Title: Charlotte's Tumbling Time Travel
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters on Outlander. I'm only using them for the story.
CHAPTER 5
Lottie took a deep breath of fresh air and freedom as she exited the school. Children pushed past her and ran out onto the meadow and took off in different directions heading home. Lottie headed straight over to the tree where Mathanas was sniffing around to preoccupy himself. When he noticed her he gave a little jump of joy
and came to meet her. Lottie sat on her hunches on the grass and stroked him.
"Hey, boy. I'm here now. Did you miss me? Seems like you have," she said with a giggle as the puppy jumped and tugged at her long braid.
She froze and looked up as a hovering shadow suddenly blocked the sun. There stood Coinneach Shaw and two other boys who looked the same age as him. One was fair skinned, medium built and had short brown hair and a round face. The other was a frizzy red haired boy who was rather naturally well built and looked strong.
"Your dog I guess?" Coinnach said with a grin.
Lottie resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the obvious statement he made. No one in this school could have missed that she was the owner of this particular dog today.
"Yeah, so..?" she answered and kept eye contact.
Coinnach shrugged.
"Cute," he said with a grin and the two boys grinned too. The dark haired boy nudged Coinnach with his shoulder and gestured with a nod towards the path. Coinnach ignored him though and didn't seemed to want to leave right away.
"So, are ye grateful then?" he asked and with a rise of his brows.
Lottie frowned confused at him, secretly wondering if he had been hit in the head by the schoolmaster instead of on the palm of his hand.
"What do you mean? Grateful? Why should I be?"
He gazed confidently at her with a grin playing on his pink lips. It annoyed her that he looked like he knew some secret about her that she didn't even know herself. As if that was possible.
He rubbed the side of his index finger underneath his nose fast and then crossed his arms across his chest.
"Have ye already forgotten?" he snickered and turned to look at his friends for approval, and they sniggered along. "Ye were about to get whipped by that grudge schoolmaster Fordyce when I entered. Ye would a been too, if I hadna intervened."
Lottie scrambled to her legs fast and pointed a finger directly in Coinneach's face. It made him blink and almost take a step back. Standing face to face with him like this made her realize that they were pretty much the same height. His shoulders were broader than hers though.
"Saved me?! Are you joking? You definitely didn't save me! You...you...fat-head!" she used the first insult that came into her head, even though it wasn't something used in this time. She didn't care. How did he dare even think that she had needed saving?! By him nonetheless! She was seething. "You were late and schoolmaster Fordyce noticed that. I didn't tell him to, or point him in your direction. And I didn't tell you to tell him lies and make him furious either!"
Coinnach simply shrugged and acted indifferent to her reaction.
"You certainly seemed like ye needed some saving. Fordyce doesna like dogs by the way…" he left it unsaid that he obviously thought Fordyce would have done something to hurt Mathanas had he not so fortunately come along when he had. "But maybe you didna notice that, being so busy having yer nose in the air an all," he teased with an evil grin.
It was all Lottie could do not to jump him then and there to teach him a lesson in manners and wipe that smirk off that pretty face of his.
"Forget about this silly lass, Coinnach, and let's just go. I've got to get home," the frizzy red haired boy said.
"Fine. Nice meeting ye, Lottie of Lallybroch." Coinnach said evenly and turned around to leave with his friends. He turned and winked at her while walking away though, and Lottie clenched her fists angrily while watching the three of them paraded off towards the forest trail..
"You stay away from me," Lottie growled. "Damn it," she whispered under her breath as she realized they were heading the same direction as her.
Gazing at their backs as they headed off Lottie realized she would be crossing paths with all three boys more often than she'd like.
When she got home to Lallybroch Lottie got started in her chores around the farm right away. Afterwards she joined the family in the dining room for dinner. Everyone had been pretty busy when she had first come home from school, including herself, so she hadn't had to tell anyone about her day yet. Jenny had asked her how school was in passing by when she got home and Claire had done the same. Both times she had answered that it was fine and avoided telling them more. She hadn't even seen Jamie yet and she was pretty thankful for that small mercy. Her first day hadn't exactly been a catastrophe but it hadn't gone brilliantly either. And she did have a note in her satchel from schoolmaster Fordyce to Jamie that she would have to give him at some point. She had already decided that sooner was better than later in this case, so she had brought it with her to the dinner table.
Mrs. Crook had just finished preparing everything at the table, and had even placed a ceramic vase on the table with blooming pink Ling heather. As she whooshed by she whispered to Lottie that it was done in honor of her first school day. For some reason this made Lottie blush slightly and nod thankfully at the old woman.
The room was buzzing with noise as everyone entered the dining room starving for food after a long day's work. Jenny was struggling with little Jamie who was making a racket over not wanting to take his seat on his chair at the table. Ian hobbled to his chair and started to pour wine for all adults. He then calmed young Jamie by giving him a hard look and a warning pat on his bum, making the five year old make a last tremble of his bottom lip and take his seat sulkingly, arms crossed over his chest.
Jamie entered and squeezed Lottie's shoulder in greeting as he passed by and took his seat next to Claire.
"I sure am hungry as a wolf," he said and hurried to take a sip of his wine and help himself to some bread before he passed the basket to his wife who accepted it from him and did the same.
Ian reached for the steak on a platter in the center of the rectangular big dining room table. He put a big slice on his own plate and then passed it to Jenny who proceeded to serve their young son, who was still pouting.
"No, I dinna want it," he said and pushed his plate away resolutely.
Jenny sighed and glared at him exasperatedly.
"I dinna ken what's gotten into him today. He's been at it all day long." She leaned forward a little so she could see his eyes which were focusing on the table top. "And I've just about had it, ye wee devil."
She searched her husband's eyes for guidance. Ian put his fork down and swallowed down a piece of meat.
"Jamie, ye mind yer ma now or you and me might have to take a trip to outside," he said with a raised eyebrow, fixing his little son with a stare.
The threat worked and young Jamie accepted when his plate was pushed back in front of him by his father.
Jamie smiled and patted his young nephew's head.
"Just be careful ye don't eat too much, lad. This particular meal is said to give a young lad muscles and make him grow particularly fast. I wouldna want ye to suddenly be stronger than me."
Young Jamie's mouth fell open slightly and he stared at his uncle. Then he hurriedly grabbed his fork and stabbed at his meat. Failing to cut it into pieces he simply brought the entire piece to his mouth and took a big chunk out of it, as everyone else tried to suppress their grins.
"So, Lottie, how was yer first day of school?" Jamie asked.
Lottie sighed inwardly as the inevitable question was out of her guardian's mouth. She fished the note up from her pocket and looked at it for a second. The table was silent, except for young Jamie's frenetic chewing to get through his meal. Lottie got up and tripped over to Jamie and handed him the note. He put down his knife and fork and took the note with a crease between his brows.
Lottie wasn't sure if she should take her seat again or remain standing until he had read it, but she opted for returning to her seat, and no one objected. Jamie read the note thoroughly and then looked up.
"So, ye were late, huh? I know ye left here with enough time to get to school on time so what happened on the way?"
Lottie opened her mouth to speak and managed to get some sounds of scoffing out. "Well...didn't he mention…uhm...?" she trailed off and glanced at Jamie.
"Oh, aye," Jamie said with mock forgetfulness. "I forgot. He mentions that ye brought Mathanas inside the school with ye. I'm gatherin his presence has something to do with why ye wound up being late for school."
Lottie nodded.
"Yes, sir," she answered.
"Oh, Lottie," Claire sighed and pursed her lips. "Why would you even think to bring the puppy inside the school building? After all you must have known that wouldn't be allowed?"
"I didn't mean to! He must have followed me because I didn't even notice him until I was almost at the school. I tried to get him to go home but he wouldn't go. I wasn't even that much late by the way. The schoolmaster had only just started checking the attendance when I entered," she muttered the last sentence, knowing it wouldn't cut it as an excuse with any of the adults in this house.
"Then ye were late," Jamie concluded firmly with a raised brow at her questioning tone.
"Seems ye also chose to be rude to schoolmaster Fordyce by not answering his questions "according to protocol". The last two words were taken directly from the note Jamie was reading.
"I wasn't rude to him!" Lottie snapped, but quickly poised herself when she saw Claire's gaze, warning her to not cross a certain line. "I mean, hrm, I really wasn't. I answered every one of his silly questions and…"
Jenny gave a small snort.
"Sounds like ye may have misunderstood what politeness means," she said and took a bite of her dinner.
"Did ye speak out of turn?" Jamie probed, trying to make sense of the note in his hand, but choosing to ignore her comment.
Lottie shook her head determinedly.
"No, I remembered not to. I mean, you told me I shouldn't and I didn't and besides…I already knew that since I have been to school before, you know…" she babbled on a bit defensively.
Jamie put up a hand and stopped her and she realized she had been a bit too close to revealing too much of her background in the presence of Ian, Jenny and Young Jamie. She sighed, feeling how much she disliked not being able to talk openly about whatever she wanted in their presence.
She bit her lip and hung her head a little as she noticed Jamie's "you know better than this" stare.
"I only told him the truth, that I wasn't late," she continued "And I didn't talk back to him or anything, even though he had stupid remarks like I shouldn't be late just because I'm "a lassie"." She said the last words in an imitation of his nasal annoying voice, making Young Jamie snort and almost spurt out his milk over his dinner plate.
"Lottie!" Jenny exclaimed indignantly, like she had said something appalling. "Have ye ever heard the expression "politeness is the art of rendering to everyone, without effort, that which is socially his or her due"?"
Lottie sighed and pursed her lips while meeting Jenny's steady blue gaze from across the table.
"Have you ever heard the expression "A polite devil is more agreeable than a rude saint.?" she asked with raised brows.
The table became silent, even from young Jamie's clattering of fork against plate. No one seemed to understand what she meant and she wasn't even sure she understood herself either. She just shrugged and swallowed a bit nervously.
"Maybe I misunderstood that saying when I heard it. But my point is that even if I wasn't exactly a saint in the classroom today I did my best to be polite to Fordyce. Mathanas following me in there was an accident. I swear," she added forcefully with palms in the air after seeing the scrutinizing look on Jamie's face.
Jamie held her gaze a bit longer than she was comfortable with but then nodded.
"All right, Lottie. Perhaps things didna exactly go yer way today at school. I expect to not be receiving any more notes from schoolmaster Fordyce though, or I will assume that ye can effect those circumstances more than ye seem to believe. And you will not like the consequences then, lass."
He beckoned her and held the note out for her to take. She got up and when she reached for it he used his fork to smack her rear.
"Ouch," she yelped in surprise and hurried to sit down.
"No more tardiness," he said with a grin at her and she gave him a crooked grin back.
"I won't," she promised.
The rest of the dinner was relaxed and everyone wound down from a long day's work. Mrs. Crook brought in some dessert in the form of apple cobbler and Lottie's mood really brightened considerably then. When they had finished up they retired to the parlour to sit by the fire.
After some discussions on the digging of a new latrine up at the hill and whether Jamie or Ian would be doing most of the digging Claire leaned closer to Lottie on the couch and asked her:
"So, what's the schoolmaster like?
Lottie frowned and sighed. The subject of school obviously wasn't over yet for the evening.
"He's an uptight jerk, is what he is. And he hates tardiness as much as he hates children, I think."
Even though that hadn't been the intention of Claire and Lottie the others still turned their attention to their conversation right away and listened intently. Lottie noticed it but decided there couldn't be any harm in honesty after all. That was what Jamie advocated most after all.
"The only good news is that I think he hates Coinnach Shaw more than me."
She took a sip of her glass of cider and looked into the curious gazes of the adults around her. Young Jamie had already fallen into a deep sleep in his father's lap, but the others seemed eager to hear what she meant by her words.
"How so?" Ian asked.
Lottie went on explaining how Coinneach had arrived late and how Fordyce had reacted, making her presume it was probably a habit of his to be late. Jenny admonished her for saying Fordyce and reminded her not to omit the word schoolmaster when speaking about her teacher and she nodded before continuing on describing Coinneach's cheeky attitude towards schoolmaster Fordyce.
"Yes, and then schoolmaster Fordyce flared up even more after Coinneach explained the reason he was late. He had been helping a grandpa Thompson find a coin in the street on his way to school."
As expected the others frowned at each other perplexed hearing this. Finally Jamie asked:
"Well, did he find it?"
Lottie nodded.
"And he didna like that the lad helped Thompson? I would have thought that an admirable thing to do."
Lottie had been waiting for someone ask that question.
"No, he didn't like it, because Mr. Thompson was still looking for the coin when Coinnach left."
As realization dawned on the adults that Coinneach had found the coin and then kept it for himself Jamie raised his eyebrows disapprovingly.
Ian however snorted so loud that young Jamie jerked and almost woke up. Jenny elbowed her husband in the ribs and looked angry.
"Oh, that lad. Will he not ever improve, I wonder. It cannae be easy for Bryce and Minerva raising that little hellion."
Ian made a tsk-tsk sound with his tongue and gave his wife an admonishing look.
"Och, the lad's not all that bad, Jenny." He turned to Jamie and Claire. "He has the heart in the right place but he just can't help to get in some mischief now and then."
"Ye shouldna make excuses fer him, Ian. A good whipping is what he deserves," Jenny said and took a sip of wine.
Lottie shrugged.
"He already got his hand strapped today during recess I think. Fordyce kept him inside when the rest of us went outside for lunch and it sure sounded like that anyway from the slapping sound coming from the open window."
"I suppose that settles the incident at school then," Jamie said. "But he should return the coin he took from grandpa Thompson. If one of us meets Minerva or Bryce we should let them know so they can deal with that."
The adults agreed to inform the Shaws when they met them and Lottie assured them she wasn't remotely interested in socializing with Coinneach Shaw. The others seemed to think that was a small relief, Jamie giving her a pointed look and comment that she had a knack for finding trouble enough on her own and didn't need any help from him.
To be continued
Author's notes: Hey guys, sorry for the late update but I've been very busy lately. I hope you'll let me know what you think of this chapter and hopefully I'll post another one in a while. I try to write a little now and then until it's finished.