J. RoBB - The Lost

Aidan was touched by the affection between the two men. It warmed her more than the fire.

Ross opened the French doors leading to the gardens. As she was about to follow, she turned to see Cullen and Bridget, heads bent once more in quiet conversation.

The moment she stepped outside Ross caught her hand and drew her deeper into the shadows.

“This is what I wanted.” He gathered her close to press soft kisses from her temple to her jaw, before claiming her mouth. “Only this.”

When they stepped apart, he started leading her along the path toward his cottage.

She held back. “I thought you were going to show me the gardens by moonlight.”

“And so I shall.” He gave her a wicked grin. “Look quickly. Drink it all in as you pass through. As soon as we reach my place, I have no intention of letting you out of my arms again until morning.”

Their laughter drifted like music on the night air and carried into the library, where the old man and woman shared a conspiratorial smile.

Aidan crept into the lodge and up the stairs. In the privacy of her room, she undressed and stepped into the shower. When she emerged, wrapped in a huge bath sheet, she sat at the ornate dressing table and dried her hair before dressing for the day.

She’d never felt so alive. So filled with joy. So thoroughly loved.

And all because of Ross Delaney. She felt as though she’d been waiting for this man all of her life. He was fun and funny. Sophisticated, yet as down-to-earth as any man she’d ever known. He had a gentle way of teasing, of coaxing a laugh from her even in the midst of a serious conversation.

Her soul mate.

He’d been so much more than she’d expected. Warm and sentimental. And sexy as hell.

Love at first sight. It was a concept she’d long disdained. But there was no denying, it had happened to her. She felt as giddy as a girl on her first date. Light-as-air happy, and wildly, madly, deeply in love.

Foolish, of course. For Ross, she would be nothing more than a harmless fling.

The woman hasn’t been born to suit Ross Delaney. ’Tis said he’ll never marry.

Aidan consoled herself that it didn’t matter. What she was feeling for Ross was enough for both of them. And he would never know, for she would never admit her foolish feelings. The love she felt for him would be her secret.

At a knock on the parlor door, she hurried over to find Bridget carrying a silver tea service.

“Good morning, miss. I thought, since I heard you up and about so early, you might want a cup of tea before you go down to breakfast.”

“Thank you, Bridget. That’s so thoughtful.” She watched as the housekeeper set the tray on a side table. “Do you have time to join me?”

The old woman smiled at the unexpected gesture. Not that she was surprised. In the short time the lass had been here, she’d proven herself to be kind and thoughtful with everyone, from Himself to the staff to the strangers in the Farmers’ Cooperative.

“Afraid not. I’ve my morning chores to see to.” Bridget stared directly at Aidan. “And, as you can imagine, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the courier.”

Aidan’s hand went to her heart as it took a quick dip.

Bridget poured a cup of tea. “Cullen Glin is the finest man I’ve ever known. It does my heart good to see him so happy, hoping that today may be the day he’ll learn that he’s a grandfather. Just think, after today, this could all be yours.” She set down the teapot and handed the steaming cup to Aidan. “Of course, that will mean he’ll have to amend his will.”

“His will?” Aidan’s head came up sharply.

“When he had his lawyers draw up his original will, he’d planned on leaving everything to the young man who saved his life. Having a blood relative changes everything. Not that Ross will mind in the least. His love and loyalty for Cullen Glin are true and deep, and has never been about fortune or status. Still, it will surely change things between the two.”

Seeing the stunned look in Aidan’s eyes, Bridget clapped a hand over her mouth. “There I go. Running off at the mouth again. Talking about things that are none of my business. It’s always been my greatest shortcoming.” She turned away. “Now you just forget everything I said, miss, and enjoy your tea.”

She nearly ran from the room in her haste to escape.

When the door closed behind her, Aidan sat, staring into space. Through the open windows she could hear the soothing sound of the fountains and could smell the wonderful perfume of the roses.

Hadn’t she called this paradise?

And it was. It was almost too perfect to be real. This could all be hers. If she was indeed Cullen’s granddaughter as he hoped, her life as she’d known it would be forever altered. All her debts would be erased. Her childhood home could be saved or sold, according to her whims. Her future secure for all time.

Wasn’t this what any sane person would want? Why, then, had her heart suddenly become as heavy as a boulder inside her chest?

Ross.

By rights, this should all be his. His estate. His fortune. His legacy. Without Ross, Cullen would have died that night on the streets of Dublin. Without Ross to carry on the search, Cullen never would have found his lost love, and the daughter he’d never known. Without Ross, Aidan wouldn’t be here, sampling a life so foreign to her, it was beyond her wildest imagination.

And now, instead of the reward Ross deserved for his years of love and loyalty, it could be all stripped away. If the DNA tests showed her to be Cullen’s granddaughter, Ross would forfeit any right to all of this.

The man she’d come to love would lose everything that was rightfully his, all because of her.

She stood so quickly, the tea sloshed over the rim of her cup, scalding her fingers. She took no notice as she hurried to the bedroom.

She knew in her heart of hearts what she had to do. And she must move quickly, before Cullen awoke and the courier arrived with information that could alter all their lives forever.

Ross looked up when Meath and Mayo barked. Seconds later a knock sounded on the cottage door. He silenced the dogs, then hurried over to find Bridget looking out of breath, her hair spilling out of its neat knot, her eyes wide and worried.

“Good morning, Bridget. What’s wrong?”

“Miss O’Mara said I was to give you this.” She handed him a folded note. “It must be important, for she said I was not to give it to you until after she was gone.”

“Gone? Gone where?”

The old woman shrugged. “She was calling for Sean to bring the car.”

“Car?” He looked thoroughly confused. “Whatever for?”

The old woman worried the edge of her apron, avoiding his eyes. “I believe she’s planning on leaving for the airport. I saw her suitcase packed.”

“Leaving? Now what’s this all about?” With a scowl, he started past her.

“Oh. When you see her, be sure to give her this.” Bridget reached into her pocket and withdrew a fat envelope. “The courier just delivered it as I was coming to find you.”

He stared at the envelope, then slapped it against his open palm before striding away.

The housekeeper watched him go.

As soon as he was out of sight, the frazzled look in her eyes was replaced with a wide, satisfied smile.

Pausing to scratch behind each hound’s ears, she said with a sigh, “You may as well come along, too, and watch the fireworks. However it all plays out, it should prove fascinating indeed, with Himself, as always, pulling all the strings.”

Without bothering to knock on the parlor door, Ross tore it open and strode across the room to the bedroom. Aidan’s suitcase was closed and lying on the bed. She was standing by the window, watching for the car.