Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
T he sky had darkened when he gently slid away from Sabrina and got dressed. Somehow he knew without any doubt that he would not be returning to the alter-world. They had succeeded.
He was free from the curse.
Looking down at the sleeping woman, his heart expanded. He was in love with this beautiful woman. Although he could not remember much, he knew this for certain.
He crouched down and touched Sabrina’s face. Did she love him? He wished he could remember any conversations they’d had prior to his memory loss.
Sabrina yawned and opened her eyes. They widened slightly, and she sprang up, sitting upright.
“Oh goodness, we have to go. Tristan and Gwen are probably wondering what we’re doing.” A slow smile curved her lips upward as she stood.
“You look different,” she said. “You haven’t grown a beard. Oh my god! I think we did it.” Her voice full of wonder, she threw her arms around his neck. “Holy crap, I can’t believe it.”
“Do you love me?” Why did he ask that? When her body tensed, he regretted allowing the words to escape.
She leaned back, her brow pinched. “I am not sure about that. I do care for you deeply, but it could be you doing it.”
“Me doing what?” She had not said no, and he felt lighter for it.
“We’ll discuss it later. Now we better head back to the house. I can’t believe I fell asleep.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I can’t believe you fell asleep either.”
Not quite sure if he’d done something wrong, he helped her pick up the basket and blankets and load everything into the cart.
“Want to drive?”
He assisted her in climbing onto the seat, and then practically ran around to the driver’s side. He wasn’t quite sure how he knew it, but he knew he enjoyed driving.
“Tristan! Gwen! Come here!” Sabrina yelled after sprinting from the cart into the house. “We did it! Gavin is free!”
As he climbed from the cart, Tristan lunged forward and embraced him, and in that moment, he recalled everything about the man.
“I remember you,” Gavin told him, laughing at Tristan’s wide grin.
“I am glad,” Tristan replied.
Gwen hugged him next, taking his face in her hands, her lovely dark brown eyes delving into his. “I’m so happy, Gavin.”
They went to a large sitting room and talked. Mostly it was Tristan telling him about their time in the alter-world.
How long they talked, he couldn’t say, but it was late when Tristan and Gwen finally announced they were to retire. He looked to Sabrina, unsure.
“I had a bedroom prepared for you,” Gwen told him her gaze sliding to her sister. “Unless…”
“I think it’s best to let them discuss this and decide.” Tristan took Gwen by the hand pulling her from the room. Gwen gave Gavin one last worried look, then allowed Tristan to take her away.
“Why is everyone hesitating about where I sleep?” Gavin asked Sabrina who studied him silently. “They know we have been intimate. Is there a social circumstance that keeps me from sharing your bed?”
Sabrina took his hand and moved closer on the couch they sat. “The reason we’re worried is because it could be dangerous for me to be asleep next to you if certain memories return.”
“Dangerous? I would never hurt you.” Again, the fear of her leaving him came, the tightening in his chest now a familiar twinge.
“You won’t hurt me. Not intentionally. But Gavin, in your past, you lived through some terrible experiences, things you do not recall. You were afraid of your reaction if you allowed a woman to make love to you. It is only because of Meliot’s mistake and your loss of memory that I took the chance, otherwise we would probably have been forced to have an audience for my safety.”
Hating the hurt look in her eyes, he kissed her gently, wanting to reassure her. “What happened to me?”
Sabrina hesitated not knowing if telling him about his past would bring back the nightmarish memories. He had a right to know and yet a part of her wanted to shield him from the pain that would surely come.
Finally, she relented. “Because of your attractiveness, you were kidnapped when you were a young man and sold to a sheik that preferred young men. From what I understand, you remained there for years until escaping and returning to Scotland.”
His eyes widened and then narrowed. “How can I not remember it?”
Gavin got up and paced to the fireplace. Frantically he tried to remember details of what Sabrina described. She touched his arm. “Maybe you’ll never remember. It would be a blessing.”
Reaching for his face, she forced him to meet her eyes. “I trust you Gavin, please stay with me tonight. I need your presence, the reassurance that you’re really here to stay.”
Later that night, listening to Sabrina’s rhythmic breathing as she lay across his chest gave him some peace. He’d pretended to fall asleep after they’d made love. This time she’d allowed him to more than help her as they gave each other pleasure. The intimacy of the moment brought him to tears, his body not seeming to remember the last time he’d been able to enjoy the act of making love without fear. Now, as he looked up into the darkness, a tear slid down the side of his face. One by one the memories of his time in the Harem returned, and he grew too scared to fall asleep. Tomorrow he’d move into the other chamber. He could not risk hurting Sabrina.
The next morning, Gavin asked a maid to show him to his chamber. The maid, who kept staring at him and tripped twice, finally arrived at a doorway. He thanked her with smile, and she looked about to faint. He’d have to inspect his face in a looking glass. The woman’s reaction didn’t seem normal.
Once inside, he showered and studied his face in the mirror. A familiar set of amber eyes greeted him. His lashes seemed too long for a man. He didn’t like them. His mouth was full, especially his bottom lip. There was an indentation in his chin, and his teeth were white and even. He smiled and saw two dimples appear. Those, too, he didn’t like. He brushed his hair. It was a golden blonde, thick and shoulder length. Perhaps, he’d ask if he should cut it. His face, looked like a normal face. Frowning, he didn’t understand the maid’s reaction to his looks. Then again, his stature could be intimidating.
Someone had taken the time to purchase quite a few things for him. He suspected it was Sabrina and Gwen. Going through the clothing, he chose a pair of dark blue pants like he’d seen Tristan wear and a brown long sleeve shirt which he pulled on over his head. Satisfied after donning socks and soft brown leather shoes, he went to find Tristan.
Tristan looked up from where he sat at a desk and, for a long moment, inspected Gavin from head to feet. “It will take me some time to become accustomed to seeing you in modern clothing. I am sure you feel the same.”
“We will grow used to it.” He studied the object on top of the desk where Tristan sat. “What are you doing?”
His friend grimaced and motioned to the object. “I am not sure I will ever be able to learn how to function in this modern world. Gwen is teaching me typing, the most used form of writing now. I have to form words on the screen by pushing down on these tiny objects.” Tristan raked fingers through his hair leaving a disheveled mess.
Looking past him to take in the space, Gavin could understand the frustration. Just the fact that pushing a switch lightened a room was incredible.
“Something is bothering you,” Tristan stated. It only made sense that after so much time together they were at the point they could practically read each other’s minds.
“I remembered my time away—my time in captivity.”
Tristan was silent, worry in his gaze.
“How did I deal with it? Was I ever able to function as a normal man?” Gavin asked, wishing he could remember his life after returning.
Tristan stood and walked to the window and peered out at the serene landscape. “You only spoke to me about it once. It was before the enchantment. I know that for many months you kept to yourself, barely speaking to anyone other than your brothers and parents. When you and I became acquainted, there were subtle things I noticed. You never paid mind to women. You rarely imbibed and shrank away from being touched whenever we went to the tavern.”
“What else?” Gavin wanted to know everything about his past. Frustration at the long spaces of nothing grew with every moment. “Did I ever hurt anyone?”
After a moment Tristan met his gaze. “Because of your bonnie features, you were revered for it. Bards wrote songs and poems remarking on it. Women were attracted to you and at times it proved very difficult for you. After several adverse reactions on your part, it became known to stay away from you.”
Gavin ground his back teeth. “You did not answer my question. Did I hurt anyone?”
“You did. Several women who were too familiar. Mostly bruising, but there was one lass whose arm you broke.”
His expression must have registered shock because Tristan continued. “You were torn with guilt and made amends, paying her wages for a year so that she could recover. After that if you came to the tavern you stood at the wall and barely drank anything other than cider.”
He nodded understanding and resolved to never to fall asleep when with Sabrina.
“Why does Liam dislike me so much?”
Tristan shrugged seeming to consider his words. The hesitancy wasn’t a good sign. “You will have to ask him,” Tristan began somewhat stilted. “Liam is a nobleman who is sometimes hard to get along with, but he is a faithful friend and ally. Sometimes I think that your constant bickering is more of a sport than actual dislike.”
Gavin wasn’t so sure. The tension between them was based on something. “What am I to do now?”
His friend looked at him for a long time. “Gavin, you have options, your memory is returning, once you remember more of your previous life, I have something to reveal to you.”
Although he wondered what it was Tristan would show him, he was sure at the right time, he would find out.
“What about horses? Are there any here?”
Tristan’s face brightened. “Aye, there are. Let us go for a ride.”
Galloping across the vast acreage, Gavin pushed his steed to go faster. A memory of them riding like this, fast and with determination, came so suddenly he almost lost his grip on the reins. He remembered that fateful day; the day Meliot gave them three days to prepare for their eminent departure. Into an enchantment. The memory wasn’t as unpleasant as it could have been. In a way it was more bittersweet. To remember something so important and life changing was a good thing.
The cool wind, the muscular steed and the lush green countryside alleviated the tension of constantly trying to remember so many things. Concentrating on the moment and nothing else, for the first time since losing his memory Gavin felt at ease. Whatever the future brought would come weather he remembered things or not.
“Well, there you are,” Gwen greeted them as they made their way into the house later that day. Tristan kissed her, hugging her to him.
“Did you even practice your typing today?” Gwen admonished, not able to keep her stern look when Tristan gave her an innocent smile.
“Gavin needed to get out.” Tristan’s eyes flashed to Gavin.
“Aye, I needed to go out,” Gavin stammered seeing Gwen’s narrowed eyes. “I remember more,” he finished.
“Really?” Gwen’s expression changed to excitement, her eyes rounding. That is when he noticed Sabrina, pacing in the adjoining room. With a device to her ear, she spoke in rapid tones, a hand waving in the air. It seemed the conversation was not a pleasant one.
Gavin pulled his gaze away from Sabrina when a maid appeared and announced dinner was to be served shortly.
Instead of coming with them to the dining room, Sabrina went to the library with the device still to her ear and closed the door.
As they sat down to eat, she dropped into the chair next to him and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “You looked handsome with your wind-tousled hair,” she whispered into his ear.
Although her comment set his mind at ease, it was obvious something bothered her as she barely spoke during the meal.
Gwen glanced at him with a silent question, and he shrugged. He was sure whatever bothered Sabrina had nothing to do with him.
“Is something wrong, Sabrina?” Gwen asked. “You seem bothered. Was it the conversation earlier?”
“I’m sorry,” Sabrina replied, putting her fork down. “Mostly work issues, but then Tammie made me angry. Said she’ll probably not come to Scotland.”
“Why?” Gwen asked and then added. “You should’ve let me talk with her. What reason did she give you?”
“She said Mom told her not to come. That her future will be impacted forever and that there were dangerous hurdles in her path. Mom pretty much forbid it.”
Gavin considered their conversation. In truth, being that both Gwen and Sabrina had traveled to the alter-world where many kinds of dangers could befall them, their mother’s prediction was not invalid.
“I’ll call Mom after dinner.” Gwen told them. “I am sure she’s being over-protective of Tammie. She only knows portions of what we’ve done here so far, but I am sure she has picked up on more than we say when we speak to her.”
Tristan cleared his throat, “I am hopeful you can clear things up and we can move forward. We still have three men to free.”
Gwen placed her hand over his. “We’ll find a way to free them all.”
Sabrina’s eyes met Gavin’s, then moved to his mouth. Slowly her lips curved into a wickedly sensuous smile.
It had the desired effect, his body immediately reacting.
He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came to mind. What to say to someone who enveloped every bit of his thoughts? There was no denying that he’d fallen in love. Not something born of gratitude or of desire. When he looked at her and held her at night, all he could think was that he never wanted to spend a day without her.
Taking a drink from his glass of water, he could barely swallow past the constriction the emotion had caused in his throat.
“Are you alright?” Sabrina asked, covering his hand with hers. “You look a bit odd.”
“I remembered some things today,” Gavin said attempting to move her attention away from his countenance. “I remember the days leading up to the enchantment.”
“That is amazing,” Sabrina cried out kissing his cheek. “I am so happy.”
Gwen’s expression was warm when she looked to him. “I am sure you will regain all of the rest.”
“I have something important to discuss with Gavin, in private,” Tristan told them pushing away from the table.
It was hard to tell by Tristan’s neutral expression what he wished to discuss. Gavin didn’t question his friend. He’d find out soon enough.
Gwen stood. “I think its best that I call Mom. It is still quite early in the day in Georgia.”
“I want to listen in.” When Sabrina pushed away from the table, Gavin stood and pulled back her chair. At the press of her lips to his, Gavin’s heart fluttered. At this rate, he’d be seeing butterflies circling every time she paid him any attention.
The sisters walked from the dining room, discussing how to best approach the conversation with their mother. Gavin got the impression Iona Lockhart was a force to be reckoned with.
Gavin followed Tristan just past the kitchen to a locked door. Tristan unlocked the door, flipped a light switch and proceeded down a dimly lit wooden staircase.
They entered a large wine cellar that smelled of wine, oak and what could only be described as the scent that came from years of undisturbed surroundings. On a table, there was a candle tipped to one side next to matches.
Tristan indicated a wine rack. “Help me move this,” he instructed and together they pushed it sideways. Other than cobwebs, the stone wall resembled the others enclosing the room.
After studying the stones, Tristan pressed on one with the heel of his hand until there was a creaking sound revealing a jagged doorway.
“Did you make that?” Gavin asked moving closer to inspect the handiwork.
“No,” Tristan replied. “Perhaps my grandfather. It is but a wooden door with a stone facade.” He motioned to Gavin. “Come.”
Tristan held up what looked to be a torch by the light emanating from it.
“The modern torch is much better than our flaming ones, you do not think?” Tristan asked with a grin holding the item up.
Past the doorway there were stone steps in a dim tunnel. They descended the stairs until ending up in a large cave. Fresh air flowed through, revealing that this had to be an escape route for the family in case of attack.
They turned into the cave until reaching a small enclave where several dark wooden boxes were tucked into the crevices.
The light from the torch illuminated a naturally formed shelf on which five coffers sat.
Tristan cleared his throat. “Prior to leaving, I packed these coffers. One for each of us, so that when we returned, we would have coin in case our family and fortunes did not survive. I was the most fortunate they were never discovered. I suspect no one else in our group has such.”
Gavin stared at his friend, not quite sure what to say. The fidelity of the man who stood before him was incredible. “I cannot accept ….”
“The hell you will not!” Tristan interrupted. “Everything was all my fault. It was I who convinced you to join me on that cursed trip.”
Gavin stepped forward; he saw the coffer with each of their names on it. Behind his, another smaller one. “Why do I have two?”
Tristan pressed his lips together, his eyes meeting Gavin’s. “Look at the seal and see if you recognize it.”
Gavin took the flashlight and moved closer, he pushed the larger heavy coffer aside. The seal on the smaller coffer was the Campbell coat of arms. His brother’s seal. Legs giving out, he stumbled back. His brother had come and left something for him.
“I will wait for you at the cave’s exit. Take three lefts and then two rights, follow the scent of fresh air.”
Once Tristan walked away, Gavin took the small box. With trembling hands, he lowered the coffer to the ground. It weighed heavy.
The pounding in his chest echoed in his ears as he lifted the top. The coffer was filled with gold coins, atop them, a rolled parchment.
Falling back to sit, he leaned on the cool cave wall, holding the parchment. For a long time he just held it. Emotions threatened to overcome hm as he considered that his brother had held this very item in his hands. His family, long gone, had possessed the gold and coffer.
Reverently, Gavin unrolled the parchment and read the still familiar swirls of his brother’s handwriting.
Brother Mine,
I trust if ye read this, it means ye are finally free.
It has been thirty years since ye left.
Our mother, torn with grief, insisted that we hold a
burial and place a stone marker with yer name in
the family graveyard. Understand, it was her way
of dealing with losing her eldest son. Ten years after
ye were gone, she died peacefully in her sleep.
Our uncle’s leadership as Laird is lacking and our clan
is divided. We warred with the McLeods. Many of yer
men died because of it.
Now finally we have separated from The Campbell’s of
Argyll and, joined with the Campbells of Devonshire.
We live in peace.
I am almost sixty years of age and wished to make
this trek to leave ye something before my health
would nae longer allow it.
Know that I am proud of ye and live in hope of
yer return.
Thomas Campbell
Gavin gave way to grief; sadness for what his clan suffered because of his departure. Sobs racked through him, his entire body shuddering. Never before had he felt so much sorrow or loss. He grieved for the lost years, for the stolen moments of his youth, his family and the promise of what his life could have been.
Unsure how much time had passed, he turned once again to the coffer to return the parchment. To him it was worth much more than the gold.
It could have been minutes or an hour before he stood with the small coffer under his arm and went to find Tristan.
His friend stood at the cave entrance, keeping silent watch. The sun had fallen, giving the surroundings a purplish hue. For a moment it reminded him of the alter-world’s sky.
Tristan didn’t turn to him when he approached.
“There was a letter from my brother, Thomas. He brought the coffer many years after we were gone.”
Tristan nodded. “My brother must have placed it there with the others.” He met Gavin’s gaze. “Your brother was a great man.”
A vision of the tall broad-shouldered Thomas, almost his same height, golden hair and stern expression formed. He’d caught glimpses of the family when he’d willed himself to his childhood home. But many years passed between the visits each time he did, it was painful to note the passage of time.
“The gold is worth a great deal. Ye will not need for anything. Gwen tells me each of you can afford homes and anything required for a comfortable life,” Tristan explained.
Gavin nodded. “I don’t expect to leave here until the others are free. If that is acceptable to you, of course.”
“I agree that we should all remain as close as possible.” Tristan motioned to where several large structures remained. They looked like large cottages. “You can afford to live anywhere in the world, but I hope you stay here. The homes are quite large. Edith, the latest descended of mine who ran the estate, assured me they were always well maintained.”
“I will accept your offer,” Gavin told his friend, extending his hand. “I insist on work to earn my keep.”
Tristan smiled, shaking his hand. “I was hoping you’d ask. I need someone to take over the horse breeding portion of the estate. You have always been great with beasts. They don’t seem to care if you’re the fairest of them all and are not distracted by your pretty face.”
Gavin punched his shoulder lightly. “Shut up McRainey.”