Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
D anielle arrived in Scotland and already felt better and more alive than she had in so long. Scotland was green with dark gray-blue skies and charming people. It felt like a world away from her life. The air smelled fresh and clean, not smoggy like San Francisco.
After mulling about the mainland for two days, she decided to go to an island for some adventure.
She took a ferry to the Isle of Skye to walk around the ruins of a place called Dunscaith Castle. She read on the brochure that it was once the home of the legendary warrior Scáthach, who trained Cú Chulainn. There were many stories attributed to the Castle of Shadows, as it was sometimes called in what she was reading, and many were steeped in strange magic.
That intrigued her and was exactly the kind of escape she needed. It would do her good to get away to a place where logic was the last thing on anyone’s mind. Magic and mystery were a refreshing change from the order in the court of law and all its rules and regulations. She boarded the ferry with a cup of steaming hot coffee and an open heart for anything that came her way.
She read more of the brochure and looked at the few photos next to the descriptions. The castle had changed hands multiple times before falling to ruin, but in its heyday, it was the home of the Clan MacLeod, who fought over it with their rivals, the MacDonalds.
“Typical male ego and fighting,” she mumbled. “Always trying to take things from each other, fighting, or claiming something.”
The next image was much more interesting. The caption below said it was rumored to have been built in one day by a witch named Scáthach and that its stones were said to be steeped in ancient magic.
“That’s more like it.” She smiled. “Bring on the magic. I’m ready for it.”
After the ferry ride, she hopped on a tour bus to Dunscaith and arrived an hour later.
She was not prepared for the beauty of the ruins that lay before her. They were magical to look at it. She felt like the energy shifted as she walked around the grounds. She could imagine that it must have been quite a beautiful castle in its time.
The vines and moss on the wall were beautiful along the partial towers that remained. Not a lot of the castle was still standing, but she got an idea of how large the castle had been back in its heyday.
After having a look around the ruins, Danielle sat on a wall made of gray stones that looked like others had helped themselves to the stones, possibly carrying them away to make something else. The wall was about as high as her waist and a perfect place to take a much-needed rest.
A seagull caught her attention. The sky overhead was gray, as was to be expected in the north, but the consistent darkening had Danielle worried. She had forgotten to bring the umbrella that she had bought after tossing the one Michele had given her.
It had been three days since Danielle's last day at the office, but the amount of travel made it feel like a lifetime. It had been so long since she had been overseas that it felt like a different planet.
“This is exactly what I needed,” she said as she allowed the breeze of ocean air to move her hair. She closed her eyes and let it wash over her, not just the scent of salty air, but the thought of living a different life if just while on vacation.
“It is unbelievable, isn't it?” she heard a very sexy British accent ask.
Many tourists from the tour group moved about. She opened her eyes to see a very attractive man with short brown hair, gray-blue eyes, and a smile that seemed just for her.
“Oh, yes. It is unbelievable and very pretty,” she said looking at the ruins before her.
“Yes. Very pretty indeed,” he said. But she noticed that he was not looking at the ruins but at her. “You're American, are you not?”
“Yes, I am. I guess the accent gives it away, doesn't it?" she said flirtatiously.
“I like it,” he said.
Danielle smiled. Maybe this vacation would be better than expected. The idea of a fling with a hot British man suddenly felt like it was on the table. It would be nice to release some of the stress with a love affair with someone who didn't live back home or know about her life there. She could lose herself and become someone else.
She indulged this flirtation just a little. “Thank you; I like your accent as well. Are you from...?”
“I'm from London. I live in a nice borough called Highgate. I think you would like it there. It is old but nice, and out of the way of the busy center of London,” he said.
Danielle liked where this was going. Perhaps she would be going to London. Messing around with this hot guy in a small hamlet outside of the city sounded ideal. The more she talked to him, the more plausible it seemed.
“May I?” he said pointing to the wall.
“Of course,” she said turning her body toward him as he sat next to her.
“How long are you in the UK?” he asked.
“Not long. I'm visiting Scotland and haven’t thought much about where to go after the first few days here. I'm just kind of winging it, I guess. Maybe Edinburgh?’”
“Or London?” he said.
“Maybe, if there was something to take me there. I mean other than the fact that it’s a gorgeous city,” she said.
“I have an idea. If you feel that you might find yourself wandering down to London, give me a call. Can I give you my number?”
Danielle smiled. Bingo . This was an invitation, and one that couldn't hurt if she made a trip to London. It was an option on her agenda for traveling around the UK, but now, the thought of hanging out with this attractive man put the cherry on top of her sundae. If she called him and they didn't meet up, it wouldn't be a wasted trip because she enjoyed the city.
“Okay,” she said, pulling out her phone as he did so they could exchange contact information. But just as she was about to enter his number, a shrill voice came up from behind them.
“There you are, Marcus. I’ve been looking for you,” a woman said.
Danielle turned to see a very attractive young woman marching toward them. The way Marcus stiffened let Danielle know something was amiss. Marcus had a look on his face like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Oh, Penelope. I was just having a bit of a rest,” he said.
“I can see that,” Penelope said, looking at Danielle. “I would expect that you would be at my side on our anniversary.”
This was a girlfriend. If it was his wife, the bastard had taken off his ring because Danielle had checked his hand to make sure. She stood, wanting to get away as soon as possible.
“Congratulations, and happy anniversary! I was just about to tour more of the castle,” Danielle said. Then she looked at Marcus, who looked frightened as his partner moved closer. “It was nice to meet you,” Danielle said and then walked away.
She heard the couple fighting behind her, and it was obvious this was not the first time Marcus had been caught in such a flirtation. What a jerk. Of course, it was her luck that the first attractive man she met was out to cheat on his girlfriend. Why couldn't she meet somebody normal and available? Was that too much to ask while on vacation?
She moved around the side of the castle, approaching the tall ruins. She imagined it had been a glorious castle back in the day, filled with fighting men who were full of testosterone and adventure. She wondered what it would have been like to be in that time and thought she would enjoy it if even just for a little while, knowing that women didn't have rights or freedom, and that she would not be able to deal with that. Imagine a strong lawyer in a time when women weren't allowed to own land or be in a position of power. She laughed thinking about it.
Just as she was about to approach the cliff to admire the ocean, rain fell fast and hard.
It was so sudden that anyone would be caught off-guard, the thick sheets of cold rain almost blurring her vision.
She ran toward a door in the wall of the castle and down the steps to the next level of the castle. More tourists followed suit, and suddenly, it was very crowded in the narrow hall. Danielle was pushed deeper down the corridor, away from the stairwell. Might as well have a look around since the rain didn’t appear like it would be letting up for some time. But that was not the only reason. Marcus and Penelope had found refuge inside the hallway as well, and Danielle wanted to distance herself from the awkwardness as much as possible.
As she walked down the dark corridor using her phone as a flashlight, she helped herself to open one door after another. The spaces were empty. Some rooms did not have doors at all or their doors hung halfway off. But one particular door caught her interest. She opened it and noticed that it led to the top of another staircase.
She looked over her shoulder. No one was nearby, and she thought a little bit of solitude might do her some good. She entered and walked down the staircase that went deeper into the depths of the castle.
Something about the interaction with Marcus made her feel reckless, a sort of burn-it-all-down attitude, so she allowed herself to walk down the steps. With each noise, she was unsure if she would slip on the stone. They were thick and solid and in good shape though, and her hand slid against the stone wall to keep her balance with just her phone lighting the way.
“It just keeps going,” she said as she got to the bottom of the stairs and realized there was more to be explored.
Adrenaline rushed through her. Danielle felt like a real explorer, perhaps even an archaeologist, as she moved through the corridor and into a vast, empty, stone room. Her heart raced knowing that she should be terrified to be alone in such a place, but having such a different experience from being in the office at her law firm kept her going. This was breathing new life into her, and she found herself imagining all the Scotsmen who had probably walked through this room. As she moved around, she was drawn to the far wall, where there was a small wooden door.
Keep going? She lowered herself to the door. She had gotten this far, so she might as well. Something about the door drew her in, and it seemed to glow the closer she got. She reached out and lifted the thick iron bar set in iron holders that kept the door closed. After she set it on the floor, the door swung open. She crawled through, stood up, and then tumbled. Strong arms wrapped around her, holding her steady before she could land on her butt.
“Lass? Are you all right?” he said.
Danielle’s eyes grew wide. What had she stumbled into?