Magnus and a Love Beyond Words

by Knightley, Diana

  I wanted an immediate answer but instead Magnus seemed thoughtful about it and that kind of scared me a little. Finally he said, “I hope so.”

  He very quietly added, “I need ye tae guard your heart, mo reul-iuil. I ken tis nae somethin’ ye do, ye feel things verra much, but ye need tae try.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “With Archie—”

  “I don’t understand, he’s your son, I...”

  He reached for my hand. “He is Bella’s and we mustna forget how dangerous she can be.” His thumb stroked back and forth on the back of my hand.

  “So you’re warning me not to love Archie? That Bella might have some way to get between us?”

  “Nae, Kaitlyn, Bella has nae way tae get between us, but if ye lose your heart tae her baby she will be dangerous tae ye.”

  I huffed. “First, dear husband, I can’t guard my heart. You know this is true, and I mean, I can try to be a grownup and pretend to be guarded, but he’s a baby. I know I lost my baby and maybe it’s making me... this is making me really sad. You’re making me feel like I’m doing something wrong by caring about your son.”

  “Twas nae my intention. I just dinna consider ye would love him so much, I dinna realize I would. It has come tae me he will be a weakness and...”

  I shrugged. “He might be a strength. You love me and it makes you stronger. You’re like a big giant bear of love, killing monsters in the 18th century woods because you love me that much. Archie might make us both strong enough to vanquish the bad guys, whoever the fuck they are.”

  I looked around the restaurant. “But you’re right. I know it. I do. I will try. But just know this, I’m trying. You don’t have to keep warning me. Let’s try to guard our hearts and be strong, but also let’s ask occasionally, 'Is Archie okay?' Without having to worry about sounding weak.” I smiled. “He is really cute. He looks like a little mini Magnus.”

  Magnus joked, “Och, tis a tough road ahead of him.”

  I laughed. “You’re so handsome!” I whispered, “That lady over there hasn’t taken her eyes off you the whole time she’s been eating.” My eyes scanned the room. “That one too.”

  “Aye, because I am a bear in a restaurant, they have tae stand guard—”

  “Is that what you think it is? Please, you know what it is.”

  He chuckled.

  “I love you. I’m not guarded, but I’m strong. Stronger every day. And we need something to do while we wait or I am going to climb on your lap right here and probably get kicked out of the whole state of Georgia. Plus we already played this little ‘jump the pegs’ game to death while waiting for our food. Let’s go check out the general store.”

  * * *

  Magnus was delighted by the store. It wasn’t a word I could use very much about staggeringly handsome muscular heroic kind of men, but he definitely was ‘delighted’. There were shiny, excessive Christmas decorations everywhere and he wanted all of it.

  “We’ll have to save those for when we come back for Christmas.”

  “Och.” He was disappointed as he put a glitter-covered reindeer skull with horns that were tied with plaid ribbons back on the shelf.

  Then he turned to see a Jump the Peg game. “Tis the one from the table, can we take it?”

  “Of course.”

  He wandered around looking at all the striped candy sticks and asked across a display, “Could I buy this, tis candy?”

  “Yes, for you?”

  “I want tae take it to my nieces and nephews.”

  My eyes widened. “Oooh, good idea, also...” I surveyed the store. “Let me get some things for Lizbeth too. And get something for Sean. He might like one of those beanies.” Magnus’s face looked a question, I said, “It’s for your head, a warm hat.” I held up a dark one.

  “Aye, one of those for Sean, wait...” He counted on his fingers. “I want six of those.” He picked more candies. “Maybe ten of those beanies.”

  I picked out rose-scented oil, soap, and lotion for Madame Greer and Lizbeth. And a chocolate bar for Lizbeth. Then two scented candles and silk scarves too. A quilt. Another quilt. I returned to Magnus with my arms full. His arms were full of candies and a checkers game.

  I said, “We’re going to need to buy some bags.” I went to look at their canvas bags and passed the tea and coffee area. I bought some of that. Coffee might finally make 18th century Scotland doable. Plus some popcorn and a tin of cookies.

  I put some more chocolate in the pile and once the cashier totaled it, paid with the cash we had procured from Donnan’s safe.

  We returned to our table. For fun I grabbed a few brochures from near the front door while Magnus went out to the porch and looked for any signs of trouble. I slumped our bags under our table and sat. When the waitress came to check in, I ordered another round of sodas and some appetizers to make us seem less like freeloaders.

  When Magnus returned to the table I said, “Check this out.” I pointed at a brochure. “St Simon’s Island. It looks like there were Scottish highlanders that settled a town called Darien in 1736. And they were protecting Georgia from the Spanish in Florida. This is so interesting. I had no idea there was a Scottish history to the area.”

  “Would there be Scottish highlanders still livin’ there?”

  “No, probably not, I mean, their great grandchildren possibly, but I don’t think anyone would speak Gaelic if that’s what you mean.”

  “Aye, tis what I meant. I forgot the amount of time that has gone by in the one place and the other. Tis a burden to have it go so slow and so fast, I forget tae make sense of it.”

  “Well, it’s rather senseless isn’t it? You’re a Gaelic speaking Scottish highlander and you’re here, why shouldn’t more be here? Speaking of, what month should we go back to? It needs to seem plausible we went to the West Indies and back. We were last there in December I think and I don’t want it to be cold.”

  “If we return in the Spring, I might help in the rebuildin’ of the castle.”

  “Okay, good, then we’ll be warm too.”

  Magnus chuckled, “If ye want warm, mo reul-iuil, ye daena want the Spring. Ye want three days in August.”

  “So a cold Spring, that’s fine. I forget the crazy northern country you’re from with its endless nights and freezing summers. Spring sounds good. How about May?”

  Magnus’s eyes drew to the parking lot. “I think Quentin has arrived.” We stood to go meet him on the porch.

  Chapter 38

  Magnus and Quentin clapped their arms around each other, a giant bear hug of friends. I laughed happily. Hayley jumped out of the passenger side of Quentin’s truck and hugged me and then I hugged Quentin too. He was already dressed in his kilt and linen shirt. He laughed at our excitement. “You guys have only been gone for two weeks.”

  I said, “It feels like a lifetime. For Magnus it’s been two lifetimes. Plus he’s a king now.”

  “A king? Shit, what do I call you?”

  Magnus joked, “Either your highness or sire or Magnus the Magnificent or—”

  “Boss then.”

  “Aye, boss is what I am used tae.”

  Hayley said, “I’m still calling you Mags, it fits you better than any of it.”

  I hugged her again as a second car pulled in beside us. It was Zach. And we started the round of hugs over again. Quentin told Zach, “Come to find out Boss is a king now.”

  Zach said, “Really? I’m a fuckin’ royal chef? I might need a raise. Two things, one, Magnus doesn’t look old at all. And two, you’re really taking Quentin again?”

  I said, “I found Old Magnus and he made me go to the future to get Young Magnus. He also said to get Quentin. I’m just following his orders.”

  Quentin joked, “Well, he is the boss. But if he’s the boss, who’s this guy?”

  Magnus said, “I’m the king.”

  “Oh, that’s right, this is fucking confusing.”

  Quentin opened his truck’s tailgate and pulled ou
t backpacks. He had a kilt for Magnus in green and blue tartan. It would be a better fit than the one he was wearing. He had another sword for Magnus too.

  Zach pulled open his glove compartment and retrieved the folded piece of paper.

  I told Magnus, “That’s the note from Tyler.”

  “Och.” Magnus flipped it open, glanced at the page, nodded, and placed it carefully in his sporran. “Tae read it later.”

  I said, “Let’s go into the restaurant and feed you, Quentin, before we go.” So we packed everything back into the truck and went inside to eat a second meal.

  * * *

  After we were done eating, Hayley and I went into the bathroom with my dress to change.

  I pulled my future-pants off and passed them under the door from the stall and she passed me my shift over the door and I pulled it on. It was freshly laundered. “Will you tell Emma thank you for washing this? It smells amazing. And I’m sorry I didn’t get to see her before we left again.”

  “Definitely, so has it been death-defying?”

  “A little. Not as much. I have something to tell you.” I gestured over the door for the skirt.

  “This sounds bad, are you pregnant?”

  “No, and that wouldn’t be bad, Hayley, get a grip. But I want you to stay cool and hear me out.”

  “Okay.”

  “Magnus had a son with another woman.”

  ‘Fucking Jesus Christ, I’m going to kill him Kaitlyn.”

  “Hayley, you aren’t going to kill him. You’re going to—”

  “He had a fucking affair on you? He got her pregnant? I’m fucking going to—”

  The bathroom door opened and Hayley hushed.

  Someone entered the stall beside me, but once the door clicked, Hayley started again yell-whispering through the door. “What are you going to do about it? Because I’m going to kill him.”

  “Hayley, listen to me, he was imprisoned and this woman, well, she kind of—” I said, “Pass me the bodice.” She passed the bodice over the stall door. “She kind of forced him.” The toilet in the stall next to us flushed.

  The woman adjusted her clothes and stepped from the bathroom stall.

  Hayley joked with the stranger, “Do you hear my friend? She’s making excuses for his lying, cheating ass.”

  “Hayley, I am not.” The woman washed her hands and left the bathroom. I stepped from the stall and turned so Hayley could lace my bodice.

  She said, “That stranger who heard it agreed with me, I could tell by her shocked expression.”

  “I’m not making excuses for him beyond the truth. He has never lied to me about it. And he was hundreds of years in the future at the time. She really did force him. She threatened my life.”

  “He’s a freaking lethal weapon. He could have not. I can’t believe you’re listening to his bullshit reasoning.”

  “Oh yeah? Well—”

  “First James, then Cameron, now this, you deserve so fucking much better.” She pulled one of my laces tight.

  I turned around and put on my most stern look. “My husband fucked another woman and I learned about it a while ago. I have already been dealing with this. I have to live with it. I fucking mourned my marriage and hated the sight of him, but every day in every way he has been making amends to me. Every minute. It’s precisely because I have had my heart broken by other assholes that you can trust me on this — it’s not a pattern of abuse. It’s Magnus. He had something awful happen to him and he broke his vow to me, he told me, and begged my forgiveness. And I know it won’t happen again.”

  She huffed. “Because he told you?”

  “Yes, but I also have proof.” I held the sides of her face. “Because his son, Tyler, the one he made with the other woman, told me Magnus lived in another lifetime alone for twenty-five years without me, loving me, mourning me. So yeah, Magnus will never cheat on me again. Ever.”

  “Wait, Tyler was Magnus’s son? What?”

  “There was literally a time-loop vortex of crazy and don’t get caught up in all of that. Tyler was Magnus’s son. Magnus raised him while he was alone. That’s all you need to know.”

  “That’s some crazy wackadoodle time-shit there.”

  “True that, welcome to my world.”

  “Okay, turn, I’ll finish your laces.” I turned. She added, “So you don’t want me to kill him?”

  “Nope, I want you to love him like a brother and forgive him for being human and thank him for saving my life over and over and loving me so completely. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”

  “Fine. I will. It helps a lot he’s so easy on the eyes and so rich and charming and overall wonderful. But seriously, he has a son?”

  “Yes, a baby. The baby’s real name is Archie. He was born about a week ago and I spent a lot of time with him and lost my heart a little.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yes wow. And how are things with you?”

  “Really awesome, I met someone.”

  I squealed. “You did? Like a real someone? Like a someone someone?” I turned around to see her face. She was glowing, I didn’t know why I hadn’t noticed before.

  “Yes, a real someone. He’s hot. I met him last weekend, and he’s just so... I really really really like him.”

  I threw my arms around her. “That’s so great Hayley, I’m so happy for you. You haven’t talked like this about anyone in forever!”

  “I know. We all went out the other night. Quentin and Zach really liked him too. James even met him and I suppose Michael knows about it by now, but everyone thinks he’s great.”

  “Yay! When can I meet him?”

  “When will you be back?”

  “I’m aiming for Christmas, you should have seen how excited Magnus was when he saw the ornaments in the general store. I really want to see his face on Christmas morning when Ben is opening presents, Santa is going to blow his mind.”

  “Okay, come back at Christmas and I’ll bring my new guy to meet you. Maybe the day after because we’ve been talking about going away for the holiday.”

  I pulled on my boots. “That’s the kind of guy he is, going away? Wow, that’s like a grownup thing.”

  “I’m a grown-up. I have a career, a man; I’m barely a train wreck.”

  “Yeah, me too. I’m sorry I’m leaving again. I’ll come back soon and we’ll catch up for real.” I smeared on some Burt’s bees lip balm and checked myself in the mirror. “18th century, castle Balloch on the River Tay — here I come.”

  Chapter 39

  When I returned to the dining room Magnus had left for the porch. I found him sitting in a rocking chair with the letter open. The day was beautiful, cool and sunny, plus the porch had a nice shade to it. I sat in the rocking chair beside him.

  “We ought tae buy some of these chairs. They are verra comfortable for thinkin’.”

  “You read the letter?” I wrapped my arms around his elbow, leaned on his shoulder, and looked down on the letter. The opening read, “Dear Da...”

  “Aye I read it. Tis difficult tae understand some of it, as it haena happened. Dost ye think twill happen?”

  “I don’t know, we might have changed everything, but then again, nothing big might have changed. The you that raised Tyler fought General Reyes. The you I met in the 17th century fought General Reyes. I think we have to move forward assuming General Reyes is going to cause us trouble. Did Tyler have anything helpful?”

  “He said I figured out General Reyes is able tae track us when we jump in and out of northeast Florida. Tis faster than watchin’ for the storms. He can be there almost at the same time. It makes him verra dangerous.”

  “We kind of knew that already, does he explain how?”

  “Nae but he only says Florida and ye met me in Scotland, so Balloch might be safe...”

  “You did think I might have been followed. It’s why we left for Kilchurn.”

  “But did I ken we were, or was I guessin’?”

  “I have no idea. What
else does it say?”

  Magnus looked at the paper. “It says a great deal here.” He pointed midway down the page. “General Reyes is from Barcelona, Spain. Have ye heard of it?”

  “Yes.”

  “He was born there in 1535. He traveled to Scotland in the 1500s.”

  “Wait, the 1500s? In Scotland?”

  “Aye.”

  “That’s when the vessels were found.”

  “Och, he might have been there from the beginnin’ which makes him verra dangerous.”

  I added, “And that would explain their clothes.”

  “Twould. He has also lived in Florida. He has a home in... Dost ye ken this word?” He tapped the place.

  “Saint Augustine.”

  “Dost ye ken of it?”

  “Oh yeah, Saint Augustine is a very old city in Florida, pretty close to Amelia Island. Which might help us understand the boundary of the tracking device. It didn’t extend here, to Savannah. Maybe it only works for eighty miles or something.”

  Magnus kissed my forehead. “Maybe.”

  Then he said, “I also ken he leads with his left arm and takes a half step tae the right. He leans because of a past injury.”

  “That’s not very helpful.”

  Magnus looked down at my face. “Tis verra helpful if I am fightin’ him, man tae man.”

  “Anything else?”

  “There is some strategy — he has two ways he will battle. One, a larger army will descend on us, but sometimes it is a verra small war party, and if tis small it will only have five men. If I only see two there are more men I canna see.” He pointed at the letter, at a small hand-drawn diagram in the corner. “He often uses a left-flank maneuver. If I canna see the other men, I should expect them from the left. I only fought him once personally. I dinna win, but I also dinna die.”

  “Will all of that be useful?”

  “Aye, and Tyler said I believe Lady Mairead is involved with him.”

  “Of course.” I added, “We kind of knew that because of how frantically she was looking for that book after I said his name.”