A Bridge Through Time: Book 1 of The Thistle & Hive Series (4 page)

BOOK: A Bridge Through Time: Book 1 of The Thistle & Hive Series
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“Could you? That would be wonderful. It’s a note to my best friend back home. I wanted her to know that I’m okay.”

“I’m sure she’ll be pleased to hear from you.”

“She’s very protective of me. We’ve been friends since we were toddlers.”

“Really? That says a lot about you both, that you’ve remained so close even after all these years.”

Ashley sipped her wine and gazed into the fire.

“I haven’t asked about your plans, how you find yourself in Glendaloch of all places. Do you have Scottish ancestry?” Edna questioned.

“Possibly, but I’ve never looked into it, and as to why I’m here… you’ll think I’m weird.”

“I would never think any such thing! Coming to our small village you might find any number of characters who could be considered weird.”

Ashley thought Teddy would definitely fall into that category. Taking a deep breath, she decided to dive right in. “Okay, well, I’ve been drawn here. I don’t know how else to put it.” She told Edna all the details of her life in San Francisco; her breakup with Dax, her inability to find someone new, how all her friends were engaged or married, and lastly, how she followed her heart and left everything behind. She carefully left out her sightings of Grey Eyes, not wanting to appear crazy. She thought she might have said too much, but Edna - with her motherly demeanor - had somehow managed to draw it all out of Ashley.

“My days of dog sitting, baby sitting and house sitting are done,” Ashley concluded. “I’m going to focus on getting myself a life. I just wish Jenna wasn’t married. We’d have so much fun doing this together.”

“I’m sure you would, but then you might not find what your heart is leading you to.” Edna gave her a knowing smile. “Let me go get our dinner.” She was off before Ashley could respond.

Dinner was amazing, starting with a delicious beet salad and followed by a perfectly cooked filet mignon with root vegetables and potatoes. “The food here has been delicious,” Ashley said.

“I’ll let our chef know. He went to culinary school in France, you know. Then he came back home to share his new skills with all of us. We’re very lucky to have him.”

“I agree. He must really love it here. I’d imagine he could get a job at any five star restaurant in Edinburgh or London if he wanted to.”

“Those born in Glendaloch don’t usually roam too far and when they do, they always come back,” Edna stated proudly. “What are your plans for tomorrow, Ashley?”

“I’d really like to go for a hike into the countryside. Maybe you could give me an idea of which way to head.” Ashley didn’t know what had gotten into her, but ever since she’d arrived in Glendaloch, she’d felt a compulsion to go hiking.

“Of course, of course. I’ll put a bag together for you… lunch and some other goodies, so you can take as much time as you like on your hike.”

“Sounds good. Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow.”

“I’m sure it will be.”

Ashley got to her feet. “I’m going to head up to my room, I’d like to get an early start in the morning. Can you put the dinner on my bill, Edna?”

“Dinner was on me tonight. Thank you for keeping me company.”

“It was a pleasure, I enjoyed it very much. Tell Angus I hope he’ll be better soon.”

Edna smiled. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow then.”

“Good night.”

*****

 

Once in her room, Ashley got cozy in bed and picked up her new book. The photos were stunning and she perused the pages until she came to something that caught her attention. It was a picture of a lovely little stone bridge. She couldn’t stop staring at it. There was nothing special about the bridge, it was definitely very picturesque, but for some reason it was almost mesmerizing. Ashley read the caption under the photo and was surprised to see a bit of folklore about the stone span. It was a fable regarding a mysterious fog; one that caused people throughout the history of Glendaloch to cross the bridge, never to return. “Hmmm… I wonder what that’s all about,” Ashley mused sleepily as she closed the book and turned off the lamp.

SEVEN

 

“Ashley, love.” Grey Eyes was calling her. “Where are ye? I’m waiting. Hurry.” He held his hand out to her, his eyes telling her something was wrong. She struggled to make her way through the invisible wall which held her back, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get to him, and as usual, he disappeared.

Ashley jolted upright, with her heart pounding in her chest and a sense of urgency she hadn’t felt before. His appearance was different this time. It left her feeling uneasy and anxious.
Get a grip; it was just a… a what?
What was it and why did it feel so real? Why did she feel such a connection to this man?

As Ashley prepared for her hike, her mind kept returning to the same questions. Could she possibly find him? Or had she gone completely stark, raving mad?
This is getting you nowhere, Ashley; you have plans for the day.
Besides, she’d have plenty of time to think about it on the hike, and she was anxious to begin. She was experiencing the same urgent pull, which had brought her all the way from California to Glendaloch.

Downstairs, Edna greeted Ashley with her usual exuberance. “Good morning, dear. Would you like something to eat before your hike?”

“I’m not very hungry this morning. I ate too much good food last night.” Ashley smiled and patted her belly.

“Well, I’ve packed you a bag to take with you, and as I promised, there’s plenty in there for you to snack on once you’ve walked off last night’s dinner.”

Ashley had expected a small lunch sack, so she was quite surprised to see a backpack sitting on the front desk instead.

“I know it seems a bit much, but I wanted you to be prepared for anything that might come up,” Edna continued.

Ashley didn’t want to seem ungrateful, so she thanked Edna, grabbed the backpack, and walked to the door, with the older woman following close behind. When they exited the building, Edna pointed down the street. “Just past the last building down there on the left, is a path that goes out into the countryside. Just stay on it and you won’t get lost.”

“Thank you, I’m excited to start exploring.” Ashley was about to walk away when Edna grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

“You’re a very special young lady, Ashley.”

Ashley had the distinct impression Edna was saying goodbye to her for the last time. She didn’t know how to respond, so she gave Edna a small wave and headed off towards the edge of town, with a prickle of apprehension running up her spine.

*****

 

It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly, an improvement over yesterday’s cold and dreariness. From what Ashley had come to understand, the weather was quite unpredictable in the Highlands and it could go from sunny to stormy in a matter of minutes. She was well prepared, wearing comfortable sneakers, black leggings, a tank top and she had a hooded sweatshirt tied around her waist. She quickly glanced through the myriad things Edna had packed for her as she stashed an extra t-shirt in the backpack, just in case she needed an extra layer if the weather turned cool. The path was easily located and she was amazed by how quickly she left Glendaloch behind.

The trail wound its way downhill and towards a small stream. Ashley heard the swiftly flowing water, long before she saw it. The surrounding area was rugged, hilly and a verdant green, and as she walked she enjoyed the quiet and serenity of the surroundings. This was something she would never have the courage to do back home, but she felt safe being alone here. Ashley hoped being on vacation hadn’t lulled her into a false sense of security.

Ashley wondered what was behind Edna Campbell’s strange behavior this morning. The backpack was actually a little on the heavy side for a day’s hike. What had Edna put in there? She’d seen a few items earlier, when she deposited her t-shirt in the backpack, but she’d give it a closer look when she stopped to rest. From what she’d learned about Edna since her arrival, she’d probably given Ashley enough food to feed an army and what about that crazy hug? She smiled to herself, thinking about the older woman. Edna seemed to have adopted Ashley over the last two days. Instead of feeling as if she was staying at a hotel, Ashley found it was like staying with a warm and caring family member. She wondered what had happened to Edna’s daughter. She hadn’t wanted to pry, not when she could see how much it affected both Edna and Angus when the subject had come up. Having suffered her own losses, Ashley understood completely.

She had been walking for about twenty minutes or so when the trail began to wind through a stand of trees, which blocked out the sunlight. Ashley hurried to make her way through the shadows, to the warmth of the sunshine just ahead. The sound of running water got louder. Stopping briefly to adjust the backpack, she noticed a stone bridge, recognizing it as the one from the book. She was startled to see what looked like someone, standing just beyond the trees. Ashley looked back, uncomfortable and not certain she should proceed. Looking towards the bridge once again, she strained her eyes searching for the figure she was sure had been standing there, but was now gone.
My imagination is getting the better of me. Don’t be such a chicken, Ashley. Keep going.

Once back in the bright sunlight, she felt better. It was probably an optical illusion; perhaps a tree, or something equally benign, she rationalized. As she got closer, she noticed a misty fog on the other side of the bridge settling in amongst the trees. It was moving across the ground, as though it were a living, breathing entity. Ashley had never seen fog like it before, and it was a bit unsettling. She was starting to think this hike might not have been the best idea.
I hope I’m not going to be walking in that for the rest of the day
. Ashley stopped in the middle of the bridge to watch the water rushing past beneath her and thought fleetingly about the legend of the bridge. It was merely folklore, nothing for her to worry about. She caressed the warm stones beneath her hands and enjoyed the sensation of the sun warming her face.
How could it be so sunny in this spot and so foggy over there?
Downstream, she could see woods on either side of the river. All was quiet, except for the sounds of the water and the birds singing excitedly in the trees. Ashley took a deep breath to calm her nerves and considered whether to continue into the fog. With the sun shining so brightly in the spot where she stood, she decided the fog must only be in that one area, and would give way to sunshine again once she was through the trees. She fought back the anxiety, which was threatening to make an appearance and ruin her day. Ashley studied the swirling mass of grey for a few moments before making her decision to try it.

She hadn’t taken more than two steps when she heard the sound of rapid footsteps behind her. Before she could turn to look, something hit her from behind, and she found herself falling face first onto the gravel path. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she struggled to get the sudden weight off her back. She’d been right, there had been someone standing by the bridge, and they had been waiting for her. Ashley screamed loudly and shouted for help, before a hand covered her mouth. She was able to bite it and the hand disappeared. Ashley screamed again and managed to pull her arm out from beneath her body. She elbowed her attacker in the head and he rolled away, grunting in pain, giving her an opportunity to scramble to her feet. Her attacker was between her and the path back, with his face directed away from her. Ashley made a split second decision to head into the fog, thinking she stood a better chance if her assailant couldn’t see her. She started to run for it, but he grabbed her ankle and tripped her again. “No! No! Come back here!” she heard him yell.

Ashley screamed again and suddenly remembered she had pepper spray in her jacket pocket, if she could only reach it. She managed to kick his hand away and got back to her feet. She had to fight back against this madman, and pepper spray would level the playing field. Ashley rummaged through her pocket and located the spray. She didn’t get a good look at her attacker, but knew instinctively whom it was. The only person it could be; the one man who had been turning up unexpectedly ever since she’d arrived in Glendaloch. Suddenly he was right in front of her, grabbing at her arm and dragging her back across the bridge. Ashley could see him clearly now and her instincts had been correct. It was Teddy, and he had an iron grip on her arm. She tried to stay calm and do what she’d learned in self-defense classes, saying a silent thank you to her mother for insisting she attend them for safety’s sake. As Teddy pulled her towards him, she stopped resisting and flew into his chest, hitting his shoulder. The combination of Teddy tugging on her arm and Ashley falling against him knocked him off his feet. Ashley had the advantage now, but knew it was only momentary. She sprayed him with the pepper spray and turned to run. The only option available was to run straight into that crazy swirling fog.

EIGHT

 

Cailin MacBayne sat atop his strong and dependable horse, Cadeyrn, camouflaged by the trees. He watched and waited. For the last few days, he’d been on a solitary scouting mission. A band of men, led by the Englishman, Sir Richard Jefford, had somehow slipped by Cailin’s guards and had been raiding the MacKenzie clan’s lands. They’d left a trail of burnt-out cottages and fields in their wake, as well as helping themselves to the clan livestock. Cailin felt personally responsible for these attacks. If he’d only been more vigilant, he may have been able to prevent them. He’d somehow missed these Sassenach marauders, as they made their way from one outlying crofter’s cottage to another. Luckily, there had been no loss of life to this point, and for that, Cailin was grateful. Still, he felt it was his responsibility to locate Sir Richard, and return to Breaghacraig with information. Only then could the clan formulate a plan of attack. The head of the clan and Cailin’s brother-in-law, Robert MacKenzie, had objected to Cailin’s plan, so Cailin had stormed off on his own.

BOOK: A Bridge Through Time: Book 1 of The Thistle & Hive Series
5.96Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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