She’d been whiling away her time in large, secure houses for much of her life. Thanks to her mother, Taylor had acquired an education that surpassed that of most British ladies. But still, that wasn’t enough. What she knew was nothing in comparison with what this man had seen of the world. Her heart swelled hearing him talk, learning what it was he believed.
Taylor lost track of how long they’d been walking. The more time they spent with each other, the more at ease they became. Her arm remained linked with his. Their shoulders touched, their steps had found a comfortable rhythm. The initial awkwardness she felt had disappeared. Every now and again, he took her hand to assist her over an uneven patch.
She guessed if the groom returned with a boat right now, she’d tell him to wait. She had so many more questions to ask.
“You said that you often travel in small groups, but do women ever join you?”
The grey-green eyes focused on her face. “Some of the places are quite remote and difficult to reach, but wives or daughters often travel on these expeditions.”
“What is your view of them coming along?” she asked. “Do they slow you down? Do you consider them a nuisance?”
“Hardly,” he replied with no hesitation. “I admire them. I’ve seen only fortitude and courage in women who take up the challenge of exploring places previously unknown to us. To be honest, I’ve found myself quite envious of the men they accompany.”
“Envious? Why?”
“Because I would suppose only a woman truly in love would part with the comforts of her life here and go on a journey that is inherently fraught with danger.”
Taylor respected and admired his sentiment, but she doubted that was the only thing that would motivate a person to go. She stopped and turned to face him. “But what if a woman simply seeks adventure? What if she craves the knowledge of the world that, as you say, only travel can provide? Don’t you think her thirst can be the same as a man’s?”
A droplet of rain fell on her face, and she held a hand open to catch the next. She glanced up and was surprised by the ominously dark clouds that had closed off the sky above them.
“I have no doubt of it. Still, here in Europe, women are considered the gentler sex and—”
“And they are admired by men for their softness, their vulnerability, their gentle manner.”
“I can’t speak for other men. Only for myself. I admire a woman for her courage. I respect one who thinks and speaks her mind, who refuses to be constrained by our society’s rigid expectations of her sex.” He held her gaze. “I was spellbound when I saw you charging through the mud to help a handful of exhausted servants. I knew at that moment, you were the woman I’d come searching for.”
Before Taylor could react, before she could even force a breath into her lungs, a flash of lightning split the air on the far shore, and she felt the crack of thunder in every fiber of her body. An instant later, another bolt lit the sky, and the heavens suddenly opened, sending them running through the teeming rain toward the cottage.
THE HANDSOME FACE took on a dark purple shade before the end of each contraction.
“Breathe, Dermot. Breathe, my love.”
Millie couldn’t believe she was the one giving directions to her husband in a time like this, but she was worried about him. Somehow, they’d managed to make it to their own bedroom. And with Dermot shouting orders along the way, the midwife from Aberdeen was already waiting at Millie’s bedside when they arrived in the room.
“Do you want to get into the bed?” the woman asked.
“Not yet. I’d prefer to be walking,” Millie answered, clutching her husband’s hand.
“Your sister Jo has already been sent for,” Dermot told her. “And my aunt is at the door if you want her with you.”
The pain continued to come in waves, and the intensity was still bearable.
“I only want you,” she whispered, leaning into her husband’s embrace.
The memory of her operation last year came to her now. Her parents and every one of her siblings had been present in Dr. Drummond’s surgery. But Millie had wanted only Dermot with her.
“I need you to be as brave for me as you were the last time I was in pain,” she murmured. “Can you do that for me?”
“I love you, Millie. I’ll be whatever you want me to be.”
CHAPTER 5
THE SKY OPENED, and the hard wind gusts battered them as they ran across the meadow. Brilliant flashes of lightning and deafening cracks of thunder exploded around them. The air crackled. They were both breathless when they burst into the cottage. Bamberg pushed the door shut to keep out the driving rain.
“I can’t believe this storm was part of Millie’s plan.” Taylor laughed as she pulled off her soaked short jacket.
“McKendry has always been an incorrigible rogue. I believe he’s capable of anything.”
An eyebrow arched. “Have you known him long?”
“For well over a decade. We attended university together.”
