Page 18 of The Forsaken (Echoes from the Past #4)
TWELVE
London, England
Quinn laid the rosary aside and stared at it thoughtfully.
So, the rosary and the sword had belonged to two different people.
It stood to reason that the remains they’d found were of Guy de Rosel, who’d been buried with his sword and Kate’s rosary, but why was he buried in the kitchen?
Hugh de Rosel had made it clear that it was very important to him to bury William properly at the parish church.
Why would Guy not receive the same treatment, especially if his death was the result of a battle wound?
And what had become of Kate? Was it possible that she’d given her most prized possession to a man she barely knew?
Quinn sighed. She couldn’t wait to share what she’d seen with Gabe, but she’d have to brave his ire first. She smiled, feeling a bit smug.
Gabe’s curiosity about his ancestors would overcome his irritation.
Gabe was a historian, first and foremost, and he’d want to hear every detail of what she’d seen.
Quinn was sure that Gabe knew every name on his family tree and could recall the backstory, no matter how brief, on every person, but she wasn’t ready to find out what had happened to Guy and Hugh de Rosel.
She wanted to see for herself and watch their destinies unfold without already knowing how the story ended.
Quinn left the study and returned to the bedroom. Her earlier nightmare was forgotten, and she could still get a few hours of sleep before it was time to get up. She curled up next to Gabe and was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Quinn gazed up at Gabe, bleary-eyed. “What time is it? ”
“Just gone eight.” Gabe had just come out of the shower. Normally, Quinn would have appreciated the sight of him with his hair damp and a towel wrapped about his trim waist, but at the moment she was too tired to admire anything other than a cup of strong tea.
“Did you not sleep again last night?” Gabe asked as he bent to give her a kiss. “You should have woken me.”
“I snuck down to your father’s study,” Quinn confessed.
Gabe’s mouth stretched into a tight line as he crossed his arms and glared down at her. “You promised.” He spoke quietly, but his voice was laced with anger.
“I had the nightmare again, and I just needed a distraction.”
“You could have watched television or read a book. You didn’t have to go sneaking behind my back. You’re not taking any of this seriously. You are endangering yourself and the baby.” He strode toward the bureau and grabbed the portable blood pressure kit. “Give me your arm.”
Quinn sat bolt upright as irritation flared within her.
“I’m not a child, Gabe, and I don’t need to be lectured.
Seeing into someone else’s life is a lot less traumatic than reliving the nightmare of being locked in that tomb, thinking I’m going to die and you’ll never find out what happened to me or our child.
I would never, EVER endanger our baby.” She didn’t mean to get emotional, but tears of hurt slid down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms about herself in an effort to keep it together and prevent Gabe from getting the blood pressure cuff around her arm.
Gabe set aside the kit, sat on the edge of the bed, and drew her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you. You seem so fragile these days.”
“I’m not fragile.” Quinn sniffed into his shoulder. “I’m as tough as a pair of old boots.”
That made Gabe laugh. “Interesting comparison. ”
“My grandma Ruth used to say that when my dad tried to bully her into taking things easier.”
“All right then,” Gabe said as he stroked her hair. “You’re as tough as old boots.”
“They’re still fashionable boots though,” Quinn mumbled, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
“Blood-red Dr. Martens with a steel-reinforced toe,” Gabe replied, smiling widely.
“You remember?”
“Of course I remember. You wore those bloody boots every day, and when you tripped and fell over me, you kicked me in the shin. It was like being kicked by a donkey. I limped for a week.”
“How would you know? Have you ever been kicked by a donkey?”
“No, but I’ve been blessed with a very vivid imagination,” Gabe replied, his impish grin fading as his gaze clouded with desire.
Quinn lay back and pulled him down on top of her. “Come here, then,” she whispered. “I won’t kick. I promise.”
Gabe didn’t need to be asked twice. He tossed his towel to the floor and covered her body with his own.
“You know, you’re very fit for an academic,” Quinn murmured as she ran her hands across Gabe’s hard chest.
“And you’re wonderfully round.” Gabe lowered his head and kissed Quinn’s belly before sliding his hand up her leg.
Quinn moaned with pleasure and arched her hips as flames of desire leaped in her belly.
Gabe made love to her slowly and gently, as if she were made of glass.
Afterward, she lay in his embrace, feeling languid and sated.
Gabe’s unwavering devotion banished her nightmares to the deepest recesses of her mind, exactly where she wanted them.