can’t imagine him being so lighthearted. He’s extremely serious all the time.” And a little scary.
“Aye, he is, but once he wasn’t.” Gwen sighed. “And now he’s after the most perfect wife he can find to run this castle and his lands.”
“I wonder why you thought I would make him a suitable match.” Abby sat on the grass and watched Gwen, who continued to fire arrows at the bullseye without trouble. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but we seem to clash.”
“I’ve noticed, and it still hasn’t changed my opinion of you. You, Abigail Cross, are exactly who my brother needs. He needs a woman who’s not afraid to tell him off, to argue and play with him. He needs to learn to live again, and how else is one to do that if the person one marries enables you to stay in the shell you’ve formed around yourself?”
Abby lifted her face to the sun. The day was still young, and lunch would soon be served. The wind whistled through the trees and the clean, fresh air filled her lungs. There was magic in these hills, she was sure of it. For how else could a place so beautiful exist? “I know I’ve been angry with you, Gwen, and I want to apologize for that. Your home, for all of its terrible plumbing, is very beautiful. Especially when one is up wind from the pigs.”
Gwen laughed. “I’m glad ye like it. And I’m happy you’re here. Will ye tell me more about your home?”
There wasn’t much to tell. What a sad fact that the people who lived more than four-hundred years before her were wealthier and had more assets than she did. “There isn’t much to say. Sometime in the eighteen hundreds, my family emigrated from here to America. I’m still in college, although I’m not sure yet what I want to do. I’ve been taking anthropology and history, because I may want to be a museum curator.”
“That sounds most interesting. What exactly is a curator?”
Abby stood and dusted off her skirts. “A curator manages the acquisition, preservation, and display of museum artifacts. I would also authenticate the age and origin of pieces that are brought in for display. It was one of the reasons why I was so desperate to come to Scotland. The history here is beyond anything we have at home.”
“And now you’ll be able to look around our home and marvel at all the historical pieces of the future.”
She chuckled and started to pack up her bow and arrows. Not that she had to walk very far to gather them. “You’re right. Maybe before I leave I could put some historical piece in my pocket for a keepsake.” She paused as she waited for Gwen to collect her own arrows. “I do have a question, though. What is happening back in my time while I’m here? Does time slow down? Stop? Or does it continue on as normal?”
“It continues on as normal, or maybe it slows or stops. Actually,” Gwen said, waving her arms about, “I’m not really sure, to be honest.” She threw her a guilty look. “I’m sorry if ye have family or friends who may be concerned, but it won’t be for much longer. Each day the magic wears off on ye, and I’ll be able to send ye home soon.”
They started to walk back toward the castle. Gwen spoke to some of the field workers and women who passed them on their way, none of which Abby understood as it was spoken in Gaelic.
“How do you know the magic is wearing off? Can you see it?”
“Aye, I can. It’s like a glow that hovers around you. My mother and grandmother both had the gift. I hope, should I be blessed with a daughter, she will as well.”
“It’s quite fascinating now that I’ve calmed down, to appreciate the time I’m now living in. I really can’t believe I’m here, experiencing all this, but you needn’t worry about anyone missing me at home. I’m an only child and my parents have both passed away. Other than a few college friends, no one would be overly concerned and I am away on vacation. Like you said, I’ll be home soon. They’ll never know.”
Gwen smiled. “As you say.”
Later that night, Abby sat at the dais in the Great Hall with Gwen and her brother. Gwen was busy talking to Braxton, their heads close together in whispered speech. The room took on another life when animated with