"Dear God!" Caitlin breathed as she tried to imagine herself in the position of the captain and his brother's wife as they witnessed the catastrophic death of a man they both loved. This breaking point was different from what she'd endured, but equally excruciating. "I imagine you managed to keep going and do your duty, but how?"
His voice lightened. "There was a miracle. The avalanche had blocked the pass and stopped the Afghan invasion, but it turned out that the mountain was riddled with caves. Laura, who is as intrepid as you and Juliet, insisted that we search the mountain. I thought it was hopeless, but it was better to be doing something than nothing. We crawled for hours through the bowels of the earth and were about to give up when miraculously we found Ian, battered but more or less intact."
"What an amazing story!" Caitlin released her breath. "But I don't think even a miracle dissolves the pain of having been broken. Did you ever have a proper chance to drop to your knees and howl to the heavens?"
He stroked her back. "You're very perceptive. Yes, once I returned to Cambay I drowned my sorrows in true army officer fashion, meaning that for the second and last time in my life, I got falling down drunk, then slept the clock around. Very unlike me. After that I was able to carry on normally, except for the occasional nightmare."
She shuddered. "I'll never forget my breaking point, Captain, but having survived being broken is making me stronger in the mended places, I think."
"I feel the same, though I wouldn't wish such an experience on anyone!" He gazed down into her eyes. "Now that we've shared our horror stories, I think we've reached the point where we should use given names. Mine is David. With your permission, I'd like to call you Caitlin."
David. She'd heard that in Hebrew the name meantbeloved. A good name for him for he was clearly much loved. "I'd like that, too, David. But after such wild adventures on the other side of the world, what brought you to the George Inn last night?"
He smiled. "I'm on my way to visit Ian and Laura at Falkirk, the family estate a bit north of Edinburgh. My siblings and I summered there during our school days, so this is like going home. Ian didn't expect to inherit, but he did and I have no doubt that he's an excellent master of Falkirk. After he learned that I was coming home, he and Laura decide to host a grand family house party from Christmas through Hogmanay and beyond. I'll be able to see everyone at once after too many years away."
She returned his smile. "So you're the prodigal son returning! Will there be a fatted calf?"
He laughed. "Perhaps. Certainly there will be haggis and unmanly hugs all around. Being Scots, we're a rather emotional lot, except for Juliet's husband who is English but otherwise a very decent fellow. I haven't seen her and Ross since their wedding, which was…" he paused to calculate, "fifteen years ago. Half my lifetime. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, including two very small nephews I've never met."
"Will you return to India?"
He shook his head. "Though I've lived in many places, Scotland has always been home. I've resigned my commission and I'm back to stay."
"It sounds wonderful," she said, unable to keep a note of envy from her voice. She had very little family.
He must have heard that because he didn't speak, just cuddled her closer. In a distant corner of her mind, she realized how improper it was to be in the lap of a man she barely knew, yet she felt as if she's known him forever.
She really should get up before she fell asleep. Soon….
5
David studied the sleeping young woman in his arms, glad that she was finally resting. What a nightmare she'd been through! She was enchanting in a very Scottish way. He remembered how he'd ended his letter to Ian, telling him to keep an eye out someone who might suit David as a wife.
It was absurd to think that he'd found the right woman when they'd only met the day before, yet his soldier's intuition, which had saved his life more than once, was sayingThis one!He was more intensely attracted to Caitlin, to her strength, her courage, her beauty, than any other woman he'd ever met.
The idea seemed absurd, until he remembered that his sister Juliet and her Ross married almost immediately, and Ian had proposed to Laura within days of their first meeting. Perhaps love at first sight was the Cameron way.
David was usually less impulsive than his siblings, but just now he was feelingveryimpulsive. He reminded himself that Caitlin needed to recover after all she'd been through, so he must control that impulsiveness and wait to see what developed between them.
He carefully stood, holding her in his arms. It was only a few steps to the adjoining bedroom which probably was meant for the cook or the housekeeper. The bed was ruffled up, so he gently laid her down and pulled the covers over her. In the dim light, he studied her face which had relaxed into peacefulness. When he'd looked his fill, he allowed himself a light kiss on Caitlin's forehead as he whispered, "Sleep well, my lady. You're safe now."
Her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him, their gazes locking as emotion pulsed between them. Not breaking that gaze, she slowly lifted her hands to his head and pulled him down into a kiss. She was warm and lovely and compelling.
Her lips parted under his and with breathtaking suddenness, sweetness flared into passion. She pulled him down onto the bed with her and he wondered dizzily if it was possible to feel himself literally falling in love.
Struggling to be sensible, he whispered, "Caitlin, this isn't wise!"
"But it feels so very right." She slipped her arms around him and drew him against her for another scorching kiss. Their bodies strained against each other, yearning to unite despite the barriers of clothing and blankets.
It was a madness David never wanted to end, but when he found himself dragging the covers down, he realized how close they were to taking an irrevocable step. He wrenched himself away and swung around to sit on the edge of the bed as he buried his head in his hands, panting.
Caitlin reached for him. "Come back here, please!"
He caught her hand, stilling her movement. In the dim light of the fire, she was enchanting, her hair a bright tangle, and her expression yearning and vulnerable. "I think we need to slow down, lass," he forced himself to say. "I'd already decided that once your life is sorted out and safe, I'll ask permission to court you. But after all you've been through, this seems too soon. I don’t want you to lie with me, then regret it."
She glared at him for a moment before tugging her hand away, her expression rueful. "Very well. You did say you were the practical sort. That's a decidedly mixed blessing!"
"I know," he said solemnly. "It's one of my most annoying traits."
