Page 20 of Desiring the Highland Laird
Roslyn bustled out of the room, leaving her alone with the three men. Three strange men.
If she were in her time, it would be an awkward situation. Since it seemed she was in the past, she placed her hands in her lap and waited.
Who was she kidding? Thiswasan awkward situation. Her hands broke into a clammy sweat. She glanced at the other two men who continued to stare at her.
“Well, are you going to stare at me or introduce yourselves?” she finally said.
The younger man glanced away, taking up a wooden spoon and digging into the bread bowl in front of him. The older man chuckled.
“She’s spirited,” he said.
“My da and laird, Hamish,” Callum said, gesturing at the older man. “And my younger brother, Malcolm.”
Malcolm lifted his head and gave her a nod of greeting. “’Tis a pleasure.”
Roslyn returned then and placed a bread bowl in front of her full of thick, hearty stew. She placed a wood tankard full of ale next to that. Evie peered at the brew. She was never a beer drinker, so having the ale in front of her made her cringe.
But the stew smelled delicious.
Callum angled his body so he could face her, his eyes still on her as she picked up her spoon. Annoyance flickered through her.
“While I do love the company,” she said, giving him the side eye, “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t stare at me while I eat.”
Hamish chuckled once again. He picked up his tankard and drained it.
But Callum did not turn away. She put down her spoon and met his gaze.
“What?” she demanded.
“Ye will have to forgive my brother,” Malcolm said. “He’s no seen a lass from the future before.”
“I assure you I’m like the women of your time.”
“Nay,” Callum said. “Yer different.”
She lifted a brow. “How is that?”
It was Malcolm who spoke. “Yer from the future. Ye have seen things we no have. He’s trying to decide if ye are from the future.”
Interesting. She looked at Malcolm and then tilted her head to one side as she thought about what he said. He was astute to think such a thing. It was true he could not understand all the things in her world—like Internet, cell phones, and streaming music and TV. But she found it fascinating that he had the forethought to consider it.
“I assure you I am,” she said, mostly to Malcolm but looking at Callum. “I’ve never been inside a castle such as this before.”
She was intrigued by being inside a live working medieval castle, a castle that had been built hundreds of years before she was even born. Life was different here. More difficult. There were no modern conveniences like running water, or—
Oh, God. There was no running water. No plumbing or electricity. No social media. No way to contact her sister.
Her sister.She slumped against the chair thinking of Chloe. Even if she had her phone, it wouldn’t work here.
“What’s wrong?” Callum asked.
Curse her face. She was never good at masking her emotions. She always wore her heart on her sleeve, making it apparent to the world at large what she was thinking and feeling. She shifted in her chair, unwilling to tell him about Chloe. Yet she had to find a way to get back to her.
“Am I stuck here forever? Where is the stone that brought me here?”
“The stone is in a verra safe place,” Callum said. “As for being stuck here—”
“We dinnae ken the power of the stone, lass,” Hamish said.
