Arch Through Time: Books 1, 2 and 3: Scottish Time Travel Romances (Arch Through Time Collections)

by Katy Baker

  “Don’t just stand there! Come in!” He pulled the door wide and stepped back, ushering Ian and the crofters inside.

  He shut the door behind them and went to stand in front of the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back. The crofters waited nervously. As there was only one chair there wasn’t enough room for them to sit down. Andrew frowned. Perhaps Mona was right. Perhaps he should make his audience chamber a bit more inviting.

  “Brodie and Annie, isnae it?”

  The woman gave a curtsey and the man whipped his cap off his head and sketched an awkward bow. “Aye, laird.”

  “Has Ian told ye why I wanted to see ye?”

  “Something about the horse raid?”

  “Aye, ye were the only witnesses and I need to ask ye some questions.”

  Annie’s eyes widened with fear. “We didnae have anything to do with it, laird. Ye have our word. We knew nothing until the dogs started barking and by then it was too late.”

  Andrew waved his hand, trying to reassure her. “I dinna suspect ye of anything, Annie. That’s nay why ye are here. I just need to get some details straight. Ye might have information that will help me catch the thief.”

  “We told Captain Donal everything we knew when he first came to question us.”

  “Aye, and I thank ye for yer detailed recollection. But I want to hear it from yerself. Mayhap ye’ve remembered something ye didnae before.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me about the raid. Tell me everything ye remember. Specifically who was involved?”

  Annie shared a quick look with Brodie and then spoke. “We didnae think anything of it at first, laird. Our croft sits right above the main path along the cliffs so we often hear travelers passing by. The dogs normally fall quiet after a while but this night they didnae. Brodie got up to see what was amiss. It was very late as I recall, far later than ye’d expect any travelers to be abroad. Isnae that right, Brodie?”

  The man nodded his balding head. “We heard horses passing on the road below and got up to investigate. The moon was out so we had a good view of a man leading three horses past our farm.”

  Andrew’s ears pricked up at this. “A man? Alone? Was there anyone else with him?”

  “Nay, lord. He was alone.”

  “Ye are absolutely sure? There wasnae a lass with him?”

  “A lass?” Brodie looked puzzled. “Why would there be a lass with him? Nay, lord. There was but one man. Seemed like he knew what he was doing too. An expert horseman by the way he rode whilst leading the others on a line.”

  “Bold as brass he was,” Annie cut in. “We called out to ask him what he was about and he just looked up and smiled at us. Even had the audacity to wave! Well, we recognized those horses as being from yer own stables right away, my lord. Nobody else around here has such good stock.”

  Andrew nodded. A smile kept trying to tug at the corners of his mouth. Lucy had been telling the truth! She was no horse thief. That made him unaccountably happy.

  Annie and Brodie watched him warily. “My laird? Is something amiss?”

  Andrew realized he was grinning like a fool and smoothed his face into a neutral mask. He bowed to the two crofters. “Naught is amiss. Naught at all. Ye have my thanks. Ye’ve both been most helpful.” He turned to look at Ian. “See that Annie and Brodie are given food and drink and arrange for them to have a room for the night. They’ll rest here before returning to the pastures tomorrow. And before they go see they’re given the choice of a new plow horse from the stables.”

  Annie and Brodie’s eyes widened. “My...my....lord,” Brodie spluttered. “That’s...thank ye.”

  Andrew knew that a new plow horse would be worth more to these people than any amount of gold he could give them. “Think nothing of it. Ye’ve earned it.”

  With more bows and thanks, the two were ushered out by Ian. Andrew crossed to the window. Sunlight glinted off the waves in the distance. The day suddenly seemed brighter than before. Lucy was telling the truth! He would go and find her and tell her about the crofters’ testimony.

  He bounded from his solar and made his way through the castle to Lucy’s room. He paused outside. The sound of laughing came from within. He knocked perfunctorily and waited. Aniss answered the door. When she saw Andrew standing there she dropped a curtsey.

  “Who is it?” Lucy called from inside.

  “Laird Harris,” Aniss said. “How nice to see ye.”

  Andrew coughed. “Aniss. I’d like to have a word with Lady Jennings.”

  “Of course.”

  Aniss swung the door wide and Andrew stepped through.

  Lucy slowly got up from her seat by the window. She clasped her hands in front of her and lifted her chin.

  "Laird Harris.”

  The sound of her voice sent a tingle down his spine. Andrew coughed and glanced at Aniss. The maid curtseyed and quickly left the room. The door shutting behind her sounded unnaturally loud to Andrew's ears.

  He was left alone with Lucy. She appeared remarkably recovered from her ordeal last night. Her cheeks had a healthy pink tinge and her lips were round and red. He remembered the sensation of her body against his, the soft mound of her breasts pressing against his chest as he'd carried her up from the beach. The sensation of her arms around his neck as he laid her by the fire.

  Stop it! he told himself savagely. She was injured and vulnerable! Would ye lust after a lass in such a condition?

  "I...um..." he began. His voice cracked and he coughed before trying again. "I hope ye are well today?"

  Lucy nodded. "I'm very well, thanks to you."

  She crossed the room and laid a hand on his arm. It was a small gesture but it shocked Andrew to the core. People didn’t usually touch him. Oh, he shook hands with people, of course. He kissed the backs of ladies hands as he greeted them, just as propriety suggested. But he was never touched like this—out of pure affection.

  He glanced at her hand resting on his arm and then at Lucy's face. Was he imagining it or was she breathing a bit more heavily?

  "If it wasn't for you I would have drowned. I owe you my life."

  "Ye owe me nothing," he replied. "Ye wouldnae have been in trouble in the first place had I not shouted at ye." He smiled wryly. "As ye've no doubt deduced, I have a bit of a temper."

  She raised an eyebrow. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

  She was making fun of him. Normally that would have made Andrew angry but all he felt was... happy.

  "Well. I'm glad ye are feeling better."

  She removed her hand and stood gazing up at him. "I am. Thank you."

  Oh Lord, what was he to do when she stared up at him like that? Did she realize that her gaze stole his words and turned him into a stuttering youth? This was ridiculous! He was a laird! He'd faced down men in battle. He'd danced words with lords and ladies. He'd negotiated trade deals with the most cut-throat merchants in the Highlands. So why did this lass's gaze turn his mind to mush?

  He lifted his chin. "Ye will join me for dinner tonight."

  He winced inwardly as his words cracked out like a command. He hadn’t meant to say it like that. He couldn't retract it now though without looking the utter fool so he just watched her, his best laird's expression on his face. He expected an angry retort. If there was one thing he'd learned about Lucy Jennings, it was that she didnae take well to being ordered about.

  She watched him for a moment. Then she gave a curtsey as well executed as that of any Highland lady. "I would be honored, my laird."

  Yes, she was definitely making fun of him. Andrew smiled inwardly. She'd agreed to have dinner with him! He had to force his face to remain passive—his lips kept trying to pull up into an idiotic grin.

  "Very good. I will see ye tonight."

  Before he could do or say something stupid, he bowed and left the room.

  ANISS AND MONA FUSSED around Lucy like two mother hens. The three of them were sequestered in Lucy's room and they’d already helped her bathe, leant her a gown they thought
was perfect, and now they were busy doing Lucy's hair. Anyone would think she was dining with royalty!

  “Och, no, I’m nay sure,” Mona said as Aniss pinned Lucy's hair up. "The laird prefers a lady to wear her hair long."

  Aniss nodded in agreement and began taking out the pins. Lucy rolled her eyes.

  "Don't I get a say in this?"

  Aniss and Mona shared a look as though she'd said something stupid. "Ye will want to look yer best for tonight, surely?" Mona said.

  "It's only dinner!" Lucy replied. "You're both acting as though it's something momentous!"

  They shared another look and Lucy crossed her arms, frowning at them. "Will you two tell me what's going on? Ever since I told you about dinner with Harris—Andrew, I mean—you've been acting all nervous. Is there something I should be worried about?"

  "Of course not!" said Mona at exactly the same time Aniss said, "Dinna be daft!”

  Lucy watched her two friends, waiting.

  Finally Mona blew out a breath. "Well if ye must know, it is a big event for us. The laird is past the age when most lairds would be married. The clan needs heirs and he's shown no interest in women since....what happened.”

  "There you go again! Dropping hints that you won't explain! Since what happened?”

  "It isnae our place to tell ye that, Lucy. I'm sorry," said Mona. "If the laird wishes ye to know he'll tell ye himself."

  This didn't placate Lucy one bit. Why did they have to be so secretive? Mystery swirled around Andrew Harris like a cloak. Then the full implications of what Mona had said suddenly sank in.

  "Hang on a minute! What do you mean he should be married? That the clan needs heirs? I hope you're not thinking that I'm going to somehow fill that role!”

  "Of course not!" Aniss said quickly. "We’re just glad to see the laird taking an interest in... other things."

  "Okay," said Lucy. "Because it's only dinner. And we have not exactly been on the best of terms since I arrived have we? Maybe he's trying to apologize for being such an ass."

  "Maybe," Aniss said, nodding. "Shall we brush yer hair out and see if we can agree on style?"

  Lucy sighed. She submitted to their ministrations. Truth be told, Lucy felt a little nervous about having dinner with Harris—Andrew, she corrected—tonight. She never quite knew what to expect with him. He was often aloof, often rude, often short-tempered. But then she'd remember what he'd been like the night he rescued her. So strong. So determined. So kind and tender. Was that the real Andrew Harris? Or was the real Andrew Harris the cold, detached laird?

  Lucy found herself wanting to find out. The nervous sensation in her stomach wasn’t caused by apprehension: it was a little bit of excitement as well.

  She never thought she'd feel this way again. Since Garth and all the pain he’d caused, Lucy had never felt even the slightest stirring of interest in any man. And yet, here she was, in a strange land, in a strange time, excited by the prospect of having dinner with Laird Andrew Harris.

  Finally, Mona and Annis stepped back and announced she was ready. Lucy stood and looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a blue gown that brought out the color of her eyes. The earrings and necklace she’d brought from her own time glittered in the light. Aniss had brushed Lucy's hair and then pinned up only the sides so that curls edged her face.

  "Wow," she said, turning so she could get a full look at herself. "I hardly recognize myself. Thanks. For everything."

  She crossed to her two friends and took their hands. "I mean it. You’ve both been so welcoming since I arrived. I don't know what I would have done without you."

  “Och, get on with ye!" Mona said. "It is a pleasure, Lucy."

  There was a knock on the door and when Aniss pulled it open it revealed Dougie standing there. He appeared to have made a bit of an effort. His hair had been brushed although it still managed to resemble a bird’s nest and he wore the Harris plaid over his breeches. His eyes widened when they settled on Lucy.

  "My, my," he said. "Ye do look lovely, my lady." Then, as if remembering why he'd come, he dropped a creaky bow. "If it pleases ye, my lady, I'm here to escort ye to dinner."

  Mona rolled her eyes at Dougie's performance. "Stand up before ye put yer back out, ye old fool."

  Dougie frowned at Mona. "Aren't ye always telling me I need to learn some manners? Well, I'm taking yer advice at last." He winked at Lucy, his eyes twinkling with merriment, then held out his arm. "If ye are ready, my lady?”

  Lucy inclined her head. "Thank you, Dougie. That would be quite acceptable."

  She took Dougie’s arm and with a last smile at Aniss and Mona, they left the room.

  Andrew, she’d learned since she'd been here, never ate with the rest of the household in the Great Hall. Instead, he had a private dining room on one of the upper levels and so Lucy was not surprised when Dougie escorted her to the staircase and they began to climb. Lucy hadn't visited the upper levels of the castle and she looked around curiously.

  These floors were sparser than the lower ones, with not so many rugs covering the floors or tapestries hanging from the walls. This wasn’t what Lucy had expected. She would have expected the laird’s quarters to be even more opulent than the guest chambers.

  She noticed something else as well. The upper floors, like the Great Hall, showed signs of repair: walls where patches of bricks were obviously newer than those around them, beams with a slight blackening as if they'd been scorched, sections of floor where the flagstones had been replaced.

  Finally, they halted outside a door and Dougie knocked. Andrew’s voice called from within, "Enter.”

  The butterflies in Lucy’s stomach fluttered. Dougie gave her a reassuring smile then pushed the door open. The room in which Lucy found herself was not large but surprisingly cozy. A dining table filled the center and a large fireplace sat against the far wall. A vase of flowers occupied the mantelpiece and Lucy suspected Mona's hand in that.

  Andrew stood leaning on the fireplace but straightened as Lucy and Dougie entered. Lucy tried not to stare at him. Andrew wore the traditional Harris plaid. It left his arms bare and Lucy couldn't help but notice the rippling muscles of his arms and the way his tight, sculpted chest, pulled against the fabric. She wondered whether Mona had harangued him into making an effort as it was obvious that he’d bathed, washed his hair and donned his best clothes.

  So what? Lucy said to herself. He's a laird! He's hardly going to have dinner in a set of overalls is he? It doesn't mean anything.

  "Thank ye for coming, Lady Jennings," Andrew said. "And thank ye for escorting the lady, Dougie."

  Dougie nodded and turned towards the door. As he did so, he gave Lucy a quick wink. Lucy smiled weakly and Dougie pulled the door closed behind him. She was left alone with Andrew. He stood watching her for a moment and Lucy fidgeted awkwardly, trying to think of something to say.

  "Won't ye be seated?" Andrew said eventually. He held out a chair for Lucy who slid into it gratefully.

  Harris took a seat at the far end of the table. He rang a bell and servants entered to pour wine for Lucy and Andrew. Lucy thanked them and took a sip to steady her nerves.

  “Dinner will be served shortly, my lord, my lady," Elsie, one of the kitchen staff, said. Then the servants left.

  A heavy silence settled between Lucy and Andrew and she couldn't think of anything to say. The way he watched her made thinking difficult.

  “So," she said at last. "Have you had a good day?" She winced at the crassness of the question but Andrew leapt on it as though relieved to have something to talk about.

  "Aye, it's been a busy one. I oversaw the deliveries of the latest grain shipments this morning and then had a sparring session with the men. Their skills are improving, I'm pleased to say. Then this afternoon Dougie and I did an inventory of the castle supplies and Captain Donal came in with a report on our borders."

  “Oh,” Lucy said. “That’s sounds very... interesting.”

  "And ye?"

  “Ye
ah. Great. Jamie had me helping him with his puppies. They’re growing fast and becoming a handful.”

  “Nay doubt,” Harris agreed. "And especially if Jamie spoils them as he does, despite me telling him otherwise. That lad gets more unruly by the day."

  “My old class teacher would probably call him ‘spirited’," said Lucy with a smile.

  Andrew's mouth twitched. "Aye," he muttered. "Spirited."

  The door opened again and three servants entered carrying various dishes. They placed these on the table and served first Andrew and then Lucy. It looked to be a vegetable and meat dish of some kind. She recognized the mashed swede with cabbage mixed in but wasn't entirely sure what the meat dish was. After the servants left she poked at it gingerly.

  “What’s this?” Lucy asked.

  "Haggis, of course.”

  "Of course," Lucy said weakly. She'd heard of the traditional Scottish dish but had no idea what it really consisted of. "I'm not from around here, remember. We don't have Haggis in America. What's it made of?"

  "Sheep's stomach stuffed with meat, onions and suet," Harris replied.

  Surely he was joking? But his face was serious with no hint of humor on it. She looked down at her trencher.

  "Haggis," she murmured. "Lovely."

  There was no way she was going to eat sheep's stomach! She scooped up some of the vegetable dish and began eating. Luckily, this was delicious and she set to, relieved to be doing something that kept her occupied.

  They ate in silence. Andrew didn't eat much, she noticed. He kept looking her way and Lucy couldn't read the expression on his face. When she’d finished the vegetables, Lucy pushed back her trencher.

  "That was lovely,” she said. "My compliments to the cook."

  "Ye havenae touched yer haggis, lass,” Andrew observed.

  "I couldn't eat another thing," Lucy said, rubbing her belly exaggeratedly. "I'm full to bursting."

  Andrew didn’t reply. He finished his own dinner and pushed the trencher away. Lucy tried to think of something to say but didn't seem to be able to collect her thoughts. Instead, she took a gulp of wine.

  The silence between them stretched.