The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,54

sneak in by the tunnel.”

“No way, it’s sure to be closed off by now, but we should totally check.” I dropped Isla to the ground and in the short grass she ran in wide circles while Archie chased her and then allowed himself to be chased. Magnus and Fraoch looked in all directions.

Hayley said, “What do you see when you look at this now? I see a building that used to house Lizbeth and that makes me pretty sad.”

I said, “Me too.”

“Och,” said Fraoch, “and all the men.”

Magnus nodded. “M’brother Sean used tae call tae me when I was on watch on the walls.” He mimicked him calling up, “‘Hallo Young Magnus! Want tae ride?’ And I would run down the stairs like tae break m’neck and if I passed Lizbeth she would stop me tae tell me tae use caution and tae nae get intae brawls and tae mind m’uncle Baldie and tae be back afore nightfall or she would be worried on me. I would race across the courtyard and twould be full of men and women, the work of the day, the scent of the food, the pigs and the horses, can ye almost smell it?”

I nodded.

Fraoch said, “Aye, it can be a terrific stench, tis verra familiar.”

“There is naething like entering the stables tae find m’horse, ready tae ride, and by then Sean would hae been gone. Twould be up tae me tae follow and catch up, he would nae wait, twould be unfair tae the other men.”

He dug his Nike trainers into the gravel of the path. Then continued, “I loved the hunt and the ride, listenin’ tae Baldie and Sean tell stories and… Ye ken, Kaitlyn, ye were on a ride with us once.”

“I was, I rode into battle with you.”

“One of the last times.”

Archie chased Isla toward us and she threw her chubby arms around Magnus’s legs. “Safe!”

Magnus said, “Remember when ye were here, Archie?”

Archie looked around. “I think so?”

Hayley said, “It was almost two years ago. The building is the same basic shape but it’s hard to jibe it with that castle from back then. It’s so different without the…” She waved her hand. “Everything.”

I said, “Let’s go to the clearing.”

Magnus picked up Isla and we crossed the road to get to it. We were able to find it pretty easily, Magnus and Fraoch being expert at locations, but the clearing was changed. In the eighteenth century it had been almost perfectly circular resembling a fairy ring.

Now the circle was wonky, a tree had fallen cutting across one part and there was a gap in the woods, and the trees weren’t familiar.

Hayley said, “So this is where she is…?”

“Shush, not in front of… you know… yes, but it’s not important.”

Fraoch said, “Tis where I met ye, Hayley.”

“Yes, you saved my life.”

“And ye saved mine.”

Magnus joked, “Och, tis too terribly romantic.”

Archie whined, “I’m hungry.”

“We need lunch!” We began the long walk back to the hotel.

That afternoon we went sight seeing at the Crannog Center, which Archie loved and then we drove the car to Fortingall to see the oldest tree, the Yew, in the churchyard where we had jumped in and out of whenever we needed a second more secret location. The day was so full of business and deep thoughtful melancholy that we kind of needed to sit in the pub after and have some drinks to wind down. Back at the hotel I stopped Hayley in the hall. “Hey.”

She looked suspiciously back. “Hey, what?”

“Hey.” I hiccuped for good measure. “Um, can you take Isla and Archie for um… like five minutes?”

Her brow drew up. “Five minutes?”

“Maybe longer, but who knows, maybe even less…” I grinned. “If I don’t get laid I’m going to scream. And since I’m not going to scream at the kids and Magnus is the one I’m trying to get alone time with, you might end up being the one the screaming is directed at—”

She put a hand on her hip. “Are you threatening me?”

“Just a little, very nicely, with a beg — pleeeeeeaaaaase. Please take the kids for a few minutes, be a good auntie and also don’t make it weird, make it normal, don’t tell them why. I’ll come for them in like twenty minutes, tops.”

“Fine, I won’t tell them about the nasty acts you’re up to with their da, I will just tell them it’s a chance for us to talk about the birds and the bees.”

“No weirdness, turn on the tv, show them something