All The Time You Need by Melissa Mayhue Read Free Book Online Page A

and held it at the ready.
    The knot in Alex’s stomach continued to grow, cinching itself tighter and tighter, until at last he caught sight of Lissa through the trees. Exactly as he expected, she’d made her way back to the arbor. He’d barely had time to think the first words to a prayer of thanks before she set his heart pounding again.
    “A nimble lass, that,” Finn said, clearly seeing the same thing Alex did. “But perhaps no' quite nimble enough.”
    Ahead of them, Lissa scrambled up onto a wooden bench she’d brought with her from the keep, and grabbed on to the sharpened spikes of the iron gate that closed off the arbor. Before Alex could do more than hasten his steps, she had hoisted herself up in what appeared to be an attempt to straddle the top of the arbor wall. Though his sister was fearless, her gown was less than suitable for the task she’d set herself. It tangled around her legs, causing her to lose her hold. She slipped, and would have fallen if not for the chain around her waist, which snagged around one of the spikes, holding her captive as she dangled helplessly several feet off the ground.
    Served her right, Alex thought, and he briefly considered leaving her there long enough to allow her to think upon the error of her ways. But that wouldn’t do in this situation. Not out here, exposed and vulnerable to attack from the Gordons. Rescuing her was his only recourse, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy teasing her about this mishap for days to come.
    He started to yell her name, but stopped as he realized Lissa wasn’t alone. There, on the other side of the locked arbor gate, kneeling on the ground, her hands clasping the bars, was a woman he’d never seen before.
    “What’s this?” Finn asked, the amazement in his voice indicating he’d spotted the stranger as well. “I wasn’t aware you imprisoned women here at Dunellen.”
    Alex wasn’t aware of such a thing either. His gaze locked with the woman’s, and any words he might have formed froze in his throat at the sheer terror reflected in her eyes.
     
    * * *
     
    Annie felt as if she were swimming her way up through a million layers of gauze, struggling against an exhaustion such as she’d never felt, in order to reach the light that penetrated her eyelids. She might have given up and allowed sleep to reclaim her if not for the intense, throbbing pain in the side of her face. She managed at last to open her eyes, and found herself on the ground in a strange place, crumpled beside a stone bench.
    It took a few moments for her to put her thoughts in order to remember where she was. Scotland. She’d come to her grandmother’s cottage. Her cottage now. It all came back to her in sharp focus. She’d gone in search of the arbor where her grandmother had loved to spend her time, and she’d found it.
    And then the earth had, quite literally, begun to move beneath her feet.
    Apparently there had never been an earthquake like Annie had experienced during any of her grandmother’s visits. If there had been, Annie was sure that her Nana Ellen wouldn’t have loved it quite so much. Because as far as she was concerned right now, mysteries or no mysteries, this arbor was the last place she’d ever want to come again for a relaxing afternoon.
    She held on to the bench to pull herself up to her knees and then, finally, to her feet. A few deep breaths to ward off the waves of dizziness that rolled over her, and she managed to stand upright. But only briefly. Only until another wave of dizziness washed over her like a tsunami, buckling her legs and slamming her back to the ground.
    Now, both her face and her bottom throbbed equally.
    “I think I hate this place,” she groaned.
    Tears seemed perfectly in order, and she allowed herself that luxury before dragging herself up to stand once more. This time she held on to the tree, fastening her hand around its trunk to give herself some time to get her bearings.
    Everything seemed