A Slip In Time (29 page)

Just then, Lord Muir rose from his chair and
asked the others to leave. Julia held her breath, anticipating why
he did so and what he might say.

Lord Muir stroked his beard in thought as he
resumed his chair. He lifted his pale blue gaze and she saw the
same troubled look there that she had seen earlier.

“I did not wish to embarrass you in
front of the others, my dear,” he began.

Julia bit the inside of her cheek. He
knew.

Again he stroked his beard, his lips pressed
together as if he were having difficulty in choosing his next
words.

“Roger returned yesterday, rather
abruptly. He sought me out and seemed somewhat disappointed to find
me alone, with my books, in the tower library. He bore a cut on his
lip, and I do believe there were scratches on his neck, though he
kept his collar raised high. All in all, he appeared as though he’d
been in a scuffle.”

Lord Muir rose and came around the front of
his desk to stand before Julia.

“It was after I spoke with my nephew
that I and the others realized you were missing. We alerted the
servants and initiated a search throughout the castle and grounds.
Young Tom came to me and admitted he had seen you ride from the
direction of the burn on my nephew’s horse, and that you appeared
upset and had hurried inside the castle.”

Julia shifted uncomfortably in her
chair.

“He also saw Roger, coming from the
same direction, running on foot. Roger, too, raced inside
according to Tom, seemingly in pursuit of you. My nephew left
Dunraven after he and I spoke, but there is something I must know.”
Again Lord Muir searched for words. “Did my nephew behave
improperly toward you?”

Julia dropped her gaze to her hands,
not knowing what to say, whether she should tell the kindly Lord
Muir just what a blackguard his nephew really was.

“Did he make advances, try to force
his attentions upon you?” he pressed when she remained
silent.

At last she nodded, but still saying
nothing.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No.” She cleared her throat. “Not
really. We had words.”

“And was it words that cut his
lip?”

Julia glanced up at that. “Lord Eaton
knows of our meetings in my bedchamber, at least those during the
night. He’s assumed the worse as to what we are about.”

“And wanted to benefit
from his knowledge,” Lord Muir’s tone was thick with disgust. “As I
said, Roger came in search of me, of
us,
hoping to find us together in a
compromising situation, I presume. As you said, he is aware of my,
and the other men’s, visitations to your room and confronted me on
the matter.”

Lord Muir took her hands in his. “My
dear, I am as deeply concerned for your reputation as I am for your
health. Perhaps it is wise to discontinue our meetings for a while.
The servants already are suspicious, and I am of a mind to offer
them an explanation before damaging rumors start circulating
about. As to our study of the phenomenon, we have much data
already, and you yourself could make notations and complete your
questioning of the laird during the coming time slips.”

Julia could hardly believe her ears. Someone
above must be smiling upon her and granted her wish.

“Yes, you are quite right, of course,”
she agreed, then moistened her lips. “Your lordship, I am curious.
Did anyone keep watch in my chamber during the time slip last
night?”

He gave her an odd, half smile. “There
was too much activity for us to set up our equipment, what with
the servants in and out, and everyone in a frantic search for you.
Your faithful lady’s maid waited up the night, though, keeping
vigil in a chair by the fire. Apparently, Betty dozed off and awoke
to strange noises in the room. Though she saw nothing, she became
frightened and fled the chamber.”

Julia offered no comment and rose, thanking
Lord Muir for his efforts in her behalf. Then, pleading fatigue,
she excused herself to her chamber.

Returning to her room, Julia decided
to forgo lunch and lie down. Exhaustion seemed a constant companion
these days, and she wished to be fresh for Rae, whenever Time
decided to slip again.

After removing her gown,
she slipped beneath
the bedcovers
, all the while thinking of Rae and their fervid night
together. How could she face him in the light of day? He knew her
most intimate secrets.

A thought followed that brought a
smile to her lips, and she turned into her pillow. Did she not know
a few of his secrets, too?

Sleep welcomed her quickly into its arms. As
Julia drifted in that peaceful realm, she dreamt of Rae, sitting
beside her, watching her as she rested. Once, he traced his finger
along the side of her cheek and neck then drew it over her
lips.

She stirred in her slumber
and caught his hand. Warm, she thought as she pressed a kiss to his
fingers,
then guided his hand to her breast.
She smiled contentedly as he caressed her, sleep
drawing her down, once more, into its velvety depths.

“Miss? Miss? Will you be dressing for
supper?”

Julia climbed to consciousness and
levered open a heavy eyelid to find Betty hovering over her. The
room had grown dim, the sky dark beyond the windowpanes, and the
lamp lit on the small table beside her.

As she strove to clear the
cobwebs of sleep from her brain, Julia
could still
feel the touch of Rae’s hand.

»«

An hour later, Julia descended for supper.
To her surprise, she discovered that some of the Braxton guests had
returned, including her aunt and cousins, Sir Robert, Lord
Withrington, and Lady Charles. With some relief, she learned that
Sampson Dilcox had missed the train.

At the sight of Lord Eaton, Julia
began to withdraw, but Lord Muir appeared and remained protectively
at her side. As the group made their way to the dining room, Julia
decided she must still be dreaming, only her dreams had turned more
to the nightmarish variety.

Lord Muir seated Julia beside him as his
dinner companion, while the other men of the Society formed a
buffer around her, Sir Henry sitting to her right and Mr.
Thornsbury and Mr. Armistead sitting opposite.

Lord Eaton, for his part, deported
himself with marked coolness toward Julia, glowering at her from
time to time from above a healing lip. He wore his collar high, she
noted with a degree of pleasure, though she kept her gaze averted
as much as possible from where he sat at the far end of the
table.

Lilith, predictably, stayed at Lord
Eaton’s side and, if Julia did not imagine it, her cousin carried
herself with an air, more haughty and self-important than
ever.

Toward the end of the meal Lord Eaton
rose, clinking his glass with the tines of his fork to call for
quiet. Taking Lilith’s hand in his, he drew her to her feet and
faced the room.

“Uncle, friends, it gives me great
pleasure to announce that just this day, I have taken an enormous
and momentous step in my life and asked Miss Symington for her hand
in marriage. She has accepted.”

Cheers and well-wishes went up, toasts
followed, and the wine flowed in the couple’s honor.

Lilith basked in the
moment as she stood smiling at Lord Eaton’s side. She slid a look
to Julia, one of utter triumph, then let her gaze float over those
gathered before her. Lilith held herself with near regal bearing,
as if all surrounding her were already hers, and she reigning as
Roger’s
marchioness,
as
someday she would ultimately become.

Lord Muir said nothing, looking anything but
pleased. Julia, in parting, congratulated the couple, sure the two
were perfectly deserving of one another.

Taking her leave, Julia retired to her
chamber. With Betty’s assistance, she changed into her nightgown
then excused the maid for the night and locked the door. Removing
the key, Julia carried it with her to the bed and slipped it under
her pillow.

Julia settled herself
between the sheets and blankets, sitting up
and reclining against the pillows and headboard. Brushing out
her hair with long, even strokes, she willed for
Time
to shift and Rae to come to
her. She closed her eyes and imagined his hands and lips moving
over her as they had last night. A fire kindled deep within her.
Time could not slip swiftly enough.

Julia realized she must have drifted
off as she came groggily awake, her chin sagging toward her chest.
Drawing open her lashes, she found Rae sitting before her, watching
her in sleep.

He smiled as if she were
the most precious treasure on earth. “Are ye well,
mo cáran?”

“Now that you are here.” Her heart
expanded. Words suddenly seemed superfluous as he gathered her in
his arms and kissed her long and thoroughly.

“Are we being
watched,
mo cáran?”
His lips pressed a warm path down the column of her neck and
along her collarbone. With his tongue, he laved the pulse at the
base of her throat.

“Watched? M-m-m-m, no. I locked the
door and hid the key.”

He lifted his head, his gaze a
sparkling blue sea. “Och, then ye do love me, my Julia.”

“More than Time can hold.” She smiled,
the utter truth of her words tugging upon her heart.

Their lips blended, gently at first,
tasting, savoring — then more impatiently, consuming, devouring, as
their hunger sharpened and desire flared bright. In moments their
clothes mingled on the floor and their bodies entwined.

Rae surrounded Julia with his strength
as he lay her back across the mattress. Their tongues mated in a
frenzied dance. He rolled with her, bringing her atop him, then
underneath him, drawing his lips from her mouth to spread kisses
over her flesh and capture her breast.

Julia gasped quick
breaths, her heart beating madly as he awakened the very depths of
her sensuality. She felt radiantly alive. Though new to the ways of
love, she knew no embarrassment as she lay
naked
in his arms, but only a fierce
yearning to join swiftly and completely with him.

“Ach, ye are ready for me, love,” he
murmured when a small moan escaped her at his intimate touch.
Giving her no time to think on it, he shifted upward and coupled
with her, setting a rhythm for them both.

As he increased his pace, Julia skimmed her
palms over his back and felt the play of his muscles. He cherished
her breasts, one then the other, until she called his name and
tightened her legs about him.

Capturing her lips once more, he surged
against her, bringing her to the edge of release. Julia matched
his rhythm, then suddenly erupted as wave upon wave of pleasure
crashed through her, sweeping her to a place beyond Time
itself.

“Rae!” she cried as ecstasy overtook
her.

Grinning, he covered her mouth, but in the
next moment Julia’s name ripped from his throat as the same,
powerful force claimed him. He poured himself into her and rode his
passion, joining her in the rapturous fires of love.

»«

Julia sighed her content as she rested
against Rae’s solid, warm chest. Was it possible to feel so
splendid, so in love and alive? Her whole being tingled with his
touch, with his loving. And she still throbbed pleasurably from the
climatic force of their joining.

Julia turned her head and pressed a
kiss to his chest. “Greedy wench.” He smiled and sank his long
fingers in the silk of her hair. “Are ye wantin’ more lovin’
already?”

She said nothing, only smiled as she
brushed her fingertips through the crisp hair on his chest and then
trailed her hand downward beneath the sheet. He caught her hand
just as a sharp, rapid knocking sounded on the door. Julia
stiffened and sent a look of alarm to Rae.

“Ye are no’ tha’ disappointed are ye?”
he teased.

“Rae, someone is pounding
on the door. Do you not hear it?” He rose quickly to a sitting
position. “Nay, I dinna,
mo
cáran.”

Julia’s eyes widened as
the rapping continued. “It’s coming from the door in
my
time.”

“D’ye think ye it needs answerin’?” He
feathered kisses along her jaw.

“Rae, I can’t see the
door
to
answer
it.”

Remembering the key beneath her
pillow, she made a quick search for it. The key was gone. Actually,
it was there, in the nineteenth century, she just couldn’t locate
it. Not that it would do her much good if she could. How was she to
find the door lock, let alone the door?

“Mo cáran,
if ye can hear the knocking, mayhap ye yersel’
can be heard.”

Julia agreed. Normally — well, nothing
was normal about this situation — but during the time slips Lord
Muir could converse with her inside the chamber at least. Perhaps,
whoever was outside the chamber could hear her as well.

“Who is it?” Julia called out, her
voice wavering.

“Julia, let me in,” Aunt Sybil’s voice
demanded from the other side of the door. Her pounding intensified.
“I know precisely what you are about, young woman. You can’t hide
the truth any longer. Now open this door!”