by Hazel Gower
Mary beamed at her. “I have some fruit tarts here, but I’ll make you a nice surprise to have after evening meal.
Holly smiled. She wouldn’t stay quiet anymore. She wasn’t going to be something she wasn’t. If Duncan was happy and her kitchen friends could forgive her, she could be who she was, and everyone else would just have to get used to her.
Chapter Ten
They’d spent the morning at the loch, and Holly knew she’d be able to find it if she needed to now. She and Duncan sat in a gorgeous meadow filled with bluebells, eating the lunch Mary had packed for them.
“Can I ask ye why I was ye first at yer age? Ye're so beautiful.” Duncan’s question startled her, and Holly had to think on her answer.
“In my time, I’m not all that special, well, I don’t feel it. There are so many people, and we use technology that helps our looks.” Holly smiled brightly, showing her teeth. “My straight teeth are because I had braces. They are a device that stays on your teeth to help them into the right place.”
“Me mother helped my teeth, and my brother’s, with a spell.”
Holly shivered, not a fan of the magic she’d seen so far from Magan.
Duncan chuckled. “Mother does other magic besides meddling in me life and bringing women to me.”
“Do you have any powers?” Holly was curious, though she hadn’t seen him use any. His father had said when he and Callam had fought the big fight, they had both been using their powers.
“Aye, I have them. I suppress them. It is nay good to show ye're too different in this time. But what powers I have do help me and those around me. I have increased strength, stamina, commanding presences, so much so that nay one but ye and me parents ever say nay to me, and I can cast spells. I have a protection spell around MacLeod land that stops any witch hunters from coming onto me land, or anyone who would harm the supernatural. I also have a spell that pulls supernatural people here, so they ken where to go to be safe.”
“What powers does the rest of your family have?”
Duncan grinned. “Well as ye ken me mother can do spells, make things appear and disappear, bring things forward or back like in time like she did ye. She also has healing powers. Me da has the same as me. Although he is more powerful with his spells.”
“And Callam?”
“Callam has the strength, stamina, and charm. He got mother’s healing as well.”
Holly leaned into Duncan and rested her head on his chest, content just to cuddle. “It explains why he said his charm should get me.”
Duncan wrapped his hands around her waist and growled, “Ye dinna fall for it cos ye are mine.” He pulled her back against him and nuzzled her neck. “Ye have nay finished me question. Why are ye nay married at yer age?”
“In my time, my age is still considered very young. I know women marry young here, but lots of people don’t get married until a lot later in life where I’m from.” Holly shrugged. “I was asked on dates all the time. My father said I drew people, especially men, boys, like bees to honey. I was just never fond of the guys my age because they all seemed so immature.” She sighed and winked at Duncan. “I‘ve always had a thing for older men. I like the conversation better. They have more life experience. The boys who asked me out were all from my school or another close by, and I got the same lines all the time. ‘Hey, babe, you’re hot. Want me to cool you down?’ or ‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’” She couldn’t even say that line without rolling her eyes. “I was never interested in any of them. Jane called me a man magnet. She said they took one look at me and fell in love. She would laugh because I have even had women crack onto me.”
Holly turned to see Duncan’s eyes widen as a smirk came over his face. She straddled his lap and took Duncan’s lips to hers. “I had kissed before, but nothing like what it feels like when I kiss you.”
“Good. Ye're mine. I’m glad I’m the only one who can make ye feel this.” He captured her mouth again with a kiss that spoke of possession and need that Holly knew would always be there. Duncan pulled back as a twig snapped. He flung her off him and stood with his sword ready, facing the woods.
Five men broke through the trees, none as big as Duncan but they all held swords and each wore a fierce scowl. But nothing was as scary as Duncan’s face.
“McCoys, what are ye doing on MacLeod land?”
“We came to get some of our sheep back, but yer lass looks much better to take,” said the smallest of the bunch, a stocky black-haired man, leering at her.
“Over me cold, dead body.” The steel in Duncan’s voice had Holly shivering and feeling sorry for the men.
“That can be arranged.” The five men charged Duncan and she screamed, backing up.
Holly watched, fascinated and terrified, as Duncan took on five men, and none of their swords came close to scratching him. Duncan looked magnificent, an avenging god in action. His muscles bulged, and the fierce determination entrenched on his face alone should have killed the men. Duncan seemed to be everywhere, and soon one man fell, and another.
Holly debated if she should go and get help, but she didn’t want to leave Duncan alone, and he did look like he was handling it. When two more men came out of the brush and one came at Duncan’s back, Holly knew she needed to help him. Scrambling back, she stood and looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Grabbing the knives they’d used to eat with, she carefully stalked the one who was going for Duncan’s back.
When she was close enough, she jumped on his back as he went for Duncan, who was successfully holding off the other men. “You are a coward,” she yelled, furious at the man who was attacking Duncan from behind. The man fought back, and Holly knew her life was in grave danger. Using all her strength, she stabbed his neck.
“Ye whore,” he grunted, which turned into a gurgle as he clutched the knives she’d stuck into his neck. Blood poured from his wounds, and Holly knew she’d cut an artery. She fell off him, terrified of what she’d done.
“I’m… I… Oh, God, what have I done… I’m sorry.”
One of the attackers roared with rage as he saw the man Holly had killed. The man ran at Holly with death for her clear in his eyes. Holly stumbled and backed up. She must have given Duncan the advantage, because as the man’s sword was inches from her, Duncan spun him around and impaled him on his bloody sword.
Holly looked around her to see all the strange men dead. Her eyes flashed to Duncan, who stared down at her, covered in blood and looking the scariest she’d ever seen him.
“What the hell where ye thinking, woman?”
“I’ve killed a man,” she whispered before she turned and threw up until she was dry heaving. Holly felt Duncan’s hand on her back, and she flinched away. Suddenly she stood. “I need to get clean.” Running as fast as she could, she ran to the loch. She needed to be clean. Oh, God, she’d killed a man.
Duncan’s heart broke at the look on Holly face as she’d looked at him and whispered those words. When he’d touched her, she’d flinched away from him. Duncan hadn’t realized that he’d been sheltering Holly from this side of him, from this side of his time. He’d told her it was dangerous, but he hadn’t told her about the raiding, the killings, or all the feuding that went on.
“I need to get clean.” Holly ran toward the loch, and he gripped his sword tighter and followed, worried she might run into more trouble. The loch was a good hour-long run from here.
His wife was fast. She ran nimbly through the bushes around them. Holly reached the loch before he even caught up. As he came upon her, he stood frozen and watched as she yanked her garments off and screamed, “I need to get clean. Argh. I need to be clean. So much blood.”
He stood stunned as she scrubbed herself until her skin was red. When she started to bleed from the scrubbing, he undid his plaid and walked into the loch to hold her tight. “That’s enough, angel.”
Holly fought his hold. “Let me go. I’m so dirty. I need to get rid of the blood.”
He carried Holly out of the water and put her down, then picked up his kilt and wrapped her in his plaid. Uncaring of his own nudity, he picked her back up and carried her, shaking and raving about being dirty, back to the keep. When they reached the tree line, his men came to them and took in the situation.
“What happened?” Mason asked.
“Seven McCoys came upon us. They are in the bluebells meadow. Go get them, and someone go and get Lady Holly’s gown from the loch. I’d like a plaid too.”
As he spoke, Holly rocked in his arms and scrubbed at her skin. Duncan was worried, and he held her hands and hoped his mother would ken what to do.
Holly muttered, “Nooo. Let me go, I need to get clean. There is so much blood on me. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t… I killed.”
Mason’s eyes widened, and Duncan nodded. A plaid was wrapped around him and Mason left to do his bidding.
Carefully, with his precious bundle in his arms, he walked to the castle. He prayed his mother could help Holly.
He was glad when he arrived at the keep doors, and his mother was there, one of his men whispering to her.
“What happened to her?” His mother’s eyes were wide as she took everything in.
“We were ambushed by seven McCoys.”
Holly rambled on, repeating what she had been saying for the hour he’d been carrying her. Duncan was terrified that she wouldn’t survive this without hurting herself more than his mother could fix.
“Oh, Duncan. She’s in shock. Get her in yer bed, and I’ll get her a potion to sleep.”
It had been three days, and Holly had barely moved. She sat rocking, or lay without moving in their bed. Duncan didn’t ken if Holly would ever recover.
Finally, he kenned what he had to do. He could nay watch her the way she was anymore; it was breaking his heart. He gathered his mother, da, and Callam in his sitting room, where Duncan looked at all the people he loved.
“She is nay getting better.” Duncan looked at his mother. “I love her. I canna keep her here like she is. She needs to go back to her time.” He ran his fingers through his hair and felt his heart breaking into a million pieces. “Ye all ken I will go with her. I will nay leave her.”
His mother stood and nodded. Callam looked away, but his jaw was clenched, along with his fists.
His father response surprised him; he shook his head. “Let me go talk to her, son.”
Duncan shrugged, sure, what could it hurt. “Aye, we’ll wait here.”
Holly couldn’t get past what she’d done. She had taken a man’s life. Holly felt dirty, and her whole body ached. She felt like she needed to purge herself. She couldn’t move, and couldn’t believe what she’d done. She told herself that she’d saved the man she loved, but was that worth the price that was paid?
Holly didn’t know how long she lay unmoving. She went to the bathroom, and she couldn’t remember the last time she even did that. In the back of Holly’s mind, she knew if she kept this up, she would make herself crazy, if she wasn’t already. She would get sicker, and if she didn’t eat and drink something, she would die. Did she want to die? No, she didn’t.
Holly heard the door open and close, and she shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep, so she wouldn’t have to face Duncan.
“I ken ye're awake, lass. Sit up and listen to what I’m going to say to ye.” Duncan’s father’s stern voice had Holly obeying, shocked that he was in her room. “Do ye love me son?”
Holly wondered why he would ask that question of her first, instead of asking about what had happened, what she had done. “Yes. I love him, more every day.” Holly didn’t hesitate to answer his easy question.
He nodded. “Ye do realize if ye go back to yer time, ye will nay see him again? He’d want to come with ye and I could nay allow that. He belongs here as the laird.”
Holly frowned, realizing this whole time she had laid in the bedroom, she hadn’t thought once about going home. She sat up straighter and stared at the man before her. He smiled at her.
“I can see from yer face that it has nay crossed yer mind. Ye’d think after what happened, ye'd be begging to be sent back.”
Holly blinked. “You’re right. It never even crossed my mind. I can’t leave him.”
The smile on his face got bigger and his eyes grew bright. “I was wrong about ye.” He came to her and kissed her forehead. “Be strong. To be safe in this time ye have to do things ye dinna agree with or like. Stay strong to yer beliefs but keep in mind because of ye, me son and ye live. Unfortunately, it is the way of the world. I thank ye for what ye did. Ye were brave. The right kind of lass to help lead this clan.” His smile turned wicked. “We may even learn something from ye. Ye never know what ye could do. Take what ye have done and learn from it.” He helped her up. “Come on. No more dwelling on what canna be changed.”
Holly grinned. She liked Duncan’s father.
Duncan was shocked when his da and his wife came out of his chambers. Holly was dressed and looked almost normal again. She came straight to him and wrapped her arms around him.
“I would kill him again to save you. I’m sorry I lost it.” Holly gazed up at him with big soulful brown pools.
“Come on, let’s go. They need to talk alone.” His da winked at him as he gathered his brother and mother, and ushered them out of the room.
Duncan breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed her tight. “Mother has her powers back to send ye. I understand if ye want to go back to yer time. To yer home. I will nay stop ye, but I’m coming with ye. I’m sorry I could nay protect ye.”
Her heart broke that he wanted to send her home. Gathering her strength, she shook her head. “No, I am home. No more talking about that. It is not an option. You are laird and need to stay here. I’m here for good.” She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down to her.
“Thank ye.”
She signed inwardly, hoping that the ‘thank you’ meant he wanted to keep her, then forced a smile and whispered, “Make love to me.”
Lifting her into his arms, he took her lips, savoring everything that was his.
When she and Duncan emerged from their room the next day, Magan hugged her.
“I love ye, Holly. Dinna scare us like that again.” Magan placed a bunch of keys in Holly’s hand. “Ye're the Lady of the Keep now, so ye need the keys. These will open all the doors in the castle. If anyone needs things from the storage rooms, or if we have guests, ye're now in charge of the keys and everything to get organized. If ye need any help, just ask, but I have faith ye can do it.”
Clenching the keys in her hand, she smiled at Magan, feeling honored Magan had given her the responsibility. “I’m glad you have faith in me that I can be a good lady of the keep.”
“Ye're different, but after ye helped me son, I ken ye have the strength and determination it will take to be the best Lady of MacLeods. I’m sorry I didn’t see it before now. I should have. We are all different in this clan and bring different qualities; ye bring yer own too.”
Holly hugged Magan. “Thank you.”
Magan patted her back. “Ye know where to find me if ye need me.”
Holly nodded, and Magan walked toward the solar.
Holly spent the morning after breakfast in the kitchen, and as she rolled and bashed the dough, she listened to the women gossip and joined in, feeling for the first time since arriving that she could really do this. The women were lovely, and she knew they would become close friends.
After her talk with Magan, she felt like she had a purpose now. If Holly were going to live in the past with Duncan for good, she was going to make some changes, though. She wasn’t going to keep her mouth shut. She would voice her opinions, and Holly was going to learn to protect herself. She thought of weapons and settled on knives, after she went snooping in the weapons area. Knives were easy to hide, and she hoped she could learn to throw them. She would learn to be deadly. Holly was determined to find something to make her special to the clan.
Duncan let
her follow him around for the afternoon. He told her about helping his tenants, and he told her that he and Callam split duties of running the castle. He showed her his study and sat her down with the ledgers and books.
“We do well. Our wool is prized, and I hire out some of me men.”
Holly looked down at the messy writing and numbers. “Whose writing is this? It is messy?”
Duncan groaned. “The pens are too small for me to grip with me fingers.”
Holly laughed and sat in his chair. “Poor, baby.” She patted his arm. Looking down at the books and papers in front of her, Holly could see that everything was really easy. Basic math, mostly. “I can do this for you if you’d like.” She picked up the quill and the paper she’d been shown, and started writing and working.
“Where did you learn to do this?”
Focusing on the messy writing, she calculated the amount before answering. “I told you when I first arrived that I went to school. I would have been at university if I was in my time. It is compulsory for children from the age of five or six to go to school and learn. You go to school for thirteen years and then, if you want to, you can advance your studies in a certain field to help get a job. I was going to become a teacher.”
“What would you have taught?”
“I love children. I would have taught the younger children, and that is a bit of everything. English, math, geography, and history.”
Duncan grunted. “Why would ye need to teach English?”
“I teach it so they know how to write and understand what the meanings of some words are.”
“History, do ye ken much about Scotland?”
Holly tensed, unsure what she should say. Holly didn’t want to change anything important and worry Duncan. “King James will take over after Elisabeth. I don’t know much, and I think it would be best if I don’t tell you and interfere.”