Page 75 of The Highlander's Auctioned Hellion
“Oh, that is very good,” she said, looking back at him.
Callum’s eyes were fixed on her mouth as Lydia swiped at the loose crumbs with her tongue, and he made a grunting sound in the back of his throat.
The Laird made his own bannock creation, but in his case, he swallowed it in one bite. Rubbing his hands together, he nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s the way to eat them. We used to do that in me youth.”
“Who?”
“Me and Angus.”
“I imagine you were a menace to the poor cook.”
Callum gave a small huff of laughter. “Mainly Angus. He was far more mischievous than me, liked to get himself into a spot of bother every week to keep the household on its toes.”
Lydia opened her mouth to ask another question, but Callum’s expression closed off abruptly, and he rose to his feet.
“Come on then, lass, what are these stars ye said ye would be showin’ me? I wasnae very impressed with a single North star.”
Lydia glared at him irritably. “You barely gave me a chance to show you anything because the girls fell asleep.”
“Ah, so it wastheirfault, was it?”
Lydia rose, walking over to the telescope, fiddling with the dials, and raising it higher so that it was more comfortable for Callum to use.
She angled it so that she had the correct constellation in her sights and then stood back proudly.
“Have a look there,” she said, thrilled that her plan from earlier in the evening had come to fruition. They could not have timed it better.
Callum still didn’t look sure, but did as she asked. He was bent over the telescope for only a moment before he stepped back, staring up at the sky.
“My God, what is that?”
Lydia grinned, staring upward as tiny spots began appearing above them, accompanied by streaks of light, like angels descending from heaven.
“It was one of the few things my father ever told me that I have remembered. Star fire, he named them.”
“It’s beautiful,” Callum said, his voice filled with awe as they both stood beneath the huge black sky and watched the tiny lights appear and disappear.
“These are the lights that fall to earth in April, are they?” Callum asked.
She smiled. “And you said I was filling the girls’ heads with nonsense! We are very privileged to see them. I never believed I would in my lifetime. London is far too bright for such a phenomenon.”
Callum was quiet for some time, and when she turned back to him, he was no longer looking at the stars, but at her.
He turned to face her, gathering her into his arms, and Lydia sucked in a breath of surprise.
There was a wistful look on his face that she had never seen before, the lights behind him making him look otherworldly.
“Are ye sayin’ ye are glad ye came?” he said. “Oh, bride of mine.”
Lydia laughed. “I am not your bride yet.”
“One more day, and then ye will be. Let me remind ye of that whilst I have ye all to meself,” he said gently and bent his head, capturing her mouth in a soulful kiss, as the meteors rained down above them.
CHAPTER 21
“Are you ready, my lady?”
