A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (ebook reader TXT) 📕

wi’ time aplenty tae considerthe horror of what awaited me. I ken that it is a wee bit worsethan I imagined, but I can make my own way now. I can make my ownway now.”

Claire shook her head. “No, Hugh. I’m afraidyou’re stuck with me … for now, anyway.”

Still Hugh did not relent. “It isnae aburden for a lady tae bear.”

Claire’s brows shot up. How utterly primevalhe was! “Are you saying that I shouldn’t help you because I’m awoman or that you think I can’t at all because I’m a woman?”

Looking puzzled, Hugh grimaced at her tone.“The art of strategy and combat is historically a man’sdomain.”

There wasn’t much of a feminist in Claire,but his words were enough to rouse what little there was. “Well, Ithink now I have to save you just to prove you wrong. I know youdon’t want to hear this, but you wouldn’t last a day out there onyour own.”

Hugh visibly stiffened, and Claire was quickto put a Band-Aid on his male pride by adding, “No, that is not achallenge. It is a simple truth and one you’ll just have to accept.You have no money, no mode of transportation … no clothes! Youcould walk through the NSA’s front door without even knowing it.You need help, and I’m willing to give it to you.”

“I dinnae need yer charity,” he ground outstiffly, prompting a wave of impatience to wash over Claire, keyingher up all over again.

What was it about him that was soirritating? Was it the masculine refusal to acknowledge that he waslacking in some way or the implication that, as a woman, she was?“Really?” she drawled with a touch of mockery. “’Cause from here itlooks like you could. I’m just saying.”

The Scot drew away, crossing his arms overhis thick chest as he glared down at her.

Claire would have none of his He-Man BSthough. She shook out her hands as if the motion could wave off hergrowing frustration with his archaic ways. “I know, I know! YouTarzan. Me Jane. Well, welcome to the twenty-first century, pal. ToAmerica! Land of equal rights for everyone, the ACLU, ERA and Rosiethe Riveter!”

Hugh blinked. “Yer a most bewilderingwoman.”

“Is that a ‘yes’ then?”

“Aye tae what?” he asked. “I dinnae ken aword ye just said.”

A surprised huff of what might have beenlaughter escaped Claire and finally, the tension truly deflated.“How about my friendship then, Hugh? Instead of charity? Could youuse some of that?”

The question hung in the air for a moment,and Claire held her breath until Hugh’s shoulders dropped a notch.“Friendship is always welcome.”

Claire grinned inwardly at his graciousacceptance as she turned back to her packing. “That I will take fora ‘yes.’”

Hugh responded with a snort but his blueeyes held a hint of bewilderment. “Why are ye helping me, lass? Isit for naught but the pity ye expressed before? Am I truly sopathetic?”

“No, it’s not that,” Claire answered withoutturning away from the suitcase. Pathetic, she scoffed inwardly.Hugh might inspire many things but pity wasn’t truly one of them,so then why was she doing all this? Benevolence? Sympathy for akindred soul? “I don’t know, really. I guess at this point I wouldjust have to call it a random act of kindness.”

The momentary silence behind her told Clairethat Hugh was either wondering at her response or doubting itsveracity, but when he spoke, his gruff voice held a hint ofsoftness and even warmth that it had been absent before. “Whateveryer reasons, tis gratifying tae know wi’ all that has changed, thathuman decency has nae entirely disappeared from the earth as I hadfeared.”

Claire jumped at the heat of his hand as itsurrounded hers and stared up at him wide-eyed as he lifted it,pressing a gallant kiss against the back of her fingers. “Ye hae mygratitude, Sorcha.”

Her mouth opened and closed of its ownaccord, but no words emerged. Jerking her hand away, she turnedback to the packing, resisting the urge to rub away the unexpectedand unwelcome tingling his lips had left behind. “So, we need aplan,” she said briskly, pushing aside the awkward moment. “I’d askyou if you had any ideas, but …”

“I’d be nae help,” he finished wryly. “I amforced by circumstance to gi’ my fate over to ye …”

“A woman,” she interjected.

“Aye, a woman,” he relented, drawing outthe concession. “But only because I ken nothing of this time andthis America of yers. Bluidy hell, such ignorance goes against mynature.”

Claire paused and looked at him skeptically.How could he even say such a thing? Look at him, she thought. He’dcome to her dirty, mangy, and unkempt. His hair looked as if hehadn’t cut it in a year, and given the length of his beard, hehadn’t shaved in almost as long. Of course, appearances weren’teverything, Claire acknowledged, but how much could a man from theHighlands of Scotland in the eighteenth century really know?

Pushing the thought aside, Claire resumedpacking, but her mind was already plotting her strategy for escape.Where to go, she wondered again, more calmly this time. It did needto be somewhere unexpected, somewhere unrelated to her. If even aportion of what was portrayed on TV was true, the Feds were prettyhandy at tracking people. They could probably figure out eachpurchase and call she’d made during the past week with just a fewstrokes of the keyboard.

So, she’d need more cash and a prepaid cellphone if she planned on calling anyone for help. Which took herback again to what to do and where to go. Barring Scotland, wasthere someplace Hugh might like? Some place to remind him ofhome?

Claire paused, remembering a college friendof hers who was from Iceland once telling her that Seattle had ahuge population of Icelanders. They had settled there because theterrain and climate were similar to theirs. Mentally Claire drew alongitudinal line around the Earth, thinking that Seattle lined uppretty evenly with Scotland and that the pictures of Scotland shehad seen over the years were comparable if not exact. Perhaps Hughwould find it comforting as well.

Unfortunately, she had grown up outsideSeattle, and as she had thought before, her parents’ house wouldprobably be the first place they would look. Then