Chapter 4
Edna blinked her eyes frantically as light streamed through the window.
Her ears picked up the sounds of women talking and a knot formed in her belly.
They were here. They’d done what they set out to do and were outside of the house, but from the sounds of things it didn’t appear they could see it.
Of course they couldn’t. It was hidden from view by Evanore’s magic.
She hurried downstairs to the sitting room and positioned herself at the window looking out on the bridge.
“Now what?” Sara asked as the women glanced around at the bridge and surrounding forest.
“I don’t know,” Ashley said. “I guess we should see if we can find any clues.”
“That’s going to be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack,” Jenna said.
They each took a section along the banks of the stream.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Sara asked, as she kicked a rock out of her way.
“Anything at all that might tell us she was here.”
“What if she fell in the stream?” Jenna’s worried voice carried to the others.
“The water’s not very deep, and I can no’ imagine why that would happen. Even if she did fall in, the worst that could happen is her clothes would get wet.”
After a fruitless search, the women gathered near the bridge to talk.
“What’s that?” Sara asked, pointing to the center of the bridge where a metallic object gleamed in the sun.
“I have no idea.” Jenna narrowed her eyes as she tried to focus on the item.
“Come on,” Sara said, walking towards the bridge.
“Wait. Do you think it’s a good idea to cross the bridge?” Jenna asked. “Every time I’ve ever been on it I’ve ended up somewhere else.”
“Me, too,” Ashley said.
“Edna’s the one who controls the time travel and she’s not around, so it should be fine.
Besides, we’re not crossing the bridge. We’re just going to find out what that thing in the middle of the bridge might be.
” Sara marched to the center of the bridge and turned to wait for the others to join her.
She was always the brave one, Edna thought.
Ashley followed along, peeking back over her shoulder at Jenna. She motioned for her to join them.
Jenna hesitated, taking a deep breath before stepping a foot onto the bridge and then running to join Ashley and Sara.
Sara bent to pick the metallic item up, just as a gust of wind blew leaves and twigs in their direction. Jenna looked like she might run, but Ashley and Sara stood where they were. Jenna grabbed Ashley’s hand. “We’ve got to get out of here,” she said.
At that very moment, the wind turned into a whirlwind and Edna gasped as she watched the three women disappear before her very eyes. “No!” she cried.
“It’s too late. They’re gone.”
She turned to find Evanore watching her with a satisfied smile.
“Gone where?” Edna questioned.
“Back to their own time,” Evanore replied, curling a piece of ribbon around her finger.
“But why?” Edna got the feeling that Evanore’s answer would tell her everything she needed to know about why she was here.
“Because that’s where they belong!” Evanore’s voice exploded in the quiet of the room. “It all must be undone!
Edna held her tongue. She wanted to scream right back at Evanore.
Ashley, Jenna and Sara had husbands and children.
How dare she take them away? But Edna knew it would do her no good to rile the witch.
This was the way it was going to be and until she could utilize her powers again, she was at Evanore’s mercy.
“I’ll leave ye,” Evanore said, her voice calmer now. She released the crystal ball in front of Edna. “Ye’ll be needing this.”
The sound of Ashley’s panicked voice drew Edna’s attention to the orb. “What just happened?”
“Where are we?” Sara asked.
“Or when?” Jenna questioned.
“Isn’t someone supposed to be here to meet us?” Ashley wondered.
“You’re right. Edna always told us that.” Jenna walked to the opposite side of the bridge.
“So maybe we’re still in our own time,” Sara said. There was a good deal of skepticism in her voice from what Edna could hear.
“Oh, wait. There’s someone fishing over there.” Ashley hurried towards the man. “Teddy? Is that you?”
“Aye. What are ye doing here?” he asked, obviously recognizing her.
“I don’t know. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” She turned to the other women. “We’re in Glendaloch.”
“Have ye seen Edna?” he asked, putting his fishing rod down and turning towards them.
“No. We’re looking for her.” Ashley brushed off the front of her dress.
“I’m waiting for her here in case she comes back.” Teddy returned to his fishing.
“Go find Maggie,” Edna said, hoping her voice would reach them, but knowing deep down that it wouldn’t.
She wondered why Evanore hadn’t sent them to San Francisco since that was where they were from.
The only answer could be that Teddy had been there and so the magic had drawn them to Glendaloch.
She wondered if Evanore even realized this, or did she simply tap into the magic of the bridge without any knowledge of how it really worked.
“Well, it looks like we’ve time traveled, so we should do something about it instead of just standing here. Let’s walk to the inn and see if Edna’s back,” Sara began walking along the path that would take them to the main street in Glendaloch.
“Good idea,” Ashley said as she grabbed Jenna’s hand and followed Sara. “Bye, Teddy.”
He waved to them as they left.
Edna clasped her hands, bringing them up to her lips in silent prayer. She relaxed a little knowing that Maggie would help them get back home.
The windows disappeared and the room darkened.
The only light came from the crystal ball.
Edna sat on the burgundy velvet settee that took up most of this small room off of the main foyer.
The ball followed her and hovered at eye level.
She watched as the women made their way to Glendaloch proper and headed for the inn.
They wore their medieval clothing, but no one in town cared.
These time traveling women and their Highlander husbands had been seen around town many times over the years.
People were used to seeing them dressed in garb reminiscent of another time.
Most likely assuming them to be costumed for some event Edna was holding at the inn.
As Ashley, Jenna and Sara reached the inn they took a moment to look around. Maybe they were reminiscing about their lives in the twenty-first century or perhaps they were still wondering how it was that they found themselves so far from home.
Ashley beamed as she pointed to the bookstore. “Before we go back I’d like to get some books for the children.”
“Good idea,” Jenna glanced further down the street. “We should pick up some other things we might need from the pharmacy.”
They approached the inn and as they entered the small bell above the door tinkled.
“Ashley!” Maggie appeared shocked as she glanced up from her work and looked from one woman to the next. “Jenna! Sara! What are ye doing here?”
“We were hoping you could tell us,” Ashley replied.
Edna could see Maggie was mulling things over in her head.
“Did ye ken me aunt is missing? Did ye see me uncle?” Maggie put her pad of paper and pen down on the reception desk and came around to join them.
“Yes to both questions,” Sara replied.
“The men, including Angus, left for the Campbell’s and we thought it might be a good idea to check the area around the bridge for clues.”
“And somehow ye got here.” Maggie’s brows furrowed as she tapped her lips with her finger obviously deep in thought. “I’m no’ sure how that happened.”
“Neither are we,” Jenna said. “We have to get back home. We left our children with Irene and Helene. We’re only supposed to be gone for a short time.”
“Okay. Doona worry, I’ll get ye back there.” Maggie dropped into one of the lobby’s oversized wingback chairs.
“Are you alright?” Ashley asked. “You look a little stunned.”
“I guess I am. I just doona understand this. Something’s no’ right and I’m sure it’s got something to do with Aunt Edna’s disappearance.”
“Do you think someone kidnapped her?” Sara asked.
“I thought at first that she might have gone to help with a problem at Breaghacraig, but now I get the feeling she’s somewhere else but she can no’ contact me.”
“Have you tried contacting her?” Jenna asked.
“Aye, but I’m getting nothing at all, which frightens me.”
The women gathered around Maggie. Ashley took her hand as Jenna and Sara each placed a hand on her shoulders. “We’re here for you. We’ll help in any way we can,” Ashley assured her.
“Thank ye. I ken ye will.”
Edna wiped away a single tear that was streaming down her cheek. Her heart swelled with love as she watched these women banding together in their quest to help her.
Maggie seemed to get a hold of herself as she hopped up from the chair. “Ye all must be exhausted. Let’s get ye some rooms so ye can freshen up a bit and I’ll have Dylan make ye some lunch.”
Dylan appeared in the doorway to the dining room. “What’s going on out here? I heard voices.”
“Dylan, we’ve got company.” Maggie stood and headed to the dining room. The others followed along behind her.
“Oh, wow!” Dylan said, realizing who he was looking at. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”
“Of course you weren’t,” Jenna said, a huge grin on her face on seeing her cousin.
“What? How?” He crossed the room and pulled Jenna into his arms. “I’ve missed you cuz.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
“Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?” he said as he stepped back and held her at arm’s length to look at her.
“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m definitely hungry,” Sara said.
“Sit then. I’ll put something together for you. What would you like? Have you been craving anything that you can’t get at Breaghacraig? Pizza, cinnamon rolls, burgers?”
“All of those,” Sara giggled.