He smiled. “Literal, lass. Quite a powerful one. Do ye wish me to break it?”
Bracing for the pain I knew would come, I nodded.
Rather than the breaking of a dam, it was like a slow trickle of rain. The feelings came in a slow steady stream. As Hamish opened his arms to me, I leaned into him and told him everything.
* * *
By nightfall, Hamish was gone. While a sense of misery hung over me with such intensity that I had to remind myself to breathe under the weight of it, I was grateful that I felt like myself for the first time in weeks.
I could see things clearly. I knew what I had to do.
I couldn’t marry Henry. And I had to find out if Hamish was right. His last words to me would haunt me until I did.
“The lad still holds yer heart, lass. If he truly loved her, ’twould have been released back to ye. I suspect she’s spelled him. The only way for ye to know for certain is to get him far away from her and see if he begins to wage a war within himself. If he is spelled, he canna do so while near her.”
Chapter 38
Mary and I created a plan, albeit a faulty one, in the little time I had before dinner.
I would extend my meal with Henry for as long as possible. While he was eating and distracted, Mary and Kip would ready our horses. We both knew that once the engagement was broken, it would be in our best interest to leave MacNeal Castle with haste.
In the meantime, I simply needed to pack all of my things and have them ready to be loaded before dinner.
With everything folded, I bent to my knees to put everything away.
Jerry’s letter fell to the floor from the folded clothes the moment I opened my chest. I’d not thought of it once since he’d given it to me weeks ago.
Sinking to the floor, I opened it with shaking hands.
* * *
My dearest Morna,
Oh, how I wish our first night together had not ended in such tragedy for you. There were so many things I wished to tell you that next morning, so many ways I wished to show you just how much I treasure your heart.
These past days have been a misery for me. You should not have to go through such grief alone, though I understand why your brother has asked me to stay away.
Lass, I know you worry that you are somehow responsible for pulling me from my own time. It is a waste of time. I don’t care who brought me here, I am only glad to have arrived.
Do you know how many times since meeting you I’ve looked up into the stars and pondered how I could have been so lucky? More times than I can count.
I’m an ordinary lad who until vanishing through time lived a very ordinary life.
You have made my life spectacular. And you have done the impossible. You made me love you more than I love myself, and we both know that I love myself a great deal.
I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, lass, for even if you were to wish it now, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. You possess my very soul—you stole it the moment I laid eyes on you.
There is naught in this world I wouldn’t do for you.
All my love,
* * *
Jerry
Only someone who was exceedingly cruel would take the time to give someone such a letter if they intended to leave them the very same day. Jerry was anything but cruel.
* * *
