Page 38 of Love Beyond Words
Understanding moved across Marcus’ face as he lowered his voice.
“Did Laurel tell you…do you know where or more precisely, when we are from?”
Raudrich responded in kind by leaning closer to Marcus. None of the other men knew.
“Aye, lad, I know all about Morna and her penchant for sending lassies through time.”
“Good. Anyway, I’m pretty certain romance novels don’t exist in this time. It will take quite a long time before women start really owning their sexuality.”
Raudrich liked the sound of that very much. He thought perhaps he would like the future.
When he said nothing, Marcus continued.
“She writes love stories. You know, stories about men and women falling in love.”
“But ye say that she knows little of this herself?”
The man snorted again. He wondered if perhaps it was a nervous habit, although nothing about the way the man held himself indicated that he was intimidated, and he’d certainly not behaved that way last night
“Laurel? God, no. She dates because her sister forces her to, but I’ve never known Laurel to be with a man for more than a few months. She’s very distrusting of men, and she’s a bit of a heartbreaker, but like I said, she doesn’t see it. I’d say nearly all of the men she’s ever dated have fallen for her by date three. But as soon as she sees them start to invest, she flees. I know her better than anyone, and I’ve never been able to determine exactly why.”
Each new thing he learned about her made him even more curious to get to know her. It was time for their dinner to come to an end.
Standing, he pushed back from the table and addressed the group.
“It has been a long day for us all. If everyone is finished, I believe it best we all find our way to bed.”
Even as riveted as the men seemed to be in their conversation, all of them agreed that they were indeed tired. As the men stood, he winked at Laurel to acknowledge their upcoming meeting.
Turning, he left to head for the castle’s highest tower where he could watch for Nicol’s nightly exit.
* * *
Try as I might to convince Maddock that it really would be fine for me to bunk with Marcus, my new friend wouldn’t hear of it. So, rather than wait on the stairs like I promised Raudrich I would do, I was forced to follow Maddock up to his bedchamber, while he chatted away about why this was the best solution for everyone.
“I promise ye, lass, ’tis no trouble at all. I willna place ye in Calder’s room on the off chance that he might return, but I’ve no problem confronting him if he does, so I will stay in there. Even more, my bedchamber is one of only two that has a lock that ye may bolt from the inside. I’ve been known to walk about in my sleep, ye see. So I lock it before bed to keep myself inside. Doona want to go tumbling down the stairs in the night, aye?”
While I appreciated his kindness, it was ridiculous for so many people to be unsettled due to our invasive arrival into their lives. Marcus and I had shared rooms on countless trips and sleepovers.
“Maddock, I truly do appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I woke to hear that you’d walked out of Calder’s room in the middle of the night and broken your leg by doing what you just told me you feared.”
Just as we turned the corner down the long corridor leading to Maddock’s bedchamber, Raudrich appeared from a set of stairs to my right. He stopped short when he saw us and slowly glanced back and forth between us.
“What are ye doing, Maddock?”
I couldn’t understand the frustrated glint in Raudrich’s eyes.
“I’m seeing Laurel to my bedchamber.”
Frustration turned to anger in a flash, and before I knew it, Raudrich had stepped between us as he shoved Maddock with one hand and grabbed my arm with another.
“Like hell ye are, Maddock.”
Raudrich turned his angry eyes on me, and I pulled out of his grasp as he spoke.
“Lass, I know Maddock can be verra convincing with his words, but ye doona want to do this. Ye barely know him. He is not the man for ye.”
Maddock burst into laughter.
