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She let go and sobbed into his chest, shaking, convulsing as hot grief poured out of her. He held her the whole time, and she clung to him like her life depended on it, like he was the whole world. And somehow, she knew that he’d always hold her like this if she needed him to.

Then she was spent and just stood pressed against him, surrounded by him, feeling empty.

“Can you do something for Una?” she asked finally and stepped out of his embrace.

As he let go of her, cold, empty air wrapped around her instead of his arms. It felt wrong. So wrong.

“Aye. Of course, I’ll take care of her. The orphanage is there for her, I’ll ask them to build one more bed when she’s old enough. Until then, I’ll find her a foster family. Dinna fash, Jenny. She’ll be well taken care of.”

“That’s good,” she said as she wiped her still-wet eyes. “Thank you.”

Their eyes met, and he opened his mouth to say something. There was that distance, that awkwardness between them. Did he still believe she was an enemy? She wanted to tell him again that he was wrong, that she wasn’t his enemy and never would be. That she regretted their argument last night.

But Colum appeared behind Aulay, his dark hair plastered against his forehead. He looked between them and cleared his throat.

“The ship is ready, Uncle,” Colum said.

Aulay nodded. “Aye. Good. We’re sailing right away.”

He nodded to her, so polite, so distant, and turned around to walk down to the gate with Colum.

“Wait!” Jenny cried, and he turned. “Take me with you. Please.”

Aulay scoffed and shook his head. “I am sorry Ailis died, lass. But I wilna be manipulated again. Ye showed me yer true self last night. I wilna make the same mistake twice. I’ll send word about ye to England. Ye’ll nae leave this island until a ransom arrives for ye.”

Shock slammed through her as though she’d just run into a concrete wall at maximum speed. Then came anger, a red-hot wall of fire. He was holding her hostage now. For what? For finding a stupid coin?

“This is bullshit!” she yelled at his back. “You’re insane!”

But he kept going, completely ignoring her.

She ran after him. “What happened to your beautiful speeches yesterday? Did they mean nothing to you? What about believing and trusting me? Haven’t I proved to you I’m a good healer? Didn’t I save Sìomon?”

His lips were a thin line. “I am grateful for what ye’ve done for my people, but I wilna let ye fool me again.”

They were coming close to the entrance gate, and Jenny’s heart was pounding. If they left now and discovered the ship on that island, that would be the last time they’d be going there. The last time she could escape.

“Laird! Laird!” called one of the guards, and Aulay and Colum went to the side. “Come, look at this.”

Six men, two guards among them, stood in a circle and looked at something. Jenny didn’t even notice what it was. At the same time, a cart with sheep’s wool was being drawn down the slope from the castle to the village. With her legs weak, she slowed down until the cart shielded her from the view of Aulay and his warriors. She walked at the same speed as the cart, and to her surprise, they passed the gates, and she was walking down the slope.

She was expecting a call, an angry uproar because she had left the castle, but none came, and everything was quiet. When she was a good distance away, she sped up and hurried through the village and down to the jetty. She spotted Tagradh, Aulay’s ship. Several men sat at the front of it, but no one sat in the rear. While they were talking and looking in the direction of the village, she tiptoed over the rampart onto the ship and hid between some sacks at the back.

She could be discovered at any moment, but if she wasn’t, she may finally be on her way back home.

Only, she wasn’t sure if home meant the same to her now as it had a few days ago.

CHAPTER 26

The ship rocked as one of the last Highlanders got out. Jenny peered from behind the sack, watching twenty or so MacDonald warriors climb the hill of the island that would finally take her home. The Isle of Achleith was the same huge mass of rocks and moss that she remembered. The cliffs and rocks bulging like the distorted face of a giant.

As she watched the last of the men climb to the top of the island and then disappear behind the curve of the slope, she made her way to the side of the ship. It was anchored close enough for the men to disembark and walk through the waves to the shore, and far enough for the hull not to scratch the ground.

She had no choice but to jump into the water, as well. As she did, the icy cold of the Irish Sea stole her breath. She hurried through the water, freezing and soaked from the waist down. Well, it would all be worth it, as long as she could get back to her own time. She had only six days till her appointment.

As she stood on the gravelly beach, and began climbing the hill, an ache pierced her chest. She thought of Amanda, Kyla, and Natalie, and of her parents and her sisters and her nephews and nieces and her two brothers-in-law.

She wondered if they were still looking for her or if they thought she must have fallen into the sea and drowned. Did they have a funeral for her? If she got back to her time, how in the world would she explain her disappearance? If she told them about time travel, they’d put her in a psychiatric ward, no doubt.