"Silence," Bran shouted.
"Let me out of here now. I will kill you if you don't. I will beat you black and blue!" Gabriel said.
"He punched one of the guards, it took two of us to hold him down," a guard said to Cameron.
"I think we have seen enough. Keep this man behind bars and guard him well. He is not to be trusted," Cameron said.
Cameron and Bran turned and walked away back toward the door while Gabriel shouted curses and threats at them.
"Well, what do you think?" Bran asked Cameron as they made their way out of the dungeons.
"I think it is obvious he is from a different time, just like my wife."
"And you believe the petite redhead upstairs is telling the truth?" Bran asked.
"Yes, as far as I can tell. I am sure that this man is not a good husband to her, but that is not for us to decide. If he is threatening us and punching the guards, there is no telling what he does to her. For now, let's keep him down in the dungeon until we have more answers. Go ahead and post your guards at the portal door. As you said, we can't have more Outsiders coming in roaming the castle without us knowing. But by no means are we to be inhospitable to those that come through. As you can see by my wife, there are those who come through that are good and decent folk. We should give them the benefit of the doubt that they are not assassins. I doubt that anyone who wants me dead knows how to use that portal since you need to be in a different time at this very castle to come through it. So, make sure to tell the guards that the people who come through should not be harmed. Subdued yes if they are hysterical as they have a right to be, but they should not be beaten."
"Understood. I will do so right away," Bran said.
Chapter 8
Edith listened to Maria tell her things that made her very confused. She didn't know what these people were up to. She was doing her best to play along, but it was getting more difficult. Still, there was something that she felt could be trusted about Maria. Maybe it was because she was the only person who had an American accent, but also because she was the only one breaking character. She had told her she was a detective, so she was willing to talk to her just like any normal person. But there was still something very, very strange going on.
She watched as Maria walked to the door after stretching a bit.
"You should eat something, and rest. Then tomorrow I can show you," Maria said walking toward the door. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but this door has to remain locked."
"Locked? So, I'm a prisoner now?" Edith said.
" No, not a prisoner. Trust me, it is for your own safety as well as for the safety of my people. I can't believe I'm saying this to you because I was in your shoes not too long ago and I was also upset about being locked in, but now I know it's essential. I can't have you running through the castle scaring my people or the people outside in the castle foyer. It will be too much upheaval, and my husband and I are in the process of hosting his constituents from across the countryside."
"I have no idea what you're talkin about," Edith said annoyed.
"You will, soon. I can promise you this, you are safe from your husband for now. He will not be let out of the dungeon downstairs, and if he is, he will have no idea where you are in the castle."
"Whenever this is over, I am going to sue this company, whatever it is." Edith crossed her arms across her chest.
Maria smiled at her. "Just eat and rest, I will have clothes sent to you as well."
"Clothes? Why do I need clothes? My clothes are just fine—"
"Because you cannot walk around the castle in what you are wearing. You will already be drawing looks because you are a stranger here, so it is best if you wear the clothing of this time."
Just then there was a knock at the door. Maria opened it and Heigl walked in. She carried a tray of steaming hot food.
"Here you are, lass. I brought you two small meat and potato pies with fresh butter, a small bread roll, a wedge of cheese, and berries picked fresh from the forest beyond the bridge just this morning. There is also a pitcher of water if you do not wish the hot water from the tea kettle."
A low growl filled with hunger emanated from Edith's stomach. She wondered if everyone in the room could hear it. The steam coming off of the pies was beckoning her. It smelled absolutely delicious and looked so fresh. She was more than ready to eat. Then she wondered how much this particular room service would cost her once this was all over.
"Thank you very much, I really appreciate it," Edith said but she did not move to the table as she was too proud to show her eagerness to eat.
"I will leave you to it then. I am leaving this bottle of mead as well, drink at your leisure and get some sleep. Tomorrow I shall show you the castle. I have left the herb in the bowl, do not drink it. Only dip the cloth in it with more hot water and use it against your bruises. As I said before, clothing will be brought up to you," Maria said moving toward the door with Heigl.
Edith watched the two women, completely annoyed by all of it, but at least happy that she was at going to eat and then she would think about the predicament that she was in. The door closed and she heard the rattle of the lock. As soon as she heard the footsteps of the two women echoing in the distance she quickly moved to the table and sat down.
It was absolutely mouth-watering to breathe it all in. She sliced into the meat pie exposing carrots, potatoes, and a stewed meat. The crust was so flaky and rich with a golden hue. She scooped up a bit into her fork and pushed it into her mouth.
"Oh my God. Oh my God, this is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten." Edith ate the food noticing just how fresh all the ingredients tasted. It was as if she had never tasted food until this very moment. There was nothing chemical tasting about it and she wondered just where the food had come from. Perhaps they had a garden on the grounds of the castle that she could not see.
Edith poured herself a generous amount of the mead, getting used to the strong taste. She drank it down, washing back the delicious food. She moved through the two meat pies, devouring them. Then she ate the bread and fresh cheese and butter, enjoying them as well.
Once she was full, she needed to lie down. There was some solace in knowing that the door was locked, so that if somehow Gabriel was set free from those ridiculous guards, he would not be able to get through the door, or even know where she was located. This gave her some sense of security and she got cozy on the bed. The mattress was quite soft underneath her body and she sank into it realizing just how tired she was. Or was she drunk?
As she closed her eyes, she thought about the ridiculous game that Maria the detective was playing on her. Why did she say that Edith had traveled through time through that ridiculous small door just like she had done? That was a very mean trick to play on someone and she would definitely speak to management after all of this was done. What if they were telling that to somebody that had a weak mind or was going through some sort of depression, even on the brink of madness, telling someone that could throw them over the edge. Luckily, Edith was of strong mind when it came to such things, it was matters of the heart that she was weak at.
Hours later, Edith rolled in bed listening to the sound of the ocean waves. She thought that she was dreaming about the ocean, as it sounded so real. Seagulls made their sounds, flying by. Then her eyes opened, and she realized that she was in fact seaside. The room was very dark except for the flicker of candles and fire in the fireplace. It all came back to her again. She was in the castle locked in a bedroom. This, she found very annoying because every time she closed her eyes, she thought she would wake up to find that it had all been a ridiculous nightmare, including the fact that the man she'd married turned out to be a monster. Just this once she wanted to wake up and find herself at the airport with Gabriel, setting off to Scotland being happy and filled with joy. Anything after that would have been just a nightmare and they would go on to live happily ever after.
Edith stood up from the bed and stretched. The tray of food that she had eaten was stil
l on the table, letting her know that no one had come in just yet. She moved to the window, knowing that she should be able to see some sort of civilization at this point. standing out the window the sea breeze moved around her hair. Her view was of the cliffs below and the ocean out beyond. But she should be able to see some ships going by and the lights onboard, showing some sense of modern times. She didn't see anything at all. Looking up into the sky, she waited for any sort of airplane and it's blinking lights to travel overhead, but after half an hour of looking she saw nothing.
A cold chill moved through her. She pulled the thick woven blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then she closed the window, and pulled the drapes pushing the cold air out. Padding across the room she moved the chair in front of the fire, noticing that it was getting very low.
"What do I do now? I don't know how to tend to a fire," she said looking around the room for another log to throw on the fire or something to poke it with.
Just then the lock in the door rattled. Good, she wanted to speak more with Maria, as she had come up with several questions to ask.
The door opened just a crack, and a deep Scottish voice said, "Are you decent, lass?"
Edith inhaled a sharp gasp as she recognized the voice. It was Bran.
"I am."
The door opened wider, and she was surprised to see him walking in carrying several items. There was a cloth wrapped around his forearm with something dangling from it, some sort of bundle. In his hands he carried a tray of food. He scanned the room, finding her standing in front of the fire.
"No one has come to tend the fire? Of course not, I have to do everything around here," he said. "I brought wood and food. I can see that you are cold with the blanket wrapped on your shoulders. No guests of the castle should ever be cold, not under my supervision as the Tanist to my cousin, the Laird."
Edith listened to his words, not knowing what the hell a tanist was, but taking in his commanding presence. He set the tray of food on the table and then moved immediately toward her. As he got closer, she had to tilt her head back, to look up at his tall form.
"May I lass?" he said.
"Oh, of course," she replied, taking several steps back so that he could get to the fire. Edith watched him work, looking at his strong forearms as he undid the bundle of cloth exposing several logs of wood. He put two of them on the fire and grabbed an iron prod off the wall and began to poke at the fire until it was roaring again. Then he set the other logs against the wall.
"There you are. I have brought roasted game hen and vegetables for you, and water."
Then he looked at her, for a long silence that made Edith feel uneasy, though not frightened. It was as though somebody was looking at her inquisitively, trying to figure her out.
"Thank you," she said.
"I will be on my way. Lady MacLeod will come to you in the morning."
"Wait. Can you wait a few moments?"
"If you wish."
"I do. What of my husband? Has he been let go?"
"No, he most certainly has not. He is a violent prisoner, punched one of the guards when he was taken to the prison. He has been raging like a madman, some of my guards assume he has lost his mind."
"So, he is still acting that way…" she said quietly. "I was hoping that…"
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. It's nothing. But he is locked still? He cannot find me?"
"No. I assure you, lass, that you are safe in this room. This man… your husband will not be freed any time soon."
"And what will happen to him? To me? How long are we to be kept in this weird play or re-enactment or whatever?"
"That is a question for the Lady and Laird of the castle. I can only assure your safety. Sleep well."
He looked at her again for a long moment, head to toe. She shifted her weight and wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Bran cleared his throat and walked out, locking the door behind him.
Suddenly, Edith exhaled. She threw the blanket on the bed. "Wow, it grew hot in here really fast. Good fire."
She poured herself some water, not wanting to admit that her body was heated because of the tall Scot who had just left the room.
Chapter 9
Bran stood on the other side of the door for a moment. He did not like one bit what was happening… he had a stirring for the young, petite lass. She had a husband and his culture respected any man's marital claim on a woman. That woman belonged as rightful property to the madman in the dungeon and there would be nothing Bran could do about it. Eventually, if the Laird let the man go, then the man would rightfully claim this petite lass and take her with him. Beating a wife was wrong, according to Bran and any respectful Scot, but it was not against the law to do so. A wife was a man's property to do as the man saw fit.
Bran's brows furrowed. He took a step away when…
Bang. Bang. "Bran? Are you still there?" the soft voice from the other side of the door beckoned him. Hearing her say his name brought warmth to his loins and a dryness to his throat. He stepped forward, ready to ignore her. He had too. If he went inside, he might kiss her and that would be very, very wrong.
"Hello! Are you there?" she shouted louder.
Bran groaned. What was she trying to do? Call attention to her whereabouts in the castle? He turned back and angrily unlocked the door and stepped in.
"What are you doing, lass? Are you trying to let everyone know which room you are in? What if your husband did escape and was looking for you at this moment? You would lead him right to you."
"I didn't hear your footsteps walking away so I thought you were still close."
Bran's face turned red knowing that she knew he had still been at her door.
"What is it that you need, lass?"
" Simply, I was thinking... This man, my husband, I mean to divorce him as soon as I get back to my own time. I do not want him to be my husband, I don't want him to be referred to as such. We have only been married a few days," she said.
"Consummated?" he asked.
"Consummated? Do you mean have we had sex…?"
"Yes, consummated the marriage."
"Well I have had sex with others previously, not that that is any of your business, most women of my time have. But no, I haven't had sex with him, he wanted to wait, I'd thought it was romantic, but then… No. We did not have sex after the wedding ceremony, we have not made it to that point because we got into a fight. He hit me." She gestured toward the bruise upon her cheekbone and eye.
Edith turned red in the face, Bran noticed that she was flushing to be talking about such a thing, but he was quietly fuming because he could see what the man she called husband had done to her and it stoked his anger toward the man.
"Beating one's own wife is proof of Madness enough, as far as I am concerned," Bran said.
"I agree with that. When we return, back to the States, if it is not too late, I will get an annulment, but I do need your help getting away from him and returning."
"You still do not believe it, do you?"
"Believe what?"
"That this, all of this around you is not your own time. It is my time, what the Lady of the castle refers to as the past a very long ago past for her."
"Oh, enough with the theatrics. No, I do not believe it. I believe that some sort of weird door is set up in the dungeon as part of the ruins that I was in and this is some sort of Cosplay Fairy Land you guys are taking way too seriously. I will show you, just let me go back through the door that I came through."
"That door, as far as we know, is one way only. Once you come through you cannot go back. At least that is what we have found so far. It is still all very mysterious to us."
"You all want me to stay here and married to that crazed man. No, I want a divorce immediately."
"A divorce is not a usual thing here. Once a man marries a woman, that woman is his property. But considering the circumstances, and that the marriage was not consummated after the wedding ceremony
, it could be a possibility. Again, that is up to my Laird and the Lady of the castle. Now if that will be all," he said, heading toward the door.
"I'm so sick of this game!" She stomped her foot. "I hate you, get out!"
Bran turn to her, not wanting to hear these words from this fiery little redhead, on the one hand it made him angry and on the second it turned him on. "I am going, lass, now take care to not shout for me to return. Stay quiet like a good little lass, and no one will know that you are here in this room and you shall be safe. Do not be a stupid woman."
"Stupid! Ugh! Get out!" she shrieked.
He opened the door, and slammed it behind him, taking good care to lock it and making sure it was locked securely. Then he stomped off muttering a few curses under his breath. This woman was getting under his skin and he did not have time for such matters. He was the Tanist after all and his responsibilities were great, on any given day. Now with such threats as a magic door, bringing outside people from an unknown land and time, his responsibilities had doubled.
"Where are you coming from, cousin?" Cameron asked with a grin on his face as he came across Bran on the staircase from the East Wing.
"I was merely checking on our guest. You should have her room tended to more. The fire was out completely. I don't expect a weak woman from the time of your wife to know how to tend to a fire. She will freeze to death and I will not have people dying in this castle," Bran said.
"Oh, is that so? You just wanted to make sure she was comfortable, of course?" Cameron teased his cousin.
"Yes, that is all," Bran said.
"And yet you could have had any of the maid servants do that, yet you went yourself."
"I know what you are getting at, cousin. Enough. The more I know about this person the more I know whether she is a danger to you or not."
"My wife thinks that she is not a danger, and I tend to trust my wife," Cameron commented walking along with Bran.
"And I tend to trust no one. Now if you will excuse me, I must oversee the stables."
Kiss A Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance (A Highlander Across Time Book 2) Page 4
