Malcolm worried that his granddaughter was right. Tim had loved Christmas so much. His daughter seemed incapable of celebrating the holiday now that he was gone.
“It won’t always be this way, Rosie. Sometimes, grief takes a very long time to work through. She will find her way back to you.”
Taking a deep breath in through her nose, Rosalind turned away from him and stared out the window once more. He could see Conall Castle in the distance through the front window of the bus. They were almost there.
“Let’s not talk about your mother anymore today. Let’s just try and enjoy this time together.”
As the bus pulled to a stop and the castle’s guide stepped aboard the bus to welcome them, Malcolm turned his attention to the tour. One by one they got off the bus and followed the perky and knowledgeable guide along the short trail leading up to the castle’s main doors.
While he was certain Rosalind had followed him off the bus, he turned to whisper to her halfway through the tour and found her no longer behind him. Frantically, his gaze tore through their group. She was gone. Rosalind was nowhere to be found.
* * *
McMillan Castle – Present Day
* * *
“Ach, Cooper, does it always hurt so much?” I gripped my head painfully as we slowly moved down the tower stairwell into the twenty-first century version of my home.
The method of travel was simple enough. All we needed was for Cooper to open his magical pocket watch, ask Morna to bring us forward, and in a flash we disappeared, only to reappear in the exact same location seconds later, centuries ahead of the time we left. As simple as it was, the magic’s effects on my body could be felt all over. I was disoriented, and while my body ached everywhere, nothing hurt as badly as my head.
“Don’t worry, Nana. Harper keeps some ibuprofen handy. She’ll have it waiting for you.”
I was mildly aware of modern medicines. My daughters-in-law kept several pills and tinctures hidden away for times when illness befell anyone in the castle that a simple herbal mixture wouldn’t cure.
“Only for me? Does yer head not hurt?”
The young boy shrugged and bounded down the stairs ahead of me.
“Nope. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Plus, you’re old so that probably has something to do with why you feel so bad.”
Shaking my head, I met up with him as he waited at the bottom of the stairs for me.
“I believe we need to have a discussion about my actual age. Several instances as of late have given me reason to believe ye think me far more ancient than I am.”
Cooper smiled and let out a quick giggle.
“I’m only teasing you, Nana. You’re not old. You don’t look it anyway.”
“Thank ye. Now, where is this ibuprofen?”
“It’s right here.”
I looked up to see Harper, the wife of my descendent and the true leader of McMillan Castle in the twenty-first century. She was energetic, organized, and without her my home would’ve fallen into disrepair long ago. I gratefully accepted the pills and glass of water she extended in my direction.
“Neither of you look too worse for wear. You’ll be pleased to know that Jerry is already here. He’s got the car all warmed up for you.”
“He’s here already?” Cooper’s voice couldn’t have sounded any more excited. “We left our bags in the tower. Let me go and get them so we can get to Morna’s.”
Harper reached out a hand to stop him.
“Don’t worry about that. Kamden will gather up your bags. I told Sileas you were coming this morning, and he’s been wagging his tail all morning with excitement. Why don’t you go and say hello to him and leave your things to my husband?”
The castle dog, Sileas, was almost taller than Cooper when standing on all fours, but the sweet beast collapsed on the ground and rolled over onto his back like a small puppy the moment Cooper neared him.
With Cooper occupied, Harper hooked her arm with my own and walked with me outside to the car.
“I’m glad you decided to come, Kenna. It will be good for you.”
Still nervous, my voice was much more shaky than I wished it to be as I answered her. “That’s what everyone keeps saying. I hope all of ye are right.”
“We are.” She leaned in to hug me and kiss my cheek as Jerry stepped out of the car to greet me. “Christmas is the most magical time of year. I can’t wait to see what happens to you over the next few weeks.”
* * *
My first car ride was thrilling. While Cooper slept restfully in the back seat of Jerry’s very tiny car, I happily sat next to Jerry in the front as I delighted in the swirl of scenery that changed every second.
“Ye are going to be fun for all of us, lass. I can tell.”
I knew smiling for hours was a bit much, but I truly couldn’t stop. Everything outside the car window was amazing. With all of the means of travel I was accustomed to, it would’ve taken days to see what we’d seen in three hours of driving.
“What do ye mean?”
“Yer excitement is contagious. ’Tis always a joy to watch another experience something for the first time. It has been far too long since we’ve enjoyed the company of a newbie to this time.”
While I could discern the meaning of the word newbie by its context well enough, it was a word I’d never heard before in my life.
“How far away are we?”
Cooper’s sleepy voice spoke to us from behind and I twisted to look at him.
“I doona care if it takes us all night to get there. I never expected a ride in a car to be so pleasurable.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jerry lift one hand from the wheel and point ahead of him.
“We are nearly there now. I’m turning onto the dirt road which leads to Conall Castle and our inn as we speak.”
I faced the front to see the faint outline of the castle in the distance, but there was something else along the road ahead, a faint outline of a creature or a person walking along the road’s outer edge.
“Look, guys—it’s a girl!”
I leaned forward and strained to make out the form Cooper pointed at. Sure enough, a girl who couldn’t be more than a few years older than Cooper, walked all alone ahead of us.
Chapter 5
I liked the strange girl instantly, despite her rather unfriendly demeanor. I recognized the look in her eyes—the grief and the anger that was so potently felt, she no longer tried to hide it at all. Not so long ago, I’d been there myself. She also had a defiantly independent nature that I appreciated in any woman, but most especially in someone so young. Despite having so much growth ahead of her, she already knew herself more than many women ever do.
“Look, sir, I appreciate you offering me a ride, but I don’t know you. There’s no way I’m getting into that car with you.”
Jerry, accustomed to willful women, was unbothered by the young girl’s refusal. He remained patient, calm, and insistent as he tried to reason with her. Cooper and I watched on in silence, enjoying the exchange.
“Lassie, ’twould be improper for me to leave a child stranded along a dirt road. ’Tis at least a mile back to the castle. I’ll not do it. If ye willna get in this car, I shall follow along beside ye until either whoever ye are with finds ye or yer legs give out from exhaustion. ’Tis snowing and ye are near soaked through. Ye’ve no hat on yer head, no muffs on yer ears, and no gloves that I can see. When we do find whoever ye are with, I shall scold them for allowing ye out of doors without anything to keep ye warm.”
“Watch it, old man.” There was fire in the girl’s tone. Something that Jerry had said made her immediately defensive. “You’ll say nothing to my grandfather. It’s not his fault that I ignored him.”
Jerry smiled and cast me a quick glance.
“Ah. Thank ye, lass. We are finally making some progress. At least I now know who ye are with. Is yer grandfather back at the castle? If so, why doona ye get in the back with Cooper and we will dri
ve ye to him?”
The young girl pointed to Cooper in the back seat who responded by waving at her. She rolled her eyes in response.
“How do I know that you didn’t kidnap that little boy in the back and now you want to kidnap me, too?”
Cooper quickly protested by rolling down his window and sticking his head outside to speak to the girl directly.
“I am not that little. And Jerry hasn’t kidnapped me. I’d like to see someone try to take me if I didn’t want to go.”
Quietly, so the girl outside couldn’t hear him, Jerry leaned back and whispered over his shoulder to Cooper.
“I’m not sure if I’d be so confident about that, lad. It did already happen once before if ye doona remember?”
On impulse, I reached out and hit Jerry softly on the arm. The very memory of the old witch who’d taken Cooper from us once before made my blood boil. I tried my best to block it from my memory. I was certain Cooper tried to do the same.
The girl laughed and crossed her arms, leaning back onto her heels.
“Only someone really little would feel the need to tell me how ‘not little’ they are.”
Cooper’s face flushed red as he sank back inside the car.
Jerry laughed and attempted to divert the conversation back toward him.
“There. Cooper has told ye himself that he is not kidnapped. If ye truly doona wish to get in this car, then fine, turn yerself around and walk back toward the castle. I’ll follow behind ye to make certain ye get there safely.”
I could see by the flash in the young girl’s eyes that she saw this as a victory. Without a word she turned and marched off in front of the car.
I leaned over and spoke softly to Jerry—not that she could hear me from outside the car anyway.
“Ye really are going to have to follow her all the way. She’s strong-willed. She doesna wish to give in to ye.”
Jerry nodded and pressed on the brake as he turned to address Cooper.
“Aye, I know. Cooper, what should we do? Ye know women well.”
I wasn’t all together sure how true that was, but I could see by the way Cooper lifted in his seat that Jerry’s confidence in him was just what he needed after the girl’s insult. It wouldn’t hurt to let Cooper think of an idea to try.
Cooper smiled and unbuckled his seatbelt. “I know just the thing, guys. Just give me some space, okay?”
We both nodded and allowed Cooper to get out of the car. Rolling down my own window, I urged Jerry to do the same.
“Open all the windows and pull up beside them rather than behind. I wish to hear what they are saying to one another.”
Jerry obeyed without question.
“What are you doing? I don’t know you either, little boy. You need to get back in your car and leave me alone.”
Cooper carried himself tall and didn’t shrink at the girl’s cold welcome. Instead, he moved to block her path and extended his hand.
“You could at least say hello to me. My name’s Cooper, what’s your name?”
Forced to stop, the young girl eyed him suspiciously. Cautiously, she extended her hand.
“Rosalind.” She hesitated and then added, “but most people call me Rosie.”
I smiled as Cooper shook her hand and moved out of her way, falling in step beside her as she continued her march back toward the castle. The name suited her. Significantly taller than Cooper, the girl was slender and pale with very short strawberry-blonde hair that fell much more in the realm of strawberry than blonde. Her eyes were jade green, and the smattering of freckles across her face would, one day when she was older, be stunning.
It was unusual in my time to see a female with such short hair, but I quite liked it. It fit the young girl’s personality perfectly. Eager to see what Cooper would do next, I watched on.
“It’s really cold out here, ya know?”
Rosie nodded but didn’t look over at Cooper as she walked.
“Yes, I do know. Maybe you should get back in the car with the old man and the woman who keeps staring at me.”
I shrunk slightly back in my seat but didn’t look away at her words.
Cooper shook his head.
“Nope. As long as you’re walking, I’m going to walk next to you. And, as you said, I’m little and it’s very, very cold out here. I might get sick.”
To emphasize this, Cooper coughed rather dramatically into his arm.
Rosalind stopped cold, crossed her arms as she’d done before and looked at him.
“You people are crazy. I don’t like any of you one bit.”
Cooper grinned. He could see that he was succeeding.
“We’re just trying to help you.”
Turning, she stomped away from him and opened the car door before crawling inside.
“I don’t need anybody’s help. The second we get back to the castle and I find my grandfather, I don’t want to see any of you guys ever again.”
Jerry laughed and sped up as we barreled toward the castle.
“Verra well, lass, but see ye to yer grandfather, we shall.”
Chapter 6
When Malcolm saw the old, rickety car pull up to the front of Conall Castle, the terror that had gripped him for the better part of an hour melted away in a rush. He could see Rosalind’s red hair through the window, and his knees nearly gave way as relief washed over him. While he’d known she couldn’t have gone far—there was only one road leading to the castle—he’d been terrified.
Running outside to meet her, he gathered her up in his arms and dropped to his knees.
“Where on earth did you go?”
Rosalind was stiff in his grip. With a muffled voice, she spoke into the front of his shirt.
“You’ve got to let go of me, Pops. I can’t breathe. I didn’t go anywhere. I was just bored to death on the tour and thought I’d walk around a little while. I was just walking down the road.”
It was only when he released her and stood that he took notice of the old man standing on the other side of the car. While it took him a moment to recognize him—it had been at least five years since he’d seen him—he knew as soon as he heard the man’s voice that it was Jerry.
“Malcolm! Why, I dinna know Rosie was yer granddaughter. Had I known, I wouldna have been so patient with her. How are ye, man? ’Tis been far too long since ye visited these parts.”
The snow now fell in a heavy blanket over them. As he leaned forward to hug Jerry, he could see Rosie trembling beside them from the cold. She was wet all the way through.
“I’m much better now. Thank you for picking her up.”
“O’course. I was on my way back home when we spotted her. I dinna know who she belonged to, but I couldna verra well leave her out in the snow.”
Noticing the castle’s tour guide a few yards away, Malcolm reached for Rosie’s hand.
“Jerry, it’s good to see you, but I’m afraid we must both get back to the group. Rosie delayed everyone long enough by wandering off and the entire group has been searching for her. I need to let them know she’s back.”
Just as he began to step away, Jerry reached and grabbed his arm.
“By all means, let them know the lass is safe but then why doona the two of ye gather yer bags from the bus and come with me back to the inn for the night? Morna would never forgive me if she found out that I bumped into ye and then dinna bring ye back to the house so she could see ye.”
Malcolm couldn’t deny the appeal of Jerry’s suggestion. Rosalind needed to get dry, and Morna and Jerry’s inn was undoubtedly closer than the tour group’s next stop.
“We wouldn’t be intruding?”
Jerry waved a dismissive hand.
“Not at all. I promise ye, my wife would insist on it if she were here so I must do so on her behalf. Rosie can wait in the car for ye while ye gather yer things.”
Seeing his granddaughter inside the car, he leaned in close to whisper in her ear before leaving to retrieve their things.
“
When we get to the inn, we will discuss this further.”
* * *
While she said nothing, it was evident that Rosalind was near tears as she waited for her grandfather. Her breathing was tight, and I could see her reddened cheeks from the mirror outside my window.
Jerry and Cooper could sense the tension in the young girl, as well, and we remained quiet as we waited for the man I now knew was named Malcolm to return with their belongings.
When he began his walk back toward the car, I was able to get a clear view of him for the first time.
He was one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen. As tall as both of my sons, I would be dwarfed in size if I stood next to him. His hair was very dark and thick, slightly unruly, and much like my own, it had begun to gray in mixed places throughout. His blue eyes stood out from amongst his mass of black hair, and he had the sort of scruffy facial hair that made it look as if he were in the beginning stages of trying to grow it out. Although, I expected that with all of the fascinating tools I knew existed in the twenty-first century, that he kept it trimmed that way all the time.
I didn’t realize he’d stopped walking and that we were both staring at one another until his knuckles lightly rapped on my closed window. Startled, I jerked back as my cheeks warmed in embarrassment. I was certain they were now as red as Rosie’s.
“I’m so sorry to ask you this,” Malcolm straightened and swept his hand downward in a motion meant to emphasize the length of his legs. “I don’t think I’ll fit in the back seat. Would you mind switching with me?”
There was no question that if he attempted to sit in the back, he would be forced to sit in a terribly uncomfortable position, if he could manage to fit in the back at all.
“Oh. Aye, o’course.” Fumbling with the door handle, I eventually managed to clumsily step outside. When I righted myself, Malcolm extended me his hand.
“I hate to have you move. I’m Malcolm, but you can call me Mac, most people do.”
Morna’s Magic & Mistletoe - A Novella: Book 8.5 of Morna’s Legacy Series Page 3