Chapter 44
Cassandra's Cottage
"I think we could do with a break" Cassandra said as she picked up the bucket that was by the fire place "I'm going to fetch some water.then we'll have some tea" Cassandra then turned and walked out of the cottage towards the stream. Dani got up from the table and stretched, the exercises Cassandra had been putting her through had been hard work, Dani looked around the cottage the dust that had laid undisturbed for centuries had now gone, there had been on leaks so the cottage was dry and now that a fire had been blazing in the grate for sometime it was warm. There wasn't much in the way of appliances, the only running water was in the stream outside but there was something about this cottage that Dani just knew she would be spending a lot more time here. As she walked by the fireplace suddenly her mind started to cloud over she could feel herself loosing her balance and put her hand out onto the wooden mantel to steady herself. The clouds lifted slightly and allow Dani to see, even if her vision was a little hazy, Dani turned round and managed to find her way back to the table and sat down. She rested her elbows on the table and put her head into her hands.
Images of Richie floated before her eyes, she could feel his fear, Dani couldn't see much as wherever he was it was very dark Dani could fill the ropes cutting into his skin as he struggled against his bonds, there was also something at his throat. Then the image started to fade and was replaced by others, of Duncan, Cassandra and herself. Dani tried to close her mind to them as they were things she didn't want to see but they just kept coming, her eyes overflowed with tears from the pain seeing these images caused her "No this can't happen.not now it's so unfair.why is this happening to me" Dani said out loud. Cassandra had just reached the door when she heard Dani cry out, she could hear the distress in Dani's voice. Cassandra slowly walked in putting the bucket down near the fire before she went to Dani's side "Dani.what is the matter.what have you seen?" Cassandra asked as she knelt down beside her, Cassandra's hand took hold of Dani's arm and pulled it way from her face, it was then that she saw the amulet glowing, "Dani.tell me what you see" Cassandra pleaded, Dani looked up into Cassandra's eyes "I can't let this happen.I won't let this happen" Cassandra searched Dani's eyes "let what happen?" Dani sprung to her feet "I'm sorry.I need time to think.I need to be alone.I'm sorry" before Cassandra could stop her Dani sprang to her feet and ran out of the cottage. Cassandra sat down on the chair Dani had just left, closed her eyes and tried to concentrate to see if she could pick up anything, fragment of images came into her mind but they were all jumbled and did not make much sense to her.
Dani ran through the woods until she came to the edge of Loch Shiel, she could see the monument in the distance, it was crowded with tourists, Dani felt herself being drawn towards the monument, she walked up to the wall that ran around the monument, she leant back against the wall, her eyes fixed on the loch slowly her knees bent and she slid down the wall until she was sat on the ground. 'It's amazing how alone someone can feel even when they're surrounded by people' she thought to herself as she rested her chin onto her knees. 'How am I going to do this.either way I lose.how do I weight my pain against that of others' Dani let her mind drift off, she hadn't noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks, until an old lady walked over to her "Are you all right my dear?" the old lady asked. Dani looked up into a pair of soft pale blues eyes and a warm smiling face "I'm fine.thank you" Dani replied smiling weakly "Oh no your not.anyone can see that.. Come with me dear" the old lady said as she reached down and took hold of Dani's arm, Dani didn't resist and stood up, the old lady led her to a small bench by the waters edge "Sit down child.now tell Emily all about it.Emily's my name by the way" Emily said holding out her hand "I'm Dani".
"Now I bet there's a man at the bottom of all of this isn't there?" Emily asked. Dani couldn't understand it but there was a kind of serenity about this old woman and even though they had just met Dani found herself talking to her with ease. "Yes there's a man.but he's a fine, kind man and I love him so very much.that's why it's making my decision so much harder" Emily patted Dani's hand "tell me what choices do you have?" Dani looked up into the pale blue eyes but didn't answer, "Does this man love you?" Emily asked, "Yes.I really think he does" Dani replied Emily smiled warmly at her "Then what decision can be so hard.you love him and he loves you.there's nothing left to decide" Dani took her hand away and leant forward with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands "If only it was that simple" Dani replied.
"Ah I see.he's married" Emily said, Dani lifted her and smiled "No he's not married" just then a voice in the distance called "Emily.Emily come on the coach is about to leave" Emily turned round and waved to a grey hair old man "All right.Alf.I'm coming don't fuss" Emily then struggled to her feet and took hold of the cane that was stood beside the bench "Many people who love each other dearly have been parted by time or distance.but my dear just remember that true love will always find a way to bring them together again.trust me I know.you see that man" Dani followed Emily's gaze to the tall grey hair man wearing a hat and raincoat "Yes" Dani replied "Well his name is Alf and met during the war.world war 2.when I was just a girl, we fell in love but the war forced us apart.as it did with many others.we lost touch.but something inside me always knew that we would be together one day and then many, many years later I decide to take this trip to Scotland.I'd just lost my husband and I thought it would cheer me up.when I climbed aboard the coach.who was sitting there.but Alf.as large as life.he lost his wife a year earlier.don't you see love found a way to bring us together again.you might think that this is just a coincidence but Alf is American and lives in Florida.so what do you think the chances are of him booking a holiday at the same time, in the same place as me".
"So why did you think you would be together?" Dani asked Emily patted Dani on the shoulder "I never gave up hope.you must never give up hope.as long as you have that.love with do the rest". Emily then turned and Dani watched as she walked over to Alf, there was a quick kiss and then they walked to the coach hand in hand.
Cassandra's Cottage
"I think we could do with a break" Cassandra said as she picked up the bucket that was by the fire place "I'm going to fetch some water.then we'll have some tea" Cassandra then turned and walked out of the cottage towards the stream. Dani got up from the table and stretched, the exercises Cassandra had been putting her through had been hard work, Dani looked around the cottage the dust that had laid undisturbed for centuries had now gone, there had been on leaks so the cottage was dry and now that a fire had been blazing in the grate for sometime it was warm. There wasn't much in the way of appliances, the only running water was in the stream outside but there was something about this cottage that Dani just knew she would be spending a lot more time here. As she walked by the fireplace suddenly her mind started to cloud over she could feel herself loosing her balance and put her hand out onto the wooden mantel to steady herself. The clouds lifted slightly and allow Dani to see, even if her vision was a little hazy, Dani turned round and managed to find her way back to the table and sat down. She rested her elbows on the table and put her head into her hands.
Images of Richie floated before her eyes, she could feel his fear, Dani couldn't see much as wherever he was it was very dark Dani could fill the ropes cutting into his skin as he struggled against his bonds, there was also something at his throat. Then the image started to fade and was replaced by others, of Duncan, Cassandra and herself. Dani tried to close her mind to them as they were things she didn't want to see but they just kept coming, her eyes overflowed with tears from the pain seeing these images caused her "No this can't happen.not now it's so unfair.why is this happening to me" Dani said out loud. Cassandra had just reached the door when she heard Dani cry out, she could hear the distress in Dani's voice. Cassandra slowly walked in putting the bucket down near the fire before she went to Dani's side "Dani.what is the matter.what have you seen?" Cassandra asked as she knelt down beside her, Cassandra's hand took hold of Dani's arm and pulled it way from her face, it was then that she saw the amulet glowing, "Dani.tell me what you see" Cassandra pleaded, Dani looked up into Cassandra's eyes "I can't let this happen.I won't let this happen" Cassandra searched Dani's eyes "let what happen?" Dani sprung to her feet "I'm sorry.I need time to think.I need to be alone.I'm sorry" before Cassandra could stop her Dani sprang to her feet and ran out of the cottage. Cassandra sat down on the chair Dani had just left, closed her eyes and tried to concentrate to see if she could pick up anything, fragment of images came into her mind but they were all jumbled and did not make much sense to her.
Dani ran through the woods until she came to the edge of Loch Shiel, she could see the monument in the distance, it was crowded with tourists, Dani felt herself being drawn towards the monument, she walked up to the wall that ran around the monument, she leant back against the wall, her eyes fixed on the loch slowly her knees bent and she slid down the wall until she was sat on the ground. 'It's amazing how alone someone can feel even when they're surrounded by people' she thought to herself as she rested her chin onto her knees. 'How am I going to do this.either way I lose.how do I weight my pain against that of others' Dani let her mind drift off, she hadn't noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks, until an old lady walked over to her "Are you all right my dear?" the old lady asked. Dani looked up into a pair of soft pale blues eyes and a warm smiling face "I'm fine.thank you" Dani replied smiling weakly "Oh no your not.anyone can see that.. Come with me dear" the old lady said as she reached down and took hold of Dani's arm, Dani didn't resist and stood up, the old lady led her to a small bench by the waters edge "Sit down child.now tell Emily all about it.Emily's my name by the way" Emily said holding out her hand "I'm Dani".
"Now I bet there's a man at the bottom of all of this isn't there?" Emily asked. Dani couldn't understand it but there was a kind of serenity about this old woman and even though they had just met Dani found herself talking to her with ease. "Yes there's a man.but he's a fine, kind man and I love him so very much.that's why it's making my decision so much harder" Emily patted Dani's hand "tell me what choices do you have?" Dani looked up into the pale blue eyes but didn't answer, "Does this man love you?" Emily asked, "Yes.I really think he does" Dani replied Emily smiled warmly at her "Then what decision can be so hard.you love him and he loves you.there's nothing left to decide" Dani took her hand away and leant forward with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands "If only it was that simple" Dani replied.
"Ah I see.he's married" Emily said, Dani lifted her and smiled "No he's not married" just then a voice in the distance called "Emily.Emily come on the coach is about to leave" Emily turned round and waved to a grey hair old man "All right.Alf.I'm coming don't fuss" Emily then struggled to her feet and took hold of the cane that was stood beside the bench "Many people who love each other dearly have been parted by time or distance.but my dear just remember that true love will always find a way to bring them together again.trust me I know.you see that man" Dani followed Emily's gaze to the tall grey hair man wearing a hat and raincoat "Yes" Dani replied "Well his name is Alf and met during the war.world war 2.when I was just a girl, we fell in love but the war forced us apart.as it did with many others.we lost touch.but something inside me always knew that we would be together one day and then many, many years later I decide to take this trip to Scotland.I'd just lost my husband and I thought it would cheer me up.when I climbed aboard the coach.who was sitting there.but Alf.as large as life.he lost his wife a year earlier.don't you see love found a way to bring us together again.you might think that this is just a coincidence but Alf is American and lives in Florida.so what do you think the chances are of him booking a holiday at the same time, in the same place as me".
"So why did you think you would be together?" Dani asked Emily patted Dani on the shoulder "I never gave up hope.you must never give up hope.as long as you have that.love with do the rest". Emily then turned and Dani watched as she walked over to Alf, there was a quick kiss and then they walked to the coach hand in hand.