“There you are.” Lauren called, coming from the house. “Sorry I’m late, but I promised to help Aunt Phoebe bring some boxes down from the attic. She’s determined to get the house cleared out and ready to put on the market.”
Reginald winced at the thought, but focused instead, on driving in the last nail.
“That will do it.” He raised up and gave her a welcoming smile. “Yer timing is perfect.”
Lauren beamed at him. “I see you’ve been busy.”
“A pleasure, actually. I’ve spent lifetimes being idle. Or, what felt like it, anyway.” he quickly added. “I enjoy working with my hands. This presented itself, so I took advantage. I hope Phoebe won’t mind.”
“Mind? She’ll be ecstatic!” Lauren laughed. “She needs all the help she can get. Which is why I came here, in the first place, so I guess I really should stay.”
Guilt creased her brow, but he refrained from reaching up to smooth it away.
“But,” she shrugged self-consciously, “after you mentioned wanting to explore the old croft and that ancient graveyard back by the crag, both she and Julia could see how bad I wanted to go along. So, they insisted.”
She grinned despite a guilty shrug. “I should be ashamed, I know. I am, actually. But, also selfish enough to indulge my curiosity about the history of this place. I was…kind of hoping you’d share whatever tales you know about the history of the area. Family sagas, or stories you’ve heard.”
He held up his tools and gestured toward the shed. “Walk wi’ me while I put these away?”
“I’m always on the lookout for a great new story,” she continued as they walked. “I do a lot of research online. Along with libraries and archives, of course, but you never know what might pop up in local lore. New or old.”
“Oh!” She stopped short, her cheeks flaming. “Reggie, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean…” Her hand covered her mouth as she shook her head. “I can’t believe I was so thoughtless. I sound like Deidre, for goodness sakes. You probably thought I meant your uncle, but I promise, I didn’t. I’m just so used to searching out true crime stories, I get overexcited. I’m…” She groaned and tried to turn away. “Oh, I’m just making it worse. I should go help aunt Phoebe after all.”
“Dinnae fash so.” Reginald turned her back to face him. “No harm done. Uncle Fergus was indeed a scoundrel. ’Tis no getting’ around that truth. But… Lauren, I just cannae believe he betrayed his country. I’d stake my life on it.”
Lauren’s face crumpled with compassion. She touched his cheek, then rested her hand on his chest. “Something like what he’s accused of, would be hard for any honorable man to understand. It’s possible he had reasons more powerful—to him at least—than honor and love of country. You’re a soldier. Or were. So, I understand how hard it would be for you to accept that he could betray everything you stand for.”
Nae.
She was wrong. She had to be. There was an explanation. He kenned it deep in his soul.
“I’ll just put these things back in the shed, then we can go.”
He left her standing in the sunlight while he replaced Crayton’s tools. On the way out, he took one last wistful look at the carving, and stepped outside.
“Reggie, I’m sorry.” The look on her face tugged at his heart.
He dinnae want Uncle Fergus, or anything else hanging between them. He took her hand, brought it to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “ ’Tis too bonny a day, for sorrow, and there’s much to explore. Where first? The cemetery or the croft?”
“Do we have time for both?”
“ ’Tis a bit of a hike to the graves.” He looked up at the afternoon sun, just as he’d done as a boy, when gauging if ’twas close to suppertime. “We’ve time for that, at least. But, I worry ’tis to much for yer ankle.”
“Absolutely not. I told you, it was fine. Aunt Phoebe checked it over, and gave her blessing, remember?” She stuck out her foot. “And for overkill, she put an elastic bandage on it. Anything more will require bubble-wrap.”
He glanced at her ankle, but couldnae see beneath the fabric of her jeans. He dinnae ken elastic, or bubble-wrap, but he trusted Phoebe’s judgement.
“Aye, then. Although, Deidre stopped tae say she, Phillip and Drew were still taking the horses out, if ye’ve changed yer mind about going wi’ ’em’. ’Twould be less strain on yer ankle.”
“I already told you both, I’d rather explore, with you.” Her eyes widened and her lips parted. “Unless, of course you prefer I didn’t.”
“Nae, lass! I want ye tae go. I just want ye tae…”
“To what?”
“Tae want tae. Go, ’wi me, that is.” He looked away, feeling like a daft fool.
Lauren sighed, chewed her lip, and looked away as if holding something back.
