Chapter 2
The following morning, Elizabeth woke early and went in search of breakfast. Soon, she thought, she would need to find a grocery store where she could stock up on a few essential items so she would not have to eat every meal out. Mentally reviewing some of the shops she had noticed in her walks around the town, she headed out in what she thought was the best direction and soon found herself at a small local bakery. She purchased a few scones and rolls, as well as a cup of coffee, and continued to make her way to the river that ran through the center of the city.
Mornings in Inverness were still chilly, and Elizabeth appreciated the advice he had received about dressing in layers. As was typical of Scotland, there was a light drizzle falling and a light fog rose from the river. She pulled her waterproof windbreak tighter about her and was glad she was wearing her newly purchased "wellies" as she navigated the wet roads. The hot coffee provided welcome warmth and she looked for a spot to sit to enjoy her pastries. She found a spot along a railing of one of the bridges spanning the river.
As she leaned against it, she pulled one of the scones from her bag and took a bite, savoring the sweet, buttery taste of the pastry. She had made these before, but there was something that made these better than those she made herself. Resting against the railing long after she finished her breakfast, she watched the river flowing, peaceful and serene, and reveled in the quiet of the early morning. Finally, however, she realized she was slightly chilled, not to mention damp, and began to make her way through the city back toward her flat.
She spotted a small market on her way where she was able to obtain a few small items and left with the directions to a larger market. She would need to 'hire' a car, she was told or take a taxi to get there, since it was too far to walk. Elizabeth also considered that William might be inclined to help her in this, since she was still wary about driving in Scotland.
Returning to her flat, she put away her purchases, including several more rolls and pastries she had purchased as she passed yet another bakery, and then logged onto her computer to flesh out some of the thoughts she had gained from her experiences yesterday and that morning.
Here, in the largest city in the Scottish Highlands, she had already had the opportunity to hear a variety of accents and dialects. William's was the one she had heard the most so far, and the most varied. At their initial meeting, he had sounded only slightly different from many she had encountered in London's Heathrow Airport, the burr pronounced, but his enunciation clear and crisp. Yesterday, on the cruise, he had easily moved into highland accent more commonly expected by tourists and had seemed to easily switch back and forth between a thick Scottish accent, laced with Gaelic words and local slang, and a more mainstream English, although the burr was unmistakable regardless. She enjoyed listening to him speak; it had a musical quality that Elizabeth would enjoy listening to regardless of what he might say.
Recounting her task, Elizabeth made herself stop thinking about William and write about what she had found so far. For an hour or so she worked, answering a couple of emails she received, but mostly making notes about the things she had heard and seen, and drawing some of her initial conclusions that she may be able to use in her thesis.
The professor in Edinburgh had called again, and arrangements were finalized for the trip in two weeks. Elizabeth took care of arranging for a hotel near the University but waited on the arrangements for getting there. She had several options but wanted to wait before she decided about how to get to Edinburgh – taking a train or a coach would be easier in some ways but driving it would allow her greater freedom to take side trips along the way.
Sighing, she realized that she was going to have to find a way to get over her trepidation about driving in Scotland. The only way she would be able to make day trips to places like Glencoe and the Isle of Skye, the Hebrides, and all the other places Elizabeth had heard about and wanted to see, was to hire a car and drive herself there. She could arrange for tours, like she had yesterday for Loch Ness, but she had hated being on someone else's schedule. Her thoughts returned to William and his offer yesterday to help her accustom herself to driving in Scotland. She wondered if his job would allow for him to take some time off to go with her on some of these day trips, which would be infinitely more fun than doing them by herself. Plus, he was so knowledgeable about the history of the area, and he would surely have some good suggestions about what she should see.
After another hour of working on her computer, Elizabeth decided it was time to get back out into Inverness to explore. She had decided to explore the Cathedral first and retraced her way there from her walk with William the night before. It was a relatively short walk, and it did not take long for her to arrive there. Entering the cathedral, built in the later 1800s in the Gothic style, she noted the high, vaulted ceiling of the nave, and walked the inside perimeter of the main chapel. Stopping to view each of the stained-glass windows that depicted various religious scenes and figures, she slowly made her way around the chapel to view as much as she could of the richly decorated building.
An hour and a half later, she left the cathedral and was surprised to see a text message from William that had been delivered while she was in the chapel inviting her to the distillery for lunch. She accepted readily, exchanging several messages as they made the arrangements, and walked to the street to find a taxi to take her to the Pemberley Distillery located to the northwest of Inverness. The nearly hour-long drive provided Elizabeth yet another opportunity to take in the scenery outside the city as she travelled through the rolling hills of the Highlands. The landscape was largely wild and untamed, and Elizabeth fell more in love with the area as she saw more of it.
When she finally arrived, William was waiting for her, dressed in a well-tailored suit. While she had heard that business attire in the UK was often more formal than in the States, she was still surprised at how well turned out, and handsome William was in his formal suit. Of course, a suit made most men look more handsome, Elizabeth thought, but it clearly did something special for one as handsome as William. She smiled broadly at him as she approached.
The distillery was a surprise as it was larger than she expected and just … different. There were several large stone buildings, some clearly newer than others, but all were well maintained. She was surprised at how large an organization it seemed to be and was interested in learning all she could about the product. William led her inside what were clearly administrative offices and led her to a large conference room where several containers were set out.
"Are you hungry?" he asked, sounding more like the William she had met at the airport. She nodded, and he led her to the table and opened the containers that were laid out. "My assistant arranged for lunch to be brought in today, and that gave me to idea to invite you and take you on a tour myself. She also ensured my schedule for the afternoon was clear so we would not be interrupted."
Elizabeth stopped him for a moment. "What do you do here, William? You told me you worked here, and I, well, I don't know what I assumed, but I expected … something different. What do you do?"
William looked slightly sheepish. "I, er, I own the distillery," he said, grimacing slightly, his burr slightly more pronounced in his embarrassment. "I do not often tell people I have just met that I own the distillery because they tend to make assumptions, and so I typically just tell them I work here. I forgot that I had told you that."
She nodded in reply. "That makes sense," she replied. "It took me by surprise because I thought you just worked here. I don't know what I thought you would do, but it never occurred to me that you owned the whole thing."
He gestured for her to sit and they began to eat before Darcy spoke again. "I share ownership of the distillery with my younger sister; my family has owned the company for a little over a century. We're one of the few distilleries still owned by the family, and not a larger corporation," he told her proudly. "I have worked here in various capacities since I was a bairn, working in every area and learning all about the process of whisky making. I can tell you as much or as little as you would like to know about the process."
Elizabeth chuckled lightly. "I dare say you can, and I look forward to my tour and learning all about it. And, do not forget, this will be my first time with any sort of whisky. It is probably a good thing you are feeding me ahead of time."
It was William's turn to laugh. "I promise not to ply ye with too much whisky and to keep it to a taste or two. And I will give you a ride back to town after, if that is all right with ye."
She smiled at him. "That would be lovely, William. Thank you for that."
They chatted as they ate and after a short time, stood to begin the tour of the facility. A few people stopped him as he attempted to exit the office area, and he answered several questions, but soon enough, they were back outside.
He began to explain about the process of whisky making, beginning with the barley, which is first malted, or germinated; then mashed, which is when the sugars are extracted through fermentation; before it is eventually distilled and then casked in barrels made by their own cooperage. After various periods of maturation, the whisky finally bottled and then sold in various strengths. Elizabeth listened attentively as William explained these processes and spoken about several things that made one type of whisky different from others, occasionally asking questions as they went.
The tour lasted slightly longer than an hour before they arrived at the tasting room where an eager employee poured them both several drams of various drinks as he explained the differences between them. Elizabeth dutifully tried them each, following the instructions about swirling it in the glass before taking a sniff of each. Only then was she allowed to take a small sip and each time she desperately tried not to make a face as the strong liquor hit her tongue. Once she has been served all the varieties normally offered, William requested the bartender pour her a sample of a special bottle not normally offered to guests.
As Elizabeth sampled the 12-year-old Scotch, she was surprised at the various flavor notes she was able to discern. She noted a slightly smoky flavor which William explained was a result of the peat used in the kiln to dry the barley early on. It also was slightly tart, and Elizabeth noted a slight chocolatey flavor that was more appealing than she would have thought likely.
William smirked each time she attempted to hide her grimace at the strong liquor. Howe ever, he was pleased that she seemed to enjoy this last bottle, which was one of his personal favorites. He encouraged her to try another sip after adding a small amount of water to it and she took another small sip, nodding in approval of the slightly weaker drink.
They thanked the bartender and William placed a note in the tip jar for him before escorting Elizabeth back outside.
"So, Elizabeth," he began, "what did ye really think?"
She laughed. "I cannot say that I loved it, but I guess I could get used to it. That last sample was good, but I did like it better after you added a bit of water to it. I realize that you likely drink Scotch in place of water, but i will definitely need to drink more to see if I can stand it."
William laughed loudly, surprising a few people standing nearby. Putting a hand i her elbow, he began to lead her toward the car park and asked if she was ready to return to Inverness. Slightly surprised at the abrupt end to the tour, she agreed nevertheless and allowed him to guide her.
As they arrived at the car, Elizabeth was again surprised at his opening the door on the left side for her until she looked in and saw the steering wheel in the right. "Oh, right," she commented quietly, laughing at herself.
"What?" he asked.
"I momentarily forgot that the driver is on the opposite side here," she said as she began to move to take her seat.
He abruptly stopped her movement. "Elizabeth," he began haltingly, his voice having taken in a slightly husky quality to it. "May I kiss you?"
Breathlessly she nodded. Standing by the open door, he leaned down slightly, closing his eyes as he bent. Finally, he lightly touched his lips to hers, lifting his head up slightly before learning down again and touching them together once more, applying more pressure this time and lingering longer.
Sighing, he straightened, and he looked at her, her eyes still closed and her cheeks lightly pink. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she smiled into his eyes. "That was lovely," she told him shyly.
"Aye, it was," he said hoarsely. "I look forward tae it being repeated."
Elizabeth grinned up at him. "Me too," she said before taking her seat in the car. He shut her door before taking a deep breath and moving around to the other side of the car to get in.
"Would ye care tae visit a castle, my bonnie lass?" William asked as he started the car and began to pull away from the distillery.
Laughing, Elizabeth nodded her agreement. "There are several on my list to visit, and I have been trying to decide if I should hire a car or what. I thought to ask you, but I wasn't sure what kind of schedule you kept, but now that I know you're the boss …" she trailed off, laughing again.
"As the 'boss,' I reckon that could be arranged," he replied, laughing in return. "When we get back to your flat, let's take a peek at your list and I will speak to my assistant tomorrow to see what can be arranged. She might be able to set up some tours for when I cannot accompany you as well, if you would like her to."
"Oh, but I wouldn't want her to go to that much trouble for me," she protested. "I can make the arrangements."
William shook his head. "Mrs. Reynolds is accustomed to handling such matters and we have agreements with tour companies which would enable her to arrange for higher quality tours than you might be able to do on your own. Let me help you with this, please? We have a quid pro quo with several organizations and sites."
Elizabeth frowned slightly. "I do not want you to pay for my excursions while I am here," she stated.
He reached over and took her hand that was resting on her lap, entwining their fingers together. "I am just asking you to let her arrange things," he replied matter-of-factly, while thinking of ways to do the opposite. "I will have her let you know about costs and let you take care of those."
She nodded her agreement, squeezing his hand slightly. "She can make some arrangements for me. Likely, she knows some of the better tours and places of interest anyway," she said, before grinning over at him. "Will she arrange tours at some competing distilleries do you think?"
"Do you want to visit another?" he asked, his voice teasing.
"Isn't whisky drinking one of the national sports of Scotland, particularly in the Highlands," she asked archly.
He laughed, which was her intent. "Perhaps, but there are other things as well. It is not far to Castle Leod – we will be there in a few minutes."
"Castle Leod?" she asked thoughtfully. "I feel like I have heard of that somewhere."
He rolled his eyes and she arched her eyebrow at him in question. "Are you familiar with the books or television series Outlander?"
"Vaguely," she replied.
"Castle Leod is the seat of the Clan Mackenzie, but it is believed to have been the inspiration for Castle Leoch in the books and the series," he explained. "Tourists flock to it because of that purported connection, but fortunately, there are not too many tourists in April. Fortunately, I was able to call this morning and arrange for us to be able to visit the grounds, although we will not be able to go inside the building."
When they arrived outside the ruins of Castle Leod, they were met by the groundskeeper who spent a few minutes with them giving them a brief history of the castle. After telling them the best areas to view, he left them alone to explore the grounds and the exterior of the castle.
"So, how did you arrange this?" she asked after they had walked around the outside of the castle and were headed into the surrounding woods.
He laughed. "They have weddings here and other events. Pemberley has provided the drinks for a few events, and I have become friendly with the 'Laird' and some others. I rang the groundskeeper just before you arrived and asked him if I might bring a friend by later."
Elizabeth smiled and they continued to walk forward. When their hands brushed, he took it into hers and once again, entwined their fingers together. She glanced over at him and smiled again, and he smiled back, making her feel slightly giddy.
Too soon, it seemed, they ended their tour of the castle grounds and were back in the car for the ride to Inverness.
"So," William said after a few moments. "Where are you off to tomorrow?" he asked.
"I have an appointment with the language professor at the University in the morning," she told him. "Then, I will walk to the Botanical Gardens and wander around there."
"What else is on your list?" he asked.
"Culloden, of course, but also Glencoe, Fort William, the Hebrides, Isle of Skye, and the Orkney Islands. I did not plan soon enough to get tickets for the Jacobite train, and of course, most of these will require a ride of some sort or a pre-arranged tour. I would prefer to go by car to as many as I can, so I can wander around. I still hope to go back to Loch Ness and explore a bit more than I could on the tour."
William nodded. "I will speak to Mrs. Reynolds tomorrow and I will let you know what days I can escort you and we can decide from there, perhaps."
"Great," she said, smiling at him.
Back in Inverness, they stopped at a "chippy" where William ordered fish and chips for each of them, which they enjoyed as they walked down the High Street and toward Elizabeth's flat. All too soon, they arrived there, where, after a short goodnight kiss, William left Elizabeth with a promise to ring her the next day.
William was as good as his word and called Elizabeth mid-morning the next day as they talked about some of the plans that Mrs. Reynolds had been able to arrange for Elizabeth on her own, as well as several day trips for the two of them. When he could not accompany her, William arranged for a hired car with a driver to take Elizabeth for a day, and of course, he drove her to as many places as he could manage.
Over the next week, they visited Culloden, Fort William, Cairngorms National Park, several castles, and a few picturesque villages. He treated her to several delicious meals as they traveled and refused to let her pay for anything on these trips.
With all this time spent together, Elizabeth and William grew close, although he did nothing other than hold her hand and kiss her. She had not invited him into her flat and he had not asked to be invited in and Elizabeth began to wonder what this was between them. Knowing that she would only be in Scotland another few weeks made her not want to take things further, but she felt a strong connection to William and was already dreading the thought of leaving him behind when she had to return to the States. However, she was not quite brave enough to broach this subject with William, so she did her best to 'live in the moment' and enjoy the time they spent together.