Chapter 1 #2
“I would, very much. Give me a minute to freshen up and I’ll be right down.”
“Of course.”
Maggie turned and left. Sara ran into the bathroom where she doused her fiery cheeks with cold water and prepared herself to meet Edna Campbell.
Tentatively stepping through the doors of the dining room, Sara’s gaze flitted around the room, taking in the tables and diners seated around them. A soft murmur of voices, candlelight and the smell of something delicious sent a surge of warmth to Sara’s heart.
“Sara, please join us,” Maggie called from a table near the fire.
Sara waved and made her way across the room. “This is exactly as I imagined it,” she said as she took a seat opposite Maggie.
“Dylan’s getting our food. He’ll be right back.” She poured some red wine into a glass and set it in front of Sara.
“Is Edna going to join us?” If Sara’s plan was going to work, it all depended on Edna. She had no idea what Edna looked like, but she was sure she’d know her on sight.
“I’m afraid not,” Maggie said.
“Oh, no! I was hoping to speak with her.” Sara worried that perhaps Edna was out of town. Her brow furrowed. “Is she here?”
“She is, but she’s quite busy at the moment. A small problem has unexpectedly come up and she’s trying to resolve it. I’m sure ye’ll see her tomorrow.” Maggie was so matter of fact about her absence, like it was no big deal. But Sara’s stomach clenched uncomfortably.
Was she the small problem?
Dylan came through the kitchen doors balancing three plates of food which he expertly set in front of them. “This looks and smells delicious,” Sara observed.
“Thank you. I hope you like Shepherd’s pie.” Dylan took his seat next to Maggie, placing a basket of warm bread on the table. “Fresh from the oven,” he said.
“Are you the chef?” Sara asked.
“I am.” A proud smile lit his face.
“Wow! And I just realized you’re American. I was so preoccupied when we first met that it didn’t register.” Sara was embarrassed by the fact she hadn’t noticed.
“Right again!” Dylan chuckled and Sara joined him.
“Where from?” she asked, diving into the delicious dinner Dylan had prepared.
“San Francisco.”
“Me, too!” Sara was surprised to find a fellow Bay Area resident here at The Thistle & Hive Inn. “Small world. What brought you to Glendaloch?”
“Maggie.” Dylan turned towards Maggie with the sweetest look on his face.
“Well, that’s not totally true,” Maggie teased, meeting his gaze. “Originally he came with his cousin.”
“True, but one look at you and I was hooked.” He leaned in, taking Maggie’s chin in his hand and gently kissed her lips.
“I’m going to guess that you’re married.” Sara felt as if she were intruding on their intimate moment.
“We are. How could ye tell?” Maggie asked with a laugh.
She wanted to say it was the way they looked lovingly into each other’s eyes, but she didn’t know them that well, so instead said, “The matching wedding bands were a dead giveaway. Do you miss it? I mean, San Francisco.”
“Can’t say that I do. I’ve got everything I need or want and more right here.” He tipped his head towards Maggie.
“Just out of curiosity, if you had to live in the past to be with each other, would you?”
“In a heartbeat,” Maggie said.
“Without a doubt,” Dylan agreed. “Wherever. Whenever.”
“I wonder what it’s like there?”
“Verra much like it is here, but without the modern conveniences we’re all so used to.” Maggie took some bread from the basket and buttered it as she spoke.
“Do you suppose you’d have to worry about getting sick?” This was one of the things that concerned Sara. Medical treatment in the past left a lot to be desired and she knew people died of things that nowadays were very treatable.
“That would be a valid concern,” Dylan responded.
“What about cleanliness? I’ve read lots of things about people not bathing. Is that true?” Sara would just die if she couldn’t bathe and wash her hair.
“I’m sure people in the past wanted to be clean. Of course, I think in any time period you’ll find people who could use a good scrubbing,” Maggie giggled.
Sara was finding she had many questions in need of answering. She smiled nervously at Maggie and Dylan before sipping the delicious red wine they’d poured her.
When they’d finished eating, Dylan went to the kitchen and brought back dessert and coffee for the three of them. “Chocolate mousse?”
“Mmm … my favorite,” Sara said.
“Sara, do you know my cousin, Jenna Sinclair?” Dylan asked.
“No. I don’t think I do.” Sara paused and her eyes got big when she turned to look at Dylan. “Wait, is that the Jenna who owns the house my brother Zeke lives in?”
Dylan smiled. “That’s her. Technically the house belongs to her parents, but they’re never in town, so they’re fine with the arrangement.”
“I wondered about that. Do they live somewhere else?”
“They’ve actually got homes in several places. San Francisco was their first and then they became very successful in the tech industry, which allowed them to become more philanthropic. So they move around a lot, overseeing all of their many charities.”
“What about Jenna, where is she now?” She hadn’t heard much about Jenna from Zeke. She didn’t think he’d actually ever met her, either. His former boss, Nick Mackall, had the house before him.
“She’s with her husband, Cormac MacBayne. She lives with him in sixteenth century Scotland.” Dylan eyed her over the rim of his coffee cup.
“Oh! So, she’s a time traveler!” Sara exclaimed, glancing around the room to make sure she hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention and then lowering her voice to a whisper.
“That’s kind of why I’m here,” Sara stated with a bit of hesitation in her voice.
She wasn’t sure she should be telling them this, at least not until after she’d spoken with Edna.
“We know,” Maggie said. “My Auntie Edna is aware of why ye’ve come to visit with us.”
Sara became very self-conscious, her face turning a bright red.
“Don’t be embarrassed. She’s used to people seeking her help. Whether she can give it or not is another question all together.”
Sara’s worst fears came crashing through her head.
Edna wasn’t going to help her. She’d come all this way for nothing.
She’d never see Logan again. She fought back the tears that came to her eyes and grabbing her napkin wiped them away.
“I think the smoke from the fire is making me teary,” she said.
“We can move to another table if ye like,” Maggie suggested.
“No. It’s okay. I’ll get used to it. Besides, it’s nice and warm here.” Sara focused on her food, taking a huge spoonful of chocolate mousse and forcing herself to eat. “Mmmm … This is delicious.”
“Thanks,” Dylan said. “Sara, don’t worry. If Edna can help you, she will.”
Sara’s lips turned up in a half-hearted smile. She turned her attention to finishing her dinner and thoughts of what meeting Edna would be like.