being
overly
cruel. “The center and the stables are only a few blocks away. If you and Angus want to walk over there and wait for me, I’m sure Vivienne wouldn’t mind escorting the two of you.”
Vivienne looped her arm through Angus’s then beamed her best smile at Graham. “Absolutely. There’s no finer way to walk through the streets of Edinburgh than with a handsome man on each arm.”
Graham’s scowl deepened, his moustache twitching as he appeared to be gnawing on the corner of his lip. His gaze slid from Lilia to Vivienne then back to Lilia again. He sucked in a deep breath, then noisily blew it out. “Nay. I canna go with Mistress Vivienne and wait. ’Twould no’ be honorable. I must pay m’respects to Mistress Eliza.”
A sense of protectiveness for her ailing guardian flared. Lilia lifted her chin and shook her head. “That’s really not necessary.” She fisted the ring of keys so hard, the bits of metal chewed into her palm. “She might not even know you’re there. Her sleep is…uhm…deeper…these days.” More like drug-induced to give her a brief reprieve from the pain, but some things were just better left unsaid.
Shuttering away that thought, Lilia spun about and headed to the door leading to the garage. She locked her focus on the worn brass doorknob, squeezing it hard as she struggled to get a grip on the new wave of despair threatening to overtake her. Her hand shook until the metal latch softly rattled. Tensing against losing control, Lilia forced her hand to still. Graham needed to back off. “I’ll meet up with everyone at the field in a few hours,” she said without looking up.
Before she could pull open the door, Graham’s calloused hand covered hers, holding her fingers firmly in place. His warm breath tickled across her nape as he leaned in closer. “I said I’ll be a-goin’ wi’ ye, lass. Ye’ll find I always keep to m’word.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and barely nuzzled the tickling softness of his short beard across the back of her neck. “Yer Mistress Eliza will ken I’m there. I feel certain of it,” he whispered.
Lilia closed her eyes, concentrating on slowing her breathing and praying Graham couldn’t hear her pounding heart.
“Let me in, lass,” he coaxed in an even lower whisper. The raw huskiness of his voice stroked her, implored her to give him a chance. “I’m here for ye. I swear it. All ye need do is give me a chance. Ye have nothin’ t’fear, ye ken?”
Staring down at their clasped hands atop the doorknob, Lilia gave in to the slightest glimmer of hope as Graham’s emotions washed across her like a warm gentle caress. The tensed knots in her shoulders lessened the barest bit. Maybe she should let Graham visit Eliza. Maybe, even in her current state, Eliza might rouse enough to know he was there and find some small comfort in knowing Lilia wasn’t alone anymore—even though she’d just met the man and he’d probably be hopping back to the past again very soon.
Lilia nodded. “I can give you
for now,
” she forced out in a strained whisper
.
“That’s it.”
Graham pressed a soft kiss atop her shoulder. “I’ll take
for now
and make it
forever.
Ye’ll see
.
”
“For now,” Lilia repeated a bit louder, reinforcing the phrase more for her own peace of mind than for Graham. “Now let’s go.”
Chapter 9
“You okay?” Lilia wafted the oil of peppermint under Graham’s nose as he butted himself back against the side of the car, bent forward, and sucked in a series of deep shuddering gulps of air. “I was hoping this ride would be a little better for you but evidently I was wrong.”
Holy crap, she’d never seen anyone so prone to motion sickness. Her sister Kenna had always been queasy when they’d jumped across the centuries but she’d never been this bad with cars. Graham had turned a sickly shade of green as soon as she started the engine and he’d gotten worse at every turn. Thank heavens they’d
overly
cruel. “The center and the stables are only a few blocks away. If you and Angus want to walk over there and wait for me, I’m sure Vivienne wouldn’t mind escorting the two of you.”
Vivienne looped her arm through Angus’s then beamed her best smile at Graham. “Absolutely. There’s no finer way to walk through the streets of Edinburgh than with a handsome man on each arm.”
Graham’s scowl deepened, his moustache twitching as he appeared to be gnawing on the corner of his lip. His gaze slid from Lilia to Vivienne then back to Lilia again. He sucked in a deep breath, then noisily blew it out. “Nay. I canna go with Mistress Vivienne and wait. ’Twould no’ be honorable. I must pay m’respects to Mistress Eliza.”
A sense of protectiveness for her ailing guardian flared. Lilia lifted her chin and shook her head. “That’s really not necessary.” She fisted the ring of keys so hard, the bits of metal chewed into her palm. “She might not even know you’re there. Her sleep is…uhm…deeper…these days.” More like drug-induced to give her a brief reprieve from the pain, but some things were just better left unsaid.
Shuttering away that thought, Lilia spun about and headed to the door leading to the garage. She locked her focus on the worn brass doorknob, squeezing it hard as she struggled to get a grip on the new wave of despair threatening to overtake her. Her hand shook until the metal latch softly rattled. Tensing against losing control, Lilia forced her hand to still. Graham needed to back off. “I’ll meet up with everyone at the field in a few hours,” she said without looking up.
Before she could pull open the door, Graham’s calloused hand covered hers, holding her fingers firmly in place. His warm breath tickled across her nape as he leaned in closer. “I said I’ll be a-goin’ wi’ ye, lass. Ye’ll find I always keep to m’word.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and barely nuzzled the tickling softness of his short beard across the back of her neck. “Yer Mistress Eliza will ken I’m there. I feel certain of it,” he whispered.
Lilia closed her eyes, concentrating on slowing her breathing and praying Graham couldn’t hear her pounding heart.
“Let me in, lass,” he coaxed in an even lower whisper. The raw huskiness of his voice stroked her, implored her to give him a chance. “I’m here for ye. I swear it. All ye need do is give me a chance. Ye have nothin’ t’fear, ye ken?”
Staring down at their clasped hands atop the doorknob, Lilia gave in to the slightest glimmer of hope as Graham’s emotions washed across her like a warm gentle caress. The tensed knots in her shoulders lessened the barest bit. Maybe she should let Graham visit Eliza. Maybe, even in her current state, Eliza might rouse enough to know he was there and find some small comfort in knowing Lilia wasn’t alone anymore—even though she’d just met the man and he’d probably be hopping back to the past again very soon.
Lilia nodded. “I can give you
for now,
” she forced out in a strained whisper
.
“That’s it.”
Graham pressed a soft kiss atop her shoulder. “I’ll take
for now
and make it
forever.
Ye’ll see
.
”
“For now,” Lilia repeated a bit louder, reinforcing the phrase more for her own peace of mind than for Graham. “Now let’s go.”
Chapter 9
“You okay?” Lilia wafted the oil of peppermint under Graham’s nose as he butted himself back against the side of the car, bent forward, and sucked in a series of deep shuddering gulps of air. “I was hoping this ride would be a little better for you but evidently I was wrong.”
Holy crap, she’d never seen anyone so prone to motion sickness. Her sister Kenna had always been queasy when they’d jumped across the centuries but she’d never been this bad with cars. Graham had turned a sickly shade of green as soon as she started the engine and he’d gotten worse at every turn. Thank heavens they’d