no right to bite your head off like that. And you’re right…I am an ill-mannered, rude…devil. Swearing in front of women. My Aunt Felicity would skin me alive.”
“ I had no right to place a judgment on you. I….” Lauryn began her own apology.
“ Yeah, you did,” he interrupted. “You were right, too. I let my pride get the better of me…again,” he explained. “Blindness forces you to let other people care for you…serve you. And I’m not humble enough to accept it at times. My pride reacts with cruelty.”
“ You were injured…blinded servin’ others. You should allow people the opportunity to show their gratitude by serving you,” Lauryn told him, again trying to gently pull her hand from his.
Her thoughts were stalled as he drew her hand toward his face and seemed to inhale deeply as if…as if he were…yes! He was smelling her.
“ Good advice,” he admitted. “But very difficult to initiate when you’re Brant Masterson.” Again he seemed to inhale deeply the scent of her skin. “Do you forgive me then?”
“ I don’t have any reason…” she began unable, for some reason, to find more words.
“ You owe me an apology in return,” he told her as her silence wore on.
“ I know. I’m sorry for my judgment. I…”
“ Not that. You had every right to treat me badly. I mean, an apology for running off so that I could not offer my apology on the spot. Running from a blind man. How heartless.”
Lauryn’s brow puckered into a hurt and ashamed frown until she saw the grin spread across his handsome face. He was teasing her. Yet, his making light of his injury was painful as well.
“ I’m sorry,” she whispered softly.
Then to her surprise, Brant kissed the back of her hand lightly before releasing it and straightening his posture.
“ Now…all apologies aside…what’s he like?” he asked bluntly.
“ Who?” Lauryn asked in return. For the first time in years, her mind was void where the word ‘ he ’ was concerned.
“ Your captain,” Brant chuckled. “What’s he like?”
“ Oh!” Lauryn exclaimed, rather embarrassed that she hadn’t instantly known to whom Brant was referring. “He’s…he’s wonderful. And miserable without his lady.”
“ He’s haunted in his own right,” Brant mumbled, his enticing grin fading as his head fell defeatedly back against the seat. “I know the feeling. Being haunted.”
Yes, haunted! And Lauryn could not begin to fathom the frustration and pain that would’ve been heaped upon her if she had only been able to see the Captain. Never to hear his voice in conversation. Only to see him sad and alone and begging for her help the way it seemed Brant saw Lauralynn.
"Before I'd see her…" Brant paused and put a hand to one of the bandages at his eyes. "When I could see her…I'd hear her name…like a whisper on the wind and a sweet fragrance of some flower would wash over me. It was so strong…like nectar that you could breathe in. ‘ Lauralynn’ is all I've ever heard of her voice."
"And you know everythin’? The stories? The reason…" Lauryn prodded. She was curious, suddenly. Did he know something she did not? Something that would help her…help them find Laura? Could it be , she wondered suddenly? Had she found, in Brant, the help she’d needed, the help they’d both needed to end the mystery?
"No. Not everything. I know she’s lost…I know that she was married to Brand Masterson, my grandfather's brother. I know that she died during the Battle of Franklin and that she was never found. I know the stories from my Aunt Felicity and your grandmother. And from Laura nodding yes and no to questions I have asked her. And now…" His voice became deeper and angry. "Now I’ll have no way to communicate with her.” He reached up and began tugging on the bandages at his eyes. His anger had returned. His frustration full-fledged.
"You mustn't!" Lauryn scolded taking his hands in her own. "The doctor is obviously
“ I had no right to place a judgment on you. I….” Lauryn began her own apology.
“ Yeah, you did,” he interrupted. “You were right, too. I let my pride get the better of me…again,” he explained. “Blindness forces you to let other people care for you…serve you. And I’m not humble enough to accept it at times. My pride reacts with cruelty.”
“ You were injured…blinded servin’ others. You should allow people the opportunity to show their gratitude by serving you,” Lauryn told him, again trying to gently pull her hand from his.
Her thoughts were stalled as he drew her hand toward his face and seemed to inhale deeply as if…as if he were…yes! He was smelling her.
“ Good advice,” he admitted. “But very difficult to initiate when you’re Brant Masterson.” Again he seemed to inhale deeply the scent of her skin. “Do you forgive me then?”
“ I don’t have any reason…” she began unable, for some reason, to find more words.
“ You owe me an apology in return,” he told her as her silence wore on.
“ I know. I’m sorry for my judgment. I…”
“ Not that. You had every right to treat me badly. I mean, an apology for running off so that I could not offer my apology on the spot. Running from a blind man. How heartless.”
Lauryn’s brow puckered into a hurt and ashamed frown until she saw the grin spread across his handsome face. He was teasing her. Yet, his making light of his injury was painful as well.
“ I’m sorry,” she whispered softly.
Then to her surprise, Brant kissed the back of her hand lightly before releasing it and straightening his posture.
“ Now…all apologies aside…what’s he like?” he asked bluntly.
“ Who?” Lauryn asked in return. For the first time in years, her mind was void where the word ‘ he ’ was concerned.
“ Your captain,” Brant chuckled. “What’s he like?”
“ Oh!” Lauryn exclaimed, rather embarrassed that she hadn’t instantly known to whom Brant was referring. “He’s…he’s wonderful. And miserable without his lady.”
“ He’s haunted in his own right,” Brant mumbled, his enticing grin fading as his head fell defeatedly back against the seat. “I know the feeling. Being haunted.”
Yes, haunted! And Lauryn could not begin to fathom the frustration and pain that would’ve been heaped upon her if she had only been able to see the Captain. Never to hear his voice in conversation. Only to see him sad and alone and begging for her help the way it seemed Brant saw Lauralynn.
"Before I'd see her…" Brant paused and put a hand to one of the bandages at his eyes. "When I could see her…I'd hear her name…like a whisper on the wind and a sweet fragrance of some flower would wash over me. It was so strong…like nectar that you could breathe in. ‘ Lauralynn’ is all I've ever heard of her voice."
"And you know everythin’? The stories? The reason…" Lauryn prodded. She was curious, suddenly. Did he know something she did not? Something that would help her…help them find Laura? Could it be , she wondered suddenly? Had she found, in Brant, the help she’d needed, the help they’d both needed to end the mystery?
"No. Not everything. I know she’s lost…I know that she was married to Brand Masterson, my grandfather's brother. I know that she died during the Battle of Franklin and that she was never found. I know the stories from my Aunt Felicity and your grandmother. And from Laura nodding yes and no to questions I have asked her. And now…" His voice became deeper and angry. "Now I’ll have no way to communicate with her.” He reached up and began tugging on the bandages at his eyes. His anger had returned. His frustration full-fledged.
"You mustn't!" Lauryn scolded taking his hands in her own. "The doctor is obviously