by Sarah Hoss
“Look,” he said and she tried to pry open an eye. He stood there with a glass in hand. “Drink this and ye will feel better. I swear it.”
“Do you think I’m going to listen to you? The last glass I took from you put me in this situation.” She started to stand, but the room began to spin again, causing her to stumble. Alexander put his hand out to steady her.
“This makes the third time I’ve caught ye. Are ye making a habit of it?” After making sure she was settled, he let go, took a step back, and handed her the glass.
“You wish.” She took the drink and downed its contents as she heard him laugh. She coughed and eyed him speculatively. “I didn’t even think to ask if you were trying to poison me. What was in there?” There was only one way to describe the taste and she was too much of a lady to say the word.
He took the glass back and started to walk out of the room. Stopping to turn around, he looked at her. “Only something to cure your problems.” He winked. “Get dressed. I wish to show ye something.”
She searched the room, surprised to find a dress lying on the back of a chair. She sobered quickly. Walking cautiously over to it as if it might disappear, she ran her hand over the brown material.
“Where did you come from?” she whispered. A spark of jealousy flickered to life at the thought of Alexander borrowing this from a lover. She assumed she was to put it on, so she picked it up and set to the task of getting dressed.
Wishing she had a mirror before she stepped into the other room, she fiddled with the dress and her hair one last time. It had taken her a little while to figure it out. Alexander had already come to the door once, asking her if she was all right. With him hollering instructions through the door, she had finally finished.
The arisaid was of the same tartan as Alexander’s kilt. A black and white checkered pattern that made parts of it seem gray and a little red line through it. The long skirt and vest were brown with a white shirt.
When Alexander regarded her, she waited for him to say something, but he only coughed and glanced away. She sighed, her heart falling slightly. Walking over to the counter, she peered out the window for a moment. Curiosity getting the better of her, she turned and spoke, “Thank you for the dress. May I ask where you got it?”
Usually, she couldn’t read any kind of thought or emotion in Alexander, but what she saw on his face now made her heart stop. Grief resonated from his body and face. She wished she could take back her words.
“It belonged to my late wife. I found a few of her things.” He swallowed before continuing. “You canna go around wearing yer clothes. They’re not proper.” He stood.
She closed her eyes. If she was truly in another time, then he was right. But it was the first part of his words that tugged at her heart. It wasn’t what she’d expected. To know he’d been married and now grieved for his deceased wife made her emotions a jumbled mess. She knew nothing about this man. All this time he’d been grilling her, trying to figure out who she was, and he’d never opened up about his own life.
For two weeks she’d lived under his roof and wanted desperately to feel as if she had a friend in this place, to know something about him in which she could feel a connection. She could now see how much he grieved and her heart ached for him. Grief was not the connection she would have chosen, but there it was and she would cling to it. It was a beginning.
She walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm, grateful for what he had done. “I know exactly what it feels like to not want to let someone go.” When he looked down at her, with sadness in his eyes, she tried to smile and failed miserably. “I do.”
He didn’t respond and she knew it hurt him to see her in his wife’s clothes. Rising up on her tiptoes, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for trusting me with the dress. It’s lovely and I will do my best to take care of it.”
Their gazes held, the intimacy of the moment not lost between either of them.
His features quickly schooled themselves into a blank canvas and she knew the moment was gone. She returned to the cabinet and started to make breakfast. The emotions in the room were so thick, she needed to busy herself.
“What are ye doing?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. He hadn’t moved. Setting the plates down, she answered, “I wanted to make breakfast before we went on our walk. Why?”
A half smile graced his face. “It’s the middle of the day. Ye slept the morning away.”
She went to the window to peek out, checking at where the sun sat in the sky.
“There’s porridge in the pot, help yourself to it. I’ll meet ye outside when ye’re done,” he said, then he walked out the door.
A half hour later, Marlana joined Alexander outside. She felt nervous and excited all at the same time. What were they going to do? She followed beside him as they started on their walk. He informed her that his intentions were to show her the area and get her familiar with the woods and the loch.
As they walked through the woods, the storekeeper’s voice popped into her head. Stay to the paths. The problem was, there were no paths in 18th century Scotland, and she was very glad to have Alexander showing her around. He was a good tracker and knew what to look for. How a broken stem could signal an animal passing. It amazed her how he could see something out of nothing.
“I would rather ye not come out here and get lost or be attacked by wild boars.”
She waited for him to chuckle or say something funny, but he stayed silent. Only when she bumped into him, did she realize he’d stopped and was staring at her.
“Are ye taking this seriously?” Annoyance sounded in his voice.
“I am. I just thought you were teasing me about the wild boar.” She rubbed her hand under her nose.
“And why would I tease about something like that?”
She shrugged. She examined the area where they were standing and tried to get her mind on the subject. Their conversation revolved around his instructions and she was dying to ask him if she had embarrassed herself last night, but couldn’t bring it up. She hoped she hadn’t thrown herself at him like some slut.
Alexander snapped his fingers in front of her face to get her attention and she glanced up at him.
“I’m sorry. I guess I wandered off for a minute.”
“What are ye thinking about that has ye so distracted?” He leaned up against a tree, waiting.
She found her own tree near his and mimicked him. How did she ask him? Excuse me, but did I come on to you last night? She prayed she hadn’t.
She hesitated, trying to find the right words.
“Ye’re stalling.”
She looked at him, aggravated.
“I’ve noticed, too, that ye bite your lip when ye’re nervous or thinking. Now, come out with it.”
Figures. This little habit of hers could be annoying.
“I was wondering ...” She coughed. “... I was wondering if I did anything to embarrass myself last night. Maybe something, um, not lady-like?” She surveyed the ground as if she could find the answers there. The heat in her cheeks blazed.
Alexander didn’t move and she didn’t look up, but an image of him standing there, smiling, played in her mind. Was he taking pleasure in her discomfort?
“No, ye didna do anything unladylike.”
She let out the breath she held and he chuckled.
“Let’s walk and you can tell me what I did do last night.” She pushed off her tree.
“Last night, ye were a wee bit drunk and we talked. Well, ye did most of the talking. Ye told me of yer home, family, and friends.”
Could she have blurted out everything? Now he must think she was crazy. Who could believe such a tale?
“And?” She waited patiently for him to respond.
He turned t
o her. “I willna lie to ye. I had a hard time understanding or believing anything ye were saying.”
She drew circles in the dirt with her foot.
“Ye told me something, though, right before ye passed out.” Ye said to look in yer bag if I didna believe ye.”
“My bag?” What was he talking about? Then it dawned on her. “You mean my back pack? And did you look in it?” She paid full attention now.
Alexander reached into his sporran, pulled out her cell phone, and passed it over to her. “Aye, I did. Sorry I am to go through yer things, but I was curious. There were things in there I didna understand, like this silver box with numbers and letters on it. I was fascinated with the blue stick though. When I pushed the button, a light came on.”
“The blue stick is called a flashlight. This,” she waved the phone, “is a cell phone. I can explain the first, the other is a little harder.”
“Are ye really from the future? Could such a thing be possible?” He kept staring at her and she began to feel nervous.
“Am I really in the past?”
He sighed. “In the end, I choose to believe ye.”
He looked at her with reassurance in his eyes. She clapped her hands with excitement and went to him, hugging him.
He hugged her back. Then quickly he set her aside and stood, arms crossed over his chest, legs apart.
He cocked his head and said, “That is why I’m bringing ye on this little walk. Ye arena from here, so ye willna understand our ways or the area.”
Happiness coursed through her veins. She wasn’t paying much attention to anything else. Never in her wildest dreams did she think he would actually believe her.
“Marlana, this is serious.”
She snapped her head around when he raised his voice. He stood facing her, his gaze narrowed, eyebrows drawn in.
“I canna explain to ye how serious this is. Ye must stay hidden for a while until I can figure something out. I doona want ye talking to anyone. Yer accent and speech will give ye away.”
“I promise. I’ll do whatever you say.” She couldn’t hide the excitement she felt. If he believed where she was from, then he would help her get home.
He was scowling.
“What?”
He grabbed her arms and leaned in close.
“It isn’t just the people. There are animals out here. I canna be around to protect ye every second of the day.”
He was right and that irritated her. Back home, she flinched at the thought, she was good at hiking, and she was able to handle herself the few times they went camping. But life in 1704 Scotland was completely different than it was in Indianapolis in 2012. She was out of her league.
“I understand.” She wouldn’t admit that she never wanted him to stray too far. He was all she had. The thought scared her.
Alexander took her chin in his hand. “I need to go to Castle Cluny. I have business there.”
“You’re going to leave? How long will you be gone?” The thought of him leaving made her nervous. She began to pace. Before, when she was living in the cottage on her own, in a time she was familiar with, she was comfortable. Now, she had grown used to having him around, and after everything he just proved to her about not knowing, she didn’t want him to go away. No matter how long the time.
“I willna be gone longer then I have to. Just a few days. I plan on leaving in the morning.”
She stopped pacing. “So soon?”
“What’s wrong, Marlana?”
She sighed. How could she explain her anxiety?
“As much as neither one of us may want to admit it, you’re all I have.” She walked away from him for a second, turning her back so he couldn’t see her face. “And you’re right. I don’t know the area or the times. I feel like I don’t know anything. That scares me a little bit. Now you’re leaving me here alone and it just shook me up for a minute. I’m sorry.”
“I have a feeling that ye will be fine without me. You seem to be able to take care of yourself.”
“You’re right. No big deal,” she said, straightening her shoulders. “It’s not like I wasn’t living in the house by myself before you came along.”
He walked up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders turning her to face him. “Come, I want to see how ye handle a dirk.”
“You want what?” She stared at the knife he held.
Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and brought her closer to him. He held the knife out to her. “Take it.”
“Alex, I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“Aye, it is a very good idea. I would feel better knowing ye could protect yourself.”
Marlana extended her hand and took the sgian dubh from him. “Skeen duh,” she repeated what Alexander said, the words feeling foreign on her tongue.
It was heavier than she thought. Turning it over, she examined it. Small etchings decorated one side of the blade, which was about three inches in length.
Alexander came around to stand behind her again. He grabbed her hand. The nearness of his body made her straighten.
“When ye go to jab at a body, ye want to do it in an upward motion. Once it is in there, I want ye to twist.”
Having him touching her skin, seared her flesh. She thought it would be a good idea to learn how to defend herself, but now she wasn’t so sure. Having her body pressed to his, made her body tense. Every part of her was aware of him. The scent of him drifted to her nose. The feel of her hips against his crotch, made her body want to react. She closed her eyes and inhaled.
Was he even remotely aware of the turmoil he caused to her emotions?
He stepped back from her and she was glad to put distance between them. She thrust the blade as he’d shown her.
“Step into it, Marlana.”
“Like this?” She practiced the move over and over, anything to keep her mind off his presence. When he stepped away again, she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. Her hand still tingled where his larger one had held hers. They’d stood touching from head to toe and every ounce of her body came alive at his nearness. If this was how her body reacted at having him stand next to her, what would it be like if he made love to her? The thought circled through her mind and she shook her head to get rid of it.
Sweat trickled down between her breasts. What she wouldn’t give for a cold shower.
After Marlana’s lesson in self-defense, she’d claimed she wanted to be alone. When, in his opinion, too much time had passed, he decided to go look for her. Not finding her in the yard, he strode out through the woods.
The sounds of early evening greeted him. The sun still shone low on the horizon, but it would soon be gloaming and Marlana wasn’t familiar with the area.
Kicking a rock, he turned to the right and started toward the loch. A deer darted in the woods to his left and he wished he had thought to bring his bow. He had his dirk, he never ventured from the house without some form of weapon.
The walk to the lock revived his spirit and he stopped to take a couple of deep breaths. Summer had always been his favorite time of year. He loved how Scotland came alive, how green she could turn; the way the colors of heather and bluebells dotted the landscape. The way the earth smelled after it rained.
He used the time to sort through the happenings of the last couple of weeks. Sometimes, it felt like a dream, having her here. And at other times, it was all too real. She was a disruption to his life he hadn’t wanted. He didn’t need a female under foot. He didn’t want to learn about her, to get to know her. He hated to think of what would happen if she was unable to go home, for both of their sakes. Having her here would only cause him unhappiness and he wasn’t going to allow that. At least that is what he kept telling himself. He had to do all he could to help her get home.
A rustling in the
leaves penetrated his thoughts and he quickened his step. He should have known better than to let her go out alone. He was a fool to have thought she would stay close to the house as promised. Had the lass not listened to anything he said earlier?
He was almost to the edge of the woods by the loch when he heard splashing in the water. He didn’t like thinking she was playing at the water’s edge while he had begun to grow nervous at not finding her. He would show her. Maybe scaring her would teach her a lesson.
The cold water made Marlana shiver and she hurried with her bathing. Staying in the woods past dark was not something she wanted to do. Not only did she feel uncomfortable, Alexander would be angry. He had spent the whole afternoon telling her about the dangers and she didn’t want him to think she hadn’t listened to his words. But she had wanted to bathe so badly. Besides, she’d been sneaking off to bathe in the loch for a while now and nothing had happened to her yet. She kept herself aware of her surroundings at all times. She never stayed longer then she needed. She knew Alexander had a tub, but she would have to ask him for help, and for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
She came out of the loch, leaned over, and squeezed the water from her hair. The breeze picked up and her skin dimpled with the cold. Standing up, she started to jog to her clothes when she saw him. He looked angry. Damn. Why did he just stand there staring at her? When the look of hunger replaced the anger, she realized it was her nudity that kept him rooted in place. She noticed the rise and fall of his broad chest with each breath he took and a new set of goose bumps covered her skin.
They both stood still for what seemed like ages. Finally, she decided she was cold and embarrassed enough; she needed to get to her clothes. Her eyes zoned in on the pile that lay on the ground near him.
“Damn,” she muttered as she stepped forward. Her body shook as the wind blew. Cold seeped into her bones, like rain on parched land, and she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She walked with her eyes focused on the ground, and when she dared to sneak a glance at him, her heart started racing. No man had ever looked at her the way he did and she tried to hide herself with her hands, to no avail. She bit her lower lip.
