Page 46 of Awakened By Time
“Someday ye’ll have bairns of yer own,” Helene said. “This is good practice.”
Brenna imagined what her life might look like in the future. She hadn’t given much thought to husbands and bairns while living with her Da. She thought about what it might be like to be a mother, imagining a little boy who looked a lot like Zeke.
“Cailin told me that Zeke Barrett is here,” Ashley said.
“Aye. He is,” Helene said, continuing to straighten the room. She moved to the wardrobe and removed a gown for Ashley and placed it on the foot of the bed.
“Was it weird seeing him?” Ashley asked.
Brenna tipped her head at this, not understanding the meaning of the question. Ashley sounded much like Zeke. She wondered if she, too, was from San Francisco.
“It was at first, but then… “ Helene stopped mid-sentence.
“But then what?” Ashley asked.
“Nothing. He’s a good man. He treated me well in San Francisco and I imagine if I had stayed there I could have made a life with him.”
Brenna was shocked at this news. “Do ye love him?” She couldn’t control herself, the question just popped out.
“I do, but not in a romantic way. I love Dougall. Zeke will always be special to me.”
“Does he love you?” Brenna asked, trying to keep the worry from her voice.
“He did once, but I knew I wanted to be with Dougall. I ken it was hard for him and I didnae wish to hurt him, but I had to follow my heart, which had always been with Dougall. It was because he loved me that he let me go. He knew Dougall and I were meant to be together.” Helene took Emma from Ashley, holding her in one arm while helping Ashley rise from the bed with the other.
Brenna wasn’t happy to hear this. If Zeke still loved Helene, then he couldn’t ever love her. It was good she found this out now.
“Is something wrong?” Ashley asked Brenna. “Do you need me to take Andrew?”
Brenna shook her head. “All is well,” she lied. Thoughts of a son who looked like Zeke flew from her head. She’d warmed to him since they’d shared those first kisses in her chamber at Castle Treun. They’d kept each other at arm’s length since then, but when he rescued her from Nevil Munro and held her in his arms, she felt like she belonged there. She’d started thinking of him differently. She thought he might have done the same, but all along he was probably thinking of Helene. How could he not still love her? She was everything Brenna hoped to be. Dougall would protect her with his life and now she knew that Zeke would, as well.
For a brief moment, she thought she’d found the man for her. He was kind, thoughtful, brave, strong and quite handsome. Other than her brother Dougall and Logan, she hadn’t known many men with those characteristics. But now, all hope had been sucked right out of her. He wanted Helene, not her.
“Brenna, keep an eye on Emma while I help Ashley dress.” She placed Emma in the center of the bed, where she sat entranced by an object Brenna didn’t recognize.
“What is that?” she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed. Andrew had fallen asleep in her arms and his sweet little lips were puckering in and out as if he were still attached to his mother’s breast.
“It’s called a snow globe,” Ashley answered. “It was a gift from a dear friend.”
Brenna watched sweet Emma as she tried to pick it up. It was too heavy for her little hands, so Brenna used her free hand to lift it up. As she gazed at the small building in the center of it, the snow inside began to swirl around and around. She thought she saw a woman’s face, but when she looked away to see if the others had noticed, the woman vanished.
“Where did she go?” she asked, sounding confused.
Both women stopped to look at her and then Emma.
“Where did who go?” Ashley asked.
“The woman in the globe. She was there and when I looked away, she vanished.”
“You mean Edna,” Ashley said. “She must be looking in on us.”
“Edna?” Brenna was confused and a bit frightened by this.
“Edna Campbell. She’s the one who gave me the snow globe.”
“’Tis alright, Brenna. She’s a witch who lives in the future.”
“A witch,” she held little Andrew closer.