That was a sapling earlierwas what Mairead wanted to say, but she didn’t. She also noted that since the woman was obviously with child, surely a seat by the fire would be more comfortable.
“’Tis chilly out,” she offered. “Perhaps the inside of the croft would be warmer?”
Sunshine smiled briefly. “Mairead—may I call you by your given name?”
“Of course, my lady.”
“Then call me Sunny,” Sunshine said, “and we’ll be comfortable with each other from now on. I think there are things inside that you might find startling until I’ve told you my story, so let’s stay outside. If you want to go inside after that, I’ll go with you.”
Mairead supposed that was reasonable enough. She watched Oliver go inside the croft, then return swiftly with a pair ofcushions and another chair. He made two comfortable spots from adorned chair and stump, then stepped back and made them both a small bow.
“I’ll fetch water.”
Mairead perched on the edge of the tree stump only after having had a lively but friendly discussion with the lady Sunshine over who deserved a softer seat, then took the opportunity to look around herself and note differences she hadn’t had the courage to before. The most glaring was the forest. What trees she recognized from their positions near the croft were enormous and obviously much, much older.
Oliver came outside moments later, dressed sensibly in shirt and plaid, and bearing a wooden trencher with three wooden cups atop it. He offered her one, handed one to Sunny, then resumed his spot against the wall of the croft. Mairead suspected there was no time like the present to have difficult things over with, so she looked at Oliver’s adopted sister.
“I’m ready.”
“Can you bear the truth?” Sunshine asked carefully.
“Aye, unless you’re a witch or a faery,” Mairead said without hesitation. “Then I likely shouldn’t believe you.”
Sunshine smiled. “I’m neither, though I did live in this house for a while, pretending to be the clan witch to amuse the laird down the way.”
“Then you’re a MacLeod?” Mairead asked in surprise.
Sunshine shook her head. “I’m not, though my sister is wed to one.” She nodded toward Oliver. “Oliver and I share Phillips ancestors, so my sister and I decided to claim him as our wee brother. And now you know how things are here, let me tell you a story about things that happened a couple of years ago.”
“Are there faeries and bogles involved?” Mairead asked skeptically.
Sunshine laughed a little. “It might seem like that, but no, this is about a man and a woman who Fate brought together against terrible odds.” She looked at Oliver briefly. “This might be more difficult than I thought it would be.”
Oliver held up his hands. “Don’t look at me for help. There’s more romance in it than I can stomach easily.”
Mairead wasn’t above listening to that sort of tale if pressed, so she nodded and hoped she wouldn’t make any untoward noises of disbelief.
“One evening while I was living in this house,” Sunshine began, “there came a knock on the door. I opened it to find the laird of the clan Cameron standing there.”
“Giles’s father Alistair?” Mairead asked in surprise.
Sunshine hesitated, then shook her head carefully. “It wasn’t, but I’ll tell you who it was in a bit. Let’s just say that a Cameron clansman came to fetch me back to Cameron Hall to try to save his brother who had been wounded in battle.” She paused, then smiled sadly. “I came too late, unfortunately. Things unraveled from there, as they sometimes do, and he decided to come back here with me to this house.”
“He must have loved you greatly,” Mairead murmured.
“He did,” Sunshine said simply, “and I him. The problem was, when we crossed the threshold there, we…” She considered, then smiled gravely. “We found ourselves in different places.”
“As if you’d walked into different keeps?”
“That’s a perfect way to put it.”
“Oliver suggested it.”
Sunshine smiled at him, then looked at her. “That’s exactly what happened. I went one place and he went another. We found each other eventually, we were married, and here we are today where he is laird of the clan Cameron.” She paused. “This is where things might become a bit difficult to believe, but I promise it’s the absolute truth.”
Mairead was tempted to blurt out that she’d earnestly believed for a moment or two that she’d actually stumbledintoa book and anything else might seem rather tame by comparison, but she imagined that didn’t need to be said. She glanced at Oliver to find him leaning against the side of the croft, watching her. He smiled briefly, which she appreciated. She nodded, then turned back to Sunshine.
“I’m listening.”
