She was lost in thought about the arch when she noticed that the kitchen was silent and the workers stood watching her. Alex stood at the door, his face reddened and angry.
"Maggie, come wi' me now." His tone made everyone present cringe at its severity.
She wiped her hands on a towel and followed him from the room. He preceded her into the great hall and reached back to grab her wrist before they were halfway through the room. She had to jog to keep up with his long, fast strides. At the landing to the stairs, they passed Anice's maid. Her expression, gloating and smirking, made Maggie want to slap her. She resisted since she could tell there was trouble afoot already.
Alex pushed open the door to their room and pulled her inside. He slammed the door closed behind them.
"Get on the bed."
She stood in front of him, rubbing her wrist when he found the extra belt in the trunk. This had better work, he thought. If Anice and her insulted pride was not satisfied, they were in deep trouble.
When he doubled his belt, all color drained from her face. She started shaking her head at him and backed away a few steps. He followed her movements and pointed at the bed with the belt he held. Knowing that there were people outside their door ready to report back to Anice, he raised his voice.
"I told ye to get on the bed, now!" She jumped at his harshness but climbed up on the bed as he had commanded.
"Ye will know yer place from now on." Alex raised his arm and struck the bed with the heavy leather belt. Maggie screamed in fear before she realized where the blow was aimed. Perfect.
"Ye have no right to approach the lady Anice or to speak to her without her permission." His voice got louder and he struck again. Maggie swayed on the bed and moaned loudly.
"Ye are here to serve me, and ye will not put on false airs around others." He hoped the bedcover wouldn't tear. Maggie screamed a moment after the blow landed.
"Do not move from this room until I give ye the word. Ye will learn." He held a finger to his lips and moved to the door. "I'll be back later. Stay here," he whispered.
He pulled the door open and several women scattered down the hall. He stepped out of the room and, muttering under his breath, he made a big show of tossing the belt back into the bedchamber before slamming the door closed. Hopefully, their little act would satisfy everyone's hurt pride, and things would quiet back down. He hoped.
Chapter 17
"My God, Maggie, what could ye have been thinking of?"
Searching through her backpack with her back to the door, she hadn't heard him come in. She jumped at his words and turned toward him. Which Alex would this be—the sensitive man who comforted her at night or the angry warrior who had shown his face today?
"What could I have been thinkin' of? Maybe just the way for us to get home. How's that?" Sarcasm, her best weapon.
"The way home? Really? What did ye find?"
He took her by the shoulders and pulled her close to him. She couldn't help the fear that entered her eyes, and she knew he saw it. He took a step back from her and released his tight grip on her arms.
"Are ye all right?" He perused her face and eyes. "I mean, after this afternoon? I must have frightened ye when I dragged ye in here and swung the belt?"
"Yes, you did, Alex. And I don't know what to expect now." Maggie rubbed her upper arms as she walked over to the small window to await his response. It would tell her more about their predicament than anything else that came later.
"Maggie, I am struggling, too, to find my way through this world. When ye burst into the village screaming my name, I could see the shock on the villagers' faces who heard ye. They can blame much on yer being an out-lander, but today ye crossed even that line."
"But, Alex..."
"No, Maggie, no buts. We canna get home if we're killed or maimed here. We must watch our step even more closely. Ye must behave inside the role ye play."
"Is that why you dragged me up here and pretended to beat me?"
He walked closer to her and raised his hand to her cheek. She tried not to flinch or pull away, but his violent explosion earlier had deeply frightened her. He touched her face gently with his fingertips.
"I had to show that I could control ye, Maggie. The clan needed to see a demonstration of that, and I gave them one. But, Maggie," he paused, "I am sorry that I made ye fear me."
"I'll be okay. You really surprised me, that's all."
He pulled her over to the bed and sat beside her. "So, tell me now what ye found."
"The arch, Alex, I found the arch!"
"Where is it? How did ye find it?"
"It's here. It's part of the new section of wall that Struan is building. I was getting some herbs from the far gardens for Odara and I felt it."
"Ye felt it. What do ye mean?"
"First, I heard it. I heard a buzzing noise that got louder and louder as I walked closer. Then, when I raised my hand to the stones, I experienced the same shock I felt at the festival."
"I do not feel anything from the stones. When did ye notice it?"
"I touched the arch when I found it. I've been doing that all over Scotland and England—touching ancient walls and buildings. Anyway, I felt a pulsing in the arch that day, almost like an electrical current in the stones."
"Did it hurt ye?" He was watching her closely.
"No, it didn't hurt or feel bad at first. When you sat next to me on the wall, the pulsing became stronger, hotter. Then, well, you know what happened."
"And this arch, ye felt it here, too?"
"Yes, I did." She pulled her legs under her skirt and sat facing him on the bed. "It was stronger and louder here, maybe because the arch is new? I touched it and felt the same sensations again, only much more this time."
"Did ye try to go through? Did ye try to see if it worked?"
She had thought about trying it. For a moment, she had thought of nothing but escaping and getting home. But after that instant of self-preservation passed, Alex had entered her thoughts. They had come here together for some reason and they had to get home together. She knew that, felt that, deep inside. They were joined by fate in whatever was going on and, until they both left, neither one would be able to alone.
"No," she shook her head, "I didn't. I wanted to tell you about it first."
"I thank ye for no' leaving me behind." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on her forehead.
"I can take you there now that it's dark out. Come on." She slid from the bed and took his hand. Dropping his hand, she walked over to the door and opened it.
"Wait, Maggie. We canna go yet." He reached over her head to push the door closed again.
"Why not?"
"Because the hall is still filled. We must wait a bit more unless we want witnesses or even companions."
"You're right, Alex. We'd better wait." She watched him begin to pace over to the window and back again.
Smiling at his unconscious habit, she sat on the bed. "Is there something you'd like to talk about? Something worrying you?"
"Nay. Do ye have something ye wish to speak about?"
He had changed, just a bit, but enough for her to notice, since he had arrived. First, the Gaelic, and now, his use of physical means to solve a problem. This might be her chance to learn about him before he changed even more.
"You never mentioned what you did, back home, I mean."
He paused and looked at her for a few moments before answering. Almost as if he'd forgotten already!
"I was... am an accountant, soon to be a partner in Friedman, Thompson and Bansch, a CPA firm."
"You're an accountant?" Her mouth dropped in surprise.
"Aye. Why are ye giving me such a look? Don't I look like an accountant?"
She couldn't help it; she broke out in laughter, right in his surprised face. He glanced down at his clothes and then looked around the room. When he realized what she was laughing at, he joined her.
"Ye are right, lass, right now, I do not look much like an accountant.
But I am one, a damn good one."
"Now I understand some of your discomfort being in this situation."
"Ye do?"
Maggie joined him where he had stopped in his pacing. She touched his forearm when she was close enough.
"You are used to order in your work, not chaos. Things in straight lines and numbers that always behave the way they should. I'll bet you run your life that way, too?" At his nod, she continued, "Oh, Alex, how difficult it must be now that we've been thrown into a world so different from ours. Nothing where or as it should be. Nothing orderly. No one behaving civilly. No one following the rules. You must be lost."
She couldn't help herself. She reached up, slipped her arms under his, and wrapped them around him. At first, he held himself rigidly in her embrace. Then she felt him relax.
"But, you're enjoying this, aren't you? This time and this place have given you freedom, a chance to be a different man than the one behind the desk. The question for you is, how will you go back to being that Alex?" Maggie raised her face to look at him and was startled by the intent gaze that met hers.
"Is that why ye are such a good teacher? Ye know what yer bairns are troubled by even afore they understaun themselves?"
He never gave her a chance to reply. She couldn't speak even if she wanted to because his mouth covered hers an instant after he'd asked his question.
While she could still think coherently, she realized that this kiss was different than the others they had shared. Some had been blatant, to show Alex's ownership, and the one by the lake had turned into something very sexual. This kiss was somehow deeper, more caring.
* * *
Although nearly a stranger to him, she had been able to see his troubled emotions and confusion. He touched her lips gently at first, rubbing his over and over hers. When she opened to take a breath, he slipped his tongue inside and tasted her mouth. He moved his arm to her waist and pulled her closer. He held her tightly in his embrace and continued to touch and taste her with his mouth. His body reacted to her softness, but not with the blinding wave of lust he had experienced by the lake. He just wanted to hold her, keep her touching him with her words and her body. This kiss gave him comfort, and he luxuriated in the warmth of her spirit as well as her body. Her concern and caring were clear in her acceptance of this touching. He lifted his head back and took a breath.
Her eyes were closed, so he waited for her to open them and look at him.
"I have been tortured by the same thoughts since before this happened. Could I survive as the man I had become? I had a chance here to be something, someone different. In spite of the uncertainty and some fear, I do feel as though I've been set free. But which one is the real person, Maggie? Which one will I be if we get back home?"
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him strongly before she answered.
"First of all, it's when we get back home. And, second, I think you're just seeing a different part of your personality. I think the barbarian, warrior Alex has been there, but you use the controlled, organized Alex to restrain him." She reached up and caressed his face. "Since we're here for now, you may as well look the part. With this beard you're growing and the wild hair, you do look like the barbarian Scot."
His heart contracted at the tone of her voice and her soothing touch on his face. He didn't understand his feelings toward her or himself. Oh, he recognized the sexual attraction, that was the clearest and most unmistakable of everything he felt. It was the rest of the feelings that caused him restless nights and preoccupied days. Escape, his mind whispered, escape.
"I'll be right back. I will check to see if we can go undetected." He stepped out of her arms and went to the door. "You may want to gather yer things. If this works, we will be going home." He waited for her acknowledgment and left, pulling the door closed behind him. He paused, leaning back on the frame of the door, and listened to Maggie's movements in the room. "Home," he had told her. Home? The word and thoughts of that place did not give him the same sense of comfort that being held in her arms did.
Pushing away from the doorway, he strode down the hall toward the stairway to the great room. The sound of a few voices traveled to him, but the place was definitely quieting down for the night. Luckily for them, late-night television had not been invented yet. Alex walked back to his room and knocked on the door.
"Come, Maggie, 'tis time."
Chapter 18
"Ouch!"
"Haud yer wheesht, Maggie. Keep yer voice down."
"I'm sorry, Alex," she answered in a loud whisper, "but I can't see the ground, and I just rammed my toe into a rock."
He slowed his stride and grabbed her hand, pulling her close. "The moon is favoring us by not being full, but I know it's difficult to see the ground. Let's take it a wee bit slower."
She nodded at his comment and pointed off in one direction. "It's over that way, Alex. I'm sure of it." But she wasn't sure of it. They had searched for nearly an hour for the right construction area, but the dark of the moon that covered their steps also made that search difficult.
"All right, lass, let's try that direction for a bit." She let him lead the way while she concentrated on not injuring her swelling toe again. After a few minutes of walking, she pulled him to a stop. A shiver ran through her body and the hairs on her neck stood on end.
"Do you feel that, Alex?" Her skin puckered into thousands of goose bumps and her breath caught in her throat.
"I do not feel anything but ye are trembling, Maggie." He turned to face her. "Are we close?"
"We must be. The sensations are much stronger now than this afternoon." She rubbed her arms to try to get rid of the tingling in her skin. It didn't help.
Alex put his arm around her shoulder and moved them forward. They rounded a corner of the new wall, and Maggie stopped dead in her tracks.
"There it is, Alex. The arch."
She heard him expel a loud breath and felt his arm slip from her shoulders. The tension within her grew, coiling in her stomach and chest. The loud buzzing invaded her ears and made her head spin. Fearing she would fall over, she grabbed at Alex and took hold of his arm.
"Maggie? Are ye sick? I can feel yer shaking. Take a deep breath, now." He guided her over to the wall and leaned her against it for support. Her body would not respond to his command, and her breath came in shallow pants. The power emanating from the arch was too strong.
"It's the arch. Can't you hear that sound? Can't you feel the vibrations?" She couldn't believe that he was oblivious to all of the effects that were pulsing through her.
"I'm sorry, lass, ye are the only one being affected by it. I feel fine." He looked over at the arch and then back at her. "Stay here while I look closer."
She watched as he approached the stone structure. She tensed, waiting to feel what Alex's nearness to the arch did to the vibrations. Her lungs hurt from the need to take a deep breath and her eyes teared from the pain inside her head. She clenched her teeth, preparing for more pain, but it didn't come. Alex's presence caused no change in the pulsing power surrounding her.
She squinted in the shadows, trying to see his movements. It was just too damn dark to see much. Maggie slumped against the wall, gathering her strength. His reappearance at her side startled her.
"Sorry, lass, I do not mean to frighten ye even more."
"Well?"
"Weel what?"
"Did you see or feel anything over there?"
"Nay, Maggie. I couldna feel anything different about that arch. Are ye sure it's the one?"
"Oh, yes, Alex, I'm sure."
"Shall we give it a try then?" She nodded at him. "Weel, take my arm and I will help ye over there. Is yer head still aching?"
"Yes, Alex. It hurts from this." She waved at the arch.
"Can I carry yer pack for ye?"
"No, thank you. I'd better carry it since I brought it through the first time."
Thankfully, the noise and pulsations did not increase as they neared the arch. They
approached slowly, with Maggie leaning on Alex's arm for support. The dizziness moved through her in waves, and she fought to keep her eyes focused on their way home.
"How should we do this, Maggie?"
"I'm not sure. From what I remember of the other ruins, I think we came in from this side." Maggie pointed to the near side of the opening. "We were sitting on a wall, and fell that way." She gestured from right to left. "Does that match what you remember?"
"Aye, it does. Weel, shall we?"
She wrapped her arms around his one, closed her eyes tightly, and murmured a brief prayer as they advanced on the stone gateway. They paused and simultaneously held their breath. Then together, they entered the overhead curve of stone.
* * *
"Bloody hell!"
"Alex?"
"Open yer eyes, Maggie. We are still here." He watched as she opened her eyes a scant sliver and closed them again. Her trembling had lessened. "Do ye still feel anything?"
"Yes. The same." Her voice was barely a whisper, so weak.
"It does not work, Maggie. Any suggestions?" He ran his free hand through his hair.
"Let's try going back through, in the other direction."
He turned and led her to the edge of the structure. He could still feel nothing like what she described. No pulsations, no vibrations, no noise. "Ready?" At her nod, he took a step forward.
Two more steps took them through and out the other side.
He let out the breath he was holding. "God damn it!"
Before he could utter another curse, he felt Maggie sag at his side. He caught her and lifted her gently in his arms, walking away from the damned arch. She tried to struggle, but her feeble protests never slowed his pace.
"How is yer head?"
"Better now, Alex, this is far enough away."
He stopped and put her feet back on the ground. He kept a strong hold on her waist until she stopped swaying.
"The noise, the vibrations? Have they stopped?"
A Love Through Time Page 12