"Dangerous criminal, huh? He can get in line," Kieran said dismissively, turning back to his desk. "Look after yourself, Sarah."
She stormed out of the guardhouse, allowing herself the brief but pleasant satisfaction of slamming the door shut so hard behind her that a horse on the other side of the courtyard shied away in fear. But her frustration returned quickly as she set off walking aimlessly around the courtyard, quick strides taking her nowhere in particular. She circled the courtyard, keeping in the shadow of the wall, the gray sky above her matching her mood perfectly. How dare he? To release her hard-won prisoner with barely an apology… then refuse to even let her go and search for him? With barely an explanation, either… she ground her teeth as the chill wind cut into her, accelerating a little in the hopes that the heat of her body would compensate for the chilly weather. Where the hell did he get off, speaking to her that way?
But her angry pacing of the courtyard didn't keep her warm for long. Shaking her head, she turned on her heel and headed for the castle, hoping that a hearty breakfast would help her feel better. She'd eat her fill and come up with a plan to go after DeBeers without Kieran's assistance. He was an idiot if he thought the man wasn't going to cause trouble out there… just because he'd traveled through time like she had, didn't mean his old habits wouldn't come to the surface soon enough. Before too long he'd be robbing whatever the medieval equivalent of high society was… unless Sarah could do something about it, of course.
She sat down heavily next to Maria with a huge bowl of porridge in hand, ignoring the raised eyebrow that her new friend gave her until she'd satisfied her initial hunger with a few huge spoonfuls. It was hot and sweet, and delicious, and went quite some way to improving her mood.
"Good morning," Maria said cautiously, an amused smile dancing around her eyes. "You seem – energized, this morning."
"Just got back from talking to Kieran about DeBeers," she explained with a mouthful of porridge, then swallowed hard. "Or trying to."
"How'd that go?" Maria tilted her head thoughtfully. "I didn't think he was pursuing DeBeers at the moment, with everything going on."
"That's just the problem. He's not." She blinked, glancing up at Maria. "What do you mean, everything going on?"
"He didn't mention? The reason he doesn't have men to spare to chase down DeBeers?"
"I just assumed he didn't want to," Sarah said, frowning. "He didn't say anything to convince me otherwise, at any rate. Just told me I wasn't allowed to leave the castle. Like I'm a child, or a pet."
Maria sighed. "Look, I'm not going to tell you there isn't some latent sexism under that decision," she said, shaking her head. "MacLeod men are good men, overall, but they're a product of their time, and even Cameron has made some unpleasant assumptions about women being weak, or soft, or in need of protection. But it's especially dangerous out there at the moment."
"What do you mean?" Sarah glanced toward the door of the dining hall as though she might see the source of the danger that way. Maria leaned forward.
"We've had an unprecedented rash of bandit attacks this summer," she explained softly, keeping her voice low. "The whole area's been hit hard. Nobody's sure who's behind it. Kieran was under the impression that it was just the one group, but the more men they find and punish, the more attacks seem to crop up. They're attacking travelers on just about every road in Skye – nobody's safe. It's getting to the point that the servants at the castle travel in huge groups to and from the village each night and morning, just in case they're attacked."
"He didn't mention any of that," Sarah said, shaking her head as frustration seethed in her. Why hadn't he bothered explaining why he didn't want her leaving the castle grounds – why he didn't have the resources to pursue her criminal? It didn't make up for the fact that he'd let the man go in the first place, of course, but she'd have been a little more understanding of his reluctance to help her if she'd known they were in the midst of a crime wave. "All summer, you said? Does that mean it's summer now?"
Maria laughed, her eyes crinkling. "Unfortunately, yes. It doesn't get much warmer than this. And just wait for the winter."
"I'd rather not," she said drily, shaking her head. "I'd rather go straight back through that gate and leave you all to deal with DeBeers, if I'm honest."
She'd intended it as a joke… but a shadow had crossed Maria's face when she mentioned the gateway, and she frowned. "Sarah…"
"I wouldn't," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "He's an asshole, and he's my mark. I'm staying until I find him."
"That's just the thing. I'm afraid you're staying whether you like it or not." Maria sighed, looking at her hands on the table.
"What do you mean?" There was something reluctant and ominous about Maria's tone that made a chill steal through Sarah, distracting her from her burning frustration with Kieran and his restrictions, from her worries about how she was going to track down DeBeers in a medieval county fraught with bandits.
"The doorway that you came through – that all four of us came through," Maria said hesitantly. "As I mentioned last night, I'm afraid it's a one-way journey."
She stared at her, not understanding. "What do you mean? It's – a magic door, isn't it? I have to admit I haven't given it much thought," she added, frowning a little. The idea of a magic time-traveling door… it was just too ridiculous to give much credence. There was almost certainly a scientific explanation, right? Something about wormholes? One of the guys who worked for her detective agency was obsessed with science fiction. He'd probably have a decent theory about how it worked. It had to be wormholes, or something? Right?
"We don't know," Maria said, shaking her head. "All we know is that whatever magic brought us here… well, we've been unable to find a way to make it take us back. The castle, this century… this is your home now, Sarah. I'm sorry if that's hard to hear."
She took a deep breath, feeling an odd resistance to confronting that idea. Stuck here? Forever? Her whole life on the other side of the doorway nothing more than a memory? It was almost too big an idea to think about. And though Maria was squeezing her hand and murmuring reassuring things, she found her mind returning again and again to DeBeers. Somehow, she just knew that if she could track him down and catch him, everything would be okay.
She just hoped he didn't get too far from the castle before she was able to take a horse and hunt him down herself.
Chapter 8
The morning passed slowly. Sarah paced around the castle a little more, getting to know the layout of the place a little better. The wing that held her room was closest to the wall on the sea side of the castle, with a window at the end of the hallway that overlooked the ocean. She spent some time peering out of it, watching the waves below. For all that traveling back to this era had changed the castle substantially, it was oddly peaceful to know that the ocean hadn't changed a bit over the centuries. She may as well have been looking out through the windows of the bus that had brought her to the ruin… that was already beginning to feel like a lifetime ago.
Was what Maria had said really true? Was she stuck here forever? Was there really no way back? No, she told herself firmly when that thought threatened to swallow her whole. There was a way back – back to her home, back to her life, back to civilization. She just had to find DeBeers and drag him back through it herself – kicking and screaming, if necessary. In fact, she was hoping for a bit of kicking and screaming. The smug look on his face when the guards had taken him away from her was still haunting her. Where was he now, she wondered? Out there on the windswept moors somewhere, figuring out a new life in this age the same way she was? Or had he already run into trouble – killed by the bandits, perhaps? She hoped not. Not that the idea of his death was upsetting to her, of course – she'd daydreamed herself about shoving him bodily over the cliffs of Skye and into the ocean. But death was too easy an exit for that scumbag. She wanted DeBeers to suffer – wanted him brought to justice properly.
And that couldn't happen if
she was stuck in this stupid castle.
She headed down for lunch later to find Maria waiting for her. It was clear her new friend was worried about her – she kept asking subtle questions, clearly trying to get a sense of how well she was adjusting to her new life here. But Sarah came from a big family of cops – she knew when she was being prodded for information. So, she told Maria what she clearly wanted to hear, pretended to be coming to terms with it all. The truth was, she'd decided not to think about it. Not until she got hold of DeBeers. There'd be plenty of time for freaking out about time travel once she'd gotten hold of her quarry.
But Maria was a little more insightful than she'd given her credit for. She paused with a piece of bread halfway to her mouth, her intelligent eyes keenly boring into Sarah. "You're still thinking about DeBeers, aren't you?"
"Can you blame me?" she said with a shrug when she realized that Maria wasn't going to be dissuaded from this topic of conversation. "He was my mark – and he got away at the last minute. Through time travel, of all blasted things."
Maria laughed. "I get the frustration, for sure. But trust me… wherever he is right now, he's not having a good time. Not with the amount of bandits in the area. For all we know, he might be dead already."
"That'd serve him right," Sarah said darkly. "But I don't want him dead. I want him brought to justice."
"You'd have been a good cop," Maria said, smiling a little – but her expression shifted when she saw the look on Sarah's face. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Oh, no. Just… a sore subject. My whole family's police. I wanted to be a cop my whole life. But I got barred on medical grounds."
Maria shook her head. "That's too bad. I'm sorry."
She shrugged. "I've had plenty of time to come to terms with it. It kind of sucks, though. My asthma was a lot worse when I was younger – it's what stopped me making the force. But by the time I was on top of it properly… well, it was too late to sign up."
"Private detective work is good too," Maria said with a shrug. "I bet the money was better."
"Oh, definitely." She grinned. "Speaking of. If I'm here for good… how am I going to earn a living?"
Maria shook her head. "You won't need to pay rent if that's what you're worried about. You're welcome under this roof for as long as the castle stands."
"Sure, but I need to make myself useful somehow." Something occurred to her, and she leaned forward. "What if I join the guards? Kieran was just saying he's short on men – and I've got more experience than half of the teenagers I've seen guarding the wall."
Maria chuckled. "Yeah, the majority of the guard are out on patrol these days," she explained. "Kieran's keeping the younger ones home on guard duty because of how dangerous it is out there."
"That bad, huh?" She tilted her head. "Kieran's not so old himself. Thirty-odd?"
Maria nodded. "He's younger than our last captain was when he took the position. But he's already distinguished himself as a good leader. Patience and diligence, mostly – and very good instincts for danger. If it wasn't for him, this area would be in a much worse state with these bandit attacks, that's for sure. He's got no life outside of his work, of course," she added with a roll of his eyes. "I find it impossible to have a conversation with him that doesn't end up being about his most recent patrol, or new weapons he wants to get for the guards…"
Sarah couldn't help but laugh, feeling a guilty twinge go through her. "I've always been a bit like that," she admitted, biting her lip. "Married to the job, and all that."
"Oh, yes? I believe you mentioned that last night." Maria tilted her head, a smile dancing around her lips. "So, there's nobody special back home?"
"No way. Hopelessly single, my mother said once." She laughed, trying to pretend that that comment hadn't stung a little. "I tried dating and everything, but nothing ever stuck. Never met anyone I preferred to my own company, you know?"
Maria nodded. "I was the same until I met Cameron, honestly. I think it's good to be happy on your own. Then you know that if someone comes into your life and stays, they're going to be bringing something really special to it."
"Maybe I'll meet some handsome peasant and fall wildly in love," Sarah joked. But Maria just shrugged her shoulders.
"I mean, all three of us got married within a year of getting here," she pointed out. "To MacLeod men, too. I wouldn't be surprised…"
"What, you think – me and Kieran?" she scoffed – but Maria's eyes were dancing.
"I didn't say anything about Kieran. Interesting that your mind went straight there, though."
Sarah laughed. "He's the only single MacLeod I've met! Who else was I supposed to think of? He's handsome, I guess," she said, as though his physical attractiveness hadn't been just about the first thing she'd noticed about him. "Not at all my type personality-wise, though. Stubborn as a mule."
"Too much like you?" Maria asked, a whimsical smile on her face.
Sarah scowled at her. "I'm not stubborn, I'm dedicated. Completely different thing."
"Oh, of course," Maria said, raising her hands as though Sarah was pointing a weapon at her. The two of them laughed, and Sarah reflected that it felt good to have a friend. It had been a long time since she'd spent time with someone like this, just talking.
Later that afternoon, Maria took her up to her quarters to show her an assortment of clothing she'd organized to lend to her. She was grateful for the clothes, as strange and different as they were from her usual fare – the jeans and shirt she'd been wearing when she stepped through the portal were beginning to feel a bit unpleasant to be in, and though the prospect of changing into the rather elaborate gown that Maria presented her with was daunting, she was very happy to get some clean clothes on. And she had to admit, when Maria had finished teaching her how to dress herself, the gown was a lot more comfortable than she'd been expecting.
"I thought I wouldn't be able to breathe," she said thoughtfully, admiring her waistline in the mirror. It had been so long since she'd worn a dress – she'd forgotten that she had a pretty good figure for them, all things considered. "But this is pretty good."
Maria laughed. "Corsetry is a whole separate subject," she said, shaking her head. "But I've always found these gowns fairly comfortable myself."
It felt good, to look the part. As she wandered the hallways, she found herself paying closer attention to the servants and other strangers she saw on her travels. To her surprise, she was drawing less and less attention – especially as she was dressed more the part. The lingering gazes that she'd drawn on her first day here were gone, with the people of the castle seemingly deciding to get on with their lives again. It felt simultaneously good and bad – good to know she wasn't the object of fascination any longer, but a little strange to think that a literal newcomer from the distant future was only distracting for a day or so.
But the more she listened in to the conversations these people were having, the more she realized why she maybe wasn't such an interesting topic of conversation or reflection. Servants gathered in alcoves to talk in low voices about what was going on outside the castle walls. Sarah remembered what she'd learned about how the servants were travelling in groups to and from the village to avoid being attacked by bandits… and it seemed that this wasn't the only symptom of their fear. They whispered about who the bandits were, where they might be holing up, what their next target might be. It seemed that just about everyone knew someone who'd been personally targeted by a bandit or a group of them. Attacks were being carried out not just on travelers and passersby, but on farms and houses in the nearby village itself, with the bandits growing bolder and bolder.
"I know Captain Kieran is doing his best," she overheard a young man saying to a maid in the courtyard in the late afternoon, both of them taking a break from their labor to enjoy a little of the late afternoon sunshine. "But the castle just doesn't have enough guards to station at every farmhouse in the county… and wherever the guards are, the bandits just go somewhere else."
Well, maybe she could find a way for the two of them to work together on both problems. If she could help sort out the bandits, maybe she could get his go-ahead to pursue DeBeers. He might even see his way clear to sending some guardsmen along with her to help.
And one way or the other, she was going to catch her nemesis. Even if it meant going through a whole army of bandits first.
Chapter 9
That evening, she headed for the usual table she shared with Maria, only to pause in surprise when she saw not just Maria, but two other women sitting in her usual spot. The two strangers looked up at her with identical expressions of keen interest – and when she hesitated, they both leapt up to embrace her, talking at great speed in accents that she realized, her eyes widening, weren't Scottish – but American.
"This is Edith," Maria said, laughing as she pointed to the taller of the two women, who had a long red braid tethered behind her pale, pretty face. Her huge blue eyes were shining when she looked at Sarah, and she squeezed her hands tightly in hers in welcome. "And Carissa." The shorter of the two, Carissa had cool gray eyes and wavy brown hair.
"You two are both from –"
"The future," Carissa smiled, her gray eyes bright. "Edith was the second to arrive – I was number three."
"Our numbers keep growing," Edith said thoughtfully as the four of them settled down at the table to eat. "I wonder why?"
Join A Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance-A Highlander Across Time Book 4 Page 5
