Wild about the Witch

by Cassidy Cayman

  ***

  Quinn watched her leave the room, so eager to be on her way. How could she be kissing him one minute and then blithely tell him she was leaving him behind the next? He admired her bravery and selflessness in volunteering to bring back medicine for Pietro’s wee lad, and he had no doubt she could do it. He thought she believed she would come back, but he knew once she got to her own time, she’d forget all about him. His brother had done so.

  If only the bloody gunshot hadn’t cracked his bloody bone. A flesh wound would be easy to ignore, but the pain that ratcheted through him every time he moved seemed to get worse, not better, and he couldn’t grip anything properly with that hand. Perhaps he could get his hand around Lizzie’s waist all right, but he’d be useless with any kind of weapon if it came to a fight.

  The thought that he might put her and Oliver in danger made his stomach turn over, not at all used to being such a hindrance. He had been a fool to go stomping about the castle yesterday, or was that this morning? He’d spent so much time unconscious the last few days he barely knew up from down. The only thing worthwhile about getting shot was Lizzie’s sweet nursing of him. He’d only see her once more, and that a goodbye.

  He knew when she didn’t return that proof of her faithlessness would help ease his broken heart. It had been easier in the beginning when he had his anger to cling to, but he’d always been one to forgive easily, and didn’t hold grudges for long, so as the days progressed and Oliver had nattered on about how he thought Lizzie honestly felt bad about her mistakes, he’d been worn down. Then when she cared for him so sweetly he’d thought perhaps Oliver was right.

  Of course, then he’d lost his senses completely. He couldn’t regret it too much, even if it muddled his capacity to think rationally about her. He wanted all the memories he could get when she was truly gone from his life.

  After two hours of going back and forth between forgiving her and begging her to return, and building up fresh anger at how she’d treated him and Catie in London, the object of his turmoil quietly peeped her head in the door.

  “Are you awake?” she called softly, before entering the room.

  He could see how she tried to hide her eagerness to be going. The half of his brain that wanted to forgive her called it apprehension, but the other half taunted him into thinking she couldn’t wait to be rid of this time.

  “I am,” he said gruffly, wincing when her face fell.

  She made her way to the bedside and he steeled himself for when she touched him. She reached out, but his face must have been as stern as his tone because her hand fell back to her side.

  “Oliver’s champing at the bit,” she said. “Hopefully it won’t take too long.”

  He nodded and looked past her. “For the wee lad’s sake,” he said.

  “Er, yes. Of course. In fact, we were speaking of that. If we can’t find Catie straight away, we thought we should get the medicine back as quickly as possible. Regardless, that is.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that at all. Their entire mission had been to get Catie back, and now they were planning to leave her there, possibly not even look for her if she wasn’t standing about waiting for them? If he’d been part of that conversation, it wouldn’t have been a conversation at all.

  “We’re certainly going to look for her, Quinn,” Lizzie hastened to add, probably in response to his stormy look. “But Callum’s condition is so dire, and two more people have come down with symptoms. We have to prevent the illness spreading.”

  “Ye’re right,” he said. It wasn’t worth arguing when they’d made their decision. He closed his eyes and felt her continuing to stand by his bedside, taking a deep breath as if she was working up to say more.

  “Have a care, Lizzie,” he said finally.

  “Goodbye, Quinn,” she said shakily, and left.

  His anger kept him still for a while, then he sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed before his mood degraded into deadly self-pity. Hugging his arm close to his body, he got dressed and took a massive drink of the whiskey that had been left for him to help ease his pain. It didn’t work, but took the edge off the feeling that he was doing something stupid.

  There was no way in hell he was letting Lizzie leave like that, and gritting his teeth, made his way to the stable to get a horse. She wasn’t going anywhere without him.

  He managed to frighten a stable lad into pointing their direction and he tracked them easily through the woods, coming upon them fairly close to where they’d first done the spell.

  “Bloody hell, Quinn, are you mad?” Lizzie cried, being the first to spot him.

  He’d dismounted several yards away and sent his horse back to its home with a firm slap on the rump. He had to go with them, as he was certain he’d die trying to get back to the castle on foot. His shoulder throbbed, even through the whiskey haze.

  Oliver jumped up from where he ground the herbs onto the dirt and ran to help him. “You look terrible,” he said, guiding Quinn to the cleared circle they made. A few minutes more and he would have missed them.

  “Don’t put him there,” Lizzie said.

  He smiled at the old chaperone voice she used. “Dinna listen to the wee spinster,” he told Oliver. “I’m coming with ye after all.” He focused on Lizzie. “Someone has to look for my sister.”

  She huffed. “I said we were going to— oh my goodness, you’re the biggest fool I’ve ever met.”

  “It’s been said, aye.” Quinn smiled at her, ignoring her death glare.

  Standing upright was beginning to be a chore and he lay down on the ground, smack in the middle of their clearing.

  “You’re half dead from getting out here,” she said. “The trip can’t do you good.”

  “Then the greatly advanced medical knowledge of your time will have to save me,” he said, trying not to feel hurt at her adamance to get rid of him. Was he going to make it that much harder for her to stay once they got there? He hoped so. In fact, he planned on it.

  Oliver nodded down at him and looked to Lizzie. “He has a point about that.”

  She sat down next to Quinn, her face scrunched into the angriest he’d ever seen it, and roughly placed her hand on his chest.

  “Fine, then. I’ve never been to this part of Scotland in my own time, but I feel quite certain there’s no hospital at the outskirts of the woods, Mr. Cleverboots. I hope your stubbornness hasn’t killed you at last.”

  He put his hand on top of hers and tried to look contrite while Oliver began the chant.

  Chapter 10

  Catie took Shane’s hand and let him help her out of his low vehicle, shaking out the skirts of the long, pink dress she’d found at the second hand shop after their lovely lunch date the day before. The shopkeeper recognized her and put the dress on Piper’s tab, wrapping it up for her before she could argue about it.

  “I like the way ye dress, Catie,” he told her.

  She smiled at him, feeling a little silly when he bowed in a joking manner. If only he knew that was what she was glad to be away from.

  She liked that he liked it, but she mainly dressed that way to keep Lachlan from exploding more than he was going to anyway. She liked the freedom that modern day clothes offered, but her long dresses offered her a sense of security she was going to need to face Lachlan here in a bit.

  Sam and Evie were being kind and understanding and she was more grateful than she could express for letting her stay with them after her tantrum at the castle, but she knew she had to settle things with Lachlan. She’d only risked everything to come here so that she could rescue him, and now that he didn’t need rescuing, she figured she would be sent home.

  Evie assured her it was possible to get back without Lord Ashford, and not even that difficult. She’d been shocked to find out her brother was a bit of an expert at crossing through different times. She thought he might have visited them if that was the case.

  Not wanting to get her dander up again, when she was trying so hard to b
e understanding and forgiving, she turned to Shane. He always put a smile on her face. Both Mellie and Sam warned her to be wary of him, but he’d never been anything other than a gentleman in her presence.

  She wanted to work up her courage before she went inside to face Lachlan, so she followed Shane to check in on the animals. He took her hand again to help her jump over a big puddle leading up to the pig pen, and didn’t let go even when they were well on the other side of the muck. After they rounded the barn, he leaned over her, a wicked look in his eyes.

  Her heart started to pound, wondering if this was the moment she’d been warned about. Was he about to ravish her against the side of the barn? She blushed furiously, regretting picking up one of the brightly colored novels that were strewn all over Evie’s house. Of course nothing like what went on in those pages was about to happen here.

  “I finally finished repainting the door frames at the inn,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

  She shivered and nodded, not sure where that unromantic beginning would lead to. Should she mention that she’d helped give baby Magnus a bath last night? Were they just going to discuss mundane events and then he would kiss her? She blushed even harder for thinking about kissing. For wanting him to do it. For all Lord Hollingsborn’s avowals of love, he’d never kissed her.

  Of course, he hadn’t really loved her, just needed her fortune. Shane didn’t know about her fortune, just that she was a girl from a farm, visiting her brother. And if anything, said brother would scare him off liking her.

  “That’s nice,” she said, leaning in a little closer, completely without meaning to.

  He shuffled his foot forward so his leg brushed against her long skirt. “So, would ye like to come to see a film with me tonight? They’re finally changing it, so it’ll be new.”

  She didn’t need to tell him no matter what it was, it would be new to her. Since she’d arrived, she’d been obsessed with the television. The moment she’d seen it at his house, and later on when Mellie showed her how to work the clicker, and each press of her finger brought an exciting change of scene, it was all she could do to tear herself away from it. Nothing could keep her from saying no. It took her so long to get over her excitement that he tugged on her sleeve and tilted his head beseechingly at her.

  “Say ye will. Come on, Catie.” His finger slid over her wrist when he let go of her sleeve and she forgot all about the film for a moment.

  “Aye, it sounds lovely, Shane. Thank ye.”

  He smiled and she felt quite sure it was about to happen. He was going to steal a kiss behind the barn. She raised herself up on her toes so he wouldn’t have to lean too far, in case that was what made him hesitate. Instead he turned and headed toward the sheep paddock.

  Well, he still had this evening at the film. If he ever intended to kiss her in the first place. She followed along beside him, their hands brushing from time to time, and she realized how badly she wanted him to. Feeling both addled and exhilarated, she reached out and brazenly grabbed his hand. He threaded his fingers with hers and swung her hand playfully out toward the lake.

  “Look,” he said, squinting into the early morning sunlight. “Isna that Miss Piper?”

  It was, and Catie’s good mood drained away. Shane turned in that direction, pulling her along with him. Catie knew she had to face Lachlan, but she really didn’t want to have to talk to Piper this morning. She dug in her heels and yanked him back. Shane turned around and got up close to her again, putting his hands on her elbows.

  “She’s nice, Catie. Just give her a chance.”

  She’d spent most of their time together the day before complaining about Piper and frowned at him for not taking her side. Before she could shrug out of his hold and turn back to the castle, she heard her brother bellow from the edge of the courtyard and quickly jumped back a step, Shane just as quickly dropping his hands to his sides.

  “Catriona Edwina Ferguson,” he shouted. “Ye get over here at once.”

  Catie simmered at his childish treatment of her, and her anger bubbled even more when she saw Shane hiding a laugh.

  “Edwina. That’s awesome,” he teased. “Do ye need to go?” He looked scared, and normally she wouldn’t have blamed anyone for being skittish around Lachlan, but for some reason she was disappointed.

  “No, I dinna need to go,” she said, stiffening her spine and turning toward Lachlan. “I’m going to the lake,” she hollered, pointing to where Piper stood at the water’s edge.

  He put his hand to his eyes and peered in that direction, finally nodding begrudgingly. “I shall see ye soon, lass. We have much to discuss.” With a glare at Shane, he turned and stomped back inside.

  “Ah, Catie. Maybe ye better just go inside now,” he said. “I need to get started with the goats, anyway.” He grabbed her hand for a quick squeeze, but not before making sure Lachlan was good and gone. “I dinna want ye to get in trouble and miss tonight.”

  She couldn’t fault him for being so reasonable, but she was irritated that she now had to walk down and greet Piper, so she gave him a look that wasn’t altogether charming. He shrugged and went on his way, leaving her to either slink inside without giving Lachlan a chance to cool off or be civil to Piper.

  Honestly, she would rather muck out all the stalls in the stable than do either, but she noticed Piper leaning over the water, then pacing agitatedly back and forth. Perhaps she lost something in the lake. Curiosity won out over getting yelled at, and she started down the hill.

  ***

  What Piper thought was an ordinary nightmare, though she hated that they were becoming an ordinary occurrence again, ended up being real. She jerked awake, to find herself ankle deep in the lake, heart pounding and covered in a cold sweat.

  Her hands were filthy, dark slivers of dirt jammed deep under her fingernails. She dropped to her knees, splashing water all over her clothes, not her pajamas, but warm up pants, a green silk blouse and a giant sweatshirt that Lachlan had been wearing until he got into bed.

  At some point she got out of bed, took off her nightgown and put on these random clothes, then found herself at the lake. The sense of panic that enveloped her when she first woke up slowly subsided. She had the strange feeling that she’d been looking for something, and checked her left hand. Her engagement ring was still there and she breathed a sigh of relief. Embarrassment and fear built up in her and she scurried out of the water and looked around.

  It was still early in the morning, the sun only just rising. Lachlan might be getting up and realizing she wasn’t in the castle. The boys would be out in the pasture soon to deal with the livestock. What happened?

  The last thing she remembered was Lachlan peeling off the same sweatshirt she now used to dry her legs. She was searching wedding ideas for Evie, and even finding some for her and Lachlan, when he’d cleared his throat and she looked up from her screen to see his glorious, chiseled chest on full display just inches from her. They’d had a very enjoyable time before falling asleep in each other’s arms, and now she was out here, panicking over something in the water.

  Piper relaxed when she realized no one was out and about yet, and sat down in the grass to try to figure things out. She focused on the ducks floating near the edge and wished they could tell her when she arrived, how long she’d been out there, and if she’d said anything. The greedy things were used to getting fed by anyone who ventured to the lake and as soon as she sat down, they made their way towards her.

  “No, sorry. As you were,” she said, tossing pebbles at them.

  They gave up thinking they were getting any bread and she went back to worrying. She’d used sleepwalking as an excuse before, to try and hide something she shouldn’t have been doing, but she hadn’t actually done it before. That she knew of. Hugging her knees, she thought about the odd thing that happened yesterday after Catie stormed off with Evie.

  Lachlan had been railing about his fool brother Quinn screwing everything up as usual, and how stubborn
and bratty Catie was, and she made some fresh tea and benignly agreed with everything he said until he calmed down enough to see reason. She poured out two big mugs for them while standing at the counter in the kitchen. The next thing she knew she was bent over in pain, one of the mugs broken at her feet.

  She wasn’t sure what happened, because she didn’t know how she got from the counter to the table, where she slammed her shin on the bench and dropped the cup. Lachlan steadied her and took the other mug before she spilled the scalding tea all over herself, and she laughed it off as clumsiness. It had only been a few seconds of blacking out, and yesterday she wrote it off as stress and not paying attention. Today, sitting in cold, wet pants by the lake, she wasn’t so sure.

  “It can’t be,” she said, struggling against tears.

  More than a month had passed since her heartbreakingly failed visit to her grandma Rose in the eighteenth century. She’d been accused of witchcraft, which wasn’t entirely false since she was possessed by her ancestor Daria, and her grandmother almost convinced her the only way to rid herself of Daria’s spirit was to let herself be drowned.

  If it hadn’t been for Evie convincing her that was a load of codswallop, and Lachlan nearly getting himself killed fighting off angry villagers, she never would have made it back from that trip.

  After she got Lachlan all fixed up, they went on a much needed island vacation, and everything had been wonderful. Not a peep out of Daria’s spirit. Had she been foolish to think she was so easily rid of her?

  As soon as they came back to Castle on Hill, things all went haywire. First Catie’s surprise visit, and now this. Didn’t her evil ancestor know she was trying to plan a wedding?