In Search of the Past (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #2) (28 page)

Stacey and Shane were suppose to fly to Edinburgh at six that night, but the ordeal with the Paris people and his late arrival back to London, Shane wasn’t sure about the trip. “Do you still want to go?” He asked.

“Yes, of course, I do. I’ve been waiting since January to compare my history to your grandmother’s.”

“There’s something I really need to do first,” he said.

“What’s that?” Stacey asked, hoping his thoughts were equal to hers.

“Make love to my wife,” he said, with his husky voice.

As he took her in his arms, Stacey melted against him. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do either,” she said.

After they made love they talked. Shane asked, “What did you think they were doing to me?”

“I didn’t know, I just knew it wasn’t like you, not to be in touch.  It was wrong and cruel of them to use their, so called power, not to let you call me.” 

“So you...stormed the Bastille...uh?” Shane said, and kissed her.

“Damn straight. All they had to do was let you talk to me, so I would know you were okay. Did you get your cell phone back?” 

“Yes I did my sweetheart, and I have one thing to say; I’m so glad you watched all those James Bond movies,” Shane said, laughing.  Stacey pinched his bum. “Ouch,” he said.

“Oh did it hurt?  Do you want me to kiss it and make it all better?”

“Yes, please.” They barely made it to the airport on time.

Edinburgh

S
hane rented a motor car at the airport and they drove to Grandmother McLeod’s. From there he called his parents, to inform them of their arrival.  His mother told him, they would be over tomorrow. It was after eleven p.m Shane was irritable and wanted to go to bed. 

Stacey was excited and said, “Grandmother McLeod, I brought my family history to compare with yours. I know it’s too late now, but tomorrow I want to look at yours.”

“Oh, that’ll be interesting dear,” Grandmother McLeod said.  Neither Shane, or his Grandmother, put much store in Stacey’s idea, but Stacey would not be deterred.  They were both tired, it had been a long and eventful day.

Saturday morning after breakfast, Stacey went upstairs and brought her family history album downstairs to the living room.  She laid her album on the table as she turned through Grandmother McLeod’s history.  Both Shane and his grandmother became restless. They were out in the flower garden for awhile, then came in and was having tea with Beebe when Stacey walked into the dining room.

Shane jumped up when he saw her stricken face, “My god sweetheart, what is it?”

“I know where brother Ian took the countess of Dun-Raven and the three girls after the earl and his son were killed.” 

“Yes, sweetheart we know, he took them to his brother’s farm at Hawick.”

“No, Shane, there’s more than just that.”

Grandmother McLeod, had no idea what Stacey was referring to, but Shane did. He came to her immediately and took her shaking body in his arms and led her back to the living room. “Show me lass, show me what you found,” Shane gently said.

Beebe and Grandmother McLeod were watching with great concern. The entry was written by a Cassandra Leigh (Fitz-Morgan) Scott-Striches. I must write of the brave monk that helped my mother, my twin sisters and I escape sure death or a horrific political marriage in the year, fourteen-sixty-nine.  Our father and brother were both killed in battle.  I was told never to speak of this, but my mother and my twin sisters Jessica and Jacquelyn are all gone.  All dead these many years.  I am an old woman now.  My mother Eleanor knew the old countess.  She died when my mother was fourteen.  She was ninety-six years old when she died.  They all said, her husband, the old earl, came for her.

It has been many years since brother Ian brought us to his brother Alistair’s farm. After a few years, my mother married James Elliot; my sister Jacquelyn married William Cavers of Liddesdale, a cousin to the Douglass’s. My other sister, Jessica married David Langland and I married Walter Stirches. Both of our husbands were related to the Chisholm’s. Walter was my second husband and father of my three daughters.  I have brought forth into this world eight children.  Five sons and three daughters. I have kept the old countess’s wish of handing down from mother to daughter. I have one daughter left, Deborah, born, fourteen-eighty-eight, and three granddaughters. Mary, Charlene and Francine.  My youngest great-grand daughter, Ellen Leigh was born in fifteen-seventeen.

Shane took the book and was reading the entry that was Cassandra’s. Stacey was shaking all over and kept saying, “I remember her, I remember her.”

“You couldn’t have sweetheart, she wasn’t born until fourteen-fifty-seven.” 

“Not her,” Stacey said. “Eleanor, her mother, Eleanor.”

Stacey was feeling dizzy and her vision was going out of focus. In the shimmering mist she could see Dun-Raven castle alternating with Grandmother McLeod’s living room. Stacey cried out in sheer terror, “Hold me Shane, hold me tight. Don’t let me go back.” Shane laid the book down and took Stacey in his arms.  Stacey kept saying, “Don’t let me go back. Hold me tight, don’t let me go back.”

“You’re not going anywhere sweetheart, I have you and I won’t let you go.”

“What can we do to help?” Grandmother McLeod asked.

Shane shook his head.  All he could do was hold her securely in her fright of being pulled back in time. When Shane’s mother and dad arrived, Andrew saw the condition Stacey was in, and asked Shane, “Is it shock?”  It was obvious, Stacey was in a traumatic state.

“Yes,” Shane said. His dad ran to his car and brought in his bag.

“I’ll get water,” Elizabeth said.

Stacey reached for the glass, but she was shaking so badly, she was spilling the water.

Shane took her hand and said, “Here, let me help you.” Andrew gave her a tranquilizer. Andrew spoke with his mother for a minute, then came and sat on the coffee table in front of Stacey.  He reached out and patted Stacey’s leg, and said, “Don’t worry your pretty head love.  We won’t let you go anywhere you don’t want to go. You belong with us now.”

Mrs. Beebe went to make tea. Elizabeth said, “I’ll help you. I hate feeling so helpless at times like this.”

These are the ancestors she was on the trail of last summer? Now she’s found them here in Mother’s family book?”  Shane’s dad was shocked. “This is incredulous, son.”

“Yes,” Shane said, “however, there’s much more to this than you know about Dad.” 

Elizabeth brought Stacey a cup of tea. “Here darling,” she said. “Drink some of this. I know you have two handsome doctors, but tea always helps.”

Stacey smiled at her and took the tea. “Thank you,” she said. This time she was steady as she drank her tea.

“Do you feel calm and secure enough to tell us what you discovered in Mother’s family album that upset you so, Stacey?”

“Yes,” Stacey said as she handed Andrew the book. “Will you turn to the year, seventeen-forty.” 

Andrew read it, looked at Stacey, then read it out loud.

April-seventeen-forty-Jacquelyn is writing,  God help us. I may have done the wrong thing today.  I helped my twin sister elope with Major Colin St. John.  He is an Englishman. Father hates him for that reason alone. I spoke with our mother.  She encouraged me to have no regrets.  She said, we all must take love where we find it.

December seventeen-forty,  Mother has not been well.  I know she misses Jessie.  I do as well.  Father came home in a foul mood today.  He said, that bastard, St. John, took our Jess to the colonies.  We’ll see her no more.  How do you know? I asked.  He pulled a letter from his coat pocket.  Mother begged him to let her read it.  He tore it up and threw it in the fire.  What a cruel thing to do.  Mother died that night of a broken heart.  After her funeral, I packed everything that had belonged to mother, Jessie and myself and moved in with my older brother, Ewan and his wife.

May- seventeen-forty-one.  I am to wed Duncan McAlpen in august of this year.  September- seventeen-forty-three, I gave birth to twin sons today.  We have named them Adam and Andrew.  June- seventeen-forty-six.  A daughter was born today.  I named her Jessica after my twin sister.  July- seventeen-forty-eight. A son was born.  We named him James Duncan.  June- seventeen-fifty-one.  I gave birth to another daughter.  We named her Carolyn Leigh.

“Now look at the date seventeen-fifty-three, in my grandmother’s book,”  Stacey said.  When Andrew finished reading aloud the names and dates from Stacey’s grandmother’s family history, they were all amazed.

“Then this set of twins is our common ancestors?” .

“Not entirely,” Shane said. “The Cassandra you read about, her father was the tenth earl of Dun Raven.  Her mother and father were distant cousins.  They both came from the direct line of the seventh earl and countess of  Dun-Raven.”

“There are many missing years between Cassandra’s and Jacquelyn’s writings, but if they kept the line pure, Grandmother McLeod and I will have matching mitochondrial DNA.” Stacey said.

“Will Shane have it also?” Elizabeth asked.

“No,” Stacey said. “he’ll have your mitochondrial DNA.”

“I have it from mother, but I can’t pass it on,” Andrew said.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Stacey agreed. 

“How can we be sure the female line was kept pure down through the years?” Shane asked.

“There’s one way to find out for sure,” Andrew said.  He opened his medical bag and put on gloves and took out two swabs and vials.  He swabbed the inside of his mother’s mouth, then Stacey’s. “We’ll take blood too, to make doubly sure, and then I’ll take these to Doctor Edwards at St. Andrews, in a few weeks we’ll know,” Andrew assured them.

“How about a light lunch?  I’ll make some sandwiches and bring them in here,” Mrs. Beebe said.

“Now that we’ve had lunch, I’m going to run these over to Doctor Edwards,” Andrew said. He came over to Stacey.  She was sitting next to Shane with her feet tucked under her. 

“Young lady, I want you to know, no matter how this turns out, you’re a part of our family. I have loved you since the night I met you in John’s stable.  When you two left on your quest, I was hoping my son would have the good sense not to let you slip away.”

“Me too, Doctor McLeod,” Stacey admitted.

“I think I made a good go of it,” Shane said, and hugged Stacey.

“You were amazing, my love, absolutely amazing,” Stacey said.

Shane smiled his winning smile and said, “Thank you. I never take no, for an answer.” 

His dad slapped him lightly on the leg and said, “That’s my boy.”  Andrew  left to go see Doctor Edwards.  Shane’s mother stayed to be with her son and Stacey in case she was needed. 

Stacey was feeling much better, but still didn’t want to be too far from Shane. She felt rather stupid.  She’d never depended mentally on anyone since she was a baby.  She knew she had to pull herself out of this.  She felt the last thing, Shane needed was a clinging vine around his neck.  How many times had he told her how much he loved and admired her independence and self-assurance.

They only had one week left. Stacey told herself, she sure as heck wasn’t gonna’ mess up their time together. She would talk to Uncle Alan again when she got home. Stacey made herself get up and stand on her own two feet. She said, “I hate to leave your warm arms, but I gotta’ go to the loo.”

When she got there her legs almost buckled under her. She made it to the bathroom and sat down on the toilet until she felt steady again. Stacey turned on the cold water and washed her face.  She looked in the mirror and told herself:  Just cut it out, you already knew those people had existed when you went searching for them, for Christ sake.  Now you’ve found them and you’re acting like a fool.  True, you didn’t expect to find them here in your husband’s family, but what is, is, so deal with it.

Stacey stood looking at herself in the mirror, then turned around real fast.  She could have sworn there was someone behind her with her image in the mirror too.  When she turned back to the mirror the image was gone, but Stacey felt like a presence was still with her. Stacey chide herself; Use your head dimwit, you’re part of this family too, in more ways than one. How did these memories get in my head?  Who is maneuvering my life? Stacey saw the slightest shimmering reflection in the mirror again.  This time she didn’t turn around.  She told the reflection, “Let me tell you something. That was you that fell apart today, not me. I don’t fall apart like that. Yes, you make me nervous, but I’m not afraid of you. If there’s someplace you need me to take you, then dang it, leave me in control. I’m sure I know this space in time better than you do lady, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Shane knocked on the door and asked, “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

“Yes, yes of course, I’m coming out right now.” 

Stacey seemed to be back to her normal self.  She apologized to Shane and everyone for acting such a baby.

“Stacey darling, you’re so strong and brave but it doesn’t hurt to let people who love you, take care of you for awhile,”  Shane’s mother said.

“Thank you Mother McLeod. That’s so sweet of you,”  Stacey said, rather surprised.

Church

S
hane was a little mystified by this abrupt change in Stacey. He rather liked her leaning on him, especially after yesterday in Paris.  He had asked to use the phone to call his wife, but had not been firm with them or insisted when they told him, and the surgical team, that for the time being, they were incommunicado. Now he knew he should have insisted.

Stacey had no qualms about upsetting higher ups, or so called, diplomats. They were throwing their weight around and she found it unacceptable.  Stacey had the guts and audacity to do something about it, while I was being polite and British, she was, ‘taking the bull by the horns,’ as she would say.  So yes, it felt very good today to know she needed me.

Shane’s dad came back and they had the evening meal. “Well, my dear, you certainly have bounced back.  I didn’t think you’d let it keep you down for long,” Andrew said.

“Yes, I feel much better,” Stacey said. “I do apologize for that display of weakness. I don’t usually fall apart like that.”