Page 30 of The Curse of McMillan Castle
The key card was equally impressive to him. But somehow, despite the flood of new experiences, between entering the rotating doors of the hotel and finally reaching Rosie’s bed, he managed to keep a grip on my still-snoring teenager.
When he finally placed Rosie down on the bed, his back audibly cracked as he straightened himself upright. He laughed as he faced me.
“The lass is heavier than she looks.”
“I tried to warn you. Thank you, though.”
I turned away from him as I slipped my own room key into my back pocket and held onto his in my right hand before waving him out into the hall.
“You ready for a tutorial on your room?”
He nodded, and together we walked two doors down the hallway to Duncan’s room.
“Might I try that wee wand this time, lass?”
Tickled by the fact that he’d called the key card a wand—to be fair though, it was a reasonable comparison—I smiled as I faced him and extended the piece of plastic in his direction.
“By all means. Just hover it over the handle until that little light above it turns green.”
He smiled as it lit up, beeped and opened as he turned the handle.
“Must we go back after we retrieve this witch ye speak of?”
Laughing, I pointed to the slot above the lights and gestured so he would know to place the key inside so the lights would turn on.
“So you like this time, then? You’re not completely terrified?”
As the door shut behind me and Duncan stepped close to place the keycard where I’d directed him, he surprised me by ducking his head and kissing my cheek.
I immediately warmed all over.
“Nae, I am no’ terrified. ’Tis a relief to ken why ye lied to me. I knew ye were no’ from London, and aye, what’s no’ to like? Seems time has brought a fair number of things into being that make life easier. Why would ye e’er choose to live in the past as ye do when ye doona have to?”
I shrugged and followed him as he stepped further into the room.
“My dad was in the past. He’s really the only family Rosie and I have left. And we needed a fresh start.”
He gave me an understanding nod and then shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.
“You all right?”
He shook his head. “Nae, lass. I doona wish to embarrass ye, but I need to relieve meself rather urgently. I see no chamber pot.”
I laughed and waved him into the bathroom where he immediately looked skeptically down at the toilet.
“In there, lass?”
“Yes.” I wasn’t sure how to delicately address all of the ins and outs of a toilet to Duncan, but I knew it wouldn’t help him at all if I danced around the subject. “Okay, forgive my bluntness, but I’m just going to lay it out for you.”
He gave a soft chuckle and a nod before crossing his arms and staring down into the toilet with earnest.
As quickly as I could manage, I explained when to lift and lower the seat, what toilet paper was for, and how to get rid of everything when he was finished. When I stopped, he immediately reached for the buckle on the jeans Kamden had leant him. I hurried from the room as he called after me.
“Thank ye, lass. I believe I can manage it.”
Closing the door between us, I moved into the center of the room, unsure of what to do. Should I leave now that he was safely in his room? Should I stay in case he had any other questions? If he got his hands on the television remote, he would definitely have more than a few.
Should I stay for any other reason? For the first time since meeting him, Duncan and I were truly, really alone. What would it be like to be with him? To have his hands roam over me, to feel someone inside me for the first time in years?
