Page 7 of See A Highlander (A Highlander Across Time #10)

CHAPTER 7

T om finished eating as he watched Annie on the other side of the table engaging with the other women. He’d found her very intriguing and interesting. He’d greatly enjoyed his conversations with her and found that she was as smart as she was beautiful. She was different from other women he’d met, even during his studies at the Abbey in Glasgow. Not that there had been many there.

He finished eating and then went off to find Cameron in his office. As he headed over there, he wondered if Bella had been found. It seemed odd that she had just disappeared. He knocked on the door and waited for Cameron to admit him.

The next hour was spent discussing some of the guards who had recently discovered they’d broken out in a rash and who needed treatment.

Later, Tom found himself at work and thinking once again of Annie. The beautiful blonde woman from the future. He’d heard tales of the woman who came from the future, some straight from the women themselves, but he’d never been here when one came through before. It was rather exciting, now that he’d thought about it. To think that there was a whole other world somewhere in the future with all new techniques and discoveries in medicine.

"Lad, you seem distracted. Where is your mind?” his cousin David asked.

"Hm?” Tom shook off his introspection.

David sat on the cot inside the room he used to see patients privately. Tom had been working on rotating his arm. David had dislocated his shoulder a month before. He was prone to accidents and because of that he and David had become closer. Confiding in each other about random things here and there.

"Tell me what is on your mind. It is obvious that it isn’t my arm. You have a faraway look to you,” David said.

"It's nothing. How does that feel?” Tom asked as he moved David shoulder in a rotation.

"It feels as it had before. Good as new,” David said. He leaped up from the table and moved his arm in big circles.

“Why don't we test that arm with a bit of sword practice?” Tom said.

"Aye, it has been a moment since I have had a good practice,” David said.

The two made their way out to the courtyard. Many of the guards were in various stages of practice. Some were swinging swords while others were in full combat practice with each other. Cameron liked to keep his men battle ready at any moment.

“So you aren’t going to tell me then,” David said.

“It is nothing. Only thinking about your shoulder, and what I can do to help heal it properly,” Tom said not wanting to give in to talking about Annie when she was simply an interesting woman who probably didn’t give him a second look. She was above his station and he knew it.

“All right if you aren’t going to speak your mind then I will speak mine,” David said.

“And what is that?” Tom asked.

“I’ve been thinking it’s time I take a wife,” David said with a sheepish smile.

"And is there a lass who will have you?”

"Aye, one of the kitchen maids. Her name is Ellie.”

"And does she know you have your sights set on her?” Tom teased.

"Aye, she does, o’ course. We’ve been courting and maybe I’ve stolen a kiss here and there. She is quite the bonnie lass. An’ a very good cook too.”

"Sounds like she will make you a happy man,” Tom said.

“And you? Have you not thought of such a thing? You’re settled here in the castle now. You have a good position. Why not take a wife yourself?”

"Maybe someday I will, but not now. There isn’t anyone I’m interested in.” Annie’s image passed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. She wouldn’t be interested in him.

“I’m sure you’ll find your match one day soon,” David replied as they reached the training grounds.

“Let’s start slow. Pick up one of the lighter wooden swords and let's see your range of motion,” Tom said, changing the subject. He didn’t want to discuss taking a wife when the only woman who had interested him since his return was a woman who’d just arrived from the future who probably didn’t even recall his name.

"Aye, let me see,” David moved toward the rack of swords.

“Nothing too heavy,” Tom instructed.

"Hold yourself now. I'm picking a good weight,” David said. He moved along the rack of practice weapons and picked up a sword.

Then he moved out to a muddy pit and started to maneuver the sword around. Tom was glad to have him step away. He watched as David did his usual maneuvers and also hit the sword against a practice post.

“Aye, that’s enough for today,” Tom said after about thirty minutes. “I do not want you to restrain it. Come back to the patient room and I’ll give you a poultice to put on it, so it can continue to heal.”

“Do you think that’s necessary?” David asked.

“Aye. For another couple days, I think. Then you should be able to get back to full use.”

“Alright, if that is what you say, I’d best do it,” David grumbled.

Tom smiled. It felt good to help someone restore their body back to full health. It was why he’d gone to Glasgow to study in the first place. He’d never wanted to be a warrior, or a guard, he’d been more focused on fixing people than breaking them. Thoughts of Annie flashed through his mind again. He wondered if she preferred someone like David to someone like him. He wasn’t anywhere near as brawny as the guardsmen. Not that he was weak, but he wasn’t as muscular.

Sighing, he went back to work, putting thoughts of her to the back of his mind where they wouldn’t distract him.

This room is yours,” Maria said. She opened a door on the third floor, showing off a small room. “I know it’s small, but you should have everything you need in here.”

“Thank you I really do appreciate it.”

“Of course.” She moved to a bundle on the bed. “It looks like Heigl managed to find you some dresses and nightgowns. It’ll be trying at first to figure out how to put it on, but you’ll get the hang of it.”

“That's a lot of clothing,” Annie said, eyeing the myriad of dresses and their accoutrements.

“I know,” Maria said with a laugh, “but I’ll help you, and I promise you’ll get used to it and honestly, it’s actually pretty comfortable.”

“Do I really have to? I'm not trying to be ungrateful or anything, but it doesn’t really look comfortable,” Annie said, picking up a dress and holding it wide in the air. To her it felt like she was holding a blanket from end to end.

Maria laughed again. “I thought the same thing, but I swear it is more comfortable than it looks. Just wait until winter. They can be brutal. But we add layers and layers under the dress then and we stay pretty warm.”

“Okay. Show me what you got,” Annie said.

“Let's get started. I promise once you’re looking like you belong, you’ll feel more comfortable here.”

Annie pulled her leather messenger bag off. It was the only thing from her time that she had with her because it was draped on her body when she moved through the doorway. The bag was big enough for a laptop, but she hadn’t brought it with her, only her research on the castle and on the witch, Scathach was in it, along with her phone. She placed it on the bed.

Maria moved to it and moved her hand across it. “May I?”

“Sure go ahead. There's nothing in there exciting except for my phone and some research on the castle and stuff,” Annie said.

Maria excitedly open the bag and looked through it. “Sometimes it's nice to just see things from our world again. I love my new life here. I love it here but every now and again I miss the modern things, you know?” Maria said.

“Honestly, I can’t even begin to imagine. Not yet.” Annie frowned. She realized that she would need to take good care of the things she had with her so that she could be reminded of the future and where she came from since it was possible that she would never return to her own time.

“No, I suppose you won’t yet. You’ve only just got here, but trust me, when there is something that pops into your head, just some random thing, and you remember it’s not in this time, it gets a little depressing.” Maria held up an ink pen. “Even this. Cherish it for as long as it lasts, because once it’s out of ink… well, you’ll miss it.” She smiled.

“I will.” Annie nodded. “Now how about you show me how to get into this dress?”

After learning how to put on the attire, which took a little while, Annie grew tired. More tired than she had felt in her whole life. Maria said it had something to do with the time travel and that she should get some sleep.

“Will someone wake me for dinner?” Annie asked, looking out the window and seeing it was still sunny out.

“I’ll check on you, but I have a feeling you’ll be dead to the world, all of us were.” Maria smiled. “If you don’t wake, we’ll see you in the morning.”

Annie nodded. “Thanks, Maria. I’m not sure what I would have done if you hadn’t gotten here first. This is all so overwhelming.”

“Trust me, being the first, sucked.” Maria laughed. “Get some rest and I promise you’ll get used to being here pretty quickly.”

“I hope so,” Annie replied, giving her a hug before she left. Closing the door she put on the night dress that had been left for her, and climbed beneath the covers.

Annie went to sleep feeling somewhat confused and very overwhelmed by all of this. She was exhausted and drifted off to sleep. Though she did wonder where Bella had gotten off to, and if she was causing trouble for the people here. No doubt the Laird and his guards had found her and put her in a room. Perhaps it was even near hers, but she hoped not.

The next morning there was a heavy knock at the door, and it startled her awake. She grabbed the robe that Maria had called a dressing gown, and put it on as she called out, “One moment.” She opened the door expecting it to be Bella bringing a storm of emotion with her. Much to her surprise it was Tom. She felt a blush move through her cheeks.

“Good morning, lass. I came to check on you and to bring you this,” he said holding up a small vial. “It's for the scratches on your cheek. May I check on them?” he asked.

“Of course. Good morning. Thank you for coming,” she said opening the door wide.

Tom stepped in and she closed the door, wondering about the propriety with it being the sixteenth century. He didn’t say anything though, so she shrugged and followed him over to the table.

“Sit down and I’ll take a look,” he said with a smile.

Annie sat down in the nearest chair. Tom put a finger under her chin and turned her face. “They look good.” Then he applied more salve to the scratches.

“Thank you for coming all this way to tend to me,” she said.

“Not a problem. My rooms are very close, just down the hall. We are neighbors, of sorts,” he said.

“Oh. Good to know.” She felt excitement knowing that he was close by.

“Have you tended to my cousin, Bella?” she asked.

“I haven’t. Not yet anyway.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s in her own room, under watch of a guard,” he said.

“Oh no, what has she done now?” Annie wanted to be shocked, but she was more resigned to hear that Bella had caused trouble.

“It seems your cousin found herself in Heigl’s stores and helped herself to several bottles of wine. She was passed out surrounded by three empty bottles by the time the guard found her. Heigl complained and trust me, you do not want to anger that woman.” Tom shivered. “She went to the Laird, and because your cousin upset Heigl, the Laird’s ordered your cousin to be under guard for the next three days. She won’t be allowed to leave her room.”

Annie laughed. She couldn’t stop the giggling. This satisfied her to no end. “So she’s grounded like a misbehaving toddler? That’s priceless.”

“I don’t know what that means, exactly, I’ve not ever heard the term grounded,” Tom said. His brow furrowed.

Annie found it endearing. “It just means you’re not allowed to do something; it’s a punishment most parents in my time use when children misbehave.”

“Oh, then yes, I suppose she is grounded.” Tom smiled. “I take it you are happy she is being punished?” he asked.

“I am. She deserves it.”

“Because of the fight that caused you to end up here?” Tom asked.

“No, well, the fight was part of it, but it was because she betrayed me,” Annie said. The smile left her face.

“How so?”

“I just found out yesterday that she had sex with my boyfriend, while I’d been seeing him. He was committed to me and I to him, or so I thought, at least while we were together. However it turned out that he had been intimate with Bella the whole time he was supposed to be with me, and she’s my cousin.”

“I see. That isn’t good at all. No cousin of our clanmate would betray one of their own. We take such things seriously here. It goes against everything we stand for. If we have betrayal in love, then there’s an easy to slide to no loyalty at all toward the clan. Loyalty is how we survive,” he said sternly.

“I like that. Loyalty actually means something here. It doesn't where I come from,” she said.

“Then maybe that isn’t a good place to go back to,” he said.

Annie looked deep into his gray eyes. They sparkled as he looked at her. The warmth in her body rose. It must be all the clothing, she tried to convince herself, but the fact was she was only wearing a nightgown and a robe at the moment.

“All done,” he said putting the salve away. “May I ask you a question?”

“Of course.” Annie looked up at him curiously.

“You said he was your boyfriend, which I take to mean you were courting, but then you said something curious.”

Annie nodded. “What was that?”

“You said while you were together, and I wondered if you are only not with him because of your cousin, or because you are now here…”

A small smile touched Annie’s lips. “No. I ended our relationship a few months ago because he was a jerk.”

“I see. That is good to know.” Tom smiled at her and headed for the door.

“Thank you, Tom. I appreciate you fixing me,” Annie said, wishing he’d stay and talk to her some more.

“It’s my job to make sure you are well, lass,” he said with another gentle smile. Then he left, closing the door behind him.

Annie sat on the bed. She wasn’t going to fall for another man, but if she was, Tom would be an easy choice. Still she needed some space to process the betrayal she felt from Billy and Bella. It wasn’t that she still loved Billy, she didn’t. But the fact of the matter was, she’d trusted Billy, and he’d betrayed that trust and broken her heart. Now she wasn’t sure she could put her trust in another relationship again. Not yet. Not until she’d healed her heart, if that was even possible. And if she ever did, could she have a relationship with a man from this era? Or would that be too crazy?