Page 44 of Flanders’ Folly (The Curse of Clan Ross #7)
44
“ENOUGH!”
* * *
B y the time the “play” had ended, and the music had faded to silence, Flanders thought it was cruel of James and Phoebe to expose the three of them to such violent emotions. If he hadn’t been clutching Brigid’s hand, he might have watched most of the performance on his feet, he was so moved, so tortured. They’d been on their own emotional odyssey for a week, and by the time the lights were turned on, they’d suffered through the equivalent in a matter of hours.
Flanders’ shirt was soaked with tears. He was spent.
Brigid and Bella were sniffling and mopping tears from their faces while their eyes adjusted to the brightness. But by way of consolation, however, so were Phoebe and James.
Without asking for permission or anyone’s leave, Flanders slipped his hands beneath Brigid’s legs and lifted her into his arms. He didn’t bother looking back as he marched out of the room and toward the center of the house. He just prayed Bella would be wise enough not to follow. He was finished trying to prove himself to her. It was time to prove himself to Brigid.
“Flanders?”
“Quiet, you. I don’t want to talk about it.”
She laid her head against his shoulder and allowed him to continue in peace.
No, he didn’t want to discuss what they’d just gone through. And no, he didn’t care to explain what he intended…
* * *
On the far side of the foyer, there was a solar of sorts, packed full of large settles covered in cushioned cloth of blue and white and gold. Though the room was rarely used, a fire was always laid and waiting in the hearth. And it was to this room Flanders carried Brigid, bypassing her bedchamber, though the nurses had been excused and she now had the space to herself.
If Bella did follow, she would be disappointed to find the room empty, and disappointed again when she couldn’t find them in his chambers either.
Brigid was his, and he wouldn’t suffer any more interference. And when he carried her into their sanctuary, deposited her onto a settle, and turned back to lock the two doors together, he told her as much.
She laughed, though quietly. “Ye’re done then, are ye? Ye’ll take yer Cozette and leave the country, will ye?”
He didn’t see anything amusing about it and gave her a sharp look. “I’ll do what I must. Now, be still, woman.” He knelt and lit the fire with the magical matches James had showed to him just that morning. Then he went back to the doors and pushed on the wee square beside them that turned the lights off. “There,” he whispered. “No light to lead them to us.”
“Them, now? Not just Bella?”
“Wheesht!” Once again, he picked her up and carried her to the farthest settle by the outer wall. There, he sat before resting her on his lap and giving her a chance to speak. But first, there was some kissing to get out of the way.
And mayhap more discussion could wait until morning…
He couldn’t guess how much time had passed, but there had been an ample stretch for the rest of the household to find their beds, and he was feeling quite proud of himself for escaping with the prize…until Bella’s voice called out.
“Flanders! Brigid! Where are ye?”
“Lie back,” he hissed.
Brigid resisted. “Why?”
“We’re hiding.”
She rolled her eyes and stifled a giggle when he pressed her down on the settle. Another two pieces of the same furniture hid them from view.
Someone tried the doors. “Brigid, are ye in there?”
Half-stretched beside her, Flanders kept her quiet with another kiss.
There was mumbling. A fumbling of metal on wood, and the doors unlatched. He stared into Brigid’s eyes, warning her not to make a sound.
“Someone’s lit a fire,” Bella said. “They must be in here. Brigid, show yerself!”
James chuckled. “Perhaps it was a decoy, and they’re getting away.”
“Nonsense. We’re all petrified of what we’ll find beyond the garden.” Footsteps came closer and Flanders’ heart jumped like a guilty laddie’s. “Enough of that! Sit up!”
Though Bella was obviously standing at the end of the settle, staring at Flanders’ back, they kept still, trying not to laugh.
James’ voice came from close by. “Perhaps they’ve fallen asleep. Let’s leave them be ? —”
“Perhaps I’ve sprouted wings,” Bella scoffed. Then she plopped onto a smaller settle nearby and simply waited.
“I think we should sit up now,” Brigid whispered.
He made a face. “Maybe they’ll go away.”
Bella snorted. “We will not.”
Flanders laughed and sat up straight, then pulled Brigid back onto his lap. Found or not, he had no intention of letting her go.
“Bella.” He gave the woman a nod. “James.”
“Flanders.”
He gave James a wink. “I would say this is not what it seems, but alas, it is.”
Bella looked to the ceiling. “I do not know what you mean except that you are hiding from me.”
“Precisely.”
“Well, you can just hide later. I have something to say.”
The lights switched on. Phoebe stood inside the door, trying not to smile and failing miserably. “Don’t let me interrupt.”
Bella chewed her lips for a moment, then sighed rather loudly. “I want to apologize.”
“Ye do?” They were both surprised and reacted in unison.
“I do. It was cruel to tease ye like I did.”
Brigid frowned. “Ye teased us?”
“I did. When I said I’d take ye away if I didn’t believe ye loved each other. It was cruel of me. I was…jealous.” She waved a hand at Flanders. “I wanted to see him dance. I wanted to see him earn his place in yer life—in our lives.”
“And leaping into a fire wasn’t enough?” Brigid wasn’t happy at all.
“If ye’ll remember, I did learn that later.”
“And what about me? Why did I need to prove that I loved him? If ye can read my thoughts, my dreams, my memories, ye should have known I’ve wanted him for years.”
“I know. And I did know. And it was too bad of me, I admit it. But I can’t deny it was rewarding to watch ye tryin’ to prove it. I do hope I’ll be forgiven. I am sorry.”
Flanders shook his head and looked seriously into Brigid’s eyes. “Don’t ye think she’ll need to prove that?”
Brigid bit her lips together to hide her smile, but nodded soberly. “But how?”
“Yes, how?”
Flanders inhaled deeply, then shouted, “By shuttin’ off those lights and lockin’ the door behind ye!”