PART SEVEN

"Willie!" Seasaidh smiled happily as she opened the door to him. She moved to hug him, but he took a small step back. She stopped and looked slightly confused but didn't say anything. "Come in, can I offer you some tea?" "Aye, thanks Jes." He responded, "I was hoping we could talk."

He stepped inside and followed her to the kitchen. The house was very quiet. "Where are your parents?" William asked her. He remembered them and their kindness, they would feed him on nights were his Uncle had punished him by not allowing him to have dinner.

"Ach, Willie, they passed a couple of years back. I had stayed home to take care of them, but they moved on. I'm all alone now." She said, her back to him as she heated some water in a kettle on the stove.

"Oi, Jes, I'm so sorry. You have my deepest condolences, they were good people. I'll never forget their kindness." He told her. He saw her nod and she took a deep breath to compose herself before turning around.

"Come, let's sit out back." She said carrying a tray over to the back door. William followed her and sat a small table. "I'll be right back with the tea." She told him, hurrying back inside as the kettle whistled shrilly.

Seasaidh returned and joined him. They fixed their tea how they each liked it in silence. Then she spoke up, "Is your lady friend alright?" Seasaidh had replayed their meeting over in her head, once she had returned home, and had realized that she had felt a tension from her.

William let out a sigh, "I should have introduced you to Eliza properly, I was so caught up in the moment. Jes, she's my fiancé." Seasaidh eye's widened in surprise, "Oh." Then said exclaimed, "Ohhh… And I hugged you like that… I'm so sorry Willie, I wasn't even thinking, I hadn't seen you in so long… Is she very mad?" Seasaidh asked with genuine concern. William chuckled, "I made it worse, I accidentally let slip that you were the first girl I had kissed." She looked horrified, "That's terrible, I'm surprised she'd ever speak to you again!"

"It's alright now, we had a long talk. I love her more than anything in the world. I'll just keep reminding her till she's sick of hearing it!" He said with a grin. Seasaidh smiled, "I'm truly glad you're happy. I always wondered what had become of you." William smiled and took a sip of tea, he leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. "It's quite the story, I wouldn't do it justice in a short amount of time." He said.

"Are you in a rush to go then?" Seasaidh asked a bit sadly. She was lonely in the big house, and she welcomed the company. "I need to find Catriona." William scowled, "I had received a letter that my uncle had died and left me the estate. It turns out he's very much alive and had left it to me to put me into debt!" William's anger was returning.

Seasaidh hid a smile, she had been visiting Alistair every day with food and supplies. They were both lonely and had become unlikely friends. Not that she would tell William, he probably wouldn't even believe her. Or he would feel betrayed.

"Do you know where Cat is?" William asked, turning to face her. "My uncle is old, he can't be left alone. Do you think she would come back? I don't know what to do!" He exclaimed with a groan, putting his head in his hands.

Seasaidh pat him on the back lightly, "Willie," She said then hesitated, "I do know where she is, but she had asked me not to tell." William had perked up when he heard this. "Jes, please tell me, even if I can't convince her to return, it would still be good to see her again."

Seasaidh sighed, she was very worried about Cat, things had not gone how Cat had hoped, now Seasaidh was tentatively optimistic that William could help her. "She's been writing me. Willie, I have to warn you, it's not good." Seasaidh said. Despite not having seen William in over a decade it felt as though no time had passed, she had seen hints of his temper start to develop as a youth, now as he sat there, she could feel anger rolling off of him in waves, even when he wasn't speaking.

She saw him take a deep breath and steel himself for what she was about to tell him. "Cat fell in love, with Callum MacGill." William blinked, "Callum?" He said with distaste, "That bully?" William scowled, he had borne the brunt of Callum's taunting when he was a little boy.

William had never admitted it, but he had been relieved when he had realized he was growing up to be a tall and large man, true it made procuring food as a teen his size more difficult, and expensive, but it gave him a huge advantage over people.

"What in the blazes does she see in him?" He asked utterly baffled. Seasaidh shrugged, she hadn't liked Callum any better than William. Callum had teased her mercilessly when she was young too, William had tried to defend her. It hadn't ended well.

"I don't know…" She took a deep breath, knowing he was not going to be happy with the next part of the story, "Willie, they ran off to elope, Cat was with child. Callum found out right before they were to wed… he left her…"

"WHAT!?" William exclaimed thunderously, rising to his feet. Seasaidh looked at him full of worry, he wore a murderous expression on his face. "When I find that man I'm going to…" He balled his hands up into fists.

"Willie, sit down." Seasaidh said softly. He didn't even hear her. "WILLIAM! SIT DOWN!" She shouted. William looked at her and sat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He said, slightly embarrassed. She shook her head, "It's not that, but Cat is truly better off without him. Besides, I don't know where he is anyway." "But you do know where Cat is though?" William asked, trying to organize his thoughts. "Aye… and Willie, you have a second cousin, Andra, she calls him Andy. He's a little over two years old."

William sat silently, absorbing all of the information as Seasaidh continued with more news, "She managed to procure employment as a live-in nanny. The family took pity on her situation, she cares for their four year old son along with hers. And, as she is educated, they were happy that she could also teach their child. She's doing well now."

Still agitated, William ran his hands through his hair. "I still have to find her. Even if she doesn't want to return. Does she know about her father? I found him fallen this morning." William said. Seasaidh sighed, "He is getting old. I do what I can for him but that stubborn pride… I did write her about him, once, but she had said she didn't wish for any news of him. She was equally afraid of him as you had been, but whereas you tried to stand up for yourself, she did his bidding with no complaint. Running off with Callum was quite the shock to everyone. It hurt Alistair badly, even if he won't admit to it."

Seasaidh hesitated, "Willie, she might not want to come back with you because she's still afraid, she saw how her father had treated you, she's worried he'd treat Andy the same way. She doesn't want to subject him to that."

William nodded, he could understand that reasoning. He rose from his chair, "Jes, I'm sorry lass I must head back, do you have an address for Cat?" Seasaidh rose from her chair too and nodded, "Aye, I can give you her last letter." She headed back inside, William right behind her.

Seasaidh rummaged through a drawer of a desk in the drawing room and pulled out an envelope. "Here you go. Best of luck Willie. Please be careful." She said. William nodded, "I will. Thank you Jes, for everything." He squeezed her shoulder and headed back, leaving Seasaidh alone in the empty house.