Edge of Time (Langston Brothers Series) (5 page)

Never
had he been so physically stricken by the sight of a woman, but the image of the ethereally lovely Marissa
poised
on the swing like a goddess in a dream pierced him to the core. Realizing his jaw had gone slack Craig snapped his mouth shut and shook his head before continuing his trek across the yard. Her eyes lifted, locking on his as he approached.

He’d nearly reached the porch steps when she rose from the swing, a demure smile lighting her face. “Good afternoon, Dr. Langston. Are you here to see my aunt’s mare?”

Craig was once again rendered quite speechless as he gazed into the wide ebony pools of her eyes; so dark and vast, surely if he ventured too close he woul
d fall into them forever. “I’m--
I’m sorry, what?” he stammered, unable to look away from her enchanting face.

“The mare?” she said.

“Oh! Yes, the mare. I have already been to see her. No change as of yet.” He cleared his throat in an attempt to grasp at a shred of composure before continuing, “Is your aunt at home, Miss McClafferty?”

“Why yes, Dr. Langston, she just went inside for a moment. Would you like to sit and wait for her?”

He grinned as she flashed him a coy, flirtatious smile. “Only if you will join me while I wait.”

She lowered her lashes. “Of course I’ll wait with you.”

As the delightful Miss McClafferty strolled slowly along the porch he enjoyed the sway of the skirt around her legs. She didn’t walk like other girls, with studiedly mincing steps, but moved with poise and something else he could not quite put his finger on. It was intriguing.

“Dr. Langston,” she said, gracefully reseating herself, “I am terribly sorry for running into you yesterday. It
was not the friendliest of
greeting
s
.”
She
raised her eyes to him. “I do beg your pardon.”

He laughed, and when she joined in, the sincere quality of
her
laughter
struck him. It was
not the prim and proper tinkle of practiced amusement he was accustomed to hearing. “Well, Miss McClafferty what do you say to starting over then?” He turned to her,
smiling, and cleared his throat.
“I am Craig Langston, currently serving as a Captain in the Confederate Army Medical Corp
.”

“
Lovely to meet you, Captain.
”
H
er head tilted slightly as she faced him, allowing her
hair to cascade over a shoulder.
“I am Marissa McClafferty
.
I arrived yesterday from Atlanta to stay with my aunt Genie.” She
beamed
up at him,
the gesture friendly and
totally genuine.

It was easy to smile back at her, her delightful voice and crisp accent refreshing after the scores of women whose words had been deliberately sweetened for the purpose of husband catching. “You say you’re from Atlanta, but I detect a bit of a northern accent.” Instantly her face clouded, and he feared having erred. She watched him closely before answering, as though searching for malice in his inquiry.

“I lived in Michigan as a child,” she
replied after a moment
. “I moved to the south when I was twelve years old.”

“I see,” he said
.
“
A
nd your family? Where are they?”

Craig watched the light drain
from her captivating dark eyes,
and her shoulders slumped sadly. “I’m afraid that aside from Aunt Genie I am very much alone.”

“I’m sorry.” He spoke quietly, silently kicking himself for his lack of tact. No doubt something terrible had happened to her family and that was why she had come to live with her aunt.

A single tear trickled down her cheek and she turned away as if to conceal the evidence of her distress. It was too late; Craig saw a teardrop splash onto her lap and his heart ached for her. The war had been cruel to
so
many people
,
it was difficult not
to be consumed by
bitterness
. A desperate need to take Marissa’s pain away griped him,
and
on impulsive he slipped an
arm around her slender shoulders. He knew it was not proper for a gentleman to touch a woman he wasn’t acquainted wi
th in such a way, but
a
gentleman should
never
leave a crying woman without consolation either.

An audible sigh gushed past her lips as she leaned into his embrace, laying her head upon his shoulder.

An unexpected thrill of excitement surged through Craig
. By damn… he hadn’t had this reaction to a woman in… well…
ever
.

“Dr. Langston. You made it.” Genie’s cheerful voice shattered the tender moment.

Guiltily, Craig snatched his arm back and jumped to his feet. “Yes, Mrs. Harris.
I, uh…
I’ve been by to see your horse and I should think she will foal within the next day or so. If you like I will stay on until she does.”

The relief on Genie’s face was evident, and with a wry smile she drawled, “Why
,
Doctor, as long as I’m not keeping you from necessary duties I would be very grateful. You know from past experience that I do not fare well when it comes to any sort of blood.”

Craig was unable to keep the mirth from his voic
e or expression when he replied.
“It’s no problem. Perhaps Fredrick would take word to my regiment and let them know where I can be found should I be needed?” Craig knew Genie didn’t have much stomach when it came to blood and was terrified of having her mare foal while she was there alone. Fredrick was a skilled horseman, but rheumatism prevented him from assisting during a difficult delivery. Craig could not deny the fact that he was also looking forward to the opportunity to get to know Marissa McClafferty better.

Edge of Time
230

Three

Genie and Marissa were put to the test of selling Marissa’s new identity over dinner. Fortunately, Dr. Langston tactfully avoided the subject of her family and past, seeming to understand it was a subject best not broached at the time.

“Dr. Langston,” Genie
broke
suddenly into a moment of awkward silence, “Marissa may be of use at the hospital. She has a great deal of medical experience and trained alongside her father, who
was a doctor, for many years.”

Craig’s sapphire gaze turned immediately to Marissa. “Really?”

Marissa shot Genie a pinched lo
ok before turning back to Craig.
“Yes. I have worked with physicians in the past.”

“I’m impressed. Not many of the women I know have much interest in medicine. Most of them are like Genie here, and can’t stand the blood.” He rocked back in his chair as though contemplating the possibility of having Marissa work with him. “Well, Lord knows how much we need help at the hospital. I don’t know if Major Bernstein will go for having a young, unmarried woman work there, though.” He winked at her
, a twinkle lighting his blue eyes
. “Dare I not forget to mention pretty, but I’ll see what I can do.”

He thinks I’m pretty?
This man was obviously one accustomed to being fawned over by women, his every glance or smile sought as a treasure. Immediately, Marissa realized it would behoove her to maintain a safe distance. But at the same time there was just something about him, a warm confidence that was absolutely intoxicating. He seemed to read her train of thought and grinned directly into her eyes.

All of a sudden her shoulders, where his arm had stretched not half an hour earlier, burned as though the weight of him were still there. She found herself paralyzed as the smile transformed his already handsome face. The perfectly portioned mouth curved into a most charmingly boyish grin that spre
ad across his countenance and in
fused his radiant blue eyes with warmth. In that moment a jolt of raw sensual awareness shot through Marissa, causing the shattered pieces of her heart to tremble. Smiling across the table at her he ceased to be the intimidating Apolloistic figure of a man in uniform and became, quite simply... irresistible.

Her lashes flitted downward and she licked her lips, ins
ides suffused with butterflies as b
lood thrummed
in her ears.
W
hy
am
I so nervous?
One would think a good looking man had never flirted with her.
Straightening, she gazed into the intense hue of his warm eyes. On the porch she hadn’t been
blind to the effect
her southern belle routine
had
had
on the good doctor. She’d thought no harm could co
me from an innocent flirtation—
especially with a man who looked like
that
.
But… perhaps she’d been wrong.

The meal progressed amiably and again Marissa found herself relaxing in the pleasant company. She had recently spent her evenings primarily alone and once again, even in the midst of these unfamiliar surroundings, she felt at ease. “Why don’t Fredrick and Grace join us?” she queried, wondering w
here the older couple had gone.

“I have never been able to convince them to share a table with me.” Genie shrugged. “I think the unseen scars of slavery run far deeper than
those that meet the naked eye.”

Marissa nodded in understanding.” Well, I’ll find Grace later and thank her for the wonderful meal. I can’t remember the last time I ate anything so delicious!” No restaurant claiming to provide southern cooking could hold a candle
to the fare Grace had provided.

Craig instantly repeated the sentiment and turned to Marissa
.
“Maris-er-ah... Miss McClafferty, would you care to take a walk with me outside?” He glanced at Genie as if for permission. Marissa nearly laughed aloud. This world demanded different manners from both men and women. “I would like to further discuss the possibility of your niece working at the hospital and the extent of her medical knowledge.”

Genie bubbled with amused laughter, waving them off. When Marissa began to clear the table Genie stopped her with a knowing wink. “You go along, my dear. I can take care of this.”

Marissa turned to Craig, immensely pleased that he’d asked her to go for a walk and couldn’t help but ogle as he crossed the room to hold the door open for her. In a word, the man was
sexy,
but in an entirely unassuming way. Brian had been sexy in a manner that proclaimed
I know women are just dying to jump me
, but Craig was different… better. While he was ungodly good looking
—
no, make that
godly
good looking, Zeus or Apollo to be exact
—
he didn’t flaunt it or swagger the way Brian had, he moved with an easy confidence.
She stepped past him onto the porch and a
shudd
er of awareness coursed through. S
he inhaled a deep breath o
f the fresh rich southern air to steady her nerves.

The humidity had lessened after the morning rainfall and the heat of the day had passed leaving a languid ambiance in its wake.
A beautiful
evening. “Dr. Langston,” Marissa turned to him, “I must ask, how is it you manage to survive the heat in that wool uniform?”

“Call me Craig,” he said,
falling into stride beside her. “I must be honest
—
I don’t a
lways fare well in the heat.
I take this stifling thing off every chance I get.”

She looked up at him as they walked, heart
flopping beneath his warm smile.
“And,
you must
call me Marissa, I hear Miss McClafferty and lo
ok around for someone that I’v
e never met.” She was losing herself in the moment. There was something inexplicably right about the entire scene playing out before her and as they strolled beneath the shelter of the trees surrounding the yard, Marissa took in the adjacent countryside, the
clear
sky, the varying greens of the forest, shrubs and grass, the dun color of the field, but most of all walking with Craig Langston. She felt deliciously nervous yet comfortable with him at the same time.

From the corner of her eye she studied his impressive form. Craig was a very large man, at least six-foot five, which she knew was unusually tall for this time period, and boasted a muscular, athletic physique. His gray un
iform fit snugly, provocatively,
against his broad shoulders and chest. She could not help but envision the trim muscular figure without the uniform. Her cheeks flushed hotly at the train of her thoughts. Briefly their arms brushed and the light contact burned into Marissa’s arm until her flesh tingled, sending the butterflies in her stomach to a new level of frenzied activity.
What am I doing, getting caught up in a fantasy about this man? I’m not staying here any longer than necessary
.

And there it was. Reality came crashing back down on her with such force that her ears were ringing.
Ringing!

Once more a sense of desolation came over her. It was as though the wind had been physically knocked from her. Why had she traveled almost 150 years to the past to suddenly find this sense of rightness? To find a man like Craig Langston?
Could it be destiny? Fate?
Genie’s words from the night before echoed in her mind:
Perhaps this is our time and place to exist.
Totally perplexed, Marissa doubted that any of this would ever begin to make sense. It would be best not to get overly involved with anyone until she knew one way or the other if she was going home. Once again Genie’s voice rang clear in her mind, telling her the door was one way, but she shut it out.

“What was it you were hoping to discuss with me, Doctor? I mean, Craig.” She raised dark eyes up to him deciding to lose herself in work until some sense could be made of her situation. It occurred to her then that loosing herself in work had all too often been her problem.
That
was probably why I lost Brian
… But she quickly dismissed the thought.

“Ah, yes. Your medical experience. What sort of work have you done with your father?”

Marissa hesitated unsure of how to answer.
I can’t exactly tell him I worked in a level four trauma center and attended university fo
r four years to achieve a BSN
degree. It would mean nothing to him and would definitely confuse the issue.
“Um, why don’t you ask me a few questions, and then you can judge how useful my experience is.”

“All right.” Craig tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment, then proceeded to ask her a number of questions regarding human anatomy, diseases, and treatments. As the conversation progressed his expression showed him to be thoroughly impressed by the knowledge and ease of her responses and
he
began seek
ing
her opinion over a wide array of topics.

“We have a great many wounded men who appear to
be getting well, but
develop pneumonia and die. Has your father ever remarked on that?”

“Yes. You have to get the patients out of bed as soon as possible,” Marissa responded
without hesitation.
“When your patients lie in bed for a prolonged period of time they don’t take breaths deep enough to expand their lungs properly. When their lungs don’t expand, atelectasis sets in, allowing fluid and secretions to consolidate in the lungs, causing pneumonia. You also need to make them cough and breathe deeply on a regular basis, as well as change their position to assist postural drainage.”

Craig’s jaw visibly dropped. “How do you know all of that? I’m not even familiar with some of those terms or concepts and I went to one of the best
medical schools in the country.
” He
stared at her, utterly
incredulous
.

Marissa shrugged and continued with confidence. “Some of these concepts are being studied in Europe,” she said, drawing on a paper she had done for nursing school years ago. “My father studied in Europe and received some literature from a physician he knew in London.”
Okay, that i
s a full blown lie, but how else can I make it sound credible?

*
             
*
             
*

Craig studied her, thinking she
was unlike any woman he’d
met before. She was flirtatious and witty,
not to mention brilliant,
but more than anything her words and smiles were not calculated l
ike those of so many women he’
d met
before. Part of the reason he’d
yet to find a woman to marry was that
those he’
d actively courted in the past never seemed…
sincere
. Having been one of the more sought after bachelors in Charleston,
Craig kept
a wary eye
on interested women
. H
e had no desire to be snared by scheming young misses and their mothers
out for his family’s money
.