My Laird's Castle Read Online Free PDF

lips, and I gasped. He smiled and set my hand back on the table.  
    “Then I too must say to ye, Beth, that everything is going to be all right. I promise.”
    And his rolling r ’s made me think he was right.

Chapter Three
    Colin and I talked late into the night, burning through several candles. I answered his questions, and he answered mine, at least as many questions as I could think of at the moment.
    The one question he could not answer was, how could I get back to my time? And I could provide no response when he asked me why I had traveled in time, why I had come to the eighteenth century.  
    “I don’t know,” I said.
    “Did ye have a particular fondness for Scotland? Ye said ye came to visit Scotland...in yer time.”
    I nodded.
    “Well, yes. I have Scottish ancestors, but then again, I have Irish ancestors and English ancestors.”
    Colin’s dark eyebrows narrowed.
    “English?”
    “Yes, or so my mother said. She was fond of genealogy.”
    “Genealogy?” Colin repeated.
    “The study of our family lines, our ancestors and descendants.”
    Colin nodded. I was amazed at his quick understanding, given that he was an eighteenth-century man. I never had to explain anything twice. Perhaps it was arrogant of me to assume he could not easily grasp new concepts. Perhaps he was just really very intelligent.  
    “Ye said she was fond of genealogy. Has yer mother passed then?”
    I sighed heavily, and then a thought came to me, and I smiled.
    “In my time, she has passed, but as it happens, in your time, she hasn’t yet been born. So that’s the good news. I miss her terribly.”
    “Aye,” he said softly. “I miss my mother as well. She was taken by the grippe.”  
    I knew that meant flu.
    “I’m so sorry,” I said. “How long ago?”
    “Four years ago now.”
    I thought about his wife and baby dying, but I didn’t want to bring the subject up, so I said nothing.
    “And yer mother?”
    “Last year,” I said. “She died of heart disease.”
    “Ah, the heart. Such a fragile thing, it is.”
    I nodded.  
    The softness in his face almost brought me to tears.
    “And yer father?”
    “He passed away when I was a little. I don’t remember him. My mother never remarried. It’s always been just her and me.”
    He clucked sympathetically.
    “My father died shortly after Culloden. We are a fine pair of orphans, are we not?” he asked with a sympathetic smile.  
    I couldn’t help but smile in return.
    “Come, lass. We must get ye to bed. We canna solve the riddle of yer travel through time this night, but perhaps with some sleep, we might be more clear headed in the morning.
    I rose, stepping on the edge of my skirt and lurching forward ungracefully.
    Colin caught me by the shoulders and steadied me. He dropped his hands quickly, far more quickly than I wanted.  
    “Oops, sorry about that. I’m not used to the length of this dress.”
    “Ye dinna wear dresses in yer time?”
    “Oh, sure we do,” I said airily. “Just not me. I prefer my jeans.”
    “Alas, I think ye must continue to wear such clothing while ye are here. The servants have gossip enough. I dinna wish it to be known by all and sundry that ye are here or where ye come from.”
    “I understand,” I said.  
    “Come then.” Colin tucked my hand under his arm and led me from the room, taking me up the stairs and delivering me to my door.  
    “Is all to yer liking in the room?” he asked as I opened the door.
    I peeked in. The fire was still going and looked as if it had recently had wood added to it.
    “Yes, it’s toasty warm. Thank you. It’s a beautiful room.”
    “Aye, the Red Room, we call it. It was my sister’s favorite.”
    “Your sister?”
    He nodded. “Aye. Good night then, Mistress Pratt.” He bowed and stepped back from the door.
    I wondered where his sister was, but he seemed ready to leave, so I didn’t ask him anything else.
    “Good night,” I said, stepping into the room and shutting the door