Page 6 of A Bridge Through Time (The Bridge Through Time #1)

A shley woke to the sounds of howling wind and rain pelting her windows.

She couldn't tell what time it was, but assumed it was morning, even though it was dark and gloomy outside. She snuggled deeper into the blankets with a contented smile on her face. As she laid there, eyes closed, the atmosphere in the room began to change. He’s here , she thought, and as she turned onto her side, she saw him taking shape.

‘Grey Eyes’, as she had started calling him, was standing right next to the bed.

“I’m waiting. Hurry,” he said, and then he was gone.

“Hurry?” she said aloud. “Where are you?” Seeing him three times in such a short period was unusual, in fact, it had never happened before.

Now if she could just find this guy. She felt like she was getting closer, but didn’t know if it was possible to find someone who was only a figment of her imagination.

No, he’s real, Ashley told herself. She had never been with a man who made her stomach flip flop and her body tremble at his touch, but Grey Eyes did it to her every time.

What she wouldn't give to experience such a reaction to a man in real life.

As she was throwing off the covers, there was a knock at her door.

"Who's there?"

"It's just me, dear – Edna."

Ashley opened the door, to be greeted by her own personal ray of sunshine on this dark and rainy day.

"I thought you might like to have breakfast in your room this morning.

" Edna bustled across to a small table near the fireplace.

"It's going to be a bit gloomy today. The rain should let up enough for you to explore our small town a little later, but in the meantime, you can relax and enjoy some down time. "

"Thank you, Edna. That’s so thoughtful of you. It looks wonderful."

"There’s tea and scones, eggs, bacon, and some oatmeal with honey."

"Wow. That’s a lot of food. You really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," Ashley protested.

"Nonsense, dear. It's been a long while since I've had a young lady to spoil."

Ashley understood Edna was talking about her daughter, Arlena, and she was touched to have someone who wanted to mother her.

She too, missed that mother-daughter connection and she had felt a bond with Edna immediately.

She missed her own mother terribly. Her father had passed away when she was about ten years old, leaving a gaping hole in her life.

Then, when her mother died in a car crash a few years ago, it had been more than she could bear.

She’d lost the woman who dried her tears when she fell, hugged her when she was broken-hearted.

The woman who was full of wisdom and had the solution to every problem.

She missed her Mom more with each passing day and knew she always would.

Ashley and Edna both had holes in their hearts, which needed to be filled.

Ashley thought that perhaps they could do that for each other, even if it was only for a few days.

Ashley was surprised to see a fire burning brightly in the fireplace, where a few moments ago there had been nothing but ashes.

Edna had only been in the room a few minutes and Ashley was having a hard time figuring out how she could get the flames blazing so quickly.

She looked at Edna, who was beaming, and then turned her attention to the fire and then back to Edna.

Something weird was going on here, but she didn’t know what it was.

Ashley finished her breakfast after Edna left the room. She couldn't believe the amount of food she had managed to consume, thinking she definitely wouldn't need lunch today.

Ashley took her time as she dressed and noticed the wind had stopped and the rain had reduced to a fine drizzle. She walked downstairs when she was ready, to find an empty front desk. No one seemed to be around, but she noticed an umbrella propped by the entry, with a sticky note attached. It said:

Ashley, take this umbrella with you. I thought you might need it – E.

Ashley smiled. Edna's one step ahead of the game.

She took the umbrella and headed out to see the sights of Glendaloch.

There was a bookshop, which she happily explored.

She particularly liked the section on local history and purchased a book about ‘Magical Glendaloch’.

Next was the apothecary, where Ashley picked up some essentials to replenish her supply of toiletries.

She hadn't packed much, not wanting to weigh her suitcase down with huge bottles of shampoo and conditioner.

She picked out a postcard for Jenna, from a rack near the cash register.

Shopping bag in tow, she walked back out onto the street and noticed creepy Teddy was watching her again.

He gave her a very uncomfortable feeling.

Was he following her? It's a small town , she told herself, where else is he going to go?

There are only so many corners to stand on and buildings to lean up against. Even so, she would speak to Edna or Angus about him later.

The rest of her day exploring Glendaloch was uneventful, and Ashley fell in love with the place.

It was almost like taking a step back in time.

A time before cell phones, e-mails, and all the other technological advances meant to keep us all connected, but actually had the opposite effect.

Here in Glendaloch, she felt more at ease and more in touch.

She was very much in the present, not distracted by text messages and social networking.

She was better able to appreciate the smiles of people passing by.

Better yet, she smiled back. Best of all, the anxiety that was usually her constant companion, seemed to be taking a hiatus.

There was a certain peace about this place.

She didn't have to look for it; it was just there.

It felt very much the way home should feel.

Edna cheerfully greeted Ashley at the door of The Thistle and Hive when she returned late in the afternoon.

"How was your day, dear? Did you enjoy our sleepy little clachan?"

"I’m sorry what did you say? I’m afraid I didn’t understand you," Ashley apologized.

"Clachan. It’s an old-fashioned Gaelic term for a small village."

Ashley nodded in understanding and repeated, "Clachan."

"I see you’ve done some shopping. Come tell me all about it. I’ve got our afternoon tea ready."

Ashley was amazed and couldn't help but smile at Edna's rapid fire chatting, which left little room for reply. She stifled a giggle as Edna led her into the dining room, to sit in her spot by the fire.

"Edna, I had a wonderful day. I love Glendaloch," Ashley gushed as she placed her bags down next to the chair and warmed her hands by the fire. "I really wasn't prepared for this weather though. I should have brought some gloves, my hands are freezing."

"I have a spare pair I'll let you have," Edna offered. Noticing Ashley's bags she said, "I see you found the bookshop and apothecary."

Ashley reached into the bag from the bookstore and pulled out her copy of ‘Magical Glendaloch’ to show to Edna. "A little bedtime reading."

"Oh, yes, that's a good one. You'll enjoy it."

Something caught Ashley's eye, a movement at the window. She looked more closely and was shocked to see Teddy was staring through the glass at her.

"Edna… I'm concerned."

"What's wrong, Ashley? You look as though you've seen a ghost."

"Not a ghost. Teddy. He seems to be following me everywhere. Last night he was standing in the trees, watching my window. Today he was hanging around outside the apothecary when I came out and just now, he was watching me through the window. He's creeping me out."

"Teddy is harmless. He's just very protective of all of us here in Glendaloch. Don't worry. I'll have a word with him. I'm sure he's just decided you need someone to watch over you."

"But why? This seems like the last place I'd need to worry about my personal safety."

"It is. It's just his nature to want to keep watch. Don't give it another thought. We'll take good care of you while you're here."

***

Up in her room, Ashley sorted through her purchases.

She put the book on the bed and placed her toiletries in the bathroom.

Her clothes were still a bit damp, so she laid them in front of the fire to dry.

Someone was keeping the fire going, but she hadn't once seen anyone tending to it.

They were like hotel ninjas, she laughed to herself, imagining them stealthily sneaking into the room and out again unnoticed.

Ashley took a quick shower before dinner and then wrote a brief note to Jenna on the postcard she’d purchased. The photo on the front was of the picturesque little town and some of the surrounding countryside.

Jenna, I know it sounds cliché, but I'm having a wonderful time and I really do wish you were here to enjoy it with me. Love, Ashley.

Heading down for dinner, Ashley grabbed the postcard. She'd need a stamp, and thought that perhaps she could buy one from Edna.

The dining room was filled tonight and so was the bar.

Ashley looked around and again found Teddy at his corner post, staring at her.

She would take Edna's word for it, and accept that he was harmless.

Maybe she should try being a bit friendlier.

She smiled and waved to him, and he immediately looked away, as if he could disappear by doing so.

"There you are!" Edna Campbell bustled towards Ashley, taking her hand and guiding her to what was fast becoming her place by the fire. "Would you like some wine tonight, Ashley, dear?"

"I'd love some."

"Red or white?"

"Red, please."

Edna hurried off to the bar on the far side of the room and returned with a bottle of cabernet and two glasses.

"I hope you don't mind if I join you. Angus won't be down tonight, he's caught a bit of a bug and wanted to get to bed early.” She noticed the postcard Ashley had placed on the table.

"Would you like me to post that for you dear? "

"Could you? That would be wonderful. It's a note to my best friend back home. I wanted her to know that I'm okay."

"I'm sure she'll be pleased to hear from you."

"She's very protective of me. We've been friends since we were toddlers."

"Really? That says a lot about you both, that you've remained so close even after all these years."

Ashley sipped her wine and gazed into the fire.

"I haven't asked about your plans, how you find yourself in Glendaloch of all places. Do you have Scottish ancestry?" Edna questioned.

"Possibly, but I’ve never looked into it, and as to why I'm here…you'll think I'm weird."

"I would never think any such thing! Coming to our small village you might find any number of characters who could be considered weird."

Ashley thought Teddy would definitely fall into that category.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to dive right in.

"Okay, well, I've been drawn here. I don't know how else to put it.

" She told Edna all the details of her life in San Francisco; her breakup with Dax, her inability to find someone new, how all her friends were engaged or married, and lastly, how she followed her heart and left everything behind.

She carefully left out her sightings of Grey Eyes, not wanting to appear crazy.

She thought she might have said too much, but Edna – with her motherly demeanor – had somehow managed to draw it all out of Ashley.

"My days of dog sitting, baby sitting and house sitting are done,” Ashley concluded. “I'm going to focus on getting myself a life. I just wish Jenna wasn't married. We'd have so much fun doing this together."

"I'm sure you would, but then you might not find what your heart is leading you to." Edna gave her a knowing smile. "Let me go get our dinner." She was off before Ashley could respond.

Dinner was amazing, starting with a delicious beet salad and followed by a perfectly cooked filet mignon with root vegetables and potatoes. "The food here has been delicious," Ashley said.

"I'll let our chef know. He went to culinary school in France, you know. Then he came back home to share his new skills with all of us. We’re very lucky to have him."

"I agree. He must really love it here. I'd imagine he could get a job at any five star restaurant in Edinburgh or London if he wanted to."

"Those born in Glendaloch don't usually roam too far and when they do, they always come back,” Edna stated proudly. “What are your plans for tomorrow, Ashley?"

“I'd really like to go for a hike into the countryside. Maybe you could give me an idea of which way to head." Ashley didn’t know what had gotten into her, but ever since she’d arrived in Glendaloch, she’d felt a compulsion to go hiking.

"Of course, of course. I'll put a bag together for you…lunch and some other goodies, so you can take as much time as you like on your hike."

"Sounds good. Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow."

"I'm sure it will be."

Ashley got to her feet. "I'm going to head up to my room, I'd like to get an early start in the morning. Can you put the dinner on my bill, Edna?"

"Dinner was on me tonight. Thank you for keeping me company."

"It was a pleasure, I enjoyed it very much. Tell Angus I hope he'll be better soon."

Edna smiled. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow then."

"Good night.”

***

Once in her room, Ashley got cozy in bed and picked up her new book.

The photos were stunning and she perused the pages until she came to something that caught her attention.

It was a picture of a lovely little stone bridge.

She couldn’t stop staring at it. There was nothing special about the bridge, it was definitely very picturesque, but for some reason it was almost mesmerizing.

Ashley read the caption under the photo and was surprised to see a bit of folklore about the stone span.

It was a fable regarding a mysterious fog; one that caused people throughout the history of Glendaloch to cross the bridge, never to return.

“Hmmm… I wonder what that’s all about,” Ashley mused sleepily as she closed the book and turned off the lamp.