Page 32 of Treachery in the Highlands
"Aye.Sheep's blood," I say, taking a hearty bite."Most nutritious part of the meal."
Great-Aunt Morna snorts beside me."The lad eats like a bairn, does he?Mayhap he'd prefer some pottage?"
Joey glances at the steaming bowl of the porridge-like substance being passed round the table, then gives me a sidelong glance, clearly dubious of the meal.
"Aye, pottage might be more to his liking," I tell Morna."Though Joey will need more than that to keep his strength up in these Highlands."
Joey takes the bowl cautiously, his beautiful whisky-brown eyes narrowing as he inspects the contents."What exactly is in this...pottage?Not dirt and worms, I hope."
"Nay, of course not."I lean over the table, as close as I can get to Joey, and speak in a hushed voice."Just oats, milk, and herbs.No blood, I promise."
The relief that washes over his face is almost comical.
"Oh, thank God," he mutters, spooning some into his mouth with surprising eagerness.After swallowing, he nods appreciatively."This I can handle."
My father watches from the head of the table, his gaze sharp as a hawk's.I can feel his assessment of Joey with every passing moment.
"Finnegan."My father's voice booms across the table, causing Joey to nearly choke on his pottage."Where did ye say ye hail from again?"
Joey's eyes meet mine in a flash of panic.We hadn't properly rehearsed this part of his story."New York City.That's in America---the New World.That's what we call it."
I slap my fork down on the table."Honestly, Father, how many times will you insist upon interrogating Joey?"
"Until I'm certain I can trust him."
I feel heat rising to my cheeks as Joey fumbles with his spoon.Beneath the table, I nudge his boot with my shoe, hoping to convey some measure of reassurance.The gesture does seem to relax him.
"I understand your concern, sir," Joey says, straightening his shoulders in a way that makes him look almost regal."If a strange man appeared near my home, I'd have questions too."
My father grunts, seemingly caught off guard by Joey's directness.A small victory.I'll take it.
"And what skills do ye possess, laddie?Besides eavesdropping at doors?"
"I apologize for that.But in my defense, I've been very confused ever since I fell into the moat and almost drowned."
Father purses his lips briefly, then exhales a heavy breath."Mayhap I should give you time to adjust."
Joey seems mildly surprised.
"Oh, Father, that's wonderful," I declare.Grinning, I rush to his chair and throw my arms around him."Thank you, thank you, thank you so much."
He rolls his eyes.
My family will continue to harbor reservations about Joey.Of that much, I am certain.Mother seems far less skeptical than Father.I pray that no one realizes Joey Finnegan and I enjoyed coitus in my secret room yesterday.Oddly, my father has not questioned me any further about how and why Joey was in my room yesterday.Whatever he suspects, he's keeping it to himself.I wondered if my mother had figured out what Joey and I did in my secret room.It was quite, um, naughty, and she had conspicuously glanced at the bedsheets.
She might have seen the small spot of blood that revealed what we did.I am no longer a virgin.If my mother noticed the blood, she has not let on.
Do I regret losing my virginity to Joey Finnegan?No, not in the least.My intuition urges me to trust him.No one has ever accused me of having a suspicious nature.Nay, I am the exact opposite---too credulous, as my father often tells me.He is correct.But I cannot change my nature.
Father most definitely did not realize what Joey and I did.If he had, he would have murdered Joey instantly.
After breakfast, Father insists upon locking Joey in the tower bedroom again.
"No, you cannot do that," I tell him emphatically."Joey has done nothing wrong."
"But he admits to being a thief.That alone makes him a threat."
I roll my yes."What could he steal here at Dùndubhan?Joey is from the future.If he stole something, he wouldnae know how to sell it."
