The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,53
Magnus looked proud.
Hayley said, “Hey, I thought this story was about me?”
Fraoch said, “Aye, yer Aunt Hayley fired her gun, climbed upon her horse, and barely escaped with her life.” He grinned wider. “The trouble was she was nae driving the horse, the horse was driving her by runnin’ away.”
Hayley held out her shaking hand, “Look, I’m scared just thinking about it.”
Fraoch said, “She was riding and riding verra far away, until I could nae longer see her.”
Archie asked, “What did you do?”
“I rode tae the castle and there in the downpour was Aunt Hayley on her horse, and she was surprised I had found her. She said,” he made his voice high, “‘Daena try tae save me! I am lost! I canna be rescued!’ and I said, ‘Hayley ye arna lost ye are right beside the castle.’”
Hayley measured twelve inches from her nose. “I was this far away from the castle walls and didn’t know it.”
Archie giggled.
I said, “That is quite the honeymoon.”
“Very memorable.” She tapped her lips with a manicured finger and Fraoch leaned in to kiss her.
I checked my list. “The rooms should be ready, let’s go check in.”
Thirty-three - Kaitlyn
The hotel was the oldest in Scotland, but as Hayley put it while she stood in the middle of our room, “Not nearly old enough. They’ve removed everything that mattered.” She comically crossed her arms and pouted. “And for what?”
“Running water? Comfortable beds? Heating?”
“Whatever. Look at this bedding, it’s not even a decade old probably.”
“Thankfully.”
“I really wanted to show you the place where we hid the vessel and our gold in the floorboards.”
My eyes went wide. “Wouldn’t it be cool to look under there?”
She dug her toes into the carpet. “We’d have to rip this up, they probably frown on that here.”
“So we should probably not do that. But I can visualize it. I’ve been in an eighteenth century room. I get it.”
“Good because it was awful. It was also the happiest place I’ve ever been, and so I want you to have a really good visual of it.”
I pretended to lock a key on my temple. “I got it. The absolute full-color, 4-D, rendition of your honeymoon, locked away, right here.”
“Good.”
I said, “So now what do we do first?”
Hayley said, “I want to go to the Crannog Center, and hike the trail that goes by the redwoods, and visit the oldest tree in Scotland. You know, the one by the church, we jumped there all the time.”
I said, “The Fortingall Yew, I want to see it too.”
Fraoch said, “We should go tae the clearing—”
Magnus was intent. “I want tae see Balloch first.”
I said, “Okay, sure, you know that it’s not open right? I tried to set up a tour but I couldn’t, we have to just walk the grounds.”
“Tis okay.”
We had a quick breakfast and passed through the arched gate that crossed over the entrance, and then trudged down the long, long, long road. Woods lined the route and then golf course lay around us too until, there in front of us — Balloch.
Magnus said, “Och, tis bigger.”
“I read that it’s been added to since you lived here.”
“Aye.”
We walked around the side, to see the large stained glass window that was the Earl’s favorite. “Think of the centuries this has been here? Three? Almost four?”
“Another three and twill be a ruin.”
Fraoch said, “Tis a ruin in the future?”
“Aye, Donnan’s father built a newer castle to the east.” Magnus pointed in the direction. “Near the hamlet beside the Tay’s bend, ye ken? Tis bigger, there are large glass towers and a large stadium. And now in the kingdom, here,” he pointed at one of the golf holes, “is where Lady Mairead has built our Royal Museum of glass and steel, designed tae accentuate the ruins it is built upon.” He scowled.
Fraoch laughed. “Ye daena like the building?”
“Tis verra ugly, I prefer a buildin’ that is meant tae stand for the might of the kingdom tae hae a power tae it, high walls and thick gates. If tis tae stand for the faith of the people the arches should reach for the heavens. Lady Mairead’s museum neither stands nor reaches, tis an uncomfortable shape, full of sharp points and enough bright white tae blind ye.” He shrugged, “Lady Mairead assures me tis verra braw, the greatest museum in the history of the world.”