a smile. “I keep the parchment in my study, in a safe. No–one but I can access it.”
Ally nodded, then decided to tackle another thing that she didn’t really understand fully.
She took a deep breath. This was something she needed to know, but it scared the hell out of her. “Tell me about soul mates.”
He looked surprised, “What do you want to know?”
“Is it always like this?”
“You mean like it is between us?” he asked gently.
She nodded.
“Then yes, it is always like this.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that you have no choice in all this? That your partner is preordained, and you don’t get to choose?” she asked bluntly not stopping to think what she was saying.
He gave a startled laugh.
She realized that she had probably insulted him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“I know what you meant Ally, don’t apologize. It doesn’t bother me because you were made for me, my perfect half. If I had been given the choice to choose for myself, I would never have been able to find anyone more desirable, suited, beautiful or complimentary to me than you, my darling and I am the same for you.”
She studied him for a moment and came to the conclusion that he was right. He was all those things to her and more.
“If you look at it from that point of view, then you just might be right.”
“You will find that I usually am,” he said.
Ally stared at James with a wicked gleam in her eye and kicked Destiny into a canter. She needed to feel the air rushing past her and more importantly she didn’t want to think for a while. She had more questions, but they could wait until later.
She looked behind her to see James hot on her heels, and smiled brilliantly as she drove Destiny harder. The horse beneath her was made to run with its gait so smooth and fast.
Ally felt so happy and carefree out here on her horse, with the beautiful highlands stretched out before her and James riding with her. She now understood completely the exhilaration that was written all over his face this morning. They continued galloping across the highlands until they came across a beautiful grassy hill overlooking another loch and a nearby glen. James called out to stop so they could have lunch.
He dismounted and pulled out a blanket for them to sit on and grabbed the packed lunch that Sophie had prepared for them. Ally sat down and looked around while he unpacked the lunch and laid it before her.
She never wanted to leave this place. The dread found its way back into her mind, and she realized she may never leave, but not in the way she thought. If Vincent finished her off…
James interrupted her thoughts, “Wine?”
Ally looked dazedly at him for a moment before the question registered. “Yes, actually, I would love one.”
The spread before her was rather impressive. It consisted of a bottle of white wine, cold chicken sandwiches and two mini cheesecakes. It was simple and perfect. She loved it.
“Let me guess, your sources told you I love cheesecake and cold chicken sandwiches.”
He smiled knowingly.
“I think my grandmother should stop giving you an unfair advantage over me,” she joked.
“Lass, I need all the help I can get,” he said dryly.
She couldn’t help but laugh at that. It was partly true; she felt sorry for him but admired his perseverance.
“I don’t know how you left this place, it’s incredible. How long have you been away?”
He looked around at the scene before him. James was glad that she appeared to love this land as much as he did. “I haven’t been home for five years.”
“You haven’t been back once in those five years?”
“There was nothing here for me; my place was guarding you Ally,” he said with a seriousness that surprised her.
“What about Sophie and Henry?”
“I love them like they are family,” he paused not wanting to upset the fragile balance of understanding that they had, but it was time to be honest with her. “You can’t understand yet but you are my life, my love and my world. I would never have risked leaving you even for a day once I found you. I had to stay away from you, but I would never have left you unguarded.”
She felt his pain, watching and guarding something you loved from a distance for five long years, never having it quite within your reach. Her heart broke for him, and the guilt