March 2165
Aberdalgie, Scotland
ELTON POV
Late at night, Elton sat up on his computer with a drafting app open designing a more efficient machine for milking the goats when all of a sudden, he heard the sounds of loud moans and grunts. Glancing at the door, he let out a heavy sigh, then grabbed his earbuds and stuck them in his ears, selecting a Cat Stevens album and turning up the volume loud enough so he couldn't hear those sounds anymore. That was one of the downsides to being the only hearing member of a deaf family - if anyone was having sex, no one else knew about it but Elton.
I'm lookin' for a hard-headed woman…
One who'll take me for myself.
And if I find my hard-headed woman,
I won't need anybody else, no! No! No!
He glanced briefly at the notecard that Maevis Fowlis had given him two months before, which had become obscured by blueprints of designs he'd made for a new barn. He slid it out from under the blueprints and picked it up to look at it, reading it:
Meta - Ellie Murray (Maevis Fowlis)
Email - emurray68 .edu
Ellie Murray… She'd said it was the name she was given when she was sent to America. Elton had had friends who were sent to America and came back after the war, and they never had to change their names, so why did she? Then he remembered that she also mentioned their mother - no, her mother - was Catrìona Fowlis, the war hero. Opening Safari on his phone, he searched 'Catrìona Fowlis' and came up with a few pictures, but the most remarkable was the one of her when she was younger. She was identical to Maevis - well, it was obvious that she was Maevis's mother, but that didn't mean that she was his. However, there were some features that did kind of look like his… Her nose was a little like his, as was her brow. Scrolling down a little, he came across a picture of a man - Archie Fowlis, father to Catrìona Fowlis. Now, he looked a bit more like Elton - perhaps it was because Elton was a man, just like Archie Fowlis. He closed out Safari, then went on Meta and typed in 'Ellie Murray'. A lot came up, so he cleared the search bar and typed in 'Maevis Fowlis' - and there she was. He clicked on her profile and read it:
Maevis Fowlis (Ellie Murray)
Studies Biomedical Sciences at Princeton University
Went to West Windsor-Plainsboro High School
From Castlebay, Eilean Siar, Scotland
Lives in Princeton, New Jersey
Elton let out a soft sigh, then clicked on the 'message' feature. He glanced up at the clock - it was nearly two in the morning, meaning it was likely around six or seven where she was. After taking a deep breath, he typed into the message bar:
'Hey.'
And then he waited. And waited. What for, he wondered? She was probably asleep, and besides, he hadn't exactly been the nicest to her, so why would she want to talk to him? God, this was stupid. He should just delete the message and-
'Hey! What's up?'
Oh. She messaged him back. So she is awake. Well, she was a student so she probably would be for class and shit, something Elton never bothered with. Suddenly, he felt very warm and nervous - Why? He'd met her already, why was he all freaked out? Letting out a shaky breath, he typed back to her.
'Not much. Wbu?'
'Just getting ready for class lol'
'What time is it by you? It must be late.'
'Nearly 2, but I'm always up late'
'Me too, always liked the night better'
Well, now what? Should he ask her how the weather is in New Jersey? How her classes were going? What does one even ask the person who was potentially his twin sister?
'Just wanted to say that it's great to hear from you and again, I'm sorry I just sort of unloaded on you lol. I guess it's a bit of a shock to learn that you might have a sister. I know I was when I learned I had a brother! I hope we can at least be friends'
Friends. She wanted to be friends. And yes, she was right that he was quite shocked to learn he had a sister - or rather, a sister he didn't know he had.
'Uh yeah it was a little shocking haha'
Well, that's stupid. Say something else, idiot!
'How did you find out anyway?'
'From the records first, and then I asked my father who said he gave you up when we were born'
'To add to that, he's actually not even our real father lol'
'Oh? Who is?'
Silence. He watched the dots indicating that she was responding back to him, but she seemed to be pausing and taking a long time. After a long forty-five seconds or so, she responded.
'It's better if I tell you in person. Can we video chat sometime?'
Crap.
31 October, 1766
Jared's House, Paris, France
CATRÌONA POV
We'd been in Paris for a couple of days now. Jared remained in Le Havre after meeting us there and said he would be joining us shortly, as he had a big shipment to deal with and wouldn't have time to meet with Jamie to answer his questions, so we opted instead to just go to Paris and get a head start on selling the coins so we had money to send to Laoghaire. It was strange, being back in this house. We even stayed in the same room we slept in when we lived in Paris now twenty-two years ago. Standing outside of the door, I glanced down the corridor, suddenly seeing myself coming out of the nursery carrying a bundle in my arms - Brian.
He had both lived and died here in the span of a few months. There was no way I could go into that room, or even go near it. I steered clear of it, even taking a different set of stairs so I wouldn't have to pass it.
"What's happenin'?"
"Brian has the croup, he cannae breathe. Come inside and close the flap!"
"Will he be all right?"
"I dinnae ken. I kent this might happen eventually, but I wasnae prepared…"
"Mistress! Mistress, oh, Mistress! He isnae breathin'!"
"He… he has joined the angels…"
'Latha bha 'n ridire ag òl,
Hò rò hùg a hùg o…'
"Mama?" I was startled, nearly jumping out of my skin as I opened my eyes again. My hand was on the handle to the nursery, and I recoiled away from it as if it had burned me, backing up until I hit the opposite wall with a horrified look on my face. "Mama! Wha's wrong? Are ye well?"
"There… there's too many ghosts here…" I murmured quietly as he held my shoulders, staring with fright at the door.
"It's all right, Mama," said Archie, pulling me into his arms to comfort me.
"Where… Where's yer father?" I asked him out of breath.
"He went te meet wi' the coin merchant te get some of the coins valued," Archie told me. "Mama, are ye sure yer all right? Yer verra pale."
"I'm fine, Archie, really," I said, brushing him off, and then I let out a sigh. "Samhain's upon us… and frankly, I felt a bit too close te the veil fer a moment…"
"Ah, the day the dead walk the earth," said Archie. "Why dinnae we go fer a walk te clear yer head? I can fetch yer coat."
"Aye, that… that would be lovely," I said, still staring at the door with a suspicious look as Archie went to fetch my coat.
Holy Innocents' Cemetery, Paris, France
"Er… Mama? I dinnae think goin' te a cemetery will clear yer head on All Hallows' Eve," Archie said to me curiously as we approached the gate of the cemetery. It looked almost the same as it had when I last saw it, and inside of the small patch that was visible from where we stood was the grave where my son - and Archie's twin - was buried under. I couldn't see it, as it was flat in the ground, but I knew it was there. I swallowed a bit tensely.
"Archie… Do ye… Do ye ken ye… had a brother?" I asked him quietly, and he raised an eyebrow.
"I did?" he asked me.
"Aye… Ye mentioned him once, when ye were a lad… Suppose ye dinnae remember," I said back, and then I looked up at him. "The day ye were born… It was Yule, the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Firs' day of winter, as well. We were outside of Wentworth Prison, where yer father was bein' held. We were plannin' te rescue him when… suddenly, I went into labour. It shouldnae have happened. It was too early, and I was only seven months along, but… ye decided te come. Yer Uncle helped te bring ye into the world because there were no other women. Ye were as bonny and healthy as ye could be, and had strong lungs like a horse, screamin' yer wee head off… And ye were tiny, because ye came early. It amazed me ye didnae have any trouble. But…" I glanced back at the grave. "…I suppose someone else took on all complications ye could have had."
"Who?" Archie asked me, and for a moment, I was silent.
"Yer twin brother. Brian," I said, and then I pointed to where the grave was. "He's buried there… The tenth of June, 1744. Tha's when he died. Ye cried fer weeks, I'm told. I was… I wasnae well. Yer uncle cared fer ye." Archie didn't answer me, and instead, stared at the grave in question. Letting go of me, he pushed open the gate and I watched as he walked towards the grave, stopping where that tiny little headstone was. I watched him stare down at it, and then get down onto his knees to pray for his lost brother. I heard a throat clear somewhere nearby and I turned my head, surprised to see Jamie standing there looking as solemnly as I did.
"Ye came," he said, and I meekly nodded.
"I… I dinnae ken if I… can go in there," I said, looking back at Archie. "I could have done better… It's my fault he's gone."
"No, that isnae true," Jamie replied, approaching me and standing beside me. "Brian's death isnae yer fault." A moment of silence passed between us. "Come. Let us go and see our son together." I looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes, and he gave me a reassuring smile. "The only way we can live wi' this is te carry it, together. Remember?" Without uttering a word, I nodded, then I tightly grasped Jamie's hand as he led me into the cemetery. We stopped as we stood over Archie, still kneeling over his brother's grave in prayer, and my eyes scanned over the aged headstone:
BRIAN FRASER
1743 - 1744
IL VOLE HAUT AVEC LES ANGES
He flies high with the angels. Here he was in a cemetery due to be demolished in scarcely a few years, with all of the remains being used in the walls of the Paris catacombs. He was likely bones now, if even that. Twenty-two years was a long time, and he had always been so frail and fragile.
"Can we… Can we bury him in Scotland?" Archie muttered quietly. "He shouldnae be here in France, so far away from his home and family."
"Is it… possible?" I asked, glancing up at Jamie.
"I dinnae ken. Perhaps I can find a way te reach out te the city and ask permission. We cannae just go diggin' up bodies," Jamie replied. He wrapped one arm around my shoulders, giving me a soft smile and kissing the side of my head, and then he knelt down beside Archie, kissing his fingers and touching them to the ground. "There ye are, a mhac mo ghràidh . My beloved son." His other hand rested on Archie's back. "Yer brother's here. He's quite grown, isnae he?"
"We're all here… Brian," I said, kneeling down on Archie's other side beside the grave and laying my hand on it. "My darlin' lad… I miss ye terribly." For a time, the three of us knelt down on the ground, saying a soft prayer for our lost son and brother. Archie and Jamie prayed to their Catholic god, while I prayed to my Pagan ones, thanking the Morrígan for protecting him in the afterlife and asking her to continue to do so.
"He's grateful we're all here," Archie said suddenly, smiling a little. "I can feel him wi' us." He looked up at me, his silvery eyes meeting mine. "He says… it isnae yer fault." I didn't say anything, but instead looked back down at the grave, fighting off tears that started to roll down my cheeks. He'd have likely been as tall and as strong as Archie, had he lived. I wondered what he would have been like. Would he have been a sailor and a songbird, like his brother? An artist, like his sister? A child prodigy like his other sister? Would he have been a farmer, a lawyer, a doctor, even? We would never know, because his life had ended far too soon.
Jared's House, Paris, France
That night, I sat on the windowsill, looking down at the street below. It was quiet, save for the occasional clip-clop of a horse and carriage on the cobblestone street. I could see Louise de La Tour's house from where we were, but evidently, they no longer lived in that house. Whoever occupied it now was a stranger to me, and I hoped that wherever my old friend was now, she was happy.
The door opened, and Jamie entered the room carrying a cup of hot tea. He gave me a soft smile as he approached me. "Here, I brought ye this," he told me, handing me the cup, and I smiled as I accepted it. "It's verra cold outside."
"Thank ye, Jamie," I said quietly, taking a sip from the cup and watching him as he went to the fire to stoke it. He first removed his coat, then he bent down, his round arse pointing directly at me underneath his breeks. I smiled a little more, then set down the teacup and stood, pulling my tartan tighter around me. I was dressed only in my shift, save for the tartan. I rather liked the cold, usually, but with Jamie standing there as handsome as he was, I found the cold to be just a little too unbearable. I touched his back, startling him a little, and he smiled up at me before he resumed tending to the fire. "Jamie," I said after a moment, and he looked up at me. He seemed to catch a strange look in my eye, for he stood up and had a concerned look in his.
"Are ye all right, a nighean ?" he asked me, and I nodded.
"Aye," I said, smiling up at him. "Aye, I… I'm wonderful, actually."
"Wonderful?" he asked, giving me a bit of a cheeky grin. "What's brought this on?"
"A lot of things," I said. "Bein' reunited again wi' my family, seein' my brother, my home…" I uncrossed my arms and placed both hands on his arms, rubbing them and feeling his muscles underneath. "…bein' here, wi' you… I never thought I'd see ye again. I… I gave up all hope that I'd ever see ye again, resigned myself te die, and… right as I did, that was when I heard yer voice, and it led me straight to ye."
"My voice?" he asked me, raising his eyebrow, and I nodded.
"Ye told me not te sit down, that I wouldnae die in a stone cave, and then ye said, 'Follow my voice. Come inside'," I told him.
"Huh," he said peculiarly. "And ye did?"
"Mhm," I said, nodding again and snaking my arms around him. "And it led me straight te ye." I stood up on my toes a bit to kiss him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down lower to my level. I felt his hands rest on my waist as he kissed me back, and then he broke the kiss, now breathless.
"Catrìona," he whispered quietly, opening his handsome blue eyes and meeting my grey ones. "Will ye… go te bed wi' me?" He seemed nervous to ask, like the shy young lad he was on our wedding night, so I smiled and nodded.
"Yes," I said to him, and then I kissed him again. As I kissed him, I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up, and he broke the kiss so he could pull it off over his head. He pushed my tartan off of my shoulders and it pooled at my feet. His eyes were locked on mine, and his cheeks were slightly pink. "Dinnae be afraid," I told him, reaching for the laces of my shift and undoing them. I pulled it loose so it could slide off of my shoulders with ease, and then I stood naked before him. His eyes widened, and he took a step back to take me in, and then I nervously laughed and covered myself. "Christ, I ken ye've seen me already, but will ye bloody well say somethin'?"
"Christ," he whispered. "Catrìona… Yer the most beautiful woman I've ever seen…" I smiled at him, then lowered my arms and stepped closer to him, my fingers pulling at the buttons of his breeks. Once they were loose, he hooked his thumbs in the band and pulled them down, his already erect cock springing free. My eyes widened at the sight, but not from fear - if anything, I was excited to touch it once again. "I have burned fer ye fer so long…" he said to me suddenly, drawing my attention back to him.
"Aye?" I asked him. "Do ye want me now?"
"Oh, God, yes ," he said with desperation, pulling me even closer and kissing me firmly, more firmly than he had since I had returned, and then he picked me up and carried me to the bed. He laid me down on top of it, then as he went to crawl on top of me, he hit his knee on the baseboard, letting out a soft cry of pain, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Clumsy, are we?" I asked him.
"It's… been quite some time," he said with strain, trying hard not to be affected by this sharp pain in his knee. It passed within a few moments, then he crawled over me and lowered his head to kiss my sternum. His lips then travelled to my nipple, wrapping around it and flicking his tongue out to tease it.
"God, Jamie," I moaned breathlessly, gripping his hair tightly as I closed my eyes and bit into my lip. One of his hands slid its way down my thigh and between my legs, disappearing first into the mass of hair between my legs and then brushing over a very sensitive part of me. "Oh… Jamie…" I moaned out, losing all of my senses when he started drawing little circles with his fingertip. "Jamie…"
"God, I've missed this," he cried out, seemingly unable to contain himself as he shifted even lower so that his lips could take over for his finger. I arched my back as I softly cried out, my hands grabbing onto the downy feather pillows and squeezing them until my knuckles were white.
"Jamie…" I breathed out, letting go of the pillow quickly and grabbing his head to lift it up, and I met his eyes with a fierce hunger for something more. "Inside me… Now ," I growled at him through gritted teeth. Without missing a beat, he pushed himself up and crawled over top of me, pushing apart my legs so he could rest between them, and then he took his cock into his hand and entered me in one thrust. I cried out rather loudly, throwing my head back as he began thrusting inside of me, grunting with each thrust. I moaned and breathed out, matching each of his grunts and thrusts with a vocalised sigh of my own, and then I felt his hand beneath my head as he tilted it up to look at him.
"Kiss me, Catrìona," he growled at me, so I grabbed his head and smashed my lips against his. As we grew closer and closer to our climax, he released my lips and buried his in my neck, and I dug my fingernails into the creases of his back. He finished when my walls spasmed and tightened around him, and as I came down from that high, I let out a heavy sigh, slowly collapsing back down onto the bed. Jamie laid his head on my shoulder as he breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath, and as I turned my head to look at him, I smiled, then brought his face closer to mine and kissed him.
"I love ye, Jamie," I told him.
"I… I love ye, too," he breathed out, kissing me again.
"I've missed ye so much," I told him quietly. "I am never leavin' ye again, and I mean it this time." He chuckled a little, kissing me a third time.
"I'll never let ye out of my sight again," he said to me. We laid like that for a few minutes, tangled up in each other's arms and simply enjoying each other's company. I loved the feel of his slightly hairy chest against my own bare one, and the weight of him was a comfort that I had missed terribly in the last fifteen years. He raised one hand to brush a brown curl out of my eye, then he opened his eyes and smiled. "I can see yer red comin' back in."
"Can ye?" I asked, feeling at my own roots. My own natural hair was softer, the parts that were exposed having been destroyed by hair dye, and I could feel the subtle difference between my natural hair and the dyed portion. "Well, it's aboot damn time. I've always hated the brown on me."
"It's verra bonny, but it isnae my beloved," he told me, kissing my face as his hand moved downwards again and touched the curls between my legs. "Jus' like how this isnae you without tha' lovely forest." I couldn't help but laugh, remembering the time Louise had talked me into waxing it and I couldn't tell if Jamie was intrigued or insulted.
"Well, I'm certainly never doin' that again," I said, and he chuckled warmly.
"Good," he replied, and then he rolled over on top of me again.
"What, again? Already, auld man?" I asked with a laugh.
"Ye make me feel like I'm twenty years younger," he said happily, and I laughed again as I rolled us over so he was on his back and I was on top of him. I pulled my hair out of my face and then pressed my palms flat against his chest.
"My turn," I told him, lifting myself up so I could sink down on top of his already hard cock. Jamie seemed to be in a dominating mood because after a few thrusts of my own, he rolled us over so that he was on top again and started thrusting even harder. "Jamie!" I cried out, unable to stop myself from playfully laughing with joy as he took over yet again.
"Ye… werenae… firm enough…" he grunted out as he thrust into me. This time was a bit shorter than the first, and he finished before I did and finished the job with his mouth before he laid beside me again. He pulled me into his arms and held me against his chest, kissing my head as I recovered from my second orgasm of the night.
"How… How are ye able te… recover soon quickly…" I breathed out, and he chuckled.
"All I have te do is take one look at those firm, bonny breasts and I'm hard all over again," he told me, kissing my lips.
"In that case, I need te cover up because I need a break," I teased him, and he chuckled as he stopped me from grabbing the covers.
"No," he said. "I want te be able te see ye, and I dinnae want any barriers between us."
"It actually is a wee bit cold," I told him, even though I was sweating, so he pulled me closer and held me against his body, giving me all of his warmth. "Mmm," I said with content, closing my eyes as I listened to his heartbeat. "Is all this really real?" I opened my eyes and looked up at him, gently touching his face. "And yer really here?"
"Maybe I'm a ghost," he whispered to me.
"It is Samhain, and… I suppose it was when I came back, as well. Tha's probably why I heard ye. Ye called out te me from beyond the veill," I said, settling back in beside him comfortably. "Jamie… Do ye remember, a long time ago, when ye asked me what it was between us?"
"Aye," he replied, taking my hand and lining up our fingers. "What it is when I touch ye, and ye lie wi' me."
"I said I didnae ken," I said, watching him.
"I didnae ken, either," he replied.
"I still dinnae."
"But it's still there." I lifted my head and smiled at him, then leaned in to kiss him again.
"Whatever it is, it's powerful enough te bring me four hundred years te be by yer side," I told him, yawning as I laid my head on his chest, and he kissed my head.
"Get some sleep, a nighean . I'll be right here holdin' ye when ye awake," he told me, holding me tightly against him.
The following morning, I stretched and turned over to kiss Jamie, but he wasn't there beside me. Opening my eyes, I found his side of the bed to be empty, and I glanced up to find him bent down in front of the fire, still naked from the night before. I smiled when I saw him and stretched again, noticing that I was now beneath the covers. After the war started again, I slept lightly, but in Jamie's arms after making love to him, I slept deeply and peacefully.
"Ah, good mornin'," I heard him say as he stood up and came back to bed, crawling in beside me and kissing me. "I didnae want te wake ye, but it was a wee bit cold."
"It's fine," I said sleepily, pulling him closer and snuggling up against his chest.
"I'll have te go soon. I've a meetin' wi' the coin dealer. He'll be payin' me today, and I can send the money off te Laoghaire first thing," he told me.
"No ye dinnae," I replied, and he chuckled and kissed my head.
"We've the rest of our lives te lay naked in bed together," he told me. He did lay with me for a little while longer, and when I woke up more, we made love again before he had to get ready to leave. I watched him dress, then accepted a kiss from him.
"Hurry back," I told him.
"Aye," he said, kissing me again. "I love ye."
"I love ye, too," I said, laying back down, and I rolled over and went back to sleep. I didn't know how long it had been, but I was awoken by the sound of knocking at the door what felt like moments later.
"Madame Fraser?" came the voice at the door of the young maid who had Suzette's old job as she knocked at the door. "Madame Fraser, you have a visitor."
"Hm?" I replied, lifting up my head sleepily. "Oh, all right. I'll be right there…" I groaned softly; of course someone was dragging me out of bed. It was hard to stand up because my legs felt like jello after a night with Jamie, but I got dressed as quickly as I could. Once my hair was done at least somewhat decently, I made my way downstairs to the parlour, where guests were admitted, and was nearly startled to death when I heard a loud gasp of surprise.
"Mark me, the rumours are true!" came a familiar - and very much unwanted - voice, and once I recovered from the shock, I took in the appearance of my visitor - fucking Bonnie Prince Charlie. "Oh, Madame Fraser, it is such a joy to see you again!"
"Charles Stuart?" I asked in disbelief. "I thought ye were in Italy?"
"Oh, I am only visiting an old friend on his deathbed. My cousin does not know I am here," said Charles as he approached me, grasping my hands in his. "Oh, what a delight to see such a familiarly friendly face! I heard a rumour that my old friend, James, was seen here in Paris, and I just had to determine for myself if the rumours were true! I thought you had said he had died nobly at Culloden?"
"Who did ye hear this from, exactly?" I asked, not wanting to tell Charles that Jamie was alive so I could prevent Charles from trying to rope Jamie into yet another cockamamie scheme.
"Mama, I hear we have a guest?" I heard Archie call from the corridor, and when he appeared in the doorframe, Charles let out a loud gasp at the sight of Archie.
"The rumours are true! Oh, James! What a delight to see you again, old friend! I must say, you have not aged a day!" Charles exclaimed, letting go of me to go and terrorise Archie, and I had to stifle a laugh at his confused expression as Charles approached him with his hands outstretched.
"Er… Dinnae touch me please," Archie said, stepping away from Charles. "Do I even ken ye?"
"James, do you not recognise me, old friend?" Charles asked, hurt in his voice, and I stifled a snort.
"Charles, I'd like ye te meet mine and Jamie's son, Archie," I said to him, highly amused at the mixup. "Archie, this is Bonnie Prince Charlie. Ye met a long time ago, when ye were just a wee lad."
"Oh, good heavens! Is it true? That you are the same boy who followed his father like a faithful shadow?" Charles asked with surprise and joy.
"Er… Aye?" Archie replied. "I… sorry, Yer Highness, I… cannae say I remember ye."
"It has certainly been many years since I last saw you, and since your mother assisted me in my flight from Scotland in those dreadful days!" Charles exclaimed. "Come, I shall tell you all about the gallant actions of your father!" Charles began to drag him out of the parlour and Archie looked back at me with perplexion in his eyes, so I indicated that he not tell Charles the truth and waved playfully to him.
"Have fun!" I said, chuckling quietly to myself. I told Jamie later that night as he undressed for bed, and he, too, was laughing at the exchange.
"So Charles thinks I'm dead?" Jamie asked me, and I nodded.
"I dinnae want him te involve ye in any further cockamamie schemes, so I let Charles play the gallant storyteller te yer son so he'd leave us alone. Evidently, he's been exiled from France so he technically isnae supposed te be here," I told him.
"Tha's good," Jamie replied. "I received a letter from Jared this mornin'. He says a ship like tha' passed through Le Havre no' long ago, called the Bruja , it's a Portuguese ship wi' its home port on the isle of Barbados."
"Barbados?" I asked him. "And tha's in the Indies?" He nodded.
"We'll set our sights on Barbados, but it'll have te be after a ship delivers cargo te Jamaica. Jared has a sugarcane plantation there. We'll pick up rum, then make a stop at Barbados and hope we run into the Bruja ," Jamie explained to me.
"Sounds like a solid plan," I replied. "When do we leave?" It was here when Jamie sighed.
"As much as it pains me te say, leavin' will be delayed," he told me. "Until December, at least."
"December? Tha's a whole month away! Who kens where Ian will be then?" I exclaimed.
"Aye, I ken, but I cannae force Jared te put his men at risk of the winter storms and I cannae afford passage on another ship, so we've no choice but te wait," he told me.
"Could ye not have written te Jared from Barra, then? We could have stayed wi' Brèagha longer," I said with frustration.
"I'm sorry, a nighean , I wish I had kent," he told me, also frustrated. "It'll give me time te make money and set it aside fer Laoghaire's blood money." I scoffed irritably.
"I want te go back te my daughter," I told him. "I can come back before the ship is due te leave."
"If tha's what ye want te do, then fine," he told me. "I cannae blame ye fer wantin' te be wi' our daughter. I want us te be together as well. I'll stay here and write te ye when we're te leave from Le Havre."
November - December 1766
As I got ready to return to Barra for the remainder of November, I was stopped by news of a smallpox outbreak in Le Havre. Granted, I had protection against it, but I could still carry it, and bringing such a debilitating illness to my family in Barra stopped me from returning home. Frustrated, I wrote letters to Cailean and Brèagha describing our situation and letting them know that we wouldn't be leaving until December at least, and who knew when we would be leaving with smallpox ravaging Le Havre?
It got worse when the smallpox outbreak came to Paris, so I forced Jamie and Archie to stay indoors while I did whatever it was they needed. I got them echinacea and elderberry from the local apothecary - one that had taken over Master Raymond's old shop - to boost their immune systems and made damn sure I touched no one in the streets of Paris. It was frustrating for all of us, but thankfully, Jared's home was very large, and if we annoyed one another, we could easily go off to a different part of the house and not be bothered. Jamie and I of course used much of that time in quarantine to catch up on all of each other that we had missed in the last fifteen years.
Because of the outbreak, mail was delayed, so I didn't hear from either Brèagha or Cailean until almost the end of the month, and their letters were dated almost two weeks prior. Brèagha told me she still wished I'd gone back while we waited and was willing to risk the disease, while Cailean was grateful to me for opting not to bring smallpox to the isle. Finally, it was early December, and news of the pox's spread had slowed, indicating that the outbreak had been contained. In Paris, it was still a problem, so we left for Le Havre as soon as we could and stayed in an inn while we waited.
"It's all arranged, then," Jared said to Jamie as we made our way onto the docks and headed for the ship. "Ye'll act as supercargo in charge of the freight. It means ye'll have authority even above tha' of the Captain when the cargo is involved. Master Raines is glad te not have the responsibility." We approached a ship and Jared motioned to it. "Here she is - the Artemis . She's no' much, I'm afraid, but still a good ship."
"Aye, she'll do fine," said Jamie with a smile as he admired the ship.
"Just bear in mind that wi' the weather beginnin' te turn, even a ship this size will be bobbin' like a cork," Jared told Jamie, which seemed to make him a little uneasy.
"At least he'll have a physician at hand when he starts retchin'," I said, resting a hand on Jamie's arm.
"Aye, thank Christ fer ye," he told me, adjusting the tricorn hat on his head.
"Now, Archie, lad, ye have experience of a sailor, have ye?" Jared asked Archie.
"Aye, quite a bit. I took te it when livin' on Barra," Archie replied.
"Then ye'll make a fine deckhand," Jared told him. "As fer the Bruja , the harbourmaster says she was ridin' low in the water, likely wi' a hold laden. She'll be headed home."
"So the Indies it is," I said.
"It is te be kent tha' a healthy male can be sold fer upward of ten pounds in Jamaica. So long as he doesnae make trouble, the lad will be fine," Jared told us.
"Thank ye, Jared. Ye've been a great help," Jamie said to his cousin.
"Bon voyage," Jared said to us. "God be wi' ye, and the lad." With that said, we went our separate ways, boarding the Artemis and making our way to the deck.
"'Twas ill luck, usin' the money te pay Laoghaire so I could be wi' ye," Jamie said as he leaned against the bulkhead. "Perhaps I'm bein' punished fer wantin' too much."
"Jamie, of course yer no'," I said, taking his arm and laying one of my hands on his. "No god worth his bread would take yer nephew away from ye just because ye wanted te be happy."
"Hmph," Jamie replied, taking my hand and kissing it. "We will be happy now, willnae we? I meant what I said when I said ye belong wi' me."
"If I dinnae ken it by now, then I dinnae ken who I am," I said, and then I let out a soft sigh. "Let's just focus on findin' Ian, aye?"
" Mac Dubh !" came a voice from behind us - it was the man called Hayes, whom I had met in Edinburgh, and he tipped his hat to me. "Mistress," he said to me, and then he looked back at Jamie. "Raines wants us te cast off. If we dinnae now, we'll no' catch the tide. Perhaps we could leave tomorrow on a fresh tide?"
"A fresh tide?" Archie chimed in with a scoff, winding up a coil of rope on his arm. "They're all the same, ye wee gabbot! Ye've just got nerves, ye have."
"Aye, it's no' nerves, Mac Ruadh !" Hayes snapped at Archie. "Twice I've been on a ship - once when they took me from Scotland as an indentured slave, another when I returned hame. If it wasnae fer Mac Dubh , I wouldnae be settin' foot on this bucket of shite!"
"If it is any comfort, I am no' fond of sea voyages, either," Jamie told Hayes, already looking a little green. "Months on this leakin' tub terrifies me, but it must be done, fer the sake of my nephew. Has Willoughby arrived?"
"Aye, he's on deck now," Hayes answered him.
"Then inform Captain Raines tha' we have a sufficient crew," Jamie said to him. "Just waitin' on Fergus."
"The frog's already on board, Mac Dubh . Him and… the baggage from Lallybroch," said Hayes, and then he cleared his throat. "The lad's brought ye some claithes and supplies." I saw Archie raise an eye curiously at Hayes, but Jamie didn't seem phased.
"Excellent, then we'll cast off, hope we gain on the Bruja . They're over a month ahead of us," Jamie said, stepping away from the bulkhead.
"Touch the horseshoe before we do," said Archie, making his way to a wooden post with a horseshoe nailed into it and touching it.
"Oh, aye, dinnae want te pish off the sea," I said, joining him by touching the horseshoe, and Jamie raised an eyebrow at this curiously.
"What are ye doin'?" he asked us.
"Better touch the horseshoe, Da. It's bad luck not te. Everra sea-farer kens it," Archie said to him.
"Aye, we're loaded wi' enough bad luck," said Jamie, touching the horseshoe.
"Fraser," said one of the sailors as he passed us, tipping his hat, and Archie nodded to him.
"Women and redheads are bad luck, too," Archie said. "Tha's why they address me, especially before I speak te them. 'Tis the only way te avoid misfortune."
"Christ," said Jamie, and Archie chuckled.
"Dinnae want te get caught wi' a banana on a French frigate, either. Met a French sailor once who came te Castlebay and he invited me onto the ship. I had a banana wi' me tha' Aunt Saoirse stuffed into my pocket, and the men nearly cast me overboard," Archie said with a laugh.
"Milord!" we heard Fergus exclaim, and we all turned towards him and gasped with surprise - well, I did, while Jamie narrowed his eyes and Archie let out a cackle.
" Marsali ?" Jamie demanded firmly, and the fair-haired older daughter of Laoghaire gave Jamie a feigned sweet-looking innocent smile. "What the hell are ye doin' here?"
"Fergus and I are marrit," she said, which only caused Archie to laugh even harder.
"What in the name of holy God do ye mean?" Jamie demanded from them, noticing that Marsali and Fergus were holding each other's hands. "Ye hardly ken each other!"
"We have been courting since last August," Fergus explained to Jamie.
"Aye, they have! Believe me, I've been hearin' all aboot it ever since," Archie teased Fergus, who made to smack him, but Archie hopped out of his reach.
"Aye, and we were handfast this mornin'," said Marsali, and I couldn't help but scoff a little.
"Fergus is nearly auld enough te be yer father," I said to her, and she narrowed her eyes at me.
"At least I didnae steal a father away from two lassies," Marsali said to me rather firmly.
"Enough!" Jamie snapped, interrupting us. "Handfastin' isnae valid if ye havenae bedded her yet. Have ye, lad?"
"Er… Not yet, Milord," said Fergus, blushing a little.
"Then it's no' yet bindin'," Jamie said, and then he turned and called up to where the wheel was. "Captain! We need te make fer shore!"
"We do no'!" Marsali shouted rather loudly, leaving Captain Raines looking down at us rather confused. "I'm stayin'!"
"Ye arenae! I had enough of an argument wi' Brèagha aboot her no' bein' allowed te come because this journey is too dangerous fer a lassie," Jamie told her firmly, and she scoffed.
"Yer takin' her ," Marsali spat in my direction.
"Catrìona is no concern of yers," Jamie told her.
"No concern of mine? Ye left my mother fer this whore, makin' her a laughin' stock, and ye say it's no concern of mine?" Marsali asked him.
" Mon chérie , you must not speak of Milady this way," Fergus told her.
"Aye," Archie chimed in, narrowing his eyes at Marsali. "Speak tha' way aboot my mother again and I'll row ye back te shore personally in a rowboat." Marsali ignored him and continued rearing on Jamie.
"The hellish nerve ye have, tellin' me what I shall do," Marsali spat at him, and Jamie let out a firm huff.
"Does yer mother ken?" I asked her, and she glared at me. "Oh, dinnae give me that look, ye wee brat. I'm a mother, too, in case yer forgettin', and despite yer mother and I havin' a row over my husband, whom I married twenty-three years ago, I still have sympathy fer her daughter goin' off without a word."
"I sent her a letter," Marsali replied firmly, and quite bitterly.
"Then she'll have me killed," Jamie said. "I will make this ship stop somewhere and I will have ye sent home."
"Then I'll tell everraone tha' Fergus has already bedded me," Marsali told him, standing as tall as her short frame would allow her to. "He hasnae, but I'll say it anyway. So ye see, I shall either be married, or ruined." Jamie then let out a firm huff in defeat.
" Fine. Ye'll sail wi' us te Jamaica, and then I am takin' ye home," Jamie snapped at her. "But Fergus doesnae touch ye. We have three cabins. One will be Archie's, Fergus will stay wi' me, and Marsali will be wi' Catrìona."
" What? " Marsali and I both exclaimed together.
"Jamie. A moment?" I asked, grasping him by the arm and dragging him down the stairs to where the cabins were and shoving him up against the wall. "Are ye mad? We've been apart fer years and ye want me te room wi' her ?"
"Marsali is under my care now, like it or no'," Jamie told me. "I am obliged te protect her virtue."
"Mine as well, apparently," I said bitterly. "Now I'm goin' te be the one who's seasick."
"STOWAWAY!" cried a voice suddenly from on the deck, and I let out a loud groan.
"Who now? My bloody niece?" I demanded, grabbing my skirts and stalking up onto the deck.
2 December, 1766
Cìosamul Castle, Isle of Barra, Scotland
CAILEAN POV
Cailean was finishing up looking over the financials for the third quarter - finally . They had taken him forever! "Cillian, remind me te have ye do this from now on. This shite gives me a headache, and yer auntie says I need te avoid things tha' give me a headache or I'll end up like Grandsire," Cailean said to his son, blatantly lying, but Cillian always seemed to like the financials anyway.
"Aye, Da," said Cillian, seated on the opposite side of the desk as he looked over blueprints for the new homes that would be built to accommodate their growing population. There was a knock at the door, and Cailean bid them to enter, and Brèagha came in looking a bit concerned - not frantic, but definitely worried.
"Ah, Brèagha. What is it, hen?" Cailean asked her.
"I cannae find Caoimhe," Brèagha replied, more with confusion than anything. "She was supposed te sit fer me while I painted her portrait, but I cannae find her anywhere."
"Is she no' broodin' in her room?" Cillian asked Brèagha. "She's been upset ever since Auntie and Uncle left."
"No, and her room's untouched, actually. I looked. Her bed hasnae been slept in," Brèagha replied, and this suddenly triggered an alarm in Cailean, who stood up.
"What do ye mean her room's untouched?" he demanded. "Where's Euphemia? Euphemia!" Cailean ran out from behind his desk and pushed past both Brèagha and Cillian to run out into the corridor. "Euphemia!" he called, his loud voice echoing off of the walls, and finally, Euphemia Fitzwilliam came out of the Laird's bedchamber with dirty linens, alarmed by Cailean's voice.
"My Laird! Whatever is the trouble?" Euphemia asked him.
"Have ye seen my daughter?" Cailean asked her.
"Riona? Aye, sir, she's in the nursery," said Euphemia.
"No, my other daughter. Caoimhe," said Cailean, and Euphemia pursed her lips; Cailean's eyes narrowed. "If yer keepin' her whereabouts from me, ye can expect te be fired."
"Oh, I do ken where she's gone, but… I was told no' te give this te ye fer a week. It's only been but two days, but I suppose since yer askin', Miss Fowlis asked me te give this te ye," Euphemia said, producing a letter, and Cailean snatched it out of her hand and went to the window in the corridor to read it:
Daddy,
I'm sure you're panicking right now and I'm asking you not to. I've gone to join Auntie Cat and Uncle Jamie in France, so by the time you get this, I'll already be on the ship and you won't be able to do anything about it. I'm sorry, Daddy, but I'm so bored with living at home and being told that the journey is 'too dangerous' for me only makes me desire it more, so I've gone. I must ask you not to be angry because I imagine you would have done the same, were you in my position. It is as Mama used to say - I am too much like you. Don't worry, I can take care of myself, and I imagine I will be in good hands with Auntie Cat and Uncle Jamie. I love you, Daddy, and I'll see you when we return.
Yours,
Caoimhe Fowlis
"Christ…" Cailean muttered, his heart racing with panic. Caoimhe had never even left the bloody island once and now she's gone off to fucking France to stowaway on a ship that's headed for the West Indies? God, what a stubborn wee brat! Unfortunately, she was right - at this point, there was nothing he could do about it. She likely was already in France hiding away somewhere, and neither he nor a letter will reach France in time to stop her. God, Cat. Take care of my daughter, please. I'm begging you…
6 December, 1766
The Artemis
CATRÌONA POV
"STOWAWAY!" shouted the sailor again as Jamie and I climbed up onto the deck, and when I saw the fair-haired lass with wide, panic-stricken green eyes - my niece, Caoimhe - being held firmly in the sailor's grip, I felt nearly faint at the sight of her.
"Caoimhe? Oh, blessed Bride, I was bein' sarcastic!" I shouted to the skies, and my face paled when I saw the sailor hold a blade to her throat. "No! Stop!" I shouted, running towards the sailor. "Tha's my niece!"
"Christ, Caoimhe!" Archie exclaimed, leaping down from the upper deck and joining me as we pulled her away from the sailor. "Are ye mad? What'll yer father think of this?"
"Aye, what will he think of this, Caoimhe Fowlis?" I demanded from my niece, who looked rather apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Auntie, but I had te! I couldnae stay on Barra another day wi' ye and Archie and Uncle Jamie goin' off on such an adventure! I needed te come! Barra doesnae interest me any longer!" Caoimhe cried in her defence, and I let out a firm huff.
"Do ye ken yer father will likely skin me alive, Caoimhe? He'll think that I let ye come! Even after he told ye no!" I snapped at her as Jamie joined me at my side.
"Ye were told this was dangerous, lass!" he snapped at her.
"Jamie, you handle yer stowaway, and I'll handle mine ," I said angrily, but then Caoimhe stood stern and put her foot down.
"It's too late, ye cannae do anythin' aboot it," she said to me defiantly. "I'll be comin', and besides, it looks as if ye have another lassie onboard anyway!" Caoimhe referred to Marsali, who was watching this whole thing in awe. Marsali had been brave enough to come, but she was under Fergus's protection - Caoimhe had come alone, with no one to protect her.
"Yer daft, ye are, damn it," I hissed at her.
"Maybe I am, but so are ye fer all that ye've gone through, too, Auntie, and Daddy and Uncle Jamie were daft fer fightin' in the uprisin'. Call me crazy, but ye all lived," she told me, matching my firm gaze with one of her own, and I huffed.
"How the hell did ye even get on here undetected?" I asked her.
"Easily. Ye'd be surprised what men do when they think yer a whore," said Caoimhe, and my eyes widened.
"Ye what? " I demanded, and she laughed.
"Oh, ye should see yer faces, all of ye! No, I climbed into an empty barrel, closed the lid and was carried on. I've been hidin' out in the hold ever since," she replied with bemusement, and I narrowed my eyes again as Archie chuckled.
"Tha's verra clever, cousin. I'll give ye tha'," Archie said to her.
"That isnae funny, Caoimhe! What if ye were carried onto the wrong ship, aye? Do ye ken the penalty fer stowin' away on a ship? Aye?" I asked her.
"Nope, but I dinnae have te, because I got on the right one," said Caoimhe with confidence.
"I think ye should get settled in yer cabin. Ye can stay wi' my stepdaughter, Marsali," Jamie said to her, drawing her away from me and trying to put a stop to the argument. "Marsali, this is my niece, Caoimhe. She is the daughter of my good brother, Cailean Fowlis, the Laird of Cìosamul."
"A Fowlis of Barra?" said Marsali, raising an eyebrow, and then she looked at Jamie. "Ye marrit a Fowlis of Barra, Da?"
"Aye, I did, and I'm better fer it," said Jamie, giving me a cheeky grin, but I was too angry to be touched by it. "Come, I'll show ye lassies te yer cabin. I suppose Archie can stay wi' ye, Fergus."
"And you and Milady will get the third!" said Fergus, looking at me and hoping to cheer me up, but that didn't do it, either. Caoimhe and Marsali both followed Jamie down into the hold, while I continued to stand there fuming, the other sailors still crowding around me.
"Well, go on, back te what ye were doin'! The show's over!" I snapped at them angrily, and the dispersed while grumbling.
"Mama, it'll be fine. Caoimhe's tough, I've seen her wrangle seagulls and walk wi' a whole flock of 'em behind her tied te ropes," Archie told me, chuckling at the image, but I still wasn't amused.
"I said no te Brèagha because this isnae safe, Archie. If she were the one te stow away, it would be one thing, but Caoimhe isnae my daughter, she's yer uncle's, and truth te be told, I dinnae even ken what dangers we'll face. What if somethin' happens te her and I cannae do anythin' te stop it?" I asked him.
"Then it'll be her fault, because she chose te stow away, Mama. Uncle Cailean willnae blame ye, ye ken tha'," Archie replied. "Come on, let's get ye settled, aye? I'll move yer things te yer cabin." It might not be my fault if something were to happen to her, but that didn't mean I wouldn't blame myself. Hell, despite Marsali hating me and being the daughter of a sworn enemy, I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to her , either. These two young girls were surrounded by rough men who were experienced both at sea and with women, and there was no telling what could happen to these two young girls. As a woman, as Marsali's stepmother (whether she liked it or not) and as Caoimhe's aunt, I felt that it was my duty and my duty alone to keep them safe, and I had no idea if I could even do that.
