Page 87 of A Rogue in Twilight

“Are you! Well then!”

Elspeth looked at James, who seemed to immediately understand her question, for he nodded. “Grandda, we have something to tell you,” she said then. “Lord Struan asked me to marry him, and I agreed.”

Donal broke into a grin. “Excellent! When are you taking her to Edinburgh?”

“We have not decided on that yet,” Elspeth said quickly.

“Elspeth accepted on one condition,” James said. “We must find the fairy gold.”

“Do you think it is here?” Donal asked. “Do you know what they call it Coire nan Uruiskin? The urisks are small goblin creatures who haunt rocky slopes and caves and cause great mischief. But they can be helpful to humans if they are treated politely.”

“What about the Fey?” Elspeth asked.

“The ancient Sidhe are sometimes up here too, so they say. Caves can be portals to their realm in the Otherworld.”

“It may be a good place to search for the treasure, Grandda,” she said.

“Would their treasure be under their noses in their own parlor?” Donal huffed. “Then it would not be missing. It must be elsewhere.”

“Grandda,” she said. “Perhaps we should tell Struan why this is so important.”

James held up a hand. “First let me tell you what I read in my grandmother’s fairy manuscript. She writes of a weaver and hisson and their meeting with the fairies. And she tells of the infant girl given into the weaver’s care.”

“Did she now,” Donal said, and did not sound surprised.

Elspeth stared at him. “Tell me.”

James explained quickly what he had read, and Elspeth looked at her grandfather, who was listening without comment. “Grandda, that is the story you told me.”

“So Lady Struan wrote it in her book,” Donal said. “I told her some of it. And it is true, Lord Struan. What do you think of that?”

“I am not sure,” James said. “But I trust you. If you say it is so—then I will do my best to believe it.”

“Aye, then,” Donal said.

“So Elspeth’s birthday is coming soon,” James said.

“Aye, four days from now,” she said.

“I think you will not be happy until you see the twenty-first of October and find yourself still in this realm, aye?” James asked.

“I would feel relieved, that is certain.” She shivered and pulled her plaid closer against the chill wind. “Which way is the Goblin Cave?”

“There,” Donal said. “But I tell you the treasure is not there.”

“I would like to see it,” James said. “Even if there is no treasure, there will be something of value for my work.” He reached into the leather knapsack and drew out a stone. “We may find more stones like this one.”

“The blue stone! You brought it!” Donal reached for it and turned it in the light.

“Keep it,” James said. “You found it. Agate of that quality is rare, and finding a deposit of it could be important for the science of Scotland’s past.”

“To be truthful, I did not find it, exactly,” Donal said. “It was given to me by a queen of the Fey years ago. It is a key to their realm.”

“To the fairy world?” James asked.

“He tried to tell you at Kilcrennan, do you remember?” Elspeth asked.

“Aye. We were a bit fou, I think,” James said.