Page 67 of An Enchanted Spring

“Aw, he’s not that bad. He gets us to where we need to be,” Aidan replied as they started off again. Moonlight filtered between the trees, casting shadows around them. Emma tucked herself deeper into his embrace. She felt his smile when he pressed his cheek into her tangled mass of hair. “And where we’re going, you’ll need a story to explain your presence. From this point on, we’ll be calling you Lady Emma.”

“Because the last thing I want is to appear as a medieval peasant,” Emma replied sarcastically.

“Exactly,” Aidan replied seriously. “We’ll say you’re from the Continent, that I was traveling and became strandedthere. I’m friendly with your father, who charged me with your care.”

“Cool story, bro.”

He did laugh then. “If you recall, about two-thirds of the way through your thesis, you discussed a woman’s role in medieval society.”

“I still can’t believe you read that.”

“Believe it. You wrote that women’s hierarchy in the clan depended upon who their sires are or whom they marry. As you’re not married, you’ll hail from nobility. That makes you untouchable to my clansmen.”

She felt a flash of triumph. His story had major holes in it; if the man claimed to have grown up in the 1400s, he should have his facts straight.

“Why would my father ship me off to Ireland?” she asked. “That’s not something most fathers would do. More likely he’d sell me to the highest bidder.”

“He’s avoiding an unpleasant match. He doesn’t want to align with a certain family, and they’ve threatened to take you anyway.”

Damn.

“Wouldn’t they just take me away?”

“In Ireland they would. But the rest of Europe claims to be a tad more civilized.”

“I hate that you have a point.”

“What I have is a thorough understanding of the time,” he replied with a cheeky grin. “You’ll believe me when we reach the castle.”

“I thought we were headed to your home?”

“Aye. ’Tis one and the same.”

Emma hoped his version of a castle and her version of a castle were the same thing, because their realities didn’t seem to be aligning very well lately.

The sun was just peekingits head over the hills when Emma awoke.

“Good morning.”

“How long was I asleep?” She grabbed at the horse’s mane when Aidan suddenly slowed the beast.

He chuckled. “About an hour or two. I’m glad you’re awake now, though. Look west. Opposite the sunrise.”

In the predawn light, hills in varying shades of green cascaded endlessly around them; low stone walls much like the ones in Reilly’s garden dotted the landscape. Cattle grazed lazily, swishing their tails, unaffected by the small party making their way to the top of a rolling hill.

“It’s lovely,” she breathed.

“Keep your eyes trained west,” Aidan murmured. “Any minute now…”

They crested a small hill, and suddenly, she saw it. A large castle rose up from the ground, majestic and dark. Behind it, the sea sparkled, catching the first rays of light on its waves. And, situated between the imposing castle and the ocean, a village of whitewashed, thatched-roof cottages sat proudly, small tendrils of smoke curling from their chimneys.

She took it all in, the beauty overwhelming her.

Cian sniffed, and she saw the tears in his eyes.

“I never thought we’d get home,” Cian said softly, his voice choked. He looked at Reilly. “My eternal gratitude to you.”

Reilly nodded his head, his horse prancing under him as though he, too, was anxious to get to that lovely spot.

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