Kiwi Bride Series: Highland Kiss (24 page)

Brian looked irritated and
frowned at Alec. Then he changed his expression and
nodded.

Ruby glanced at Brian
before they all walked into the dining room. Susan looked up from
her breakfast as Brian took his seat next to her.

Alec drew a chair out for
Ruby. She sat down as she watched Brian subconsciously taking hold
of Susan’s hand and giving it a little squeeze. She wondered if
Brian knew he was doing that. She saw Susan look up at him with
adoring eyes although Brian was too busy drinking his coffee to
notice her.

“
So, what would you like,
sweetheart?” Alec asked her.

Ruby glanced at Alec, and
said, “I can serve myself, thank you.”

Alec did not like how
intensely Ruby was watching Brian, and his sister too. He wondered
what she was thinking.

Jane appeared at the door.
“Morning, everyone,” she greeted them happily as she took a seat
next to Brian. No one looked up at her except for Alec, who smiled
and replied just as cheerfully.

As she poured herself a
cup of coffee, Jane said, “I was thinking we should all tour some
of the old castles nearby. I’m sure Ruby would love
that.”

Ruby said, “That would be
marvelous.”

“
Hmm, an outing,” Alec
said, “that sounds good.”

Susan glanced at Brian,
offering him a fleeting, uncomfortable smile. Brian was concerned
because he noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. He wanted to
ask why, but decided against it. He’d ask her later when they were
alone.

Once breakfast was over,
they got ready for their outing. Ruby didn’t have much to take with
her, not even her purse because Alec still hadn’t returned it to
her.

At the door, as they were
all leaving the castle, Ruby whispered to Alec, “I think it’s time
you gave me back my purse.”

“
Nay, not yet.”

“
Then you’re paying for my
food and entry ticket, mister!” she said as she stalked out toward
the car.

Alec grinned, and
courteously opened the door for her. “My lady,” he said.

Ruby was about to get into
the car when she realized that Brian, Susan, and Jane were not
coming with them.

Alec said, “It’s better we
travel separately.”

“
Oh,” she
responded,
sliding into the front seat.

Alec shut the door and got
into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and drove out of the
estate, with Brian and Susan in one car, and Jane in another,
following them, convoy-style.

Ruby relaxed and enjoyed
the view as the car smoothly traveled through the countryside. She
felt content, and curiously odd that she didn’t mind Alec sitting
beside her. She glanced at him. Suddenly, he moved one hand from
the steering wheel and stroked her hair before caressing her cheek.
She pushed his hand away.

Alec returned his hand to
the steering wheel.

Ruby was well aware of the
awkward silence. She felt rather stupid, so she said, “Where are we
going?”

“
Are you
afraid?”

Ruby stared at his hands
that were on the steering wheel. Her body tingled just looking at
those big, strong hands. Her gaze traveled up to his forearms. They
looked powerful and firm. Then she gazed at his handsome face. She
swallowed and stared at the firmness of his strong jaw, his high,
straight nose and forehead.

“
Why are you looking at me
like that?” he asked.

“
I wondered what you were
thinking about,” she replied, not knowing how to answer his
question. Yes, she was gawking at him, and she had no answer as to
why she was.

“
I wonder what
you
are thinking
about,” he teased, glancing at her briefly.

Ruby saw that his eyes
were twinkling.

“
So… are you
afraid?”

“
That?”

“
That I might drive you to
deserted woods and leave you there?”

Ruby cocked her head to
one side, considering that situation for a moment. No, she was not
afraid. She wondered if he had already forgotten about the times
when she tried to run away. Did he also forget he was the one who
pursued her? She felt pretty sure she was safe with him by now. She
knew he would never hurt her, especially after the night when he
took care of her and reduced her fever. Not to mention, how he
tended to her injury, too.

She sighed
loudly.

“
Don’t worry, it’s not
that long of a drive,” Alec said.

Ruby just
nodded.

Ardkinglas, an
Edwardian mansion composed of creamy granite, stood in the middle
of a beautiful woodland garden. Located right at the front of Loch
Fyne in Argyll, it was simply magnificent. The very sight took
Ruby’s breath away.

“
Ardkinglas was designed
by Sir Robert Lorimer,” Alec explained as he led her into the
mansion.

“
An Edwardian mansion! How
magnificent,” Ruby murmured under her breath as she followed Alec
into the great hall. She glanced behind her and saw Brian, Susan,
and Jane coming toward them.

“
I’m not coming in,” Jane
shouted to Alec. “I’ve seen it a hundred times already. I prefer to
take a walk in the garden.” With that she waved her hands and
strolled away.

Alec guided Ruby with his
hand on the small of her back. As they explored, he told her all
about the history of the place. Ruby really appreciated his wealth
of knowledge. She was so absorbed in the beauty of the architecture
and its history, she did not realize that both Brian and Susan were
gone.

“
Where’d everyone go?” she
asked some moments later.

Alec shrugged his powerful
shoulders, hiding a grin.

“
Maybe they got bored,”
she commented, “because they’ve probably seen this mansion a
hundred times before, like Jane.” Then she wondered if Alec had
also seen the mansion countless times before. Was that why he knew
so much about its history?

She wandered to the window of the master bedroom and looked
out appreciatively toward the vast, beautiful woodland below. She
smiled dreamily. The place was like a fantasy world. Although she
had to admit it was wonderful, she wouldn’t want to live there.
Somehow, it didn’t look very inviting or livable. Not like Hasting
Manor.
Shoot!
What was she thinking about? Living
in Hasting Manor? She grunted in irritation and turned.

“
Oh” she
gasped.

“
Hi,” Alec said, a mere
inch away from her.

Ruby didn’t know he was
standing right behind her, with both his hands on top of hers, and
his chin on top of her head.

“
What were you thinking
about?” he asked.

Ruby clamped her lips. She
couldn’t possibly tell him she was thinking about how livable and
inviting Hasting Manor was, or could she? She cleared her throat
and said, “I was just thinking how beautiful this place
is.”

“
Aye,” Alec agreed, “’tis
very beautiful.” However, he was not looking at the scene below
them, but rather, looking at her.

Ruby blushed because his
eyes were so intensely focused on her face. She cast her eyes
downward and said, “Can we explore the woodland now?”

“
Hmm,” he responded as he
led her out the room.

Once they were outside,
Ruby shivered as a cold breeze gusted about them.

“
Cold?” he asked. At
Ruby’s nod, he said, “Come.” With his arms around her shoulder, he
led her to the car. He found his sweater and wrapped it around
her.

“
Your sweater?” she asked,
eyeing the grey jersey that looked too big for her.

“
Wear it, my lady. I don’t
want you to get a chill. You’re such a wee thing,” he said, helping
her put it on, despite all the people watching them as they passed
by.

Ruby blushed as her head
popped out from the sweater, saying “I can dress myself, you
know.”

“
I know,” Alec replied as
he pulled her long hair out from the back of the sweater. He
thought she looked adorable; although it was so huge, she also
appeared lost in it.

Ruby rolled up the long
sleeves, trying to alter the sweater to fit her small frame. Her
endeavor, however, was unachievable.

Alec laughed. “Come now,
my lady, you look fine the way you are,” he said as he guided her
toward the woodland. His large, strong hand cupped the nape of her
slender neck, his fingers digging deeply into her hair, as he put
his face very close to hers. Then he gave her a small kiss on the
side of her temple.

Ruby couldn’t help
blushing. “Alec, people are watching,” she said, looking at a group
of Chinese tourists observing them and smiling knowingly. One had
the guts to laugh loudly and take their picture as they passed
by.

She glanced up at Alec, who appeared like he didn’t care
one bit. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the attention. As if to
prove that to her, he wrapped his arm about her waist as they
walked down to the loch, with his nose buried in her
hair.

Ruby found it odd that she
felt warm and comfortable with him so close to her. She did not
feel threatened. She licked her lips and snuggled her head against
his chest almost as if by instinct.

As they walked, admiring
the beautiful scenery of tall trees and wildflowers that surrounded
them, Ruby wondered if Alec felt happy. At that moment, she found
it easy to forget about everything and simply enjoy this unexpected
pleasure.

An hour later, he led her
to a secluded spot. It was a seat right under a magnolia tree, and
the ground was covered with fallen magnolia flowers. Ruby sat on
the seat, deeply inhaling the fresh country air as she closed her
eyes.

When she opened them
again, Alec was on his knees before her, her small hands clasped in
his large, strong ones. She looked at him, wondering what he was
doing now.

“
Ruby, sweetheart,” he
began as he looked deeply into her eyes. “I’m sorry I hurt you last
night and before. I’m sorry I kidnapped you, and kept you isolated
without your consent.”

Ruby bit her lip. She couldn’t help herself. She was too
soft-hearted.
He was
confessing.
And apologizing
to her,
she
realized.

“
Ruby, I’m very sorry,
sweetheart,” Alec said. “But never again. I promise I will never
hurt you again.” That said, he moved up to sit beside her on the
bench.

“
I’m sorry, sweetheart,”
he said again, his hands cupping her face. “I promise I will never
do such a thing again.”

“
Alec,” she began.
“I—”

“
I know,” he interrupted.
“It’s hard. I’m not asking you to forgive me. All I’m asking you is
to give me another chance. That’s all I seek.”

Ruby cast her eyes
downward, but Alec dug his fingers softly into her hair as he urged
her to look at him.

“
Would you give me another
chance?”

Ruby gazed up at him for a
long while. Then she nodded, because she couldn’t find anything
else to say.

Alec kissed her lips—long
and gently. When Ruby opened her mouth for him, he plunged his
tongue inside, kissing her slowly until Ruby lost herself in his
embrace.

Ruby felt like she was in heaven that whole day after Alec
apologized to her and asked her for a second chance. Pursuant to
their passionate, gentle kiss in the woods, he led her back to the
car where they met up with Brian and Susan, who seemed to have come
to some sort of agreement. Then Jane appeared with a young man whom
she introduced as Mr. Richard Nelson.

Ruby met Richard, and soon discovered he was a neighbor of
Alec’s who lived only five miles away in his country estate called
Mooreland. After the polite greeting and introduction, they all
went to lunch at one of the cafés in the village. Ruby enjoyed her
lunch of roast lamb and vegetables. Afterward, they visited
Geilston Garden and Ruby thoroughly enjoyed herself.

It was just before dinner
when they got back to Hasting Manor. Ruby showered and changed, and
when she came back down, the group was just assembling around the
dining table. Alec escorted her to a seat beside him.

Jane insisted that Richard
stay and join them for dinner, so he took a seat next to Jane. He
said, “You all are invited to lunch tomorrow at Mooreland
Mansion.”

“
That would be marvelous,”
Jane shrieked excitedly.

Ruby thought it wasn’t
hard to see that Jane was head-over-heels in love with Richard,
whose dark blond hair and deep brown eyes made him quite
handsome.

Dinner went smoothly with
Jane and Richard doing most of the talking. After dinner, Richard
and Jane went out for a walk. Ruby told everyone that she was
rather tired and retired to her room.

Captain Snow was on the
bed, waiting for her.

“
Westies, did you miss
me?” she asked, stroking his head.

Captain Snow licked her
hand adoringly and jumped up and down.