Chapter 20
“What is it?” Mathilda stared at the photo on Lincoln’s—no, Rory’s phone. It showed a mesmerizing, glowing object that appeared to be some kind of raw crystal.
“I have no idea,” said Rory. It was going to take some getting used to, the new name, but overall she liked it better than Lincoln.
The name Rory suited the man she’d gotten to know.
“But this was the only thing Lincoln was worried about when we were about to crash. He wanted me to keep it safe. I failed.”
She flipped to the video and watched it over and over. She couldn’t take her eyes off the crystal. Its shape was a jagged oval, like an egg with sharp edges.
“What is it like to the touch?”
“It has a faint energy to it, like a vibration. It’s a strange sensation. You can almost hear it in the video.”
He was right. As she watched the video play again, she heard a barely audible hum.
Outside, the others were debating what to do about the raid they’d just survived. Their voices carried into the tent. She kept hearing phrases like, “he’s got to go,” and “let’s call the police.”
“Did Lincoln ever mention anything about this?” she asked Rory.
He shook his head. “I’m just the pilot. He doesn’t tell me anything.
I’m in the cockpit while he conducts his business.
But…” He paused for some kind of inner debate with himself.
“When he was coming out of his coma, he mentioned industrial espionage. I think he was worried about a spy on his staff. No one else was on the SyberJet with us. No copilot, no attendant, no entourage. That never happens. Also, I warned him about the weather and he insisted on going anyway.”
Mathilda eyed him under her eyelashes. Rory. Rory Baker. Pilot. Now that she knew the truth about him, everything made more sense, even her wild attraction to him.
“He needed you to get him to Maui for some reason. And he didn’t mind putting your life at risk to make it happen.” That was why she didn’t like people like Lincoln who were willing to sacrifice others to get what they wanted.
Rory shrugged. “Flying planes always carries a risk. That said, it was my first crash. Here’s hoping it’s the only one.”
So did she, from the bottom of her heart.
She’d forgiven him, she realized. His deception had come from a desire to protect his boss, not to trick her, or anyone else. But she wasn’t ready to let him know that she understood.
“Was there anything in his briefcase about the crystal?”
“No. It was all financial paperwork, along with some blueprints.”
“I bet I know what they were for.”
“Oh yeah?” Interest sparked in his dark eyes.
“Word is that Lincoln Kerr is building one of those billionaire bunkers on Maui. The coconut wireless has been buzzing about it. That’s the island rumor mill,” she explained.
“A billionaire bunker?”
“Yeah, you know, a place to hide out in luxury if society falls apart. They want to protect their wealth if the masses decide things are getting a little too unequal. Or a lot too unequal. They’re not always bunkers.
Sometimes they’re more like compounds. Marc Benioff has bought up nearly half the town of Waimea here on the Big Island.
Mark Zuckerberg is building a ranch with an underground bunker on Kauai.
Hawaii is a popular place for that sort of thing because it’s in the middle of the Pacific.
Apparently they think the ocean protects them from the rest of society. ”
“You know,” Rory said slowly, “I have noticed that Lincoln’s been more paranoid lately. Then again, it’s not paranoia if the danger is real, and he did just get kidnapped.”
“Maybe he knew he was in danger and that’s why he was building the bunker. You saw the blueprint. Is that what it looked like?”
“Could be.” Rory turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket. “That might be why we were going to Maui. But why would he have to keep that quiet?”
“Maybe because of his sister’s lawsuit?” She snapped her fingers. “We should ask Bjorn. He knows all about your—I mean, Lincoln’s family.”
He gave her a rueful smile. “This is hard to get used to, huh?”
“Actually, not really. I’m glad you aren’t being sued by your own sister.”
He laughed. “Don’t have one. But no, none of my family members are suing me, and I hope it’s not just because I’m not a billionaire.”
“No, it’s because you’re a kind person who takes care of the people you love.”
He looked so touched that she leaned closer and dropped a kiss on his lips. What she intended as a brief contact quickly developed into a deep, slow kiss that had them both breathless.
“Does this mean we’re okay?” he asked in a rough voice, after they’d finally pulled away from each other.
“Maybe. Probably. We’ll see.”
He laughed. “I’ll take it.” He got to his feet. “I’m going to do a quick search to see if the kidnappers left any clues behind.”
As she watched him, her heart ached. What did it matter if they were “okay”?
Her fate was closing in on her. The Aberdeen Bequest was about to lock her into a gilded cage.
Her time of being able to freely move about the world and follow her own passions was coming to a close.
Duncan Aberdeen had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in a “business arrangement.”
My dear Mathilda,
It’s quite a holy mess our ancestors have left us in, is it not?
We can both agree on that, if nothing else.
(And I’m wagering we can agree on plenty more.) My parents have been discussing the Aberdeen Bequest ever since they broke the news to me at age seven.
I’ve had years to think about it, which, your parents tell me, is not the case for you.
I’ve come to see it this way.
One of my best mates at Eton was from Goa Province in India.
He recently agreed to an arranged marriage brokered by a matchmaker.
He claims those work very well because the matchmakers use family connections, astrological charts, and other tests to make sure it’s a good match.
The outcome is yet to be seen (and I might have a small wager on it, but don’t tell him), but he makes a good argument for arranged marriage.
If we look at this as a marriage arranged by our ancestors, with a massive infusion of funds and a noble title as wedding gifts, maybe we can make this work well for us. If we start from a basis of mutual goals and values, then we can build from there. In that spirit, my goals are:
1. A stable family, to include children. My parents were ancient when they had me, so I would like to start early to make sure my children meet their grandparents.
2. Use the Marquis of Aberdeen title to promote environmental causes. Your parents tell me this is important to you too.
3. Employ my graphic design skills as a hobby, not a profession. I’m quite lazy by nature, and I admit I like the thought of never having to work for a living.
4. Maintain my social connections here in Britain, as part of the titled class.
As for values, I believe we have loads in common, based on what your parents have told me.
I care about the environment, I’m opposed to hunting, and I’m a vegetarian.
Can we build a solid marriage from that basis?
I don’t see why not. To my mind, it would be absurd to pass up the chance to have lots of money and a title.
Just think of how much power we’d have to make change in the world.
Let me address our age difference. At fourteen, it was enormous.
Now that I’m twenty-three, thirty doesn’t seem far off.
When we’re sixty, we probably won’t even notice the gap.
That said, your age is one more reason to start a family right away.
To be completely honest, a part of me wishes I had more time to be a young single man, sow my wild oats and so forth.
But I have resigned myself to giving up that phase of life and moving directly to family man.
Have you given much thought to this decision that we face?
I had a Zoom call with your parents and they explained that you’ve been fully committed to your graduate studies in Hawaii.
But they say you’re still single and not in love with anyone.
They said you haven’t closed off the option of marriage to me.
I hope that’s true, and I hope you will consider this proposal carefully.
Yours in ancestral bemusement,
Duncan Aberdeen
Mathilda had found the letter charming. Straightforward, unpretentious.
The arranged marriage angle did make sense, even though it seemed like such a relic to her.
But it wasn’t if you considered India and probably other parts of the world.
People married for all kinds of reasons.
Romantic ones, practical ones, financial ones, ambitious ones, accidental ones.
If she had her heart set on romance, maybe she should have fallen in love with someone by now.
The fact that she hadn’t…well, maybe that was a sign.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried. Every time she’d felt an attraction to a man, she’d given it a chance.
But never had she lost her heart to anyone.
Maybe she just wasn’t built that way. Maybe she was always going to be more passionate about endangered birds than she was about any man.
Except…this thing with Rory. It felt different. But the circumstances were so unusual, it was hard to tell what she felt for him. Until just now, she’d thought he was an entirely different person.
She watched as he searched the tent, appreciating the long lines of his body and his smooth movements. There was definitely something between them, something that felt new and unlike any of her other attempts at romance.
For one thing, she’d had every reason to dismiss him, thinking he was from the very world that she’d wanted to escape. But as hard as she’d tried, she hadn’t been able to resist the pull between them.
God, if only she could have more time to figure out what this was, this connection, this attraction. Duncan wanted an answer soon because the dreaded deadline was so close.
But they had at least a week, didn’t they? She still had a little time.
“I’ll come with you,” she blurted to Rory.
He turned in surprise. “Okay, but where are we going?”
“You want to call in Lincoln’s security people, right? That means getting to a cell signal. I’ll go with you. I was planning to go to Hilo anyway.”
“I don’t know.” He scratched at his jaw, where several days’ worth of scruff was emerging.
No razor, poor guy. They’d had extra toothbrushes, but no one had been able to rustle up a spare razor.
Lucky for him, that dark growth only enhanced his high cheekbones.
It made him less “pretty” and more “freaking hot.”
“It could be dangerous,” he said soberly. “We’ve got armed commandos popping up, we’ve got drones, a possibly sabotaged plane. I don’t want to put you in any more danger than I already have.”
“Yes, I get it. But those people obviously know about this camp already. We’d probably be safer leaving it.”
A shout sounded from outside. Their eyes met in alarm.
“What now?” Rory threw up his hands. “Tornado? Wildfire? Alien invasion?”
She was already heading for the zippered door. “Don’t forget the menehune.”