Chapter 29 #2
“Thank you, I’m not sure I’m doing it right though.
” She was enjoying herself and realized that it didn’t matter to anyone but her how she did the dance.
Cormac whirled her around the dance floor, her feet flying beneath her.
She had no fear of falling as Cormac held her in place with strong arms and a strong hand on the small of her back, guiding her left and right and round and round.
“This is so much fun, Cormac. Thank you for this,” she said with heartfelt sentiment.
The dancing continued and she switched partners, dancing with Cailin and Robert. She met Robert’s brother Ewan, for the first time. He and his wife Lena had been seated at the far end of the table and she hadn’t had a chance to speak with them.
“I’m verra happy to meet ye, lass,” Ewan said. He was a handsome one. He looked very much like his brother and had the sweetest dimples when he smiled.
“And I you,” Jenna replied.
“I’m sure Ashley has told ye that me wife, Lena, is also from your time,” Ewan said.
“No. She didn’t tell me. Is she, really?” Jenna was amazed to find that there was someone else living here from the twenty first century.
“Aye. She is.”
“Is she from San Francisco, as well?” Jenna was curious to know more.
“Nay. She is from Glendaloch. Her mother is Edna, the witch,” Ewan explained.
Jenna didn’t say anything for a minute. She needed to digest this information.
“I imagine Ashley forgot to tell ye. It is normal for us, you understand,” Ewan continued.
“I’d be very interested to speak to Lena,” Jenna said. “It’s not normal for me, so I have lots of questions.”
“Of course, she’d love to meet ye.” Ewan looked around the room. “There she is, dancing with me brother, Robert. Let us make our way over to them.” He guided Jenna through the crowded dance floor, never once breaking step with the music, until they were right next to Lena and Robert.
Lena smiled at her and seemed to be able to read Jenna’s expression. “I’m Lady Lena and you much be Lady Jenna,” Lena said. “Robert, if you and Ewan would excuse us, I’d like to have a chance to get to know Jenna.”
“Of course, my love,” Ewan responded and he and Robert disappeared into the crowd.
“I just heard you’re Edna’s daughter,” Jenna said.
“Please don’t be angry with me,” Lena teased. “I had nothing to do with your being here. My mother fancies herself to be a bit of a matchmaker.”
“No worries. I’m not angry with you. I just wondered how you got here. Did your mother send you to meet Ewan?”
“No. I found my way here all on my own. It was a case of a willful teen ignoring her mother’s warnings to stay away from that bridge. Obviously I didn’t, but I wouldn’t change a thing, even if I could. I’ve been verra happy here.”
“Oh, I guess I’m the only time traveler who hasn’t wanted to stay.”
“No?”
“No. I plan on leaving when my time here is up.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Cormac hasn’t been able to convince you to hang up your time travelling boots,” Lena asked.
“He hasn’t. Not for lack of trying though.”
“Well, you know what’s best for yourself and there’s no point in staying if you’d rather be elsewhere.”
Lena was the first person who hadn’t tried to convince her she belonged at Breaghacraig. Jenna was surprised at that, but was happy to have someone in her corner.
“How much time do you have left, Jenna?” Lena asked.
“Today’s my fifth day, so I guess I’ll have to leave tomorrow in order to get back to the bridge in time to go home. Your mother is pretty accurate with her timing, isn’t she?” Jenna had a moment of worry.
“Some of this time travelling stuff is new to her. Cormac is the first person she’s sent from here to another time and place, but I’m sure if she did it once, she can do it again. I wouldn’t worry if I were you. Besides what’s the worst that could happen?”
Jenna didn’t want to think about that. She could end up in the wrong place and the wrong time, completely alone—no Cormac, no Ashley and no Dylan. The thought of it had her feeling a bit woozy.
“I’m going to go find Irene and see about getting something to drink. Would you care to join me?” Lena asked.
“No. I’ll stay here. Thanks though.” She watched as Lena went off in search of Irene.
Jenna scanned the room and couldn’t see Cormac anywhere.
Cailin was missing as well. Where could they be, she wondered?
She was headed for the doors, thinking to look outside for them, when a hand reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into an outer passageway.
Jenna almost screamed, but stopped when she realized who it was.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, Jenna,” Sophia said. Jenna looked around for Latharn, but he was nowhere in sight.
“What do you want?” Jenna snapped.
“Don’t be mad at me, Jenna. I’m just trying to help,” Sophia explained.
“Help? With what?” Jenna wanted to know.
“I heard something I thought you should know about. You have to leave tomorrow to get back to the bridge, right?”
“Yes,” Jenna said, wondering where this was going.
“Well, I overheard Cormac and Cailin talking. They were saying that they were going to have to lock you up somewhere so you couldn’t get back to the bridge on time. They plan on keeping you here against your will.”
“Are you sure,” Jenna asked. She had a hard time believing that Cormac would do anything to hurt her. But she also knew he wanted her to stay. How far would he go to keep her here? Would he really lock her up somewhere until after the seven days had passed? “How do I know I can believe you?”
“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me. I know you have no reason to believe me, Jenna, but if you want to get back to the bridge, you’re going to have to leave now, with Jonathan and me.”
“I’m not going anywhere with Jonathan. I don’t trust him as far as I could throw him.”
“I know. Believe me. I’m feeling betrayed by him myself, but you have to believe me when I tell you that he was looking for you that morning to tell you he was moving on and he wasn’t interested in your money.
He wanted you to know that. He brought me with him to prove to you that he’d found someone else.
Jenna, we all need to go back together. And he’s our best chance at getting back to the bridge.
I sure can’t find my way back, can you?”
Jenna thought about that for a minute. “No. I can’t, but how are you going to get out of here without Latharn noticing, or Cormac or Cailin.
” Jenna’s mind was reeling. Could she trust Jonathan?
She was going to have to if she wanted to get back to San Francisco.
She’d be careful though. She knew she had to be where he was concerned.
“We have to go quickly. They’re all busy right now. I don’t know what they’re doing, but I think Jonathan found a way to distract them. You and I have to go to the stables and get three horses.”
Jenna was grateful she had learned how to ride.
She had a funny feeling about all this, but Sophia was right.
She had to leave soon, or her window of opportunity would be closed.
Why hadn’t Cormac mentioned anything about bringing her back to the bridge tomorrow.
He hadn’t brought it up at all. Maybe Sophia was right.
Maybe he was planning on keeping her here against her will.
Jenna’s brain was full of questions again.
And again, questions with no answers. All she knew was that she had to get back to San Francisco and if that meant trusting Sophia and Jonathan, then she’d have to do it.
“Okay, I’m going to trust you. I may regret it, but let’s go.”
Sophia grabbed her hand and hauled her out of the castle and towards the stables.
Once inside, Jenna grabbed Rose and Sophia had two other horses all picked out.
They found saddles and bridles and tacked the horses up as quickly as possible.
No one seemed to be aware they were missing.
Luck was on their side as they made their way to the gate, where Jonathan was waiting for them.
The guards were all sound asleep, which seemed a bit odd, but Jenna wasn’t about to question anything at this point.
“Jenna, I’m happy you could join us. Are you ready?” he asked.
His face was hidden in the shadows, so Jenna couldn’t get a feel for what he was really thinking and she had a moment of doubt before she answered him. “Yes. Let’s go.”
They mounted their horses and headed off through the gates.
“We’ll have to hurry,” Jonathan said as he urged his horse into a gallop, whacking Rose on the rump as he went by.
Rose jumped forward into a dead run and Jenna almost lost her seat, but Rose, true to form, slowed just a bit until Jenna was solidly seated in a balanced position.
From that point on they were off down the path and into the woods, riding for all they were worth and like the hounds of hell were on their tails.
After hours of riding, they slowed and came to a stop. “I think we’re safe to rest here for a while,” Jonathan said. He dismounted and waited for Sophia and Jenna to do the same. “No fire. We don’t want anyone to see us,” he commanded.
“We’ll freeze,” Jenna complained.
“Too bad,” Jonathan barked.
Jenna shouldn’t have been surprised by the Jonathan she was seeing.
He had been putting on a show at the castle and she began to wonder about her decision to join him for the journey back to San Francisco.
Sophia wouldn’t meet Jenna’s eyes, instead looking anywhere but in her direction.
Rose was covered in sweat and Jenna did her best to wipe her down with a plaid she found in her saddlebag.
“Rosie, I hope you’re going to be warm enough,” she whispered to the horse. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this.”
“Who are you talking to, Jenna?” Jonathan demanded.
“No one. I’m just making sure my horse is okay.”
“What do you care? You can’t take her with you.
Besides, she’s just a dumb animal.” Jonathan kicked some pine needles into a flat spot at the base of a nearby tree, making a bed for himself.
“I never understood your thing with animals. Take Chester for instance. That’s a dog that should be locked away in the pound.
He’s the meanest pooch I’ve ever seen. Yet you and your dumbass cousin love him. ”
“Chester is a very good judge of character. He didn’t like you. It’s as simple as that,” Jenna snapped.
“Yeah, well, if it were up to me. He’d be long gone.”
Sophia, sat quietly, her back against a huge tree trunk.
The expression on her face was a troubled one.
Her eyes met Jenna’s in a silent show of support.
Jenna joined her and they sat as close together as possible to ward off the chill of the night.
Jonathan had wrapped himself in the plaid she used to wipe Rose, leaving Sophia and Jenna to freeze.
It wasn’t long before he dozed off and they could hear soft snores coming from him, as he lay on his bed of pine needles.
“Sophia,” Jenna whispered. “I’m going to head for the bridge. I don’t know what Jonathan’s up to, but I can’t stay here with him. I’m going to go on alone.” Sophia appeared to be frightened and Jenna felt bad about leaving her. “You can come with me if you want.”
The look of relief on Sophia’s face told Jenna everything.
There was a reason to be afraid of Jonathan.
She wasn’t sure what it was yet, but she had to get away from him.
Sophia put her finger to her lips and the two women got up and moved towards the horses as quietly as possible.
They continued to check on Jonathan to make sure he was asleep.
They began the process of moving the horses further away from their camp, such as it was.
Jenna motioned to Sophia that they should take Jonathan’s horse.
She nodded that she understood. They had all three horses in hand and were beginning their escape when Jenna heard the distinct sound of a pistol being cocked.
“Where do you ladies think you’re going?” Jonathan was standing up with a gun pointed in their direction. “You really didn’t think I’d be fool enough to fall asleep around you two, did you?”
Jenna and Sophia huddled together. “I’m sorry, Jenna. I had to help him. He threatened to kill me.”
“Jonathan, put that gun away. You aren’t going to use it.” Jenna knew she didn’t sound convinced of that.
“I guess you don’t know me very well then. I’ll do whatever I have to do to get you back to San Francisco. Once we’re back, you’re going to be so distraught over our breakup, you’ll just have to kill yourself.”
“What are you talking about? I’d never kill myself.”
“No. You probably wouldn’t, but I would.
You see, I took out a life insurance policy on you while we were still married.
The only way I can collect is if you’re dead.
I thought about killing you here, but that wouldn’t work.
You’d just be missing back in our time and then I’d have to wait seven years to collect.
I can’t wait that long. I need the money now. ”
“Jonathan, think about what you’re saying. I can give you money. You don’t have to kill me.” Jenna was kicking herself for being stupid enough to believe Cormac was the one she needed to get away from. “I’ll give you as much money as you want. I promise.”
“Sorry, babe. You had the chance to do that, but you blew it. Now, get back over here. Leave the horses,” Jonathan ordered.
Jenna exchanged a better-do-what-he-says look with Sophia. They dropped the reins and went back to sitting under the tree. This time, as Jonathan lay back down, he faced them and kept the gun in his hand. “I’m a light sleeper. Don’t try anything,” he threatened.