Chapter 6
“What have ye got there?” Donal asked, trying to peek behind Hamish.
“’Tis a lute, if ye must ken.” He regretted his decision to accompany Elle from the moment he’d strapped the lute over his shoulder.
“I must tell ye, I had no idea ye played.” Donal had a teasing glint in his eye.
“Dinnae do it,” Hamish warned.
“I dinnae intend on doing anything. What worries ye so?”
“I promised Elle I would play along with her as she sings. I’ve gotten nothing but snickering from the men as I’ve walked past.”
“Mayhap they’re nae snickering at ye,” Donal said.
“Nae. They are. I believe I’ll lose any respect they have for me.”
“Only if ye cannae play,” Donal laughed.
“I can play. If I couldnae, she wouldnae have asked me.”
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
They walked in to the dining hall where Hamish carefully placed the lute against a wall near the hearth. He stared daggers at his men as he took his seat. Not a one of them dared say a word, for which he was thankful.
Elle walked into the hall, smiling and waving to him. Donal elbowed him in the side. “I think the lass has an eye for ye.”
“Nae. She doesnae,” he protested.
“I have eyes to see, Hamish.”
It appeared the others did as well. He caught them smiling like fools in his direction. “Then use them and stop imagining things.” He glanced down the table as his men quickly turned their attention back to their food.
Donal dove into his food like a man who hadn’t eaten in days, while Hamish found himself not particularly hungry, an unusual circumstance to any who knew him. He continued to eye the dais where Elle ate, seated between Ashley and Jenna. The three talked as if they were old friends.
“How does she ken the lasses?” Donal asked.
“’Tis nae something we’ve discussed. Finish yer meal.” Hamish made it clear their conversation was over. He stood and walked outside for a moment to get some air.
He wasn’t sure how he let Elle talk him into this, but he was sure he was going to regret it.
“Hamish?” Elle’s soft voice came from behind him. He turned to see her framed in the candlelit doorway. She was beautiful.
“Aye.”
“You aren’t running out on me, are you?”
“Nae. I needed some air. ’Tis all.”
“Good. It’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
“I hope so.”
“Why wouldn’t it be? We practiced enough this afternoon. It’s natural to be a bit nervous before a performance. The key is to turn the nerves into excitement.”
“I’m nae nervous, if that’s what yer thinking.”
“I’ve been doing this a long time. I know nervous when I see it. It’s okay to admit it. It doesn’t make you any less of a man.”
“In me mind it does.”
She approached him and stood so close he was sure he could lean down and quickly capture her lips. Her large sapphire eyes stared up at him as she tipped her head in question. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Okay?” he thought he understood what that meant. “I will be fine. Ye need nae worry. I’m a man of me word. I said I would play along while ye sang and I will.”
“Hamish?”
“Aye.”
“Can I give you a hug for good luck?”
His puzzled expression belied the fact that he would love nothing better.
“I mean, I don’t have to. You just look like you could use one.”
“Aye.” he said.
Before he knew what was happening and could prepare himself, he found her arms around his waist and her head on his chest. His body responded the only way it knew how and she jumped back away from him. “Oops. Sorry about that.”
He was too embarrassed to speak.
“Nice pecs,” she said, running a hand across his chest before lightly pounding it with her fist. “We should probably go in.” Her playful manner baffled him. Was she flirting with him or was she like this with all men?
“I’ll need a minute, if ye dinnae mind.” It might be an extra long minute. It wasn’t bad enough she’d hugged him, but then her hand on his chest only made matters worse.
“Of course. I’ll see you in there.” She winked as she turned and walked away.
Hamish fell back against the castle wall, eyes closed and desperately trying to think of things that would cool his ardor. After several moments he was able to stand and march inside.
***
“Is everything okay?” Ashley asked when Elle returned to the table.
“Yes. I think I may have just flustered Hamish.”
“In a good way?”
“I don’t know. Probably bad.” Elle hadn’t expected the reaction that she felt from him as she hugged him. She was only trying to be a good friend and let him know she was there for him. “I think he likes me.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
Elle didn’t answer. The meal was done and the servants were clearing the tables. “I’ve got a new song I’m going to sing tonight.”
“Really?”
“I worked on it all afternoon and I’ve got a bit of a surprise for everyone.”
“Well, let’s hear it then.”
Elle stood and walked to the same spot where she’d sung the night before. Hamish was leaning against the doorway, looking every bit the Scottish Highlander. She motioned to him and he walked towards her. She heard murmuring all around as those present tried to figure out what was happening.
“I’m going to sing a song for you this evening. I hope you’ll like it. Hamish is going to accompany me on the lute.”
He picked up the lute and stood beside her.
“Hamish! You never told us ye could play,” Cormac shouted from his seat.
“With good reason,” Hamish replied.
***
He played the song as they’d practiced and Elle sang her heart out for those in the great hall. Everyone was enthralled by her beautiful voice and he hoped they wouldn’t tease him too much about his lute playing. They’d better not if they knew what was good for them.
There were a few places in the song where Elle would stop singing and Hamish would play on his own. He looked around at the sea of smiling faces and felt relief. They were enjoying this and he had to admit he was as well.
When the song was over, applause erupted from the crowd, many of whom came up to congratulate him and tell him how surprised they were to hear him play. There was no teasing, no laughter. He’d done it.
Elle wore a beaming smile, which she bestowed on him. “That was great!” she said.
“Do ye mean it?” Her approval was all he really wanted.
She reached out and gently took his hand in hers. “I do. I don’t think it could have gone any better.”
He was relieved, in part because the thing he’d been dreading was over and in part because Elle was happy with him.
A rare smile appeared on his lips and lit his eyes.
She was holding his hand. The sensation quickly moved from his fingers to his heart.
This woman was special and he couldn’t deny he was beginning to have feelings for her.
“I wanted to apologize to ye,” he began.
“For what?” She appeared puzzled by his statement.
“Ye ken when ye hugged me …”
“Oh! Yeah. Don’t worry about that. It happens.” He could see from her unwavering gaze and her words that she wasn’t bothered by his reaction.
“It did and it shouldnae have.”
“Hamish you really have nothing to be sorry for. Forget it ever happened, I have.”
How could he forget it? She’d pressed her warm, soft body up against his and rested her head on his chest. Surely she must have heard his heart pounding and racing.
It was obvious it meant much more to him than it had to her.
Those feelings that had been welling in him would have to cease.
He realized he was still holding her hand and quickly let it go.
He vowed to think of her as nothing more than a friend.
He’d help her in any way he could to navigate her way through whatever time she had left here before returning to her own time.
***
Hamish dropped her hand like a hot potato.
She was going to have to remember not to touch him.
It seemed he was developing feelings for her and she certainly didn’t wish to torture him.
The guys in her time were different. She could playfully flirt with any of them without worry.
Hamish wasn’t like them. He played for keeps and she wasn’t planning on staying.
She averted her eyes, glancing towards Sara and Logan. “I’m going to go see Sara. I’ll talk to you later.”
Not waiting for a response, Elle walked away. She didn’t dare look back.
“Sara!” she waved to her new friend.
“Elle, that was amazing!” Sara was practically jumping up and down in her excitement. “Logan and I were just saying how strange it was that no one knew Hamish played the lute. He’s pretty good.”
“He’s better than that,” Elle said. “So you really liked it?”
“Yes. I hope you’ve got more planned for us.”
“I just might. You know I thought at first that being stuck here was going to be a terrible experience, but I can see that it might be just what I need to get my career back on track.”
“That’s great. I knew there had to be a good reason for Edna to bring you here.”
“I’m not sure what her reason is, but I think I could create a whole new album while I’m here. This is the music I’ve always wanted to write and perform. Of course, I’ll have to convince my manager and the powers that be to give it a shot. They’re pretty stuck on me being the pop princess.”
Logan seemed puzzled by their conversation. “I’ll speak with ye later, Elle. Sara dinnae leave without me.”
“Like I’d dare,” she giggled. “It’s dark out there. I’d probably fall in a hole or something.” She watched appreciatively as her husband walked away. “I’d probably fall in a hole in broad daylight. I’m kind of a klutz,” she explained.
Elle laughed at Sara’s self-deprecating humor. “Well, I’ll keep an eye on you then. We don’t need a mommy-to-be taking a tumble.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you two want to join us? Jenna and I are going up to tuck the little ones in for the night,” Ashley said, joining their conversation.