“Really Cat, with all the problems in that statement, you decided the lack of the tomatoes was the most absurd?” asked Keith incredulously.
“Hey, my suspension of disbelief only goes so far,” she laughed.
***
Alasdair knew Catriona had wanted to distance herself from him, but this seemed a little extreme. He had not seen her, or her brother, for almost three days. Curious, he went in search of them. After asking the guards about the keep, he was told Catriona and Keith had left the confines of the castle every morning. He tried to discover their purpose, but no one seemed to know why the siblings left each day. At least the guard at the gate had been able to point Alasdair in the direction they had travelled.
Following the path to the village, Alasdair wondered what could possibly keep the pair away almost the entire day. Catriona had frequently gone to administer aid to the sick or injured; but previously, she had always returned by midday. Alasdair was just approaching the outskirts of the village when he heard laughter a few yards away. The unrestrained glee could only belong to one person.
Alasdair approached hoping to learn the source of her amusement, but instead he heard Catriona say, “Alright Keith, I think we’re all set, would you mind giving me a hand down?” Alasdair offered his own hand since he was so close and did not immediately see Keith. “Thanks Keith.”
“For what? I didn’t do anything.” Keith emerged from the inside of the structure.
“Then who?” Catriona spun to see Alasdair, “Of course it’s you.”
“And now he’s gone and ruined our surprise!” added Keith.
“What surprise?” asked Alasdair.
“Well, it’s not really a surprise. We just didn’t want to say anything until we were sure we’d be successful. We know you’ve been trying to rebuild—so we took a crack at it. If we are going to stay here for a while, it’s the least we can do,” explained Catriona.
“Ye did this by yerselves? In three days?” asked Alasdair.
“I could have done better, but your resources here are limited,” added Keith.
“I ken better than most,” agreed Alasdair. Circling the building for further inspection, he had to admit he was impressed with their work. Inspired, he asked, “If I gave ye a few more men, do ye think we could rebuild the rest before winter?”
“How many?” asked Keith.
“Maybe a dozen more near the castle, and another two dozen further more toward the borders,” said Alasdair. “And maybe another two dozen only needing repair.”
“It could be possible, but I would need to see the condition of the homes,” answered Keith.
“I can show ye some now,” offered Alasdair.
“Great! Let’s go.”
***
Cat knew she should feel a little insulted the two men had completely forgotten about her, but she was honestly glad they had. She had been hoping for an opportunity to get out alone again. She had gotten so dirty the past three days she had hoped she could slip away to the pond. She had tried to bathe as well as she could in the castle, but it just was not that same as a good soak.
Cat had even worn her crocheted bathing suit in the hopes a chance like this would present itself. Unwilling to waste another moment, she grabbed her purse and left. She would meet the boys back at the castle later.
Approaching the water, a blush came to Cat’s cheeks as she remembered the last time she had been in its depths. While the experience had been pleasant, it had also been the starting point of the disaster that had been their affair. No, that’s not true, it hadn’t a disaster—it had just had some unintended consequences. Truthfully, Cat could not regret their time together; Alasdair he had been nothing but attentive. And while she had always planned on meeting just the right man with which to start a family—she could not deny that Alasdair had all the characteristics she could desire for the father of her child. Well, except for the fact he’s a little old for my ideal—like six hundred years too old.
Alasdair took his responsibilities seriously, but also knew how to laugh. Thinking back upon the day he made his offer, Catriona thought part of the reason she had fled was that a small part of her wanted to say ‘yes.’ Like she had told him in a later conversation, if she had met him back home, she would have most likely agreed—or at least have given the idea some serious thought.
But, she simply could not stay here. The idea of raising her child in the past scared the bejeezus out of her. The lack of technology, the shorter lifespan, and even the lack of opportunity made it absolutely impossible to seriously consider his suggestion. Sure, she knew enough to be able to compensate for much of the lack in technology and medical knowledge. But what would her child do in his or her adult life? It was not as if she could pass down her pharmaceutical knowledge. Well, actually you could, just not the type you are used to using. Cat cleared that thought from her mind with a quick shake of her head. And what about Keith? She could not leave her brother; he was her only family. Sure, he had seemed more than willing to look at this jaunt into the past as a vacation of sorts, but that did not mean he had ever considered the adventure to be permanent. There was just no way she could ask him to stay with her in the past.
And even if Cat had any desire to stay here, she did not even know if she could. Yes, Elspeth had told her the book was necessary to go back to the future, but Catriona was not confident that was true. What if she lived in the past for a while, then suddenly was ripped away six hundred years. The consequences were just unfathomable!
Catriona took a deep breath to calm herself. She was worrying for nothing; she was not staying here—period. Determined to not ruin the rest of her bath with panic, Cat emptied her mind and got back to the business of cleanliness. She scrubbed her skin as best she could and then dipped below the surface to remove the grime from her hair. Once satisfied she was clean, she left the water to lie in a small spot of sun. She would return to the castle after she was dry.
***
Keith looked at the last hut before him, “I don’t think we should have any trouble fixing these homes in a timely matter. Cat, what do you think? Are you ready for some more hard work?” When Keith did not get an answer he looked behind his back to find his sister. “Cat?” to Alasdair he said, “Have you seen Cat? I thought she was right behind us.”
“Nay.”
“Huh,” said Keith with a shrug of his shoulders, “She must have decided to go back to the castle instead.”
“She shouldnae have gone alone,” scolded Alasdair.
“Dude, she’s a big girl. She can take care of herself,” dismissed Keith.
“We should return and ensure she got back safely,” insisted Alasdair.
“I’m sure she got back just fine.” But, seeing the look on the other man’s face, Keith changed his mind. “Or, on second thought, let’s go back and check on her.”
***
Alasdair could not believe he had failed to notice Catriona had not been following them. His only excuse was the excitement caused by the prospect of beginning to rebuild the damaged homes of his clansmen. Approaching the hut where he had first found Catriona and her brother, he increased his pace. After a quick scan of the area he knew she was not here. Granted, he had not truly expected to find her here. He returned to the path toward Duart Castle, once again increasing his stride. Alasdair did not know why he was so worried; they were not far from the keep. But, he simply could not dispel his sense of unease. I am most likely just nervous due to the recent Cameron attacks.
Arriving at the gate he asked, “Has Catriona returned?”
“Lady Cat?” asked the man, “Aye, she returned just moments ago.”
“See, you were worried for nothing,” said Keith with a quick slap to Alasdair’s shoulder. “I’ll catch you later. I wanna start planning.”
Still unable to completely rid himself of his unease, Alasdair went in search of Catriona. Recalling her attire this afternoon, Alasdair thought it most likely Catriona would be in her room changing. In front o
f her door in mere moments, he knocked.
“Come in,” she called. Alasdair did as beckoned. “Oh, I thought you’d be Ailsa or Lainie,” said Catriona before showing him her back and returning her attention back to what she had been doing. Watching as she combed her hair, Alasdair realized where she had been—her hair was damp, but there was no tub in the room.
“Ye shouldnae go to the pond by yerself; it is dangerous to be away from the keep on yer own,” scolded Alasdair. He inwardly cringed at the unintentional harshness of his tone.
“Hey, I only decided to go there alone once you two left me behind,” she said defensively. Her comment stung; it truly was uncharacteristic of Alasdair to be so careless with another’s safety. Her voice took on a more caustic tone, “Oh, and you being in here is hardly helping. I’m pretty sure I said we should keep our distance, not chit chat in each other’s bedrooms. If anyone sees you in here it will only increase the gossip I am to be the next Lady MacLean. And no offense Mac, but I have an entirely different future in mind.”
Alasdair bristled at her harsh words—he did not want to admit how much they actually hurt. “I simply wanted to ensure ye were safe.”
“Well, I’m here,” she said, “Safe and sound—even though I had no big, strong man to defend me.”
“Catriona, I am sorry. I didnae mean to leave ye. But please, dinnae go there again without yer brother or me. Consider what happened to Cailen.”
Catriona had looked ready to give another sarcastic retort, but stopped at the reminder of Cailen. “You’re right, I need to remember it is more dangerous here than my home. Sorry I was being such a bitch.”
“Ye werenae…”
“No, don’t deny it,” she interrupted. Then she mumbled, “If I didn’t know better I’d say I was PMSing.”
“What is…”
“So did everything go well with Keith?” she asked, interrupting him for the second time. “Will we be busy building for the next few weeks?”
“Aye,” replied Alasdair, “He is planning now.”
“Good, I’m glad he can help,” said Catriona. “He’s confident he can get it done before winter?”
“Aye. I wish I could spare more men to help, but even with the few I can provide he still thinks it willnae be too difficult,” explained Alasdair.
“That’s good,” said Catriona. “If it had been just the two of us, we probably wouldn’t be done until next year.”
“On second thought, maybe I cannae spare any men,” teased Alasdair.
“I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s not gonna work,” laughed Catriona.
“Nay, it is too late; I have already changed my mind.” Alasdair could not help but be amused as he saw the look of mock-anger come across Catriona’s face. “Although, I could be persuaded to change my mind.”
“And what will that cost me?” asked Catriona.
“Just one wee kiss should be enough.”
“Alasdair, you know that’s a bad idea. I don’t want to give your people the wrong impression,” she cautioned.
“What is the harm this one time? Nay one will see,” he justified.
“Fine, pretty-boy, you win. Close your eyes and pucker up.” Surprised he had convinced her so quickly, but unwilling to waste the opportunity, Alasdair followed her instructions.
However, instead of feeling Catriona’s soft lips, he felt a small, hard object being pushed through his. Not expecting the sensation, he almost spit it out of his mouth. But before he could, the object touched his tongue. The taste! He could not believe the taste. He had never sampled anything even close to this in his entire life. “What is this?”
“It’s chocolate,” responded Catriona. “And I have very little left until I get back home—so don’t ask for any more.”
“This is wondrous. Are ye sure ye cannae spare another piece?” he asked.
“Sorry Mac, that’s all you’re getting—especially considering that stunt you just tried to pull,” she said. “I hope you enjoyed that chocolate kiss—it is the last kiss of any kind you will be getting from me. But I fulfilled my end of the bargain, I expect you to give my brother all the help he needs; your help came at a very steep price.”
Alasdair could not deny the value of her payment. “Fine, ye convinced me to change my mind. I will provide the men as I had originally intended. Shall we go see how Keith’s planning is progressing?”
Catriona nodded and then followed as Alasdair walked to the door. He opened the door to leave, but before Catriona knew what he had planned, he collected the type of kiss he had meant. It was short and sweet, but that did not stop her face from filling with fury. He laughed as he fled from her fists.
Chapter 13
The next morning, Catriona was glad to see that Alasdair had been true to his word. She probably would have kicked him where the sun don’t shine if he had not. I really hate being outsmarted like that. There was a small workforce assembled to help Keith. As she approached the gathering of men, Alasdair greeted, “I hope this is enough men worthy of the piece of chocolate ye gave me.”
“This may have been enough,” she began, but then narrowed her eyebrows, “But after the other kiss you stole, I’m afraid you’re still not even close.”
“Mornin’ sis!” greeted Keith as he joined the pair. “What did you say to make Alasdair look so guilty?”
“She is just upset she willingly gave me a kiss,” replied Alasdair.
“A chocolate one!” justified Catriona. She did not want to give her brother the wrong impression.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me see if I’ve got this straight. I have not seen you in months, feared you were dead, and travelled unfathomable lengths to find you, yet you deny me chocolate while giving one to this guy?” asked Keith.
I should have just let him think I actually kissed the oaf! “Fine, you can have a piece,” she relented, “But only one!” Cat dug into her bag to pull out the piece of candy for her brother. Seeing Alasdair’s jealous look she said, “Oh no, you’re not getting another piece…ever! Not after that little stunt you pulled last night!”
“I cannae say I regret it,” said Alasdair.
“What stunt?” asked Keith.
“Ugh, never mind,” dismissed Cat. “Let’s just get busy on those huts!”
Catriona helped her brother where she could throughout the day; she did not take as active of a role as she had on the first hut. With all the men around, she could not change out of her dress. She had tried breaking away from Keith to help give direction, but the men just seemed uncomfortable taking orders from a woman. So instead, she had collected as many sticks as she could for when they began to fill in the walls. Although, it really grated on her nerves that she could not do more.
Keith must have seen her irritation. Once the main supports of the first domicile were in place, he instructed the men to begin on the second—he could finish what needed to be done on the first on his own. As soon as the men were out of sight Cat stripped down to her working clothes. Eager to begin the real work she said, “I’ve already started with the sticks. You’ll take the mud again?”
“You read my mind,” answered Keith with a knowing smile. This time the work went much faster. Cat had been able to gather the most ideal branches and she was now more familiar with the process. She was even able to help her brother pack in the mud once she had finished the weaving.
“Hey Keith, after we’re done, would you want to go with me to this pond nearby to clean up? It’s a lot easier than trying to use what passes for a tub in this century.” Cat stayed true to her promise to Alasdair to not go alone.
“You mean there’s somewhere we can go to completely clean off?” he asked.
“Uh yeah. Isn’t that what I just said?” she asked in frustration. “Seriously, don’t you ever pay attention to,” she was going to berate him further, but then saw the look in her brother’s eye and the mud in his hand. She started to run. “No! Please, no! Aaaaah!”
***
; Alasdair was impressed with the first day’s work. Looking to compliment Keith on his success, Alasdair asked after his whereabouts. One of the workers directed him to the first hut on which they had begun this morning. Supposedly, Keith was completing the walls while the other men began the supports of the next.
Anxious to see how far he had gotten, Alasdair walked in the direction given. He also had not seen Catriona recently, so he wanted to ensure she was still with her brother. No sooner had he had this thought slipped through his mind than he heard her screams rip through the air, “No! Please, no! Aaaaah!”
Fearing for her safety, Alasdair raced toward her screams. In his fear, he began to envision horrendous scenes of Camerons slicing her throat, or stabbing her through the heart. Instead, he arrived just as Keith threw mud into his sister’s face.
While Alasdair calmed his racing heart, he watched as Catriona retaliated by taking a bucket filled with the substance and hurling the contents in Keith’s direction. The man ducked, but was not able to miss the majority; his head and chest were now almost completely covered in the muck. Keith picked up a different bucket, causing Catriona to flee. She ran directly toward Alasdair.
Catriona must not have known he was there, because she barely stopped before barreling into Alasdair’s chest. Surprise shone in her eyes, but then she heard her brother’s steps behind her and she ducked. Alasdair began to yell a warning to Keith to stop, but instead, he got a face full of mud.
“Uh oh,” said Catriona and Keith in unison.
“It’s not my fault, he started it,” said Catriona as she pointed her finger toward her brother.
“Well, you told me we could go wash off!” defended Keith.
“I meant from today’s work, not from a bunch of mud!” she snapped back.
“I don’t know what you’re complaining about Cat. Some women pay an exorbitant amount of money for mud masks. This will probably only help your complexion,” said Keith.
“Don’t try and justify your actions with an appeal to my feminine side. You know that never works. Aaaaand,” drawled Catriona, “My complexion is just fine…thank you very much.”
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