He had his own views about what mattered inlife.
“Yes, you banished them,” the young beauty said then, frowning at him. “The ghostly pair, I mean. They were almost visible, just reaching out for each other.” She closed her eyes for a moment, as if seeing them again in her mind. “I came here with such high hopes. Conditions wereperfect.
“Now…” She shook her head. “Who knows where they’ve retreated to, what heartbreaking corner of theOtherworld-”
“Ah, well, lassie, all is no’ lost.” He aimed to sound encouraging. “You shall just have to try again next year. Samhain comes aroundannually.”
“But I donot.”
“Why?” He didn’t care for the finality of her tone. “Are you leavingAberdeen?”
She looked up at him, the stars gone from her eyes. “I will not have another chance to look for theghosts.”
Guilt stabbedhim.
“I am sorry.” Hewas.
“It doesn’t matter. Not now.” She glanced at the gate which was just creaking open, admitting a small group of women. “Oh, no!” she gasped, clapping a hand to her cheek as she nipped around behind him. “They will seeme.”
“Thon ladies?” Greyson peered at the fast approaching women, matrons by their girth and determined strides. “You know them? Are theyfamily?”
“Shhh…” She pinched his arm. “The housekeeper, cook, and head laundress,” she whispered, flattening herself against the side of the mausoleum. “The others are from neighboring houses. Stay before me, please. I can’t let them seeme.”
“Too late.” Greyson spoke true. “The path comes this way and if we leave, they’ll notice forsure.”
Gravel crunched on the walkway, confirming hiswords.
He turned to face her. “You’ll no’ want to slink off through the graves either. They might fear you’re a ghost and swoon dead away. You’ll no’ want that on your bonnieshoulders.”
“Of course, not.” She swayed, looking ill. “Oh, sweetmercy.”
“They’re almost here,” Greyson declared, ratherunnecessarily.
More crunching, closer thistime.
Her eyes flared. “Do something.Anything.”
Greyson threw a look at the approaching women, and then turned back to the lass. Wicked thoughts whirled through his mind. Yet how could they not when less than a breath of air stood between them? She was fetching. Her rose scent enchanted him. And – he couldn’t deny it – he found himself desiring her, andbadly.
Still…
One thing he did possess washonor.
“Please…” She leaned into him, her breasts brushing him. “Don’t let them catchme.”
“Dinnae you-”Press your bosom againstme.
“They willnae bother you,” he said aloud, his heart sinking for he knew only one way to shieldher.
Crunch, crunch, crunch,the soundnow accompaniedby the swishing ofskirts.
Then…
“Hester!” a sharp female voice rose above the shifting gravel and skirt rustles. “We came with you to see the phantom lovers, not commonbawdry.”
“Lewd harlot,” anotherscolded.
“Ignore them,” a calmer voice admonished, presumably Hester. “We’ll be past them in a moment – if the lot of you don’t fall over your feet gawping at thepair.”
