Chapter Eighteen

 

 

It was long after dark when Beth finally stopped work for the night. As the sun had set, she had lit candles around the chapel, allowing her enough light to continue removing the fallen stone with the help of the laborers.

“How bad is it?” Rory asked.

“Not as bad as I first thought. “We can reuse many of these stones. I think perhaps a guard this time though to ensure the falsework is not interfered with.”

“I doubt that will happen again now Derek is gone.”

“Nevertheless just to be sure.”

An hour later the wind began to grow. One by one the candles were snuffed out and eventually relighting them became pointless. Beth called a halt until dawn the next day.

She watched the laborers heading out of the castle to their villages. They all looked exhausted. She was not surprised. Her limbs ached as she made her way to the castle keep.

She had missed dinner, not wanting to waste any time in shoring up what was left of the roof. A few of the slate tiles had fallen but most had remained in place on the timber framework. It was only the vaulting itself that had collapsed.

She made a rough calculation of how long it would take to repair. They might have a working chapel in a month though the plastering would have to wait until the following year. The important thing was getting enough lime mortar and she would need to ask Andrew if he could afford it alongside all his other expenses.

She had already increased his building costs many times over with the work she had set in place. She was starting to realize that the job of master mason wasn’t just about the work, it required some financial acumen and tact as well in explaining why costs kept going up.

She entered the keep, closing the door behind her to keep the draft out and the heat in. The fire would have died down in the great hall but the warmth remained in the stones for many hours afterwards, heating the corridors and staircases until late into the night as long as doors were opened as little as possible.

She passed the hall, hearing the sound of snoring coming from within. Up the flight of stairs she went, heading for her room. She opened the door and walked into it, surprised to find Andrew sitting on the chair by the window, looking out into the courtyard.

“You frightened the life out of me,” she said as she closed the door behind her. “I thought etiquette meant you couldn’t be alone in the same room as an unmarried woman at night.”

“I care not for etiquette this evening,” he replied. “I thought I was going to lose you today.”

“In the collapse, you mean? You made sure I was safely out.”

“Nay, I mean I thought you were going back to your own time.”

“Oh.”

She crossed the room to the ewer of water, splashing a handful onto her face, wiping away the dust and grime of her work.

“What’s she like?” Beth asked as she turned back to face Andrew. “Duff’s daughter?”

“She will be happy enough with Gillis. I have seen them courting before now though I would never tell Duff that.”

“Is that your only reason for turning down his proposal?”

“There is another reason.”

“Which is?”

“We should not talk of that.”

She frowned. “Why not?”

“Because you wish to return to your own time and it would only complicate things for us both to discuss it now.”

“You came to my bedchamber. What did you want to discuss? The weather?”

“I wanted to discuss marrying you.”

Beth almost fell over. “What? You know I can’t.”

“Why not? I love you. You love me. You have done so much for me and my people. You have begun a castle that will last for generations. Why not stay and see the work done?”

“Because I have to go home.” She saw how hurt he looked. “I don’t want to go but I have to find my mom. She needs taking care of. She’s…she’s ill.”

“You didnae say.”

“She’s dying, all right? She hasn’t got a lot of time left and I can’t leave her on her own. I’m all she’s got in the world. Oh, why am I even trying to explain? You wouldn’t understand.”

“I nursed my own mother through her illness. I watched her die slowly and painfully. Dinnae tell me I wouldn’t understand.”

“Then you understand why I must go.”

His eyes flamed. “Aye, of course I do. That disnae make it any easier to take. I love you, Beth. I want you to stay.”

“And I can’t. I’m sorry, I truly am.”

“I know that.” He looked aggrieved but the look softened as he stood up. “I know that,” he said again, his voice quieter.

“I’m sorry,” she said, crossing the floor to him. “I wish I could stay. Truly I do. I want for nothing more than to marry you and make this castle my home but I must go back to my mom.”

He nodded slowly, his hands slipping into hers. “Then you should go to her.”

“I will miss you. More than anything in the world, I will miss you.”

“I will miss you too.” He leaned forward, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. “More than you could possibly know.”

His hand slid around the back of her neck, drawing her toward him. He dipped his head and then they were kissing.

Beth felt a surge of heat coursing through her body as they embraced.

He pushed her back until she was crushed against the tapestry behind her. He continued to kiss her, his arms holding her in place, as if he never wanted to let go.

She felt the heat inside her grow as his hands moved down her back and then up once more, sliding over the shoulders of her dress, easing them down.

She went to move away but any resistance inside her melted when he began to kiss her neck, his rough lips bringing a gasp out of her.

The dress fell from her. How had that even happened? The kirtle was gone a moment later and then she was naked, the tapestry digging into her back as he ran his hands over her body.

There was a gust of wind and the candles blew out leaving only the slight glow of the fire in the hearth.

Beth looked at him in the half-light as he stood back from her. She watched him pull down his hose to reveal…

She couldn’t look down there. If she did that, she would melt into a puddle on the floor. The air was so filled with tension it seemed to hum.

Once he was naked he crossed back to her, lifting her straight into his arms and carrying her over to the bed.

He lay her down gently on her back. He remained standing in the glow of the fire, hunger in his eyes. “I love you,” he said quietly. “And tonight you will not sleep alone.”

“I love you too,” she replied as he climbed onto her.

She said nothing else. His lips were on hers and for a long time she said nothing at all.

With her eyes closed her other senses were heightened. She could feel everything, every scar and taut muscle on his body, even the thud of his heart through his chest.

She remembered that night for the rest of her life, the fire dying down to smoldering embers as the two of them lay together under the blankets, the highlander holding her close, as if he never wanted to let her go.

Outside the wind died down, the clouds clearing as the stars came out one by one. They twinkled high above the castle while down in the tower, she was held by the highlander, praying the night would last forever, wishing that morning would never come.

Her wishes were not answered. The sun rose on their sleeping forms all too soon and then it was time for them to part once more.