“What is it?” Shaking them dry, Mary reached for the parchment in her husband’s hand.
“I doona know. Saw the lad riding up so I stopped him and told him I’d take it here meself. It’s addressed to Eoin but, seeing as both lads are gone, I expect that ’tis ye that should open it.
“Aye, o’course.” Mary broke the seal and unfolded the parchment. She shook her head as she read the words, “It wouldna do for Old Mary to have one day of rest. One day with both of the lads gone for me to rest and pretend that I live a life of leisure. Nay, such a small wish is too much for me to receive.” She paused and pointed at her husband. “Kip, ye will need to gather every one near us to help get the castle in order. We doona only have to clean up the mess our guests left us, but we have a new batch of visitors arriving tomorrow. Lady McMillan and her three sons arrive here the day after next.”
Chapter 15
The Castle Formerly Known As Kinnaird
The first evening Edana spent at what would now be considered Conall Castle since her father’s death, she felt his presence everywhere. The remains of his hatred, his abuse, his insanity weighing down upon her, taunting her, pleading with her to finish what he’d started.
Her father had given his life to defeat the Conalls, and it had all been for nothing. His worst nightmare had come true. A Coanll now led, and his only daughter was now married to one as well.
Edana moved through the hallways haunted by the memories of her childhood, a childhood filled with fear, filled with manipulation, filled with abuse. Now that her father was gone, she wanted to move on, to live a happier life than the one he had provided her. But with her father’s plan for the Conalls’ demise unfinished, she knew her father’s presence would remain over her, tempting her to the madness which he’d surrendered to. The only hope she had of finding peace with him, of ending his control on her life, was to finish what he’d begun.
The Conalls were too confident, too powerful, and too trusting for their own good. Those reasons alone would have been enough to make her hate them, but their defeat of her father had chained her to him. Until she was released from his hold, she would never be able to find the happiness she knew she would find with Tormod.
Arran had already retired for the evening in her father’s old room. While he’d given her permission to spend the night elsewhere, Edana knew it was best not to put off the inevitable. The marriage had to be consummated, considered invalid otherwise. She knew the servants of this castle well enough to know that they would speak if she did not visit her husband’s room.
She couldn’t allow questions to arise about the marriage. She needed to do as Tormod had bid her, to spend time with Arran and find a weakness which they could exploit to his demise.
Edana paced back and forth, pausing in front of Arran’s door with each passing. She was certain what must follow would be the worst moments of her life. Thinking of it brought back flashes of horror she did her best to push away. This would be different than the times before. She was older. No longer a child. And she was now choosing this of her own free will.
Tormod had yet to touch her beyond a swift kiss during their stolen moments together. Still, she knew the scars of her past would have caused her to be just as frightened as she was now if it were he she must bed rather than a man she didn’t love.
She could only hope Arran wouldn’t notice the lack of blood. It could mean the end of their marriage if he did. For many men it would, but she suspected Arran would be different. Just another reason he could be easily defeated. He was caring and kind, and that made him weak.
Gathering her courage, she glanced at her reflection in a piece of armory hanging on the wall. Pushing her hair out of her face, she pinched her cheeks to bring up a blush. Before she could change her mind, Edana knocked on her husband’s door.
* * *
The dark castle lacked access to sunlight, unlike his old home that was filled with such great light. Not only the structure itself made his new home dark, but the scarred remnants of Ramsay’s legacy was etched deep into every piece of furniture and tapestry. Arran wouldn’t allow it to stay that way for long.
He planned to turn the castle into a place of joy, a place their children would enjoy for many, many years. A place where his new clansmen could rest assured that they were now represented by a fair and just leader rather than the abomination who’d ruled over them before.
He’d been away in the bedchamber for hours composing a letter to send to his brother, hoping to provide him with more explanation on his surprising choices as of late. He had just finished and was preparing to retire when he heard a soft knock on the door.
Glancing down at himself, a new habit he’d formed thanks to Mary, and finding himself decently clothed, he went to open the door.
Edana stood before him, draped in her nightgown, hair down and pushed back behind her ears. She held a candle which shook lightly in her hands, a sure sign of her nerves, and Arran knew instantly why she’d come to him.
He invited her in, but his insides twisted. He was sure his former self, the Arran before Blaire, would think him mad, but he still found himself rather uneager to bed his new wife.
Despite his misgivings, it would be impossible for him to deny her. He knew what courage it took for her to come to him, and it was an act that must be performed. It was the only way to secure his place as laird, to legitimize their marriage, and he knew that Edana was offering him a kindness by recognizing that fact and offering herself to him without his bidding.
But there was no need to hurry into the act right away. He suspected that she would be much like a frightened animal. If he wished her not to bolt, he would need to take his time and move gently.
He moved to a table near his doorway and poured her some wine, extending it in her direction as he moved to stand away from her, leaning his back against the wall.
“How are ye this evening, Edana? I am surprised to find ye here so late. Is there something the matter?” He needed to be certain he was right about her reasons for coming to his room.
She downed the wine quickly, and Arran couldn’t keep his eyes from widening in surprise.
“All is fine with me room. ’Tis the same as it has always been.”
She extended the cup back to him, and he quickly refilled it before resuming his place against the wall. “Ye know that ye are welcome in here, Edana, but might I ask? Is there a particular reason for yer visit?”
She sat her wine down and moved toward him. He tensed all over, unsure of how to proceed. She leaned into him, gently kissing him on the cheek and whispered softly as she lingered near his mouth. “I think ye know, Arran. I’m no longer afraid of ye.”
She kissed him then, softly, slowly, doing her best to seduce him, but he could feel the soft tremble in her lips, and gently lacing his hands with her own, he pulled away from her.
“I doona believe ye, lass. I can tell ye are frightened by the way ye are shaking, but that is fine. ’Tis no an uncommon thing for a woman to be quite scared when she is unaccustomed to sharing her bed with a man. But ye do know that this is something we must do, aye? ’Tis why ye have come.” She looked up at him, her eyes hesitant, and his sympathy for her made his heart ache.
“Aye. Ye are now my husband, and ’tis yer right to have me. It would be improper for me to deny ye.”
He moved his right hand and brought it up to her face, cupping it gently as he tried to reassure her with his eyes. “Nay, lass. ’Tis no my right, but it shall be me pleasure, and I am honored that ye offer me the gift of yerself. Please know that I would never hurt ye, lass, and I will never do anything ye doona want me to. Doona ever be afraid to tell me no. Ye doona belong to me, lass. Ye belong to none but yerself. Doona ever forget that or let anyone make ye believe differently.”
Arran moved toward her, pulling her in close so that he could place his mouth to hers. He slowly warmed her lips with soft, feather-light kisses. He wanted it to be her choice, something she wanted of him. I
t would be hard enough for him to be the lover to her that she deserved, the image of Blaire burned forever in his heart, but he feared the task would be impossible if he knew Edana offered herself to him out of duty.
As he continued to press gently against her lips, asking her but not partaking of her until she granted him permission, her mouth suddenly opened to him, matching his rhythm as he increased the intensity of his kiss.
Accepting her own invitation, Arran turned putting out the fire and candles gently guiding her to the bed as blackness engulfed the room.
Neither of them could see the other as they surrendered, losing themselves in a visionless passion. They lay together through the night, each of them seeing the image of another in their minds.
Chapter 16
Adelle rushed frantically around the castle, ensuring that each job placed on Mary’s task list was completed perfectly. She knew as much as anybody that Conall Castle was Mary’s ship to run, but with the quick succession of guests leaving and new visitors arriving today, the mess to clean up around the castle was more than even the great Mary could accomplish on her own.
Besides, Adelle knew that she gave the old, uptight, drill sergeant a hard time. Truth was, the woman simply amazed her. Adelle suspected that despite her crusty exterior Mary was pretty fond of her as well. Seeing the stress that the news of their arriving-any-minute guests had brought to her, Adelle wanted to do all she could to help her new friend.
Satisfied that the castle sparkled enough for even the most discerning eyes, she followed her nose down to the kitchen, the salty smell of stew causing her stomach to growl.
She’d expected to find Mary bent over a large pot, stirring and seasoning away until whatever concoction she’d worked up for the evening meal was just to her satisfaction, but instead she found the kitchen unmanned. The room was completely empty save for the loaves of bread laid out and the bubbling, steaming, saliva-building stew warming over the fire. Too much for Adelle’s over-eager stomach to take. Turning her head in each direction to confirm that she truly was alone, she tip-toed into the kitchen.
She was doing Mary a favor by attending to the food herself. Who knew what sort of contaminants or poisons could have been slipped into the pot while Mary was away? The only proper thing to do was to test it herself, to make sure that it was safe for the consumption of their guests.
Reaching up toward one of the room’s many shelves, Adelle grabbed for a wooden bowl which she swiftly dipped into the steaming stew and filled it to the brim with the stew’s yummy goodness.
She seated herself with her back to the doorway, she didn’t want to get caught red-handed if someone decided to come down into the kitchen. She glanced around for a utensil with which to eat her stolen prize. Finding nothing, she quickly brushed her fingertips on the hem of her dress and judging them clean enough for the time being, dipped her fingers inside to pick up a juicy slab of meat.
Mary had outdone herself with this one. Each bite seemed more delicious than the last, and Adelle lost herself as she ravenously chowed down on Mary’s creation. She would forever be grateful for the rapid metabolism she’d inherited from her own mother. Without it, Adelle knew without doubt that she would weigh three hundred pounds as opposed to her slight, size two frame.
When she heard voices coming from the floor above her, she stopped her prize-winning chow-down. Straining to listen, she could hear Mary’s voice welcoming the guests. Knowing her appearance would be quickly expected, Adelle swallowed the last piece of meat whole and raised the bowl to her mouth, tipping it high so that she could drink the last of the stew.
Shoving the bowl back onto the shelf, she would do her best to remember to come back and clean it, she took the stairs two at a time, hoping she would be able to greet their new guests before Mary showed them to their rooms.
When she made it to the top of the stairs, she paused quickly to catch her breath. Finally moving with as much grace as she could muster, she stepped into the main entranceway to greet their guests.
* * *
“What did I tell ye about getting into the kitchen when I’m no in there? No one eats before mealtime.” Mary ground out the words to Adelle between clenched teeth as soon as they’d seen their guests to their rooms and they began making their way down to the kitchen together.
Adelle’s eyes widened as she turned to glance guiltily in Mary’s direction. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Aye, ye do. Doona lie to me. Look!” Mary moved in front of her, effectively blocking Adelle from taking another step down the small staircase. Taking her by surprise, she reached up and brushed a finger on either side of Adelle’s mouth, pulling them away to reveal light brown globs of stew.
Adelle sat down on the step behind her and threw her forehead into the palm of her hand.
“Oh, no. Please don’t tell me. Tell me I didn’t spend all that time visiting with Lady McMillan and her sons with that goopy mess all over my face.”
Mary chuckled loudly, obviously pleased with herself as Adelle continued to sink further into a state of mortification.
“Aye, ye did. I canna believe ye dinna notice them staring at yer mouth. I think poor Baodan almost wiped it for ye more than once, but he never worked up the nerve.” Mary collapsed into hearty laughter once again.
Adelle stood and stormed off in front of her, continuing to make her own way down the stairs. “Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t think I’ve ever been this embarrassed in my entire life.”
“Why dinna I tell ye? Because that’s what ye deserve for sticking yer mouth in things that ye know ye are no meant to. And with as wild as ye are, ’tis certain ye have embarrassed yerself far worse than this before.”
“That is completely and totally beside the point.” Adelle reached the kitchen first, and before Mary could protest, retrieved her used bowl and filled it up with stew once more. “And don’t you say a word about me getting another bowl.”
Mary smiled and laughed once more. “Aye, go ahead and eat all ye like, Adelle. Why, the look on their faces. Well, I havena laughed that hard in quite a long time. Yer foolishness has brought me great joy. I no longer care what ye eat.”
* * *
Present Day
“Ye look a fair mess, Eoin. Do ye think that we could have Morna take a photo of ye in that outfit that we could take back with us? I think it could provide the rest of us with much entertainment.” I smiled as Eoin rewarded me with a quick but vicious glare as he moved uncomfortably in the restraint of his denim jeans.
Bri had been weary of taking him back to the spell room dressed the way he’d arrived. While Eoin was far too tall to fit into any of Kip’s clothes, Morna had been able to come up with a pair of jeans, tennis shoes and a dark blue sweater that fit Eoin perfectly. I suspected casting up clothes was a simple task compared to making it possible for people to travel through time.
Morna turned to address all of us as we gathered in the entranceway of her home preparing to make our exit. “I shall miss ye all dearly, but remember that ye can find me if ye need too, aye?”
We nodded in unison, and Bri stepped forward to squeeze Morna’s neck. “Thank you. And you’ll help her if she needs it? I mean, you remember what Mitsy looked like right?”
Morna hugged her tightly and patted her on the back in comfort. “Aye, o’course we do. The inn will always be available to yer friend to find if she needs it. The spell room as well. Now, ye best all be on yer way so that ye can sneak into the room before they lock the castle up for the evening.”
Bri had remained unusually quiet since she’d arrived from her trip and, after the words I’d just listened to between her and Morna, I suspected it had something to do with her friend Mitsy. I would have to remember to ask her about it once we were home and things were settled.
We each said our goodbyes and, within the hour, found ourselves in the spell room once more. The spell was easily cast. As we clung to one another, the all-too-familiar pain ripped thro
ugh us.
We disappeared into dust together.
Chapter 17
1646
Our re-entry into the past brought with it the expected headache and a short moment of confusion. It seemed to take me a little longer to recover from the travel as I glanced over to Eoin and Bri who seemed to be back to their usual selves.
“I doona care how much ye like the way my bum looks in jeans, I willna wear them again. As soon as I can pry them off me, I shall burn them until every last scrap has disappeared.”
“Don’t you dare! You don’t have to wear them all the time, but for God’s sake, don’t burn them! That’s the only set of modern male clothing we have. What if somebody else ever needs to go forward again?”
“We are all here now, I doona have any plans of going forward ever again.”
“Neither do I, Eoin, but seriously, quit being such a child. You’re not going to burn them. Just take them off. I’m folding them up and storing them with our clothing,” Bri demanded.Me vision no longer blurred, and me headache already receded. I slipped into a dark corner of the room to change without Eoin seeing, and I joined in agreement with Bri. “She is right, Eoin. I doona know why ye would want to burn them. I would love to stay in me jeans forever. I doona wish to go back to wearing me old clothes at all.”
Bri smiled in my direction as she extended a dress for me to slip on in replacement of my modern clothes. “Don’t worry. You can still wear them some. Sometimes I sneak down here just to put them on. If we can ever get Eoin and Arran to leave us alone in the castle, we will put them on and just strut around all day and shock the bejeezus out of every person we see. It will be such great fun!”
Morna's Legacy: Box Set #1 Page 29