Page 72 of Edge of Yesterday

He obeyed and sat down, and she sat beside him on the bench. He wanted to leave, ride like the wind back to Heatheredge and begin his search. But when her fingers brushed his arm the tension eased a bit. He was tired. So weary. Tomorrow he would find a way to leave, even if he had to walk to Heatheredge. A three-mile hike would take more than an hour and a half.

She removed the bandage from his arm and frowned. “Just as I feared, you have opened the wound.”

Cailean looked at the cut. “It isn’t bad.”

Julianna sighed and began washing the wound.

He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax under her ministrations. She traced a finger along the wound and desire centered in his cock. God help him, if she noticed, she might grab her dirk and whack off his shaft—just for his daring. He had to remember that he occupied a world where he didn’t truly know the rules. Even the most dedicated enthusiast or historian couldn’t know what it was like to live in medieval Scotland. He was a stranger in a world that could destroy him. He concentrated on tomorrow, when he would go to Heatheredge and find his way home.

His thoughts began to settle and he hoped that he simply might fall into bed and sleep when she said, “You knew the men on the road intended to abduct me.”

Cailean snapped open his eyes. “What?”

She continued to clean the wound. “You knew the men were there to harm me.”

His heart began to pound. “Why do you say that?”

“I saw it in your eyes.” She didn’t look up. “Also, you said, ‘Today is the day she’s supposed to be abducted.’”

Cailean silently cursed. “How could you hear anything with all the fighting going on?”

A tiny smile curved her mouth. “My parents learned early on that I could hear a whisper across the room. It vexed them to no end.”

He just bet it did.

“Some call it a gift, but there have been times I wish I hadn’t heard what I did.”

“Like today?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Nae. You have piqued my curiosity far too much, truth be told. Ye also knew Hugh had kidnapped me. You know how women are. We cannae stand not knowing a secret.”

“Lady Julianna, you don’t want to know what I know.”

“Am I still in danger?”

That was a good question. “Hugh didnae accomplish his goal,” Cailean said. “He might try again. I do not know.”

“What was his goal?” she asked.

“I’m no’ certain. Someone else may have been involved.”

Her head snapped up. “Someone else? Ye mean he did not intend to marry me?”

“As I said, I’m not sure what he wanted.”

“Yet you feel he might not have acted alone?”

He released a breath. “Maybe.”

Her brow pleated. “Have ye any idea who?”

“Not a clue.”

She went back to cleaning his wound. “How do ye know the things you know?”

“As Lennox said earlier, second sight.”

“A logical conclusion,” she replied, now sprinkling water from her witchy bag of heads along the injury. “But I sense there is more.”