by Kit Morgan
Duncan seemed to give it some thought. “I’ll talk with him. But how did you find her, Aldrich?”
Aldrich grinned. “Magistrate Hughes’ son let me know where he was headed, after some … persuasion. Then it was just a matter of riding hard to catch up.”
Tory elbowed him in the ribs.
“Oh, yes – and after Tory was kidnapped from them, I had a little help.”
“What?” Duncan and Cozette said at once.
“These freaks from … well, I have no idea actually. Anyway, the Scotsman and his friends helped rescue me,” Tory explained.
Aldrich looked at his hand. “And then I punched him.”
Duncan’s eyes bulged. “Dallan? You punched Dallan MacDonald?”
“Boy, did he,” Tory chimed in. “A few times.”
Duncan’s head swung between them before his eyes fixed on Aldrich’s injuries. “That explains your hand.”
“I believe I’ve done myself a mischief. But … Mrs. MacDonald, um, tended it.”
Duncan glanced at his wife. “Oh, dear.”
“Thankfully I know when I’m outmatched,” Aldrich insisted. “I won’t take on a man that big again without a revolver at the ready. I should thank him for getting me to finally restrain myself, since it wouldn’t do for my future wife to have to watch her husband hang for murder. Not that there was any chance of me harming Mr. MacDonald, but enough of all that.” He carefully took Tory’s hands in his, got down on one knee and gazed up at her.
Tory shook her head. “Aldrich, we already did this.”
He smiled widely. “Not the proper way, and not in front of witnesses. What we said to each other earlier was under great stress. You deserve better.”
Cozette smiled. “I want to be a witness.”
Tory grinned at her, then Aldrich. “All right, go ahead.”
He smiled back. “I know we haven’t known each other long and that you do things differently where you come from. But Victoria Phelps, I would be honored to have you as my wife. To protect you, provide for you and keep you safe with all that I am until I die.” He kissed her hands. “Say you’ll marry me.”
Tears filled her eyes as she smiled. “Wow, that was even better than the first time. Yes, Aldrich, I will marry you.” She fell to her knees and threw her arms around his neck.
He grimaced at her tight hold but embraced her and held her close. And while he held that one-of-a-kind woman in his arms, he silently vowed to never lose her again. She would be his, no matter what happened next, where it happened – or when. He’d see to it that they were together always.
“Ah, there’s nothing like a summer wedding,” Duncan said. “We’d best begin the arrangements.”
Aldrich gingerly brought them to their feet. “The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.”
“Dallan and Shona will want a word with you,” Cozette said. “They did with us before we were married.”
“What sort of word?”
“Oh, instructions on how to have a happy and wonderful life,” Duncan said, then cleared his throat.
Tory took a deep breath. “Aldrich told me about you, Your Grace.”
“Drop the formalities, Tory, we’re all friends here.”
“I understand some of it. But … I’d like to understand more. Could you possibly tell Aldrich and me what happened when the MacDonalds brought the two of you together?”
Duncan blanched.
Aldrich grinned. “He fainted.”
Duncan pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Ha! She didn’t hear that from me!” Cozette said.
“Really?” Tory said. “You fainted?”
“When he found out all the particulars,” Cozette added with glee. “Didn’t you, darling?”
Duncan buried his face in his hands. “None of you will let me live that down, will you?”
“If you tell them the story, perhaps they’ll go easier on you?” Cozette suggested.
Duncan tossed his hands in the air. “Fine, I’ll tell you, but you are sworn to secrecy!” He retook his seat. “All right, it all started in Clear Creek …”
Dallan, Shona and Melvale stood in the great hall by the staircase, watching Aldrich’s proposal from a distance. “Can you tell me what happened now?” Melvale asked.
Dallan crossed his arms. “To be honest, I dinna rightly ken. Two of the men I recognized. I’ve felt them before and dealt with them as well. But the other one, it was as if … he wasna there. Like he was no a man, or a Muiraran.”
Melvale rubbed his chin a few times. “Princess?”
Shona sighed. “It’s as Dallan said. Graves and Kent we recognized – we could feel them. But the third person, there was nothing. Like it wasn’t a person, just a … a hole in the universe. You?”
“Nothing,” Melvale grumbled. “I sensed only the two.”
“And they sensed us coming and got away,” Dallan added as he watched Aldrich and Tory speak with Duncan and Cozette. “This is a problem.”
“A big one,” Melvale added.
Dallan turned to him. “I’ve failed ye.”
“No, you haven’t. None of us saw this coming. We don’t know who this man is.”
“Or what he is,” Shona added. “The main thing now is to keep Tory and Aldrich safe, let them marry and live out their lives.”
“Then we have to hide them,” Dallan said.
“True,” she agreed.
Melvale paced a few steps. “I should take them back with me. They’ll be safest in Mishna.”
Shona’s eyes widened at the mention of the Muiraran city. “But can they handle it?”
“After this? I suspect they can.”
“Speaking of which, thank you for having Kwaku take Kitty home.”
“Think nothing of it. She was glad she could help.”
Dallan let his arms fall to his sides. “She wouldna have had to help if this had gone as I planned.”
“They’re in love, Dallan,” Shona reminded him. “They’re getting married and everyone is all right.” She reached up and brushed a finger over his jaw. “Except maybe Aldrich’s hand, but I fixed it for the most part.”
“For the most part?” Dallan said with a bemused look.
“Let Tory nurse it the rest of the way. It should be fine in a few weeks. He broke it, you know.”
“Aye.” He rubbed his jaw. “I ken he did. He was hopping mad at us and had every right to be.” He looked at Melvale. “We’ll allow them a honeymoon in each of their own times. They can go wherever they want, under guard. Afterward, grant them private quarters in Mishna and give them visiting rights. She has a brother, he a sister. They can visit their own times to see their family members under guard as well.”
“They might not be happy when they’re told they have to stay with my people,” Shona said.
“Aldrich will do what he must to keep Tory safe. Besides, they’ll need to be tested. This man, whoever he is, wanted Tory’s blood for something. We need to ken what.”
“And find out what he used to test it with,” Melvale said. “The instrument she said he used, I’m not familiar with it.”
“Aye,” Dallan sighed. “Too many questions need answering right now. But they’ll have to wait – we must see them wed first. One question, however, canna be ignored.”
“Agreed,” Melvale said.
Shona took a few steps forward. “Who is the Time Master that helped those men?”
Melvale nodded in resignation, reached into his pocket and handed Dallan a slip of paper.
“What’s this?”
“Your next assignment.”
“You’re giving it to us now?” Shona said.
“Now’s as good a time as any. Besides, I think you’ll enjoy where you’re going. You’ll have plenty of help with this one.”
Dallan looked at the paper and smiled. “Dalrovia.”
“Andel and Maddie?” Shona snatched the paper from him and looked it over. “Asger … isn’t that their eldest so
n?”
“The crown prince,” Melvale said in his usual sing-song style. “Her Royal Highness Queen Madeleina, or Maddie, as you called her in Clear Creek – and Prince Consort Andel Berg have three children, Asger, Raina and Vale.”
“And when exactly are we going?” Shona asked.
“1888. Close enough that if you require help from Duncan and Cozette, I’m sure they’d love to take a little trip to the Continent to see their old friends from Clear Creek.”
“I’m sure they would. Asger is human, is he no?” Dallan asked.
“Yes, and a perfect match.” Melvale smiled nervously.
“And the young lady?” Shona prompted.
“She has a high percentage of Muiraran blood. Three-quarters, if not full-blood.”
“Saints,” Dallan whispered. “Bonding will be interesting.”
“Where is she?” Shona asked.
“We’re finding quite a few matches in the 21st century. She’s in a place called Las Vegas.”
“And what does she do there?” Shona asked cautiously.
“She’s a …” He took the paper from Shona and peered at it. “Oh, stab me, it smeared. No wonder you couldn’t read it.”
“Which is why I’m asking you,” Shona said.
“Mitzi Fine is her name and she works in a …” He looked at the paper again. “… casi-no.”
“Well. That means she must be twenty-one.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Melvale wondered.
“A lot if you’re in Vegas. Okay, but first let’s wrap things up here before we prep for Asger and this Mitzi.”
“Aye,” Dallan offered Shona his arm. She took it and they started for the drawing room, Melvale close behind. The Time Master had a wedding to perform.
Epilogue
Stockton, California, present day …
“Are you all right?” Tory asked after she parked.
Aldrich wiped his hands on his pants. No, that wasn’t the right word … jeans. “I’ll be fine. It’s just … the speeds this conveyance is capable of … will take some getting used to.” He swallowed hard. For a moment during their automobile ride he thought he’d die. But he wasn’t going to tell her that.
“Car, Aldrich. It’s called a car. Just wait until I teach you how to drive – you’ll love it!” Her brow knitted. “Are you sure you’re all right? I mean, I know I was going a little over the speed limit, but …”
“A little? Thank Heaven they have limits.”
“Oh, yeah, otherwise there’d be all sorts of wrecks.”
He swallowed and eyed the … what did she call it? Steering wheel? “Is it hard to operate?”
“Not at all.” She unfastened her seat belt and turned to face him. “I love you.”
Aldrich smiled. “And I would go to the ends of the Earth for you.”
“Does that mean you love me?” she teased.
“You know I do.” He leaned over, cupped her face with one hand and kissed her. He’d been kissing her ever since they were married six weeks ago. The lanky Mosgofian had taken care of everything and saw to it that he and Tory were not only wed, but enjoyed a wonderful honeymoon trip to Paris, New York City, Philadelphia and finally San Francisco – in 1880. Now he was about to do it all over again, this time in Tory’s century. So what if they’d been discreetly followed about a group of bodyguards? Being with Tory was all that mattered.
“I hope you like it here,” she said. “We can always go back if you want.”
“To Kent? No, Duncan said it’s too dangerous right now. There might still be people looking for us.”
She hung her head. “I know.”
He tucked his finger under her chin, lifted her face to his and kissed her again. He was never going to tire of doing so, not even when they were both old and grey. When he finally broke the kiss he glanced at their surroundings. “What is this place?”
“My neighborhood. Such as it is.”
He cocked his head slightly. “You live here?”
She nodded. “Yeah, right there.” She pointed at the odd-looking house she’d parked in front of. “I hope Benny’s home.”
“Your brother. Do you think he’ll believe you?”
She looked at him in shock. “I’m not going to tell him. We talked about this, remember? He doesn’t need to know when you’re from. Just that you’re from England.”
“Of almost one hundred and fifty years ago,” he added with a smile.
“Give or take a decade,” she teased. “But seriously, Aldrich. My brother’s not going to handle well that I got married, let alone when and where.”
“I don’t know, darling. After what you’ve told me about him, perhaps we should take him back with us and leave him there. A few years working the fields on my estate might do him good. We can check on him each time we’re allowed to visit.”
“Oh, don’t tempt me. But one thing at a time. Let’s see if he’s home first.”
“Very well. I’ll bow to your good judgment on the matter. You know your brother best.”
“Thanks.” She looked past him at the house. “Car’s in the driveway – that’s a good sign.” She unfastened his seat belt for him. “Let’s go say hi.”
Aldrich got out of the car and stretched. It was a beautiful-looking machine. Many of them were, though they were also the most frightening things he’d seen so far. They didn’t smell good either, though not much worse than a horse did.
A loud noise caught his attention. He spun a full circle, looking for the source.
“Look up,” Tory said.
He did. “Good Lord!”
“It’s an airplane. I told you about those.”
He swallowed hard. Okay, so cars were now the second-scariest thing he’d seen since coming to this century.
“Come on.” She wrapped her arm around his. He let her lead him up a walk to the front door. “I know it’s not much, but it’s home.”
“Is this a common sort of dwelling here?” He’d noted quite a few similar houses, but didn’t know if all dwellings in the city were like these.
“Very common,” she drawled. “There are a lot nicer houses than this in town.”
“Ah, I see.” He wondered if that was good or bad. Then he noticed another noise. “What the devil is that?”
Tory sighed in annoyance. “The stereo. At least the neighbors are all at work.” She shoved her key into the lock, opened the door, stepped inside and took one look around. “Benny!” she yelled, her shoulders slumping.
Aldrich followed; eyes wide at the mess around him. Rubbish was strewn everywhere, as were dirty plates, cups, bowls and silverware. The place looked like the aftermath of a tavern brawl, complete with a couple of men passed out upon the furniture.
“Benny!” Tory yelled again.
Benny, who’d been jumping around with his eyes shut, waving one arm like a windmill, spun to face them. “Sis!”
Aldrich watched his wife’s pretty mouth form a thin line as she marched to some sort of rectangular contraption with knobs and turned one. The music (if one could call it that) stopped. “Benny,” she said for the third time, only now in dismay, “what have you done?”
Benny chuckled, reached for a dark brown bottle of something and took a healthy swig. “Welcome home, sis!” He struck his chest, opened his mouth and belched.
Aldrich stiffened. This was his new brother-in-law?
“Benny, look at this place!” She turned to one of the passed-out men. “Who is that?”
“He comes into the motel a lot. You might call him a regular customer,” Benny looked at Aldrich. “Who are you?”
Aldrich tried to remain calm, but it was all he could do to keep his voice even. “Sir Aldrich Barrow, sir.” He bowed and straightened. “Your sister’s husband.”
Benny’s eyes bulged. “Husband!”
“Husband,” Tory repeated. “You’re cleaning this up, Now.”
Benny shook his head. “I’m not five years old, Tory – stop
bossing me around.” He looked at Aldrich. “Has she bossed you around yet? Where in the world did you two meet anyway?”
“England, if you must know,” Aldrich stepped over something squishy and bread-like on the floor and extended a hand to his new brother-in-law, willing himself to get his next words out. “A pleasure to meet you at last.”
Benny glanced at the hand and smirked. “You talk fancy.” He looked Aldrich up and down then turned to Tory. “Where’d you dig up this guy?”
“Benny, stop being rude.”
“That’s not rude. You getting married and not telling me is rude! Some sister you are. You could have at least flown me to London so I could be there!”
Aldrich had had about enough of this fool. “He’s right, darling. He and I should’ve had the chance to meet before we wed, had a little chat. You know, man to man …”
“Yeah,” Benny agreed. “It’s what men do. And you screwed me out of it! You owe me, sis.”
“What?” Tory looked around the room. “It’s what men do? What man does this to his house? My house.”
Benny rolled his eyes.
“Tory,” Aldrich said in gentle voice. “I think Benny and I should go somewhere and have that talk. I’m sure he has all sorts of questions he’d like to ask me.” He looked at her brother, who stood there smirking. “Don’t you, Benjamin?”
“Benny!” he said louder than necessary. “And yeah, we should.”
“Aldrich?” Tory sounded worried.
He cupped her face in his hand. “Fret not, darling. We won’t be a moment.”
She looked suspicious – and rightfully so. “Remember, he’s my brother. And he’s not as hard jawed as Mr. MacDonald.”
“Oh, I’m keeping that in mind.” He turned to Benny. “Now, where might we converse?”
Benny glanced between Tory and Aldrich. “Backyard. Follow me.”
Aldrich watched him turn to leave, winked at his wife and followed.
By the time he returned a few minutes later, she had over half the rubbish picked up. “You can stop that,” Aldrich ordered. “Your brother will take care of it.”
“Benny? Are you kidding?” She looked past him into a kitchen. “Where is he?”
