Separated By Time: Book 3 of The Thistle & Hive Series

by Jennae Vale

  “Try not to seem as if this is all brand new to ye lad,” Angus cautioned quietly, as they headed towards the heavy wooden doors to the castle. “Not everyone here knows about the bridge.”

  “Right.” The word ‘lad’ got Maggie’s attention and she knew that from this point forward she had a job to do and that meant she could not let her guard down – ever.

  Angus was just about to reach for the doors, when they practically flew open, knocking them back a pace. His facial expression changed from serious to delight in a split second. “Jenna! Ashley!” he crowed.

  “Angus?” Both women spoke at once and then ran into his waiting arms. He kissed the tops of their heads, first one and then the other, and held on to them tightly. “What are you doing here?” Ashley asked. “Did you bring Edna?” She peeked around him, searching for Edna and her gaze landed briefly on Maggie.

  “Nae. I’m afraid not.” Angus reluctantly released the two women. “I’m sure ye both ken that my niece, Maggie, is here. I’ve come to escort her home. Edna has need of her at the inn.”

  Maggie noted that at the mention of her name, the women exchanged a troubled look. She wondered what that was all about. What had Brielle been doing while she’d been at Breaghacraig? Maggie wasn’t certain she wanted to know, but she hoped Brielle hadn’t done anything to ruin Maggie’s good name.

  “You can stay for a while though, can’t you?” Jenna asked.

  “Aye. I’ve much to catch up on with ye both.” Angus twirled Ashley and whistled. “Look at ye lass. When is the babe due?”

  Ashley giggled at this big teddy bear of a man. “April. Thank you so much for the baby gift you sent back with Jenna. You made it, didn’t you?”

  “Aye, that I did. Whether the babe be a lad or a lassie, a wee wooden sword will come in handy. They can start to practice with it almost as soon as they can walk. I made it especially for a wee little hand. Of course, they’ll outgrow it quickly, but I can always fashion another when that happens.”

  “I hope you’ll come back and visit after the baby is born. Then you can give the little one the benefit of your knowledge and teach them how to use it.”

  “It would be my pleasure, Ashley. I’m a lucky man to have so many wonderful women in me life. Ye ken yer both like daughters to me.”

  “We’re the lucky ones,” Ashley said. She put her fingers to his lips to quiet his protest. “Cailin will be so excited to see you. Come on, let’s go find him.”

  Maggie cleared her throat to remind them that there was someone else present.

  “I’m sorry. We didnae mean to ignore ye lad,” Angus announced. “Ladies, let me introduce ye to Alec. He accompanied me from Glendaloch, he’s a local lad and Edna wanted to give him the experience of time travel. She thought I could use his help while I’m here.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Jenna stuck out her hand and Maggie did her best to shake it with a suitably manly grip. “You look really familiar,” Jenna added, examining Alec’s face curiously.

  “You’re right, Jenna. He does look familiar. Did we meet you in Glendaloch?” Ashley asked.

  “I dinnae think so,” Maggie replied, averting her eyes and trying her best to sound more masculine. “Oftentimes people mistake me for someone they know. I must have one of those faces, I guess.” This was harder than she had anticipated. Remembering to speak and act like a lad was going to be a constant struggle for her. She only hoped she didn’t mess up.

  Ashley shrugged and took hold of Angus’ hand. Jenna went to his other side and wrapped her arm through his.

  LAGGING BEHIND, Maggie watched the easy way Angus had of speaking with these two women. They obviously both adored him and the feeling seemed genuinely mutual.

  “Cailin,” Ashley called to two men, who were undoubtedly brothers, as they walked away from a larger group of men. She waved her arms frantically in the air and the two men exchanged glances and trotted towards their small group.

  “Is that Angus I see?” Cailin asked. Not waiting for an answer, he pulled Angus into a bear hug that was returned in kind. Cailin then introduced Angus to the other man. “Angus, this is me brother, Cormac, husband to Jenna.” Cormac offered Angus a hearty handshake and slapped him on the back.

  “I’ve heard so much about ye,” Cormac said. “I’m happy to finally meet ye, but where is yer wee wife?”

  Angus explained that she hadn’t been able to come along and that he was visiting Breaghacraig to collect Maggie.

  “This be my companion, Alec,” Angus explained. Both Cailin and Cormac nodded in greeting.

  “’Tis good to meet ye,” Maggie responded, again deepening her voice as much as possible. She was grateful that there was no backslapping where she was concerned. She would surely have ended up on the ground in a heap if either one of these strapping men had attempted it. She was also thankful that neither of them had met the real Maggie before now. Ashley and Jenna moved to stand beside their respective spouses and Maggie suffered a twinge of jealousy when she saw how in love they appeared. She could hardly wait to see Dylan, although she would be forced to continue the pretense of being Alec for the foreseeable future. She would have to accept that fact, and that she might see some things here that she didnae want to see. As the others talked, Maggie cast her gaze towards the group of men Cormac and Cailin had just left. Her breath caught in her throat when she recognized Dylan standing amongst them. He looked even more amazing than she remembered. Of course, here he was shirtless and wearing a kilt, which only made him more attractive. He seemed very comfortable with the other men as they all laughed and joked with one another. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of him.

  “Is everything alright?” Ashley asked, seeming to notice Maggie’s keen interest in the men.

  “Oh, aye, it is,” Maggie said, casting her gaze down towards the ground and scuffing at the dirt with her boots. She was going to have to be more careful. She tuned her ears back in to the conversation at hand.

  “I hope ye two lads are taking good care of these precious gems.” Angus had donned his protective father face and raised a questioning eyebrow at Cailin and Cormac.

  “Of course,” Cailin said, squeezing Ashley around the waist.

  “Aye. We are,” Cormac agreed.

  “Ladies? Any complaints?” Angus asked.

  Ashley and Jenna acted as if they were giving it some serious thought and then burst into laughter. Cailin and Cormac both shook their heads at their wives antics.

  “We were just heading in for the noon meal. Come, join us and we can introduce you to Robert and Irene.” Cailin took Ashley’s hand and they led the way towards the great hall. Maggie wandered along behind, scarcely able to keep her mouth from dropping open at the wonder of finding herself in a real medieval castle.

  * * *

  “MY FATHER SPOKE of ye often,” Robert said, after Angus and Alec had been introduced to him, Irene and their children.

  “As did mine,” Irene added.

  “They told of your unmatched bravery in battle and of how the three of ye fought side-by-side, on more than one occasion. They were heartbroken when ye disappeared,” Robert said.

  “Yer fathers were good men,” Angus said. “I’m sorry I caused them such heartache. I had no way to let anyone know what had happened and that I was alright.”

  Robert nodded his acceptance and understanding, as did Irene.

  “I met the woman I’d always hoped to meet, my Edna, and there was no way I could leave her behind to return. I wanted to spend the rest of my days with her and I haven’t regretted my decision for a moment.” Angus glanced around at the other men, who were all holding their wives just a wee bit tighter.

  Maggie was once again reminded of the one thing lacking in her life. Love. It’s what she wanted, what she dreamed of and what she hoped to have with Dylan, if she wasn’t already too late.

  “There she is!” Robert suddenly shouted. “Maggie, yer Uncle Angus has arrived.”

  Everyone turned to
the doors and watched as an obviously startled Brielle recovered her cool demeanor and reaching behind her pulled Dylan into the room. She made sure to cozy right up next to him, which had the real Maggie seeing red. Brielle scanned the faces in the room and settled her gaze on Maggie, in her disguise as Alec. She offered Maggie a withering stare before she focused her attention on Angus. With a bright smile, she spoke. “Uncle Angus, what brings ye here to Breaghacraig? I hope all is well at home.” She came forward to hug Angus, looking extremely uncomfortable in the process.

  “Aye. ’Tis indeed, my dear niece, but yer Auntie Edna would like ye to come home with me. She is in need of yer help.”

  “Cannae it wait, Uncle? I’ve come to see Dylan and I wish to spend more time with him.” Brielle had a temperamental pout on her lips, which was very uncharacteristic for the real Maggie, as she snuggled closer to Dylan.

  “We dinnae need to leave in a hurry. We can stay for a bit longer if ye like,” Angus said. Maggie could tell he was carefully wording his responses. There was no way that Brielle could not know that Angus was on to her, but she kept up the pretense of being Maggie without batting an eye. An awkward silence followed his answer and the others in the room watched this exchange with curiosity.

  “Angus, it’s good to see you again,” Dylan chimed in, breaking the quiet filling the room. He left Brielle’s side and reached out a hand in greeting.

  “It’s good to see ye again, lad,” Angus said. “How have you fared since yer arrival?”

  “Great. I love it here. I’ve been enjoying it more than I would have imagined.” Dylan glanced at the others and then his eyes landed on Alec.

  This is it. He’s going to recognize me now. Maggie smiled brightly at Dylan, forgetting for a moment that she was in disguise. Her stomach was doing flip-flops and her heart was racing as she waited for him to say something.

  “Hi, I’m Dylan.” He reached out his hand to shake Maggie’s and she visibly deflated. He didn’t recognize her. Shouldn’t he? How could he look her in the eyes and not know who she was?

  “I be Alec,” Maggie replied, grasping his hand. She didn’t know if he could feel it, but when she touched Dylan she began to shake. This would not be a good time to lose it, Maggie. She made an effort to stand up taller and look as unaffected by their encounter as possible. For his part, Dylan simply turned away from her and went back to Brielle’s side. Damn it all, Maggie thought. She glared at Brielle and there was a palpable tension in the air. Energy shifted back and forth between them, causing Maggie to feel nauseous and wobbly. She grasped the back of a nearby chair to steady herself and with a good deal of effort broke contact with Brielle’s eyes. She’s a strong one. This will not be easy.

  “Alec,” Angus sounded concerned. “Are ye alright, lad? Mayhap ye need to sit for a moment.”

  “Ye must be hungry,” Irene said. “It’s time for the noon meal. Why dinnae we all sit and eat?” Irene showed Angus and Alec to their seats and everyone else sat down as well. Soon servants carrying trays filled with food were streaming from the kitchen to the tables and everyone was helping themselves.

  Maggie was a bit hesitant, but Angus handed her a platter and said, “Alec, put some food on yer trencher. I ken ye be hungry.”

  “Aye,” Maggie said. “I am.” She started plucking things off the platter and onto her trencher, not caring what it might be that she was grabbing. Brielle caught Maggie gazing in Dylan’s direction and gave her the evil eye. I’m going to need to protect myself from that witch. She no sooner had the thought than her throat began to tighten and she was having a hard time breathing. She immediately started running through the list of spells she’d been taught. Surely, Edna had given her one to protect herself? She was panicking now and that was never a good thing. She could feel her thoughts running in a million different directions. Deep breaths, calm yerself. After a moment or two, the spell came to her and she quietly recited it in her head. When she was done, the panic had left her and Brielle was left looking disappointed and angry. Maggie avoided looking in her direction for the remainder of the meal. She noticed that Angus had spoken more today than she had ever heard him do so before. He was usually the strong silent type, but for some reason, he was babbling on about life in Glendaloch, The Thistle & Hive and Edna. No one else seemed to notice, and Maggie knew that he was trying to distract their attention from what had been happening between her and Brielle. The meal couldn’t be over soon enough for her taste. She had been uncomfortably aware of Dylan at the other end of the table and acutely aware of her enemy, Brielle, at his side. As soon as it was polite, Maggie excused herself and practically bolted from the room. Once outside, she gulped in a huge lung full of the crisp, fresh air. She leaned against the stone walls of the castle, which were warm from the sun shining directly upon them. It felt good to Maggie and calmed her frazzled nerves. What a mess! How am I going to succeed? She’s so much stronger and better at this than I am. Maggie shielded her eyes with her hands. No one in the courtyard had noticed her. Apparently, there was nothing remarkable about her for anyone to take note of. That was a good thing, she imagined. That way she could go about undetected by the others. She still wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do to defeat Brielle, she just hoped she wasn’t going to die trying.

  Angus walked out the doors with Dylan at his side. She hardened her heart just a little in order to dull the pain she felt at the sight of him.

  “There ye are, Alec. Come along. Dylan is going to show us to our room. We’ll be staying in the soldier’s barracks, but we’ll have our own private room,” Angus said, motioning towards the other side of the courtyard.

  Maggie didn’t respond, instead falling into step behind the two men. And silently plotting her revenge against Dylan, for forgetting her so quickly. Who was she kidding? As much as she might like to see him fall flat on his face, she could never do anything to hurt him, no matter how angry she might be.

  They entered the soldiers’ barracks and Maggie was relieved to find they were empty. “Where is everyone?” she asked.

  “They’re all out tending to their daily duties, or they may even be out on the practice field.” Dylan shrugged his broad shoulders and Maggie found him absolutely adorable. To her eyes, he looked very fit and his body appeared more sculpted than she remembered. His muscular chest was straining against the fabric of his shirt and Maggie had to look away before he noticed the effect he was having on her. “Your chamber is right in here. I’m staying in the room right next to you while Maggie’s here, so if you need anything, just give a holler.”

  “Thank ye, Dylan, ye’ve been ever so kind,” Angus said.

  Maggie made a weird grunting noise in response and escaped into their chamber, where she tried to melt into the corner. At least he’s not staying in the same room with Brielle, she thought.

  “I’ll see you around,” Dylan said as he walked away.

  “Are ye alright, lass?” Angus asked, after it seemed he had looked up and down the corridor one hundred times to be sure no one would hear him.

  “I’m fine, Uncle,” Maggie’s head was pounding, her heart was racing and she was definitely hyperventilating, but she wasn’t about to let Angus know that. He was already stressed out enough over their situation.

  “WHAT DID she do to ye in there?” Angus raked his big hands through his salt and pepper hair, leaving it standing on end in the process.

  “I’m nae sure. She was staring me down and the next thing I knew, I couldn’t breathe. I used one of the spells Auntie taught me, and it worked, but it made her verra angry.”

  “I don’t like this one bit. Edna shouldnae have sent ye. Yer just a wee slip of a thing and much too kind hearted for this kind of work.” Angus paced back and forth across the small bedchamber. He was so angry Maggie could practically see the steam coming off him.

  “Uncle, dinnae worry about me. Auntie wouldnae have sent me if she didnae think I could do it. I must try.” Maggie knew she needed to calm things down in her o
wn mind if she were going to be successful against Brielle. “She knows who I am and she thinks I’m afraid of her, so in her mind, she’s already won. I know that now and I won’t let her get the best of me again.”

  “If she hurts even one hair on yer head…” Angus started.

  “Don’t, Uncle. She’ll not harm me. I’m a grown woman. I can handle this and I will.” Maggie had made up her mind. She would not cower in front of that witch again. She’d fight her with everything she had. Edna had taught her well and she could do this. She had to do this – for the MacKenzies and for Dylan. “I just wish I understood exactly what it is that I am supposed to do.”

  “It will reveal itself, lass. I’m here for ye and I will protect ye as best I can.” Angus reached out and pulled her to him, hugging her tight to his chest. “Dinnae fear, all will be well.” Maggie didn’t think he sounded very convincing.

  CHAPTER 5

  Doubts were still whirling through Dylan’s mind. He was having a hard time locating the strong connection he had felt when he met Maggie for the first time back in Glendaloch. Never having been in a committed relationship, he was at a loss as to how the Maggie he remembered had changed so much. He wasn’t a quitter though, he was still crazily attracted to her, and he was determined to figure out the problems between them and make her his. Where is she? Dylan had been searching for Maggie for the past hour and hadn’t found her anywhere. Not much had changed in her behavior since his last conversation with her, but he could see that she was trying to make an effort, so he decided to give it more time.