Love Beyond Dreams (A Scottish Time Travel Romance): Book 6 (Morna's Legacy Series) Read Free

leave me here.”
    It wasn’t the reaction he expected from her, but he couldn’t help but be relieved that Marion wouldn’t be sad to see him go. She was the only friend he had, the only person he knew at all. He didn’t want to cause her pain in any way but as he was learning more and more, loneliness seemed to suit the strange, cave-dwelling wildling.  
    “If ye think it best, I can leave come morning.”
    “Aye, I do. ’Tis time for us to part ways, ye and I. Being near ye has stirred feelings that I had for others long ago. They are best left forgotten.”
    It was the most sentimental statement he’d ever heard from her, and he wondered if perhaps he’d already stayed longer than he should have.  
    “Marion,” he glanced over at her. The sadness in her eyes took him aback. He reached for her hand before he thought better of it. She flinched away from him, but he continued with his question. “Why doona ye come with me? Leave this place and start a life anew for yerself? I doona know what happened in yer life to cause ye to seek such solitude, but ye doona have to remain in it. We could venture out together.”
    She pushed herself up from the rocks, bent to gather the fish she’d caught on her own, and turned away from him before speaking.  
    “No. I’ve no desire for that. Ye will leave on yer own come morning. Climb to the top of the rocks tonight, and cross the bridge into the village so that ye might decide where ye wish to start out tomorrow. I never see anyone about the castle. Ye should be able to cross the castle grounds unnoticed.”
    He already knew that. He’d spent many evenings making his way to the top of the island where the castle lay, taking long walks in the moonlight around its grounds. He’d not yet dared to cross the bridge leading to the village, but it seemed that tonight Marion was giving him no choice but to do just that.  
    It was time for his life to start all over again.  

CHAPTER 3

    Cagair Castle

    Present Day

    I enjoyed my weekend alone in the castle with Toby. I really had, but regardless of how much I reveled in being able to stay in my pajamas until noon and take multiple bubble baths a day, I still found myself quite ready for Aiden, Anne, and the rest of the construction crew to return when Monday morning arrived.  
    At first, when nobody showed up, I assumed their travel had been somehow delayed and Aiden didn’t want his men to start work without him. Despite my disappointment, I didn’t worry about them overmuch and went about my normal weekday routine.
    I walked Toby, showered, dressed, ate some breakfast, and went to painting rather aimlessly at a blank piece of canvas. Before I knew it, the day slipped away, as it often did when I was painting. It wasn’t until Toby finally lost his patience and sunk his sharp, needle-like teeth into my foot in an effort to get me to stop and play that I glanced up to see that the sun had already started its descent.
    Aiden still hadn’t arrived, and that realization made me worry. He wasn’t the sort of person to not call when plans changed.  
    Needing to alleviate my paranoia that something terrible had happened to him, I pulled Toby away from my foot and into my arms before taking out my phone to give him a call. When there was no answer, I left him a short message before setting Toby back on the ground so that I could quickly clean up my mess as I rationalized all of the possible reasons for his absence.  
    Perhaps they’d decided to extend their weekend getaway, or he’d lost his cell phone. There were a great many logical possibilities so I resolved myself to letting go of any worry before it was absolutely necessary.  
    Toby would help me with that, as he continued to make it very clear that he’d spent enough time waiting for me to finish my work. I had to give the little guy some credit. He dutifully slept or bounced around at my feet all day while I worked, but now, an hour away from sunset, he started