wasn't sure he was ready for the answer to that particular question, so she kept silent.
"Why dinnae we start with
your name." Iain leaned toward her, his eyes hard. "Do ye know that much at least? Your
full name, lass," he warned.
She paused. "Armstrong."
She gave him Hailey's last name before she could stop herself. There was no way she would tell
him she was a
Campbell, so she gave him the first name that came to mind. "My name is Kristianna Armstrong." Kris did n't really want to lie; she hated liars and lying . It always led to
trouble and more lies. In this instance, however, she figured it just might
save her life. Hailey was English, after all. Kris just hoped that if Hailey's fami ly tree came back this far, they were not very well known in the
highlands of Scotland.
"Ye are a Sassenach?" His
face became a marble effigy of contempt.
"I'm American." Kris
shook her head. Well, so much for the hope he would n't know that name. Still, be ing English had to be
better than be ing a
Campbell at this particular moment.
"American? Ye are from the
English Colonies?"
"They're not run by England anymore. But
they were once the
Colonies, yes."
Iain sighed and ran his hand over
his face. He would let that matter drop for the moment. Mayhap later he could figure out what she meant by that later. First he had more question to put to
her.
"Do ye know where your home
is?"
"Of course I do. I just told
you I'm American. I'm from America."
"But ye have no idea how ye got from
this America and came to be on my land?"
"Well, I know how I got here
from America, but I do n't know how I got to this particular place."
Iain sighed and leaned forward
once more, clear ly exasperated and striv ing for patience. "This is gett ing us nowhere. I dinnae seem to be ask ing the proper questions, so why dinnae ye just tell me what ye do know and
we'll take it from there."
"I'm not sure you'll believe me," Kris eyed him
wari ly ; not at all sure she should
tell him where she was from. Or more to the point, when she was from.
"Lass, I promise ye, no harm
will come to ye, if ye will on ly tell me the truth. E'en if ye are from one of my enemies, I will see ye are
returned to your fami ly ."
She stared at him a moment, judg ing the sincerity of that statement. What the
heck. What's the worst he could do? Not believe her? She would n't be any worse off than she was now. Unless he stuck her in his dungeon until he could gather enough wood for a really big bonfire
with her as the main course. She held up a hand to stop him before he could
speak.
"You already think I'm a
witch. If I tell you what you want to know, I do n't want to end up be ing slow roasted over a spit."
"I dinnae really believe ye are a
witch, lass." He said at last. "E very one
knows that witches are
ug ly wi' long, gray,
str ing y hair and bent
backs."
"Okay," Kris thought
she caught a twinkle in his eyes, but it was there and gone so fast, she could n't be sure. She took a deep breath and dove in with both feet. "I'm gonna
trust you. But I have your word, right?"
Iain nodded and gestured for her
to proceed.
"Here's what I know then. My
name is Kristianna Ca…Armstrong." She stumbled a bit, but recovered fast,
pray ing Iain hadn't not iced. She would wait to
see how he took this bit of information before she confessed to be ing a Campbell. "I'm an
art-history major at Brown University in Boston where I'm work ing on my master's degree. I
just turned twenty-three years old, and," she paused for the big finale
and took a not her deep
breath, "I was born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1985." She sat back a bit and folded her
arms over her chest. There, let him chew on that bit of information.
Iain sat back in his chair,
stunned disbelief etched on his face. Kris watched him careful ly , prepared to bolt if
necessary. She could almost see her words sink into his brain. He ran his hand through his hair, rubbed that same hand over his face,
then stroked his chin as he regarded
"Why dinnae we start with
your name." Iain leaned toward her, his eyes hard. "Do ye know that much at least? Your
full name, lass," he warned.
She paused. "Armstrong."
She gave him Hailey's last name before she could stop herself. There was no way she would tell
him she was a
Campbell, so she gave him the first name that came to mind. "My name is Kristianna Armstrong." Kris did n't really want to lie; she hated liars and lying . It always led to
trouble and more lies. In this instance, however, she figured it just might
save her life. Hailey was English, after all. Kris just hoped that if Hailey's fami ly tree came back this far, they were not very well known in the
highlands of Scotland.
"Ye are a Sassenach?" His
face became a marble effigy of contempt.
"I'm American." Kris
shook her head. Well, so much for the hope he would n't know that name. Still, be ing English had to be
better than be ing a
Campbell at this particular moment.
"American? Ye are from the
English Colonies?"
"They're not run by England anymore. But
they were once the
Colonies, yes."
Iain sighed and ran his hand over
his face. He would let that matter drop for the moment. Mayhap later he could figure out what she meant by that later. First he had more question to put to
her.
"Do ye know where your home
is?"
"Of course I do. I just told
you I'm American. I'm from America."
"But ye have no idea how ye got from
this America and came to be on my land?"
"Well, I know how I got here
from America, but I do n't know how I got to this particular place."
Iain sighed and leaned forward
once more, clear ly exasperated and striv ing for patience. "This is gett ing us nowhere. I dinnae seem to be ask ing the proper questions, so why dinnae ye just tell me what ye do know and
we'll take it from there."
"I'm not sure you'll believe me," Kris eyed him
wari ly ; not at all sure she should
tell him where she was from. Or more to the point, when she was from.
"Lass, I promise ye, no harm
will come to ye, if ye will on ly tell me the truth. E'en if ye are from one of my enemies, I will see ye are
returned to your fami ly ."
She stared at him a moment, judg ing the sincerity of that statement. What the
heck. What's the worst he could do? Not believe her? She would n't be any worse off than she was now. Unless he stuck her in his dungeon until he could gather enough wood for a really big bonfire
with her as the main course. She held up a hand to stop him before he could
speak.
"You already think I'm a
witch. If I tell you what you want to know, I do n't want to end up be ing slow roasted over a spit."
"I dinnae really believe ye are a
witch, lass." He said at last. "E very one
knows that witches are
ug ly wi' long, gray,
str ing y hair and bent
backs."
"Okay," Kris thought
she caught a twinkle in his eyes, but it was there and gone so fast, she could n't be sure. She took a deep breath and dove in with both feet. "I'm gonna
trust you. But I have your word, right?"
Iain nodded and gestured for her
to proceed.
"Here's what I know then. My
name is Kristianna Ca…Armstrong." She stumbled a bit, but recovered fast,
pray ing Iain hadn't not iced. She would wait to
see how he took this bit of information before she confessed to be ing a Campbell. "I'm an
art-history major at Brown University in Boston where I'm work ing on my master's degree. I
just turned twenty-three years old, and," she paused for the big finale
and took a not her deep
breath, "I was born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1985." She sat back a bit and folded her
arms over her chest. There, let him chew on that bit of information.
Iain sat back in his chair,
stunned disbelief etched on his face. Kris watched him careful ly , prepared to bolt if
necessary. She could almost see her words sink into his brain. He ran his hand through his hair, rubbed that same hand over his face,
then stroked his chin as he regarded
Similar Books
