A Matter of Time: Book 4 of The Thistle & Hive Series Read online

  Chapter 2

  “Tell me what happened,” Nick said. “How did ye get here?” He sat opposite Richard in a large, overstuffed chair and waited for Richard’s answer.

  For his part, Richard sat, legs spread wide, elbows on his knees and head in hands. Lifting his head, he sighed heavily. “It’s almost too unbelievable for words, but if you’re here in this time with me, then you understand that time travel can actually happen.”

  “I know all too well what ye speak of,” Nick responded.

  “I was a moment away from being burned to death by a witch named Brielle, when I was washed over by a wave of water that I’m sure was meant to put out the balls of fire heading towards me. And then in the blink of an eye, I was drawn into a thick fog and when it cleared…” Richard didn’t finish his sentence, instead he shook his head in amazement at his predicament.

  “Where did the water come from?” Nick asked.

  “A witch named Maggie MacKinnon sent it and then yet another witch, Edna Campbell, or so I believe, drew me into the fog. Do you know them?” Richard was wondering if maybe one of them had sent Nick to San Francisco.

  “I’m afraid not,” Nick answered. “Do ye think one of them may have been behind my trip to the future?”

  “Perhaps, but then you haven’t told me how you got here. I haven’t seen you in years. Not since…” Richard paused.

  “…not since I got angry with ye fer yer constant need to ruin the MacKenzies. I’m sorry I left ye, Richard, I’d simply had enough and could see no future in tormenting a clan I had no argument with,” Nick apologized.

  “You were right to leave me. I needed to stop the foolishness and go home to my own life, with my own people. Unfortunately, even losing your friendship didn’t keep me from making an ass of myself, over and over again. It wasn’t until just recently that I realized the error of my ways. I was heading to the MacKenzie holdings at Breaghacraig to beg their forgiveness and to tell them I would never bother them again. That’s when I met Maggie MacKinnon and in standing with her to defeat an evil witch, one who’s actions were directly related to my need for vengeance, I was saved by both she and her aunt, Edna Campbell. I’m not sure why she’s sent me here, but I do know that I want more than anything to get back to my home.”

  “So do I,” Nick agreed. “Mayhap we can find a way back together.” He stood and went to the bar where he poured them both a generous tot of whiskey. He handed one to Richard and raising his own glass said, “To going home.”

  “To going home,” Richard responded, admiring the amber liquid swirling in his glass. “This couldn’t come at a better time.” He took a sip. “Mmm, this is quite good.”

  “Whiskey is one thing that hasn’t changed much over time.” Nick took a big gulp of his drink and put the glass down. “Shall we order that pizza?”

  “What, pray tell, is pizza? I’m assuming it’s food, but not something I’ve ever eaten.” Richard took another sip of his whiskey as he watched Nick pick up one of those cell phones. “You have one of those as well?”

  “Yes. It’s really verra useful. If ye find yerself here longer than ye expect, ye may need to have one.” Nick punched at the phone with his large fingers and then held it to his ear. “This is Nick Mackall, I’d like to order my usual.” Richard watched his friend and marveled at how he had managed to adapt to this place and time. “Aye. I’ll need two. Thank you.” Nick tapped the phone again and then put it down. “They’ll be here in no time. I think ye’ll enjoy this.” He laughed as he crossed the room to the window where he closed the blinds and then turned on the lights. “I take it yer familiar with some of the things yer seeing, as ye dinnae appear overly surprised by them.”

  “I spent some time in twenty first century Glendaloch, so, yes, I’ve seen cell phones, automobiles, electric lights and some other things.” Richard relaxed back into the chair. This wasn’t going to be so bad now that he knew he had an ally here to help him.

  “When I first arrived here, I was always standing around with me mouth agape. ’Tis a wonder they didnae lock me up fer being tetched in the head.” Nick laughed. “I had not a soul to speak with about what had happened and so I had to make my way, sleeping on park benches and relying on the kindness of people I’d meet, for food and drink. Then one day, I was at the Marina, that’s where ye landed by the way, and I saw a group practicing with swords and dirks. I couldnae believe me eyes. Oh, and they were verra bad at it, too. I thought I could make meself useful by showing them a thing or two. They were grateful and offered to pay me to teach them. I’m nae fool, so I said I would and that’s how I became their instructor. At first, I lived with some of my students, switching between apartments often, never really having a place to call my own.”

  Richard took advantage of Nick’s pause to ask the question that he’d been burning to ask. “How did ye meet Angelina?”

  She was at the Marina with one of the men in the group. She wanted to learn medieval martial arts - that’s what they call practicing for battle, only they never really battle. It’s all for show. Angelina was such a sweet, lovely woman and I wanted to get to know her better, so I thought it would be fun, and to my advantage, to teach her.”

  “And was it?” Richard asked. He casually sipped his drink, to hide his interest.

  “Aye. She learned quickly and before long she was quite good. I learned a thing or two meself.” Richard cocked a questioning eyebrow at Nick, who continued. “Angelina was definitely not interested in me. She made that clear right from the start, but a several months later, when she found I was sleeping anywhere I could find a bed, she insisted that I stay here. She is the kindest and most generous woman I’ve ever had the pleasure to know.”

  “I understand what you speak of based on my own experience with her earlier.” Richard was intrigued by Angelina and more so by his current circumstance. “Nick, I can’t help but wonder if there was some reason I found myself transported to this place and time. Based on my knowledge of her, Edna can be a bit of a meddler, and I’m beginning to think she’s sent me here for a reason. Could it possibly have been to find you and bring you back with me?”

  “I cannae answer that, but if she did then she has my most sincere gratitude.” Nick was obviously still amazed at the fact that his good friend was sitting here, having a drink with him. “I never thought I’d see anyone from my own time ever again.” And then he laughed a deep, throaty laugh of disbelief.

  “And I’m grateful that if I had to travel to the future again, this time I was reunited with someone I’ve missed having around over the years.” Richard raised his glass again in a silent toast and Nick did the same. They finished their drinks and reminisced about their years of drinking, fighting and carousing. They had a lot to share and so the conversation continued without pause until the doorbell rang.

  “Our pizza is here,” Nick said, getting up to answer the door with an impish glint in his eyes. “Thank ye, young lad. He paid the delivery boy, closing the door after him and took the pizzas to the counter in the kitchen. “Come, we’ll eat here,” Nick said, pointing to two stools.

  Richard rose and joined Nick as he took out two plates and some napkins. He opened the boxes and Richard got his first look at pizza. It both looked and smelled delicious. Nick took a slice and put it on his plate and Richard followed suit. He watched Nick to see how he would eat this strange food and was pleased to see he merely picked it up in his hands and took a big bite. Again, Richard did the same, amazed at the flavors he was tasting. He took another bite and then another. Pausing long enough to speak, Richard said, “I can see why you say this is your favorite.”

  “Aye. Valerie, the owner of the shop, knows me well. I order from her two or three times a week. Sometimes even more. Angelina is always telling me it’s not good to eat the same food all the time, but I respectfully disagree with her.”

  “And they bring the food right to your door.” Richard shook his head in disbelief.

  “’Tis truly an
amazing time,” Nick said. “There are so many things I’ll have to show ye.”

  “Again, I must say how grateful I am to have found you here. I have no doubt that you’ll pave the way for me in this world. Tell me about this medieval martial arts that you are a part of.” Richard found himself curious about his friend’s activities in this modern world and wanted to know more.

  “Being that we’re five hundred years in the future, everything from our time is called medieval. There has been a recent interest in the way we do or, should I say, did battle and groups have cropped up around the world who are interested in learning our ways of engaging in combat. They go all out, even dressing as we do in our own time and they have competitions and a thing called the Renaissance Faire, where people come together to pretend they are in the middle ages. ’Tis another name they use for our time. There is an annual faire here in San Francisco and our group is going to go up against another local group in mock battle. Even though it is mock battle, I would still like my group to win, as they are the better men in my eyes.”

  “Have you armed them all?”

  “They provide their own weapons, but they are just for show. They cannae hurt themselves or others with them. Angelina has outfitted them all with clothing representative of our time. She is a talented seamstress and creates costumes for others who attend the faire, both men and women. Eyeing Richard’s clothing meaningfully, Nick chuckled. “Of course, neither you nor I will be needing a costume, because we’re already kitted out with true medieval clothing. I’m happy yer here. Ye can help me with the training of me men.”

  “Of course. It will be a pleasure to be of service.” Richard eyed the last piece of pizza and Nick nodded to him to take it. He set it on his plate, but before taking a bite he said, “Nick, you never answered my question about how you got here.”

  “Yer right. I didnae.” Nick stood and took his plate to the sink, where he rinsed it before putting it in the dishwasher. “I had been out hunting with me brothers, Duncan and Rory. We had a stag in our sights, ye ken, and we each went in a separate direction to better our chances with our bows. As I moved further away from them, I became aware that we had strayed rather close to a stone bridge which was enshrouded in fog. I thought it strange that the fog appeared only in one spot and me curiosity got the better of me as I headed towards it. I’d completely forgotten about the stag and me brothers. I was mesmerized by the fog and couldnae resist the urge to walk into it. As I did, the ground moved beneath me feet and colors exploded all around me. I scarcely had time to be afeared, before I landed in the bushes at the Marina Green, where I was greeted by a very concerned elderly couple. I thought I must have fallen and hit me head. I searched for me brothers, but never found them.”

  “You must have been shocked,” Richard said.

  “Aye. I wandered around for hours, trying to get it straight in me head and then I thought it best to head back to the bushes. I thought if I did, the fog would come again and take me back home, but it never did.” Nick picked up Richard’s empty plate, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher. “I had to adapt and I did.”

  “How long has it been?”

  “Two years. Me brothers must have searched all over for me. I cannae imagine what they went through when they couldnae find me.” Nick shook his head in disbelief.

  “You’ve never seen the fog again?” Richard asked, feeling a bit uneasy. If Nick had been here two whole years, his prospects for getting back home didn’t seem good.

  “Nae. I’ve looked and while there is plenty of fog to be had here in San Francisco, I’ve nae seen the likes of that fog since.” Nick refilled both his glass and Richard’s. “Now that yer here, I have hope again. We’ll find our way back, I’ve nae doubt.”

  Richard wished that he was feeling Nick’s optimism about their chances. The thought of never being able to return home weighed heavily on his mind.

  “Richard, dinnae look so hopeless. I have a good feeling about this.” Nick sipped his drink and gave Richard a reassuring smile. “In the meantime, I’ll be yer guide to this time and we’ll enjoy ourselves as we once did.”

  Richard offered Nick a half-hearted smile as he considered the prospect of living in this time and place. The only good things would be having Nick’s friendship again and the possibility of getting to know Angelina Lawson.

  Chapter 3

  The little cottage by the sea, just south of San Francisco, was Angelina’s safe haven and as she sat in her car on the gravel drive, admiring her small slice of heaven, she reflected on what it was about this place that grounded her and made her so happy. She loved everything about it - the ocean itself, the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach, the fresh scent of the water and the sounds of the many sea birds lining the narrow strip of beachfront. There was a certain peace to be found here and she never took it for granted. It was home to her and had been for quite some time now. When Jenna and Dylan had gone off on their extended journey to Scotland, they had asked her to move into the family home in the city, but Angelina had never wanted to live there. She’d had many opportunities in the past, but that wasn’t the life she wanted. She enjoyed San Francisco well enough on the few occasions that she stayed at the house, however, she wasn’t the party girl she had once been and she preferred to spend her nights alone here at the little cottage rather than at the much larger house in the city.

  Getting out of the car, Angelina inhaled deeply, enjoying the salty air, when a shiver of apprehension ran up her spine. She spun around and searched the growing darkness, but she saw nothing to make her suspicious. Again, she had the impression someone was watching her, just as she had when she left Nick and Richard earlier. She closed the car door and hurried towards the cottage, where she fumbled with her keys, nerves getting the better of her. The sound of footsteps crunching in the gravel caused her to jump and spin on the spot.

  “Angelina,” said an elderly woman as she approached.

  “Mrs. Whitcomb!” Angelina held a hand to her swiftly beating heart, trying to calm herself.

  “I’m sorry. Did I frighten you, dear?” Mrs. Whitcomb, Angelina’s friend and neighbor sounded quite concerned.

  “I’m just a little jumpy, I guess,” Angelina said by way of explanation. “How are you doing, Mrs. Whitcomb?”

  “Angelina, I’ve asked you before to call me Estella,” Mrs. Whitcomb admonished. “I’m fine, the husband and I are settling into our new home very nicely.”

  “Oh, good,” Angelina responded as she unlocked her front door. “Please come in, Estella.” She reached for the light switch and a soft, warm glow lit the room. Estella followed along behind her. “Would you care to have a seat? I’m going to get a fire started, it’s cold in here.” It was November and chilly in Northern California, but Angelina preferred her fireplace to the gas heater for keeping her little cottage warm.

  Estella took a seat in the cozy living room. “I was wondering if I might borrow a couple of eggs. I’m making a cake for Harry and I realized after I’d already gotten started that I was all out. It’s a long drive to the grocery store and I don’t see as well at night as I once did.”

  Angelina’s soft gaze landed on Estella. “Of course, you can. I’ll get them for you.” She marveled at how lively and young Estella seemed, despite her age of nearly eighty years. She retrieved two eggs from the refrigerator and handed them to Estella.

  “We’re thinking of getting some chickens,” Estella said. She searched Angelina’s face, perhaps waiting for a protest.

  “That sounds like a great idea. Where would you put the coop?” Angelina had thought about having chickens herself, but she knew someone needed to be there on a daily basis to care for them. She wasn’t sure she could commit to such an arrangement just yet.

  “Out in back by the vegetable garden. There’s plenty of room for a coop and a run.”

  “I’d be happy to help you take care of them when I’m here,” Angelina offered. “And maybe in exchange for some eggs, I could he
lp pay for their feed.

  “That would be wonderful. Fresh eggs are the best and I know we’d have more than enough to share with you.” Estella smiled warmly and stood to go. “Harry wants to build the coop himself, but I’m not sure he’s up to the challenge.”

  “Maybe my friend Nick could help him. I’ll ask him and if he agrees, I’ll let you know so Harry can buy the lumber.” She walked Estella to the door, where they stood for a moment.

  “Any help would be a blessing. Thank you so much. I believe we struck gold when we got you for a neighbor.” Estella headed out the door and turned to wave goodbye. “I’ll bring you a slice of cake tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Estella. Be careful walking in the dark,” Angelina stood in the doorway and watched as Estella carefully navigated her way across the gravel drive to the path that led to the house next door. “Good night!” Angelina called. Closing the door, she suffered the same uneasy sensation she’d had before Estella arrived. She double checked the locks and made sure all the windows around the house were closed and secured as well. Peeking through the front windows, she realized there was no way she was going to see anything at all out there. The fog had rolled in and the moon was no longer visible, leaving the surrounding area pitch black. She closed the blinds and went to the kitchen to make herself a quick dinner from the contents of the freezer. As she waited for the microwave to beep, she sent a text to Nick. I’m home. Sorry for the delay texting. My new neighbor stopped by and we were talking.

  The microwave signaled that her food was done and as she removed it, the phone vibrated, letting her know that Nick had answered. I’m happy you’re home safely. Richard and I are catching up on lost time. Will we see you tomorrow?

  I’m not sure. I have some things to do, but if I finish early enough I’ll stop by. Angelina loved Nick like a brother. She’d never had one, but she imagined if she had, he would have been just like Nick. At first, he’d come on to her, trying to convince her he was the one for her, but after a brief period of suffering Angelina’s gentle rejections, Nick had seen reason in her arguments about not wanting to get involved and they had become the best of friends. She found it amusing that wherever they went, women jealously eyed her, as if she were their competition in the contest for Nick’s heart. He loved all the attention and deservedly so. He was a tall, broad shouldered Scotsman, with an adorable accent. Handsome was an understatement in his case. He possessed smoldering good looks, all the way from his mop of wavy brown hair, to his aquiline nose and very masculine chin. His eyes were a tawny gold, with flecks of green and brown and his lips were perfectly formed and a prize many women coveted.