Page 69 of Promises to Keep

He kissed my bodice. “Aye, I ken it, Kaitlyn, daena ye feel it? The world has shifted, we hae a son comin’.”

* * *

I woke the next morning and Magnus was already dressed and relieving himself in the chamber pot. I watched him as he moved around the room, readying for our day.

“You’re already up?”

“Aye, I met Lochie at the chapel and we hae prayed then I told him about m’change of plans.”

“Oh, good.

“I dinna credit ye, Kaitlyn, I am going tae tell him it was my idea. I daena want him tae think he can beg ye whenever he wants something. His wants might grow beyond yer empathy.”

I nodded. “That makes perfect sense. I’d rather you get credit anyway. I wasn’t trying to win, I just wanted to come to an agreement. Thank you for it.”

“Ye’re welcome, he was verra grateful, and seemed penitent on it. We will see if he continues in that way.” He opened up one of our bags and placed a few of our things out on the bed.

“So we’re leaving for Paris, I mean... If there is a baby, should I be jumping?”

“I daena ken.”

“I mean, I have, right, before? I just got really nervous about it.”

“We canna leave ye here, ye ken, for months, we need tae get ye home, we daena want ye tae give birth here.”

“Last time I gave birth in a closet during a hurricane.”

“Aye, but twas a twenty-first century closet, we daena hae antibiotics, nae, we hae the gold threads for yer head, and we will just do this one jump, then a jump tae get ye home and then we will do our best tae keep ye there.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“Me as well.” He grinned, “But does this line of questionin’ mean ye believe me?”

“No, but I don’t mind the sound of it. We could begin to try.”

“We daena need tae, ye will see, soon enough.”

CHAPTER 35 - MAGNUS

We time-jumped mid-morning, in a rare moment when the rain had stopped.

Lochinvar followed us tae the clearing, tae return our horses tae the castle once we jumped. I dismounted ontae a boulder because the ground was fair wet and muddy, then I pulled Kaitlyn from her horse and loaded our bags tae m’shoulders. I said, “Lochie, ye ken, be good, keep yer head down, help Craigh, sit with Sean at the table, daena brawl.”

Lochie said, “Auld man are ye goin’ tae keep lecturing me? I am wrecked from the hours of guard duty, then the prayin’ in church, and workin’ in the stables with Craigh, and now I am here for yer horses when I ought tae be looking for a warm young lassie tae be m’soft bed while I sleep.”

Magnus’s eyes went wide. “Och nae, Lochie! Nae young lassies! I will tell ye, when Colonel Quentin found the young lassie, Beaty, his attention made a promise tae her, and when he wanted tae come back with us tae Florida, she had tae come with him. Master Cook found Sophie and we had tae bring her as well. We are verra fond of Beaty and Sophie, but tis nae possible ye would be so lucky tae find another young lassie who we can time travel with — so if ye entangle yerself we will hae tae leave ye here.”

Lochie clutched his heart. “I must choose between a woman tae warm my bed, orcookies? If I chose tae bed a woman I can nae longer ride in cars and nae television? Och nae, ye hae sent a chill through me, Magnus.” Lochie’s horse stamped left and right, splashing mud.

Kaitlyn stepped away tae keep the mud from hitting the bottom hem of her cloak, and I held her arm tae keep her from sliding from the boulder.

“Let the chill be yer warning, get some sleep on a bed of straw like the rest of the men, and then ye can time travel unencumbered.”

Lochie pretended tae snore. “Ye’re borin’ me with the lectures.”

I waved a hand, “Och, ye daena listen, but be careful.”

“Aye, I will be careful and chaste and polite, and I will guard well and work hard and I will find a widow who wants tae be bedded and I will bed her. Lady Mairead might still be in residence in the castle, she might do.”

---