“Lady Laurie? My sword?”
“Please just call me Laurie.”
“Put away for safe keeping,” Patrick said. “We would not want anyone to get hurt by mistake.”
Or on purpose. “I ken how to use it.”
“That is of interest. How did you come by such skill, Isobell?”
“Can the two of you call a truce?” Lady Laurie’s fists were on her hips and she glowered at her husband. “Let’s leave what’s in the past in the past.”
Patrick responded with an abrupt nod and refrained from further comment.
Isobell was more than thankful she wasn’t wed to Patrick.
What of the man to whom she was wed? Had he survived the suspected poison? One moment he was fine. More than fine. Heat stole up her chest as she thought of what they’d done in the marriage bed. The next, he accused her of poisoning him.
If she hadn’t been the one, then who?
“I need to go back and find out if Archie is all right and learn who gave him the poison. Tell me how to return home.”
“Whoa. Slow down, Isobell,” Patrick said. “If he truly snored when you left him, I doubt he was poisoned.”
“You do care for him.” Lady Laurie grinned.
“If he wasn’t poisoned, why would he accuse me of such?”
“He must have believed it at the time. Laurie is right. We all need sleep. Tomorrow, you will tell us the entire tale and we will figure out how best to deal with whatever has happened.” Patrick folded his arms over his chest. The chief had spoken. Or whatever he was now.
“Ignore him.” Laurie opened a door on the front of a very large, shiny, silver box. “You will find this time has wonderful conveniences. This is the refrigerator; it’s a cold box, where we keep perishable foods. If you feel hungry during the night, feel free to help yourself to whatever you find.”
“Thank you.” Wondrous indeed.
Laurie placed a hunk of cheese and an apple on a small plate and handed it to Isobell. Then she poured something from an odd-shaped pitcher into a mug. Isobell sniffed the drink. It smelled like the spiced cider she was used to at home.
There were other unusual furnishings in the chamber, but she could learn more about them at another time. She did need to sleep to get her strength back.
They climbed wide, straight steps to a second floor. ’Twas incomprehensible that Patrick would live in such an indefensible home.
Laurie stopped in front of a doorway and faced Isobell with a smile. “We light our chambers with…special lamps. Switches just inside turn them on and off.” She reached inside and pushed a wee knob up. Light drenched the chamber afore them.
Isobell jumped back. Then she stepped forward, reached inside the door, and pushed the knob down. The chamber went dark. She flicked it up—light. She felt her grin all the way to her toes. What a marvelous place—faerieland.
“’Tis a lovely chamber.” Like naught she’d ever seen. The walls were pale yellow with curtains that had flowers on them. A rug of blue and gold wool graced the polished wood floor. Such a luxury to have wood floors instead of cold stone. The large bed took up most of the room and had many plump pillows, and puffy linens that matched the curtains.
There was no fireplace yet the chamber was warm. How could that be?
“There is a bathroom—a bathing chamber through the other door. Come I’ll show you how it works.”
Laurie placed the tray on a table next to the bed and led the way into the bathing chamber. Isobell trailed fingers over the bedding in passing, looking forward to sleeping in the big bed. In the bathing chamber, she had to cover her mouth with a hand to muffle a gasp. Everything was white, except for fluffy yellow and blue drying cloths. And shiny silver spigots.
“You’ll get used to it.” Laurie chuckled. “The knobs on the right are for cold water, left for hot.”
Isobell watched the demonstration in awe. She doubted she’d ever get used to such wonders. Such luxury.
Laurie reached an arm behind a glass wall. “The shower works with a twist of this knob. Part way is cold. All the way is hot. I usually prefer it in the middle like this.”
Water rained from a large square spigot just above head level. Wondrous indeed.
“This is the toilet, like in the garderobe at Castle Lachlan, but better. After you, you know, press this knob and, you know, everything flushes away.” Laurie demonstrated.
Isobell giggled. “May I use it now?”
“Of course. I’ll wait out there until you’re done.”
When Isobell returned to the bedchamber, Laurie looked up from her perch on the bed. “I hope you’ll let me be your friend. I understand that the MacLachlan men can try your patience on occasion. I don’t believe Archie is the monster your father made him out to be. From my experience, he is a good man.”
Isobell nodded, but could she trust the woman?
“I’ll leave so you can eat.” Laurie rose and walked to the door then looked back. “I’ll bring you a clean nightgown.”
Isobell plopped onto the bed and devoured the fruit and cheese. Before she finished the cider, Laurie returned.
“Here. It’s hardly been worn.” The woman blushed.
Heat scorched Isobell’s cheeks too. “Thank you. I appreciate your kindness.”
“I know what it’s like to find yourself in a time not your own.”
“But faerieland…”
“Iain told the truth. This is not faerieland. It’s the future where I came from before I landed in your time and met Patrick.”
“Oh.”
“Sleep well.” Laurie left her alone.
Isobell doubted she’d be able to sleep. The future… Was it possible?
Using the shower in the bathing chamber was a delight. She donned the borrowed nightgown and slid between crisp sheets. Patrick must be very wealthy in this time to afford such luxury.
The thought of Patrick brought thoughts of Archibald. Had she been wrong to believe Da? Would Archie forgive her if she returned to him? If she could return to him?
Did she want to return to him?
CHAPTER NINE
Isobell woke slowly, rays of sunlight warming her face. Then she startled. She was in a strange bed. In a strange chamber. In a strange house. She trembled with a flash of memory—faerieland. Or was it the future?
A gown of sorts draped a wooden chair in the corner. Isobell padded to the chair barefooted, surprised to find the floor warm to the touch. Standing in front of an incredibly clear looking-glass, she donned the drab gray dress—not to her taste—and slipped into the leather shoes tucked beneath the chair.
Inhaling a deep, calming breath, she descended the stairs. After crossing through several amazing chambers, with wonders beyond her ken, she found the kitchen. Laurie sat at a table speaking with a redheaded woman whose back was to Isobell. She halted, hesitant to interrupt.
“Why should the Chief of Clan MacLachlan’s happiness matter to me? My only concern is the queen’s challenge,” the woman said.
“What ken you of Archibald?” Isobell marched into the kitchen.
The woman spun around, green eyes narrowed.
“You!” Isobell blurted, startled to recognize the woman.
A furrow crossed Laurie’s brow. “You’ve met Caitrina?”
“Oh, aye.” Isobell fisted hands on hips. “She came to my…cottage. Claimed to ken my destiny.”
Caitrina frowned. “Just how exactly did you come to be here?”
“Isobell, please sit. Perhaps you can tell us the whole tale now, while the men are out of the way, practicing swordplay.”
When Isobell finished with the telling, Caitrina’s neck and face flushed red.
“I can hardly believe Munn told the truth. Oonagh has interfered. She led Isobell to the faerie hill and brought her forward through the gate. Why?”
“Who is Oonagh?” Isobell asked.
“The Queen of the Fae.”
“Why would she interfere with Isobell and Arch
ie?” Laurie asked.
“I dinnae ken. But she has.” Caitrina pursed her lips. “I need to leave.”
The woman stood and left through the door to the garden. Isobell followed and peered out the window. Then clutched her chest.
“Oh my!” The woman walked just beyond the garden gate and vanished into the mist. Isobell dropped onto a chair. “She is a faerie?”
“She is, but this isn’t faerieland.”
“Then why are there faeries here?”
“Because they are everywhere.” Laurie sighed. “Let’s forget the faeries for a moment. We should talk about you and Archie. You’re wed. You need to work out your differences. We’ll find a way to send you back.”
“What if I dinnae want to go?”
“You care for Archie. Don’t you owe it to him and to yourself to learn the truth?”
She wanted to, but even if her father had lied, there was no future for her and Archibald. He’d never forgive her for the year she’d spent raiding, seeking revenge against him and his clan.
When he learned the extent of her betrayal, he’d seek justice for his clan. She swallowed uneasily. He had every right to condemn her to death by hanging.
* * *
Castle Lachlan, 1512
Munn felt the pull of Caitrina’s summons. The darn faerie had a lot of nerve bothering him while he attended his chief. Choosing to ignore the compulsion, he planted his feet firmly on the straw-covered floor. The itchy rash started on his chest then spread. He kenned better than to scratch. It would just make the eruption worse. He squirmed, wiggled, did a shimmy.
“What is the matter with you?” Archibald frowned.
Too uncomfortable to answer, Munn gritted his teeth. Sweat prickled the folds in his forehead. Archibald, and the two lads assisting him, took several steps back as if Munn had gone raving mad. He couldn’t hold out much longer. The annoying faerie’s call too strong.
Without conscious thought, he spun and disappeared from the stable, traveling sideways through the ether. Nausea clenched his stomach muscles. Inhaling sharply, he curled into a ball, landing as such, and rolled across the green grass, stopping at Caitrina’s dainty feet.
“You foolish, wee man. You thought to ignore me?”
How dare she? Munn hissed, ready to curse her from here to there.
“Whist! There is nae time for theatrics.” Caitrina’s shoulders slumped. “As much as I hate to admit it, you were right. The queen has taken interest in Archibald and Isobell.”
“Why?”
“Probably naught but a whim.” The faerie’s pointed ears twitched and her eyes flared as if listening to something only she could hear. She frowned, cursed, and then returned attention to Munn. “Seems Fate suggests a Christmas Eve conceiving.”
“Oonagh and Fate dinnae get along.”
“Nae, they do not. Oonagh believes she has placed Isobell out of the MacLachlan’s reach and has demanded we accept a side challenge.”
“We? Nae we.”
“You will help. If we win this challenge, the queen promises not to interfere in the third match of the original challenge. You want Archibald and Isobell to be happy. Aye?”
Munn nodded. He did want the chief to be happy, but the chief was still mad about the enchanted wine.
“Then see to it Archibald is on the faerie hill this night.”
Munn glanced at the cloud filled sky. “There is not to be a full moon this night.”
“I ken. I will guide him through the gate.”
“The queen will place obstacles in the way.”
“Aye. She will.”
Munn shuddered. He didn’t wish to feel the queen’s wrath again.
“’Tis up to you to ensure the MacLachlan line lives beyond Archibald.” Caitrina pinned him with a green stare.
“But…”
“Remember your duty is to the MacLachlan clan.” She vanished.
* * *
Present day
Anderson Creek, North Carolina
“How can I ever learn if my da spoke the truth when he condemned Archie, or if he spoke falsely?” Isobell plopped onto the sofa next to Laurie and her bairn. “If I ask him, he’ll claim he never said those things. Since I am now married to Archie, Da wants me to submit and have children that will be born of the blood of both clans. Those who corroborated his previous tales will back his new position.”
“There is a way.” Iain stood in the doorway, wee lads in tow, wooden swords held in pudgy fists.
The lads had angelic faces, eyes wide with curiosity, but they were more than likely mischievous devils. Isobell rubbed her chest near her heart. She’d always wanted to have children. She’d lied to Archie about making sure he’d have no heir.
Isobell jerked her attention back to Iain. “How can I learn the truth?”
“A trip to the library in Asheville. The library has a written history of the MacLachlan clan. It details the progression of the feud.”
“And there are online sources that would detail the Lamont side of the story,” Laurie patted Isobell’s hand. “You’re going to get your first ride in a car.”
“I want to go too,” Young Iain declared.
“Me too!” Scott, said with a jounce.
Iain scrunched down to the level of the twins. “You dinnae like the library because it requires quiet, but if your ma agrees, we will bring you something back from the candy store. Besides, Nana plans to put out more Christmas decorations. I am sure she will let you help.”
The lads turned puppy dog eyes on their mother. Laurie nodded, and the children twirled together in a merry dance then scooted from the chamber shouting war cries. The wee lass in Laurie’s arms fussed, wanting to chase after her brothers.
“I’m not sure Mairi will appreciate the boys’ interference.”
Iain chuckled. “She adores the lads and will be happy to have their assistance.”
Laurie rolled her eyes. “Let me put the little lady down for a nap and call a babysitter. Then we’ll take a scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Asheville. The views will remind you of home.”
Isobell donned the embellished skinny jeans and red cashmere sweater Laurie purchased for her and tugged on soft napped ankle boots. With a toss of her hair over a shoulder and a glance in the looking-glass, she smiled. The garments felt strange, tighter than what she was used to, but she liked the way she looked. Almost like a local.
The snow on her arrival had been short-lived. The air now warm. Laurie called it a late Indian summer. ’Twas pleasant. Isobell strolled through the garden, waiting to take her first journey in this very strange future.
Iain returned after what felt like forever with a large, shiny-black, covered cart. No horse required to pull it. Amazing indeed. Isobell sat on the back bench with Laurie, and Patrick in the front with his da.
The drive was uneventful. Who kenned why the others thought she’d be unnerved? The vehicle progressed along a black, hard-packed trail in silence. Spectacular views from the windows left her awed. The land was much like Scotland with its mountains and heavy mists, but with so many more trees, bare now of leaves.
She hesitated before entering the building in the bustling town of Asheville, her stomach doing a little flip. The others regarded her with solemn eyes.
“I dinnae want to learn anything beyond what happened the day I left. I would rather not ken Archibald’s future.” Or mine.
“We understand. That is wise.” Iain took hold of her elbow and escorted her into the library. A marvel, full of more books than she thought existed. He’d reserved a private gathering chamber where they sat at a square wooden table with four wooden chairs. Laurie fetched the books in question and read from the text since Isobell was unable to read the writing of their time. ’Twas true. From the book’s account, Da had lied.
Then Laurie read from a marvelous thing displaying all sorts of images. They called it a computer. The Lamont account of the feud was somewhat different than that of the MacLachlans, but
still held Archie innocent.
Isobell didn’t ken whether to be happy or sad to have been so misled. And by Da. He had been very good to her as a child. Providing for her every desire. But when she refused to wed those chosen for her, he became a stubborn goat.
“Well, daughter. What do you plan to do now?” Iain—her father-in-law—asked.
Her eyes misted. She didn’t deserve his affection.
Would he and the rest of the family shun her when they learned of her participation in the wrongful raids against their clan in the past?
CHAPTER TEN
Fir-wood, 1512
An arrow whizzed past Archibald’s head. “The Lamont renegades are not that good of marksmen. Why all of a sudden are their shots coming close to the mark?”
“The faerie queen. She interferes,” Munn shouted over the thunder of pounding hoofs.
Fae intervention? Archibald didn’t care for the implication, but perhaps he was becoming a believer.
And just where the hell had Maclay come from? The man was supposed to be dead.
Archibald urged his horse to greater speed. The brownie cursed, but remained standing at his back. Archibald planned to brave the knoll this night. He wouldn’t allow flying arrows or the living-dead to stop him from traveling to Isobell.
“Make a run for it,” Duncan, riding beside him, yelled. “Me and the lads will waylay the damn reivers and that bastard Maclay.”
The men pulled back, and Archibald continued the furious race for the mound. The steed balked at the edge of the knoll, and he dropped to the ground. Munn jumped to his side.
“Dash home, lad.” He slapped the horse’s rump and the beast bolted back the way they’d come. He hoped the horse made it past the reivers and to its stall in the stable before another bout of bad weather set in. Though he couldn’t worry about that now. He’d more important travel on his mind.
Dawn Marie Hamilton - Highland Gardens Page 7