Beyond A Highland Whisper Read Online Free PDF

hundred years by tossing caution to the wind.

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Five
     
    “Of all the languages I’ve been able to learn, why is it I can’t seem to grasp Gaelic?” Trish worried the ear bud from her ear and leaned forward to peer out the window of the plane.
    “Trish.” Nessa sighed in her most motherly tone. “You know they speak English in Scotland, right?” Thumbing through the pile of archeological journals in her lap, she continued making notes without glancing up from the pages. They went through this on the way to every dig. How many languages did Trish think she had to learn?
    As she pulled a map out of her carry-on, Trish stabbed the paper in emphasis of each of her words. “Look at some of these place names! Are you trying to tell me if I didn’t know Gaelic it wouldn’t be easier for me to get us around?”
    Ignoring the map as she highlighted an entry in her journal, Nessa placated Trish with an absentminded nod. “You always do a wonderful job of getting us around, Trish, no matter what country we find ourselves exploring.” Maybe Trish would take a nap once the engines settled in to their regular flight pattern drone.
    Nessa pulled the journal closer as a particular article caught her attention and she adjusted her reading glasses for a better view. “MacKay? Why does that name seem so familiar? Is that the name of any of the contacts we’ve been given to get in touch with once we reach Balnakiel?”
    Pulling her BlackBerry out of her pocket, Trish studied the screen as she rolled the wheel with her thumb. “Hmm. No. I don’t have any MacKays on my list. Why? What’s it say?”
    Nessa pinched the bridge of her nose, then stuffed her glasses into the neck of her shirt. Leaning her head back against the seat, she squinted her eyes, struggling to place the name. With a shrug, she hid a yawn behind her hand as she stretched her legs as far as the seat would allow. “Nothing really.” She yawned again and nodded toward Trish’s BlackBerry as she struggled to stay awake. “You better put that thing away. You’re not supposed to have it on. The journal just mentioned something about how MacKay Castle had been restored at Balnakiel Bay.”
    Trish shrugged her shoulders in obvious dismissal of Nessa’s words. “Lots of castles have been restored. Scotland’s National Trust restores a lot of the castles as well as a lot of privately funded landmarks. I was reading about it on the Internet the other night. Scotland is proud of its past.” Trish shoved her BlackBerry back in her pocket and fiddled with her iPod. Stuffing her ear bud back into place, she closed her eyes as the lesson began.
    With a tired sigh, Nessa pushed all the journals back inside her carry-on and shoved it under the seat. With a glance at Trish, she realized she needn’t bother answering by the faraway look on Trish’s face.
    Maybe the reason the name MacKay sounded so familiar was that it cropped up every time she turned around. The closer they got to Scotland, the more the name appeared. It was as though someone were trying to lead her toward some unknown goal. Trying to guide her to...what? What could be so important for her to find out about the MacKay clan? What awaited her arrival in Scotland and how did it link to the MacKay family? Could it be some sort of career-making find, mystically fueling the excitement in her blood?
    Serendipity? Fate? Destiny? Karma? For some reason, Nessa couldn’t seem to get these ideologies out of her mind either. She was a fervent follower of archeological history and fact. She believed what she could see and touch. Why did these mystically directed belief systems keep cropping up in her head?
    Could part of it be because her fantasy Highlander had become increasingly more seductive in her dreams? Once she’d planned her trip to Scotland, the man had a single-minded purpose. The Scot was determined to have some sort of active part in her waking life and not just in her