Dare, Lydia - Tall, Dark and Wolfish

How could she have forgotten? Elspeth sucked in a breath. "Oh, Mr. MacQuarrie, I'm so sorry. That was my fault. I got called away." She bustled to the stove and poured two cups of blueberry tea.

"Called away?" MacQuarrie echoed.

"Aye, Greer Kincaid was havin' some difficulties." When she sat a cup in front of them, she noticed a series of looks from one man to the other, a silent communication of some sort. She should let them have their privacy. "Anyway, I'll leave the two of ye alone. Caitrin is expectin' me this mornin'."

"You're leaving?" Ben asked, and started to rise from his seat.

Elspeth smiled at him. "I willna be long, Ben."

He watched her, his mouth agape, as she wrapped her plaid around her shoulders and stepped out into the morning light. If she healed anyone along the way, he'd… well, he didn't know what he'd do. Though it seemed obvious he'd have to convince her to leave Scotland soon.

"When you missed my breakfast, I just assumed you overslept." Alec's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Or were still in bed, at the very least."

Ben scowled at him.

Alec gave him a mock toast with his cup. "Blueberry tea?"

"That's how Elspeth makes it."

"It seems to me that Elspeth is the one making all the decisions. Who knew you could be a trained lap dog so easily?"

"Go to hell, MacQuarrie," Ben growled.

His reaction only made his friend laugh. "Not that I'm passing judgment. If I could get Miss Macleod to accept me, I'd drink blueberry tea, and…" He sniffed the air. "You smell like a damned bouquet of flowers, Westfield."

That was the last straw. Ben leapt from his spot and pulled Alec out of his seat. "Go pester someone else. Go pester Miss Macleod, for God's sake." If he did, perhaps Elspeth would come home.

Alec pushed himself free. "Well, I see your temper's returned." Then he straightened his coat and moved across the room to the threadbare settee. "Relax, Ben, I'm on your side. I may be the only one in Edinburgh."

"What do you mean by that?"

Alec shrugged. "Everyone in town is worried you're going to rush her off to London and they'll never see her again."

"That

is

the plan." If only he could get his wife to go along with it.

"Well, it'll never work," Alec said softly.

"She's

my

wife. I can take her any bloody place I want." He dropped into a chair across from his friend.

Alec looked at him as though he'd taken the position of court jester. "Aye, she's

your

wife, but she's one of

them

. And they outnumber you, my friend—" And some of them threw fireballs when he wasn't looking. "—She's been taking care of them since she was a child. She's not like you and me. She hasn't lived a privileged life. This is all she knows."

Ben slumped forward in his seat. "But I want to give her all of that now. I want to give her the world."

"Might I make a suggestion, Westfield?"

Ben shrugged.

"Persephone and the pomegranate seeds."

"I beg your pardon?"

Alec grinned. "You know, Hades and Persephone, the compromise with Demeter. The seasons."

Greek mythology? He had always hated the stuff. "I'm afraid Will is the scholar. Just say whatever it is in plain English, Alec."

"Do you not know the story?"

"Mythology is not a particular interest of mine."

Alec laughed. "Well, then, take a lesson. Persephone was a lovely girl, the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. Everyone who saw Persephone fell in love with her. She was beautiful, angelic. Even Hades, from his kingdom, fell for the girl. And he decided to have her for his own.

"One day when Persephone was collecting flowers, Hades appeared in his chariot. He scooped the lass up and drove her into a chasm leading to the underworld.

"Demeter was heartbroken and refused to let anything grow on earth, until finally Zeus had to intervene. He demanded Hades return Persephone to her mother so that the world wouldn't wither away and die.

"Hades grudgingly agreed, but before he let Persephone go, he gave her a pomegranate for nourishment. Now, the lass knew better than to eat food from the underworld, but she was so hungry she ate six seeds from the fruit to tide her over. Her doing so gave Hades a claim on her, as strong as Demeter's.

"So Zeus, in his infinite wisdom, made them agree to a compromise. Persephone would stay with Hades one month for each seed she ate. Half of the year she is with her husband, and the other half she's with her mother.

"When Persephone is with Hades, Demeter is sad and the plants begin to die, until nothing is left alive. To you and me this is autumn and winter. And when she returns to her mother, spring and summer reign once again on earth."

Ben heaved a sigh. "So in your little scenario, I'm Hades, the devil himself. Not terribly complimentary, MacQuarrie."

Alec shook his head. "It figures you'd find some way to take offense."

"So are you suggesting I make Elspeth eat pomegranate seeds? If so, I'll have her eat twelve and not just a measly six," he replied with a smirk.

"And you take offense to my Hades reference?" Alec sat forward in his seat. "It's not the seeds, you dolt. Elspeth is your wife, but she's part of them. All of you care for her, and none of you want to lose her. Split the time, Westfield. I know you're anxious to have your family meet the lass, and that's understandable. But do you truly see her being happy in London?"

She wasn't like the English girls he was used to, that was true. That was one of the things he loved about her.

"Don't rip her from her home," Alec continued. "Live at least part of the year here."

Ben glanced around the tiny cottage. He couldn't live part of the year here. The few days it had been were difficult enough. "This place is not conducive for a man my size."

Alec roared with laughter. "Do you take everything so literal, Benjamin? You don't have to live in

this

cottage. Buy a house, or build one. William has that estate in Dumfriesshire, but I think Elspeth would prefer to stay in Edinburgh, even if it's just a few months a year. I know everyone else would like that."

"Miss Macleod, for instance?" Ben asked, as everything suddenly started to make sense.

"Aye," Alec replied, unrepentantly. "But the others as well. Just think about it, Ben."

Thirty-two

Elspeth could have kissed Alec MacQuarrie for dragging Ben from the cottage, though she wasn't quite sure what they were up to. But now her surprise for her husband could actually

be

a surprise. She stared at the new bed, which took up nearly the entire room. Fashioned out of willow branches, the four-poster bed looked like something fresh out of a fairy tale.

She couldn't wait for Ben to return. She went about the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. Meat pies, with blueberry cobbler for dessert. She scoffed as she remembered the way he had offered to hire a cook for her. And a maid. She'd never had a servant before and didn't know if she could accept one or not. It would certainly be a change.

Elspeth tugged the tablecloth one last time to remove the wrinkles and smiled as she felt Ben's arm snake around her waist.

His warm breath teased the side of her face as he leaned toward her and said, "I don't know what smells better, my wife or dinner." He spun her slowly in his arms.

She would probably never tire of looking at him. His dark hair hung past his collar, and a wayward lock teased his forehead, as it usually did. She reached up to smooth it into place, and it immediately sprung back.

"Speaking of smells," he started. "All the men I've encountered today have mentioned the fact that I smell like a flower."