sewage system, the filth, ugh! Zachary and James have convinced the men the cesspit has to be cleaned out, it’s overflowing. They said a gong farmer will come tomorrow or the next day to clean it, but we’ll have to cover our noses until then. Hopefully tomorrow isn’t hot.” She carried a bundle of blankets to a cart and returned a few minutes later with a jug of water. “Add water containers to your list.”
Finally, in the twilight of the day, late late on the summer night, as the last of the people left, Magnus came to me. “Tis time for bed, mo reul-iuil.”
“Is it?” I leaned tiredly on the wall.
“Tis.”
He said good night to everyone and led me from the courtyard to the stairs.
“We need to get Archie. I haven’t seen him in hours, I miss him.”
We found Archie asleep in a pile with Ben in the nursery. Emma took Ben up. Magnus took up Archie and we walked Zach and his family to their room and then went down the hall to our own.
The night before I had been tired. Now I was wiped out exhausted.
I got Isla to the bed and collapsed beside her. “This is it, all I can do.”
“Tis enough.” He tiredly dropped a sleeping Archie into the middle of the bed, pulled his boots off, and collapsed on the bed beside him, and we were all fast asleep within minutes.
Eight - Kaitlyn
The next day we were late getting up.
Archie tumbled over us, upside-downed, and said, “Wake up Da!”
Magnus pretended to be sleeping. “I canna wake up, I am sleepin’ and daena hear ye.”
Archie said, “Da! Hear me! Wake up!”
Magnus and I both laughed.
I tucked Isla in, nursed her good-morning, and watched as Magnus and Archie rose, used the chamber pot, and readied for the day.
Soon enough we were in the Great Hall. The castle was less crowded, emptier, lighter feeling. We gathered around to eat breakfast. Everyone was exhausted still — yesterday had been a lot, a big project, but now we were done. Now we were doing the next thing.
Lizbeth was bustling around organizing a big, necessary project, filling the castle with the scents of lavender and thyme, clippings were placed in corners, heather flowers put on tables, fragrant bowls of rosewater were put on tables for washing our hands.
Hayley had coffee. She said, “I heard the Earl has coffee here sometimes, but it is not enough for how much coffee I need, personally, day by day. I am only sharing this because you’re going home to get more, that’s the only reason.”
I said, “Yes, I get it, coffee is a necessity. The only reason why I’m drinking some of your supply is because I’m definitely going home. Or — if not home, some where very close. I just haven’t decided yet, but I promise I’ll bring coffee to you.”
Zach said, “My family’s going home though, that’s what I hear? I mean, not home-home, somewhere else, right?”
I said, “I would send you to the lake house in Maine, but it’s November, too cold, we could time jump you to the following summer?”
Emma shook her head. “No way, I don’t want to lose any time. Imagine losing months of your life?” She shuddered.
Imagine losing months of your life... It had happened to Magnus and me so many times. I said, “Yeah, you’re right, that was a dumb idea.”
She said, “Can you imagine if we returned and Ben was not the right age? Kids are totally judged on milestones — is he walking, talking, reading? Imagine how unfair that would be for a kid.”
“There are a million choices though, what about Los Angeles or maybe the Outer Banks?” I chewed a hunk of bread with a smear of butter. Beside me was a mug of coffee with a lot of milk and a dash of sugar so I could pretend it was a Starbucks latte.
She said, “I’m wondering about Atlanta. Zachary has friends there, we could get a place.”
Ben and Archie were running up and down the room, enjoying their freedom from the nursery immensely.
Beaty sighed dramatically. “I wish I could go. What will my Insta followers think? I am just gone, right Mookie?” She petted her pig under the chin. “But we have to stay here with Quenny, he needs us.”
I grinned at Hayley who was sprawled back in her chair. She said, “Not used to all this work, it’s usually a life of leisure around here.”