Secret Garden (24 page)

Kristin smiled. “Actually, I’m thankful you’re doing it. I’d rather just sit back and watch everything.”

“It’s your first time, isn’t it?” Rhiannon paused. “Will Malcolm be upset if you don’t get to do the honors?”

“Jeez, no, don’t worry about him—he’ll be really happy that you want to do it.”

“I do.” Rhiannon felt relieved. “I really do.”

“We’re completely supportive of you.” Kristin put her hand to her head, groaning slightly. “Honestly, I’m feeling kind of sick, anyway.”

“Can I get you something for it?”

“No.” Kristin glanced at her sideways and smiled shyly. “Actually, I have something to tell you. You’re like a vault, Rhiannon—we can trust you with anything.”

“What is it?” Rhiannon asked quietly.

“Well, Malcolm and I haven’t told anyone yet, because it’s still very early days, but...” She grinned at Rhiannon. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“That’s...wonderful,” Rhiannon whispered.

“We don’t know if it’s a boy or girl yet, but the stick was pink, so I’m pregnant for sure. I have a doctor’s visit scheduled for next week.”

Rhiannon walked over and hugged Kristin somberly. “You’ll be brilliant parents.”

“I think that’s the first time you’ve hugged me.” Kristin looked thoughtfully at Rhiannon. “Do you remember when we first met and you thought I was Malcolm’s fiancée? He’d said the only way he’d ever bring anybody home is if he was engaged, and you mistakenly thought it was so?”

“Yes. And look how brilliantly it’s turned out.”

“What’s happening, Rhiannon? You have a
date
today. Is he the Colin who was working in the guard booth last year?”

“No. This is the original Colin, my childhood friend. Colin the cat’s namesake.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him when I called?”

Rhiannon felt her cheeks growing warm. “You know me, Kristy.” She didn’t talk about her private life, even to Kristin or Isabel. Not that she usually had much news to tell.

“Yes,” Kristin said, “I do know you.” She stared at Rhiannon long and hard. Then with a devilish look, she tugged Rhiannon’s hand. “Follow me!”

“Where? I have to find a
sgian-dubh
for Colin,” Rhiannon said.

“We’ll get one of those, too,” Kristin replied. “Just come with me.”

Out of curiosity, Rhiannon allowed Kristin to lead her into Malcolm’s old bedroom, where he and Kristin stayed whenever they were overnight in the castle. Rhiannon never ventured inside their private space—that door was usually shut, and Paul was the one who supervised the housekeeper who’d prepared for their visit.

Rhiannon waited awkwardly while Kristin fished through a chest of drawers and finally handed her a
sgian-dubh.
“Here it is. I knew I saw one somewhere.” Then she motioned Rhiannon into the en suite bathroom, where Rhiannon saw towels, toiletries and a leather travel case set on the glass shelves over the sink.

Kristin opened a lower cabinet and reached into the back. “Here,” she said, drawing out a bundle and pressing it into Rhiannon’s hand, then closing her palm around it. “I know this is totally presumptuous on my part, but I also know that you’re not likely to leave the castle, and this is just in case an emergency happens and you need it. Better prepared than not, right?”

Rhiannon opened her hand. “Condoms!” she said, her cheeks blazing.

“I’m sorry, was that too forward of me? Maybe I shouldn’t have been so impulsive.”

Rhiannon wasn’t a modern woman in that way at all. She wasn’t used to talking about sex...she didn’t have close girlfriends for that. She had Kristin and her cousin Isabel to chat with, but they didn’t talk about her confidences, and certainly not Rhiannon’s love life, or lack thereof.

“You two must think I’m hopelessly naive.”

“No! Not at all. And this isn’t Malcolm speaking, this is me. Just...know that the condoms are here if you need them.”

“You won’t tell Malcolm about it?”

“Jeez, no! This is girl talk, Rhiannon. Okay?” Kristin covered her mouth and smiled, the way she so often did when Rhiannon saw her with Isabel these days.

Downstairs, Colin waited for her in the great room. Apparently, a few more people had arrived at the castle. But the only person she saw was Colin. Holding her breath, Rhiannon descended, feeling strangely as if he could read her mind. His gaze never left hers.

In her small dress pocket, she’d carefully tucked away the stash of three condoms.

Ye gads.

She was so worked up over her conversation with Kristin that she hadn’t noticed how everyone in the room had gathered around, staring soberly at her.

She jerked her gaze back to Colin. He shook his head lightly and pointed to his eyes with two fingers.
Look at me,
he was telling her.

Yes,
she thought, feeling giddy,
I’m standing here thinking of making love to you.

And enjoying it very much.

* * *

C
OLIN WATCHED
R
HIANNON
descend the stairs, proud to be with her. If she felt nervous about mingling with the public outside, she wasn’t showing it.

Through the windows, he’d seen cars and trucks pulling up, and he’d watched marchers wearing kilts and carrying bagpipes assemble on the grassy moor. Jamie had told Colin that the laird had arranged for extra security, but that roadblock seemed to have caused a backup at the gate. For now, it was mainly Rhiannon’s family in the great room, greeting each other and sharing laughter.

But a hush had come over the room when people noticed Rhiannon descending the stairs. Colin felt himself gritting his teeth. He wished they hadn’t done that. The last thing Rhiannon needed was to feel spooked. He believed in her; why couldn’t they?

Look at me.

He gave her an encouraging signal, and she returned a silly grin.

She went to him and took his hand. He imagined that everyone in the room observed her touch him and then lean so close that anyone might think they were intimate with each other.

Whoa.
His body reacted instantly.

“That was interesting,” she whispered in his ear.

“Uh, what was?”

“What happened upstairs. I’ll tell you about it later.” She grinned and held out a dagger sheathed in a worn brown leather case. “Here. This
sgian-dubh
belonged to my late grandfather. It’s Malcolm’s now, but Kristin said he wouldn’t mind you using it today.”

Sure
he wouldn’t mind. Colin hefted the weapon. “Is it sharpened? I’ll need to defend your honor if anyone gets out of hand.”

She laughed. “My protector. Actually you and Molly will be flanking me on either side. I plan to have Molly on her leash. She’s a good attack dog when she needs to be.”

“So, what’s our plan for the day?” he asked seriously. “Is it a receiving line you have to stand in?”

She shivered, and he regretted asking the question. “Never mind, Rhiannon. How about if we stand by the drawbridge and you can wave at the crowd as if you’re Queen of Scotland?”

She laughed again, thankfully. “There is no Queen of Scotland. But you’ve brought up a good point.” She brought him to the window and pointed to the gathering scene. “Traditionally, when the pipers are warmed up and are dressed in their parade clothing, they assemble into a band and perform for us. Then Malcolm will make a short welcome speech, offering our hospitality. The caterers will mingle with trays of food, and I’ll stand in the tent and greet whoever wishes to say hello.” She exhaled. “Five minutes, that’s my goal you said, right? If I can last long enough to greet the first group of people, then I’ll declare victory.”

“Five minutes.” He’d chosen that short bar because he’d known she could do it.

“Look who’s here,” Rhiannon said. She fixed her attention on a couple who was approaching them. The woman looked as though she was related to Rhiannon; they had the same build, but the woman’s hair was a vivid blond, to match her vibrant personality. The man on her arm was more taciturn, closed as a book. He had a close-cropped military haircut and he stood with his back to wall, eyes sweeping over every detail in the castle as if checking for snipers.

“Colin,” Rhiannon said, turning to him, “that’s my cousin Isabel Sage. She’s getting married in Edinburgh later this year. Jacob Ross is her fiancé.” Rhiannon leaned closer and murmured to Colin, “Jacob is a US Secret Service agent.”

“Seriously?” Colin murmured back. While Isabel and Rhiannon happily greeted each other, Colin tucked the sharp dagger—
skean-doo
—into his sock, and glanced warily at the Secret Service agent, who, judging by the bulge under his jacket, was packing heat.

Rhiannon introduced him. “Isabel, Jacob—this is my date for the afternoon, Colin Walker.”

Isabel inclined her head with a smile. “I’m pleased to meet you, Colin.”

Jacob, the Secret Service agent, just grunted.

“It’s nice to meet you both, as well,” Colin said.

Isabel murmured something in Rhiannon’s ear. Rhiannon smiled and nodded at her.

“We’ll be back in five minutes,” Isabel said to Colin and Jacob. “Girl stuff.”

“Sure,” Colin said.

He and Jacob watched the two women head for the staircase.

“They’ll be in the bathroom talking about us, right?” Colin asked.

“How long have you known Rhiannon?” Jacob said in response. Colin could see right away that this was an interrogation, not a friendly bull session.

“Uh, since we were both eight years old,” Colin replied.

Jacob grunted. By the nod he gave, Colin knew he’d given an acceptable answer.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jacob stared out the window. “The security staff seems to be doing a good job on the perimeter. Where’s Rhiannon going to be holed up once everything gets started?”

Colin shifted. “Actually, Rhiannon will be participating today. I’ll be standing beside her while she’s greeting the locals under that yellow awning over there.” He pointed.

Jacob stared at him. Then he cracked a smile. “That’s a good one.”

“I’m not kidding.”

Jacob shook his head, flabbergasted. “What brought this about? Rhiannon doesn’t greet the public.”

Colin glanced out the window at the moor, bustling with the activity of arriving vehicles and assembling pipe bands, and sighed to himself. He was starting to understand that no one in Rhiannon’s family had any faith in her. “Evidently, she’s changed her mind,” he said.

“Wish I’d known that,” Jacob griped. “I could’ve helped prepare security. I do that every day for a living.”

Before Colin could reply, he spotted a familiar-looking redhead wandering the grounds and staring intently at the castle.

Oh, hell,
it was Bonnie. Mack’s friend was craning her neck, probably searching for any sign of Rhiannon. Colin remembered that she’d had a curiosity about her.

“What is it?” Jacob asked, on alert, catching Colin’s expression and then scanning the grounds with eagle eyes.

“Nothing dangerous,” Colin said. “I’m just thinking there are locals who are going to be interested in meeting Rhiannon for the first time. From what I’ve heard around town, they call her ‘the recluse in the castle.’ I’m worried there might be a gawking factor at play.”

Jacob frowned. “That’s not good.”

“Yeah, I know.” Colin had an idea. “Why don’t you and I work in tandem? We’ll set up a receiving line of sorts—you’ll manage it at one end, and I’ll watch the other. Make sure Rhiannon doesn’t get too crowded.”

Jacob nodded. “That’ll make me breathe easier.”

Colin noticed that Bonnie had followed behind a group of Rhiannon’s cousins, heading for the drawbridge.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Colin said to Jacob, “I need to talk to someone. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Just make sure you’re here when Rhiannon gets back,” Jacob ordered.

“Yeah,” Colin said sarcastically. “Thanks, I’ll be sure to do that.”

He wasn’t sure why Rhiannon’s cousin’s fiancé was so interested in
his
date, but Colin would deal with that later. For now, he needed to head off Bonnie before she stumbled into Rhiannon.

He intercepted her outside on the drawbridge. “Hey, Bonnie,” he said.

Her face brightened. “Colin! How’s Mack?”

“Uh, I don’t know, I haven’t seen him lately.” Colin hadn’t talked with his friend since he left for Texas. Knowing Mack, he’d taken him up on that vacation offer and was probably waterskiing somewhere. Colin would give him a call from the airport before he left on Monday.

“Well, will you tell him I said hello?” Bonnie asked hopefully. “Maybe if I had a pen, I could write my phone number for you to give him?”

Colin was pretty sure she’d probably already given her number to Mack. He felt sorry for her. Mack wasn’t ever going to call her; in fact, if he recognized her number on his phone, he wouldn’t pick up. That was how Mack rolled. Colin, too, until he’d reunited with Rhiannon.

He was quiet for a moment, letting that digest.

Finally, he just said, “If you don’t hear from him, don’t take it personally, Bonnie. It’s not about you.”

“How could I
not
take it personally?” Bonnie demanded, her voice somewhat shrill. “Who
else
would it be about?”

“I’m sorry,” Colin said quietly. He really was.

But Bonnie seemed so dejected that Colin made her an offer he might not have made otherwise. “If you’d still like to meet Rhiannon MacDowall, then come over to the awning when you see me standing there. She’ll be greeting people in her mother’s place, but only for a few minutes. Get in front of the line. And be kind to her.”

“Thanks, Colin.” Bonnie sighed. “I wish I’d met you before I met Mack.”

“No. You don’t.” Colin glanced behind him at the castle, wondering if Rhiannon was back yet.

“Your heart is with her, isn’t it?” Bonnie asked.

“Look, Mack’s a great guy. He’s just not ready to settle down and commit, if you know what I mean.”

“He sure gave a good impression of it,” Bonnie said mournfully. “We were inseparable while he was here.”

While he was here
being the key words. But Bonnie didn’t see that, and Mack wasn’t going to point it out.