Page 82 of A Rogue in Twilight
“The dowin shee?” Patrick asked.
“The fairies,” Fiona translated. “The peaceful ones, it means.”
“Not so peaceful when crossed,” James drawled.
“Lady Struan may have thought that if your brother were to live here,” Elspeth said, “he would need to understand the importance of fairy tradition in this glen.”
Patrick nodded. “That could be. She knew more about the subject than most, and probably thought all of us far too practical and in need of more imagination.”
“She might think Elspeth the perfect bit of proof,” James mused.
“I wonder if Grandmother lured you here, James,” Fiona said. “Perhaps she intended all along to bring you two together. She may have wanted this for you.”
Elspeth caught her breath as they all turned to look at her. She met James’s gaze for a moment, that blue tidepool drawing her in. “If you believe it, it may simply be so.”
“Is that all it takes?” he asked gently. “When she came here to the house in that storm,” he explained, “circumstances were such that it was prudent for me to offer marriage. Given all the fairy nonsense—er, the lore in Elspeth’s family, Grandmother may have hoped we would meet.”
“But I refused him,” Elspeth said.
“Oh dear!” Fiona said. “I hope you will reconsider.”
“Miss MacArthur, if I may say so,” Patrick said, “if you do have a trace of fairy blood, it would be a great service to all of us if you would marry our brother.”
“You will not convince the stubborn lass,” James murmured.
A movement beyond the window caught her attention, and Elspeth looked out to see her grandfather’s gig advancing along the road toward Struan. He was returning already. She could risk telling them the whole truth now or keep her secrets to herself, and lose her chance at happiness.
In a few days she would turn twenty-one and her life might change irrevocably. She had not wanted to drag James into that, even if she was not entirely sure what might happen. It sounded preposterous even to her, and she had grown up with it.
But Donal MacArthur was right. She had fallen in love. It was too late to stop that. True love could break the hold the fairies had over her family. But until the treasure was found and returned, Donal would remain in their thrall, so he said.
She drew a breath. “True, I have fairy blood through my mother,” she said. “And I believe I have seen theDaoine Síth. Some things I know, and other things I struggle to accept, justlike you. I know it is difficult to believe. But for me and mine, these tales have always been so. I do not know if others can accept that. If you can accept that,” she told James.
“I can.” He took her hands in his. “Marry me and find out.”
Behind her, Elspeth heard Fiona catch back a sob, and Patrick beamed.
Elspeth nodded slowly. Finally, all of a sudden and certain, she knew. “Well then, I will marry you—on one condition.”
“What is that?” He rubbed his thumb over her fingers, warm and compelling.
She straightened her shoulders, aware of the risk, feeling as if she stood on a high cliff edge—and only their clasped hands, their love, could save them both.
“I will marry you, but we must find the lost fairy treasure first. And all this must happen before my birthday.”
“Your birthday? When is that?” he asked.
“Next week. The twentieth of October. I will turn twenty-one.”
“Goodness. Why before then?”
“On that birthday, the Fey have vowed to take me away. So my grandfather says.”
“Gracious,” Fiona said. “This is—like nothing I have ever heard.”
“We can only try,” he said simply.
“And I have an idea where we can look. Tomorrow, then, if you please.”
