Morna's Legacy: Box Set #1

by Bethany Claire

  I was naked, I could tell by the feeling of the horse’s hair upon me calves, but I was discreetly covered by a tartan that I recognized as that of the Conalls’ guests. “Where are me clothes?”

  The man cradling me in between his arms as he directed the horse answered softly, taking care that no loud noise would hurt me head further.

  “I expect they are wherever ye left them, lass. I dinna take the time to look for them. Ye were bleeding something awful. I thought it best to get to ye before ye drowned or bled to death.”

  “Thank ye.” The words sounded distant, as if it was no me that said them. Although I could see Conall Castle just up ahead, I closed my eyes as I drifted away once more.

  * * *

  The Castle Formerly Known as Kinnaird

  He’d not actually been in the castle since he was a small child, but he remembered the hallways well, and he had no trouble finding Edana’s bedchamber.

  Everyone in the castle was asleep and, if the rumors in the village were true, Arran Conall had been away for days visiting his brother at Conall Castle. For this reason, he made his unexpected visit to Edana.

  He knew Edana would be furious that Arran had gone and would assume that their plan to claim she was carrying Arran’s child had not done as hoped and kept Arran close at her side. It seemed she was right, but Tormod could not allow her to believe so. She had to continue to feign the pregnancy so that she could ignorantly take the poison at just the right time.

  He knocked softly on her door, not wanting to draw attention from elsewhere within the castle. There were many men on duty, and he’d been lucky to make it so far undetected. It took a moment for her to answer, and he couldn’t repress the way he was sure his eyes widened at the sight of her.

  Her eyes were red, glassy, and shone with being deep in her cups. The longer he spent time with her, the more he knew that the lass had more in common with her father than she realized.

  She stepped out of the way, nearly tripping, and Tormod quickly stepped inside to help steady her. “What are ye doing, lass? ’Tis no appropriate for the lady of the castle to drink so much.”

  Edana set down on the edge of her bed and patted the cover to motion that he join her. “No one will know how I’m behaving. I am all alone here. Me husband doesna care that I carry his child. He still finds time to visit his whore.”

  Tormod sat next to her taking the goblet of ale from her hands. “Edana, ye are no really with his child.”

  “It doesna matter. The plan did no work as ye hoped it would.”

  He forced himself to reach up and stroke her hair. At least tonight she would be too drunk to expect him to do anything else to her. “Just give it time, lass. As time moves on, he will grow accustomed to the idea of a child, and he will love what he believes is growing inside of ye.”

  “And what will we do when he realizes that there is no child? Ye said that we would think of something, but I canna continue to do this if I doona know that there is a safe way out of it. He canna know that we lied to him.”

  Tormod nodded and pulled his hand away. “Aye, lass, I know. ’Tis why I’ve come to ye.

  I have acquired an herbal drink that will make ye bleed when the time comes that Arran grows suspicious. It will appear as if ye lost the child, and then he will never know that ye dinna tell him the truth. He will only be lost in the grief of his unborn child. He will then be at his weakest.”

  “So it will no do harm to me?”

  He stood and helped move her up higher onto the bed so that he could settle her for the night. Her eyelids were starting to droop, and he was thankful that he would no have to take her into his arms this evening. “Nay, lass. It will do no more harm to ye than ye’ve done to yerself this night. Now, rest. I believe Arran is due to return home tomorrow.”

  Once her eyes closed, he slipped out silently, grinning at how easily she’d accepted his lie.

  Chapter 29

  Conall Castle

  “So you will stay then?” Bri and Adelle sat on either side of me, grinning. Mary stood at the end of the bed matching their expression as I gingerly nodded so as not to hurt me aching head.

  It had been one week since I’d knocked meself unconscious during me ocean swim. While me head started to hurt less and the wound on the top of me head was healing, me chest began to worry me. It rattled with each breath, and I felt more ill each day. Everyone seemed so concerned with me head, that I’d yet had the chance to tell anyone how sick I truly began to feel.

  “Aye. If ye will have me, I shall. I love me father, but I doona wish to return home with him. Have any of ye spoken to him about this? He willna be happy that I wish to stay here.”

  I watched as the three of them shared glances back and forth. Finally, Mary spoke up. “Aye, lass. He said that he would leave the decision to ye, but before ye make up yer mind, he has something else he wishes to speak to ye about. I believe he will be in shortly. ’Tis why we’ve come to ye now. We wished to ask ye to stay before he has a chance to ask ye what he wishes.”

  “And what is it that he wishes to ask me?” I meant to say more, but the rattling built so I swallowed hard to repress the cough that threatened to burst forth. I was being fussed over enough by the three ladies before me. I dinna see reason to cause them more worry.

  Adelle rolled her eyes dramatically and stood as the scarlet sign of her frustration rushed over her face. “He made us promise we wouldn’t say anything to you, but I told him I think he’s a damned fool for even bringing it up to you.”

  “Mom,” Bri’s voice served as a warning as we all turned to see whose face was going to match the footsteps making their way to the doorway.

  Baodan, Lady McMillan’s eldest son and my watery savior, stepped inside the doorway, leaning his tall body into the wood frame. “Ach, excuse me. I dinna know that Blaire already had visitors. I shall take me leave and return at a later time.”

  “Oh, nonsense. We were all just leaving.” Bri stood and smiled at me quickly before waving toward Adelle and Mary so that they would follow.

  Adelle called back to me over her shoulder as they walked out of the room. “We’ll be back this evening. I want to hear what you told your father.”

  I scooted back in the bed so that I could sit up straight. As Baodan approached me, he pulled his left hand out from behind his back holding me rumpled dress inside his large hands. “I will no disturb ye long, lass. I only wished to return this to ye. I made me way down to the shore this morning so that I could retrieve it for ye. How are ye feeling?”

  He extended the dress in me direction, and I took it, smiling at him in appreciation. “Thank ye. I feel much better. Me head only aches a little now.” The cough that I’d held back earlier would no longer be repressed as I lost meself in a fit of painful coughing that caused my head to pound severely.

  Baodan quickly moved beside me placing one hand on me shoulder and another on me back to steady me. “There ye are, lass. Yer head may feel a wee bit better, but ye are no well, are ye? Have ye told anyone of this cough?”

  I shook my head guiltily. “Nay, I havena. ’Tis nothing, I’m sure.”

  “’Tis no nothing, lass. Ye breathed in too much of the cold sea water, and ill ye are. I’ll send for someone to see to ye.”

  He moved away from me, and I instinctively reached out to grab his hand to stop him. “Nay, please doona do so. If it gets worse, I shall tell them, but I doona want a fuss over nothing.”

  “As ye wish, lass, but please promise me that ye will stay abed and rest until ’tis gone. I wished to speak with ye further, but I’ll leave ye be for a while. Ye look as if ye could use some sleep.”

  “Fine, I promise. What did ye wish to speak with me about?” Me curiosity was peeked, but he was right. I was exhausted and the coughing had caused me head to ache dreadfully.

  “’Tis no urgent that I speak to ye about it now. We have time to do so later.” He smiled at the confused expression on me face and ducked his head as he retrea
ted from the room.

  ’Twas the first time I’d actually spoken to Baodan alone, aside for the moment on the horse, but I was no nearly conscious enough for that to constitute conversation. I found it hard to imagine what he seemed so keen to discuss with me.

  I quickly drifted in a restless and short-lived sleep, stirring as I felt me father’s lips lightly touch me forehead.

  “Ye scared me badly, Blaire. When Baodan rode up with ye, yer head bleeding so fiercely, I thought for a moment I would lose ye. Ye are all I had after yer mother died, and I canna bear the thought of losing ye as well.”

  I reached up to dash away a rogue tear running down his face, and he quickly grunted in embarrassment. “Ach, I am no a crying man, but a father’s love for his children is enough to bring a man to his knees. How are ye feeling, love?”

  “Better.” I dinna say more, no trusting me chest to stay silent otherwise.

  “I’m sure that Bri, Mary, and Adelle have already been to see ye. Did they tell ye what I’ve come to speak with ye about?”

  “Nay, but Adelle seemed no too pleased about it.”

  Father rolled his eyes rather uncharacteristically. “Aye, I suppose she dinna. She’s a strange lass, but I canna say that I doona like her. She’s fiery like ye, Blaire. I am glad that she was there to take care of ye in yer time away.”

  I smiled. “Aye, me too. Now what is it, Father?” A small cough escaped, but I was able to hold it in so that it seemed as if I was only clearing me throat.

  Intuitively, he stood and moved to the water basin to pour me some water. Once he returned to me side, he spoke. “Baodan has asked me for permission to marry ye.”

  I spit up all of the water in me mouth and lost meself in a fit of coughs. “What?” I struggled to get the word out in between loud rattles of me chest.

  Worry creased Father’s brow as he scooted in closer to me and cradled me as Baodan had done earlier. Eventually, the coughing subsided and father shook his head in dismay. “’Tis no good. It must be seen to, lass.”

  I dinna argue as I had done earlier. He was right. Each fit of coughing grew louder and lasted longer than the time before. “What did ye just tell me, da?”

  “He came to me a few days ago and asked permission to marry ye.”

  “Why would he do such a thing? Are ye sure that ye dinna arrange this? Ye did it once before. What did ye tell him?”

  He took both of me hands in his own, stroking them tenderly. “Nay, lass, I did no such thing. I was wrong before to send ye here to wed Eoin, but please believe me, I only did it because I thought it best for ye.”

  “I know.” And I did know. I was the most precious thing in the world to him. He just dinna know what to do with me.

  “I dinna tell him aye, but I dinna tell him nay either. I told him the choice was yers, lass. I will no make such a decision for ye again.”

  That was at least some relief. “Thank ye. Ye doona think that I should do it, do ye, Father?”

  He looked down and shrugged before looking back in me direction. “I doona know, lass, but I believe him to be a good man. What will ye do if ye doona marry? Ye are welcome to return home, but I doona believe that ye wish to do so. What is there for ye here? Ye were no meant to work in the house of the Conalls. Ye deserve a family and keep of yer own.”

  ’Twas a fair question but one I’d given little thought to. “I doona know, Father. But I doona know the man, and I doona believe that I could ever love him.”

  “Ye canna know that for sure, lass. I dinna love yer mother at all when we married, but she was me very soul by the time she left this world. I will no advise ye what to do. Ye are a sharp lass and, in this, I shall let ye decide. All I ask is that ye think on it. Speak with him. Get to know him before the McMillans leave in three days time.”

  I nodded, unsure of what to say. Father could tell that I needed rest. He bent to kiss me once more. “I love ye, lass. Sleep now and think of it come morning.”

  Tucking the blankets around me and pouring me more water, he blew out the candles as he left, leaving me in the darkness. I lay awake for hours before sleep finally took me, all that he’d said turning over in me mind.

  Chapter 30

  The Roadside Inn

  Present Day

  “What’s the matter, love? What have ye seen?”

  Morna jumped at the sound of her husband’s voice. Slowly she opened her eyes, pulling herself out of the dream. “Ach, Jerry. It doesna seem to matter how often I help them, they always find a pathway to trouble.”

  He sat with her wrapping his frail and bony arms around her as she’d known he would, the supporter he’d always been for her. “Who, lass? What has happened?”

  “Blaire is verra sick. I doona think that she will heal on her own. She needs modern medicine to keep her from dying. I believe Bri will look for a way to heal her. If I can only leave something in the spell room for her, she will find it without having to travel forward once more. It takes a toll on the body, and I doona think Bri should go through again.”

  “Why dinna ye say so, love? Give me what ye need to leave for her, and I shall go at once. I know that ye doona like to return to the castle. I’ll go and be back in time for supper.”

  Morna stood and kissed her husband firmly on the mouth. “I knew there was a reason I married ye.”

  Leaving him smiling in the living room, she went in search of the antibiotics and all of the other medications needed to rid Blaire of the sickness that threatened her life.

  * * *

  1646

  By the next morning, I was coughing up blood and me skin was so warm to the touch that sweat covered me body. I drifted in and out of sleep, delirious, nonsensical dreams dancing before me eyes.

  When the visions stayed present while awake, I really began to worry. Me vision constantly blurred. I could hardly register when someone was in the room with me or when water was being poured down me throat. I knew that someone stayed in me company, washing me, trying to get me to eat, changing out me sweaty clothes and bloodied cough rags, but I could hardly speak, I was so overcome with fever. And I could no move without the aide of another.

  Liquid built deep inside my lungs. I knew death was coming for me.

  Each morning, Bri would come to dose me with the medicine, Advil, she’d brought back with her the last time she’d passed through the portal. It aided in breaking the fever only for a little while. With each passing day, the medicine seemed to burn off more quickly, and I found meself in delirium once more.

  On the fourth morning, I knew it was time to say me goodbyes. Only one person demanded the forefront of me mind. After Bri came to administer the pills, I asked her to stay and help me in the few short moments when me fever would recede slightly.

  She stayed by me side until I could think more clearly. Knowing I would no last long, I gave instructions right away. “Bri, I need ye to get me some parchment and a pen. I need to write to Arran and tell him what is happening. I need him to come and say goodbye.”

  Bri started to argue but as she looked me over, decided against it. She too could tell that there was no much life left in me. I scribbled the note quickly, grimacing as a splatter of blood landed on the parchment as I coughed. I handed it over to her, and she sealed it without reading, respecting me privacy, as I’d known she would.

  “Ye will send someone with it right away, aye?”

  She nodded and placed a moist rag onto me forehead. “Of course I will. Now rest. I’ll take it to someone now.”

  “Thank ye.” I shut me eyes as she left, feeling more peaceful than I had in days. Now I only had to hold on until Arran could come and bid me farewell.

  * * *

  Bri ran through the castle and out the back doors in search of Kip, calling out to him before she even reached the stables. “Kip, can you call one of the lads that helps you with the horses straight away? I need one of them to ride out toward Arran at once.”

  She slowed her pace as she rounded the co
rner into the stable to find Kip already ordering a young lad to mount up for the ride.

  “O’course. He shall take good care of it. Won’t ye, lad?”

  The lad nodded, and Bri gratefully handed the parchment up to him, only pausing to kiss Kip lightly on the cheek before taking off at a full run back to the castle. Time for her to enter the spell room once more. She’d be damned before she let Blaire die.

  Flying through the castle, Bri nearly slipped on the steps leading down into the castle’s basement. She recovered quickly, not pausing to catch her breath until she stared open-mouthed into the contents of Morna’s spell room.

  Sitting on top of the spell book was everything they needed. Syringes filled with antibiotics, more Advil, and some medicine to break up the fluid in Blaire’s chest all sitting on top of the faded, yellow parchment as if it had always been there.

  She almost turned to stop the messenger but then decided it was best to let him go. These medicines would help greatly but, as sick as Blaire seemed to be, she didn’t know for certain if they would be enough to save her. She wouldn’t deny Blaire’s last wish to see Arran if they did not.

  Smiling, Bri moved into the spell room to gather up the treasures. Morna’s days of magic had not ended with their last trip back into the past. She was watching over the Conalls and her beloved home still, centuries away from them all.

  * * *

  The messenger rode fast, only stopping for a few hours of rest and to relieve himself when necessary. He’d seen the panic in the lady’s eyes as she’d brought the parchment to him. He knew not what information Arran Conall needed so desperately, but his family had been loyal to the Conalls for decades, and he would not be the first in his family to disappoint them.

  He made the journey in half the time it would have taken most. Knowing his horse was in desperate need of rest, he stopped at the edge of the village and knocked on the stranger’s door to see if he could pay for a stall for his horse while he attended to his duty.