He nodded, though his grin slowly faded. “If nothing else, I do understand family obligation,” he said. “Though at some point you must do what makes you happy as well. My eldest brother stayed in the Northwest Territories with his wife. My father was displeased for a time but eventually realized that Callum would not have been happy had he returned. His heart was there, and not only with his new bride, but with the land as well.”
“We’ll give it a few days, after you have begun your business with him — what do you think?” she asked.
“I think that sounds just fine.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips, so quick she almost missed it. “I’d better go join them before they come looking for me.”
And with that he was off, leaving her staring after him, her heart all aflutter, her mind filled with visions of the two of them at home on the Highlands. Was it truly possible?
“Gentlemen,” Adam said with a nod to Trenton and Thompson as he sat across from them at the table. He could hardly stand either man, and yet if this is what Rachel wanted, for him to have her father’s blessing, then he’d do his best. Besides that, these men could help perfect his wind machine, allowing him to improve the lives of so many people – people like his own clan.
“Tell me, McDougall,” said Trenton as he flipped a card onto the table, “Have you ever been to London before?”
“I have,” answered Adam, accepting his own hand.
“You must have felt somewhat… out of place, perhaps?”
“Somewhat,” Adam responded. “Though ’tis not much unlike hunting the woodlands of the Highlands, now is it?”
Trenton gave out a humph, while Vincent looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“Now, you must not worry about all the business dealings,” Trenton continued. “I know it will be somewhat new for you. You must trust that I will handle everything for you.”
Adam tried not to laugh at that. What did Trenton take him for? “Are ye not the man I’ll be having business dealings with? I’m not sure that’s sound advice.”
“You don’t think I would look out for you, boy?” Trenton asked, and Adam tried not to let the anger simmering inside his belly show. How could a woman as gentle, as beautiful both inside and out as Rachel, have been raised by this man?
He said nothing, but gritted his teeth, picked up his cards and focused on the game as he tried to block out Trenton’s voice and the din of the train around him.
18
A train ride had never felt so long. True, Adam had rarely been on any train journeys, but when he had they certainly hadn’t felt so abominably drawn out. The farther they got from the Highlands, the less green he saw out his window, and the more he already longed to return home, back to his family, his work, and his land. However, as soon as he would begin to feel melancholy, he found solace by turning to look at Rachel, reminding him of why he was doing this. All would be well until Trenton or Thompson opened their mouths, and then his impatience would grow once again.
He didn’t know how Rachel was continually able to shut them out. He supposed she was used to it, and he wondered at her patience. Her gaze would remain out the window at the passing landscape, except every now and then she would turn and look at him with that knowing smile that Adam cherished yet was worried would give them away. He had begun to realize that it would take some time to prove himself to her father. Were Trenton to find out Adam’s intentions too quickly, all would be lost.
When they finally pulled into London’s King’s Cross Station, Adam felt his anxiety grow as he looked out the window. People milled about everywhere, and he began to feel as if he was suffocating. He took deep breaths as they filed off the train, and as the crush of bodies closed in on him, he closed his eyes for a moment, the memories of the one and only time he had been in London flooding back to him. Now he recalled just why he so rarely visited Edinburgh or Glasgow. So many people in such a little space made him feel such apprehension. Breathe, Adam, he thought, and as he tried to focus he felt a light touch on his arm.
“Adam,” came Rachel’s soft voice. “Are you all right? Is there anything I can do to help?”
He opened his eyes and saw her standing in front of him, concern all over her face. He kept his gaze on hers, and it steadied him, helping him slowly relax.
“I’m fine,” he said, managing a small smile which he hoped was somewhat reassuring. “Perhaps I had a bad bit of food on the train is all. Now, where have your father and Thompson got off to?”
“They went to find our luggage,” she responded. “We’d best hurry and find them, however, before they get too far ahead.”
For a man who continued to claim a betrothal, Thompson certainly didn’t pay much mind to ensuring her safety, thought Adam, as he and Rachel wound their way through the crowd. He reached out and touched her fingers, clasping them for a moment as she turned her head and flashed a smile. He kept his eyes on her, not wavering to look about him to either side, and while he could still feel the anxiousness in the pit of his stomach, he managed to find his way to the baggage cart without incident.
He helped the men gather the bags, and soon enough they were out on the street, calling for a hack.
“We’ll go to
