by Bess McBride
“Hello,” I said with what I hoped was a kindly smile.
They nodded but said nothing. The two older men raised fingers to their caps.
“I hope you have a safe journey,” I said. More nods, but no words.
“Are ye ready then?” Colin appeared behind me.
“Yes,” I said. Donald hobbled toward us, and I suspected we were going to have a very slow trek down the hillside.
“I will walk ye to the crest of the hill.”
I nodded.
Colin spoke to the men in Gaelic. The two older men nodded and rose to embrace Donald. Samuel grabbed his grandfather by the waist, and Donald hugged him. My throat ached at the sad scene, and I turned away.
Colin took my hand and led me out of the encampment. I turned around to see Donald and Malcolm following us. Malcolm let Donald lean on his arm. Laddie bounded along. I really wanted that dog. The other two sheepdogs stuck tightly to Malcolm.
“Colin, do you think when this is all over, we can get a sheepdog like Laddie?” I asked. I knew it was random, but I was probably trying to distract myself from having to say good-bye to Colin yet one more time.
“Do ye like him?”
As if in response, Laddie ran up to me and touched his nose to my hand before running back to Malcolm.
“Aye,” I said softly, tears forming in my eyes.
“Then he is yers. Take him down to the castle. He can help ye with Donald.”
“I can’t take Malcolm’s dog!” I said. I wasn’t quite sure how the dog could help with Donald either, but I let that go.
“Malcolm has the other dogs. There are more with the flock.”
“No, I couldn’t,” I said.
Colin spoke over his shoulder, and Malcolm responded.
“If ye think ye canna, then I shall not force ye, but Malcolm insists that ye take the dog this time. Ye can send the dog back if ye dinna want to keep him. He kens his way home.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll borrow him then.”
We reached the crest of the hill, and Malcolm spoke to Laddie in Gaelic. I buried myself in Colin’s arms, again struggling to say good-bye. That I could possibly repeat the process of traveling back in time all over again if he were killed, or even imprisoned, was no comfort. Colin was right. I might not be able to come back.
“I love you,” I whispered. “Please be careful and come back to me.”
“And I love ye more then ye will ever ken, Beth. When I return, we shall never be parted again.” He kissed me long and tenderly before setting me from him to speak to Donald.
“Mrs. Renwick will take care of ye when ye reach the castle, Donald. Then ye must move into the stable and act as a stable hand. English soldiers will come, and they will be looking for a band of rebels, but they will not suspect just one man. Ye will be safe.” He patted Donald on the back.
Laddie ran to my side, panting, clearly understanding that he was coming with me. I patted his head.
“Are you ready?” I asked Donald.
“Aye, yer ladyship.” His accent was thicker than Colin’s, if that was possible.
I gave Colin one last look before grabbing my skirts with one hand and putting an arm around Donald’s waist. I ignored the smell of sweat and unwashed clothing.
“Are ye sure ye can manage?” Colin called as Donald and I negotiated the first few steps down the trail.
“I got this!” I called up, not daring to turn around, lest I lose my footing.
“Help her, Laddie!” Colin called. And Laddie did. He positioned himself next to Donald, as if to help brace the old man. Donald braced a hand on Laddie’s back.
“Clever dog!” I said. The three of us inched our way down toward the tree line at a snail’s pace. I did turn once to look over my shoulder, and Colin watched us anxiously.
“We’re okay,” I called out. “Go!”
Colin waved and disappeared, and I turned my attention to the path in front.
Without the dog’s help, I don’t think Donald and I could have made it. We didn’t talk much, saving our breath for the descent. Hours later, many hours later, we finally made it down to the bottom of the hill, and I led Donald toward the kitchen entrance.
Mrs. Renwick about dropped a pan when I entered, dragging Donald and Laddie inside with me.
“Mistress!” she exclaimed. “Is that yerself, Donald Anderson?”
Thankfully, Mrs. Renwick knew the old man. I explained as much as I thought I should, that Donald was to be staying with us, that he needed food and drink and nurturing until his health improved. I noted that the English soldiers would arrive soon and that Donald needed to be safely ensconced in the stables by the time they arrived. I didn’t mention Jacobites or rebels, but there was hardly any need. Mrs. Renwick understood these things.
“I will take him off yer hands, mistress. Ye go and rest. I will send the girl up with hot water for a bath, as well as tea and something to eat.”
Laddie pressed against my leg, and I looked down. I couldn’t possibly send him back after that long journey. He needed food and rest as well. I wasn’t sure if he needed water. He’d been quite happy to lap up water from puddles along the path.
“And something for the dog too.”
Mrs. Renwick eyed Laddie dubiously.
“Aye,” she said without argument.
Laddie followed me upstairs and to my room. I had no sooner entered the room than Elinor arrived at my doorstep, breathless.
“I was in the drawing room, and George told me ye had come back,” she said. “Where is Colin?” Like Mrs. Renwick, she eyed Laddie uncertainly.
While I shed my clothing, I told her everything that had happened. Sarah arrived with jugs of hot water to fill up the tub. She stoked the fire before leaving.
“I’ll be back with yer tea,” she said.
Elinor seemed predisposed to stay and talk.
“Can I talk to you when I get out of the bath?” I asked.
She blinked.
“Oh, ye wish to bathe privately. Yes, I will await ye in my room.”
I bathed, washed my hair and climbed out to dry off. I dug through my closet to find a forest-green dress, and I slipped into clean undergarments before lacing up the dress. Laddie settled himself in front of the fire to watch me.
Sarah returned with blessed hot tea and food, and a plate of something for Laddie. He ate with gusto, as did I. I was just sipping my tea and thinking I should go talk to Elinor, when I heard the jingle of livery.
Stephen! I had no doubt it was Stephen. I peered out my window but could see nothing.
“Come, Laddie.” I ran to Elinor’s room. “The English soldiers are here. Just follow my lead.”
She followed me, and we hurried down the stairs, Laddie at my heels. George had waited to open the door until we arrived.
“George, make sure that Donald is in the stables and not the kitchen,” I said. He nodded and pulled open the door, hurrying away as he did so.
“Captain Jones,” I said. “What brings you back?”
As he had before, Stephen explained he was on orders from Colonel Smythe to search for a band of rebels thought to be hiding up in the hills.
He bowed to Elinor, and I realized introductions were in order.
“Captain Stephen Jones, this is Colin’s cousin, Lady Elinor Anderson, from Edinburgh.”
Stephen made his usual courtly bow, and Elinor’s cheeks took on a pink tinge as he smiled widely at her.
“Lady Elinor, a pleasure.”
She curtsied.
“What is this? Is that Malcolm’s dog?”
Oh no! If Stephen recognized the dog, then he would know that I’d been up into the hills.
“Well, yes, as a matter of fact, he is. This is Laddie. Malcolm came down the other day to see Colin, and he left the dog here as company for me.”
What a weak story.
Stephen eyed me steadily, and I dropped my eyes to Laddie’s head, reaching down to pet him.
“How gene
rous of Malcolm. He has other dogs to tend to the sheep though,” Stephen said.
“Yes, so I hear.”
“Is Lord Anderson at home?”
“No, he has gone to Edinburgh,” I said. “To buy sheep.”
“Edinburgh?” Stephen repeated. “To buy more sheep?”
I nodded. “You know, turning the land over to grazing and all that.”
Stephen tilted his head, reminding me of Colin, but he only smiled.
“Then I suppose I must ask you if we may impose on your hospitality once again. We leave in the morning to search the hills.”
“Oh, sure,” I said airily. “No problem.” I looked over my shoulder at the ever-present George. “George, can you tell Mrs. Agnew and Mrs. Renwick that we have company?”
George walked away to do so, and Stephen sent his men around to the kitchen.
He turned back to Elinor and me.
“Now then, shall we stop this pretense, Mistress Pratt? Malcolm would never leave his sheep unattended to come down here. Where is Lord Anderson again?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Stephen took his men up into the hills the next morning. After I lied through my teeth and managed not to convince him—I stuck to the tenuous story that Colin had gone to Edinburgh—we had an enjoyable supper. He seemed quite taken with Elinor, which I expected, and I sat back and let them get acquainted.
I laid awake most of the night, hoping that Colin had gotten away with the rebels.
Stephen offered to take Laddie with them to return him to Malcolm, but I declined. I didn’t think I could part with him just yet.
Elinor and I occupied ourselves aimlessly for the rest of the day. Stephen did not return that evening, and I didn’t know if that was good news or bad news. I couldn’t imagine his men staying up in the hills all night, but I guessed they would.
They returned at noon the following day, wet, bedraggled and dirty. Stephen looked exhausted.
“Did you find them?” I asked when he entered the house.
“No. I found the encampment, but they were gone. Malcolm seemed to know nothing about them. He asked after Laddie, and I told him the dog seemed very content at your side. He bid me to tell you to keep him.”
I looked down at Laddie, wondering how he felt about that. He panted and smiled at me.
Stephen ate supper with us again that night. Elinor and he ogled one another, and I hoped something good might come of it. I excused myself from supper early with the expectation that they might get to know each other better if I weren’t there.
I spent the rest of the night in my room, staring into the fireplace, telling Laddie all my hopes and fears and wishing that Colin were at my side.
Stephen took his men back to Fort William the following morning. Very little was happening as it had the first time. Elinor and I waved them off before returning to the house. She returned to her book, and I wandered around the garden with Laddie, watching the hillside. The rain had subsided.
I doubted Colin had made it to Glasgow and back, unless he drove in a car, and yet I waited and waited for him, resisting the urge to go up into the hills once again.
The day dragged on. I ate supper listlessly and retired early to my room, wanting to do nothing more than hope and pray that Colin returned. At the moment, I would have much preferred the gift of second sight or foreseeing the future than the ability to travel in time, especially as I had no way to control which way to travel. I either went back to my own time or came here to Colin’s time.
The following day didn’t bring Colin. Maybe it was too early. I didn’t know. How long did it take to get to Glasgow on foot? How would he get back? How long would he stay? Should I go to Glasgow and look for him? I wasn’t sure how I would find him in such a big city. Maybe down by the docks?
I prayed he had made it safely and that he wasn’t locked up somewhere. How would I know?
Laddie and I marched around the garden once again. We even took a trip down to the river, but I avoided touching the water, and when Laddie tried to drink it, I stopped him. What on earth would he do in the twenty-first century, poor thing?
We returned to the castle, and I returned to the garden. I didn’t know if I could wait any longer. Should I at least go up into the hills to see if Malcolm had heard from Colin?
A shrill whistle caught my ear, and Laddie ran from my side and up the trail, disappearing from view
“Laddie!” I called, running after him. Where was he going? Surely that couldn’t have been Malcolm whistling for him all the way up in the hills? Could sound carry that far?
“Laddie!” I called from the foot of the path. “Malcolm? Is that you?”
Colin’s beautiful head of curly hair appeared as he descended with Laddie at his side.
He ran the last few steps and scooped me up into his arms. He smelled as bad as Donald had, and I loved him dearly.
“Colin! You’re back. You’re safe!”
“Aye, my love. I told ye I would return to ye.”
“I was so worried,” I said.
“I ken. I worried about you too. Malcolm told me that Captain Jones came.”
I nodded. “He did. I don’t think he believed me that you had gone to Edinburgh, but he didn’t push it either.”
I pressed against him.
“Everything will be bonnie now, Beth. I promise ye.”
Laddie jumped around us, and I looked down at him.
“I should send him back now. I’m sure Malcolm misses him.”
“Nay. To Malcolm, he is just a sheepherding dog. The dog seems to have taken a fancy to ye.”
And it seemed that he had. Laddie smiled up at me.
Colin wrapped his arm around me and led me toward the house.
“The coming times will be tough, my love,” he said. “But we have each other, and I take strength in that.”
“I love you, my laird,” I said with a bright smile.
“Aye, yer laird, and dinna ye forget it, yer ladyship,” Colin said as he stopped to pull me into his arms again. Laddie waited at our feet patiently as my laird kissed me soundly.
Books by Bess McBride
Time Travel Romance
Caving in to You
(Book One of the Love in the Old West series)
A Home in Your Heart
(Book Two of the Love in the Old West series)
Forever Beside You in Time
Moonlight Wishes in Time
(Book One of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
Under an English Moon
(Book Two of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
Following You Through Time
(Book Three of the Moonlight Wishes in Time series)
A Train Through Time
(Book One of the Train Through Time series)
Together Forever in Time
(Book Two of the Train Through Time series)
A Smile in Time
(Book Three of the Train Through Time series)
Finding You in Time
(Book Four of the Train Through Time series)
A Fall in Time
(Book Five of the Train Through Time series)
Train Through Time Series Boxed Set
(Books 1–3)
Across the Winds of Time
A Wedding Across the Winds of Time
Love of My Heart
Historical Romance
Anna and the Conductor
The Earl’s Beloved Match
Short cozy mystery stories by Minnie Crockwell
Will Travel for Trouble series
Trouble at Happy Trails (Book 1)
Trouble at Sunny Lake (Book 2)
Trouble at Glacier (Book 3)
Will Travel for Trouble Boxed Set (Books 1–3)
Trouble at Hungry Horse (Book 4)
Trouble at Snake and Clearwater (Book 5)
Trouble in Florence (Book 6)
Trouble in Tombstone (Book 7)
About the Author
Bess McBr
ide is the bestselling author of over fifteen time travel romances as well as contemporary, historical, romantic suspense and light paranormal romances. She loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her at [email protected] or visit her web site at www.bessmcbride.com as well as connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. She also writes cozy mystery short stories as Minnie Crockwell, and you can find her web site at [email protected]