Love Beyond Dreams (A Scottish Time Travel Romance): Book 6 (Morna's Legacy Series) (13 page)

I couldn’t stay quiet at that.
 

“Oh, come on now. You must have just gotten lost.”

“No. I wasn’t lost. I made sure of it. Then I made the long drive into Edinburgh and started asking around about her. My one-day trip out of the house ended up taking me three. I became sort of obsessed with finding her. Most people I asked had no idea what house I was talking about and had never heard of a woman named Morna who lived near Conall Castle. Then I finally found an old man who looked nearly as old as this castle is who said he’d heard stories about the disappearing house on the way to Conall Castle. Most people who have heard the story believe it’s bad luck to see the house, for those that have usually disappear shortly after. For us though, it certainly hasn’t been bad luck at all.”

It was a rather remarkable story, but I didn’t see how it was supposed to convince me that Orick and the rest of them weren’t stark-raving mad.
 

“Is that all? It’s a crazy story, Anne, I’ll give you that. It’s more than a little creepy, but I don’t know—” She interrupted me mid-sentence.
 

“Don’t you remember the name of the woman Jane said sent her and her sister back? The woman who dropped off their luggage and seems to play a large part in their journeys back and forth? Her name was Morna.”

Now that Anne said it, I did remember Jane going on about the supposed witch named Morna, but at the time my brain had already overloaded and I’d not taken in much of what she said.
 

“So you think this witch that got Aiden the job is also somehow connected to our guests?”

Anne threw up her hands as if it were obvious.
 

“That’s exactly what I think. Rumors of disappearances have happened at Conall Castle, at McMillan Castle, and here at Cagair as well. You remember how convinced Aiden was that he saw them crawling out of the cellar? Maybe it wasn’t the drugs. Maybe he really did see that and that’s where they travel back and forth. Maybe it’s a thing with Scottish castles, and our guests are some of the very people that went missing. Maybe they went through and liked it. Let’s be honest, we’ve seen their husbands so we know that’s a definite possibility. They fell through somehow, fell in love, and decided to stay there and make lives for themselves. Maybe you’re supposed to be the next missing person.”

“The next missing person? That sounds terrible.”

Anne stood and reached down to offer me a hand so she could pull me up right along with her.
 

“I think it sounds romantic. And you’re going. There’s no harm in seeing. My money is on them. They’re telling you the truth, Gillian, and you’re about to be in for one hell of an adventure, I expect.”

Of course I would go. Even if they were crazy, hearing them talk about it over dinner had never really made me not want to go. All it did was make me think that I would need to have some sort of escape plan before I left with them just in case they turned out to be half as crazy as they all sounded.
 

“We will see, I guess. Are you and Aiden going to come?”

Now that we were both standing, Anne moved to Aiden’s side, smiling as he placed his arm around her in a statement of joint agreement.
 

“Oh gracious, no. Of course we aren’t going. Are you crazy? I am way too attached to sweat pants, movie night, and wine, but you go and have a great time. We will definitely come and see you all off though.”

It seemed everything was decided, and I would have to get on board despite any monumental doubts I now had about the sanity of everyone inside Cagair Castle. We weren’t leaving until morning. I assumed the only thing I could do before then was to get Toby and me all packed for what was sure to be one of the shortest and most ridiculous, imaginary trips ever.
 

One question hung in my mind as I carried Toby back up to my room—what did one pack for a trip to the seventeenth century?

CHAPTER 19

“Knock. Knock. Sorry to disturb you. Nobody has seen you in awhile, so I just thought I would drop in and check on you and bring you something that you can put on in the morning.”

Jane stood in the doorway with Cooper as she looked at my suitcases and the various items surrounding them spread out all over my bed. A simple gray gown lay draped over her arm. Admittedly, it did look extremely out of place in this time, but as far as I was concerned, that didn’t mean that it had come from another.
 

“Packing a few things, I can see. Do you mind if I help you with that?”

I could see that she intended to help regardless of what I said, so I smiled and nodded as they both walked all the way inside. Cooper didn’t hesitate a moment as he crawled on top of the bed, right up in the middle of everything, and gathered a squirmy Toby into his arms. The pup took to wagging his tail and licking Cooper’s face right away.
 

“He likes you.”

Cooper smiled and nudged his own nose with Toby’s.

“Good, ’cause I sure do like him.”

Jane reached for one of my empty suitcases and went to close it, hesitantly pulling it off the bed as I watched her suspiciously.
 

“I don’t mean to disappoint you, but you can’t bring these suitcases with you. It wouldn’t do for someone to see you rolling around something like this. I have a different sort of bag you can put a few things in, more of a pack sack of sorts.”

I tried not to frown as I watched her roll my suitcase to the other side of the room.
 

“A pack sack?”

“Yes, a small cloth thing. You’ll see. And good on you for thinking of laying out everything you’ll miss, but you can’t bring most of this stuff with you.”

“Like what?” I sat down next to Cooper on the end of the bed and waited for Jane to take control.
 

“Well, toilet paper for starters. I know it would be great to have, but there’s not really anywhere to put the stuff when you’re done with it. It would just get really gross. You won’t need shampoo either, but you won’t really miss that. I’ll admit, any time I come back here I always relish a good scrubbing with the stuff, but just wait until you get to use the oil mixtures that some of the ladies in McMillan village make. It’s lovely, and your hair will shine and become so soft that you won’t miss the suds as much as you would think. Is it all right if I gather up the things you definitely will want?”

I shrugged, knowing full well that she would do as she wished. Cooper obviously could tell the same thing, for he squirmed his way off the bed and turned to pet Toby as he spoke.
 

“This looks like it could take awhile. I think I’ll go play downstairs. Would it be okay if I brought Toby with me? I promise I’ll take good care of him. We will stay inside.”

Toby jumped off the bed as if he understood every word and took off out the bedroom door ahead of him.
 

“I know you will. Absolutely. He will love that.”

Once Cooper was gone, Jane waved for me to stand and watch over her shoulder.
 

“Grab all the toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste you have. All of the modern girls I know back there, myself included, haven’t been willing to give that up. We’ve even got our husbands using them, though we have to do that in private. Also, pick out one of your most comfortable lounging outfits. I keep a pair of modern clothes locked away in a sacred place and, if I ever find myself all alone, I am out of my dress and into my stretch pants in record-setting time. You’ll want to do the same. Lastly, gather up a bunch of your modern undergarments. The guys love them and, since no one really sees them, I don’t think there’s any harm in feeling more like yourself. And trust me, having those on underneath the clothing we usually have to wear helps a lot.”

It pleased me to hear her say that I could bring some of the things I’d already gathered. When she first started in, I assumed she was about to shelf everything. Still, she made it sound as if I would be gone a very long time.
 

“Just how long do you think I will be gone? You make it sound like it will be forever.”

Jane smiled, leaned over and pushed all of my stuff to half of the bed, and sat down as she patted the bed for me to join her.
 

“Gillian, I’m sure you will come back occasionally just as we do, but I honestly expect that once you go through, you will never live on this side of time ever again.”

I gulped down the anxious knot that rose in my throat at her words.
 

“Just why would you think that?”

“You’re going to fight this, I can tell. Let me tell you now, as a former champ at battling this thing, there’s no point.”

Spending time with these people made me feel as if I came from another planet. They always spoke of things as if I should understand them, as if I should pick up on what they meant. I never did.
 

“What thing?”

“The love thing. That’s what all of this is about—the time travel stuff. That’s the point of all of it. It’s why Morna still continues to live way, way past her expiration date. It’s why each and every woman that has gone through has done so, and it’s why you dreamt of Orick long before he showed up here.”

“Whoa now.” I jumped off of the bed like she’d poked me with a hot iron. “I’m just going on this trip out of pure curiosity. Nothing more. I feel like maybe you’ve gotten the wrong impression about Orick and me somewhere. I don’t know him. I just helped him the night he arrived because he needed it.”

Something flashed in Jane’s eyes, and I knew even before she spoke that I upset her.
 

“No, don’t do that. I didn’t get the wrong impression about anything. You kissed him, didn’t you? And you do like him, yes?”

“I…” I hadn’t been so embarrassed or flustered since elementary school. I normally wasn’t the sort of person to be so easily intimidated. I could hold my own in a heated debate, but emotions were like my kryptonite. To hear someone else talking about how I felt for someone else—it made me immensely uncomfortable. Still, she’d called my bluff and would know if I lied. “Yes, I did kiss him and I do like what I know about him, but I regret the kiss. I shouldn’t have done that. I feel rather guilty about it.”

“Guilt is a useless emotion. Trust me, I’ve had to learn that one for myself, and it wasn’t easy. Don’t waste your time on it. If you wanted to kiss him, then you were right to do so. Just don’t play games with him. Not Orick. He deserves that less than any man I know.”
 

“I’m not playing games with him. I’m just not very good at feeling-related things. Something’s broken inside of me when it comes to connecting with others in terms of a relationship.”

Jane surprised me by snorting as she gathered the small pile of things for me to take and stood with it as she walked to the door.
 

“I see. You’re one of those, huh? That’s good. Orick likes emotionally-stunted people. Otherwise, there’s no way he could have remained my husband’s friend for so long before he found me.”
 

She laughed at herself, and I knew she teased.
 

“I’ll put this stuff in a bag for you and bring it up. Best you get a good night’s sleep. Cooper has already begged Orick to stay with him tonight, so we will see you in the morning. I’ll bring Toby back to you when I bring your bag in a few minutes.”

*
 
*
 
*

The next morning, I stood at the top of the hidden stairwell shocked for what I suspected would only be the first of many times that day. The cellar did exist and, despite all of my searching, I’d just simply been unable to find it. In my own defense, it was hidden incredibly well and, without someone as strong as Orick or Eoghanan to pull the stone door from its resting place, I doubted I would have been able to open it even if I had been able to find it.
 

“Are ye sure ye want to bring the wee dog along, lass?”

Toby wiggled in my arms, desperate to get free so he could run down the steps ahead of everyone. I tightened my grip at Orick’s question.
 

“Absolutely. That’s not up for discussion at all.”

“Y-e-s.”
 

Cooper dragged the word out, over-emphasizing the one syllable as he raised his fist toward the sky and then pulled it down in front of him triumphantly.
 

“I’m so glad he’s going. I was going to be so sad to say goodbye to the little fellow.”

Orick grinned and reached a shockingly large hand down to scratch Toby’s head. How had I not noticed how gigantic his hands were before now?
 

“Aye, fine. I dinna expect for ye to say anything different. I enjoy the creature’s company myself. ’Twill make it difficult though when we head for McMillan Castle, though I suppose the pup will do well enough. I only hope the horses take to him.”

If the horses didn’t take to him, I’d walk.
 

With that settled, Jane, who stood farthest down into the stairwell, turned to address everyone.
 

“Okay then, time to go I think. Grace and Eoghanan will go ahead with all the children first. Then the three of us will go along.”