Chapter 7
Determination was Sara’s middle name. And she was determined to get through to Logan and, at the very least, find out what had happened to make him change his mind about her.
“I’m needed at Breaghacraig today, yer welcome to join me, but truth be told, ye’ll be helping me get the hall ready fer tonight’s feast.”
“Feast? Are we invited?” She hoped so. It would be so much fun to attend a real medieval feast.
“Aye. We’re celebrating Lammas Day!” Helene said, gathering her things.
She’d never heard of Lammas Day before. “What’s that all about?”
“The first wheat harvest of the year. Ye’ll see. There’ll be food, drink and dancing. I’m looking forward to it.” Sara could feel Helene’s excitement.
“Oh, that sounds like fun,” she said. “Will Logan be there?”
Helene grimaced. “I imagine he will.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine, but he might not be when I get through with him.” This would be a great opportunity to find out what had happened and why he was pushing her to go home.
“What do ye mean? What are ye planning to do?” Helene appeared worried.
“Don’t worry. I won’t embarrass anyone, but if I get a chance to speak with him alone, I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
“Are ye sure that’s wise?” Helene’s discomfort with the situation was written all over her face.
She didn’t want Helene to worry about her. She was going to be fine, no matter the outcome. “I have to, Helene. I can’t go back to my time not knowing why he lost interest in me so suddenly.” Sara knew her frustration was showing in her furrowed brow and the sound of her voice.
Helene tipped her head, giving one last quizzical look, before obviously resigning herself to Sara’s plan. “’Tis up to ye. I’ll nae interfere.” She headed for the door. “So, do ye wish to join me today?”
“I think I’ll go visit my new friend Aisla.” Again, Helene’s face became a road map of anxiety. “Don’t you like her?” Sara asked.
“I do. I like her verra much,” Helene replied.
“Then why do I get the feeling that you don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go see her.” Something was up, Sara could sense it.
“I was only hoping ye’d wish to spend the day with me. I’m being selfish, ye ken.”
“I’ll come by after I’m done visiting. I promise.” Helene didn’t look any more comfortable than she had a few minutes before, but that only made Sara more determined to go.
“I’ll see you later, then.” Heading for the door, Helene hesitated momentarily, glancing back over her shoulder at Sara.
“I promise. I won’t be long,” Sara replied, hoping it would put Helene at ease.
***
On the way to Aisla’s house, Sara wondered if she possibly knew anything about Logan. This was a little like a small town. She’d be willing to bet that everyone here knew everyone else and, also, their business. Maybe she’d be able to tell her what had been going on with him the last few months.
Aisla was outside in her garden when Sara approached.
“Hi!” Sara smiled brightly and waved to her.
“Sara! ’Tis good to see ye. I hope yer paying attention today. I dinnae wish ye to get lost again.”
Sara laughed. “I think I learned my lesson yesterday. I wanted to thank you for taking me in out of the rain.”
Aisla wiped the dirt from her hands and picked up her tools and a basket of vegetables. “Come inside. We’ll have some tea. Are ye hungry?”
“Now that you speak of it. Yes, I am.” She’d forgotten all about eating breakfast this morning and Helene had been in such a rush that she hadn’t noticed.
“Good. I am as well.”
Sara followed Aisla inside and watched as she put some water on to boil then put together a platter of cheese, fruit and some bread. She set it in front of Sara.
“I hope this will do. I’ve nae much on hand at the moment.”
Sara hadn’t thought much about where the food would be coming from.
If she was hungry she picked up the phone and ordered something, or she went to the grocery store for staples.
That wasn’t an option here. Aisla grew her own vegetables and made her own bread.
She imagined other things were purchased on market day.
Aisla made them some tea and Sara noticed that while she had received the same tea blend she’d had yesterday, Aisla had something different.
“Are those pieces of ginger in your hot water?” Sara asked.
“Aye. I’ve had a sick stomach of late and this helps to settle it.”
“Oh. I’m sorry you haven’t been feeling well. Do you know what’s wrong?” Sara was concerned for her new friend. If she could help in any way, she would.
Aisla appeared embarrassed by the question.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” Sara realized she may have stumbled onto a sensitive subject.
“Everyone will know soon enough,” Aisla said. “There’s nae harm in telling ye.” She drew in a deep breath before speaking again. “I’m with child.”
“That’s wonderful, Aisla. You and your husband must be so excited,” Sara gushed.
“Aye.”
Sara noted Aisla seemed anything but excited. She couldn’t imagine why she wouldn’t be, but it wasn’t her business. If Aisla wanted her to know, she’d tell her. “I won’t say anything. It’ll be our secret until you tell me otherwise,” she reassured her.
“You’re verra kind.”
“Can I tell you something? I mean, you’ve shared with me, so I’ve got something to share as well.”
“Of course.”
“I’ve got a little problem and I don’t know what to do about it.” Sara fidgeted a little in her chair.
“Maybe I can help.” Aisla’s mood brightened at this.
“Do you know Logan McPhail?”
“I do.” Aisla suddenly seemed very interested in the piece of cheese she’d just taken, examining it as she turned it this way and that.
“Well, I came here to see him, but I don’t think he wants to have anything to do with me. I don’t know what happened and I thought maybe if you knew him, you might have heard something.”
“I don’t know if I can help ye.” She stood and walked away from the table, keeping her back to Sara.
“Is everything alright? Did I say or do something to upset you?” Something was up. She was acting oddly.
Aisla came back to the table. “Sara, there’s more to my story than I’ve told ye. I’m nae married.”
Sara reached out and took Aisla’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” She was embarrassed. She had assumed because Aisla was pregnant that she would have a husband.
“You couldn’t have known,” she said
The seriousness of Aisla’s situation became very apparent to Sara.
She didn’t know for sure, but she imagined that an unwed mother in these times was not a good thing.
She didn’t want to go poking her nose into her new friend’s business, but she had so many questions.
Where was the father? Was the sex consensual?
What would happen to her when everyone found out?
But instead she asked, “What will you do?”
“Sara, I dinnae wish ye to worry about me. I ken ye’ve a kind heart and I’m so happy to have someone to share this with.”
“I’m happy to listen if you’d like to tell me more.” Sara hoped she felt comfortable enough to do so.
“Aye. I must tell someone. Keeping it inside isnae good for the babe.” She gazed down at her hands.
“There was a man who came to visit the MacKenzies a few months back. His name is nae important.” She peeked at Sara, who nodded for her to continue.
“He was so handsome and kind.” Her face lit up as she spoke.
“I’d never been in love before, but there was something about him …
I felt so safe in his arms. Things … went further than they should have.
No one knew we were sneaking around to see each other.
I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t care. And then one day without notice, he told me he was leaving.
He promised he’d be back for me and I believed him, but I’ve nae heard from him since. ”
The sadness in Aisla’s voice was too much for Sara. She reached out to touch Aisla’s hand. To let her know she was there for her. Sara understood the rejection and heartache she must be feeling, because she was feeling very much the same way. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Nae.” Aisla stood and moved to gaze out the window before turning back to Sara and speaking again.
“A good friend of mine has offered to marry me and he has led me Da to believe he is the father. I agreed to marry him, but I’ve been worried I would ruin his chances for real love and I believe I may very well have done so. ”
“Wow! He really is a good friend. But wouldn’t you rather find the man you’re in love with?” Sara asked, puzzled by the situation.
“I dinnae know what has happened to him or even how to begin searching. I cannae run off alone to find him, and if I tell me da that I lied about the father he may never speak to me again.” Aisla looked down at her hands, as if she were ashamed of herself.
“Perhaps he just decided that he didnae wish to be with a lass like me.”
“What do you mean a lass like you?” Sara was indignant for her.
“He is of more noble birth than I. I thought at first it wouldnae be a problem, but I should have realized when he wished to keep everything secret that he may have felt differently. I dinnae doubt that he loved me, but surely once he returned to his normal life, it was easier for him to see that I couldn’t fit in there.
I dinnae wish to burden him with my problems.” Again, she avoided looking at Sara.
“Your problems” Sara was incredulous. “This is very much his doing and by virtue of that fact, it is his problem as well.”
“I appreciate your concern. I truly do, but this is nae something I can fight for. I will end up being the one that will bear the brunt of the shame and my bairn will suffer as well. ’Tis best left alone.”
Sara couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but then again this was the sixteenth century. At least Aisla had someone she could rely on to help her. Sara hoped she’d get a chance to meet him while she was here. A man that selfless was rare, no matter the century.
***