so easily settled, lass. These rings belong to Doon. They will be locked safely in the chapel until Doon has need of them again.”
“But—” Kenna sputtered. I knew she was thinking about her internship, life moving on without her in the modern world.
As if he could read her thoughts as well, the king elaborated. “Questions have been raised, Miss Reid, as to the purpose of your sudden arrival in our kingdom. You and Miss Welling will stay here in Doon for the next fortnight. At that time, the Brig o’ Doon will open for the Centennial and ye will be able to leave without use of the rings. Until then, my kingdom is at your disposal. Fiona and Fergus will remain in your service.”
Gideon’s odious voice interrupted again. “But sire—”
“Gideon, it has been spoken. I will no’ change my mind. M’ ladies, ye have been granted a rare opportunity. Most travelers get only one day, but you have two weeks ta come to know Doon and its people. And for us to know you. At the Centennial, however, you must make the choice all outsiders are tasked with. Ye must choose whether to remain in Doon or leave us forever.”
“Sire—” Gideon halted under the king’s withering stare and dropped his beady eyes to the tip of his boot. The auld laird rose, and his sons each rushed to support him. As he leaned on his heirs, King MacCrae pronounced in a most wise and fatherly voice, “As Laird MacCrae, I welcome ye to Doon. Tomorrow my sons will present to you their kingdom. Ye must forgive my absence, but my health is not what it once was. Jamie will serve in my place.”
Despite the distasteful grimace that moved across his face, I had to admit Jamie played the role of prince to perfection. With a deep, courtly bow, he said, “Miss Reid, Miss—uh—Welling, please permit me and m’ brother, Duncan, to escort you about our kingdom tomorrow.”
As he straightened, I nodded my acceptance. His eyes met mine briefly, before a furrow formed between his dark gold brows and he turned away.
In a low voice meant only for me, Kenna muttered, “Oh joy, a whole day with Prince Not-So-Charming and the overly flirtatious ogre.”
I turned to face her, the fatigue I felt reflected in her face. Grabbing her hand, I smiled. “It’s okay, Ken. Just think of it like a vacation.”
Insinuating his gigantic form between Kenna and myself, Fergus wrapped an arm around each of our shoulders. “Uh, m’ lairds? Your lady guests appear greatly fatigued. Please allow Fiona and I ta return them to their chambers.”
With the king’s leave and Fergus’s assistance, we made our way through the mildly mollified crowd.
I had two whole weeks to explore this magical kingdom and convince the people of Doon we weren’t witches. Fourteen days to try to find out why Jamie MacCrae had been visiting me in the modern world, and why he now looked at me like I might pull out an AK-47 and go
Suddenly, two weeks didn’t seem like nearly enough time.
CHAPTER 12
Veronica
In the shadow of the most spectacular castle I’d ever seen, I accepted Fergus’s Frisbee-sized hand as he helped me into an open carriage. This place was straight off the pages of Cinderella. Surreal didn’t begin to describe it.
Kenna settled next to me on the plush bench seat, humming show tunes under her breath as Fergus methodically checked the horses under Fiona’s diligent scrutiny. Despite a full ten hours of blissful sleep, my shoulders ached with tension. The prospect of spending the entire day with Jamie MacCrae had me fighting the urge to hurl up my breakfast. Should I smile and be pleasant? Or stick my nose in the air and pretend he didn’t exist? Playing hard to get didn’t seem like the best strategy to win over a guy who’d done his darndest to keep me at arm’s length.
“Stop squirming, Vee.” I hadn’t realized I’d been playing with the laces on the front of my bodice until Kenna’s words stilled my restless hands. She looked at me with unmistakable admiration. “You look
“It does?” I glanced at Kenna. Her figure was perfectly suited for the moss-green, fitted bodice and the plaid skirt that was identical to mine. She looked curvy in all the right places. Me, on the other hand—not so much.
Kenna’s penetrating stare raked over me and then she smiled. “Yeah, you look hot. Like a cross between a pirate wench and a Catholic school girl.”
“Like Steph!” We said in unison, dissolving into peals of laughter at the thought of Stephanie Heartford, who’d worn a different naughty Halloween costume to school every year since junior high; each time she was justifiably sent home for flagrant violations of the school dress code.
“What’s so amusing?” Duncan appeared out of nowhere on Kenna’s side of the carriage. “See, Jamie, didn’t I say we’d miss somethin’ by being late?”
Duncan wore his perpetual grin, and Jamie—well, I assumed it was Jamie—stood next to him wearing dark pants and a black cloak with the hood pulled over his head, casting his entire face in shadow. He looked like a goth kid with a Jedi complex.
Choosing not to give him the satisfaction of gaping at him, I turned my attention to the normal brother and smiled. “Just an inside joke.”
Duncan looked perplexed by my statement but didn’t pursue it further; instead, he addressed the larger group. “Shall we be off then?”
“Aye. I’m driving.” It was the first thing Jamie said since arriving. Not that I was counting.
As everyone settled into the carriage, I noticed we’d attracted the attention of various villagers going about their daily business in the courtyard. A man pushing a large wooden wagon overflowing with fruit stopped and stared at me. As I returned his gaze, his eyes widened and he hastily made the sign of the cross before rushing away, dumping half the contents of the cart in his wake. One of the overturned apples rolled past the feet of a guy our age wearing what looked to be a butcher’s apron. He stopped to pick up the apple, and then turned toward me with a huge smile. Lifting the fruit as if in salute, he took a bite before continuing on his way.
Confused and a little saddened by what the men’s behavior indicated, I glanced at the stiff set of Jamie’s shoulders. Winning over the people seemed like the first logical step in earning the prince’s confidence. What else could I do or say to change his mind about us when he didn’t seem to believe anything I said?
Obsessing as I was over Jamie MacCrae, I couldn’t help but overhear his low voice as he questioned Fergus. “Any news on Roddie MacPhee?”
“Naught a word. His wife hasn’t seen him since yesterday eve. Search parties were dispatched this morn’ per yer instruction.”
Jamie nodded and then flicked the reigns, jolting the carriage into motion. Someone had gone missing? I hoped the man would be found soon—not only for his sake, but with many people in Doon believing the worst about us, I feared Kenna and I would become prime suspects.
Leaving the busy courtyard behind, we drove through the arched main gates and onto a cobblestone road. The views were breathtaking as we wound our way through the trees, catching glimpses of the sparkling lake—or
Fiona served as our official Doon tour guide, sharing interesting facts and stories about the sights we passed. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t keep my mind focused on what she was saying. Being this close to Jamie, even with his back turned, was messing with my head. The deep sounds he made when directing the horses melted through me like rich hot chocolate on a cold day.
I rolled my shoulders, trying to dispel the viseral connection I seemed to share with the elder prince. What I really needed was a yoga class. Forcing myself to relax, I shut my eyes, tilted my head to the sky, and let the sun warm my face. Poses danced through my mind,
“I feel bad about taking you away from your dad when he’s so sick,” Kenna said, breaking the silence.
