But she didn’t move.
And neither did he.
“How is the wee lass?”
“Fine,” Nathaniel said. “Just a bit overwhelmed by the magnificence of your prize there, I suspect. Tourist jitters and all that.”
She would have elbowed him, but she couldn’t get her elbow where it could do damage. He only tightened his arms around her.
“I would be just as overwhelmed,” he said seriously. “A lovely piece of history, that. Where did you come by it again?”
“The journey is long and a wee bit convoluted,” Mr. Campbell said slowly. “Let’s just say someone thought I might want it.”
“You being a connoisseur of all things historical and sharp.”
“Exactly,” Mr. Campbell said, sounding as if no higher praise could be heaped on his head.
“You have a keen eye and a nose for a good buy,” Nathaniel said.
“And you’ve an obvious appreciation for the same,” the man said. “Would you care to hold this?”
Nathaniel made noises of regret. “Don’t dare, I’m afraid. I might drop it on my tender toes.”
Emma closed her eyes and listened to them go on about things that she soon tuned out. She didn’t believe in ghosts, alternative medicine, or things she couldn’t pin on a board and look at critically. She steadfastly refused to admit that she did believe in yoga, green drinks, and anything her intuition told her, but that sort of thing seemed very logical and sensible.
What she was dealing with at present didn’t.
She wasn’t sure if she slept or not. She thought she might have dozed. She understood completely why Nathaniel had done the same thing, if he’d gone through what she just had.
“Here’s my card, lad,” the man was saying. “Call me if you dig up anything in your backyard. I’ll pay you a pretty penny for it.”
“I will definitely call you first,” Nathaniel assured him. “And thank you for the offer.”
“You’re certain you don’t care to put a hand to this blade here?” Mr. Campbell asked. “Hard to pass up that sort of history, aye?”
“And yet I think I must,” Nathaniel said. “Have to get this wee lassie home, don’t I?”
Emma supposed that was her cue to get back to reality. She forced herself to sit up, then continued on all the way to her feet. If she swayed a bit, she didn’t say anything and neither did Nathaniel. He simply put his arm around her shoulders and held her up. She forgave him for the tourist comment.
That might have been because she realized he was trembling. Just the slightest bit, of course, which she wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t been leaning on him. She put her arm around his waist, didn’t look at him, and walked with him outside.
“You all right?” she asked casually as they walked back toward their hotel.
“I just had my grandfather’s lead counsel for lunch,” he said grimly, “so I’m fine.”
“How was he?”
“Delicious.”
She smiled in spite of herself. “I can only imagine. Well, now that we’ve both had our share of excitement, what now?”
He took a deep breath, then pulled away from her. “Daft as this might sound, I think I need to get home today. If you don’t mind.”
She couldn’t say why, but she had the same feeling. “Of course,” she said. “Whatever works.”
He nodded, but said nothing else. She glanced at him occasionally as they walked back to their hotel, surreptitiously enough that she hoped he wouldn’t notice. He didn’t look pale, but he kept flexing his fingers as if he were trying to bring the feeling back into them.
That was odd.
