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  “Mornin’, lass,” Mary said as she scooted over so Audrina could sit down. “Have a good sleep then?”

  She handed Audrina a tray of breads which Audrina took gratefully. She wasn’t sure what was on the meat tray, and she didn’t think she could stomach finding out.

  “Yes, thank you.” Audrina said. She cast a look in Colin’s direction as he was seated to her left. He raised an eyebrow, but spared her the embarrassment of having to explain her nightmare and crying in her sleep.

  “Do ye naught eat yer kippers, lass?” Mary asked her, handing her the tray of meat.

  “Umm, no thank you.” She waved her hand at it and Mary looked at her like she wanted to place a hand over her forehead to see if she was feeling alright.

  “Tatties then?” Mary was obviously trying to get her to eat, deeming her as sickly.

  Fortunately, Audrina recognized tatties as the word for potatoes, and she gratefully accepted the plate and took a helping for herself. She handed the tray to Colin without a word and turned her attention back to her own plate.

  It wasn’t long before she had begun to dig in and eat, that someone approached the bench. A plump woman who Audrina recognized from the day before came to the bench, wringing her hands in her apron. Her ample bust jiggled in her dress, and Audrina realized all the men at the table except Colin, were staring at her chest instead of listening to what she had to say.

  “Och, had I ken t’was ye yesterday, Lady Maeve, I’d hae taken ye straight tae his Lairdship. Tis good tae see ye’ve been found and I’d thank his Laird tae remember auld Maudie took care o’his lady at the pub yesterday.” Maudie curtsied as best as her plump bottom would allow for her to bend in her dress.

  Audrina really wished she hadn’t because she was in danger of falling out of her dress. She nodded at Maudie and was grateful when she returned to her seat, because her cold sores on the sides of her mouth were really off-putting, and Audrina had a sneaking suspicion she knew which diseases Maudie had contracted when she “took care” of people who came into her bar.

  Audrina was just picking at the berries she had put on her plate when another person approached the table. It was one of the men who had accompanied Colin into the forest yesterday to save Donal. He was older than the rest with silver hair and a silvered mustache and beard.

  “Tis good tae see ye hale and hearty, lass. I cannae thank the Lord Almighty tha’ yer home safe. I remember the day we rode in w’it Dougal MacClaran w’it ye sittin’ astride his horse. Ye were just a wee lass then, but look at ye now. Back home and safe w’it yer man and out o’the clutches o’the English swine!” He spit into the rushes on the floor at his feet. No one seemed to mind that he had done such a thing. When he called them the English Swine, a loud, raucous cheer went up through the tables.

  Audrina didn’t know how to respond to such a proclamation, so she merely nodded. It seemed to go on like this, all through breakfast and Audrina would pause and listen to whatever the person had to say to welcome her home. It appeared as if her return to the castle had made its way around the castle and she was a mix between somewhat of a hero for escaping Cotswold and viewed as an invalid because more than once, someone wished her a well and speedy recovery.

  Through it all, Mary and Colin said nothing. Mary mostly because she was after Donal to sit still and eat his breakfast. It appeared as if he was having more fun flicking berries toward Maudie, and seeing if he could land one in her ample cleavage. This caused the dogs who were great shaggy beasts to emerge from under the tables and rest half the distance between the head table and Maudie’s table. Audrina thought the dogs looked savage and untamed and she wasn’t in a hurry to get to know them, until Donal held his plate under the table and one approached, wagging its tail gleefully and licked the plate clean.

  Audrina was shocked to see Donal had shockingly blond hair. It was so blond it was almost white. Yesterday he had been so caked in mud, she had just assumed it was brown.

  As breakfast began winding down, and Mary’s nerves were clearly frayed, Donal escaped her clutches and ran around the table so that he was facing her.

  “I ne’er thanked ye fer savin’ me yester’eve, sister,” he started. It took a minute for Audrina to understand that he thought he was talking to Maeve, and that by marriage, she was his sister-in-law.

  “It’s alright, Donal. I’m just glad I got there in time,” she said quietly.

  The boy grinned and continued, “Of course, ye ken I was almost out’o the bog by the time ye arrived. There I was, ridin’ Fergus aft a wild boar tha’ had been aft’ the food stores. I mounted the steed and chased aft the wee beastie as it was squealin’ and snortin’ somat fierce ye ken?”

  Audrina smiled at him.

  His face lit up impishly as he realized she wasn’t going to nay say his story. He continued with a mischievous grin on his face, “Och aye, the beastie ran across the log and I urged Fergus onward, but then, out o’ the bog, rose a great and monstrous beastie! Tis said tae be the kin o’the loch monster. T’was covered in mire and much and it roared somat fierce at Fergus and I. Fergus reared his head and tossed me into the mire like a rag doll, but I wasnae afraid! Nay! I rose up and brandished me sword and cursed at the creature. But the beast kenned I was alone then, and it raised its mighty tentacle and came crashing down around me. Water and mud sprayed toward the heavens, ye ken? But I held fast to me sword.”

  As Donal told his story, he captivated the audience with his tale as he gestured with his arms about the great and powerful beast. He flapped his arms in the air to demonstrate the tentacles of the creature, and he struck a pose as he pretended to brandish the sword in the air. All the while, the children sitting around the benches stared at him, wild-eyed and in awe. The adults suppressed fits of laughter, but no one dared question or interrupt the Laird’s little brother.

  “Aye, t’was near the end o’it fer me, but I thrust at the beast w’it all my might and lanced the creature through the heart! T’was then I realized I was in the thick o’it. I couldnae grab the log that Fergus and I had tried to cross. The beastie made sure tae drag me too far off. Then ye appeared out’o the mist, like a wraith come back from the dead. Ye held out yer arms and I grasped on. But yer a woman. I could tell by the way ye’d wrapped the kilt and cloth about ye. And e’ery one knows a woman doesnae ha’ the strength o’a man. Ye fell inta the water, and I jumped and grabbed the branch, draggin’ ye w’it me onto the bank with me one arm, and w’it me sword clenched between me teeth!” he finished.

  Audrina clapped along with the rest of audience at his tale of heroics. She caught a glimpse of Colin’s eye and the mirth shone brightly in the depths of the startling blue eyes. She looked away quickly as something fluttered in her chest. As she watched young Donal bow and raise the crowd for more clapping, she snorted to herself as she realized the irony of Scotland being the only place she could go and change out of pants in order to be more masculine. Donal’s little kilt hung off his skinny torso in bunches. It would be a long time before he would grow big enough, so it didn’t look like he was not only drowning in tall-tales, but material as well.

  Audrina sucked in a breath. She remembered when she and Grandfather would be sitting around the fireplace. He would tuck into his old plaid armchair and sit her on his knee. He would tell her similar outlandish tales of sea monsters and knights rescuing fair ladies. The nostalgia hit her in a wave as she had the flicker of emotion that it wasn’t just her grandfather, but a man, an older man with a long shaggy beard and twinkling blue eyes the color of Colin’s. Perhaps it was Colin’s father? But that couldn’t be right. She thought maybe it was his Uncle Dougal, the man who came to rescue her, Maeve, from Skye and brought her back to the keep. She had the strangest sense that he too, would tell outlandish tales to sleepless little girls with red hair.

  Audrina smiled into her porridge and finished eating. All of the talking and reminiscing, well-wishing and sympathetic looks had made her tired. She decided the best thing s
he needed was a little nap where her sleep had been so disturbed.

  CHAPTER 15

  Audrina decided to take the long way back to her chambers. Although she was tired and could use a bit of rest, she had been cooped up in the chamber for most of the day yesterday and all night. She decided to take a nice long walk, and then having a mid-morning nap would be just what she needed to clear her thoughts. She walked around the great hall for a spell, occasionally being interrupted on her walk and hailed a greeting in passing. It seemed the whole keep was ecstatic at her return, although she could have done without the sympathetic smiles and the well-wishes for a speedy recovery. That implied that she was ill, and she certainly didn’t feel ill. She knew they all assumed she had memory loss, but she honestly wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t anymore.

  As Audrina walked, she discovered the kitchens which were bustling with activity in preparation for the evening meal. She felt like she was just in the way as the activity stopped when she entered. She didn’t want to be a pest and it seemed every person in the kitchen asked how they could be of service, and that meant they were neglecting whatever chores they had to attend to. Audrina left the kitchen which was on a sub-level and dug underground. She walked back up the narrow dark stairs, careful not to trip on her gown, and made her way back around the great hall again. It was strange to her to think about the two-dimensional pictures back in her bedroom. In some respects, Castle Claran was huge and as grand as she envisioned them to be from her pictures. In other areas, such as the staircases, the castle seemed squashed, dark and dank.

  Audrina tried various doors and if they were locked, she left them alone and if they were opened, she took a peek inside. A lot of them were simply storage chambers for either food, goods, or weapons. She found a few bedchambers, but she quickly ducked out, not wanting to intrude on anyone’s personal space. She found a small door at the back of the great hall that wasn’t locked, but when she pushed the door open, she discovered the hinges creaked and the spider webs up above still clung to the door. It obviously hadn’t been opened in a very long time.

  Audrina had been acutely aware of someone’s presence behind her as she explored the castle. She stepped through the door and hid behind it and waited a hare’s breath before she heard the soft rustle of footsteps pass through the door.

  “Hello,” she said quietly. The person behind her let out a shocked and terrified yelp.

  “What are ye doin’?” young Donal demanded once he recovered himself.

  “Just looking around a bit before I head back upstairs. Why are you following me?” she countered.

  “Erm, because Colin said yer naught t’be left ter yerself,” was Donal’s reply.

  “So he wants me guarded so I won’t run away?” Audrina demanded.

  He face flushed as she became annoyed. “Aye and nay. He’s worried about ye is all. He doesnae want ye tae do anything foolish. Tis wha’ he has me fer anyway.” He grinned at her.

  Audrina felt herself soften a little. She liked Donal’s mischievous ways. “Where’s your mother? I imagine she’s looking for you,” Audrina replied.

  “Aye she is. I gave her the slip. She’s always chasin’ aft’ me. But I go where I likes and I do as I please.” He puffed up his skinny chest a little.

  “Yeah? And does doing as you please ever get you in trouble like it did yesterday?” Audrina asked.

  “Aye sometimes. But Mam is sickly-like. She’s always getting’ the maids tae chase aft’ me. But I’m gettin’ better at findin’ ways tae get away from ‘em!”

  Audrina laughed at his audacity. “Why is your mam sick?” she asked.

  “She didnae think she could have me after Alisdair. She was barren fer ten years. Then aft’ I was born, she became a widow when Da died. Uncle Dougal had been lookin’ aft’ us as Da was always away on trips fer him and such. Then Uncle Dougal, her brother passed, and Colin became Laird, so she’s always been lady o’the house. Now with ye come back tae us, I suspect she’ll finally rest a wee bit.”

  “Yes, that is if you give her a chance to rest. I have a feeling your temperament is rather impish, and you give her quite the run for her money,” Audrina retorted, still laughing. She always knew widows in the early centuries found a lot of hardships, but Mary had certainly had her run of the mill. In some ways Donal’s youth and vivaciousness would keep her young as she chased after him. In other ways, it probably wore her out. “And what about you? Have you ever been sick?” Audrina grilled him. She could feel her own motherly instincts kick in where Donal was concerned and she would be certain to help Mary chase after him if necessary.

  “Aye, I’ve had me fair share o’bouts of the fever, but I always pull through,” he told her.

  Audrina nodded and then turned back to the stairs. The torches in those hallways weren’t lit. “Where does this go?” she asked.

  “Tae the tower,” Donal replied.

  “Yes, I suspected as much, but what’s up there?” she asked.

  “Well, I ken it was where ye did yer healin’ and such. Colin closed the door when ye didnae come back. He never expressly forbade anyone from goin’ up there, but n’ane ha’ e’er gone up there in o’er a year.”

  “Go and fetch me a torch. I want to go see what’s up there,” Audrina told him.

  He scampered off and came back within minutes with a long torch and Audrina made her way up the steps. She brushed past cobwebs and stepped carefully around scurrying creatures. The first few startled her until she summoned her courage after Donal laughed at her from behind.

  When she reached the top of the stairs, she pushed open the door to the tower. It was a round circular room like the one in her dream, but this one was full of benches and tables with bottles of various medicinal properties. She picked up a few bottles and read them. This must have been where Maeve had practiced her healing abilities for the people of Claran Castle. She felt her nursing instincts kick in and she began categorizing the bottles and she even organized one of the benches. She liked this room, it suited her. It made her apprehension about exploring towers lessen, if only slightly.

  When she was done, she decided it was time to return to her room and have that nap. As she and Donal descended the steps and pushed through the door to the great hall, if Colin witnessed her leaving the tower as he was walking in for a bit of lunch, he didn’t say anything.

  Audrina climbed the steps at the opposite end of the great hall and made her way back to her room. One of the maids was just leaving as she entered and she had left some food for her to eat. This time she noticed there was very little meat on the tray, and they had favored breads, cheeses and fruits for her. She sat at the table and began eating and then she heard a knock at the door.

  “Come in!” she called.

  Mary entered the room carrying some more fresh linens which she set on the bed.

  “I see ye’ve explored our home a wee bit. Donal was verra excited ye took him along on yer adventure. I thank ye for lookin’ aft’ him.”

  “Of course, it was my pleasure, Mary. Thank you for the linens,” she said.

  “Aye, tis no trouble, dear. Anyway, I thought perhaps if yer ready, we’d finish the story.” She looked at Audrina as if to gauge her mental stability.

  “Yes, of course. Please tell me what happened to Maeve and Colin.”

  Mary sat down on the edge of the bed while Audrina ate. She offered her some, but she waved a wrinkled hand and continued.

  “Alright, as I was saying last eve, as Prima Noctem dictates, the English are supposed tae take a wee lass fer one night and one night only. Colin and Maeve were married in secret, and that’s the reason Maeve held off fer so long sayin’ aye t’our Colin. She didnae want tae go tae the English. So they decided tae be wed in the middle o’the night. But Cotswold, his spies run thick as thieves. The soldiers came just aft’ the vows were said, and they dragged wee Maeve off tae Cotswold Castle. Now, the English are supposed tae bring the lass back tae her husband the day afte
r the wedding night. But Cotswold didn’t. Tis rumored he ha’ his way w’it the lassies and does unspeakable evils t’them. We waited naught e’en a fortnight and then Colin went tae collect ye himself. Cotswold said ye’d run off, but we knew he’d been so rough w’it ye that he’d broken ye. T’was not the first time he’d done it tae a lass. Over the last few years, several o’the lassies ha’gone missin. T’wasn’t until ye wandered in tae the bog and rescued wee Donal that we knew ye had been kept alive all this time. Och, lass, I cannae imagine the horrors ye’ve faced at the hands of Cotswold this past year. Tis no wonder ye’ve fashed a tale as such. I wouldnae put it past Cotswold tae dump ye in a coo field once he was done w’it ye. And then, tae cope w’it the horror, ye disguised yerself, kenning ye were in disgrace or some such like.”

  Audrina sat listening to the tale in horror. She couldn’t imagine such a horrible thing happening to Maeve. She couldn’t imagine such a horrible thing happening to her. But what was truly horrible, was she couldn’t wrap her brain around how it had happened to her, or Maeve, or somehow, she knew it wasn’t her, but it was Maeve. Audrina felt hot tears begin to slip down her cheeks.

  CHAPTER 16

  “It’s not true! It can’t be true!” Audrina stood and began pacing the room. She wept uncontrollably as the confusion and the nightmare seemed to mesh with her reality. Flashes of her nakedness and shame filtered through her mind. She palmed the kilt pin and heard the chant one more time as she watched as a hand, her hand place it behind the stone in the wall. She heard a cold laugh in her head and a scream of pain the likes of which she had never heard, even as a trauma nurse.

  Audrina clutched her head when she heard the scream. “It’s not true, it’s not true!” she chanted over and over, as if saying the words would take the images from her head. The more the flashes and bits of the nightmare that entered her mind came, the more hysterical she became.