"Welcome," Liam said softly. "Welcome to Castle Grant."
Chapter 15
She couldn't stop staring up at the castle, even as they rode up toward the gate. Men on top of the wall recognized Liam and began to open the gate, shouting down to him, curiosity clear on their faces as they saw the strange woman in front of him on the horse. Kay waved a little shyly, not sure what her role should be here — should she shout an introduction up to the men on the top of the wall? But then they were through, and she was fully distracted by what lay beyond the gate.
At the foot of the castle was an enormous courtyard, bustling with men and horses moving back and forth. She scanned it as Liam steered the placid horse across the busy courtyard, her eyes wide — surrounded by walls of the same dark stone as the castle itself, the courtyard was a busy hub of activity, with men training with wooden swords and leading horses back and forth. They were heading for a couple of low buildings by the wall closest to the mainland, and her eyes widened as she realized that they were headed for the stables.
This, at least, she understood… but before she could offer to help with the horse, a groom rushed out to take it away. Feeling a little bereft, she stood waiting for Liam, who was speaking in a low voice to a young man who nodded and went running toward the castle. She stared up at it now, eager to get a good look at it from this close. There were a pair of enormous doors in the front of it, with stone steps leading up to them from the courtyard — the doors were a little ajar, and as she watched the young man Liam had spoken to ducked through them on his way inside.
"I've sent him ahead to alert the Laird to your presence," he explained, giving her a reassuring smile. "He'll be thrilled to meet you, I'm sure. You feeling okay?"
"A little overwhelmed," she said honestly, gesturing around at the castle. "The only thing here that's familiar at all is the stables."
Liam chuckled. "That's understandable. I'm stablemaster, so if you ever feel the need to come out here to settle your nerves… you have my ongoing permission."
"Thanks," she said softly, smiling a little. "I've always found horses very reassuring."
"Me too," he said with a surprised smile. "Something about the smell of them."
"Exactly!" She grinned, feeling a sudden burst of energy. "Right. You said something about a big meal — is that something we can organize before I meet the Lord or whoever?"
"Laird," he corrected her gently. "Can't have you speaking like an Englishman."
"My apologies," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Laird, then."
"And the answer's yes. In fact, why don't we kill two birds with one stone? Lunch will be served soon — may as well combine the meal with the meeting."
"That sounds great," she said gratefully.
He smiled, and they set off together, heading for the steps of the castle… and she took a deep breath as they stepped through the door, finding themselves in a huge hall. Her eyes must have been the size of saucers as she took the place in — the rough stone walls, the tapestries that decorated the walls, paintings and suits of armor as well as low benches on each wall where people sat, talking and laughing with one another... all of them in medieval garb, she thought faintly. This was more than a hallucination, this was more than a dream… there was just too much detail, too much information she'd have no way of knowing…
"Steady," Liam said softly as she staggered a little. "Let's get you something to eat."
He lead her through another pair of doors in the west wall which lead to another huge hall — but this one was full of tables, big long tables with low benches at them for people to sit on. It was incredibly busy, each table she could see crowded with men and women, talking and laughing as they helped themselves to the food that each table was groaning with. It smelled delicious in here — she could feel her stomach growling as Liam lead her past table after table where she could see people eating bowls of what looked like meat stew with fresh bread rolls…
"Laird Donal," Liam said, an odd note of formality in his voice, and she realized they'd stopped before a raised platform on which a table was placed. "May I introduce — the Lady Kay Morris."
She blinked up at the table before her, trying to figure out who was being introduced to her. There was a tall man with clear gray eyes and a head of blond hair a little like Liam's — though Liam's was much longer. He was looking down at her with a keen interest, and she felt a strange urge to bow that she followed — a little clumsily.
"You're most welcome in Castle Grant, Kay Morris," Donal said, his voice clear and firm. He was young, for a Lord — a Laird, she corrected herself — wasn't he? She'd been picturing an imposing old man in his fifties at least, stern and gruff with an almost unintelligibly thick Scottish accent. But Donal looked about her age — if not younger. "Would the two of you care to join us for lunch?"
"Aye, we'd welcome it," Liam said, showing her to an empty seat and taking the space beside her. "Kay came through the burgh late last night, it seems, and aside from some broth from Maggie she's had precious little to eat or drink since."
Liam served her a bowl of soup and a crusty bread roll — she tried to resist the urge to gorge herself, but she quickly set about devouring the bread roll as quickly as decorum would allow. Donal introduced her to the other men he was sitting with — Malcolm, the tanist, Liam's younger brother, and Brendan, a bear of a man with dark hair who explained that he was Captain of the Guard — of the men outside who guarded the castle's walls.
"Where are you from, Kay?"
"Wyoming," she said, feeling a little helpless at the looks of polite confusion on the faces of the men. "It's in America?"
"Aye, that sounds about right," Brendan said thoughtfully. "It's a shame you arrived today of all days, Kay. Our wives are all women like you — women not only from America, but from the future. They'd know exactly where you're from."
"Where are they?"
"Visiting the village together," Donal said with a shrug. "Anna calls it their girls day out, whatever that means."
Kay couldn't help but giggle at that — her best friends back home had always referred to their days out in a similar way. That little glimpse of familiarity gave her hope, made her feel stronger… or maybe that was the soup she was making her way through. It was delicious — rich with stewed meat and savory vegetables, and the bread had clearly been baked fresh that very morning. If the food in the castle was always like this, she thought to herself, she'd be more than happy to get used to it.
That was, if she didn't lose her mind first.
Chapter 16
She finished two bowls of soup during lunch. Donal was interested in where she was from, and a little curious about her background as a vet — Liam was very supportive of her profession, which she appreciated, explaining that he would be glad to have her expertise in the castle.
"There's a problem with wisps I'm hoping I can help solve," Kay explained, wanting to make herself seem useful to the organization — but to her surprise, Donal shook his head a little, then gave her a reassuring smile.
"Oh, we appreciate the offer, truly. But if you follow the pattern that the other women did…"
"Oh, of course," Malcolm sighed.
"What pattern?" Liam wanted to know, a concerned look on his face.
"Anna said it has something to do with coming somewhere so different. The body just isn't ready for the kinds of illnesses that are in the air around here, or something," Donal explained with the air of a man who didn't fully understand what he was saying. "At any rate, women who are new to the castle tend to fall ill rather quickly."
She nodded — the explanation made sense. "It's probably an immune thing," she explained. "The immune system is familiar with the bugs it grew up around and can fight them off — but when it comes into contact with new ones…" She sighed. "I guess a cold is the least of my worries."
"Keep an eye on her, will you, Liam?" Donal suggested, raising an eyebrow at the stablemaster. "Anna got pretty seriously unwell whe
n she got here — if she needs treatment, reach out to Maggie."
"I'm generally pretty tough," Kay said, a little irritated by the way they were fussing over her.
"You'll have that in common with the others." Liam smiled as they finished up their meals. "Why don't I show you to your quarters?"
During the meal, Donal had dispatched a servant to find quarters for Kay to stay in for the time being — she nodded gratefully. Sleeping by the fire hadn't been the best night's rest she'd ever had… the idea of a real bed was very, very inviting.
"Good to meet you, Kay. We'll talk more when you've settled in," Donal said to her by way of farewell.
She nodded her appreciation, considering another attempt at a curtsey… then thinking better of it and just giving him a nod instead. She followed Liam out of the hall, curious to see what the rooms in the castle were like… and fighting the urge to yawn. With a belly full of delicious food, her body was crying out for its next most significant need… sleep.
They headed up a long, winding staircase that made her eyes widen as they ascended floor after floor. Liam murmured an apology for the long climb, but Kay had always had strong legs from a lifetime of riding… and besides, peeping out through the narrow windows as they climbed was giving her better and better views of the surrounding areas.
"Did you say something about the roof?" she asked hopefully — but Liam chuckled and shook his head.
"Another time. Once you've rested. I'm a little worried about you falling ill," he added. "My quarters are on this floor as well," he explained, pointing out a door as they walked down a long corridor. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to knock."
"Thanks," she said softly, and then, because she was full of food and feeling brave: "Do you live there alone? Or with your wife?"
"Alone," he said quickly, shooting her a quick look under his eyebrows. "I'm not married. Are you?"
She almost laughed at the idea. "I guess it doesn't matter if I am, does it?" she joked as they reached a door. "But — no, I'm not."
"Here's your quarters," he said softly, opening the door.
She moved into the little room cautiously, pleased by how cozy it was — a little fireplace at one end, a narrow but comfortable-looking bed by the wall, and — she beamed happily — a narrow window over the bed that looked down over the waters of the Loch. Opposite the bed was a low chest of drawers and what looked like a little table with a couple of chairs at it.
"I'm sure the other women will be able to help you sort out some changes of clothes," Liam said softly, gesturing around. "I'll have the servants bring you some water to bathe in, too, and some extra food in case you're still hungry —"
"I'll be just fine, Liam. Thank you for everything," she said sincerely, stepping a little closer to him to make her point. "I'm not exactly in the best state, mentally, but I — I really appreciate what you've done here, for me. I feel very safe."
"That's good," he said softly. "Is there anything else you need?"
"Short of a good hard slap in the face to help me think straight?" she laughed, rubbing her forehead. "Not really. I just need… time, I think. Time to get used to how different everything is."
"Some things are the same, surely," he said softly, tilting his head to the side. "Would it help, to focus on all of those?"
"Like what?"
"Like you. You're the same."
She nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed and frowning to herself. She didn't feel the same. She felt dizzy, and confused, and a little bit sick — could she already be coming down with whatever horrible illness the men downstairs had hinted at? The Scottish flu — was that a thing? "I'm a bit the same, I guess. I don't feel much like myself, though."
"What about horses?" He smiled at her, taking a seat on one of the wooden chairs. "Horses don't change much, I'd imagine."
"You're right," she said, grinning. "They don't. That chestnut you were riding — is she yours?"
"Aye, she is. My special favorite. Raised her from a foal when her mother passed away. Not an easy task, but a worthy one."
"No wonder she was so gentle," Kay said thoughtfully. "Good smooth stride, too. What's her name?"
"Look, I was a child when I named her —"
"Tell me."
"Brownie," he said, shutting his eyes for a moment — and Kay couldn't help but giggle at the look of dismay on his face. "I know! Not exactly the most creative name."
"In your defense, she is brown." Kay giggled… but a yawn was taking control and she couldn't fight it off.
Seeing that, Liam got to his feet, moving toward the door. "And on that note," he said softly, "I think I'd better leave you to get some sleep."
She nodded, unable to argue with him — especially since another huge yawn was taking her over as he spoke. "Thanks, Liam," she said again, drowsy but smiling at him as he closed the door. "Let's talk more about horses sometime."
And as he clicked the door shut behind him, and she settled herself down under the soft covers of the surprisingly comfortable little bed, she couldn't help but think that she wouldn't mind talking about a few other things than horses with the handsome Liam Grant.
Chapter 17
But it wasn't as peaceful a sleep as the one she'd fallen into by Maggie's hearth. She sank deep, deep down into the darkness, her body cushioned by the bed, finally feeling at peace… but it wasn't long before her peace was disturbed by stalking nightmares, lingering around her vision. For the first time, she realized, she was remembering what had happened during the crash — not just the moment of impact, but what happened after…
First the red car, swerving all over the road. The evasive action she took, jerking the wheel to one side, terrified that if she stayed on the road both she and the person in the red car would be killed… as well as anyone else on the road who might get in the way of the wreckage. Roaring through the grass, her car out of control, the tires slipping on the wet mud at the shore of the lake — then the impact of the water, cracking the windscreen as the car was swallowed almost instantly by the lake. Such was the speed that the car filled up with water incredibly fast — she felt it, surprisingly vivid as it swamped her, and the hurried gasp of air she took as the car filled up was looking like it could be her last.
She couldn't find her seatbelt — she scrabbled desperately at it, shock rising in her body as she struggled to free herself — the car was sinking, sinking into the depths of the lake, murky and dark, and she scrabbled wildly at the door, hunting for the handle, trying to pry it open… but to her horror, she realized the truck had landed on its side, that she was trying to open the door into the mud… she spun and tried to struggle her way over to the other door, but it was too late… the seatbelt was still caught around her and she realized with the acute, horrific shock of despair that she wasn't going to be able to reach the door… that she was trapped, here at the bottom of the lake… she stared up through the darkness, hoping against hope that someone was coming to rescue her…
And then a scene she recognized, if faintly. An image that was eerily familiar… her body, suspended in darkness as though in water, though there was no moisture against her skin, no sign of the lake she'd been drowning in… her lungs were full of water, she realized without panic, and here they came again. The figures, coalescing from pure starlight… coming closer to her, and closer, their strange limbs reaching out to caress her, healing her … and she realized with a shock that she knew more about them, now. These were the Sidhe. The Seelie Fae, Maggie had called them, speaking of them with a reverence usually reserved for royalty…
She wanted to speak to them. Wanted to ask them questions — where am I? Did you really bring me here? Why here? Why me? Why now? Why did it have to be Scotland, so far away from home? But her mouth wouldn't move. This was a memory, she realized dully, feeling trapped inside her own limbs… she couldn't change anything. Couldn't interrogate the strange, glowing creatures who, it seemed, had saved her life by pulling her out of that truck b
efore she could drown, strangled in her own seatbelt…
But still, she was impatient. She wanted to know what was happening, what was going on, who they were and how she could get them to tell her what was happening… but as that impatience rose in her, she realized with a shock that she was back in the car, as though nothing had changed… the seatbelt digging into her throat, the water rushing into her lungs, her eyes slowly eclipsed by starlight as her consciousness faded, faded, winked out…
Kay sat bolt upright in bed, a scream echoing through the room as she gasped for breath, heart pounding hard in her chest. It was pitch dark, with only a little bit of starlight filtering in through the window, and she felt utterly disoriented — no idea where she was, who she was, what she was even looking at. This wasn't her apartment… this wasn't her room at college… this wasn't her bed at her parents' house on the ranch —tears welled up in her eyes at that thought — this was strange and foreign, and wrong, and she hated it. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she shook with her sobs for a few minutes, hunched over on the bed with her knees drawn close to her chest, feeling utterly at a loss.
The crash… had it really been that awful? Was that what had happened to her? Had she drowned, then and there… plucked in the nick of time from the car by the Sidhe and brought here? Because she was beginning to realize that there was no way she'd been rescued from that wreck. No way anyone got to her in time, pulled her out of the lake… so either this was a dying hallucination, or it wasn't a hallucination. And the more she thought about it — and the more time that passed without her vision turning black as her body finally gave up its last breath — the more she was convinced that she wasn't hallucinating. She didn't know nearly enough about medieval Scotland to hallucinate it this clearly, this vividly, in this much detail… why, even the feel of the coarse but soft sheets under her hands was more detail than she'd ever experienced in an actual dream. Even that nightmare — the one that was still making her heart pound hard in her chest — hadn't been as vivid as this experience.
Distracted By The Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance (Highlander Forever Book 4) Page 6
