Chapter 2

"Eh? Glamis?" Jamie returned, his expression devoid of any recognition. "Never heard of that castle."

It was now Kathryn's turn to be confused. Surely he had to have been at least somewhat familiar with it, given where he was from? Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Wait, where in the Highlands are you from?"

"My family was originally from Skye," Jamie replied, his brows drawing together as if he were trying to figure out where she was going with this. "It's an island off the northwest of Scotland."

"Mm. So you didn't venture too far away from that area, I take it? I mean, the Northwest Highlands."

"No, not unless ye count Culloden."

Kathryn nodded, a realization dawning on her. It all made sense now.

"So where is this castle, then?"

"It's in the Angus region of Scotland. Um … to the east and quite a bit south of Aberdeen."

Jamie nodded. "Aye. So, no' in the Highlands. I've never been tae that place before."

Another thought suddenly came to Kathryn. "I'm surprised you don't know anything about it. It's the famous castle from Macbeth."

"Eh?"

She gaped at him in disbelief. "You haven't read any Shakespeare at all, Jamie?" She caught a bright blush across his face just before he looked away in embarrassment. Immediately feeling a twinge of guilt, she drew closer to him and touched his arm. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just assumed."

"'S all right," he said, turning back to her with a sheepish smile. "I don' much like tae admit it, but I didnae know how tae read very well when I first met the Doctor. He and Ben an' Polly taught me. They said I picked it up quickly."

She smiled proudly at him. "I'm sure that you did."

He blushed again. "The Doctor introduced me to the TARDIS library an' I found some good books in there. I remember seein' books by this Shakespeare fella but I never took it upon m'self to read them. Victoria liked tae read them an' would tell me aboot them, but I don' remember that one."

"Well, I can tell you all about it before we go … If you're still interested in going, that is."

Kathryn watched his awkward expression fade, replaced by an affectionate smile. "Of course I am, lass." She felt as though she would melt into a puddle as he leaned into her and put an arm around her shoulder. He then moved back slightly to kiss her on the cheek, causing her to beam happily.

"One of my friends at work has a brother who's a travel agent. He gave me some information on nearby accommodations," she told him happily, feeling her excitement grow. "Oh, I'm really looking forward to going! I've never explored Scotland much before."

He gazed at her in apparent confusion. "I thought ye told me you were half Scots."

"I am, but I've only been there several times on holiday when I was very young. My dad and his family lived near Glasgow, so I haven't ventured much beyond that area."

Jamie nodded. His eyes then seemed to glaze over, appearing as if he were about a hundred miles away.

Drawing closer still, Kathryn gazed at him in concern. "You all right?"

Jamie blinked and made eye contact with her. "Aye. Sorry aboot that. It just hit me how long it's been since I was in Scotland. I ..." His voice seemed to falter and she caught sight of a small tear rolling down his cheek. Feeling her heart overflowing in sympathy, Kathryn reached over to hug him, wiping the tear away with her thumb. A slight, tentative smile tugged at his lips as he stepped back, uttering a sheepish laugh. "Ye must find me daft."

"No, not at all," she replied, gazing sadly at him. "To miss your old home? Don't even think of it." She lowered her gaze to her hands and felt her cheeks flush. "I already rang up one of the hotels and told them we might be interested, but I had to check the dates with you. I can always ring them back and cancel. I don't want this to be too emotional for you, Jamie. All I want is for you to be happy." She reached over to stroke his hair.

"Ye don' have tae do that, lass," he replied softly. "As long as I'm with you I'm happy." Jamie's sweet smile touched her deeply, making her melt. "It'll be good tae spend a wee bit of time back in Scotland." He then sighed. "At least it's no' Culloden."

Smiling, she gathered him into another little hug. "Thank you, Jamie. I'm so glad you're up for going with me. I thought we were both in need of a holiday and getting your driving license is something to celebrate."

He nodded. "I should be the one tae offer thanks, Kathryn. Yer such a thoughtful, bonnie lass."

Kathryn beamed at him. She then turned toward the kitchen. "I'll ring back the hotel and confirm that we will be staying." Suddenly remembering the brochure she'd taken from the agent, she held it up to him. "Actually, it's a bed-and-breakfast."

"Eh?"

She chuckled. "It's sort of like a guest house. You get a lovely room, and they serve you breakfast with the other guests in a main dining room."

"Oh," Jamie replied, nodding thoughtfully." She handed the brochure to him and then excused herself, heading for the telephone in the kitchen.

Jamie watched Kathryn leave the room and then regarded the brochure curiously, unfolding the pages to read it. It was a "bed-and-breakfast" establishment called The Rosewood. Gazing at the photos of the building, its interior and the surrounding grounds, Jamie decided it looked quite nice. He'd begun to read the text as well, boasting comfortable accommodations and "warm Scottish hospitality." His mind began to trail off and he found himself thinking more about his generous, thoughtful girlfriend.

Turning, he caught a faint glimpse of her in her kitchen, still on the phone. He felt his lips lift into a fond smile. Her excitement over this prospective holiday was so endearing. Yes, he still found himself a bit emotional over the prospect of returning to his homeland, but decided he'd cast his own emotions aside. For all her talk of wanting him to be happy, all he cared about was that she herself was happy. Besides, this area of Scotland wasn't technically his home and he could rest assured he wouldn't encounter anything that would conjure up unpleasant memories of Culloden.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps returning. Lifting his gaze, his eyes focused on Kathryn quickly making her way toward him, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Our accommodations are booked. We'll be arriving Saturday and returning on Tuesday," she told him.

Jamie nodded thoughtfully. "I just thought of somethin' … It's quite a long way from here tae Scotland. How are we gannae get there?"

She blinked. "By train, of course. I suppose we could drive, but it would take over eight hours to get there. The train is not that much quicker, but at least that way we could just relax and not have to worry about any traffic headaches."

"An' how much quicker would the train be?"

"By about an hour or so."

Jamie nodded, his lips drawing into a pensive line. "Mm. It's a shame we cannae take the TARDIS there. Would be a much shorter trip." He felt his mouth quirk into a slight grin.

Kathryn gazed at him curiously for a moment and then chuckled as if finally catching onto his train of thought.

"Well, it would be, if not for the fact that it's impossible," he continued. "Ye see, the Doctor still can't get it tae fly. Not tae mention it didnae always take us where we wanted tae go. Perhaps we'd end up in a much different place … like Tibet." She giggled at his little joke, which caused his smile to widen for a moment before he shrugged. "He'd probably object tae us doin' it anyway."

"You don't know that," she joked.

"Oh, aye, I do," he nodded, followed by a little wink. He sighed, his thoughts returning to this Glamis Castle she wanted to visit. "Might ye be able tae tell me a wee bit aboot this castle?"

"Well, of course it was the setting for Macbeth. Elizabeth the Queen Mother had lived there as a child. I believe it's been in their family for about six or seven hundred years." She faltered as if struggling to remember some more details before finally shaking her head. "I'll tell you more about it on the train ride. What I'm most interested in are the legends behind it. I've read that people have seen ghosts there."

Upon hearing this, Jamie gazed at her in amusement. "I didnae know ye believed in ghosts," he said, a hint of teasing in his voice as he grinned at her.

A bright blush stained Kathryn's cheeks as he watched her gaze drop to the floor. "It's something that's fascinated me as a child, and I suppose still does to this day. I used to read novels about ghost stories, watch creepy films, that sort of thing. Although I've never seen a ghost myself, I'm not completely convinced they don't exist." She trailed off sheepishly and he noticed her blush had brightened even more. "Now you must think I'm daft."

Jamie studied her for a moment before his lips twitched into an affectionate smile. "Of course I don't," he told her. In truth, he admired her for admitting this and felt somewhat relieved to hear it. Jamie was quite a spiritual person himself due to his upbringing and the values instilled in him since he was a child. After all, he'd once mistaken a Cyberman for the Phantom Piper. Not only that, but all his time spent traveling with the Doctor had taught him that practically nothing was impossible (even if the Doctor himself didn't hold much belief in the spiritual realm).

He noticed the sweet, almost grateful smile on her face as she returned her gaze to him. "Well, thank you. I feel a lot better now after admitting that." She giggled nervously, earning a fond chuckle from him. "Some months back, I read an article about such an encounter in the castle. A guest staying there during a wedding had a ghostly encounter." She paused, as if trying to remember some of the details. "Something about a huge, hairy beast of a man just starting at her as she was in bed."

Jamie's eyes widened. "A huge, hairy beast, ye say?" The mention gave him pause, suddenly rekindling some not-so-pleasant memories of several encounters he, the Doctor, and Victoria had had once upon a time.

Kathryn nodded. "Yes. Apparently they believed it was the spirit of a man called Earl Beardie, who was known for having a big, red beard. There was a legend that he insisted upon gambling late on the Sabbath, even with the Devil himself."

Jamie shook his head in disapproval. "Och. That's no good."

A ghost of an amused smile danced upon Kathryn's face for a moment. "It was said that he was cursed to gamble for all eternity with the Devil and sounds of his swearing and shouting could be heard inside the castle, but he's been sighted as well." She shrugged. "The article mentioned that the woman probably heard the legends and it was the product of an overactive imagination. I suppose it's possible, but who really knows, right?"

Jamie nodded but his thoughts quickly returned to the "hairy beast." Although it was obvious this was something different, he couldn't help dwelling on it, as if he got a bad feeling. Perhaps it was just his imagination. Shaking his head, he finally decided to put it out of his mind once and for all and focus on preparing for this holiday. Goodness, they were only leaving in three days. What do you bring on holidays such as this? No doubt Kathryn would be able to help him there as well. He now had something more important to occupy his thoughts.


The Doctor stood in his lab, hunched over the TARDIS console. He was once again working on the dematerialization circuit, although somewhat absentmindedly. Of course he hadn't come up with any new ideas to get it working again. He was merely tinkering with it just to pass the time. Things had been relatively quiet for quite a long stretch and he wasn't used to that. That should have been a good thing, of course, but at the moment the Doctor was utterly bored.

Dematerialization circuit or not, he welcomed any distraction. His wish was granted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Straightening up, he turned to find Jamie walking into the room. He seemed to be in a quite cheerful mood, even whistling happily. The Doctor was pleased to see it, perhaps even a touch amused.

"Well, you're certainly in a good mood, my lad."

Jamie stopped and regarded the Time Lord curiously for a moment before shrugging. "Aye. I suppose I am."

"Still over the moon about passing your driving test, hm? I certainly would not expect less." He smiled fondly at Jamie. "I knew you could do it."

The corner of Jamie's mouth lifted into a cheeky grin. "Aye, despite all the badgering ye gave me the past few weeks, eh?"

The Doctor felt his smile fade and then turn into a startled frown. "Now just a moment. If it weren't for my 'constant badgering', as you put it, you may never have –"

"Sorry, Doctor, I'm just havin' ye on," Jamie chuckled, holding up a hand in surrender. "I owe ye for teaching me tae drive in the first place an' for bein' so patient with me."

The Time Lord smiled again and reached over to pat him on the shoulder. "Think nothing of it, my lad."

Jamie smiled gratefully and nodded. "Well, it's no' the only reason I'm so happy. Kathryn's takin' me on a wee holiday tae celebrate."

That news warmed the Doctor's hearts. Kathryn was a sweet girl and it pleased him to see that she made Jamie so happy. "Oh, how nice. Is there anywhere in particular you're thinking of going?"

"Aye," Jamie replied with a proud smile. "Scotland."

The Doctor's eyebrows nearly leaped off his forehead. "Oh." It certainly wasn't out of the question that Jamie might want to go back there sometime for a visit, but the admission still wasn't something he was expecting. He wasn't sure Jamie would be up for visiting a place to which he had such an emotional connection.

Jamie met his gaze and seemed to read his mind. "Don' worry, it's not Culloden or anywhere near there. Kathryn said it's south of Aberdeen."

"Oh, somewhere in Aberdeenshire, perhaps? Or the Angus region?"

"Aye, that second one," Jamie replied, nodding. "We're gannae visit Glamis Castle."

Suddenly remembering that newspaper article he read about the odd occurrence at that castle, the Doctor felt a sense of dread welling up inside him. "Oh ... Jamie, do you really think you want to visit that castle?" he said awkwardly. "I mean, you've probably seen quite a few of them in the Highlands alone. If you've seen one castle, you've seen them all ..."

"No, Doctor, I've never been tae this place before. Kathryn told me it's got some interesting history and legends surrounding it. She even said people had seen ghosts there."

"Yes, that would be the problem, wouldn't it," the Doctor muttered. He'd hoped the young Scot hadn't heard him, but unfortunately that didn't seem to be the case.

"I don' understand, Doctor. Why shouldnae we visit this castle?"

"Well, I just don't think you'll find it that interesting, that's all," the Doctor replied, looking away. He dropped his gaze to his hands and began fidgeting with the frilly cuff of one of his shirtsleeves.

For several seconds, it was quiet. Finally he heard a sigh and looked up to find Jamie standing next to him, eyeing him pointedly. "Doctor, yer actin' a bit strange. I know ye better than anyone. Now what's the matter?"

Jamie's stare was unrelenting and the Doctor finally sighed, heading towards the table and picking up the article which he'd saved from the newspaper. "There you are," he said, handing the article to Jamie.

He watched Jamie scan the article, his brow furrowing in confusion. "A strange occurrence took place at the castle over a week ago. That's all?" He looked back up at the Doctor curiously. "They don' even explain what happened. For all we know the man could've jus' seen somethin' that frightened him. They didnae say anything aboot it bein' unsafe."

The Doctor met his gaze. "I know that, Jamie. But that's the problem. They're quite vague about the entire incident. They don't say anything about what happened to that man. They only mentioned his wife being quite shaken. Don't you find that just a bit odd?"

Jamie shrugged. "No."

The Doctor gazed at him in frustration. He doubted there was any way he could make Jamie understand, but he had to try. "It seems as though they're trying to cover something up, otherwise they would have been more forthcoming about what happened. I've just got a funny feeling about it, Jamie. I want you to be safe."

Jamie seemed to study him for a long moment and then sighed. "Kathryn already made the plans tae go an' we're leaving in a couple of days. I'll see if I can talk her out of takin' the tour. Perhaps there's somethin' else we can do. I'm just no' happy aboot disappointing her. She seemed so excited aboot it."

His glum tone saddened the Time Lord. Even though he wasn't too comfortable with the idea of them going, he still didn't want to ruin their plans. "All right. Don't let me put a damper on anything. Go and have a good time." He forced a smile. "I only ask that you bring one of the hand held communicators with you, just in case anything strange does happen. Can you do that for me?"

Jamie gave him a little smile and nodded. "Aye, Doctor. Ye mean like the one I used tae contact ye – I mean, the other you I was with before – tae let ye know I was all right?"

"Yes, that's the one. The Brigadier can provide you with one. If you keep it stowed away in your luggage no one will suspect."

"Thanks for lookin' out for us, Doctor."

"Of course, my lad." He reached over and pat Jamie on the shoulder. "You two have a splendid time, you hear me?"

Jamie's smile was one of pure gratitude as he nodded. The Doctor went back over to the TARDIS console, briefly looking over his shoulder to see Jamie still standing there, watching him. Finally he turned and left after a few moments without a further word. The Doctor watched him go and went back to the console. As he picked at the circuits, that funny feeling about Glamis Castle began nagging at him once again. He really hoped it was nothing and that Jamie and Kathryn would be in no danger.