Shared by the Highlanders (16 page)

Robbie reaches past me to loosen her grip. “Careful, let him breathe since he’s decided to have another go at it.”

Elspeth turns to me, her tear-streaked face aglow now with happiness and relief. “Thank you, thank you for saving my son. I am in your debt. Forever I will be in your debt.”

I shake my head. “No, I just happened to be the one closest…”

“However close, I could not have done that. I can’t swim. None here could have rescued my son from the water, not even Will or Robbie.”

“Oh, I’m sure they could. They both swim like fishes. So do the other boys.”

Robbie turns to me, his expression inscrutable now. “But we didn’t. We were too far away. You managed this alone, and we all appreciate your actions. Both in the water, and out of it.”

“The boy was dead. She brought him back from the dead.” This from Mr. Drummond, who having observed the proceedings from a safe distance, is now standing over us wringing his hands.

I shake my head and get to my feet, water still dripping from my hair and clothing. It is only now that I realise that my wet chemise is completely transparent. “Not dead. He was unconscious, and his heart had stopped, but…”

Will picks up the plaid he discarded before leaping into the water and wraps it around me. “Charlie saved the lad, and we’re all right glad of it. There’s no harm done so I suggest we now all make our way back indoors. Some of us need to get warm and dry.”

He manoeuvres me through the gathering, muttering throng, and Robbie picks up Iain. Her wits reassembling with admirable aplomb, Elspeth leads our soggy procession back up the hillside toward her house. Once indoors Iain is carried off by servants, with Elspeth following close behind. She delays only long enough to fold me in a strong hug.

“I mean it. I’ll never forget what you did for me today. I don’t pretend to understand how you did what you did down there on the jetty and I don’t care. I have my boy back. He’s alive, and that’s all that matters to me. If ever there’s anything I can do for you, you should just name it. Anything at all.”

“Really, it was nothing. Just my job. Or it used to be…”

“I would like to know more about this job of yours. Later. First, please go to my chamber where there should be a fire blazing. Find yourself something to wear, take some rest, whatever.”

“I’d appreciate a bath, if that could be arranged.”

Her eyebrows lift, as though my request surprises her, but Elspeth nods. “Of course.” She beckons one of her servants to us. “Matilda, please see to it that hot water is carried to my chamber for Mistress Charlie to bathe. Will, would you like hot water too?”

“Aye, Elspeth, if you could manage that.”

“Matilda, see to that too, please. Now I want to go and spend some time with my son.” She makes for the foot of the staircase at the far end of the hall, then turns to face us again. “My thanks, to all of you.”

Chapter Nine

An hour later, bathed, the murky water rinsed from my hair, dried, and on Elspeth’s explicit instructions dressed in a smart, warm gown made of crushed scarlet velvet, I’m feeling very fine as I relax on Elspeth’s bed. The lady herself pops in to satisfy herself that I have all I need and that the dress is a good fit. She has me stand before her whilst she fiddles with the hem.

“It suits ye very well. I’m glad, for it has been one of my favourites. I’d like you to keep this gown, treasure it, please. As a reminder of our all too brief friendship.”

“But, it’s too fine. And if it’s one of your best ones… Really, I’m happy with something more plain.”

Elspeth shakes her head firmly. “No. I want you to have this. I insist. Please take great care of it, and when you wear it think of me. And of my dear bairn, whose life you saved. It is little enough by way of payment, but I trust it will suffice.”

I would have protested more, but she gives me no opportunity and returns to the nursery where her youngest child is tucked up in bed and sipping some sort of egg and milk concoction guaranteed to restore his constitution to its former robust state. I suspect that will not prove difficult to achieve.

I sit up when the door opens, and both Will and Robbie enter. Will has also benefited from a hot bath and is decked out in fresh clothing. Apart from that though they both wear sombre expressions.

“We need to be moving. Now.” Robbie offers his hand to assist me to my feet.

“Now? But why? I know you have business in Stirling but Elspeth won’t mind us staying another day or so.”

“There’s a mob gathering at the gate.”

“A mob? Why? What’s happened?”

“That fool Drummond went rushing off down to the kirk in Blair village spouting about unholy powers, sorcery, witchcraft, immodest behaviour, and the like. The villagers are demanding that the witch be put on trial.”

I feel the blood drain from my face. “Me? They mean me?”

“Aye, lass, they mean you. So we need to be making ourselves scarce. We have horses already loaded with our belongings and waiting for us at the back of the stables, including a good, swift one for you. We must make all speed, put some distance between ourselves and the events of today.”

“It wasn’t witchcraft or magic. It was just plain old medical science. Not even that really, I just performed CPR. And what do they mean by immodest?”

“It seems Mr. Drummond was somewhat shocked by your state of undress when you dived into the loch. The man’s a halfwit, but the damage is done. We don’t know what it was you did to revive wee Iain, but we do know you’re no sorceress. A witch trial never ends well though and we need to avoid that at all costs. So we’re leaving. Now.”

“Oh, God. I can’t believe this.” I’m shaking, my head suddenly overflowing with images of being tied to a chair and drowned in the village pond, or even burnt at the stake. “I never thought, never imagined… “

The door bursts open to admit Elspeth, looking distinctly ruffled. “You must flee. There’s a mob of thirty outside and more coming up the valley from over the burn. Quickly, this way.” She beckons us to follow her.

We take no persuading. The four of us dash along the upper corridor of her home. Elspeth leads us down a back stairway and out of a small door leading to her secluded kitchen garden. She points across to the wall at the far side.

“That gate leads to the rear of the stables where your mounts are waiting. I saw to it that your possessions were returned to that bag of yours and it’s strapped to your saddle. Do not leave it behind whatever you do.”

I’m starting to fully appreciate the dangers in being considered to be in any way different in this time. The last thing Elspeth needs is to have to explain the presence in her home of my compass, tampons, or a ballpoint pen. I have no wish to endanger my new friend.

Robbie appears torn. “Elspeth, we have letters, for the queen.”

“You cannot go to Stirling now. Word of this matter will reach there before you do and who knows what welcome might be awaiting you when you arrive? Give me your letters and I’ll ensure they are delivered.”

Robbie hesitates, then reaches inside his leather tunic to retrieve a package of folded linen parchment. He hands that to Elspeth, then reaches into his pocket again. This time he produces a ring, large, heavy, a bright golden colour set with a huge green stone surrounded by smaller red ones. Instinctively I know it to be gold, and the stones are an emerald and rubies. It must be worth a fortune.

“Elizabeth entrusted this to us also, as a gift to her Scottish cousin.”

Elspeth looks at the glittering gems, then back at Robbie. “Keep it. I’m sure the queen has jewels enough. If you should encounter an opportunity to give it to her majesty at some stage then do so but I suspect you may need this to aid your escape.”

“I won’t steal and sell the queen’s ring.”

“She doesn’t even know she has it. The piece will never be missed.”

“But…”

“Hush up, there is no time to debate the morals of this. Sell it, or not as you see fit. But you must go. Now.” She turns to me. “Please make every effort not to tear my gown, but if some mishap should befall the garment, please be sure to repair it yourself.”

I’m no seamstress but this seems to matter to Elspeth, so I nod. Any further discussion is forestalled by the sound of yelling from the other side of the manor house. It would seem the witch-hunting villagers have mustered sufficient bloodlust to enter the property. Robbie shoves the ring back into his pocket and grabs me around the waist. I am hurled onto the back on my mount, a fine chestnut mare who seems spirited but shows no immediate inclination to send me flying into the dirt. I hitch up the velvet skirt and opt to ride astride. We’re rather past the point where I need to keep up appearances.

Robbie and Will vault into their saddles and with a last wave at Elspeth we clatter out of the yard and head south across open moorland.

No one speaks for an hour or more as we concentrate on galloping away from the perils of Glen Blair. Well, I concentrate. Will and Robbie make horsemanship look effortless, but I’m clinging on for all I’m worth, my seriously sore arse from last night’s escapades not helping matters in the least.

At last Robbie slows the pace, sufficient to enable some attempt at conversation. I ask the question uppermost in my mind.

“Where are we going?”

Will answers. “South, back into England.”

“Why? Wouldn’t we be better heading north, to the Highlands? Clan Sinclair?”

“We could, and we may end up there eventually. But we’ve just learnt how difficult it’s going to be, keeping your secret. You’re as likely to fit in here as I am to take to the air and fly.”

“You’re angry again. Because I disobeyed you.” I state the case, knowing the likely consequences.

It’s Robbie who replies this time. “No, wee Charlie, I don’t believe we are. You did what you had to do. What either one of us would have done had we been close enough to make a difference. I’m glad of your prompt action, and of your amazing trick after you pulled the laddie out of the water. That was impressive, bringing him back from the dead that way.”

“I didn’t—”

“I know, I know, medical skill. You said. But we remain impressed even so, and you have earned Elspeth’s undying gratitude. But for you, wee Iain would be food for the eels by now.”

“Even so…”

“So, we need to find a way to extricate you from your current precarious situation, and the best notion we can come up with is to send you back to your own time.”

Now that sounds like a plan. I see one important flaw in it, however. “But you said you don’t know how. Neither do I.”

Will spares me a glance as he urges his mount on. “True enough, but if there’s a hole or some such that you might be able to slip back through, the best place to locate it is going to be in the same area where we found you in the first place, on Helvellyn. So we’re headed there.”

“What if we can’t manage it? What if I really am trapped here?”

“Then we take a different route back up through Scotland and seek refuge with my family as you suggest. You and I will be wed on the way there. There’ll be some raised eyebrows but you’ll be accepted as my bride and can claim the protection of Clan Sinclair.”

I open my mouth to respond to that little bombshell, but Robbie is quicker. “Wee Charlie has an aversion to marrying either one of us,”

“Well, she can overcome it, and fast. Unless she prefers taking her chances with a bunch of peasants armed with pitchforks.”

“I didn’t say I was averse. I just said there was no need to feel obliged to marry me in case I’m pregnant.” I feel inclined to explain myself. Further, any objections I might have raised have entirely evaporated at the prospect of the likely alternative.

“Ah, yes. I neglected to share that detail with Will. Our wee playmate here has some sort of contraption within her person that she claims prevents the possibility of pregnancy.”

Will turns to stare at me, incredulous. “Well, that sounds as though it could turn out to be right handy and I’ll be interested to hear more of it. I trust you can disable this device also, since I expect we’ll all be fancying an heir or two in due course.”

“It stops working after about three years. I’ve had it for a year already. What do you mean, we?”

“I mean me, you, and Robbie.”

“All of us. All three of us? Even after the wedding? If I do marry you, that is.” My head is reeling at the implications of continuing our unorthodox threesome.

“Ah, lass, you’ll have no option but to marry one of us if you end up having to remain here. It doesn’t much matter which. And yes, we see no reason to alter our arrangement, though a degree of discretion might be called for. But we’ll come to all that in due course. If this plan we’re currently set on comes to nothing.”

He doesn’t need to elaborate. If we are successful in locating the route back to my own time I’ll be leaving my men behind, here in sixteenth-century Scotland. Suddenly that prospect holds no appeal at all. I’ve only been in their company for four turbulent days, but I feel we’ve been together a lifetime. I can’t imagine life without them, wherever or whenever I might end up.

“How long will it take to get back to Helvellyn?” I am conscious our remaining time together may be disappearing fast.

“A couple of days, no more. We have three horses now so we can travel faster.” It took us four days to reach Glen Blair. Our pace is somewhat quicker now I have my own mount and am no longer slowing down one or the other of them by doubling up.

“Enough talk. We ride, and fast. We want to put as much distance as we can between ourselves and that mob back there.” Robbie kicks his horse into a gallop again, and Will reaches over to give mine a flick with his riding crop. The mare lurches after Robbie, and I hold on and grit my teeth.

* * *

It’s dusk when Robbie finally slows again. He leads us into the shadow of a small wood, and dismounts. I pull my mare to a standstill beside his and attempt to do the same. My muscles have other ideas. I’m so stiff I can hardly lift my leg over the saddle. Robbie laughs at me as he comes over to help me down.