Page 12 of Love Beyond Words
I didn’t wait for Marcus to exit the car. I was now too excited to worry too much about his psychological wellbeing. I wanted to see the inside of Morna’s home. Even more than that, I wanted to see Morna, worse than just about anything I’d ever wanted in my whole life.
She stood just inside the doorway, her graying hair framing a face that was still just as beautiful as I’d known it would be. Looking at her, there was no doubt in my mind that she was the same Morna from the story. The only question was how much of her novel was true.
“Laurel, lass, it certainly has taken ye long enough to get here, though o’course I understand why. ’Tis terrible what happened to yer sister, though I can promise ye it will all work out just fine for her in the end. Come here and give me a hug.”
Of course she knew about Kate. I doubted there was anything I could tell her about myself that would surprise her.
“I…” I faltered as I walked toward her with open arms. “It’s lovely to finally meet you. I have to tell you, I feel as if I know you after reading your book.”
“Why, surely ye hear the same thing from yer own readers often, do ye not?”
I laughed as her arms wrapped around me. She was significantly shorter than me, and I had to crouch to bring myself down to her level.
“Not really. Though, my stories aren’t about me. They’re about the characters that choose to tell their own stories through me.”
“Ah. Well, I suppose ’tis true.”
Releasing me, she grabbed my hand and led me to a cozy living room just off the main entry.
“Come, dear. I know ye must have lots of questions for me.”
“You have no idea.”
She turned to wink as she laughed.
“Oh, I bet I do. Though, let’s wait until yer friend recovers from his shock and comes to join us. ’Twill be easiest to explain everything to the both of ye once.”
As if summoned, Marcus appeared in the doorway. I took a seat on the couch as Morna stood to greet him. After simple niceties were exchanged, Marcus joined me. After a short moment of awkward silence, Morna spoke.
“All right ye two, should I go first, or would ye like to?”
I had a list of questions I’d been waiting to ask her for months. I raised my hand as if I were in school.
“I’ll go.”
She nodded and lifted her palm from her lap to tell me to begin.
“How much of the story was true? Obviously, the love story was, but the rest of it—the time travel, the magic—it can’t be real, right?”
She seemed surprised by my question.
“I have to say, lass, ’tis not what I expected ye to ask me. If it wasna true, how could ye be here right now? How could I have written to Marcus? How could I have known ye were returning to Scotland? If the magic wasna real, why would I have needed to see ye?”
I smiled and shook my head as I shrugged.
“I don’t have the slightest idea on any of it. For argument’s sake, let’s say everything in your story was true—that you are a witch born centuries before now—that still doesn’t explain why you needed to see me at all. You don’t know me. Why would you want me, of all people, to read your story?”
“I doona choose who I’m meant to help, lass. The names and faces come to me at all times of day, and yers came through clear as a bell.”
I didn’t feel as if I was in need of any help whatsoever.
“And just how are you meant to help me? Do you plan on sending me into the past?”
She smiled and nodded excitedly.
“Aye, precisely.”
Marcus spoke up for the first time since sitting.
