Morna's Legacy: Box Set #1

by Bethany Claire

  “Thank ye, Arran. I doona deserve yer kindness. I’m no so good as I believe ye think that I am.”

  Arran stopped walking and spun to face Edana once more. “Doona talk in that manner, lass. Ye deserve every kindness in the world.” He paused, deciding that he could attend to the stables later. Perhaps what the lass needed most was to be left alone. “Now, I’ll leave ye in peace. Spend as much time with the horses as ye wish. If ye decide ye would like to go for a ride, Kip would be more than happy to assist ye.”

  Smiling briefly, he turned and left. Perhaps it was time he talked to his brother about their guests. They needed to choose a leader and then return back to their own castle and territory. He dinna like to see Edana so distressed. The least he could do for her was to see her safely settled.

  * * *

  Edana Kinnaird watched until she was sure Arran was out of sight. Shivering beneath her clothes, she reached up to brush her shoulder harshly where he’d touched her. She could scrub the spot all day, and it would never be enough to rid herself of the Conall filth that he’d now placed there.

  She couldn’t stand another moment in captivity here. Each day she spent with the ever-kind and polite Conalls made her hate them that much more.

  Her father had been a horrible man. Violent, angry, and disgusting, he’d beaten her mother’s spirit until she’d died of sadness. He’d spent much of his life trying to do the same to Edana. But she was far stronger than her mother. At least her father had even admitted that much.

  Edana had always hated her father as well, but he was all she’d had in the world, and she would never be able to forgive the family responsible for his death. Edana had even gone to the Conalls before her father’s planned attack, warning them that he planned to murder them. She’d tried to do the right thing, but it had cost her everything.

  Despite Arran’s well intentioned promises, she knew that as soon as a leader rose up among the cowardly men of her father’s clan, she would lose her place as lady of the keep. The new laird would marry, and Edana would be cast out, hated for her father’s crimes.

  She’d learned enough of manipulation from her father to know that she had Arran just where she wanted him. With each quick glance away from him and each blush of her cheeks, she knew he thought she cared for him. It would make him weak, as love does to all people, and then she would be in the perfect position to avenge her father’s death.

  With each bat of her lashes in Arran’s direction, the desperate seed of revenge took root, twisting its way through every last corner of her mind as she worked out a way to continue her father’s work and destroy the Conalls.

  She’d failed her father once by giving away his plan, she would not disappoint him again.

  Chapter 3

  “Just stay still for a minute, Mom. Can’t you tell I’m trying to talk to you about something?” Bri reached a hand out to grab onto the side of her mother’s dress, hoping it would defer her from continuing the raid on her closet. A habit her mother had developed in the twenty-first century remained even today when all she owned was a handful of dresses. Her mother still enjoyed stealing her clothes.

  “Do you think I could talk Mary into making a few more gowns for me? She does such lovely work.”

  Bri watched as her mother turned and joined her at the end of the bed. Quickly hiking up her dress, Adelle kicked off her shoes and jumped up onto the feathered ticking so that she sat cross-legged facing Bri. Both women, while now considered beloved members of the family, stood out as oddities in this century. Their relaxed social manners and American accents branded them as the foreigners they were.

  Bri smiled, amazed at her mother’s vanity when they now lived in a place where mirrors were few and far between, and just the fact that they had all their teeth set them apart as rare beauties. “I’m sure she would, but I’d expect she will have you chipping in on a lot of the work.”

  Adelle laughed. “Oh yes, I expect that she will. Now, what is it that you were wanting to talk about?”

  “Blaire.” Bri paused, knowing that the mention of her look-alike would cause a reaction from her mother.

  “Oh. Why? I miss the sweet girl terribly, but there’s nothing I can do for her here except hope and pray that she’s happy and has adjusted well.”

  Bri watched as her mother’s eyes shifted downward, an odd occurrence for such a forthright woman and a sure sign she truly was heartsick over the idea of Blaire being left in the twenty-first century all alone.

  “Well, maybe there is something we can do. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the spell room…”

  Bri was cut off as her mother interrupted her. Her voice shrill and panicked. “What? Bri, you have no business ever entering that room again. It’s already taken you from me once. Besides, I like it here. I don’t want to have to follow you back if it sucks you back through time again.”

  Bri rolled her eyes at the expected melodramatics. “It isn’t just a big wormhole that’s going to suck me in with some sort of magnetic pull. It’s all based on Morna’s spells. And there are others that can work, that could bring us back and forth as we please. I’m sure there are risks, but I think that they might be worth taking.”

  “What for? I didn’t keep Blaire from returning here, Bri. She suggested that I go in her place. She didn’t want to come back here. She chose to stay.”

  Bri nodded. “I know all that, but why did she not want to come back? Did she ever tell you? I think she was heartbroken.”

  Adelle’s face blanched and her eyes widened with surprise. “She never spoke of it, but I think you might be right. She said that there was no longer anything here for her, as if she lost something dear.”

  “Have you noticed the way Arran avoids me at almost all cost? When we do run into each other, the look in his eyes breaks my heart. Did I ever tell you about what happened with Arran?” Bri smiled as she watched the color spread to her mother’s face once more, the anticipation of a juicy story exciting her mother immediately just as Bri knew that it would.

  “No, I’ve never noticed. And no, you never told me! But, I expect you to right this instant.”

  “The night of my wedding to Eoin, Arran came to our bedchamber door thinking it was his own. He was very drunk. Anyway, Eoin was helping put out a small fire at the reception, so I had to help Arran down to his own room. To make a long story short, he kissed me. Granted, he thought I was Blaire, but it was clear that the two of them had been involved. And he loved her very much.” Bri readjusted herself on the edge of the bed, reaching for a cushion to prop herself up more comfortably while she waited for her mother’s response.

  “Oh, wow. So you’re telling me that you’ve kissed both of them?” Adelle paused and waved her hand in the air in dismissal. “Never mind, that’s beside the point. But you know, I do remember that Arran seemed upset the day I arrived and told you that Blaire chose to stay.”

  “Yes he was, and I’m worried about him. Each day he drinks a little more than he did the day before. He’s broken. I want to go and talk to Blaire, let her know that Arran is still in love with her and see if she would want to come back. Do you think that she would, Mom?” Bri sat patiently while her mother thought about the question. Finally, Adelle looked up and into Bri’s eyes.

  “I don’t know, honey. She was very private. The two of you may look alike, but you are quite different. She was curious about modern things and did her best to keep conversation on that. She didn’t ever want to talk about herself.”

  Bri shifted uncomfortably, her resolve on her decision to meddle shaky. “Do you think it would be a pointless effort? There is another reason why I’d like to go back as well—some unfinished business that I feel I must take care of.”

  Adelle’s eyebrows rose, nearly reaching the top of her hairline. “What’s that, dear?”

  “Several things actually. School, Mitsy, and to put an end to the missing persons report, I’m certain Mitsy has filed. I need to go clear things up with her and stop whate
ver police departments are searching for me.”

  “They won’t be searching for you. While Blaire and I were at the inn, the police called searching for you. I instructed Gwendolyn and Jerry to tell them you were fine but did not wish to speak to them. I called the station back later pretending to be you so they’d close the missing persons report. I also falsified reports from the dig and scheduled them to be sent out at different intervals for the next three months. Most likely, the grant committee is just now starting to realize that something is off.”

  “Well, that’s good to know. I’m glad my disappearance didn’t make national news.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this? Eoin will never let you go.”

  “Eoin isn’t going to keep me from going anywhere. I’m sure he will be against it, but it’s something I must do. Arran needs her, and Mitsy needs to know what happened to me. It’s only weeks until her wedding. I won’t have her worry over me ruin her big day.”

  Adelle stood, and Bri remained on the bed as her mother made her way to the bedchamber door. “Well, I know you will do what you feel is right. Good luck telling this to Eoin. You are far braver than I.”

  * * *

  Austin, TX

  Present Day

  “Look. I didn’t come here to ask your permission, Principal Hendricks. I’ve already booked the flight. You can either approve the days, or I’ll quit. But either way, I’m going to Scotland to look for Bri. I’m only asking to leave a week earlier than I was originally scheduled for my wedding anyway. The substitute has been here for months now. She doesn’t need me in the classroom with her. Now, are you going to sign off on it, or do I need to submit my resignation?”

  Mitsy soon-to-be Fredrickson stood across the desk from the twin of Mr. Clean, who was Principal Hendricks. She stood with her arms crossed firmly across her chest as she tapped her foot in his direction.

  Principal Hendricks crossed his own arms and looked her up and down as if gauging the seriousness of her words. “You know that the police have already closed the case, Mitsy, and we’ve already terminated her contract here with the district. The police chief told you himself that they have confirmation in Scotland that Bri is unharmed and still in the country. Ms. Montgomery did this to herself. Why do you feel the need to seek her out?”

  Mitsy’s head pounded as her blood pressure rose. When she spoke, she found that her voice came out more as a scream than intended but, once released, she couldn’t rein it in. “Because some old innkeeper telling the police that the girl they’ve described is staying with them is not confirmation that she’s all right. Neither is them speaking to someone who is supposedly Bri on the phone. The innkeepers said she wouldn’t take my calls. She wouldn’t do that. She knows me, and she knows how worried I’d be. For Christ’s sake, the couple the police talked to could have murdered her!” Mitsy sat down in the chair opposite Principal Hendricks, her legs shaky and unsteady.

  “The police also contacted the archaeological society that Bri’s mother worked for. They said that they’ve received reports on the dig regularly, the last one arriving only a week ago. Bri accompanied her mother on the dig.”

  Mitsy reached up and tucked a fistful of springy red curls behind her ears, the principal’s words doing nothing to calm her down. “I know. I know all of this, but something has gone wrong. Bri is the least impulsive person I’ve ever known. She lives every day by a strict schedule, and she’s my best friend. She would not abandon me without good reason, and she wouldn’t miss the wedding. She knows I’d kill her myself.”

  As he drummed his fingers back and forth on the top of his desk, Mitsy had to grab onto both of her elbows to keep from slamming her hand on top of his fingers. She fidgeted impatiently as she waited for him to respond.

  “I’m not going to change your mind, am I? You know the days off aren’t the issue. I’m just worried about you is all, as a friend, not as your principal. I don’t think you are going to be happy with what you find in Scotland. I truly believe that Bri just decided to abandon her life here. It’s best that you move on and forget about her. Try and enjoy the wedding and this new phase of your life.”

  Mitsy knew he was wrong. Every fiber of her being screamed it. She stood and made her way to the door, turning back toward him briefly. “So the days are approved? Great. I’ll see you at the wedding.”

  Slamming the door of his office behind her, she made her way home to pack for her flight.

  Chapter 4

  Scotland

  1646

  “Ye canna mean it, Bri? Morna’s spells are unpredictable. Father told me countless stories of how her spells would go awry, causing havoc around the castle. Ye can be no sure that it will work the way ye mean it to, love”

  Bri hesitated before speaking, knowing that she needed to be careful of how she approached this conversation with Eoin. She was going to do the spell regardless, she’d already made up her mind. But already in her few short months of marriage, she’d learned that if she wanted to get what she wanted, it was best to make her husband feel as if he had come up with the idea himself.

  “The spell has worked correctly several times, has it not? You were even prepared to send me back with a spell. Surely you wouldn’t have done so if you weren’t certain that it would work correctly, right?” Bri reached out a hand to lay it on his broad shoulder, snuggling in close to weaken his resolve.

  Bri smiled as Eoin buried his face into her hair, kissing the top of her head. “Aye, love. I did believe that the spell would work, but I’m so verra glad that ye dinna do it. By the time she died, Morna was a great caster.”

  Bri breathed in the heady scent of her husband before shaking her head to bring herself back to task. “So you see? It would be safe for me to go. You’ve basically just said so yourself.”

  A squeal escaped Bri’s lips as Eoin smacked her on the behind.

  “Ye are twisting me words, lass. While I do believe the spells will no cause ye harm, that doesna mean that I think ye should go. Are ye so sure that Arran feels the way ye say? I’ve no heard him speak of Blaire.”

  Stepping back so that she could look into Eoin’s face, his eyes and hair a dark ebony that took her breath away, Bri smiled and continued. “Do you not remember the night of our wedding? Arran may have been drunk, but he wouldn’t have kissed me so if he didn’t feel there was reason to. He and Blaire had kissed before. I believe they were in love.”

  Bri repressed a laugh as she watched Eoin’s eyebrows squish together and his lips twist in muddled confusion. “Nay! Are ye telling me that me own betrothed and my arse of a brother were together before the wedding? I should tear the lousy sot to bits.”

  “Oh, hush. It’s not as if you loved Blaire. You couldn’t stand her from what I hear, so what does it matter if Arran could? It’s very hard to help who you fall in love with. Besides, if things hadn’t happened as they had, it’s very possible I wouldn’t have ended up here. Surely you wouldn’t have wanted that?”

  Air quickly escaped Bri’s lungs as Eoin crushed her against him, pressing his mouth to hers in a desperate kiss, leaving them both breathless as their bodies ached for more. “Nay, lass, I wouldna want that. I canna stand the thought of ye no being by me side. So, I must ask one thing of ye, if ye are to do this.”

  Her insides weak and fluttery, hungry for more of his touch. Bri stepped away, her curiosity peaked. “What is it?”

  “I shall come with ye. If the spell goes wrong, and ye are trapped in another time, I canna be away from ye.”

  All thoughts of lovemaking fled in an instant. “You cannot be serious, Eoin. For starters, we have no modern male clothes to put you in. I, at least, still have the clothes I was wearing when I arrived here. You would stand out like a sore thumb!”

  “A sore thumb, lass?”

  Confusion flickered across Eoin’s face once more, and Bri couldn’t help but laugh aloud. “Forget it. But that’s another reason why you can’t possibly come. You wouldn’t be able to communica
te. Not to mention how confused you will be by cars, or cell phones, ATMs.” She stopped talking when Eoin reached out to place his hands on both of her shoulders.

  “Aye, lass. It doesna sound so different from the way ye were when ye first arrived here. And ye survived. I shall have ye to help me, and I find meself curious to see what the world where me strange, bonny lass came from is like.”

  He smiled sweetly, and Bri found herself softening to the idea. It would be nice not to be all alone, and she agreed with him. If something did go wrong with the spell, she couldn’t stand the thought of being separated from him. Besides, watching his reaction to the conveniences of modern times was sure to be a humorous and fascinating experience, one which now presented as a possibility, she found herself eager to take advantage of.

  “Fine. But on one condition.”

  “Anything.”

  “While we are there, I am the boss. Life is very different and, for your own safety, you need to do whatever I tell you to do. Understood?”

  Eoin rolled his eyes and Bri smiled, anticipating what he was going to say even before he spoke.

  “Aye, lass. As if ye are no my master already. It shall be little adjustment from daily life now.”

  “That’s right.” Bri winked playfully. “And don’t you forget it, mister. Now you’ll need to think of something to tell Arran. He will have to know we are going somewhere, but it’s best that he doesn’t know where. He would try to stop us from going.”

  “Aye, he would. I shall talk to him now.”

  * * *

  Arran made his way through the castle’s winding hallways, stopping to briefly poke his head in the kitchen to pester their beloved housemaid, cook, and mentor, Mary. He stepped inside the long room and, knowing that she could see him, sneakily stuck his hand out to grab at one of the loaves of bread set aside for the evening meal.