Chapter Twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY

H annah did exactly what she promised herself she would do. She didn't let Olivia and Colby out of her sight, and she participated in every conversation they had. Nothing was suspicious. Nothing seemed wrong. Hannah could not believe it. Colby seemed to be a man of his word, only an eager man. Perhaps that was his only crime.

That evening, Olivia had excused herself from dinner, stating that she had a headache and wished to retire early. After bidding her goodnight, Hannah was left alone with Alistair, because both his mother and grandfather also decided to have their dinner taken to their chamber. That was probably yet another of their little plans to ensure that Hannah spent as much time alone with Alistair as possible. Now, he was smiling at her from across the table mysteriously.

"Why are ye smilin' like that?" she wondered, completely befuddled regarding his behavior, which was completely unlike him.

"Are ye done with dinner?" he asked instead of offering a reply, glancing at her plate. She had to admit that after such a day, she was exhausted, but not particularly hungry.

"Aye," she nodded. "Why?"

Without a word, he pushed his chair away and walked over to her, helping her up. Then, he took her by the hand, something she wasn't expecting him to do. She smiled as she allowed him to lead her out of the dining room and up the stairs. She expected him to say something, but he was still mysteriously quiet, as he led the way.

"Where are we goin'?" she wondered, curious as well as titillated by this eventful evening.

"I thought after such a day of overseein' yer sister's courtin', ye might need a nice distraction," he commented, without turning around to face her. Instead, he just kept going upward and then forward, making everything even more mysterious now. She felt that unfamiliar thrill that made her body erupt in gooseflesh.

Distraction. That was the word he used. Her mind immediately conjured up images of the perfect distraction he could offer her, without their clothes on. She immediately blushed at her own dirty mind. Fortunately, he was not allowed to peek into it, and her dirty desire was safe. At least for the time being.

But then, she was disappointed to see that they went past both their chambers and continued heading towards the western wing. So, that wasn't the sort of distraction he had in mind.

"Are we supposed to be here?" she wondered, looking around, not certain why they were in the wing that she was told to steer clear off, because it was not cleared yet properly and needed to be renovated.

"I am takin' ye to a very special place," he divulged in a whisper, adding to the mystery. "But ye have to be very quiet." He used his other hand to press his finger on her lips for one brief moment, then he pulled away and kept on going. This action only made the butterflies inside her stomach flutter about even more fervently, demanding an explanation.

"But where are we headed?" she insisted, unable to control herself at this point.

He chuckled. "Ye ken, ye are the most difficult woman to surprise."

"Usually, the surprises I get from people were not very pleasant," she admitted, instantly biting her tongue, because she didn't want him to think that she counted him as just anyone or that she felt like he aimed to hurt her in any way. This was simply the truth, and she shared it with him as it was.

"This is a nice surprise," he assured her, although she was already certain of that. "Well, a gift really."

"A gift?" she gushed. "Did ye get me somethin'?"

"Patience, lass," he chuckled again in his deep, masculine voice which she loved so much. "Ye will ruin the surprise."

A minute later, they reached the place where he wanted to take her. She realized it was the attic. He found a candle and lit it, illuminating the old room, which looked as if no one had entered it in years. However, that did not diminish the allure of the chamber. In fact, it only seemed to emphasize it.

Hannah gazed around her in awe. There were things of all sorts, lined against the walls, tables with candelabras and little wooden boxes, then chests of drawers with delicate carvings on them. There was a large looking glass with an intricate frame, where she almost gasped aloud, frightened by her own reflection.

Alistair seemed to be in search of something. "This isnae it… maybe this one?"

He opened a chest, but quickly closed it. He tried three more before he finally found what he was looking for. "Ah, here it is!"

"Here what is?" She smiled, walking over to him.

He held the candle directly over the open chest of drawers. Inside, there were rows and rows of books, perfectly nestled inside, so they fit as many as possible. The chest had kept them well preserved. Hannah immediately inhaled the old scent of leather bindings.

"May I?" she asked, gesturing at the one on the top.

"Of course," he smiled.

She bent down, taking one of them into her trembling hands. It was leather bound, of exquisite craftsmanship. Hannah had to admit that she had never seen a book in a finer binding. She could not imagine the worth of such an edition.

"They are… exquisite," she said, in awe, flipping through the pages tenderly, recognizing the title. The very fact that she was holding such a precious book was enough to make her swoon. But that was not all. The real surprise was yet to come, and it did.

"They are yers," he said simply, as if he were giving her something as ordinary as a sheet of paper to write on.

Her eyes widened in shock. At first, she didn't think she heard him right. "What?"

"Yers," he repeated just that one word. The most important one. "It is a gift."

"I cannae accept this," she shook her head, quickly putting the book back with the other ones, where it belonged. Somehow, she felt as if she soiled it with her touch. It needed to be kept safe. "They must have cost a fortune."

"But what is the point of having books if they are to be locked in an attic and forgotten?" he asked.

"I ken, but…"

"But nothin'," he smiled. "A gift for a gift. It is only fair."

"But I daenae have a gift for ye," she told him, feeling disappointed.

"Ye already gave me a gift," he reminded her. "The flowers."

"The flowers?" she exclaimed. "But that is just somethin' I picked from a field. It has no value."

"But it does," he corrected her. "Ye took the time and effort to pick them especially for me. Ye thought of me when pickin' them. Ye made an effort, and I loved it. I'm nae that good at… makin' things or pickin' them, but I ken what ye like. Books. I can give ye what ye need, Hannah."

Those words did something to her. Her entire body shivered all of a sudden, and the way he was looking at her only seemed to make her even more desiring of his touch. She wanted him to give her everything she needed, everything she wanted.

Without thinking, she stepped up to him and pressed her lips to his. There was no planning, no prior knowledge of what was to happen. She was merely following her heart, and it told her that this was the moment when they were supposed to kiss. So, they did.

He wrapped his arms around her instantly, pulling her closer. Every time they kissed, there was more fire, more heat. She knew that it could lead onto dangerous ground. They were in the attic. Someone might find them, or hear them, so they had to be cautious.

His lips engulfed hers, demanding all she could give him. And she wanted to give him her all. Everything was his. Everything she had. Her mind, her heart, her soul. He simply needed to take them.

She didn't know who was the first one to pull away. Her lips still throbbed from the passion of the kiss. She wanted more, but now was not the moment. They had little privacy here.

"Shall I have the chest taken to yer chamber tomorrow morning?" he suggested.

"That would be lovely," she smiled widely, feeling her jaw might get stuck like that. But she was unable to stop it. She was beyond happy. She even managed to forget what happened that morning with Olivia.

Somehow, he managed to make her believe that things would be all right.

I can give ye what ye need, Hannah.

Those were the words she had fallen asleep to. Those were the words that she woke up to the following morning, with that same sensation of the rightness of the world. She couldn't wait for that chest of books to be brought down to her chamber, and she was certain that because of it, she would spend all day inside.

She chuckled at the thought loudly. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hugging herself. Everything was right with the world. Alistair was opening up to her, which for him, was a very important step. She could tell. Their relationship was growing. He might not love her yet, but there were deep feelings on both sides. That much was obvious. And she couldn't wait to see how all this would develop.

Not wanting to wake him up yet, but feeling a desperate need to talk to someone, Hannah rushed to knock on the door to Olivia's chamber. At first, she knocked softly, thinking that her sister might be asleep. Then, she knocked more loudly, but still, there was no response.

Gently, Hannah pushed the door open, peering in.

"Olivia?" she called in a whisper. "Are ye awake?"

She glanced at the bed. It looked like no one had slept in it the previous night. This instantly woke up suspicions in Hannah's mind. She shoved the door fully open now, stomping into the chamber, not even making sure to close the door behind her.

"Olivia?" she called out her sister's name again, although everything kept telling her that the chamber was empty. Her sister was not there.

Hannah felt like someone had punched her in the gut or as if she had swallowed a big rock, which now nestled in her lower abdomen, causing excruciating pain.

She looked around in disbelief. Could it be that Olivia had already gone down to the dining room for an early breakfast? After all, she had a headache the previous night. She didn't eat anything. She probably woke up this morning with terrible hunger and wanted to eat immediately, without waiting for anyone.

Hannah tried to convince herself that this made perfect sense. The fact that her sister had never done it before was irrelevant. Then, she saw the note. It rested neatly on Olivia's vanity table.

Hannah grabbed the letter with a trembling hand and started to read.

Dearest Hannah,

I have eloped with Colby. It has become obvious to us both that ye daenae understand our love and will only try to keep us apart. We cannae allow that, so we have gone to Gretna Green to wed, like the English do. Please, daenae follow us. If ye love me, let me be happy with the man who owns me heart.

Yer loving sister,

Olivia

Hannah could not believe her eyes. She had to read the letter again, so she would understand exactly what happened. Her sister had eloped with that man. The words kept swarming inside her mind, over and over again, each time sounding more and more ominous.

Gripping the letter in her hand, she rushed up to Alistair's chamber. Without knocking, she barged in through the door, catching him in the act of dressing, with his upper body naked. The sight made her feel weak in the knees.

"Olivia is missin'!" she shouted, immediately regaining control of herself.

She was staring at him right in the eyes, forgetting completely that he was not wearing a shirt. He frowned upon hearing her words, stopping mid-step to turn to her.

"What do ye mean?" he asked for clarification.

"Olivia is gone! She isnae in her chamber," Hannah said with a trembling voice that was on the verge of breaking.

"Maybe she's out in the garden?" Alistair tried to calm her down, walking over to her. The scent of his naked skin made her feel calm, if only for a moment. "Or havin' an early breakfast?"

"Nay, nay, she's gone!" Hannah was trembling all over, as she shoved the letter into his hands.

He read it quickly, then lifted his gaze to meet his. "This is all me fault."

"Nay," she shook her head. "This is me fault. I'm her sister. I was supposed to keep me eye on her, to make sure that she was safe, that she wouldnae be taken away by that man!"

Hannah could not control herself any longer. She burst into tears right then and there, and the next moment, she was in Alistair's embrace. She pressed her wet cheeks and lips against his chest, allowing his scent to wash over her. She sobbed uncontrollably for a short while, during which he didn't say anything. He merely held her. He didn't try to tell her that it would be all right. The silence said it all. The silence, as well as his presence. She needed nothing else to calm her down.

When she finally stopped crying, she pulled away, feeling a stinging sensation on her cheeks from the crying. She probably looked a mess, but she didn't care.

"We have to get her back," she pleaded. "I will nae forgive meself if somethin' happens to her, Alistair…"

He took her chin with his fingers and forced her to look at him, without turning away. "We will get her back, Hannah. I promise ye that."

"But what if we're already too late?" Hannah sobbed. "What if they're already there? What if– "

"Shhh," he pressed his finger to her lips again. "They couldnae have reached Gretna Green yet. Trust me. It takes three days to get there by horse, even longer with a carriage. And they have to stop at an inn to rest. That is where I shall find them."

"Do ye promise?" she asked, staring at him with so much love and devotion.

"I promise," he nodded. "I will find them, and I will bring her home."

Again, she fell into his embrace, but this time, she wasn't sobbing. He gave her his promise. And that was all she needed.