Morna's Legacy: Box Set #1

by Bethany Claire

  “Ye are going to Conall Castle, but ye must travel there by way of the pond at McMillan Castle. It has magical qualities.”

  “Of course it does.” I stared at the window, enjoying the green beauty, despite being held hostage by two crazy bags. The landscape was so different from Texas, and in the best possible way.

  We turned down a secluded gravel road, and I knew the instant we had reached our destination. The beauty of it took my breath way. A grand pond sat off to the right of the magnificent castle. It was smaller than Conall Castle but equally as exquisite. For a brief moment, I imagined being one of the ladies who’d been lucky enough to live there during its prime.

  As quickly as the odd thought came, I rejected it. Lucky? They didn’t have toilet paper, electricity, running water, or tampons. Oh, and let’s not forget about birth control! Lucky was entirely the wrong word, but staring at the beauty of the place made it easy to romanticize the past in a way much more pleasant than I was certain it actually was.

  Morna parked next to the pond and quickly got out of the car as she waved to me to follow. Seeing no choice but to do so, I did as she bid. Standing next to the water, I bent to dip my fingers into its surface. It was cold, but what was I expecting? It was Scotland, after all.

  I turned to throw a frustrated look in Morna’s direction. “Just how exactly is coming to the pond going to take me to Bri and the band of lunatics?”

  “Ye must skip the rock, dear. If it skips three times, it shall take ye where ye need to go. Or, ye can hold it close to ye and float on yer back while we push ye into the water, but I suppose skipping it would be more fun for ye. If ye decide that ye need to come back, use the rock the same way.”

  I laughed and reared my arm back to chunk the rock, but waited as I asked Morna another question. “And just how do you expect me to do that? After I skip the rock, won’t it disappear by floating to the bottom?”

  She shook her head and laughed, clearly thinking my question stupid. “No, it will find its way right back to ye. Just like the pond is magical, so is the rock.”

  “Oh, right. How stupid of me.” I faced the water once more. “Are you joining me, or am I jumping on the crazy train alone?”

  Jerry patted me on the back and turned to head back to the car. “Good luck, dear, and good luck to whoever finds ye there first.”

  “Start the car, Jerry. I’ll be there in a moment.” Morna bent down to pick up a handful of smooth rocks. “No, we willna be joining ye. This is for ye to do alone. Now, why doona ye practice with these rocks first?”

  I dismissed her hand. I’d taken many picnics and jogs around Lake Travis, and I knew how to skip a rock with the best of them.

  “I don’t need to practice.” Rearing back, I flicked my wrist and watched the rock bounce. Once. Twice. I turned my head to Morna. “See, three times…”

  In that instant, everything went black.

  Chapter 7

  McMillan Castle

  1647

  He wouldn’t wake her, but Baodan hoped his mother would rise soon. He was anxious to leave here. His brothers put him in a bad mood indeed. If only all people were more like animals, perhaps he wouldn’t have such a bad taste in his mouth for many of those nearest him. He ran his hands down the side of the marbled horse, leaning his head against the gentle beast.

  “Ach, Artair, ye are a fine lad. What would ye say if we moved Niall and Eoghanan out here, and I moved ye and Heather into the castle? Ye could both have yer own bedchamber, and I wouldna mind if ye dined with me at the grand table.”

  The horse neighed happily and Baodan laughed as he tugged on both horses’ reins, walking them out of the stables. “Aye, ye would both like that I expect, but alas, I was only teasing. I do care for them ye know, even Eoghanan. Despite how hard they make it, they’re me brothers. Besides, I doona think Rhona would stand for it. She cleans up after the rest of us too much as ’tis.”

  A strange movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he whirled to face it. He was a good ways from the pond, but he could see something floundering in it. A bird, perhaps? He continued to move forward with the horses, straining his eyes to try and make out what tossed about in the water so frantically.

  He heard it then, the faint scream so soft he thought perhaps he imagined it. There were no females around who would have gone for a swim. He turned to Artair “Did ye hear that, boy?”

  The scream reached him once more, and the ears of both horses perked up as they took off at full speed in front of him. Baodan ran in the same direction. Although the horses stopped at the water’s edge, Baodan dove into the chilly water as he reached it.

  There was indeed a woman in the water, right at the water’s center. He glanced up in between powerful strokes to see a lass with bountiful red hair bobbing up and down yelling angrily.

  He slowed as he reached her. The lass wasn’t drowning. She treaded water quite well, cursing with every other word.

  She had the strangest accent, much like his cousin’s wife, Bri. Although he didn’t understand half of the words she shouted, he sensed none of them were appropriate to be coming out of a woman’s mouth.

  * * *

  The impact of the water as I hit was unlike anything I’d experienced before. I imagined it to be something like diving off the high-dive without any form. I would be sore for days.

  I couldn’t explain it—what happened from the moment I threw the rock to the moment I hit the water. One minute I was on the shore, the next everything around me went black, the next, water rushed up into my nose as I sunk into the water.

  Luckily, I reacted quickly, and I pushed my way up to the surface as soon as I registered that I was under water. I could swim well, although I preferred tip-toeing into the water to being catapulted into it.

  My head was bleeding, I reached up to touch it as I treaded to get my bearings, and my hand came away covered in blood. It didn’t hurt, but I suppose I was in some sort of shock from the sudden jolt. I wasn’t altogether sure whether I hit my head upon immersing, or I’d been wacked over the head so that I could be tossed into it.

  I spun in a circle and, for the first time, saw just how far I was from any shore. No way had I been thrown into the water. But if not, how else did I end up here? I started to scream. At Morna, at Bri, at anyone who would listen.

  “I’m going to kill that crazy old bitch! Morna! Where the hell are you? On the other hand, you better run, because when I find you, I’m going to kick your ass! You said Bri was supposed to be here! Did you put the Kool-Aid in that chicken pot pie?”

  My back was toward him, but I spun quickly when I heard his voice. Cheese and crackers, he was freaking beautiful.

  “What is ‘cooo-laid,’ lass?”

  I momentarily forgot to kick my feet and dipped beneath the surface shortly before popping back up to spit up more water. He was at my side in an instant, his firm hand yanking me upward.

  “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  He reached up and dabbed at the wound on my head. “No, ye are no fine. Ye are bleeding, lass. Do ye need me to help ye to shore?”

  I pulled away from him and started to swim. Gorgeous or not, bleeding or not, I didn’t know this man, and I had a sneaking suspicion he was part of the Kool-Aid club, whoever he was. “No. I can make it just fine.”

  “As ye wish, but ye will let me see to it once we get on shore. Ye have no choice in the matter.”

  No choice, my ass. My head would stop bleeding, but my sanity grew more fragile with every second I spent in Scotland. I would find Bri and bounce.

  He was a practiced swimmer and reached the shore minutes before me, but he obviously saw how much I didn’t want his help. He remained waiting on the shore for me to arrive.

  He stood there dripping wet, bare-chested, chiseled beyond belief, and wearing, I kid you not, a kilt. My stomach immediately felt swimmy, even though by this point I was pulling myself out of the water.

  I saw his face in the middle of
the pond and, while it was equally stunning, to see the package all together, half-naked and dripping, was enough to warm my freezing, wet skin through. His dark eyes slanted out at the ends just slightly, making him look serious and smoldering. His hair was dark brown blended with different shades of copper, making his wavy hair look shiny and alive. He had lots of it and, although cut short, the glorious mass hung loosely around his ears. Wet, wavy curls hung down into his face and eyes.

  I shook my head. No matter how ridiculously handsome he was, he was obviously part of the lunatic gang. I twisted and reached behind me to wring out my hair. The long ringlets absorbed water like a towel and, as I squeezed, it poured from the red locks like a running faucet.

  “That’s some head of hair ye’ve got there, lass. ’Tis stunning.”

  “Umm…thanks. Now seriously, I did what the crazy bat asked. I got dressed in this ridiculous outfit, traveled out here, threw the damn rock, and somehow got in the water. Surely that’s enough for you bastards to allow Bri to talk to me. If she seriously wants to stay here, fine, but I need to see her and speak to her.”

  He regarded me skeptically and grabbed my arm as he dragged me over to a small rock bench just a few feet in front of us. “Bastard, lass? I am no one of those. Ye must be thinking of me brothers, and ye must have hit yer head harder than ye thought for no only are ye bleeding, ye are speaking utter nonsense.”

  I briefly forgot about my head, but as I felt the blood trickle down my face, I reached up to touch the gash above my forehead and winced at the sting. “Ouch. Yep, that hurts like a bitch now.”

  “Now? Did it no hurt ye before, lass?”

  He reached forward with his hand, gently wiping away the stickiness from my face. He had no cloth, save his kilt, but he seemed more worried about cleansing the blood from my face than the ick factor of getting it on his hands. “No, it didn’t hurt before and it only hurts a little now. It’s already about stopped bleeding I think. It’s not a deep cut.”

  He crouched down so that he was eye level with me and continued to gently wipe away my face. By the time he reached the slash, it had stopped bleeding entirely.

  “Ye’re right, lass, and I’m glad for it. Sit here a moment, I’m just going to wash this off.”

  He jogged over to the water’s edge, and rinsed his hands. Before returning to me, he met two horses who were headed in his direction. Gathering their reins, he walked them to my side and patted both gently. “They were worried for ye too, lass. They ran to your aide as soon as they heard yer screams. Now, what was it that ye were saying in the water? Did I hear ye mention, Bri? Do ye know her, lass?”

  The relief at hearing Bri’s name was instant. I couldn’t have been more pleased. If he knew her, she had to be close. “Yes, I do, and I need to speak to her right away. Where is she?”

  “No here, lass. She resides at Conall Castle and is married to me cousin, Eoin.”

  So much for relief. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s what Morna said too, but she said that I would find her by throwing the damn rock into the pond here. Not that I believed her but I at least thought she was around here somewhere.”

  He crouched down once more, worry evident on his face. “Morna Conall? She’s been dead many years.”

  I stood, angry as ever. He did the same and, although he towered over me, I rammed my fingers deep into his chest. “Look buster, I’m sick of this crap. Morna is alive and well, unfortunately. Not that she’s going to stay that way for long. She’s the one that brought me here, and she told me that I would find Bri. If Bri’s not here, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You are going to walk around to wherever you keep cars around here, get one, and you will be taking me to wherever Bri is, right this instant.”

  He didn’t budge as I pushed on him. Staring down at me, amusement danced in his eyes, “I doona know what a ‘car’ is.”

  I rolled my eyes and walked over to the horses. “Fine! Then get me on one of these bloody horses, and we’ll ride there.”

  “Did ye say ‘bloody’ lass? Are ye from England? Ye doona sound English?”

  “No, I’m not from England! I’m from the States. I don’t know why I said bloody. I’ve never said it before in my life. I’m tired, my entire body hurts, and I’m ready to get out of this episode of The Twilight Zone.” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard to keep from crying. I hated that every time I got this angry, I felt the need to cry. It immediately made me seem less forceful.

  He walked up to me and hesitantly tried to wrap his arms around me in comfort, but I jerked away.

  He exhaled loudly in surrender and when he spoke, his voice was sympathetic. “I’m verra sorry I’ve upset ye, lass. It wasna me intention. What’s yer name?”

  I sucked up my sniffles and tried to steady my voice. “Mitsy, and yours?”

  “Baodan. Now, I believe that ye know Bri. By the way ye are going on about her, I have no doubt. I will take ye to see her but I’m afraid I canna do it right away.”

  A new voice answered him, and I turned to see another man approach. He was striking in the most unusual of ways. His hair matched my own in color and he was tall but didn’t move as smoothly as Baodan, each step forward reserved and slightly hunched. His lips were large and one corner of them pulled, his voice exceedingly deep.

  “No, brother, ye doona need to take her anywhere. Ye can leave her in me charge, and I will see her to Conall Castle meself.”

  Chapter 8

  “What?” My voice broke, and blood ran to my face so quickly I thought my head might burst from the pressure of it. Enough was enough. “I’m not staying in anybody’s ‘charge.’ I haven’t joined your crazy role-playing, cult circus, so don’t try to pull that load of bologna on me!”

  I continued to scream, but neither man listened to me as they stared down one another. Finally, Baodan reached out and grabbed me firmly on the shoulder, pushing me soundly down into a sitting position on the bench. “Sit and hush. Doona say another word. Eoghanan needs to explain himself, and I canna hear him with yer screeching. Just calm down, lass.”

  I tried to stand but his hand still pressed on my shoulder. He was strong as a bull and I would go nowhere unless he allowed me to, but surely he couldn’t keep me from talking. “Calm down? Are you crazy? You’re both acting like I’m some sort of object!”

  “Did I no just tell ye to hush? Would ye like me to gag ye, or will ye cease speaking on yer own?”

  I crossed my arms and stayed silent, he was obviously serious and I had no desire to be muffled.

  He faced the other man and, by the way he was staring at him, I got the impression he was nearly as angry as I.

  “Just what do ye think ye are doing, Eoghanan? I wouldna leave ye to watch over a toad. I trusted ye once and it ended with me wife dead. I doona trust ye with women that belong to me.”

  “What?” I didn’t care if he gagged me, he was out of his mind. “You are a sick bastard. I’ve known you all of ten minutes. I do not belong to you.”

  Both men ignored me, and I drew my gaze to the pained expression on Eoghanan’s face as he fidgeted uncomfortably.

  “I am tired of this between us, brother. How can ye carry such hatred with ye for so long? ’Tis time for ye to put this behind us. Ye canna delay Mother’s journey, and ye canna take this lass along with ye. If ye wish to be the one to take her to Conall Castle, then ye should be the one to do so. In the meantime, someone must look after her.”

  Baodan released his grip on my shoulder and stepped in front of me protectively. “And ye think that should be ye? Like hell.”

  I scooted over on the bench to watch the men intently, now intrigued. Fantastic actors, both of them. These guys took role-playing to a whole different level.

  Eoghanan stepped forward, his voice low and just as angry as Baodan’s. “Surely, ye doona mean to leave Niall to watch over her? He’ll have her undressed and in his bed before sundown.”

  Baodan shook his head, glancing down at me. I assumed h
e meant to reassure me that he wouldn’t let that happen. “I doona like it but ye are right. I canna leave her with Niall.”

  “Then give me a chance, brother. ’Tis no the same as it was with her and ye know it.”

  I very much wondered who “her” was, but neither man gave me a chance to ask.

  Baodan all but growled at who apparently was his brother, although I seriously doubted they were related by blood. They didn’t resemble each other in the slightest. “If anything happens to the lass, ye will no enjoy what happens to ye.”

  “Excuse me?” I hardly recognized my own voice, so screechy with rage. I stood and stepped out of his reach before he could grab my shoulder again and went to stand apart from them so that we made an odd sort of triangle. “Let me explain something. Nothing is going to happen because I am not staying here. I’m going to see Bri, and I don’t need anything from you.” I squirmed, suddenly needing to use the restroom. Damn bladder. Why did I always need to pee at the most inconvenient moments? “Except perhaps have you direct me to a toilet.”

  “A ‘toilet’?” Both men said the word in unison.

  I threw my hands up in exasperation. “Stop! Seriously, just cut it out. Press pause for just a moment. Once I’m where I need to be, you are free to resume this delusional little game of yours.”

  Eoghanan spoke only to Baodan. “Is the lass daft? What is she talking about?”

  Baodan shook his head. “I doona think she’s daft. She hit her head though, perhaps she just needs some rest.”

  “Aye, I believe she does. She looks a bit wild, does she no?”

  Eoghanan glanced in my direction but tore his gaze away after he saw the glare I was giving him.

  “Hello? Did either one of you hear what I just said? Of course I’m not daft, you bunch of morons! Quit ignoring me.”

  Again, neither heard nor listened to me. As I stared, their conversation quickly escalated into a full-out argument, and I stood back looking around at the castle grounds. I don’t know why I didn’t realize it after I got out of the water or even after I asked him to go and get a car, but as I noticed the utter lack of modern transportation, a sudden chill rushed down my spine.