The Lass Who Kissed a Frog by Lee, Caroline (bookreader txt) 📕

“It feels divine. Aye! That’s the spot,” she murmured.

When he chuckled, his shoulder brushed against hers, and it felt so natural, so right, to be sitting beside this man, where she wasn’t the celebrated Oliphant Beauty, but just…Vanessa.

“Ye like that?”

She sighed again, which turned into another yawn. “I love it. I wish ye had two thumbs.”

“I do have two thumbs.”

“Nay, I meant on this hand.” Her eyes closed briefly, and her lips twitched. “That might be awkward.”

“Do frogs have thumbs?” he wondered out loud. “And if they did, would that increase the chance of ye kissing another one?”

Her eyes flew open. “Kissing another frog?”

He increased the pressure of his massage, tugging at her hand enough to get her to turn to him. When she did, he lowered his voice. “Kissing me.”

Immediately, she felt her face flushing, her heartbeat hastening. “I— But the bargain…” she stammered, unable to admit the idea of kissing this man—this Froggie—wasnae as horrible as it ought to have been.

“Aye, milady. The bargain.” His lips curled, but it wasn’t a particularly nice smile. In fact, despite the beard obstructing much of his features, it was somehow…familiar. Gently, he disengaged his hand from hers, and a chill swept over her as she lost his touch. “Once we’ve reached York and accomplished whatever ye have planned, dinnae think I’ll no’ collect.”

It was a vow; one she was surprised to discover she didn’t mind at all.

“When we reach York—” Her words were interrupted by a loud yawn she couldn’t contain. “Oh, excuse me.”

He folded his arms across his chest and rested his head against the seat behind him. “York is many hours away, and we’ll have to change trains a few times. No need for ye to be awake for all of it.”

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep last night, but she wasn’t following his reasoning. “What?”

“Go to sleep, milady,” he grumbled. “I’ll watch out for ye.” His good eye was fixed on something down the aisle, though she had the impression it was more because he didn’t want to look at her than it was anything particularly interesting. “I’ll keep ye safe.”

Why did that simple vow send a flood of warmth through her?

Sighing, she decided to trust him, yet again, and closed her eyes. The seat wasn’t as comfortable as the first-class compartments her father had rented all those years ago when they used to visit his aunt at Fangfoss, but at least they weren’t wooden benches.

She tilted her head to one side, and when her cheek found his shoulder, neither of them flinched away. With her eyes closed, she could only imagine the stiff way he was holding himself, but the thought made her smile.

Her Froggie was certainly surprising her at every turn, wasn’t he?

As she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was, The next few days will certainly be interesting…

Chapter 7

“I see…danger approaching.”

“Nay, ye dinnae.”

“Aye, I do. See that squiggle there?”

“That’s a bit of sugar, stuck to the leaf. See? It wipes right off.”

“Hmm. Alright, ye’re correct. I dinnae see danger at all. I see…a journey. They’re going on a journey.”

“Of love?”

“Yes, Willa dear. Vanessa and Roland are going on a journey of love. Now do be quiet and let Broca concentrate. Reading the tea leaves is not an easy skill, and not everyone can master it.”

“Like Broca, for instance.”

“I heard that, Grisel!”

“Good, ye were supposed to. Now, what kind of journey?”

“Hold on, the leaves arenae precise. A…plane trip?”

“What’s a plane? Like…a plain trip? They’re going someplace plain?”

“Nay, I got the ‘P’ wrong. Wain? Fain? Main! Maybe they’re going on a main trip?”

“Whizzat mak b’now to ram?”

“I dinnae ken, Seonag. None of that makes sense to me either. How’s the crystal ball coming?”

“Blantawit!”

“…Oh.”

“Look, Grisel, if ye want to drink the damn tea and try to make sense of—”

“Oh! A train trip!”

“That’s it, Willa dear! Excellent deductive work. So they’re going on a train trip, Broca?”

“Aye, I suppose that could be it. A train trip. South.”

“Thank you, Broca. Now, where are they going?”

“Ye dinnae ask the easy questions, do ye? Grisel, ye’d better brew another pot.”

* * *

It was rather a good thing they didn’t have to change trains in Inverness, because Roland was enjoying having her head pillowed against his shoulder far more than he had expected. It also gave him time to study her, and despite his anger at her, he liked what he saw.

Whatever she’d done to her face—she looked gaunter somehow—hadn’t necessarily made her less beautiful, but more approachable. He’d never been a man who was intimidated by beautiful women, and when he’d seen her at the ball, he’d made a point to seek her out because she was the most beautiful woman there.

The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

And he’d enjoyed the time he’d spent with her…especially the time spent touching her. Had her mother not dragged her off, he was only minutes away from suggesting a tour of his father’s library so he could get her well and truly alone.

Finding out she was self-centered and cruel had been a blow indeed.

Except…now, she wasn’t quite as perfect, and he was beginning to realize she wasn’t always cruel. He’d heard her say those things about Lyon with his own ears, it was why he’d started on this disguised journey after all, but now he was beginning to see there might be more to her than her opinions about his brother.

He’d bargained for a kiss from her, thinking it would increase her humiliation once she realized who he was. But he was coming to realize he very, very much wanted to kiss her for his own sake too. She was desirable in a way that wasn’t based on her beauty at all. It was in the way she smiled when she saw the landscape of the Highlands from the train, or the way she didn’t sit back and wait for life to happen to her.

Well, ye didnae expect this, did ye, ye wee dobber?

He might’ve dozed a few times as