Time Travel Romances Boxed Set (93 page)

A key turned in the lock and Justine started
at the sound. “Anybody home?” Blake called from the foyer.

Justine glanced to the clock in surprise.
“It’s only four! What are you doing here?”

Blake grinned and dropped his briefcase in
the hall. He scooped up Justine and gave her a thorough kiss. “Had
to come home and see the most beautiful woman in the world,” he
declared.

Justine poked a finger in his chest, trying
to hide how pleased she was by both his appearance and his
compliment. One week past her due date had left her feeling as
attractive as a hippo in a tutu. “What about work?”

“
Screw work,” Blake said
with a cavalier wink. “I’ve got a family that needs my
time.”

A year ago, Justine would have been
scandalized by this attitude, but pregnancy had changed the rhythm
of the Macdonald home. It was amazing how much time Blake now took
to just be with her. Justine once had been convinced he would burn
water while trying to boil it, but Blake learned a few tricks while
she had had that morning sickness and couldn’t even look at
food.

Justine got no further in her thinking than
that before the first contraction took her to her knees. Her water
broke, the sight of it spreading across her sparkling floor nearly
giving her a heart attack.

But it was Blake who remembered everything
from pre-natal class. “Okay,” he said with easy assurance. He
gripped her chin and winked at her again, his manner easing
Justine’s panic. “Don’t freak out on me. Remember, this is what
we’ve got to do next.”

And Justine was very, very glad she had
married a practical man.

*

Too many hours later, Justine lay in the
maternity ward of the hospital cuddling her very red, very new son.
She still couldn’t get over how absolutely perfect he was, the
tininess of his fingers and toes, eyelashes and fingernails.

“
Hi. Ready for
company?”

Justine smiled to find Blake loitering in
the doorway. He’d been great, right beside her the whole way
through. “You don’t fool me,” she teased. “You came to see your
son.”

“
Well…”

The baby squirmed and cried, and they
exchanged a glance.

“
He knows you’re here,”
Justine accused.

Blake grinned unrepentantly. “It’s a guy
thing.”

He came closer and eyed the baby, Justine’s
wonder echoed in his expression. “It’s really amazing, isn’t it?”
he whispered with awe as the baby settled against Justine
again.

“
Yeah, it is.” Their gazes
met and held over the child’s bald little head and Justine felt her
tears well.

They had a child, and it was because Morgan
had made it possible. Morgan had given them an important lesson on
making time for each other, a lesson that Justine was never going
to forget.

She wished they had learned to appreciate
the magic of what was between them a little sooner. Silently, she
thanked her sister for giving them this gift before it was too
late.

Blake’s next words made it clear that his
thoughts must have turned in a similar direction. “Hey, I had this
idea.” Something in his tone warned Justine that this was
important.

“
About what?”

“
Naming the baby.” Blake’s
gaze locked with Justine’s. He shoved his hands in his trouser
pockets and his expression was somber. “Let’s call him
Morgan.”

Justine’s tears rose unexpectedly, she was
so surprised by the suggestion. Yet, at the same time, it was so
apt that she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before.

“
Oh, Blake, that’s a great
idea!” Justine reached up and gave Blake a sound kiss. “You’re a
wonderful man, you know that?”

“
So I’ve heard,” he said
and tweaked her nose. “And that’s a good thing, too, or I’d never
be able to hold onto a wonderful woman like you.”

They smiled into each other’s eyes for a
long warm moment, then Morgan let out another cry of protest.

Blake winked. “See? Competition at every
turn. I’m not the only one who wants you.”

Justine rocked the baby and cooed to him,
feeling like she was less than instinctive mother material. Blake,
though, seemed impressed. Morgan’s eyes opened blearily and they
already seemed to be a little less blue than they had been just a
few hours ago.

His eyes would be green, Justine knew with
sudden certainty.

Morgan
.

“
Hello, Morgan,” she
murmured and tickled his chin. He gurgled and nuzzled against her
breast, his mouth working hungrily. “One day, I’m going to tell you
all about the auntie you’ve been named for,” she
whispered.

And in that moment, Justine suddenly
remembered her last promise to Morgan. She bent and gently kissed
her son’s temple, wondering if Morgan was simultaneously pressing a
similar kiss to Caillen’s brow, somewhere across the eons.

That was how she would think of it, she
decided. She and Morgan were living their lives in parallel, day
for day. Justine would mark Morgan’s babies’ birth years on the
calendar - she could figure it out - and celebrate each one’s
arrival as though it had just occurred.

And when her Morgan passed each threshold in
his life - lost a tooth, took his first step, smiled his first
smile - Justine would know that Morgan and Alasdair were watching
Caillen do exactly the same.

Justine smiled and cuddled her baby close
under Blake’s indulgent eye, knowing she had more than one precious
treasure to hold within her heart.

And so, she knew, did Morgan.

Auntie Gillian would be proud.

*

Author’s Note

Edinburgh Castle
was
retrieved for
Robert the Bruce in March 1314, but the assault was led by Bruce’s
nephew, Thomas Randolph, not the fictional Alasdair MacAulay.
Interestingly, the daring route was suggested by one William
Francis, who had used it while stationed in the keep to make
discreet jaunts into town for his romantic liaisons.

Robert the Bruce died - after uniting
Scotland beneath his hand - in 1329 in Cardross above the Clyde at
fifty-five years of age. Ironically, he died before word of a papal
bull pronouncing the legitimacy of his kingship could reach him.
That kingship, so arduously won, would not continue smoothly in his
absence and ultimately, Scotland would surrender to England’s rule
once more.

There are many wonderful stories surrounding
Robert the Bruce - including that of the spider - though it is
uncertain how many of them are true. One of my favorites is Robert
the Bruce’s reputed final request - which was for his heart to be
taken to Jerusalem and buried near the Holy Sepulchre.

Sir James Douglas took the heart as pledged,
but got no further than Granada (in modern Spain), where he was
killed in battle with the Moors. Bruce’s heart was purportedly
returned to Scotland by another knight, still in its lead casket,
and buried beneath Melrose Abbey. Recently, a lead casket matching
the description has been discovered in the abbey and early tests
indicate that it likely contains an embalmed heart.

All of Alasdair’s stories are truly Scottish
folk tales or ballads. Many of these were collected by Francis
James Child in his 19th century volume
The
English and
Scottish Popular Ballads
.

The story of Thomas Rhymer is included here
with some anglicization of its Scots dialect. The actual Thomas of
Erceldoune (also known as True Thomas, or Thomas Learmont - c.
1220-97) was a poet who claimed to have been captured by the fairy
queen and released with the gift of prophecy.

Erceldoune is now called Earlston and is in
the Eildon Hills southeast of Edinburgh, coincidentally quite close
to Melrose Abbey. The Eildon Hills are also considered by many to
be where King Arthur and his knights lie in an enchanted slumber,
waiting to be awakened by the summons from a magical horn.

The Stone of Scone remained in Westminster
Abbey from the time of Edward Plantagenet’s seizure in 1296, with
the exception of a brief interval in the 1960’s when the stone was
captured by Scottish nationalists. In 1996, it was returned to
Scotland by the British government. Interestingly enough, although
the stone is reputed to have been brought from Tara in Ireland by
the Picts, some seven centuries before Edward’s plunder, geologists
maintain that the stone is red sandstone, and quarried near
Scone.

The Scottish regalia have a long and
colorful history - including being ‘found’ by Sir Walter Scott in
the nineteenth century - but are much as is described here. They
are on permanent display in Edinburgh Castle - and the scepter
still does have a crystal mounted in it!

Finally, the quest for Scottish independence
was sought long before and continued long after Robert the Bruce.
As I finished this book - in September 1997 - the Scottish people
had just voted strongly in favor of establishing a Scottish
National Legislature once more. It appears that Robert the Bruce’s
dream of independence - and that of countless other Scots - will
come to fruition before the turn of the millennia.

Perhaps this time, his legacy will
endure.

*

The
Moonstone

North England 1395 – Falsely accused of
witchcraft, ever-optimistic Viviane is sure the truth will set her
free. But when her execution is imminent, only a wish on an unusual
moonstone pendant bequeathed by her father offers any solace.
Thinking it harmless, and sympathetic to her plight, the knight
escorting her to the execution grants her request – and is shocked
when Viviane disappears.

Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, 1999 –
Suddenly Viviane finds herself in a wondrous realm she believes is
the legendary Avalon. Befriended by some rather eccentric locals,
she quickly finds the warmhearted island community happily
compatible with her sunny disposition. But the hand of justice soon
reaches across time and space to bring her back. The hand, however,
belongs to the same handsome knight responsible for her freedom.
And soon this powerful man, devoted to upholding the law, finds
himself caught between duty and a far more powerful emotion…

*

Praise for The Moonstone

“
Claire Cross has such an
amazing talent! Her characters are vivid, her plots exciting and
her books a delight!”

The Literary Times

“
Claire Cross is a
fabulous word weaver, threading a clever tale that continues to
surprise and enchant with its humor and freshness.
The Moonstone
is endearingly romantic and delightfully
hilarious. A thoroughly enjoyable read.”

WCRG on AOL

“
From the magical
imagination of Claire Cross comes another enchanting
fantasy.”

Rendezvous

“
Twists and turns abound in
this bewitching story of magical love. Ms. Cross infuses her
delightful tale with vivid characters, a nasty villain, exciting
love scenes and wicked humor…Bravo!”

The Old Book Barn Gazette

“
Are you hungry for a
marvelous book? Well, look no further than
The
Moonstone
by Claire Cross. Writing with wit, pathos, and
charm, Ms. Cross opens the door to enchantment and invites us to
sit down and partake of a feast…Delightful, delicious and
delectable!”

Under the Covers

“
The
Moonstone
has everything a romance reader could desire,
including, of course, a heartwarming finish.”

Stephanie’s Peppermint Pages

“
In
The Moonstone
, Ms. Cross demonstrates her elegant flair
for drawing the reader into characters and story.”

Romantic Times

*

The Moonstone

by

Claire Delacroix

This book was originally published under the
pseudonym Claire Cross. This re-release has had only minor
corrections from the original published edition.

Copyright 1999, 2011 Claire Delacroix,
Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Cover by Kim Killion.

Smashwords Edition

Without limiting the rights under copyright
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This is a work of fiction. Names,
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Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not
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*

The Moonstone

by

Claire Delacroix

* * *

North Britain - September 1390

Sir Niall of Malloy was not in a good
mood.

’
Twas the kind of rainy
winter morning that made his knee ache in memory of a battle wound
he would prefer to forget. His belly growled in mighty protest of
the fact that he had not had even the time the break his fast
before he had been summoned. ’Twas only made worse by the reason
why he had been summoned so early this morn.

Because Niall sorely disliked executing
prisoners.