The persistent pounding finally caught Sarah’s attention, pulling her back to the real world, out of the story in which she had immersed herself for almost two weeks. She wanted to stay there, where life didn’t hurt with every memory. But the knocking wouldn’t stop.
“Just a minute,” she called irritably, straightening from the chair she had occupied for hours. Ruthlessly tamping down any hope it might be Ian waiting on her steps, she unbolted the latch and threw open the door.
“Oh my.” Martha stepped back, running her hands down her crisp white apron as if smoothing imaginary wrinkles. “Are you feeling all right, dearie?”
Disappointment welled in Sarah’s chest, even though she had known it wouldn’t be Ian knocking at her door.
“I’m fine, Martha. Is there something I can do for you?” She didn’t want to visit or discuss how she felt. She didn’t have the energy for it. It was much better to work and let her mind fill with the story and the characters. In their world, she felt no pain.
“Oh, yes…there’s a telephone call for you. Up at the manor house. I came down to fetch you.” The woman looked at her expectantly.
“Who is it?” Sarah could barely force the words out past the building emotion. Would he call her? Explain what had happened, why he’d just up and left with no word?
“I’ve no idea, dear. She’d no give her name.” A look of irritation passed across her face. “She asked that I run get you while she waited.”
A second wave of disappointment rolled over her. “Oh, well, hold on a second.”
She looked around the room. Her shoes had to be somewhere. There, under the chair. She slipped them on and hurried to follow Martha back, concern building as they neared the house.
Only her agent knew she was here, but it didn’t sound like Laine to refuse to give her name. Still, perhaps there was a problem with the deadline for the book. She almost smiled. For the first time in months, she felt certain the book would not only be on time, it would be finished long before it was due.
They entered the kitchen through the back door and Martha handed her the telephone, walking a discreet distance away and turning her back to wait while Sarah took her call.
“Hello?”
“Is this Sarah Douglas?”
She didn’t recognize the woman’s crisp voice. “It is. Who’s this?”
“Hold please.”
In the space of a heartbeat, another voice sounded on the line.
“Sarah?”
A deep, cultured voice that she recognized immediately.
“Ramos. What a surprise.”
“Surprise? But I told you I’d see you again.” He chuckled. “Have you so little faith in all men or is it just me?”
If he only knew.
“I’m surprised you found me.” Or that he’d even tried.
The chuckle again. “Not such a task, my sweet. I knew you were a guest at McCullough’s estate and it took very little effort to track that down.”
“Where are you?”
“Edinburgh. Have you had an opportunity to see the sights here yet? It’s a lovely old city.”
“No. I’m afraid I haven’t seen much of anything. I’ve been totally involved in my work.”
“Do you mean to tell me you haven’t seen anything of the countryside since you’ve been here?”
“Well, I drove here from Glasgow when I first arrived. And then from here down to Glaston House and back.”
“Those don’t count. Have you gone out and met the people, seen the sights, looked at what the country has to offer since you’ve been here?”
“No. I haven’t really had the time.”
“Then you’re overdue. Please. Allow me to show it to you. Tomorrow. I’ll come get you early and we’ll play tourist, take in some local color, enjoy ourselves.”
“I’m not sure.”
She’d promised Ian she wouldn’t see Ramos or his brother again. But Ian was gone with no word. And somehow that seemed to indicate that any promises made between them were no longer binding.
“What’s wrong? McCullough standing there glaring at you?”
No. That certainly wasn’t the case.
“Edinburgh is rather far away for you to run over and pick me up, don’t you think?”
“Not at all. Barely a couple of hours. And we can enjoy the sights on the way back to the city or find something else entirely to do. We’ll make a day of it.”
“Well…” She knew for a fact Ramos was no threat to her, in spite of what Ian had said. She’d felt the sincerity and the good in him when she’d touched him.
“Come on, Sarah. We’ll have a great time. All work and no play makes Sarah a dull writer.”
Why not? She’d done nothing but sit at her computer for the past week, trying not to wonder what had gone wrong. Why not enjoy herself having a day out with a handsome, attentive man?
“Fine. Do you know how to get here?”
“I’ll manage it.”
“What time should I expect you?”
“How’s eight? That will give us plenty of time.”
“Eight it is. See you then, Ramos.”
“Until then.”
She held the receiver in her hand for a moment after his end went dead. What was she getting herself into?
Hanging up the phone, she looked back at the housekeeper who was industriously straightening the contents of a drawer. “Thanks, Martha.”
“You’re sure yer all right, dearie? I could whip up a quick lunch for you if you’d like. No a problem.”
“That’s really sweet of you, but no thanks. I have to get back to work.”
She smiled at the woman as she let herself out the back door and headed down the path toward the cottage, thinking about the telephone call and the man who’d made it.
Ramos was a good person. She’d have known if he weren’t. But his going to all the trouble to seek her out was confusing. Still, it didn’t really matter. She needed a change. A distraction. If nothing else, playing tourist for a day might get her mind off the things she didn’t want to think about. Besides, seeing him again felt like the thing she was supposed to do.
Entering her living room, she started to close the front door, but stopped herself. No more hiding. She’d done that for the past week. She left the door wide open, then moved to the windows, opening each in turn.
Continuing on into the bedroom, she stopped as she caught sight of her reflection in the large mirror.
“Good Lord. No wonder Martha was worried. I look awful.”
The woman staring back at her from the mirror needed serious help. Her face was pale, sporting great dark circles under her eyes. The eyes themselves red rimmed from exhaustion and the occasional crying bout. Her hair was a mass of tangles, looking as though it hadn’t felt the touch of a comb for days, which, in fact, it hadn’t.
Sarah shook her head in disgust. When had she let herself turn into this?
Well, nothing a hot shower and a quick nap wouldn’t fix. Oh, and maybe some teabags on those eyes. And a good meal. When was the last time she’d eaten? If she had to ask, it had been too long.
“Pity party’s lasted long enough. Time to rejoin the world of the living.”
Perhaps Ramos’s call had been exactly what she’d needed.
Her heart might be broken, but she wasn’t.
* * *
“You’re sure that’s the name she said? Ramos?” Dallyn walked to the edge of the small terrace, hands clasped behind his back. “Your housekeeper was close enough to hear her clearly?”
“Please. Martha misses verra little that goes on around here. It’s exactly as I told you.” Henry sipped his tea before casting a quick glance at the pacing Fae. “He’s one of the men they met at Daniel’s, is he no? The ones that had Ian so worried when he returned.”
“I’m afraid he is.”
“What have you been able to learn about him?”
“Ramos? I haven’t been able to dig up a single piece of sod on the man.”
“Dirt,” Henry automatically corrected. “Not sod.” The Fae was forever trying out new sayings so that he might blend in, yet he never seemed to get them right.
“Ah, yes. Dirt.” Dallyn returned to the table, pulled the chair out as if to sit, but stopped, looking down the path toward the cottage. “Not a single thing. It’s as if the man’s existence had been intentionally hidden from us.”
“And the other one, the brother? Have you discovered anything about him?”
“There’s nothing to discover about Reynard. I know him well. Knew him well,” the Fae amended as he began to pace the length of the terrace again. “Though he had no brother. He was one of the instigators of the original troubles. I expected one of the Nuadian High Council to be behind this. I just hadn’t anticipated it would be Reynard. Although I suppose it could be worse. And I don’t like it that this Ramos character, whoever he is, is calling on Sarah.”
“That would mean Ian was correct? That Sarah could be in danger?”
“Oh, yes. I would say it’s a safe bet they have designs on our little American guest.”
Henry lowered his gaze to the cup before him. “Ian isna going to be happy with this. He verra specifically told her she was no to see either one of those men again.”
Henry’s head snapped up at Dallyn’s derisive snort.
“Well, he did,” Henry defended.
“And what of it? Did any of us actually expect her to listen to anything he’d said after the way he left? I think not.” Dallyn shook his head as he paced. “No, I think not.”
“She did seem a bit disturbed by his leaving.”
Another snort drew Henry’s attention back to his guest.
“Really? Do you think so? Was it her refusing to leave the cottage for a week that convinced you? Or perhaps her sitting at that confounded machine tapping away around the clock? Maybe the sound of her sobbing at all hours of the day and night?” He stopped pacing and glared at Henry.
Dallyn was obviously agitated, something quite unusual in itself. That alone made Henry nervous.
“I dinna know about all of that. She’s kept to herself.”
“Yes, well, I’ve gone to check on her several times since Ian left.”
“There was nothing else he could do.”
“He could have stayed. Seen it through.”
“You know verra well why he dinna. Why he felt he couldn’t.” Ian had given him only the barest details, but Henry knew that Dallyn had been told the full story.
“I know why he thinks he couldn’t stay. I happen to believe he was rash in his interpretation, his logic colored by emotion. A fairly common Mortal failing.” He shrugged.
“Then perhaps we should call Ian. Tell him what’s going on. You could order him back.”
Dallyn paused once again at the table, arms folded, tapping one finger against his chin in thought. “Not yet, my young friend. All in due time.”
Henry felt the power of Dallyn’s next words in the man’s piercing gaze.
“Fate has a hand to play out here. Both Ian and Sarah have choices yet to make. All in due time.”