Time of the King (Stones of Scotland #2)

Chapter 1

B ethany froze, her fingers still clutching the door handle. Was that movement she heard? Perhaps it was her imagination. Please, let it be her imagination. If she’d woken Lucan, there would be hell to pay.

Her little boy, Matthew, clung to her other hand. His breathing was fast and frightened, but he didn’t let a single whimper escape his lips. Bethany’s heart swelled with pride. Her brave, wonderful son.

Nothing else moved. She must have been mistaken, after all. Lucan was still fast asleep, with no idea what was going on. After all the weeks of planning, Bethany was finally going to escape.

As quietly as possible, she eased the door open. She left it ajar behind them, too afraid of that closing click. Every time she even thought of Lucan catching them, her blood pounded faster. Only one chance. If he stopped them now, she would never have this opportunity again.

She got Matthew into the car quickly and quietly. But, despite her best efforts, shutting the door was painfully loud. Surely Lucan would have heard that. She had to leave now.

Bethany and Lucan, her ex-husband, had been legally divorced for over a year, but it hadn’t changed much. He’d threatened to challenge her for custody, and Lucan never lost a fight. So Bethany had agreed to everything he demanded – including not moving out. She still lived in the home they’d shared as a couple, but now she lived in the spare room. And paid rent.

Most importantly, Lucan still controlled every aspect of Bethany’s life. If he caught her trying to get away – trying to take Matthew – there was no knowing what he could do. Bethany would not put anything past him.

The car failed to start on the first try.

Gripping the wheel with white-knuckled hands, Bethany tried not to cry. Her vision swam – how could Lucan have slept through all this noise? Surely, he was halfway down the stairs, reaching for the door… And, now that he had taken Bethany off the insurance, he could even accuse her of stealing his car.

She took a deep breath. Panic would get her nowhere.

The car started on the second try. With a sob of relief, Bethany backed out of the driveway and set off down the road as fast as she dared. Never speeding, not with Matthew in the car, but fast enough to leave Lucan far behind.

It was not until they reached the road north, out of this hateful town, that Bethany finally began to relax. She’d done it. Lucan was far behind now, with no chance of catching them up. They had a safe place to go, and time to figure out a new plan.

Matthew’s face smiled at Bethany in her mirror. She even managed to smile back. All of this was worth it if she could see him smile. It was hard for anyone to be happy around Lucan, even his son.

They headed north. Bethany had not driven this way in a long time, but she still knew the way. With every mile, the tension eased out of her just a little. Her life may be a complete, utter mess, and who knew what was coming next, but she and Matthew were at last on their way somewhere safe.

Bethany could not stop herself from checking the road in her mirrors every few moments. It was foolish, she knew – they were hundreds of miles away from Lucan. Why on earth would he have followed them this far? Thankfully, the road remained empty of traffic, but her heart beat did not slow its pounding race. If he had followed her…

“How much longer?” Matthew asked from the back of the car.

“Not long at all,” Bethany said, flashing a quick smile at him over her shoulder. “And you’ve been very good so far.”

Matthew smiled a little in response but did not say anything else. He was only seven, but he had the serious nature of a boy twice his age. He had stayed quiet and subdued for the entire drive, clinging tightly to Bethany’s hand every time they stopped for a drink and bathroom break. Her heart broke a little every time she looked down at his serious expression.

As things had got increasingly bad over the last year, Bethany had done her best to shield Matthew from the worst of it. She tried hard not to talk about Lucan in front of their son, but he must still know that things were bad. Very bad. When Lucan told her he intended to sue for full custody, she had almost broken down. Then she had pulled herself back together again and begun to prepare.

Bethany had taken all she could swallow. She was a good mother to Matthew, she knew it. And she had tried her very hardest to be a good wife to Lucan, as much as he let her. Lucan was a scientist – an expert in the cutting-edge field of time travel – and he had little time for a wife and child. His work was an obsession that ate up every moment of his life. It seemed frankly unlikely that any court would grant him sole custody, but Bethany could not bear to sit at home and watch the last of her life fall apart.

For once, she had to concede that her family had been right about something. She should never have married him.

Thick mist covered the road. Bethany blinked, coming back to the current time and place. She was in south-west Scotland, driving along roads she had once known like the back of her hand. Almost there.

A deer darted out in front of her and Bethany slammed on the brake. Behind her, Matthew squeaked in fright, but did not scream. The deer scampered on past, unharmed. Bethany breathed hard. The car had brushed against the hedgerow but otherwise seemed fine. A near miss.

“Are you all right?” she asked Matthew.

“I’m fine, mummy,” he said softly. “Did the deer get hurt?”

“No, we didn’t touch it,” Bethany assured him, smiling at his reflection in the mirror. His bright blue eyes were still wide with fright. “Looks like everyone’s okay.”

She managed a weak smile and drove on, trying to concentrate harder on the winding, mist-shrouded roads.

If anything happened to Matthew – well, her life would be over. What else would she have to live for ?

Even a minor accident would be bad enough. No doubt it would give Lucan the edge he needed to secure sole custody.

She could only hope that he would leave them alone for a while. Up here, Bethany would be out of his way. Out of sight, out of mind. And it was the school holidays – she could take her son away if she wanted. Yes, it had been a good idea. No Lucan to cause a scene that would only make Matthew unhappy. They were better off, here in Scotland, without him. Soon, they would be even further out of his reach.

The familiar old village came into view, the houses still only faint outlines through the mist. Bethany smiled and felt her body relaxing just a little. She had come home.