Love Beyond Belief (Book 7 of Morna’s Legacy Series) (15 page)

“All right, got it. Can I borrow the car and a map? I definitely need to get some groceries.”

1650

“I am pleased that ye are all verra excited. We will start early and work until midday tomorrow. Then I’ll allow ye all to return home and clean yerselves and prepare yer families for the festivities. I hope ye all know how grateful I am for yer help.”

Callum stood surrounded by all the able-bodied men in his village with the neighboring lairds gathered at his back. Everyone seemed delighted at the thought of a party. As excitement spread throughout the group, Callum found himself looking forward to it, as well. There was only one thing left to discuss with them, and it was the most important thing he could ask.
 

“Before we end our work today, I wish to discuss safety measures for this gathering. All from the village are welcome. I doona believe Macaslan is in the country. Even if he is, he willna know of the magic here. Still, we must be on alert for him and his men. Enjoy yerselves, but keep watch amongst the crowds, aye?”

The collective agreement was all he needed to hear. The party would proceed as planned. If luck befell them, Grier would join the celebration, as well.

CHAPTER 20

With Anne and Gillian completely overwhelmed with the decorating and planning, I was left to spend every spare minute making my meal preparations for the party. The castle’s kitchen was now my workspace, bedroom, and dining room as I worked around the clock to make certain everything was ready on time. Luckily, I didn’t have to do everything alone. Morna and Jerry kept me company while serving as my cooking partners.
 

In truth, Jerry didn’t help much—he mainly provided conversation and poked around sticking his fingers in this or that to test out the quality of my cooking—but his company was very welcome all the same. Morna, on the other hand, was taking Anne’s wish to have an “authentic” feast to heart and was teaching me how to prepare things exactly as our guests would be used to cooking every day.
 

I found everything I learned so fascinating. It was ridiculously hard work and in turn resulted in much simpler, less extravagant dishes in terms of ingredients and techniques. Although after my first day in the kitchen with Morna, I found that simpler didn’t mean bland by any stretch of the imagination. I felt much like I had when first attending culinary school, with each new bit of information a revelation that would change my cooking forever. I truly couldn’t believe how great things could taste when prepared without modern tools. All that was required was nature, a bit of fire, elbow grease, fresh herbs and seasonings, and patience. By the way things smelled in the kitchen now, it would be a feast to please everyone regardless of the century they came from.
 

With only a few hours remaining until what was now being termed by Anne as “Scotland’s take on a ball” rather than a dance, and at Morna’s insistence that she had everything under control in the kitchen, I left to go change into the stunning period gown Gillian delivered to my room this morning.
 

I couldn’t wait for the festivities to begin.
 

Callum looked on with horrified amusement as his clansmen and neighboring lairds piled into the castle. Never for a single moment would he ever consider hosting such a spectacle on his own.
 

To see the men of his own time, dressed in their traditional garb, walk through the castle’s main doors with their wives and children as they gawked and awed at the wonder of every little thing was a wonder to be sure.
   

“Morna, I look like a wrinkled fool. Even with the shirt, ye can see my legs. No one but ye has seen my legs in near twenty years. Let me go and change. Anne and Gillian willna mind. I beg ye.”

Callum smiled even before he turned in Jerry’s direction. Of course his old friend would try to squirm out of tonight. He would expect nothing less.
 

“Jerry, what are ye talking about? Ye look verra striking in yer kilt. The lassies willna leave ye alone. It makes me feel young just looking at ye.”

Callum clasped Jerry on the shoulder as he turned to face the couple.
 

“Ye look quite handsome, Jerry. I’m sure Morna is right. Ye needn’t change.”

Morna smiled at him in thanks. “That’s what I’ve been telling him, but he’s acting like an old man. I’ve never thought of him as such.”

“I’m tired, Morna. I doona feel well.”

Morna waved a hand in the air dramatically. “Ye shall feel ill in bed, as well. Ye might as well feel ill at the party. I’ll not hear another word about it. Now, stand here and speak with Callum or come and help me in the kitchen, but doona ye dare retire to our room.”

Callum waited until Morna was gone to shrug at his friend. “My apologies, but I doona think ye’ve any hope of changing Morna’s mind on the matter. If she says ye must enjoy the party, then ye must.”

He expected Jerry to argue. Instead, it worried him when the old man reached out to lean against the wall for balance.
 

“I’d love to enjoy it, lad. I’ve not seen my wife dressed in such a manner in ages. But I meant what I told her. I doona feel well. Not at all. I need to lie down before I fall down.”

Callum moved to support Jerry immediately, glancing to make sure no one could see as he hurried him to the back staircase so he could lead him up to his room. He could tell by Jerry’s face how bad he felt, and he knew the old man well enough to know that he would not disappoint his wife unless he had no choice.
 

It didn’t take long to get Jerry settled in bed, and within moments, his eyes began to flutter shut.
 

“Are ye all right? Let me go get Morna, Jerry.”

“I’m fine. I just need to rest. Wait until the festivities begin to tell Morna where I am.”
 

Callum nodded but made haste to the kitchen in search of Morna. His friend looked very ill. He didn’t think it wise to wait until the feast began to let Morna know. Perhaps there was some way she could help him.
 

The only person inside the kitchen was Sydney. Even with her back turned to him, her beauty took him aback. Her hair was pinned to one side, a long sweeping trail of black he desperately wanted to grab onto and pull as he wrapped his arms around her.
 

It took her turning toward him and speaking to remind him why he was in the kitchen.
 

“Callum. Is everything okay? You look…you look weird.”

He swallowed and gathered his thoughts before speaking. “Aye. Do ye know where Morna is? I need to speak with her.”

“Oh. She’s gone to light a bunch of candles around the dining tables upstairs. You’re better off just waiting for her here. I’m sure she’s running all over the place right now, but she’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
 

“Aye, fine. I’ll wait for her. Can I help ye with anything?”

From what he could see, there was nothing else to help with—all of the food was already in to the dining hall. He wondered if perhaps Sydney stayed down here sometimes because it was where she felt the most comfortable.
 

“No, everything’s done. I just…I wasn’t really sure where to go once I was dressed. I didn’t want to be in the way. You look very nice, Callum.”

He felt like a troll standing next to her, but if she thought him handsome, he’d take the compliment any day.
 

“Thank ye. Ye’re stunning, lass. Ye’ll put the rest of the lassies to shame.”

She made a dismissive noise and stepped away from him to fiddle with something on the island.
 

“No, I won’t. I would kill for the head of hair Gillian has or for Anne’s eyes, but it’s certainly kind of you to say so. I think I clean up okay.”

“More than that, Sydney. I can scarcely breathe looking at ye.”
 

He looked over at her nervously, anticipating her response with every breath. When she smiled, some of his tension released, and he let out the breath he’d not known he held.
 

“I’m glad ye dinna take the potion, lass.”

She stopped her piddling and moved over to him, lacing her fingers with his own.
 

“I am, too. Do you plan on dancing tonight, Callum?”

“Aye. I’m quite good at it.”

She nodded. Both their chests seemed to be rising and falling more quickly than normal as their conversation progressed.
 

“Hmm…I’m sure you are. You’ll dance with many girls then?”

He knew she meant to tease him. It was a ridiculous question. Surely she knew that after the last words he said to her.
 
“I may, but not a one will capture me the way ye have.”
 

She smiled and stood on the tips of her toes to quickly kiss the end of his nose.
 

“Good. I’m sure glad you didn’t expect me to just dance with you. I was looking forward to making my way around the dance floor.”

 
“I take it back, lass. I’ll only dance with ye if it means I can keep ye all to myself. I know my men too well. It wouldna please me at all to see ye dancing with another.”

Sydney stepped away from him, dismissing his concern.
 

“I can handle myself when it comes to men. Let’s just both enjoy the dancing as much as we can.”

“Aye, go and have yerself a bonny time then. I’ll find Morna and meet ye later on. I can hear noise stirring above. It seems the feast is starting.”

CHAPTER 21

The entire evening had me feeling like an alien on a strange planet. Everything from the utensils used for the feast to the kinds of dancing in the main hall that I was completely unfamiliar with—I couldn’t seem to keep up with any of it.
 

It took me a good ten minutes after Callum left me standing in the kitchen to get control over my breathing again. The effect we seemed to have on one another baffled me. How could I already feel so strongly about someone I scarcely knew at all? It was more than that even. If my gut was right, Callum’s feelings were a fair match for my own. It both terrified and delighted me.

Callum’s own good looks struck me the moment I saw him, but it truthfully never occurred to me that he would feel the same way about me. In my own experience with men, they never did. Not that I believed men found me unattractive, but somehow over the years, I’d done a fine job of choosing men to date that I didn’t really care for and an even better job of dating men that cared for me even less.

For a long while, I couldn’t see the pattern, but after a string of break-ups that left me feeling relieved rather than saddened, I knew why. To date someone where real mutual feelings existed, I would have to put in time and effort, and my job left me with little to give to anyone.
 

Perhaps if I’d known how it could make one feel—the heart-pounding, blood-pulsing breathlessness; the anticipation, anxiety, and longing—I would’ve cared more about what I’d given up for so long.
 

Now, as I stood weak-legged and shaky, leaning against one of the walls in the main hall watching dozens of happy men and women dancing, I couldn’t imagine denying myself the possibility of feeling so alive ever again.