Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
“A ye, lass,” Jamie replied, grinning as he stood with her in the huge stone hallway. “You’re the fourth lass to be brought here to us Donalds.”
“What do you mean?” Annabelle asked cautiously. Dub Sith hadn’t told her about others, and hadn’t said she couldn’t talk about being brought through time to whatever time period this was, so she was hesitant to say anything for fear of being burnt at the stake as a witch or something.
“It’s all right, lass. We know you are nae from here, but my guess would be some place far in the future? Your accent and clothing match those of my sister-in-law and the others.” Jamie winked.
“You know I traveled through time?” Annabelle gasped at how easily he believed her. “Wait, there are other women who sound like me and dress like me?”
“Aye,” Jamie laughed again, “though nae longer do they dress as you are. T’would make them stand out a bit too much.”
“Well, yeah, that would make sense. I probably should get a change of clothes too. Can’t imagine anyone seeing me would think I belonged here.” Annabelle frowned.
“You’re a funny one.” Jamie grinned. “Not even one question about how you got here?”
Annabelle shook her head. “No, why? I know how I got here, but I still don’t know what century I’m in and you nor any of the others have answered that question for me.” She gave him a pointed look.
His lips twitched and his eyes sparkled with humor. “Well, lass, I imagine we were each tryin’ to break it to you gently, because of the others you see, but you’re in the seventeenth century.”
“Seventeenth?” Annabelle sucked in a breath. “Beginning, middle or end?” She searched her brain trying to recall what she knew of the time period.
“Latter part,” Jamie replied. “Does that worry you?”
“No, just trying to figure out what I recall of the time period, what went on in the world at this time. God, my country isn’t anything but east coast colonies right now. I don’t think the Spanish have even traveled up the coast of California yet. The Ohlone people must be living there right now.” Amazement and wonder filled Annabelle. Part of her wished she could go there and warn them of the what was to come, but she knew that would be impossible, plus the massacres wouldn’t happen for more than another hundred and seventy-five years or so.
“Lass, I havenae idea what it is you’re talking about,” Jamie replied, giving her a curious look.
“Oh, right. Sorry. Not sure that I can explain, or if I’m supposed to. He didn’t give me an rules except I can’t go back.”
“He?”
“Dub Sith. He’s the one who brought me here.” She smiled. “I’m going to assume you already know that considering you said there were others, including your sister-in-law, who came here like I did. So from that I’m going to assume at least one of them assimilated into your culture?”
Jamie's voice took on a playful tone. "Aye, each one of them has ended up marrying into the clan, lured by the charm of our fair land and the, uh, bountiful company." He winked, making it clear that he included himself among the hopeful suitors. "It seems the men here have a soft spot for damsels in distress, especially those with a mysterious allure."
His flirtations and teasing made her heart tingle, but Annabelle had just been given her freedom from Edward and she wasn’t sure she was ready to jump into a new relationship right away. No matter how adorable Jamie was, she was going to enjoy the freedom she had here, unless, she thought, they’d married because they had to? Suddenly she was afraid she’d landed in a much more misogynistic time than the one she’d left.
“Did they do that on their own or were they compelled to marry?” she questioned.
“I donnae know what you are askin’, lass. Why would they be compelled to marry?”
She gave him a curious look. She decided to reframe her question. “Did they marry because they fell in love with whoever they married?”
“Oh, aye. Arse over teakettle, if you ask me,” Jamie replied, chuckling again, his expression brightening.
As they continued down the hall, Annabelle's thoughts drifted back to Edward. Despite his nagging and possessiveness, she couldn't deny that she had loved him in the beginning. It was only after she’d moved in, and things began to escalate, that she’d realized her mistake and by then it was too late. It was a complex web of emotions she was untangling, but with Jamie's sunny personality and sincerity, it was hard to remain guarded around him. She had taken a leap of faith into the unknown, and it was as if the Highland winds were whispering secrets of adventure and romance in her ear.
Jamie led Annabelle through the hallway and up the stairs to the next level. He kept up the banter as they walked. “I think you’re going to like it here as much as the others have come to love it. Jen says being here is much less stressful than being where she came from.” He grinned.
“Really? What does she do now that she’s married and living here?” Annabelle asked, curious to know what the women of her time had found to do here. Had they just become wives and that was it?
“Well, Jen spends most days teaching our men something called martial arts. I’m getting pretty good at it.” His grin was infectious. “Do you know it?”
Annabelle’s jaw dropped. “I know of it, but I don’t know how to do it.” She laughed at the incredulous thought of these Highland warriors learning to fight using some form of martial arts.
“She took down a bunch of bandits when she first arrived. Cam was impressed,” Jamie said with a laugh.
“That’s crazy. What about the others?”
“Well, Mae, she was the second one to come here, she’s a healer of sorts, if anyone is feeling blue, they go talk to Mae and she helps them. She calls it therapy,” Jamie replied. “And Catherine spends most days in the library or traveling around Islay with Eamon on missions. She’s pretty smart and likes to record things.”
“So they don’t just stay home and play housewife?”
“I want ta say nae, but I am nae sure I take your meanin’, lass.” He smiled as he paused outside a door. "This is my brother's meeting chambers, lass. He's the chief of the clan,, Cam MacDonald."
"This is all very unusual for me. I feel like I’m about to meet the governor or something." Annabelle looked at the door with a bit of trepidation.
Jamie's eyes sparkled with reassurance. "Donnae let him scare you, lass. He's tough outside but soft inside." He knocked and then pushed the heavy doors open. “Cam?”
The room was spacious, adorned with more intricate tapestries that Annabelle noticed depicted the history of the MacDonald Clan. There was a large oak table sitting in the center of the room, surrounded by sturdy chairs, and a massive hearth crackled with a welcoming fire on one side. There was sunlight coming through the four windows in the huge room and a couple of lanterns that were lit as well on the table.
As Annabelle stepped further into the room, her eyes fell upon the man seated at the head of the table. Cam MacDonald, Chief of Fort Donald, was an imposing figure. Tall, dashing, and powerfully built, he possessed an air of quiet intensity. His thick, wavy auburn hair was the same shade as Jamie’s but longer as it framed his rugged yet handsome face. His bright blue eyes turned to her with a penetrating gaze that seemed to see straight through her.
Annabelle found herself momentarily captivated by the sight of this enigmatic leader and she could see how Jen was probably immediately taken with him when she met him. Especially when he smiled at her. It wasn’t as heart-stopping as Jamie’s smile, but it was a close second.
Cam rose from his chair, his presence commanding the room. "Welcome to Fort Donald," he said in a deep, resonant voice. "I am Cam MacDonald.”
“Thank you, I’m Detective Annabelle Fox, but I guess being here I’m not really anymore.” Annabelle said, uncertain.
Cam smiled. “Do you know how you arrived here?”
“Do you mean here at the castle in your room, or do you mean do I know how I traveled back in time more than three hundred years?” Annabelle grinned. “I can answer both.”
Cam seemed taken aback at her flippancy. “You seem comfortable with the fact you’ve traveled back in time.”
“I knew before I came that I would be going somewhere. He didn’t tell me where or when, only that once I went, I couldn’t go back.”
“He?”
Annabelle stared into his face and arched a brow. “Dub Sith. Which, from what Balloch said, is one of the Faeries?”
“Aye, that he is. How is it you know so much already, lass?” Cam frowned.
“I’m not sure what you mean. He asked me if I wanted to come, and I said yes.” Annabelle kept her reasons for making such a huge decision in a matter of seconds to herself. These guys didn’t need to know about Edward and how suffocated she had felt by him.
“Interesting. Let me send for my wife, she’s going to want to meet you and I’m sure you would be more comfortable with another woman from your time, which I assume from your attire is around the same period as Jen is from.” Cam strode over to the door, called out to someone, and then spoke softly to them. He turned back and said, “She’ll be here shortly.”
“You mentioned a place earlier,” Jamie said.
Annabelle nodded. “California.”
“Is that in America?”
Again Annabelle nodded and her lips twitched. “It is. West coast. Where is Jen from?”
“All over, her family was in the military, but she came here from a place called Memphis, Tennessee. Do you know it?” Cam answered.
“I do. California is pretty far away from it though.”
As she said that, the door swung open once more, and Jen burst in with an infectious energy that instantly filled the room. With a wide, welcoming grin, she wrapped Annabelle in a warm and boisterous hug, as if they had been friends for a lifetime. Jen's physical presence was striking—she possessed both a rare beauty and undeniable strength.
Annabelle couldn't help but be awestruck by Jennifer's qualities. She stood at a medium height, exuding an athletic and toned physique. Her dark brown hair was elegantly pulled back into a braided bun, and her hazel eyes sparkled with warmth and vivacity.
“Er, hi?” Annabelle said to the exuberant woman. “I’m Annabelle Fox.”
Jen laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to tackle you, I’m just excited we’ve got another sister here. I’m Jennifer MacDonald, call me Jen, everyone does. Welcome to Fort Donald. You must be so bewildered, right? But I can assure you, this is a great place and you’re safe here.”
“Thanks, and I’m okay actually. It’s a lot to take in, but I think I’m going to like it too.”
With a reassuring pat on Annabelle's shoulder, Jen replied, “I’m glad. So how did you get here?”
"I still can't quite believe how it happened myself," she admitted. "I was stranded in a grocery store parking lot, my car refusing to start, when this security guard appeared out of nowhere. He had this scar on his face, and he spoke with the thickest Scottish brogue I've ever heard and said his name was Dub Sith."
“He told you his name?” Jen’s eyes widened.
"He did, and he offered me something unbelievable—a chance to escape, to go back in time to a place entirely different. At first, I thought he was just joking around, you know just being silly, but then he disappeared and came back, and I knew he could do what he said."
Cam leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. “I still cannae believe he asked you if you wanted to come.”
Jen looked thoughtful and then said, “Well, if you recall, he did show up at Catherine and Eamon’s wedding and she told him he should try asking first. Maybe he listened to her?”
Cam nodded but seemed surprised. “Perhaps so, surprising, but it does make this a bit easier.”
Annabelle looked between them. “Wait, did he not ask you?” she said, turning to Jen.
“Well, technically, no. He came to my father’s funeral, and I thought he was offering me a professional fight. I didn’t know I was coming here and couldn’t go back. I’m glad he warned you first.”
“Oh wow. That would suck, coming here without warning. I bet you were so confused.”
“Yeah, you could say that.” Jen nodded. “So were Mae and Catherine. I’m just amazed at how relaxed you are about all this.” She giggled. “We so weren’t, but don’t worry, none of us would trade what happened for anything. We all love it here.” She turned her gaze on Cam, and they shared a small, intimate smile.
“Jamie said the three of you each married someone in the clan?”
“We did.” Jen looked over at Jamie and there was something in that look that had Annabelle wondering what they were keeping from her, but she didn’t expand on it because Jamie cleared his throat and looked embarrassed for a moment.
“Jen, why don’t you take Annabelle on a tour while I have Sally prep a room for her?” Jamie said.
“Sure, but I’m really curious… what made you say yes?” Jen said, giving her a curious look.
Annabelle, her gaze cast down slightly. She didn’t really want to share why she’d come here. Why she’d felt the need to travel three hundred plus years into the past to get away from Edward. It felt too personal even though she was quickly coming to feel more connected to these people than she had been connected to anyone in her life.
“Jennifer.”
Annabelle glanced up through her lashes to see Cam giving her a subtle shake of his head. Jen glanced at him and then some look of understanding passed between them, and she turned back to Annabelle.
“So, how about we see about that tour?”
“That would be great. Thanks,” Annabelle said with a genuine smile. She was grateful that Jen didn’t push.
“We’ll just do the basics for now and get you a more extensive tour over the next few days.”
“Um, I hate to ask, but what about clothes?”
Jen laughed. “I’ll take you to see Bridie. She’s the best seamstress and makes most of the clothes for the clan. She’ll get you fitted right up. In fact we can start there.” Jen led her from the room and to another on the first level of the castle.
As they walked, Jen explained that Bridie and her daughters sewed dresses for the women while her husband took care of seeing that the men of the clan had what they needed. Nearly all the men wore kilts in the warmer months, but they did were a style of wool pants in the winter months when they needed to be out in the weather.
Once they finished with Bridie, who had gifted her a nightdress as well as a gown to wear later, Jen showed her the kitchens, the dining hall and to the healer’s room, just in case she felt ill at any point. As they were heading back up the stairs, a woman in a brown gown with a white apron appeared.
“Oh, Sally, meet Annabelle,” Jen said.
“Aye, hello.” Sally smiled. “I’ve jest been preparing a room for you. I put her in the same you and the others used when you arrived. Seems to be good luck,” Sally said with a wink.
Jen’s smile widened. “Perfect. Thanks Sally.”
“My pleasure, Lady Jen. Let me know if’n you need aught else.”
“We will, thanks.” Jen led her up the stairs and down a corridor filled with torch light. She stopped in front of a wooden door and put her hand on the handle. She grinned and looked at Annabelle. “Welcome to your new home.” She swung open the door and let Annabelle in. “I know it’s kind of small, but trust me, it’s cozy and will warm up nicely in the winter.”
Annabelle’s gaze swept over the room. There was a single bed with a hay mattress and numerous bed linens, a nightstand with a lantern, a small table and chairs under a window, a stand that held a washbasin with a bowl and water and a large pot at the bottom, as well as a cabinet that she recalled was called a wardrobe. There was also a large fireplace with a crackling fire and the accoutrements that went along with keeping it stoked. She’d never had a fireplace, so she wasn’t exactly sure what she’d need to do for it, but figured it probably wasn’t that hard.
“It’s lovely,” she said.
“I always enjoyed it.” She smiled. “So do you have questions? Or need to know how anything here works?”
“You didn’t show me a bathroom, so I’m going to guess there aren’t any and if I recall my history, that is a chamber pot?” Annabelle pointed at the larger pot below the bowl and pitcher.
“Yeah, one of the few things I miss from our time. The good news is that the castle staff will take care of cleaning it out each day for you. If you need it cleaned sooner, there is a place for that, but we’ll go into that at a different time. If you want a bath, Sally and the staff women can bring up a tub and fill it for you.”
“That’s got to be a pain in the ass, but I’m good right now. I’m just really hungry.”
“Oh right. I forgot how starved I was when I first got here too. Tired too. You’re gonna sleep hard, but let me get you some food and then you can rest.”
“That would be great. Should I go down to the dining hall?”
“Naw, I’ll go get you something and bring it up here for you, that way you can eat at your leisure and get some rest.”
As Jen left the room, the golden rays of the sun starting to descend in the sky painted the room with a warm, amber glow, casting long shadows that danced across the stone walls. The day had passed so quickly, but then Annabelle had no idea what time it had been when she’d woken.
She walked around the room, looked in the cabinet, which was empty except for a few wooden hangers. Annabelle used them to hang up the dress and nightgown Bridie had given her. Once that was done, she sat down and tested the bed. It was fairly comfortable, and she knew she was going to like it here.
A few moments later, Jen reappeared, bearing a tray laden with two hearty meals that sent savory aromas wafting through the room. On the tray, a bottle of whisky glistened invitingly. The meal comprised a rich stew, brimming with tender chunks of meat and hearty vegetables, accompanied by a generous slice of freshly baked bread. The whisky, a fiery and robust spirit, promised warmth and fortitude.
After eating together, Jennifer bid Annabelle goodnight and departed the room, leaving Annabelle to her own thoughts, she sat down and thought back over their conversation. Annabelle had wondered who all knew about them being from the future and what they were allowed to say to the people here. Jen had told her as long as they were a MacDonald or a member of the Donald Clan, then she could talk about it. Anyone else was to be told they came from a small town in England called Sheffield, which was on the southern coast. It seemed it wasn’t often that they were questioned about it, as the only actual visitors they had were mainly from Clan Campbell who owned the land.
Annabelle still wasn’t sure, but it seemed there was some animosity between the two clans from what Jen alluded to, but she also told her they’d get into that later when she wasn’t so tired. By the time they’d finished eating, Annabelle had been yawning.
With the glass of whisky in hand, Annabelle settled into the cozy bed, the nightgown’s soft fabric embracing her skin. The room was awash in the soft, flickering light of a single candle lantern placed on the night table, casting dancing shadows across the stone wall behind it. The occasional crackle from the hearth added to the room's soothing ambiance.
As she lay there, the weight of the decision she made to come here pressed into her thoughts. She still couldn’t believe she was actually here. It seemed like it was dream and she feared if she fell asleep, she’d wake up back home in her bed, Edward snoring next to her. She took another gulp of the whisky, hoping it would help her dismiss the thoughts of him and soon between it, the glow from the candle in the lantern and the fire, she drifted off to sleep, despite her worries.