Page 29 of Enchanted

His brows came together as he looked at the thick tome in her hands. “Should we not start with something a little less intimidating?”

As the residual heat from her hands vanished, her thoughts cleared. “It is better to start with something interesting so you will want to keep reading. I was hoping you would find Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships by Jonathan Swift interesting. It is the story of a man who travels to fantastical lands. It is full of satire and interesting characters. My brother has this book in his library, and I have secretly read it at least three times.”

Keiran’s brow cleared and interest brightened his eyes. “Your brother does not allow you to read his books?”

“He would prefer I do nothing but embroider his handkerchiefs with the letters HD.”

“You like embroidery, then?”

She rolled her eyes, making his mouth pull up in a grin. “No. I hate it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Then let us read this forbidden book and enjoy every moment of these interesting characters in fantastical lands.”

She could not help but smile. “Here, you look at the book while I prepare the classroom. You will need to know the letters and what they sound like before you can start reading.” She stood. “First, I need to find something with which I can write on these stone walls. I will be better prepared tomorrow when we meet at sunrise, but for now, this will do.”

He opened his sporran and handed her a piece of flint. “This should work.”

She accepted the flint, moved to the wall opposite the door, and began to scratch the letters of the alphabet onto the stone. Instead of looking at the book, Keiran watched her write each letter, so she named each as she progressed. After she said the letter, he repeated it. As he did, she noted the soft burr in his tone. A tone that was warm and inviting, reminding her of the kitten purring as Keiran had stroked its nose.

She wrote another letter then turned and spoke it aloud. “T,” he responded, his lips firm. The throaty sound warmed her almost as much as his hands.

She turned away, inhaling. She was supposed to be teaching him, not losing herself in the nuances of the attractive man before her. Rosalyn hurried through the remainder of the alphabet, and when she had finished, she asked him to start over from the beginning, this time without her aid. He did not miss a single letter. “You are a very quick study.”

His lips turned up in a smile. The effect was devastating. His features brightened, his eyes warmed, and against her will, her heart fluttered again.

Rosalyn cleared her throat and turned her attention to the book on the table. “Let us look at the words in here and try to pronounce them so you can see the correlation between letters and words. Chapter One. My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the third of five sons.” And so, the book continued, introducing Lemuel Gulliver, and setting the stage for his adventurous life as a sea captain. She had had to help him with most of the words, but by the end of the chapter, he was starting to recognise most of the two- and three-letter words on his own.

She shut the book. “That is remarkable progress for your first lesson, Keiran.” His advancement was due more to his ability to learn than her own teaching skills, but today he had given her a different gift than his healing. He had given her back a glimmer of hope that her life might amount to something as a tutor.

Instead of the smile she expected at her praise, Keiran shrugged. “I had to learn quickly in Fairyland. It was either learn and survive or fail and die.”

Rosalyn flinched. “It is hard to imagine the uncertainty and danger you faced. How did you escape?”

“Aria and Graeme came for me.” His brows lowered as he regarded her. “I believe you had similar experiences.”

“I was ignored, lonely, but never in physical danger, at least not that I knew about until coming to Scotland.”

“Enough about the past.” He stood. “Now it is my turn to teach you something about being Scottish. Since you did such a stellar job for our first lesson, my task is made all the harder.”

A smile came to her lips. “This is not a competition.”

He arched a brow. “It can be if we make it one.”

“I understand the benchmark for you. When you can read and write, I will know I have succeeded. How will you know if I have fully embraced my Scottish half or not?”

“I will know and so will you,” he said with confidence.

Seemed a little ambiguous but who was she to argue? Her goal could be easily attained. “What about the stakes? I have little left to give.”

“You wish to be a tutor, do you not?” Keiran said, his voice gentle.

“It is the only skill I have that might help sustain my life,” she said honestly. “After my success with you, I hope to find a permanent position here in the Highlands, for England will never accept me in society again after my misfortune.”

“You did not cause your misfortune. The aristocracy would understand that, would they not?”

“The aristocratic ladies will call me a whore and their husbands will try to corner me in empty rooms if I am admitted to any social gatherings,” she said tartly. How could he know such a thing, having lived most of his life until now in a fantastical land of his own?

Keiran’s gaze turned thoughtful for a moment before his brown eyes held both amusement and a silent plea. “Here is what I propose. If I win our challenge, then you will stay at Dunvegan as a tutor to Alastair and Gwendolyn’s children.”