A Very Highland Holiday - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,23

brother and I intend to take him home.”

Essich nodded. “I’m glad,” he said. “But the ground is frozen now. ’Twill be difficult to dig him up. Can ye wait until the spring when the ground is softer?”

James looked at Gaira. The idea of spending the next few months in the Highlands, with her, was not a dismal one. In fact, he was rather pleased by it.

“I-I suppose I’ll have to,” he said. “I’m not leaving without him, so I shall make do until the time comes.”

“Do ye have a place tae stay?”

The corner of James’ mouth twitched as he and Gaira smiled at one another. “I-It is possible,” he said, inferring that she was part of those future plans. “I-I’ll find somewhere to stay and something to occupy my time. Meanwhile, I can have a casket built for my brother so we can transport him south. It will give me time to make the necessary preparations.”

The man actually seemed a good deal more at peace than he had when he’d first entered the church. He knew where his brother was, he’d been told of his relatively painless passing, and he had recovered items that were precious to him. That was a great relief to Essich, who stepped out from the alcove and motioned to the group.

“Come with me, then,” he said. “Some warm drink and bread tae celebrate the life of Johnathan de Lohr before we make the necessary preparations.”

Gaira was first, following the reverend, with James and Rafe bringing up the rear. They passed through the cold, candle-lit church and through a door that was near the nave. Exiting into what used to be the cloister centuries ago, James found himself looking up into the clear night sky.

“I-I don’t recall ever seeing the stars so bright,” he said. “S-Somehow, the world seems a little brighter tonight.”

He paused, and Rafe with him, both of them looking up into the sky.

“Feeling better?” Rafe asked.

“A-Aye,” James said. Then, he pointed to the sky. “L-Look, there; that star is bigger than the rest.”

Rafe could see the one he meant. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly and with great joy,” he said. When James looked at him, he smiled weakly. “That is from the Bible. It is nearing the time of day of Christ’s birth, in fact. It seems to me that you have been given the greatest gift of all this holiday season.”

James nodded, thinking on his journey to Calvine, to Inverness. “O-Of everything I thought it would be, it was none of those things,” he said. “I-I don’t know what I expected, but this journey has been most unexpected in many ways.”

Rafe looked over James’ shoulder, seeing Gaira as she stood down from them on the walkway with the reverend. “I’m glad she told you what she knew.”

James turned to look at Gaira before returning his focus to Rafe. His brow furrowed. “W-What do you mean?” he asked. Then, realization dawned. “Y-You knew about my brother’s haversack? You knew she had it?”

Rafe shrugged. “I suspected,” he said. “I did not know for certain, but on the night you and I sat together, she was in the chamber. I saw her face as you spoke of your brother and I suspected she knew something. I told her to tell you what she knew and I am glad she did.”

That explained it a little better and James turned to look at her again, his gaze lingering on her. “I-I am glad she did, also,” he said. “S-She is a thoughtful, warm woman, one I intend to get to know quite well.”

Rafe’s eyes were glimmering with mirth. “Another gift you have received this holiday season,” he said. Then, he looked up at the sky again. “Tell me something, James.”

“W-What?”

“Do you believe in miracles?”

James started to speak but stopped himself. Then, he chuckled wryly. “I-I never thought so until I came to the Highlands,” he said. “B-But it seems to me that everything that has happened with regards to my brother has been some sort of miracle. I came to know things about my brother that I hadn’t known before and I found a woman who knows him, and me, very well. I-I know that sounds odd considering I’d not met Gaira before I came to Calvine, but she’s quite… special.”

“I know.”

“M-My brother left me a letter that was found in his haversack and in the letter, he mentioned praying for a guardian angel for me,” James went on. “H-He said that he was