My Laird's Love (My Laird's Castle Book 2)

by Bess McBride

  “In a place where only I can reach him.” Beth’s eyes narrowed in what I assumed was growing anger. I looked at Gordon, but he watched me with seeming fascination. Gerry looked on with interest.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I wish I could explain better. If I try to tell you the truth, you won’t believe me. But I need antibiotics. My friend is going to die without them.”

  “Nonsense,” Beth said. “Typhoid is highly curable given proper timely treatment. Are you certain he was not out of the country?”

  “Yes, maybe that’s it,” I said, giving in. “Anyway, can you help me? I don’t know what kind of medicine he needs. The doctor treating him says he’s going to die.”

  “By all means, you must bring him to the hospital!” Beth said. “Or I can call for an ambulance right now.” She pulled a small cell phone from her trouser pockets.

  “No!” I almost shouted. “No,” I said on a calmer note. “No one can find him but me.”

  “I simply do not know what you mean by that. Why on earth would you conceal a very sick man? What game are you playing?” Beth’s expression hardened.

  “I’m not playing a game!” I protested. “I’m deadly serious about what I need.”

  I was going to have to tell them. I had no choice.

  Chapter Eleven

  “My friend lives in the eighteenth century. His name is James Livingstone. I accidentally traveled through time to the eighteenth century. Everything was going along swimmingly until James came down with typhoid fever. I’m sure you know it was a lot more common then than it is now.”

  All three stared at me as if I was nuts. I wasn’t surprised. My explanation lacked a lot of detail, and it hadn’t been particularly coherent.

  I tried harder.

  “You remember I asked you if you knew of a James Livingstone or Lochloon Castle?” I directed my question to a staring Gordon. “That’s where he lives...lived.”

  “Lochloon Castle?” Beth interjected. “There’s an old ruin south of here that used to go by the name.”

  A ruin? I couldn’t bear the thought.

  “Do you seriously expect us to believe that you have traveled through time, Miss Scott?” Beth asked. I suspected that both Gordon and Gerry were just too polite to voice their skepticism. “What utter nonsense!”

  I gritted my teeth.

  “No, of course I don’t expect you to believe me, but it’s the truth. Why else do you think I’d be running around in this dress? Look at the stitching! It’s all handmade. No sewing machine has touched this little gem!”

  I held out an arm offering up the lace at the end of my sleeve for inspection. Beth stood up and examined it. Then she bent near to examine the stitching on the bodice.

  “It doesn’t have the regularity of a sewing machine, that’s certain,” she said with a dubious look in my direction as she settled back in her chair. “Nor does it look like an antique.”

  “Well, I don’t know much about clothing,” Gordon spoke up, “but I’m inclined to give Maggie the benefit of the doubt. I do believe she vanished involuntarily. I could not help but overhear her conversation with her cousin, with whom she was traveling. Her cousin appears to be quite upset.”

  Beth looked up at her brother and then her husband, who had remained silent.

  “Miss Scott does appear to be in possession of her faculties, dear,” Gerry said quietly.

  I gave him a grateful smile.

  “Yes, of course,” Beth said, a little irritably. “I am not insinuating that Maggie is mentally unstable. I just cannot believe in anything as far-fetched as time travel. Such a notion has never been proven.” She looked toward her husband and Gordon. “I’m surprised that you two are so ready to accept such a story.”

  Gordon just gazed at her in his unflappable manner, and Gerry grinned.

  “I find the idea very intriguing,” Gordon said. “And as I said, I know she vanished. Her cousin’s anger was proof enough. I was the one who found her wandering about in the dark of night on a road, dressed in that costume.”

  Beth rubbed her hands on her knees.

  “Typhoid fever,” she repeated with a shake of her head. “How old is this man? You mentioned a James Livingstone. The Livingstones did own Castle Lochloon centuries ago. I suppose the descendants still do.”

  “I don’t really know how old he is. I never asked him. He looks to be about thirty.”

  “Height and weight?” Beth asked. “What are his symptoms?”

  “About six foot two inches, a little over two hundred pounds, I’d say. He had some stomach pain yesterday and last night.” I paused. “I can’t believe it was just last night. It seems like a long time ago. I have to get back.” I had almost forgotten how urgent my errand was.

  “Anyway,” I continued, “he grabbed at his stomach at dinner and fainted. He was burning up. The doctor came and said he had typhoid fever and that he would die. But I know he doesn’t have to die, not with antibiotics. I know typhoid fever is treatable now.”

  “Yes, it is,” Beth said. “He would need a course of ciprofloxacin. I was going to say that he needs to be hospitalized, but you say that is not possible.” She eyed me as if I were going to change my mind and tell her I was kidding, that James was back at the house and could be picked up in an ambulance.

  I shook my head. “No, he can’t. He really does live in the eighteenth century.”

  “Next, I suppose you’ll say he was at Culloden,” Beth said.

  “He was.”

  Beth jumped up from her seat.

  “Enough of that! I believe that you need the antibiotics, but I cannot believe the rest of your story. Come, we’ll go to an all-night pharmacy to get the medicine. If he is as sick as you say, there is no time to waste. Even if he survives, the longer he goes untreated, the more likely he is to sustain permanent damage.”

  My heart jumped to my throat. I attempted to rise, and Gordon came to my rescue, pulling me to my feet.

  “Thanks,” I said with a small smile.

  I turned to Beth. “Thank you, Beth. I can’t thank you enough. I don’t have the money to pay you or pay for the medications right now, but I promise I’m good for it. I will repay you when I return.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Beth said. She turned to Gerry. “Will you get the Rover, Gerry? I don’t think Maggie was very comfortable in Gordon’s little car.” She turned to me. “Would you rather change clothes? I can give you something of mine.”

  I looked down at my skirts.

  “No, I’d better stick with the historical clothing. I can’t show up again in jeans.”

  “As you wish,” Beth said. “Gerry, why don’t you drive? Do you want to come along, Gordon, or would you rather stay and get some dinner?”

  Gerry left the room quietly.

  “I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Gordon said. “Besides, we’re not quite sure what Maggie wants to do once she gets the medicine. Are you planning on...em...returning tonight?”

  I nodded. “Yes, as soon as I can, please, right back where you picked me up.”

  Gordon turned to Beth. “See there? I know where to drop her off.”

  “Well, I’m quite certain she can tell Gerry where to drop her off. We’ll all go. Gerry and I had our dinner. I’m worried about Maggie though. Are you certain you wouldn’t like to have something to eat before we go?”

  “No, I’m fine,” I said, ignoring the hunger pains in my stomach. We were wasting too much time as it was.

  “Well, let’s all go then,” Beth said. I followed Beth out the front door toward a Land Rover that idled in front of the door, with Gerry at the wheel. Gordon followed me out.

  We climbed into Gerry’s Land Rover, me with some difficulty and assistance from Gordon, and then we rolled away from the house. We reached the all-night pharmacy in less than ten minutes, and Beth climbed out.

  “Just wait here. I’ll get what you need.”

  “Thank you!” I said breathlessly. Help for James was
in sight! I watched Beth walk into the well-lit store, then turned my attention to Gerry and Gordon. An awkward silence filled the interior of the vehicle, and I tried to fill it.

  “Thank you both so much for what you’re doing. I do know how fantastical my story sounds, and I appreciate that you didn’t dismiss it outright.”

  “Fantastical is a good word,” Gordon said, turning to me with a smile. “But I don’t think you’re lying...and I don’t think you’re delusional, so I must do my best to believe you.”

  “Aye,” Gerry said succinctly, in his way.

  I fell silent, picking at the folds of my skirts, and I stared out the window toward the pharmacy. I supposed if anyone could get medicine from a pharmacy, it would be a doctor.

  Five minutes passed, then ten, in which time Gordon and Gerry exchanged a few words about the uncharacteristically warm weather. I thought it was quite cool, but what did I know?

  At last Beth emerged from the pharmacy with a plastic bag. She climbed into the car and turned around to hand me the bag.

  “Here is the antibiotic. Have him take five hundred milligrams orally every twelve hours for ten days. I’ve included two more courses in case the first one fails. Since I’m a neurologist, epidemiology is not my forte, but I reviewed the disease and treatment with the pharmacist. Make sure your friend stays hydrated. He must drink water...clean, boiled water. Typhoid fever is a form of salmonella. It’s only carried and transmitted by humans through the stool. Cleanliness and frequent handwashing are of the utmost importance.”

  I had suspected some of this, but it was reassuring to hear Beth’s words. I nodded as she took a breath.

  “Are you immunized against typhoid fever?” she asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, just last year.”

  “Good!” Beth said. “I hope your friend will be all right. If the disease has progressed too far, he may develop a perforation of his bowel, which will necessitate surgery. Would that be possible if that were the case?”

  I shook my head. “No. It really is the eighteenth century. There is no treatment for typhoid fever. Certainly not abdominal surgery.”

  Beth sighed.

  “Scottish medicine was renowned for its early advancements, but you’re right. He probably could not survive a surgery, even if a surgeon knew how to operate on a perforated bowel. I also included several bottles of paracetamol to help reduce his fever and ease his pain. The instructions are on the bottle.”

  “Thank you, Beth,” I said. She nodded but said nothing further.

  “Are we ready to go?” Gerry asked.

  “Yes, let’s go,” Beth replied. I clutched the bag of pills and bit my lip, hoping that I could get back in time to treat James, hoping that I could even travel back in time at all.

  Beth spoke again as Gerry drove away from Fort William, following Gordon’s directions.

  “Your friend probably ate food cooked by someone who is carrying the disease. They may not have symptoms now but probably had typhoid fever at one time. Find out who it is. There is a fourth course of cipro in the bag. Treat that person to prevent them from spreading the disease any further.”

  I thought about Colin and Aunt Edith. They hadn’t fallen ill, and I hoped they wouldn’t. I wished I could have asked Beth to pick up antibiotics for everyone, but that was out of the question. I considered myself fortunate that she had done as much as she had.

  I recognized the highway Julie and I had followed only a few days ago, and I knew we didn’t have long before we reached the pullout. I had debated speaking out, and now decided to.

  “I know this may sound even more bizarre, but I met your Anderson ancestors. In fact, I’m actually staying with them at Gleannhaven Castle in the eighteenth century.”

  Both Beth and Gordon whipped their heads around to look at me. Thank goodness, Gerry kept his eyes on the road in his usual implacable manner. Beth’s eyebrows quirked in a very definite expression of disbelief. Gordon, on the other hand, looked very excited.

  “Really?” he asked.

  I nodded, avoiding Beth’s skeptical eyes.

  “Yes, I know how far-fetched it sounds. I mean...that I would be picked up on the road by a descendant of the Andersons? But if you think about it, you live closest to the spot where you found me. By the way, I don’t know where you came from, Gordon, but the Andersons access the river and valley by a dirt road leading from the castle.”

  “Yes! The trail down by the river! Leading over the stone bridge. I know it well. So does Beth. We often hiked that way.”

  “The bridge,” Beth repeated softly. “I remember it well. I haven’t been down there in years.”

  “A road was put in back in the 1920s, I think, leading to the highway,” Gordon explained. “The Andersons! Which ones?”

  “Colin and Beth,” I said, directing a look toward Beth.

  “Your namesake,” Gordon said to Beth. He turned back to me, the delight evident in his expression. “So that is why you asked me about Colin Anderson! What are they like?”

  “Well, you have only to look in the mirror to see what Colin looks like. You both resemble him. He has dark shoulder-length hair, slate-blue eyes and is a very handsome man. He is generous, has a wonderful sense of humor and is very open to new ideas. He would need to be. Because of Beth.”

  Perhaps this was too much for Beth and Gordon to deal with, but I thought, Why not?

  “Because of Beth?” Gordon asked. I could see his sister still focused on the conversation, though she couldn’t bring herself to ask questions.

  I nodded. “She’s like me. She was born in the twenty-first century.”

  Beth made a sound between a gasp and a snort and turned to look at Gerry. Gerry shrugged, seeming to have no answers for her.

  “You’re joking!” Gordon exclaimed. “Elizabeth Pratt Anderson was a time traveler?” He looked toward his sister. “Did you hear that, Beth? That certainly explains a lot. Family history said she was a bit eccentric, even for an American at that time. Something about the way she spoke, her mannerisms, her clothing.” He looked down at my skirts.

  “Her clothing,” he murmured.

  I nodded. “I think she said that, like me, she showed up in jeans. Now she wears typical eighteenth-century Scottish gowns though. I should also say that she is pregnant with her first child.”

  “Pregnant?” Beth repeated sharply. “Has she been exposed to the typhoid?”

  I nodded. “Yes. We were eating dinner at Castle Lochloon when James fell ill. But she’s had a booster shot, as have I. Nevertheless, she and Colin left as soon as possible, and she’ll stay away.”

  “Good!” Beth said. “Good,” she repeated.

  “This is absolutely delightful!” Gordon said. “Not the typhoid fever, but that we have not only met a time traveler but discovered that our own ancestress was a time traveler. It’s brilliant! Do say hello for us when you return. How do you travel through time, by the way?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. I touch the water in the river, and I travel in time. I don’t think it works for everyone though, because surely lots of people have splashed a bit of water on their faces. The same thing happened to Beth. She was able to travel back and forth in time to save Colin’s life.”

  Gordon exclaimed again, and I had to explain what I knew of Colin’s death and Beth’s return in time to warn him and prevent his death.

  “And now you do the same thing, but for James Livingstone,” Gordon said softly.

  “Yes,” I said with a nod. “I sure hope so.”

  “And when he is well? Will you come back to the twenty-first century?”

  I nodded again. “Yes. I left someone behind here.”

  “A husband?”

  I shook my head. “No, my fiancé,” I said. “But he died last year. From cancer.”

  Beth turned to look at me with an uncharacteristically sympathetic expression.

  “My condolences,” she said.

  I gave her a half smile. “Thank you.
It was a long illness.”

  “And you cared for him during his illness?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Now you will care for someone else. Perhaps someone you can save this time.”

  I nodded. “I have to save him,” I said firmly. “This disease is treatable in the twenty-first century.”

  “Aye,” Gordon said. “So you will return when James Livingstone is well? You said because you left your fiancé behind?”

  “Yes.” I heard the break in my voice. “I just can’t leave him.”

  I knew how that sounded. To their credit, Beth and Gordon didn’t belabor the point. Leaving someone who was dead was probably not really “leaving” him.

  “You are going to great lengths to save the laird,” Beth said quietly, almost as if she had begun to believe me. “Why?”

  Why indeed? I thought about the reasons.

  “Because the medicine is available. Because I suspected if Beth could travel back and forth in time, then maybe I could. Because he’s worth it. He’s a wonderful man, a lot like Colin—generous, full of life and vitality, rather heroic really. A Highlander.”

  Beth and Gordon looked at each other.

  “He sounds delightful,” Beth said, albeit in a dry voice. “Is he married?”

  I shook my head. “No. He isn’t. I’m not sure why.”

  “Maybe he was waiting for the right sort of girl,” Gordon said. His sly grin alerted me to his meaning.

  I was prevented from replying by Gerry’s calm voice.

  “We are here,” he said, turning into the pullout. This time, no tour buses filled the lot, no modern day Scotsman played the pipes, no tourists took photos.

  We all climbed out of the car, me clutching my bag of medicine. Gerry left the headlights of the Rover on, though pointed toward the road.

  “Here,” he said. “Take this. I would accompany you down the hill, but I have a knee condition, which prevents hiking.”

  I took the flashlight from him.

  “Safe journey,” he said quietly.

  “Thank you, Gerry.”

  “Gordon and I will hike down the hill with you,” Beth said. She pulled out another flashlight from the well-equipped Rover.