shrugged. He would find out soon enough, he supposed.

He stopped in the middle of the
corridor, wonder
ing
what it
was
about
Kristianna
that
enthralled him so much. Spend
ing
the day with her, hear
ing
her laughter as she listened to his tales of his youth, listen
ing
to her as she told him
tales of her sibl
ing
s
and her childhood, on
ly
served to intensify his need to be near her, to get to know her more. She
was
an enigma. Never before
had
he met a woman more in
need of confidence, but at the same time more full of fire and spirit. She
was
a fighter, determined to
conquer her fears and whatever ghosts haunted her.

He shook his head and continued
on his way. His
màthair
expected him to return, so when he reached her door, he mere
ly
gave a quick rap on the
door before he opened it and stepped into the room.

Sorcha sat before the hearth,
star
ing
into the
flames; apparent
ly,
so
deep in thought she
hadn't
heard him enter. He considered leav
ing
her to her thoughts as he
had
more than enough to think on at the moment without add
ing
more to the ones now racing around in his head.

Just know
ing
his own
màthair
was
actual
ly
from a time so many years
in the future baffled his poor abused brain. It gave him pains in the head just
try
ing
to comprehend
the fact
that
she
had
seen and experienced the
th
ing
s he'd thought
were
made-up stories.
That
she knew of and
had
used many of the th
ing
s in Kris' sack made him
want to go lie down and
not
get up for a
very
long
time. At least
not
until he could put it all into perspective.

Before he could turn and quiet
ly
leave, however, Sorcha
raised her head and looked at him, a small smile on her face.

"Come and sit, Iain,"
she patted the place beside her, "we ha'e much to discuss."

Iain ran his f
ing
ers through his hair. He
was
well and tru
ly
caught now and would
have
to listen to whatever
she wished to say. He on
ly
hoped he would
not
have
to talk her out of any
foolish ideas she may
have
come up with. Although from the look on her face, he tru
ly
doubted he could accomplish the last.

"
Màthair
," he began,
not
mov
ing
from his spot by the
door, "cannae we discuss whate'er ye ha'e to say on the morrow? It
has
been a verra long day. I
am weary to the core and I ha'e much to think on already. I doonae know if I
can take any more this night."

 "Nay," Sorcha shook
her head vehement
ly
,
her look turn
ing
even
more determined. "What I ha'e to say to ye needs to be said tonight. It
cannae wait until the morn
ing
."
She waved him over, "I realize ye ha'e
a
lot
on your mind already, Iain, but this is
very
important, else I would certain
ly
ha'e waited. I know ye
ha'e
quite
a bit of
information to digest and I wouldnae wish to burden ye further, but I
must."

With an exasperated sigh, he
relented and took the chair beside her. "Alright then,
màthair
. Tell me what is so
imperative
that
it
simp
ly
could nay wait
a few hours until my head clears a bit."

Sorcha took a deep breath and
plunged in. "I am concerned for Kris."

Iain raised a brow, "and why
is
that
?"

"She is a woman complete
ly
out of her element, Iain.
You and I know the dangers of this age, of liv
ing
in the Highlands. Of be
ing
a MacGregor in this time. Kristianna
has
no concept of it. We
have
our clan and fami
ly
,
she
has
no one. 'Tis
different in the time she comes from. 'Tis nay frowned upon for a woman of
that
time to be on her own. Women
have
jobs and can
support themselves, and I'm
not
talk
ing
of simp
ly
seamstresses or whores or
tavern wenches either."

"'Tis hard to grasp
that
." Iain said.

"Aye, for you it is, but to
the men of her time, my time, 'tis
no'
even considered strange anymore. 'Tis looked on as normal for a woman to
have
respectable jobs
that
are worthwhile and
that
they love. There is
no'
any need for women of
that
time to be under the
protection of a father or brother or other male relative until they are wed or
betrothed, either. They do
no'
stay with their families or parents until a husband
has
been found for them. They find their own
husbands. They arenae just taken to court and nay longer re
ly
on their families to find
them good matches. They date, sometimes many different men, until they
themselves find one
that
suits them and they suit," she met Iain's gaze, "do ye understand
what I am say
ing
to
ye?"

"Aye. Though 'tis difficult
for me to fathom the
like
,
I think I understand. Women are more independent in the future, aye?"

"Aye, they certain
ly
are. You are more
understand
ing
because
ye
had
me as a
màthair
. Still, there
was
a lot
I could no' teach ye because I
had
to be careful as
well."

"I am beginn
ing
to see
that
."

"Good." She sighed in
relief, "now, from what I understand so far about Kris' life before, she's
been on her own for
quite
some time with verra few people to re
ly
on."

"Aye," Iain nodded,
"I gathered the same myself."

"She also doesnae ha'e much
knowledge of life in this time except for what she may ha'e picked up in her
studies. Mayhap a bit more as she'd planned a visit to Scotland some time
ago." She smiled wry
ly
,
"though I doubt
very
much she planned on this kind of a visit."

"Nay, I dinnae think many
people would plan on travel
ing
quite
so far on
holiday."

Sorcha chuckled. "At any
rate, ye understand dinnae ye,
that
Kris could be in some danger?"

Iain became instant
ly
alert. "Why? And
from whom? No one in the clan knows anyth
ing
of her but
that
Raibert found her wander
ing
in the woods. They wouldnae hurt her for
that
.
And no one outside the clan knows anyth
ing
of her at all. Most people doonae e'en know where we are."

"Of course the people in the
clan wouldnae harm her." Her tone
was
indignant. "I would ne'er suggest they would."

"Then why would ye think
Kristianna could be in danger?"

"'Tis a dangerous time we
live in, Iain. Ye know as well as I do,
that
most in the clan dinnae trust strangers in the best of times. We
were
attacked no' long ago
and
that
makes the
clan e'en more hesitant than usual, especial
ly
about strangers. Nay to mention the fact
that
we are outlaws mere
ly
because of our name. But 'tis no' on
ly
that
. Kris
has
nobody to protect her,
to look out for her. She cannae remain here without rais
ing
peoples suspicions. And we cannae send her
out on her own. She wouldnae last a se'nnight."

"Aye, ye are right about the
clan be
ing
suspicious and
mistrustful, especial
ly
now. And I understand what ye say about Kristianna as well. I am just no' sure
what I can do to solve
that
problem. I cannae change the people's minds about strangers. And I would ne'er
send a woman out on her own. 'Tis much too dangerous." He rubbed his
forehead, try
ing
to
ease some of the ache between his eyes.

"Nay, ye cannae just order
them to trust her and I wouldnae expect ye to. Ye cannae tell people they
should
no'
be afraid
or
that
they should
trust someone just because ye say to."

"So what do ye suggest I do
about these problems
that
ha'e presented themselves?"

"I suggest a
betrothal." Sorcha final
ly
blurted after several long moments.

Iain jumped from his chair so
fast, he tipped it over. It skidded across the room and thunked against the
wall.

"What?" he shouted. "Ye
cannae be serious,
màthair
!"

Sorcha met her sons' belligerent
gaze with a calm
that
surprised even her, "of course I can be, and I am. What would be the harm?
As I see it, 'tis a perfect solution."

"Nay," Iain shook his
head vehement
ly

"'It's the on
ly
way, Iain. Sure
ly
you can see
that
. If you are betrothed
to Kristianna, it will go
a
lot
further than anyth
ing
else to help alleviate at least some of the tension
that
will sure
ly
arise. It will no' on
ly
help the people of the clan to at least be less wary of her, but it will also
help Kristianna, offer her protection of the clan as well as your name and your
sweet, chivalrous self."

"Just because there is a
betrothal, doesnae mean the clan will trust her,
màthair
.
'Tis nay
that
simple
as ye well know." He studious
ly
ignored her last statement.

"Of course it wo
n't
be an automatic th
ing
. I realize
that
, more than even you
know. But it will go a long way in quiet
ing
a lot
of the clans'
fears of her just because she is a stranger. At least then they will give her a
chance. Otherwise, there are many
that
will ne'er give her the chance too even earn their trust. They will simp
ly
look on her as a
stranger.
That
could
be dangerous, Iain."

Iain sighed and ran his f
ing
ers through his hair. He
knew what his
màthair
said
was
true. He also
realized
that
she
was
right
that
Kristianna could be in
some danger. The villagers, though well mean
ing
,
could try to harm her if they e'en suspected her of some kind of treachery,
whether real or imagined. And Heaven forbid they e'er discovered aught else
about her sudden appearance.

"There
has
to be some other way to
ensure her safety,
màthair
."

Sorcha shook her head. "I
can think of
not
h
ing
." She reached out
and put her hand on his arm, "it's what saved me, Iain."

He looked up in shock. "What?"

"I married your father for
protection."

"Ye mean ye dinnae love each
other? What of all those tales ye told us of how love
was
the most important th
ing
to find in a marriage? Are
ye now tell
ing
me they
were
fiction?"

"Nay, of course
no'
. I loved your father
deep
ly
and he loved me.
It's just, it took us a bit of time to realize it. In the beginn
ing
, when I first met him, I
thought he
was
an
arrogant jerk."

"I take it 'jerk' is no' a
complimentary term."

"Nay, 'tis
no'
. And
that
's the least of what I
called him. Do
n't
forget, I'm from a different time. Men from my century, well, they do
n't
be
have
as your father
did." She shook her head, "
that
's
not
the point anyway. The
point is
that
if ye do
n't
betroth yourself to
Kristianna, she could be in danger from a well-mean
ing
clansman.
Not
to mention the other th
ing
s
we spoke of."

Iain rose from his seat and
strode to the fire. "I doonae know,
màthair
.
'Tis no' as simple as
that
."
He turned and faced her. "I will gi'e ye this, I will think on all ye
have
said. Until I do and I
ha'e come to some conclusion about it, I wish ye to remain silent. Doonae say
anyth
ing
to Kris. I
doonae think she would understand. I will speak wi' her when I ha'e made my
decision."