by Hazel Gower
Holly felt the man’s shoulders go up and down in a shrug. “Probably. But if ye get hurt, I’d be beaten.”
“I doubt that. What’s your name?”
“Greggor.”
“Put me down now, Greggor.” Holly had had enough. She hadn’t even been here for a week, and she was already sick of men and their bossy ways, telling her what she could do and being moody. One minute they’re being warm and loving, the other moment cold and commanding. It was hard to go from living all by herself and doing what she liked and having freedom, to being carried around and told what she could and couldn’t do. “Put me down now, or you will regret it.”
Greggor chuckled. “What could ye do to me that would be worse than me laird?”
Holly gave an evil cackle. “You’re not married, are you? You have no idea what a woman could do.”
Greggor put her down and turned her to look at him. “Ye want to cause more trouble? I think ye’ve caused enough.”
Holly saw red. How dare he blame this on her? She had been brought out of her time into a backward place where men fought with swords and let babies fight, where there were no cars or electronics, and it rained all the time. Where she was married to a man she had met not even twenty-four hours before the wedding. She didn’t encourage Callam. She had no idea he had a thing for her. Gathering up her skirts, she snarled at the man towering over her and glaring at her.
“You’re an asshole. I have been brought here to this backwards fucking time against my will, where I have been manhandled and told what I can and can’t do from dawn until dusk. I have had it. I haven’t encouraged any trouble. But I will now, if it will stop this.” With that, she brought her foot up and kicked him in the family jewels, turned, and stalked to the still-fighting men who looked exhausted.
“Stop. Stop it now, both of you. You are brothers.” She got close enough to duck a sword tip. She screamed and told herself that she was an idiot, that as much as she didn’t want to admit it, Greggor was right. The problem was they’d been going all morning and showed no sign of stopping.
Holly’s screaming seemed to get through to them. Swords fell to the ground, and she looked up to see Callam and Duncan, with furious expressions, stalking the couple of steps to her.
“What the hell were ye thinking, Holly?” Duncan lifted her from her crouching position and shook her. “Ye could have been killed. Where are me men that they didn’t stop ye? What the hell was me father thinking? Ye’re a little fool.”
Callam chuckled, and Duncan looked up behind her. “I say, after what she did to Greggor, they stayed away.” Callam winked at her. “I dinna think he’s a fan of yers now.”
Holly huffed, “Greggor wasn’t a fan of me before. I’m a trouble-maker, supposedly.” She rolled her eyes. “’Cause I planned to be taken from my time and brought here so I could be married and bossed around. I can tell you now that I have no idea why either of you want me. I haven’t encouraged you.” She shot a glare at Callam. “I told you last night. I’m a one-man woman. You need to stop your fighting. I’m nothing special, well, besides being from the future.” She added the last in a whisper.
“I’m sorry she got away, Laird. She’s a feisty, mouthy one,” Greggor said behind her.
Holly turned her head to the side as he came up beside her, and she growled at him. Callam and Duncan both laughed. The tension eased around her and Duncan pulled her against his wet body. “Aye, but she’s me feisty, mouthy woman.”
Callam sighed. “I ken she’s yers.” He nodded to her and Duncan and walked away.
Duncan relaxed behind her, and she felt his lips kiss her head. “Come on. Let’s go to nooning meal.”
Holly had no idea what had just happened. But something seemed sorted out, because Duncan let her go, came to her side, held her hand, and everyone seemed to leave. Some followed up to the castle, but everyone seemed to know the show was over. Men. They were so confusing.
Over the next couple of weeks, Holly settled into a routine. After what Greggor had said, she was determined not to cause any more trouble. Holly was going to try to be a good wife, and give living in this century a go. She would keep her opinions to herself, and not interfere in anything.
Holly got up when Duncan did so he could help her with her clothes, and together they went down for breakfast. Callam stayed away from her, and at dinner he sat next to his father and mother. Callam and Duncan seemed to have made up. Duncan’s jealousy stopped, and it was nice to start to feel comfortable at her new home…in some places.
After breakfast on the day after the fight, Duncan left with his men and Magan invited her to the solar with some of the women to sew and do embroidery. The first day, Holly had gone because she was unsure of her welcome if she went to the kitchen and tried to help again, after what she had said with Mary, Edna, Fiona, and Iris. She also hoped that if she could show everyone she was like Magan, they wouldn’t think she was trouble.
Holly learned that sewing wasn’t her thing, and the embroidery had bored her to tears. So she only spent her mornings in the solar, before she went to garden, then spent her late afternoons reading. The second day she went, she tried to talk to the younger women in the solar room, the two women closest to her age, but they gave short clipped answers. They snubbed her because they couldn’t believe a lady didn’t even know how to sew a button properly.
“How can you look after yer husband if ye dinna ken how to mend his clothes? What will happen when ye need decorative items for yer rooms? What about yer children? How will ye ken to help when he needs stitches after a battle?” They shook their heads. “I dinna ken why the laird keeps ye. Since ye have arrived, him and his brother have fought, and ye have openly rejected our ways.”
Holly didn’t know what to say. In her time, she’d never had to worry about any of that. There were shops for anything you needed, and you went to the doctor or hospital if you got hurt. She hadn’t wanted the brothers fighting, and Holly couldn’t help how she felt about their barbaric ways.
Magan had stuck up for Holly, but after those comments, only Magan and a few of the older women talked to her; the others weren’t interested in anything Holly had to say. She tried to engage them a couple more times, but the conversation never took off. After a couple of weeks of this treatment, Holly counted down the hours until she could be away from the women. Holly had never been so glad for nooning meal, because after that, she could be in the gardens, and then before evening meal Duncan gave her horse lessons.
Holly loved Midnight. He was the only thing she seemed to get right and be good at in this century, since she couldn’t sew or do embroidery like a lady should. Duncan told her she was a natural at riding a horse.
The gardening was fun, but the people in charge of the gardens kept everything in pretty good condition, so there wasn’t much for her to do. A lot of the time, Holly just got a book from the library and sat under a tree and read. It was the safest thing for her to do. At least when she did this she didn’t say or do anything wrong. Holly missed her friends, especially Jane. She thought about going and seeing Emily and her children, but wasn’t exactly sure where they lived. Callam had been with her, and they had been to so many places that day. Holly felt like she was going slowly crazy. She didn’t know how long she could keep her mouth shut and pretend to be a good wife.
Today was her birthday. Even though she hadn’t celebrated it last year with the passing of her parents, this year she and Jane had planned to be in London. Holly wondered if Jane would be worried and looking for her, or if she would have given up and gone to celebrate in her name. Holly missed her best friend. Tears streamed down Holly’s face, and she shut the book so her tears didn’t get on the pages. Holly was so lonely. She wiped her eyes as her stomach growled, and she got up and went to lunch.
Duncan met her at the table. Holly turned to him and forced a smile. Her heart still did somersaults at the sight of him, and butterflies exploded in her stomach as soon as he touched her to brush his lips o
ver hers. They’d been married for only around three weeks, and as much as she was growing to love Duncan more every day, she didn’t know if her blossoming love for him and her skills with a horse were enough for her to want to stay in this backward time. Holly wasn’t good at anything a female was supposed to be good at in this time. She was depressed, and couldn’t keep her mouth shut much longer.
Holly wished she hadn’t left it too long, and gone back to the kitchen to help and learn things from the women there. Even being with those women for only a short time, Holly knew they were more like her type of people. Learning something she liked would at least keep her from being bored.
“How has yer morn been?”
She grimaced as the feeling of worthlessness settled in. Holly felt tears slide down her face, and the dam she’d put around her feelings finally burst. “What am I to do? I have no job in this time. I suck so badly at sewing that I can’t even sew a button onto your shirt the right way. I didn’t even know there was a right way. None of the women talk to me, and the only friends I did have, Mary, Edna, Iris, and Fiona, I made angry with me. It’s my birthday today and instead of being with my best friend having fun, I’m upset because I can’t do or say anything right in this time. I have no idea why you’d want me for a wife when I can’t do anything to help this castle. I don’t belong here. I wish I could go home.” She stood, not feeling hungry anymore, and ran out of the castle.
Holly knew she was being silly and childish, but she missed talking to friends and feeling useful. Duncan didn’t answer any of her questions. When she would ask him about things all he would say was it was men’s business. He asked her how her day was but didn’t seem to listen or ask her questions as she answered. All he ever really did was make love to her. She wanted someone to talk to, even if it was mundane things like what the weather was like. Holly missed Jane. She missed having things to do. She hated feeling useless.
Holly ran to the stables. She needed to talk to Midnight.
Chapter Nine
Duncan stared after his wife as she ran out of the keep. He looked to his mother and father, who watched Holly also. They both had deep frowns marring their features.
“Meet me in yer study,” his mother whispered.
His mother stood, and he followed. He heard Callam and his father start rowdy conversations with the men to distract them from what was going on. In his study, he shut the door and turned to his mother. “Why am I in here with ye and nay going after me wife?”
His mother let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “I should nay have brought the lass here. Over the last couple of sennights, have ye nay noticed her unhappiness grow?”
Holly seemed happy when she was with him. If he wasn’t making love to her, he was teaching her how to care for her horse and to ride him. The beast was a placid angel around Holly. It wouldn’t let anyone else ride it or go near it when she wasn’t around.
His mother threw her hands up in the air. “Of course not, because when ye’re not teaching her about horse things, ye are up in yer rooms teaching her other things.”
Duncan felt his cheeks heat at his mother’s bluntness.
“Look, son, the women are all talking. They ken she’s strange, and that’s something coming from our clan. Today in the solar, Holly shocked all the women when she stabbed herself with the needle for the hundredth time and flew into curses no lady should ken. And that’s just today. They have seen her weird footwear.” His mother opened her hand, and lightning flashed out of it and flew circles around her. “I have my powers back. I think I should send her back. I thought this would work, but it’s not. She is nay happy here. We can get ye an annulment or figure out something.”
Duncan took a step away from his mother. Surely, she couldn’t be serious. “If ye tell her ye have yer powers back, I will find a way to go back with her. Ye have nay right to be talking the way ye are. Ye are a witch. Ye are the verra person who brought Holly here. I think ye’re feeling guilty because this is nay going the way ye wished. Ye would send her back because she is different, like most of the people in our clan? What if she carries my bairn? Yer grandbaby.” Duncan wanted to see Holly round with his child. He wanted a little baby with big brown eyes and raven tufts of hair.
“Ye are right. I expected everything to fall into place. I wanted her to be like me idea of a daughter, but she’s nay, and I canna make her into something she is not. She is miserable trying to be something she is nay and keeping quiet in her opinions. Holly isn’t a sewer or embroiderer. She doesn’t want to discuss the stitches or what color would go better with something. I ken she is bored. We need to find something she likes.”
“The kitchen. She liked the women in there.”
His mother nodded. “Ye go find her and talk to her. Nay making grandbabies, let her talk. I’ll go and talk to the kitchen women. I think we should make her something special for her birthday. She told me she liked carrot cake.”
He smiled at his mother before he turned and left in search of his wife. He found her in the stables, talking to her horse.
“You’re my friend, aren’t you? I would have gone crazy without you.” The horse nickered and rubbed against Holly. “Do you think I’ve just made my time here worse with my little outbreak? Maybe Magan will think I’m too crazy for her son and find a way to send me home. Duncan’s dad already doesn’t like me.”
“Ye are home, Holly. And me da does like ye. He’s just worried about the clan.” Duncan pulled Holly to him, only for her to burst into tears.
“I’m miserable here. Let me go home.”
“Nay. Never.” He wouldn’t let her go. He kenned that his life was with her now, and he wasn’t going to live without her. Duncan didn’t care right now if he were being selfish. He loved going to bed each night with her in his arms and waking up in the morning with her on top of him. “Why dinna ye tell me about this being the day of yer birth?”
Holly hiccupped against him and pulled away. “I didn’t know if you celebrated birthdays. Not only that, last year I didn’t celebrate because it felt wrong after losing my parents, and this year I was going to go out with my friend but here it all feels different. I don’t have any friends to talk to and tell things to, and I don’t know what I can do to celebrate.”
“I’m yer friend.”
“No, you’re not. You’re my husband. I know you’re busy being laird.”
“I told ye I would make time for ye. Dinna ye like ye're riding lessons?”
“Yeah, I do.” She reached up and brushed her lips over his, lingering against them. “I just wish I could spend time with you other times. I want to help the clan. I want to help you. I want to see what you do as laird. I don’t expect to watch you and help you every day, just an hour or so every couple of days. I know we have time to talk and get to know each other every night and most mornings, but you want...” Holly turned a pretty red. “I want to do other things.”
“I can do that. It would be good for ye to learn what I do.” Duncan should have thought of what Holly had suggested, but he’d been so busy trying to sort out the border feud and get used to his married life, it just hadn’t occurred to him. Duncan wasn’t used to having someone to talk to every night, or ask opinions on things. He usually asked his parents or brother. Holly was his wife, and they should be partners like his parents were. “Come back with me and we’ll get some food.”
She nodded, and they started the walk back to the keep.
“How about we go to the loch?”
Holly’s eyes brightened, and she beamed up at him. “I would love that.”
“Morrow morn I can take ye down to see Emily. I ken you liked her.”
Holly threw her arms around him. “Thank you. That would be great.”
Duncan held Holly tight, breathing in her flowery scent. He went back over everything she said in the keep. “Ye ken, Holly, that I dinna want ye to be someone ye’re nay. I dinna need ye to be good at sewing or embroidery. I have people to do that for me, us. I dinna mar
ry ye so ye could do any of that. Ye are nay useless. Ye do other things like yer gardening, and I kenned ye liked the kitchen. I just want ye to be happy. I dinna care what others think. I’m the laird and I kenned ye were mine from the moment I met ye. I dinna and still nay care what ye can and can’t do for this clan. Ye do everything for me. I want ye to be yerself. I want ye happy like ye make me.”
Holly kissed him and ran her fingers through his hair. Her tongue sought his, and he savored her sweet taste. Slowly, she eased away, her fingers still threaded through his braid. “I make you happy?”
“Aye, Holly, ye do.”
Holly walked hand in hand with Duncan to the kitchen to get some food before they went to the loch. She was excited to go back to the gorgeous watering hole. The place was right out of a fantasy, with bushes surrounding the clear water with boulders placed around it. Holly had wanted to go again, but she hadn’t known where to go. This time she would watch so she could come back on her own.
They arrived at the kitchen, and Mary smiled as she came in. “Mistress Holly, it’s good to see ye in here. We have nay seen ye since ye spent the morn. I hope we dinna scare ye off.”
“No. You didn’t do anything. I thought after what I said and how you reacted you’d not want me in here making you feel uncomfortable, or saying things that offend you.”
“I ken ye was brought up different,” Edna said to her as she cut some bread. “We all have different ways. I’m sure there’ll be things that I’ll think is wrong, and ye’ll get upset over.”
Holly felt a weight lift off her. She’d not come back to help in the kitchen because she’d thought she offended them. “I’m so happy I didn’t offend any of you. I’d love to spend my mornings in here helping. I’m not the sewer or embroiderer.”
“Dinna worry, me Lady, I’m not verra good at that either,” Edna smiled at her.
Duncan cleared his throat loudly. “Now that is sorted out, I’d like something to eat for Lady Holly and I. Something special would be nice, as it’s the day of her birth today.”