breaths to ease the knot in my stomach. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t heard of Lochloon Castle, did it? I knew it had existed. That it probably no longer stood broke my heart. Otherwise, I was sure Gordon would have heard of it.
“Well, maybe it doesn’t exist anymore.”
“How did you hear of it?”
“Oh, an old book on castles,” I said airily, as if my heart wasn’t breaking. Such a beautiful place. How could Gordon not know of the castle if it still existed?
“I do not mean to be rude, Maggie, but you are the vaguest person I have ever met. You won’t tell me how you came to be on the road. You won’t tell me why you are dressed in period costume. You won’t tell me why you need antibiotics. And now, I sense that you are privy to information on an old castle that may no longer exist, a castle that belonged to a man named James Livingstone. We can ask my sister. She knows more about family history and the history of Scotland than I do.”
My lips twitched, and I almost smiled at Gordon’s summation of the situation. Yes, I was vague...about almost everything. He wouldn’t have believed the truth, and I really didn’t want to even try to convince him that I had traveled back in time. I didn’t have time.
“I’m so sorry. I really am. And I appreciate all that you’re doing for me.”
He shot me a sideways look and returned the smile. “I think I’d better call my sister and tell her to expect one more guest.” He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, and I gasped.
“You have a phone?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Oh, can I use it? My cousin Julie, she’ll be wondering what happened to me.”
“Certainly, here,” Gordon said as he handed the phone to me. I took it and then stared at it uncertainly.
“Oh, dear,” I murmured.
“Is there a problem? If it’s an international call to America, you just dial 01 and then your number. I have some business dealings in America, so I have to call on occasion.”
“Well, I don’t think she has her phone on. We put our phones into airplane mode. I can e-mail her if she has Wi-Fi wherever she is.”
“Ah! So your cousin is here in Scotland. Do you know where she’s staying?”
“Glasgow.” I stared at the phone again.
Gordon laughed, a sound that reminded me once again of Colin. Oh, how I wished I’d met one of James’ descendants! Then I would know without a doubt that he’d survived.
“Glasgow is a big city. Is she staying at a hotel?”
“Yes, that was the plan. We were going to stay at the Thistlebriar Inn.”
“Well, that’s no problem then. We’ll just call them up and see if she’s there. Just push that button for the Internet, and look up the hotel.”
I did as Gordon said and found the number for the hotel. I dialed, wondering what on earth I was going to say to Julie...or in front of Gordon.
“Thistlebriar Inn,” said a delightfully sweet, young female voice with a thick Scots accent.
“Hi there, my name is Maggie Scott. I was wondering if my cousin Julie Scott is staying there?”
“Miss Scott?” the voice grew shrill. “Miss Maggie Scott? Oh, Miss Scott, wherever have you been? Your cousin has been most distraught. The police have been looking for you. We thought you had been abducted. Where are you?”
My heart sank. Apparently, my disappearance had gone beyond just Julie and me. Of course. She would have called the police. I would have called the police if she’d disappeared.
“No, I haven’t been abducted,” I rushed in to say, blinking at Gordon as he turned to stare at me. “I’m quite all right. Could I talk to her? Is she in?”
“I’ll ring her room,” the clerk said. “I am so glad to hear that you are safe and sound.”
“Thank you,” I said. I looked at Gordon out of the corner of my eye. He had returned his eyes to the road, but I knew he was listening.
“Maggie?” a voice shrieked in my ear. I pulled the phone away from my face for a moment. I knew Gordon could
“Well, maybe it doesn’t exist anymore.”
“How did you hear of it?”
“Oh, an old book on castles,” I said airily, as if my heart wasn’t breaking. Such a beautiful place. How could Gordon not know of the castle if it still existed?
“I do not mean to be rude, Maggie, but you are the vaguest person I have ever met. You won’t tell me how you came to be on the road. You won’t tell me why you are dressed in period costume. You won’t tell me why you need antibiotics. And now, I sense that you are privy to information on an old castle that may no longer exist, a castle that belonged to a man named James Livingstone. We can ask my sister. She knows more about family history and the history of Scotland than I do.”
My lips twitched, and I almost smiled at Gordon’s summation of the situation. Yes, I was vague...about almost everything. He wouldn’t have believed the truth, and I really didn’t want to even try to convince him that I had traveled back in time. I didn’t have time.
“I’m so sorry. I really am. And I appreciate all that you’re doing for me.”
He shot me a sideways look and returned the smile. “I think I’d better call my sister and tell her to expect one more guest.” He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, and I gasped.
“You have a phone?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Oh, can I use it? My cousin Julie, she’ll be wondering what happened to me.”
“Certainly, here,” Gordon said as he handed the phone to me. I took it and then stared at it uncertainly.
“Oh, dear,” I murmured.
“Is there a problem? If it’s an international call to America, you just dial 01 and then your number. I have some business dealings in America, so I have to call on occasion.”
“Well, I don’t think she has her phone on. We put our phones into airplane mode. I can e-mail her if she has Wi-Fi wherever she is.”
“Ah! So your cousin is here in Scotland. Do you know where she’s staying?”
“Glasgow.” I stared at the phone again.
Gordon laughed, a sound that reminded me once again of Colin. Oh, how I wished I’d met one of James’ descendants! Then I would know without a doubt that he’d survived.
“Glasgow is a big city. Is she staying at a hotel?”
“Yes, that was the plan. We were going to stay at the Thistlebriar Inn.”
“Well, that’s no problem then. We’ll just call them up and see if she’s there. Just push that button for the Internet, and look up the hotel.”
I did as Gordon said and found the number for the hotel. I dialed, wondering what on earth I was going to say to Julie...or in front of Gordon.
“Thistlebriar Inn,” said a delightfully sweet, young female voice with a thick Scots accent.
“Hi there, my name is Maggie Scott. I was wondering if my cousin Julie Scott is staying there?”
“Miss Scott?” the voice grew shrill. “Miss Maggie Scott? Oh, Miss Scott, wherever have you been? Your cousin has been most distraught. The police have been looking for you. We thought you had been abducted. Where are you?”
My heart sank. Apparently, my disappearance had gone beyond just Julie and me. Of course. She would have called the police. I would have called the police if she’d disappeared.
“No, I haven’t been abducted,” I rushed in to say, blinking at Gordon as he turned to stare at me. “I’m quite all right. Could I talk to her? Is she in?”
“I’ll ring her room,” the clerk said. “I am so glad to hear that you are safe and sound.”
“Thank you,” I said. I looked at Gordon out of the corner of my eye. He had returned his eyes to the road, but I knew he was listening.
“Maggie?” a voice shrieked in my ear. I pulled the phone away from my face for a moment. I knew Gordon could
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