Time Travel Romances Boxed Set (30 page)

“
It’s all right to cry,”
Bard said quietly.

“
I never cry!” Aurelia
dashed at her tears with her fingertips.

“
Of course not,” Bard
agreed easily and slid his thumb across her cheek, sweeping away
her tears in one smooth gesture. “Vikings never cry.” His thumb was
warm and Aurelia could smell his skin.

Suddenly she did not want to step away from
him. She wanted to go back to his bed, to spend another night
locked in his embrace, to spend another night feeling safe, secure
and cossetted.

And it was not because she intended to kill
him while he slept.

What was happening to her?

“
I asked about your father
in town,” Bard said gently. Aurelia was surprised at how soothing
she found the low rumble of his voice. “And no one knew him. Do you
think he might have gone to Kirkwall, on the big
island?”

Aurelia caught her breath. She had no idea
where her sire might have fled. “Why would he go there? He has
always stayed at Dunhelm.”

Bard shrugged. “Maybe he wanted to go a
little further afield again. Find different work, a change of
scene.” Aurelia examined his toes but he touched her chin with one
fingertip, urging her to meet his sympathetic gaze. “Maybe he went
a-viking, hmmm?”

Aurelia could not smile at his soft
jest.

Bard cleared his throat. “I think we should
go there tomorrow and look for him. Will you come?”

Aurelia eyed his concern as the wind danced
around them. Maybe he could understand her pain because he too had
lost a father. Aurelia remembered only too well that Erc had
drowned in his flight from Dunhelm.

Leaving his infant son without a father. Had
that been the event that colored Bard’s life?

“
You know what it is to
lose a father,” Aurelia said softly.

Bard grimaced and shrugged. “You could say
that. It’s not important.”

Aurelia blinked in surprise. “Losing your
father was not important?”

Bard gave her a pointed glance that told her
she had asked too much. “Finding your father is what’s important
now. The rest is just history.” His lips quirked, but the smile did
not reach his eyes. “Kirkwall tomorrow? First thing?”

Aurelia was oddly loathe to refuse a day in
Bard’s company. “I should like that,” she admitted before she meant
to do any such thing, and immediately flushed.

But she did not deny her agreement.

Bard flung an arm over Aurelia’s shoulder
and turned her back towards his hall, guiding Aurelia walking in
that direction before she knew what she was about. There was
something comforting about having the weight of Bard’s arm around
her and Aurelia liked matching her step to his.

There was an odd sense of security to be
found in this man’s companionship, one that made Aurelia forget all
the dreadful things she knew to be true about him. She felt safe
with him.

Was that all part of his scheme? Aurelia was
no longer as certain of his dark intent as she would have liked to
have been.

In fact, if she could have known for certain
that he was honest with her about his character, Aurelia would have
had no trouble accepting Bard for her spouse. He felt familiar to
her, yet her body tingled with the dawn of something new.

Or was she simply the perfect pawn in his
wicked scheme?

“
Tell you what, princess,”
Bard said with false casualness. “How about you and I make a
deal?”

Aurelia was immediately wary. “A deal?”

“
Yes.” Bard’s green eyes
were twinkling with a vigor that dismissed her trepidation. Aurelia
had to bite back a smile of anticipation. What mischief was he
making? “If you aren’t going to be Gemdelovely Gemdelee, what do
you say about me not being Bard, son of Erc?”

Aurelia was surprised. “You would deny your
sire?”

Bard winced. “Erc the Destroyer? He doesn’t
really sound like my kind of guy and, frankly, neither does his
son.”

Bard wanted to separate himself from
Ursilla’s tale. Aurelia’s mind flew like quicksilver. Had he seen
that she knew part of the tale to be rooted in truth?

Or did he want to change his ways, leaving
not only his name but his deeds behind himself? Was it just an
undeserved reputation he desired to shake from his shoes?

“
Who, then, would you be?”
Aurelia managed to ask.

“
Baird Beauforte,” he said
firmly. “I’m Baird Beauforte to everyone in this world, except you.
I’d like you to call me Baird, as well.”

Aurelia looked up at her escort and could
see no insincerity in his eyes. They stared at each other for a
long time, Aurelia seeking some hint in those emerald depths that
he lied to her.

But she found none.

Aurelia’s words were reluctant when they
came and not without wonder. “You are not at all what I expected,
Baird Beauforte.”

Aurelia’s heart skipped a beat when Baird
enfolded her chin in his palm. His lips were a finger’s breadth
from her own, his eyes dark with import. Aurelia could see flicks
of gold in his eyes, then his low words fanned her lips.

“
And no one could have
expected you, princess.”

There was an admiration in his words that
warmed Aurelia right to her toes and for a dizzying instant, she
was certain that she confronted the true man.

And liked him very, very much.

Baird brushed his lips lightly across hers,
leaving a tingle in their wake. He hesitated, as though he meant to
pull away but could not bear to do so. His gaze darted over
Aurelia’s face and she could not move, her heart singing when his
lips closed decisively over her own.

Aurelia was honest enough to admit that she
would have been disappointed with anything less. She stretched and
slid her arms around Baird’s neck, loving the taste of him, ale and
all. Aurelia felt a glow spread around her heart, for there was no
doubt that Baird was complementing her with both his words and his
embrace.

And she felt oddly reassured after the
tumult of this day.

Baird did not believe she was a mere tale.
Baird did not believe that her sire had died of grief. Baird
believed they would find Hekod.

And Aurelia found solace in his
certainty.

Then Baird lifted his lips from hers and the
doubts tumbled back into Aurelia’s mind. He gave her shoulders an
unexpected squeeze and started to hurry her towards the hall. Baird
cleared his throat and cast a twinkling glance her way.

“
Tell you what, though,” he
said easily, “don’t go telling Elizabeth too soon that you’re not
this Gemdelovely Gemdelee. She’s taken a shine to you and has
apparently been cooking up a storm all afternoon. I don’t know what
she’s making but it smells really good.”

Aurelia gasped in mock outrage. “And you
think that if I tell her the truth, you will not get any of
it!”

Baird shrugged, his eyes dancing impishly.
“Why take the chance?”

“
Why, you shameless cur!”
Aurelia pulled away and swatted him on the shoulder. “You would use
me to see your own belly filled! You would see to your own comfort
first and foremost!”

Baird laughed and danced out of her range.
“Oh, and you wouldn’t do the same?” He granted her a wicked grin
that made her heart jump awkwardly. “Aren’t you hungry,
princess?”

She was.

Of course.

And Baird knew it! That only made his
teasing worse. Aurelia’s expression must have changed with the
realization, for Baird laughed out loud.

“
Last one in has to do the
dishes,” he taunted and ran for the hall.

Aurelia did not know what that meant, but
she recognized a threat when she heard one. Oh, and he was so much
taller than she! She had to run hard to even catch up with him.

Aurelia bolted after Baird, stretching to
tap him on one shoulder. Baird turned to look, and Aurelia darted
around him on the other side.

“
Cheat!” Baird bellowed
when Aurelia ducked through the door first. They both stumbled
laughingly into the hall, and came quickly up short.

Marissa stood with a stranger, a coy smile
toying with her reddened lips. “Playtime over?” she asked archly.
“We’ve simply been waiting forever for you two to come to dinner.
Haven’t we, darling?”

And she smiled up at the man beside her.

He was tall and of about the same age as
Baird, his sandy hair tousled by the wind. There was a smattering
of freckles across his cheeks, giving him a boyish air that was
reinforced by his garb.

Actually, it was not his garb that made him
look young as much as a general sense that he had slept in
them.

Though he was dressed in chausses of ribbed
velvet similar to those Baird wore, and his tweed jacket was of
clever cut, Aurelia had the sense that this man was permanently
disheveled. His leather shoes were scuffed and his creamy shirt was
wrinkled.

He pushed his gold-rimmed spectacles further
up his nose and summoned a grin so engaging, Aurelia could not help
but smile in return.

She felt Baird stiffen behind her and was
instantly curious. Did they know each other? Was there something
amiss between the two? Or maybe Baird did not like his whore
lavishing her attention on another.

Whatever the reason, Aurelia knew that Baird
was not pleased. That playful side of his nature was banished once
again and he looked the grim warrior from head to toe. His lips
were tight and she thought she heard a thrum of anger in his voice
when he spoke.

Though his words confused her all the
more.

“
Baird Beauforte,” he said
frostily, stepping forward to offer his hand as though he would
rather be doing anything but. “I don’t believe we’ve
met.”

*

Baird had never felt such a strong animosity
towards another person, especially one he had never met. The
dislike he felt on sight of the other man went against his usual
refusal to judge a book by its cover, but he couldn’t shake free of
it.

The new arrival looked easy-going and
innocent. Baird sensed malice coming from the other man in waves,
despite his appearance. Baird fought the urge to toss the man
bodily into the street, but was glad he had won the battle just a
moment later.

“
Darian Mulvaney,” the man
supplied with a grin that should have been reassuring. “I’m a
scholar from the National Heritage Preservation Society. We had
word that you had discovered a Pictish site here.” He looked as
hopeful as a pup. “Would that be true, Mr. Beauforte?”

Baird found himself oddly reluctant to
provide details. “I wouldn’t know,” he said evenly. “It does appear
to be quite old.” Baird felt his eyes narrow. “How exactly did you
hear about this? We only just found the site and haven’t had the
chance to notify the authorities?”

Darian laughed. “Oh, we get phone calls all
the time! One of your workmen or someone local might have called it
in.”

Baird arched a brow skeptically but his tone
was scrupulously polite. “You don’t keep records of such
calls?”

The other man sobered. “Is there an ancient
site here or not?” Baird thought he heard the edge of a threat in
the other man’s silken tones. “We had understood, Mr. Beauforte,
that you had every intention of cooperating with the authorities in
such matters.”

“
And so I do,” Baird said
smoothly. “The site has been undisturbed since its discovery - I
simply want to ensure that only the proper authorities gain
access.” He smiled with cold charm. “You would, of course, have
identification?”

Baird knew he didn’t imagine the antagonism
that flashed in the other man’s eyes. Then, Darian bent to rummage
for his wallet in pockets apparently stuffed full of
miscellanea.

This man would be entrusted to sift through
an ancient site?

Three coins leapt to the floor and rolled,
followed by a key ring that Darian managed to catch in midair.
Aurelia bent to pick up an escaping coin and Baird’s gut clenched
when Darian winked at her as she returned it.

His fists clenched in his pockets when
Aurelia smiled back.

No less than a dozen torn snippets of paper
fluttered to the floor like maimed confetti. Four pens, two
pencils, a dog collar - that seemed to confuse Darian with its
presence as much as anyone else - and a butterscotch candy that
looked worse for wear came to light before the wallet.

Darian triumphantly waved his billfold at
Baird, unfolding a picture identification from the Society that was
obviously his own. Baird examined the photo and felt an
unreasonable disappointment that not only the man was who he said
he was, but that he could prove it.

Darian meanwhile gallantly offered the
butterscotch candy to both women, who politely declined. Darian,
untroubled, removed the lint-encrusted cellophane and popped the
candy into his mouth, his expression expectant as he watched
Baird.

“
Well, I suppose you’ll
want to see the site first thing in the morning, then.” Baird
handed back the man’s wallet, finding it troubling to have the
other man’s possession in his grip. He fought against the urge to
wipe its taint from his fingers.

Darian’s eyes gleamed. “Were there any
artifacts?”

Baird refused to look at Aurelia, speaking
quickly before she could get herself in trouble. This man might
misunderstand her confusion, after all. Baird’s protective urge was
in full armor, especially after the soft confession she had just
made to him.

Aurelia might be confused, but no one - no
one! - was going to hurt her in his presence.

“
No, nothing other than
what’s still there,” he said flatly. “As I said, it’s undisturbed.
The workmen won’t go near it.”