The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,112

well enough.” He had a hand on the stone to steady himself as he climbed. “I hae been told I need tae fight less, tae travel less, and tae rest more. Kaitlyn and I want tae live in Scotland for a time.”

“Och! I would be so happy with this!” She began up the stairs again. “Young Magnus, we should speak tae the Earl on it. I believe he would like someone tae move tae Kilchurn, the castle there is unattended.”

“Kilchurn is unattended?”

“Aye, if ye will go there, if the arrangements can be made, I would accompany ye. Liam would like tae go as well.”

“Would Sean come dost ye think?”

“Aye, if ye are there, he would come.”

“We could all go as if it were our home again, as if it were the summer months and Uncle Baldie was taking us there tae shew us the Loch.”

“Aye, ye can shew yer bairn, with all the cousins taegether.”

“Twould be perfect.” Magnus squeezed my hand.

Sixty-five - Kaitlyn

We were en route and had been for a couple of days. The gentle rocking of Hurley was lulling me, comfortable and familiar. I had missed this, riding through Scotland. I glanced over my shoulder at Emma on the horse behind me. She didn’t want to be too far away because I was carrying the baby in the sling. Zoe was too little to ride sitting up and Emma was too new to horses to trust carrying her. I, of course, was an expert horse rider now, filled with glowing pride that I could do this thing for Emma. She needed me for once.

Isla was riding in front of Magnus on Sunny a few paces in front of me. Fraoch was leading our train, in his left hand he held the reins of the horse that was carrying Archie and Ben together. They were alternately giggling and then seriously awestruck at the sights and sounds of our passage.

It was a gorgeous trip. Our weather was brilliant, warm sun on our skin, cool breeze in our hair, high skies, and green as far as the eye could see. The midges were out, but in movement it wasn’t so bad. I glanced back again — Beaty was riding behind Emma, her camera hanging around her neck. Occasionally she would raise it and photograph something, a tree, or a far away mountain. Something Scottish that had been here forever. Or she would photograph us, new, most of us, only just arrived. Magnus and Fraoch though, ahead of me, looked as ordinary and familiar to the landscape as if they had grown from it. Like a range of mountains, or a tree that has lived through centuries. In many ways they had been here forever.

And here we were again.

Behind Beaty, rode Hayley, then Zach grinning widely.

I called back to him, “Having fun?”

“Hell yeah, need a snack? I packed some.”

“No thanks.”

Quentin and James, bringing up the rear, raced each other up to Zach for snacks. They were both looking comfortable in the eighteenth century, wearing kilts, carrying weapons, at ease on their horses. They kept watch behind us and would break away to check the view from up on the hills.

Magnus’s eyes would follow them, longingly, but for this trip he was to be calm and cautious. We were moving the children and many horses full of gear on a three days trip, it was important to be focused, present—

A funny word here. Present. To be present in the here and now.

We had decided this, together. This eighteenth century landscape was to be our present now.

We had always been divided between our past, present and future, but we were going to be undivided for a time, to do this, be here.

And once decided, the whole family decided with us. We had a moment where it seemed we might unravel, but it didn’t turn out like that at all. This was entwined — for what was Magnus without his Chef Zach? Or Quentin without his Magnus? And how would we take Ben from Archie or Hayley from Me? Emma was crucial for all of our hearts. Fraoch was Magnus’s brother and would be there, and really, the eighteenth century was well-suited for him, once he had a proper boat. And James. James had become necessary. Plus he wanted to be there.

Funny how he could be counted on now.

That was the thing about living in this world, with this kind of power. We had all become the best versions of ourselves. Even Magnus, my brutal