He wrapped his arm around Mary, tucking her into the nook of his arm before bending to kiss her on the cheek. “Aye, I know. Ye are always watching out for us, and I love ye for it, Mary.”
He released her and stepped away to regard the both of us. “Do ye think that the two of ye can work together to make the preparations?”
I smiled, bobbing my head up and down enthusiastically. “Of course we can.” I could sense that Mary was about to intercede with some jab as to how difficult it would be for her to put up with me so I quickly spoke again, not allowing her the opportunity. “Do we have permission to do whatever we wish?” I already had a grand idea, but I didn’t wish to mention it to anyone before I’d convinced Mary.
Eoin grinned and glanced cautiously at Bri. “I feel that I may come to regret this but aye, I shall no tell either of ye lassies what to do. It would be wrong of me to do so, and it would be a fruitless effort anyway.”
“Absolutely right.” I scooted over and draped an arm around Mary’s shoulder. She glared up at me in response. “Don’t you two worry. Mary and I are going to make certain this Christmas is the most magnificent Conall Castle has ever seen.”
Chapter 4
“Ye have lost yer mind if ye believe for one moment that I would do such a foolish thing and follow ye into that God-forsaken time that ye came from!”
I crossed my arms and sat down on the steps leading down into the castle’s basement and spell room while I listened to Mary rant. It was impossible for her first reaction to anything that came out of my mouth to be a positive one.
“What is so important that ye would feel the need to do such a thing, Adelle? I knew ye were daft but gracious, lass, ’tis a horrible idea. What if ye were unable to return home? I doona think I could stand to spend one day there.”
Eventually, I interceded to stop the top of her head from exploding. “Calm down, Mary. Morna’s spells are reliable. Now that we know she lives in the inn near the castle, we will go straight there to stay with her. You don’t even have to go into Edinburgh with me if you don’t wish. Wouldn’t you like to see Morna again?”
Mary’s face changed from red to white much too quickly. I was afraid I was about to have to pick her up off the ground. She extended a shaky hand in my direction, letting it hang in front of my face at eye level. “Do ye see what ye do to me? Ye have me so restless, I shall no stop shaking for days. Nay, I doona wish to see Morna again. The lass was a dear friend, but I spent the last twenty-five years believing her dead. ’Tis where the dead should stay. Good and buried.”
Breathless, she plopped down next to me. I reached out to pat her on the back but quickly retracted my hand in response to the daggers she shot toward me with her gray eyes. “She was never dead, Mary. She just moved on to a different time is all. I’m sure she would love to see you.”
“Nay, I doona expect that she wishes to see me that much. If she did, could she no just come here herself to visit?”
I shook my head regretting the path I’d led our conversation. I didn’t know enough about Morna or her abilities to speak of her so freely. “Never mind Morna. Don’t go for her. Go for me. Surely you wouldn’t want me to travel there alone?”
I was none too worried about going alone. I’d lived my entire life for the most part alone. It would be no problem for me to make the journey to my own time without her, but the temptation of watching rigid, uptight Mary in present day was a joy I very much wanted to gift to myself. It would be the best Christmas present I could ask for.
“I doona give two twiddles whether ye go alone. I hope that ye go and get stuck there. Can ye no tell by now that I’m no that fond of ye?”
I rolled my eyes at her jab. I spent most of every day at her side. If she truly didn’t enjoy my company, I knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t put up with my presence. “Oh hush, Mary. If you’re really so afraid to go along, that’s all you had to say. I wouldn’t have pressed you further. It’s not good for someone your age to upset yourself with the stress of fear.” I winked at her. Mary was really only a few years older than me.
Mary stood abruptly and stomped her foot like a small child. “’Tis no that I’m frightened, only that ye are foolish to do so.”
“I’ll make you a deal, Mary. If you go, I’ll help you with whatever chore you wish for the next month.”
Mary hated, more than anything, beating the bed linens. I could already see her wrestling with such a temptation in the way her eyes darted back and forth, calculating whatever prevented her from saying yes. Eventually her eyes stopped moving, and I could tell she intended to speak. “Aye, fine, but I willna wear breeches that go up in between me legs. I shall stay in me dress the whole time, or I willna agree to go with ye.”
I smiled. “Deal. You will look ridiculous, but it doesn’t matter to me one bit as long as you will come. Let’s go tell Bri and then be one our way.”
*
Present Day