Anna said nothing, biting back the questions that crowded on her tongue. There was so much about Emeric she didn’t know.
“Ye’ll come to the wedding, willnae ye?” Aislinn said suddenly, gripping Anna’s hands.
“I...um...I...” Anna replied, flustered.
“Linny,” Hildie said. “I’m sure Anna will want to be on her way.”
“Oh,” Aislinn replied, her shoulders sagging like a popped balloon. “I suppose so.”
Anna felt a surge of guilt at the disappointment on Aislinn’s face. “If I can make it, I’ll try,” she said, her voice uncertain. “I don’t really have any forward travel plans yet.” It all depended on how soon she could get back to the hire car and be on her way.
Aislinn’s face lit up. “That’s grand! It will be so much fun!”
Hildie gave Anna a knowing look, as if sayingyou’ve done it now.
“Oh, ye will love it! A Murray wedding is quite the spectacle!” Aislinn continued, with renewed excitement. “There will be feasting, dancing, singing...and the games beforehand of course.”
A warm feeling uncurled inside Anna. She barely knew these people but they were making her feel like part of their family. The thought of attending Aislinn’s wedding, of watching the clan gather in celebration, it was...nice. Her stomach growled suddenly, making her blush.
Hildie, hearing the rumble, chuckled and rose to her feet. “I think we’ve kept ye long enough without food,” shesaid in her warm, smooth voice. “I’ll have a servant bring something for ye.”
With a friendly pat on Anna’s shoulder, she left the room. Aislinn immediately started chattering again, her words blending together in a flow of enthusiasm and wedding plans.
Hildie returned soon after with a young girl trailing behind her, balancing a tray laden with food. There were boiled eggs halved and sprinkled with herbs, slices of toasted bread slathered with butter and a large bowl of porridge.
The maid set the tray down on the table in front of Anna. It looked amazing. It also looked way too much for one person.
“Aren’t you eating?” she asked Hildie and Aislinn.
Hildie shook her head “We broke our fast several hours ago, my dear.”
Anna glanced out the window. Without her phone, she had no idea of the time. “Why, what time is it?”
“Almost noon. We’ll soon be serving the midday meal.”
“Noon?” Anna cried. “Why did you let me sleep so long?”
“After yer ordeal yesterday, ye seemed like ye needed it. And besides, Maisie went in to see ye this morning and couldnae wake ye. We all thought it best to let ye sleep.”
Oh God! How embarrassing. She hadn’t slept this late since she’d been a teenager!
“Never mind, lass,” Hildie reassured her, waving her concerns away. “It’s all part of the recovery process. Now eat up before it gets cold.”
Aislinn and Hildie continued their conversation, seemingly not minding that Anna was more focused on consuming her breakfast than contributing to the dialogue. They discussed people she didn’t know and customs she wasn’t familiar with. Their words washed over her like waves on a beach while she savored the softness of the boiled eggs, the crunch of toasted bread, and the comforting taste of porridge.
Finally, she sighed, pushing away her bowl and leaning back in her chair. “That was great. I’ll have to have porridge and toast for lunch more often.”
She smiled, meaning the comment lightly, but as she leaned back in her chair, she realized that Hildie and Aislinn were staring at her strangely.
“What?” Anna asked. “Oh, wait. I’ve got food around my mouth, haven’t I?” She picked up one of the cloth napkins and quickly wiped her lips. “Better?”
Aislinn laughed. “What is ‘lunch’? Ye say the oddest things. I never realized Glasgow people were so strange!”
Anna smiled. “I prefer the term ‘eccentric’. And I’m not from Glasgow. Not originally anyway.”
“So where does Clan Webster hail from?” Hildie asked.
“I’ve no idea. In fact I don’t even know if thereisa Clan Webster. And I’m not really from anywhere. My parents moved around a lot when I was a kid. I was born near Inverness but spent a lot of time in England, Spain, Greece, Italy.”
