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"You should ask Thane to go with you."
"Uh, no, I don't think he'd want to do that. He's busy. Honestly, I can find my way on my own. Thane showed me all the buildings and the river yesterday. I just want to get another look, that's all. Please don't bother Thane."
"If you change your mind, just ring the boss and he will come running. We have surprisingly good cellular service out here."
By "the boss," she means Thane, of course.
Fiona and I go our separate ways. I head outdoors. As I exit the main building, a stiff breeze slaps me in the face. Holy cow, that's cold. Fortunately, I have a soft, warm scarf in my car. I jog out to the car park, which is what everyone here calls a parking lot, and retrieve my scarf. I've just shut the car door when I notice a familiar figure at the other end of the parking area. Thane is talking to Dougal, the older man I'd met yesterday on the malting floor.
I take the coward's way and rush across the car park while the man I'm trying to avoid is still busy chatting with Dougal. By the time I duck around the main building and start down the river path, my pulse has calmed down. It had accelerated only because I was sprinting. Seeing a certain Scotsman again had nothing to do with it.
Yeah, I'm overcompensating again.
The sun is out this afternoon, so the cold doesn't feel quite as wintry as it would otherwise. The further I go down the trail, the less I feel the wind too. Well, this isn't so bad. My wool coat starts to feel a bit too warm, and I take it off, opting to drape it over my arm. I reach the river quickly, though I hear its burbling water before I can see it.
When I reach the riverbank, I stop and hang my coat on a tree branch. Thane had told me the river is black because of the peaty soil, and that the water is very clean and crisp. The bank descends toward the water at a rather steep incline, and I don't want to fall in. To prevent that, I sit down and let my legs dangle over the edge while I study the water. I'm not sure what I hope to achieve here. Water is water. It's not like a fairy will surface from the depths to share all the magical secrets of the river with me.
I set my hands on the ground behind me and lean back. The relaxing sound of the river lulls me. I close my eyes and let the gentle burbling wash over me.
A sigh spills from my lips.
"May I join you, Rebecca? Or is this a solo contemplation?"
Oh, damn, it's him. Without opening my eyes, I say, "Wanted a little time alone to drink in the atmosphere. It will help me do my job better."
"I'll go if you like. But I might be able to help you with drinking in all that atmosphere."
"Okay, fine, you can join me."
Some strong woman I am. A few words from Thane, and I cave. I open my eyes and roll my head sideways to watch him settling that muscular body onto the ground beside me. His legs hang over the edge too, but his feet nearly reach the level of the water, unlike mine.
"I told you the reason why the water is black," he says. "But I haven't shared the mystical aspects of the river."
Can he read my mind? I've wondered that more than once because he always seems to bring up questions I've only asked in my head. "If there are myths associated with this river, I might be able to use that in the marketing campaign. So please, tell me all about it."
"I really should take you to the Dùndubhan Museum to give you the complete picture. But we can start with the river."
"What does the museum have to do with it?"
"The castle was erected on Beann Dealgach for a reason. That's the name of the mountain we're sitting on. The ancient Scots revered Beann Dealgach, and their medieval descendants built a castle there for that reason."
I sit up straighter and wriggle around to face him.
He waves a hand toward the river. "It's said that the water here is cleaner and sweeter than anywhere else in the world. There's also a legend that couples who bathe in the waters together will become with child."
"Didn't think anyone actually said 'with child' anymore."
"I thought it sounded more intriguing than saying couples pop out bairns."
"You have a point there."
He sits up and leans forward, gazing into the dark waters. "There's also a legend about the Daoine Sith and the river. Would ye like to hear it?"
Chapter Eleven
Thane
I can tell Rebecca wants to hear all about Scottish folklore, but she seems hesitant to admit to her interest in it. Why? I can't say, but I wonder if it has anything to do with her ex-husband. She hasn't mentioned him but once or twice, and then only in vague terms. I know she and her husband have been divorced for several years. I also know her two adult children live in the UK. But I haven't a clue how to coalesce those facts into a meaningful insight into her past or present.
