The workers of the castle were busy working in the courtyard, the blacksmith was hammering some iron, while women were drying off and hanging fabric. in the other section dry wood was brought from inside the castle to a fire where she could smell fish smoking. She enjoyed watching people go about their work and eventually wanted to ask about how she could become involved in doing such things and learning the skills. She didn't want to be confined to her room or simply walking around the castle doing nothing all day. That would drive her absolutely insane. But for now, she was going to enjoy this simple walk with Maria and not feel like her life was in danger by her husband who is long gone from the island.
"What does your husband say about the storms, is this normal this time of year?" Edith asked as she walked with Maria.
"He says yes. But these storms have not been this vicious for almost fifty years or so, well before he was born. But you can never expect the sea to obey any sort of timeline, they just do the best they can here."
"I wish I could have been more helpful. And how is everyone?" Edith asked, knowing very well that she was specifically thinking about Bran.
Maria gave her an inquisitive look. " The villagers seem to be fine. They are prepared for things like this, and most in the castle are fine except for Bran."
"Bran? What do you mean? What's happened to him?"
"He injured himself the other night during a storm. The brute went outside along the rocky shore, where the waves were crashing up high. He slipped on the large rocks and hurt his leg. He was almost swept out to sea, even though my husband told him not to go to the rocks, but he wouldn't rest until every crevice was searched, he knew there were hiding places there. Now the idiot is confined to his bed."
"Oh my God. I feel so terrible. He hurt himself because of me, because of Gabriel. How long will he be bedridden?"
"We do not know. But the doctor, which isn't really a doctor at all as you know it is more of folk medicine says that it will be a few weeks at least. As long as Bran stays off of it and does not re-injure himself, which is not an easy thing to get him to do. Luckily, it will be storming off and on for a bit and he will be inside like the rest of us."
Edith enjoyed the day, walking around with Maria. But after a couple of hours, Maria left her side and Edith was allowed to walk around the inner courtyard and inside the castle at her leisure. She took it upon herself to go into the kitchen and make a sandwich, which the kitchen maid thought was a very peculiar thing. It made Edith smile to have confusion about her eating habits. Taking a fresh piece of bread, she pushed in some dandelion greens, some shredded game hen, and goat cheese and then took this sandwich outside sitting upon a garden wall to eat while she watched people go about their busy work. In the distance, she could see gray clouds and the whites seagulls which looked very stark white against them. She did wonder what had happened to Gabriel and felt very bad that she actually hoped he did drown at sea. It didn't make her feel good to think that, but it was truly the only way she felt safe.
After eating, she went back to the kitchen and grabbed a tray and filled it with hot tea, another sandwich, and a bowl of hot stew. She had a mind to repay the kindness that was shown to her when she was confined to her room.
A few minutes later she found herself knocking on Bran's door.
"Bran. It's me, Edith. May I come in?" she said loudly.
"Enter!" he called.
Edith pushed open the door and walked into the room. She was astonished at just how large the room was, in fact it was two rooms together. It reminded her of a small studio apartment or a luxury hotel suite. As she walked in, the first room had a large roaring fire, the fireplace almost took up the entire side of the wall. A large window was on the other side and there was a plush bench and table. Beyond that was a door which was wide open and she could see a glimpse of an enormous canopy bed that she thought was quite romantic looking for such a man.
Bran himself sat at the table with his leg propped up on a chair and wrapped in a bandage cloth.
"I brought you some food, and some hot tea," she said walking to him and setting the tray down on the table.
"I can see that. Why? The servants tend to me all day," he said with his brow furrowed together.
"You're welcome," she said rolling her eyes at his unwillingness to be grateful.
"I am sorry, thank you," he said looking at the food. "I am just sick of being in this room."
"Yes, I understand the feeling. I just wanted to bring food because you often brought me food and made sure my fire was burning," she said.
"What the hell is that," he said pointing at the sandwich.
Edith started to giggle. "That is exactly what Heigl said in the kitchen. In my time it is called a sandwich. It is basically two halves of bread and in between them is just some stuff. It's quite good."
He gave her a strange look and picked up the top piece of bread, and then pulled a piece of game hen off and popped it in his mouth.
"No, that's not how you eat it. Let me show you," she said. Edith put the top piece of bread back on and then picked up the sandwich with both hands and took a bite.
She demonstrated it with a smile, and she almost thought she saw the corners of his mouth forming a laugh, but he restrained it of course. He was too hard of a man to show his true feelings. Then she handed it to him, and he put both hands on it, keeping the sandwich closed and bit into it. She watched as he slowly chewed, and then faster and his eyes lit up.
"Yeah, exactly. It's really good, right?" she said. "Sometimes, we dunk the sandwich into the hot stew and take a bite. The mix sounds strange, but trust me, it's really delicious."
"I am astonished. This is very good indeed," he commented, taking another bite of the sandwich.
Edith felt proud that she'd been able to surprise him and make him happy, even if it was just over food. She poured him a cup of tea and one for herself and sat down across the table from him.
"Thank you for this modern food. You do not have to sit here with me if you do not want," he said.
"But I do want to. If that is okay with you? I miss your company, even though you're not much for conversation," she said.
His face softened, and his features seemed to light up a bit. Then Edith was completely shocked to see the corner of his mouth turn up into a smile. He was quite dashing, and it brought a warmth to her heart.
"You are right. I have been a bit of a scoundrel, have I not? I have just been busy and when I have responsibilities and murderers in the castle, I am not a giddy lad to be around. You have seen the worst of me."
"And I have seen the best of you, your bravery. The way you put yourself in front of me when you thought I was in danger. I will not forget that. I promise you, Bran."
Then he looked at her and nodded his head in agreement. His focus moved back to the food and she drank her tea, making light conversation.
This turned into routine every other day, and she came to bring him some food. The weather outside got worse, storm after storm battered the island. Edith made it a point to gather all the news she could from Maria about the castle dealing with the storm and then would report it to Bran who was most gracious to receive it as they ate meals together.
But the conversation wasn't completely about the castle, eventually he asked about her modern world, completely confused by what she had to say about it all. As for Edith, she wanted to know about his adventures and as he spoke, she felt like she was listening to a story book about medieval adventures and how he became the second-in-command to the Laird which involved him saving the laird's life.
After almost two weeks of sitting at his side, something happened that completely astonished Edith.
"I guess I shall get back to my own room. Thank you for having the evening meal with me," she said standing up from the table and gathering the tray with the empty plates.
"I am sorry you have to leave. If you were not married, you could be mine and stay in these rooms, they would be yours and mine," Bran
said with a husky thick tone.
Edith nearly dropped the tray at his words. Her heart began to race. She felt the same way of course, but she didn't think that he did. This strange confession was something she had craved from his lips ever since the first time she saw him. Now hearing it was everything. But she didn't want to spoil it. A part of her wanted to throw the tray on to the ground and jump on top of him and kiss him. But she remembered that he had morals and would not kiss her back. Therefore, she made a tough decision. She walked toward the door with a smile on her face. She opened the door and turned to look at him with a soft smile.
Then she said nothing as she walked out. The door closed behind her and she felt a sense of pride. She did not want to play games with Bran, but maybe this was exactly what he wanted to see, some restraint on her part. It also made her feel good and gave her a little bit of her dignity back that she felt she had lost at throwing herself at him.
But as soon as she was in the safety of the hall, she had a hop to her step. She was excited about his confession.
Chapter 20
The sun had broken through the clouds, for a short time. The storms stopped briefly for two days, and everyone on the castle grounds seem to be taking advantage of it. This included Edith who sat in her favorite spot on a garden wall eating a piece of fruit and watching the busy activities of the castle courtyard. This had come to be a routine for her, and she was learning more and more about the daily activities and what made a castle run smoothly.
It had been nice to have some sense of routine and her life, especially now that Bran had healed, he had become quite busy picking up his responsibilities again. Therefore, she was finding herself quite lonely. Maria was also busy helping her husband run the castle and clan, and she scarcely spoke with her except during the dinner feast in the hall, which had only taken place a few times because of the storms and not nightly as it used to be. Because of this, Edith spent as much time as she could outside in the courtyard or in the kitchens learning to make medieval dishes and learning about the various foods.
"Lady Collins," a guard said pulling her out of her daze.
"Yes, that's me."
"You are being summoned by the Laird, follow me."
"I am? Did he say why?"
The guard just looked at her, not giving her an answer and turned waiting for her to follow.
"Okay, not one for conversation," she said.
She jumped off the wall and then followed the guard inside the castle until they were outside the meeting rooms of the Laird.
"I have Lady Collins for you," the guard called through the door with a knock.
"Enter."
The guard opened the door and Edith stepped in, then he closed the door leaving her alone with Cameron. Edith looked around, assuming Maria would be in the room, but she wasn't. Suddenly she grew quite nervous thinking perhaps this might be about Gabriel. Had he been found? Was he alive?
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I have been going through our book of law, regarding marriage. Bran tells me that your marriage was not consummated after the ceremony?"
Edith turned bright red. She did not know that Bran and Cameron had been talking about her in such a way and it made her very embarrassed.
"Yes, that's right."
"We have very strict laws here regarding marriage. It is unheard of to have a separation. Once married, a man practically owns his wife. It is not like in your modern times, or so Maria tells me."
"But he hit me. You heard his threats! He would kill me if he could. Does that mean nothing?" Edith panicked.
"A woman cannot separate from a husband simply because he beats her, that is not how things are done in our time."
"Well that is very stupid. So, what can I do?" she fretted.
"There is a case for separation because the wedding ceremony was not consummated, meaning it was not fulfilled and complete. But I would need to get another Laird to agree to such a notion, possibly my cousin, but my letters would not reach him for quite some time, especially during the storm season and winter fast approaching. The snow can grow very thick here and cross-country travel is not something we do until spring. But I will write to him when possible and see if he will agree to this separation and marking the marriage as not complete and therefore you would be a single woman."
Edith nodded, expelling a breath. "Okay, I guess that's all I can ask for."
" Of course, there is the possibility that Gabriel might be dead. If that is the case, then you are deemed a widow, and it would not be necessary to go through all this trouble."
"Has anybody been found?"
"No. And I believe his body never would be if he did drown at sea, not with these storms."
"So, there is no way to truly know?"
"No, there is not." Cameron gave her a thoughtful look, and then smiled. "However, I will keep it in mind. That is all, you are dismissed."
"Okay, thank you I guess." Edith did a strange bow, and then walked out the door.
She found that she needed to practice a curtsy or learn how to properly greet the Laird and Lady and she made note to ask Maria at some point. Along with learning the Scottish dances and anything else she could pick up from the culture. She had been so occupied with dealing with the frustration she felt about her passion for Bran as well as the fear she felt toward her husband, that she had not picked up on anything except cooking. Cooking kept her hands and her mind busy, and so she was drawn to it. Plus, it was a very social occasion in which she could hear the ladies of the kitchen make jokes that made her laugh.
She walked along the corridor looking down at her feet thinking about what Cameron had said. Then suddenly she ran into a wall, or at least she thought it was a wall. She looked up into blue grey eyes that look down at her. It was Bran. It was just like the first time that she had ran into him, his form was so toned and hard that she thought it was a wall.
" Lady Collins." His voice was deep.
"Sir Bran," she said with a nod of her head, not wanting to make a fool of herself by trying to bow or curtsy.
He stepped aside, making room for her to walk past him. She was going to until she remembered something that Cameron had said. She stopped and put her hands on her hips and looked up at the tall towering man.
"Hey, I don't appreciate you telling Cameron that I did not consummate the marriage. That information is private."
"He needed to know such a thing. It might help your case to be separated from your husband. I did what I had to do."
"Well that might be so, but it is very embarrassing."
"No, what's embarrassing is that you were in his bed before the marriage ceremony so callously."
She narrowed her eyes at him, feeling the anger inside of her. "I already told you that while I have been with others, I wasn't with him! Besides, that is just the way of things where I am from and you shouldn't hold that against me!"
" So, you have said. What did Cameron say about the marriage? Will it hold?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I think I am getting used to the idea of you becoming a single woman soon."
"Really?" Edith arched a brow at him, her fists still curled on her hips.
"That is what I said, is it not?" He met her gaze with a heated look.
Edith put her hand out, letting it rest on his forearm. For a moment they looked deep into each other's eyes and her pulse quickened feeling the heat run through her. Bran cleared his throat.
Suddenly he pulled his arm away, "It is not good for me to be touching you while you are still married. If word gets out that you are a loose woman, your marriage separation will not be granted."
"But you want to touch me?" she asked, hopeful.
"That is not important." His voice was gruff as he walked away.
Edith watched the tall Scottish man walk down the hall. She wanted to touch him, and she was struggling to keep to his principles. There was nothing she wanted more than to move on from Gabriel and put that pa
st behind her. Her passion for Bran was growing every day, and she didn't know how much longer she could stop it from guiding her heart.
Every time they were together there was a chemistry between them unlike anything she had ever felt. She hadn't even felt this way with Gabriel when she first met him, that happened over time. Now she knew that it was a sort of brainwashing that he had done to her by being sweet and charming. But with Bran it was something completely different, it was sparks and fire the moment she saw him, and she did not want that to go away. The thought that it might go away terrified her.
Chapter 21
Bran had done his best to stay away from Edith, but sometimes it was inevitable. While he was on his way to speak with Cameron, who had summoned him, he ran into her. It seemed as though she was coming from a visit with the Laird also.
He attempted to be cold, as he was always trying to do. But this time he let his guard down. Edith only touched him lightly on the arm and it was all that he needed to ignite fire within him. His whole body ran hot, and his blood rushed to his manhood. In that moment he wanted to pick her up, wrap her legs around him, and press her against the wall. If they had been alone on a journey, he knew that there would be nothing to stop him from doing that.
Because of this, he did his best to get away from her as soon as possible. He walked away, not wanting to speak more than simply answering her questions. But it seemed that Cameron would be able to get her a separation from her husband and that gave him a quiet sense of satisfaction though he did not show it.
As he walked toward the chambers of the Laird, he was stopped by one of the riding messengers.
"Tanist?"
"What news?" Bran asked.
"I have just returned from the villages. There is no report of anyone seeing a likeness of the prisoners, not the Irish bandits or the man known as Gabriel Davis. We checked every village within twenty miles."
"Good, that is a good amount of territory to cover. Keep on high alert. You set up a person to be on watch in each village? One that would report directly to us by way of written message?"
Kiss A Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance (A Highlander Across Time Book 2) Page 10