Forever and Beyond: Highland Hearts Afire - Time Travel Romance Page 10

  “Then I wish you luck my friend. You’ll need it.”

  Ayden glanced toward the cottage, the image of Catriona flooding his mind. He wanted to marry her, to make her his wife. The thought of MacConnery touching her soured his stomach and caused his blood to boil. “I will speak with your da and hopefully he will listen.” He paused when he saw a young woman speaking to a man near the garden. “That is Lily, your sister’s personal maid, is it na?”

  “Aye. Catriona adores the lass and will allow no other to assist her. Aside from Cora, who has been more like a mother than a servant,” Warren said. “Why?”

  “No reason.” Ayden thumped Warren on the chest. “I must be away. I’ll join you for that whisky tonight at the feast. With that, he trotted off in the direction of the garden.

  Chapter Nine

  Katherine watched the interaction between Warren and the man she now concluded was his friend, relieved to learn they were practicing their swordplay and not really engaged in battle. Fascinated by the skill of the two brawny men, she was drawn to the scene, especially Warren’s opponent. And while she couldn’t see his face, she had the distinct feeling she knew him.

  A soft rap at the door disturbed her musing. “Who is it?”

  “Lady Catriona, I need to speak with you,” someone called out from hallway.

  Katherine moved toward the door. “Who is it?”

  “Lily. Might I come in? What I have to tell you canna wait.” Before Katherine could answer, the door opened a crack and a young woman peered around it. “I am sorry to disturb you, but I must speak to you regarding a matter of great importance.”

  “Please enter, Lily.” Katherine motioned with a wave of her hand.

  The lass scurried into the room and promptly closed the door behind her. “I feared you might na be here,” she said. “I heard you had gone to Inverness, and might na be here for the feast.”

  “As you can see, I have gone nowhere,” Katherine said.

  “I thought it odd you would journey to Inverness without me,” she said.

  “Odd? How so?” While she knew the young woman’s name, she had no idea what her connection was to Catriona. Judging by her attire — an off-white leine, a brown wool skirt, and an apron, she guessed the lass was a servant.

  Lily frowned. “You never asked me to pack your things. And it wouldna do for you to take a trip without your lady’s maid. I always travel with you.”

  “Of course. But since I didn’t go anywhere, there was no reason to invite you to accompany me or to have you pack,” she said smiling. Thinking fast and coming up with a clever answers had been an intricate part of her job. And given how little she knew about the people she might be meeting, and their relationships with Catriona, she figured she’d be calling upon those skills often.

  “What is it you needed to tell me?” She quickly changed the subject.

  Lily produced a folded sheet of velum and handed it to Katherine, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “Lord MacAndrews gave me a piece of silver and bid me bring you the missive. He said I was na to tell another living soul about the note or where it came from.”

  Instead of breaking the seal, Katherine stared down at the letter in her hand. She was, after all, an imposter and the message was actually meant for Catriona and not her.

  “Are you na going to open it?” Lily danced from one foot to the other wringing her hands. “If it were for me, I’d be bursting at the seams to know what it said.” She released a sigh and rolled her eyes in a dreamy fashion. “Lord MacAndrews is such a braw and honorable man. He is also very generous. I intend to go to the village and visit the vendor carts first thing on the morrow and buy enough cloth for my mam to make herself a new arisaidh. The one she has is so old and tattered. She deserves to have a new one.”

  As Lily prattled on, Katherine continued to stare at the note. After giving it a bit more thought, and mentally going over all the pros and cons of reading someone else’s mail, she opened it. Surprised, the missive merely read, meet me in the glen by the stream at three o’clock. I will be counting the minutes.

  Excitement washed over her as she folded the missive, tucked it between the pages of the journal, then laid both on the bed beside her. He asked to meet her in the glen by the stream. Just like the man in her dream had done. Her heart soared at the thought of actually meeting him, forgetting for a moment this was all in her imagination

  “It was good news, I hope,” Lily said. “Would you like to send him a reply? I would be most pleased to see that he gets it.” She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she padded to a table by the brassier and opened a wooden box, retrieving a piece of velum. She grabbed an inkwell and quill, then brought them all to Katherine.

  She wasn’t in the habit of accepting invitations from strangers, but she’d dreamed about him for so long, she felt like she already knew him. He was Warren’s friend and Lily seemed quite taken by him. And judging by wonderful things Catriona wrote in her journal, he was a kind and gentle man. She picked up the quill, simply scribbled the words, I will be there, then folded the note and handed it to Lily. “Please take this to Lord MacAndrews and make haste.”

  Lilly nodded and clutched the message to her chest. “I will go now and run as fast as my legs will carry me.”

  “Be careful no one finds out what you are up to,” Katherine cautioned. She felt like a spy on a clandestine mission, that flicker of excitement quickly replaced by pangs of dread. There was no telling what might happen should anyone intercept the message or find out she was meeting Ayden MacAndrews. But after Warren’s warnings, what she’d read about him in the journal, and her own firsthand experience with the man, she was certain if Lord Grant found out she planned to go against his orders to meet with a man he didn’t approve of, he’d be furious. She’d also feel horrible if Lily got into any trouble for delivering the note on her behalf.

  “You can count on me, Lady Katherine.” Lily bobbed a curtsey and raced out of the room.

  After the lass was gone, Katherine moved to the window and caught a glimpse of Lily running down the path behind the croft, then across a field before disappearing into the woods. Her stomach clenched and elation turned to concern. Aside from in her dreams, she didn’t really know Ayden MacAndrews, and Lord Grant would be furious if he found out she’d left after being told to remain in the croft.

  She closed her eyes, remembering her dreams and the way Ayden smelled, the gentle caress of his hand, the tender way he kissed her, and all worry faded. And so did the fact she wasn’t the Catriona Grant from 1304 and was living in a fantasy world that could disappear at any moment.

  Katherine grabbed the brush she’d left on the table. Both excited and nervous about meeting the man of her dreams, she wanted to look her best. She just hoped the glen and stream were within the boundaries of the Grant estate.

  ~ * ~

  Ayden paced atop the parapets of his father’s castle, waiting for word from Catriona. He knew her father did not approve of them spending time together and hoped she’d be able to sneak away unnoticed. A wave of concern washed over him. He’d not forgive himself if she got caught and suffered her father’s wrath. But he had to see her before the feast.

  He cringed at the thought of how irate Lord Grant could get when challenged or defied. He was reputed to dismiss his servants for the smallest offence and beat them if their indiscretion was more serious. And he wasn’t above beating his bairns if he felt they deserved it. Some claimed the day his wife passed away, his soul died with her, leaving behind an empty shell of a man. A bitter, greedy man, who shunned his bairns and focused on ways to increase his holdings and pad his coffers, no matter what the cost.

  Despite being born a commoner, Catriona’s father had manage to acquire a large amount of land on which lived several tenant farmers. He’d also married well. Courting the third daughter of Robert the Bruce’s uncle had proved a wise move. Not only did it put him in good standing with the man who could someday be the king of Scotland,
but Elena Bruce’s dowry padded his coffers nicely. But like most wealthy men, Catriona’s father was never satisfied with the fortune and land he’d amassed, and wanted more.

  Warren was ten when his mother died, so was old enough to know better than to challenge his father’s authority. He spent as much time as he could away from home as he could, and when he and Ayden met, the lad had a chip the size of a boulder on his shoulder. He tried to put on a brave face, pretended it didn’t matter if his father cared about him or not, and claimed he could take care of himself.

  But Ayden knew better. He could see the envy in his eyes when Laird MacAndrews was around. His da and Lord Grant were like night and day. Where Grant was cold, stern and unreasonable, Connor MacAndrews was nurturing, kind and fair. He too saw the need for acceptance in Warren’s eyes and welcomed the lad with open arms.

  From that day on, Ayden and Warren’s friendship grew by leaps and bounds. He grinned at the thought of how close he and Warren were as lads and still were today. Then laughed aloud, recalling the many time his mother said she believed she was raising two sons, not just one.

  Ayden’s heart clenched when he thought of Catriona. She was a babe when her mam died, and essentially grew up in a home with neither a mother to nurture her nor a sire who cared about her happiness. A vulnerable wee lass, who if not for the affection and guidance of Cora — her wet-nurse, caregiver, and friend — she would have grown up in a home devoid of love. Her brother protected her from harm and their father’s wrath whenever he could. Yet Ayden never felt sorry for her, because she didn’t feel sorry for herself. She accepted her life as it was and never let it make her bitter.

  Cora was a godsend for Catriona, and Ayden was sure she had a hand in making her the caring, kind, giving person she was today. He knew Catriona would never turn her back on someone in need nor did she put on airs and think of herself as better than anyone else. The poor from the village knew if they were in dire need and came to the back door of the Grant estate, Catriona would greet them with a spare loaf of bannock, a bucket of milk, or a few spare coins whenever she could manage it. The lass had a huge heart and a soul to match. She was also a beautiful, intelligent, free spirit woman who despite her father, grew up to appreciate life and had huge hopes for the future, he intended to be a part of.

  Since the day he returned from fostering with Clan Sinclair on the northern shore of Scotland, thoughts of Catriona occupied his waking hours and haunted his dreams. Ayden wanted to marry her, not only for all her wonderful qualities, but also because he wanted to take her away from Glen Heather, to show her how much he adored her and how wonderful life could be in a home filled with love and respect. That’s why he needed to see her before the feast. Not only because he couldn’t wait to be near her again, but because he respected her enough to ask for her hand before he spoke to her father. He prayed she’d say aye, and that when he next he saw Lord Grant, he could convince him of his undying love for his daughter and persuade him to give them his blessing to marry.

  Ayden’s father received an invitation to the St. John’s Feast being held this evening on the estate of Lord Grant a fortnight ago. While Christianity had condemned pagan rituals and festivals of the past, the Highlands were steeped in tradition and superstition. Many of the local clans still celebrated the Summer Solstice in conjunction with the Christian festival to honor the birth of John the Baptist. In addition, they gave thanks for the sun and what would hopefully be a fertile growing season and plentiful harvest. It was also a time for lovers, handfasted couples to marry, and the renewal of wedding vows.

  Ayden wasn’t surprised to learn his name was not included on the invitation. But as the eldest son and future laird of Clan MacAndrews, it stood to reason Ayden would accompany his father and mother to the festival, and intended to go. Catriona would of course be there, but he feared he’d not have the opportunity to speak to her in private, if at all. This was the main reason he’d sent a message to her today, asking her to meet him this afternoon by the stream.

  So he waited on tenterhooks like a lovesick hound. Hoping that Lily would return with news and his lady would be waiting for him as he requested.

  “I thought I might find you here, son.”

  Ayden spun around. “Da.” He smiled. Looking at his father was like gazing into a reflection bowl, only twenty-six summers into the future. People always said they shared a striking resemblance in both stature and features, but the older Ayden got, the more he saw the similarities. “I was lost in thought and dinna hear you coming.”

  “Aye. I noticed that. And I can guess who you were thinking about,” Laird MacAndrews said. “I dinna blame you though. She’d a comely lass and I do remember what it was like to be young and in love. I would steal away to see your mother any chance I got, and would count the minutes until we could see each other when apart.” He slapped his son on the back, then got very quiet.

  When his father’s jovial grin changed to a frown, Ayden knew there was something on his mind besides teasing him and tonight’s festival. “What troubles you father?”

  “A messenger arrived about an hour ago with some distressing news.”

  “Tell me,” Ayden prompted and rested his hand on his father’s shoulder.

  Connor MacAndrews sucked in a deep gulp of air, then cleared his throat. “You know that for some time, Stirling Castle has been one of the last major strongholds still under Scottish rule. Longshanks has captured all the rest. Well, those he considers of any significance,” he quickly added.

  Ayden nodded and glanced around their modest surroundings. Their keep was small and too far from the English border for King Edward to care about trying to conquer them. And for that he was thankful. “I thought Sir William Oliphant, who has been in charge of Stirling Castle for more than a year was holding his own against the English.”

  “Aye, he was until Longshanks decided it was time to retake the castle. In late April of this year, he arrived with at least seventeen siege engines and has been bombarding the castle since,” his father explained. “But William’s garrisons grow weary and are in need of reinforcements. He has sent out a call to all the Highland clans for help, requesting that those who might be able to provide assistance, food, and supplies come to his aid.”

  “And you intend to honor that request?” Ayden asked.

  Laird MacAndrews nodded. “Scotland needs all her sons if we hope to defeat Longshanks and drive him from Scottish soil. I canna turn my back on William’s plea for help. Not only is he my friend, but if we lose Stirling Castle, King Edward will then have total dominance,” he said. “We are but a small clan with a small army of men, but I’m sure William will take any and all help he can get.”

  “When do we leave?” Ayden squared his shoulders and peered out over the moors surrounding the castle. There was still no sign of Lily, and now more than ever he needed to speak to Catriona.

  “I’m too old to fight and I canna sit a horse for any more than a short distance. I have seen my days in battle and stood with Wallace and Moray in 1297 at the battle of Stirling Bridge, where we defeated the English and secured Stirling Castle,” Laird MacAndrews replied. “I’m na asking you to go either, Ayden. I need you here. But, I would appreciate it if you could organize a garrison of men who are willing and gather what food and supplies we can spare.”

  Ayden shook his head. “I will someday be laird of this clan, and willna ask my men to do something I’m na willing to do myself. If they go, so do I. What you said about Scotland needing all of her sons is true. I hate Longshanks as much as the next Scot, and will do what I can to stop him.”

  “You’re a brave man, son, and I am proud of you.” Laird MacAndrews pulled Ayden into an embrace and patted him on the back. “We will discuss this again on the morrow, after the feast at the Grant estate. In the meantime, rally the men and start preparations. I’d suggest the garrison be armed and ready to leave two days hence.”

  “I will see it done, father.” Ayden glanced over t
he moor again and spotted Lily running toward the castle. “If you’ll excuse me, da, there is something I must do before we leave for the feast this evening,” he said, then bolted down the stairs, through the main keep, and out the door — arriving at the portcullis in time to intercept the lass before she entered the bailey.

  “What news do you have of Lady Catriona? Is she well?” He paused to suck in a deep breath. “Has she agreed to meet with me?”

  “Aye, M’lord. She sent you this.” Lily handed him the missive.

  Ayden quickly read the note. “Great,” he exclaimed and tucked the message into his sporran. He plucked out a coin and gave it to Lily. “For your trouble, lass and I trust you’ll keep your silence about this.”

  “Och, nay, m’lord. You already paid me for my service and I was honored to do your bidding,” Lilly said. “And you know I willna breathe a word about this to anyone. I am Lady Catriona’s personal maid and it is my duty to do her bidding and keep her confidences.” She offered the coin back to Ayden, but he closed her fist around it.

  “You keep it, lass. I appreciate your swiftness and want you to have it,” he replied, smiling. “Catriona is fortunate to have such a loyal servant. You are truly a gem, Lily.”

  She opened her fist and peered down at the piece of silver, smiling. “Thank you, m’lord. You are most generous.”

  “It is I who thank you, Lily. Now be off with you before you’re missed.” He planted his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the path. “I must ready my horse and be away,” he said and raced toward the stable.

  Chapter Ten

  Getting out of the croft unnoticed proved easier than Katherine thought it would be. The once empty structure was now a beehive of activity with more people scurrying about than she could count. Be they real or part of her elaborate dream, they were fortunately too busy with preparations for the feast to pay her any mind as she nonchalantly sauntered down the hall, through the kitchen, and out the back door.