Read Online Waking the Princess by Susan King - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan King
Ads: Link
falls under a spell cast by the prince's enemy."
"And sleeps forever," he said quietly, watching her.
"Forever, lost to her lover for eternity, yet always within his reach. I weep each time I read it," she said again.
"Every time?" he asked gently.
She nodded. "Because of the love they have for each other. He loved her beyond everything, and lost her. He never gave up, would not leave her side." She felt tears prick her eyes.
"Aye." He watched her. "True love."
She tipped her head. "It exists."
"Does it?" He raised his brows skeptically, gazed down his nose at her. Those blue eyes and long, lean, powerful form distracted her, made her heart beat faster.
"I think so," she said, returning his gaze defiantly.
"Have you known it yourself, Mrs. Blackburn?"
She looked away. "That is a very personal question, sir."
"I apologize. If it soothes your ruffled feathers, I do believe true love exists for some. Just not for everyone." His gaze remained steady.
"Love is essential, sir. Through that miracle, human beings thrive. Surely you have known—" She stopped, remembering his kiss, his hands warm upon her, arousing wickedly sensual feelings, so that her cheeks heated in a rising blush.
"The lairds of Dundrennan do not risk love as a rule. We certainly have affection for the fairer of our species—the MacBrides would have died out otherwise." He smiled, a impish quirk of his lips, yet his gaze held a smoldering quality. "But we do not pine for, or indulge in, what some call true love."
"Indulge? Sir, real love is extraordinary and irresistible. It is thunder and lightning, a—a hurricane," she went on, gesturing. "The blaze of the sun and the shine of the moon. A force of nature, powerful and inexplicable. It cannot be stopped or denied. It is not an indulgence, like... like chocolate!"
"For a bookish wee thing, you have a romantic soul." His eyes sparkled, and she felt her face go fiery. "I suppose you believe in love at first sight and a whole rasher of other nonsense."
Christina lifted her chin. "I see you refuse to be convinced."
"Are you trying to convince me of it, Mrs. Blackburn?"
"Not at all. This is just... an intellectual exercise."
He laughed easily and without malice. "Remind me to tread carefully next time you are in a mood to exercise your brainpan, madam. I cannot keep up with such a passionate soul as yours."
"Laugh if you will, sir. But true love and love at first sight can happen. I wish—" She stopped.
"That you might find it?" he finished gently.
She shrugged. "Your cousin and his bride have found it. I admire that."
His smile sobered. "So do I. But I will leave it to them. Extraordinary love is... dangerous at Dundrennan."
"What an odd thing to say."
He regarded her for a moment. "Your name ought to be Miss Burn, I think. You blush like fire, do you know that?"
She put a hand to her warm cheek. "Oh!"
"I meant it as a compliment." He spoke affectionately, his tone gentle. "You may be a cool little scholar on the exterior, my dear Miss Burn, but you have a fire of the spirit. My father would have liked you very much."
"Thank you," she said in surprise.
He stood. "Shall we join the others to look at engravings?"
* * *
"Amy has expensive taste, I give her that," Aedan said. He glanced at Amy's older brother. Dougal chuckled as he walked beside Aedan. "Dundrennan would not be as fine a place as it is without her advice, and Lady Balmossie's as well."
Dougal nodded, glancing up at the back of the house as he and Aedan walked along a graveled garden path, stones underfoot still damp but skies above clearing nicely. "Amy said you've taken a sudden liking to plain color on the walls."
"I also told her I like old, threadbare rugs rather than new carpeting. Ultimately, it may save a few shillings."
He could be honest about financial matters with his cousin and childhood friend. He and Dougal had attended university together, along with their friend Evan Mackenzie—now Earl of Kildonan. All
"And sleeps forever," he said quietly, watching her.
"Forever, lost to her lover for eternity, yet always within his reach. I weep each time I read it," she said again.
"Every time?" he asked gently.
She nodded. "Because of the love they have for each other. He loved her beyond everything, and lost her. He never gave up, would not leave her side." She felt tears prick her eyes.
"Aye." He watched her. "True love."
She tipped her head. "It exists."
"Does it?" He raised his brows skeptically, gazed down his nose at her. Those blue eyes and long, lean, powerful form distracted her, made her heart beat faster.
"I think so," she said, returning his gaze defiantly.
"Have you known it yourself, Mrs. Blackburn?"
She looked away. "That is a very personal question, sir."
"I apologize. If it soothes your ruffled feathers, I do believe true love exists for some. Just not for everyone." His gaze remained steady.
"Love is essential, sir. Through that miracle, human beings thrive. Surely you have known—" She stopped, remembering his kiss, his hands warm upon her, arousing wickedly sensual feelings, so that her cheeks heated in a rising blush.
"The lairds of Dundrennan do not risk love as a rule. We certainly have affection for the fairer of our species—the MacBrides would have died out otherwise." He smiled, a impish quirk of his lips, yet his gaze held a smoldering quality. "But we do not pine for, or indulge in, what some call true love."
"Indulge? Sir, real love is extraordinary and irresistible. It is thunder and lightning, a—a hurricane," she went on, gesturing. "The blaze of the sun and the shine of the moon. A force of nature, powerful and inexplicable. It cannot be stopped or denied. It is not an indulgence, like... like chocolate!"
"For a bookish wee thing, you have a romantic soul." His eyes sparkled, and she felt her face go fiery. "I suppose you believe in love at first sight and a whole rasher of other nonsense."
Christina lifted her chin. "I see you refuse to be convinced."
"Are you trying to convince me of it, Mrs. Blackburn?"
"Not at all. This is just... an intellectual exercise."
He laughed easily and without malice. "Remind me to tread carefully next time you are in a mood to exercise your brainpan, madam. I cannot keep up with such a passionate soul as yours."
"Laugh if you will, sir. But true love and love at first sight can happen. I wish—" She stopped.
"That you might find it?" he finished gently.
She shrugged. "Your cousin and his bride have found it. I admire that."
His smile sobered. "So do I. But I will leave it to them. Extraordinary love is... dangerous at Dundrennan."
"What an odd thing to say."
He regarded her for a moment. "Your name ought to be Miss Burn, I think. You blush like fire, do you know that?"
She put a hand to her warm cheek. "Oh!"
"I meant it as a compliment." He spoke affectionately, his tone gentle. "You may be a cool little scholar on the exterior, my dear Miss Burn, but you have a fire of the spirit. My father would have liked you very much."
"Thank you," she said in surprise.
He stood. "Shall we join the others to look at engravings?"
* * *
"Amy has expensive taste, I give her that," Aedan said. He glanced at Amy's older brother. Dougal chuckled as he walked beside Aedan. "Dundrennan would not be as fine a place as it is without her advice, and Lady Balmossie's as well."
Dougal nodded, glancing up at the back of the house as he and Aedan walked along a graveled garden path, stones underfoot still damp but skies above clearing nicely. "Amy said you've taken a sudden liking to plain color on the walls."
"I also told her I like old, threadbare rugs rather than new carpeting. Ultimately, it may save a few shillings."
He could be honest about financial matters with his cousin and childhood friend. He and Dougal had attended university together, along with their friend Evan Mackenzie—now Earl of Kildonan. All
Similar Books
