“Of course ye can. It’s easy. Ye just have to untie these ropes. I’ll take care of the rest.”
She sat back on her heels and regarded him. “Look, whatever is going on between you and these men, it’s nothing to do with me. I’m just here to take care of your injury. Once we get to Edinburgh, you’ll get the proper care you need.”
He snorted contemptuously. “Hardly. When we get to Edinburgh, they’ll hang me.”
She started, taken aback by this statement. “What are you talking about?”
“That’s what they do to traitors isnae it? I’ll soon be dancing on the end of a rope.”
“That’s not funny, Alfred. In fact, that’s a little sick.”
“I’m not trying to be funny.” He leaned forward as far as the rope around the post would allow. “Ye could stop that. Ye could let me go.”
“Alfred, you’re a criminal.”
“Says who? All ye have to go on is their word. Who says I’m a criminal? Where’s the evidence? Where’s the proof?”
Lily shifted uncomfortably. “That will all come out during your trial.”
He laughed. “Oh, will it now? My trial will be a sham. They’ve already decided I’m guilty. And they’ll hang me for it.”
“Stop saying that!” Lily snapped. “We haven’t had capital punishment in this country for a long, long time!”
She scrambled to her feet. She didn’t want to have this conversation. She grabbed her bag and hurried through the other room and outside into the cold air where she leaned against the outer wall of the barn, breathing heavily.
It was getting dark and the temperature was falling rapidly but Lily felt unnaturally hot. Oh God, what was going on?
Dropping her bag to the ground, she took out her cell phone and held it up. As before, there was no signal. She could have wept with frustration. No, no, no! She needed to get out of here right now!
Holding the phone in both hands, she strode away from the barn, desperately hoping that the icon in the corner would begin to flash to show she’d found a signal. But it didn’t. With mounting panic, she began making a circle of the barn, holding the phone up high then began jabbing at the display, desperately trying to get it to do something, anything.
Come on, damn it!
“What are ye doing?”
Lily spun with a yelp to find Oskar standing behind her, watching her curiously. In the gathering gloom, the light from the phone display cast his face in an eerie light.
His eyes fell to the device in her hand and then widened. “What is that?”
“What does it look like? My phone! I’m trying to get a signal!”
He darted forward and snatched it out of her hand. His expression turned stony as he examined it. “I dinna believe it,” he breathed.
“Give me back my phone!” Lily demanded, holding out her hand. “What’s wrong with you?”
He didn’t move. He stared at the device in his hand with a mixture of fury and fear, as though it was a viper that might bite him.
“Why didnae ye tell us?” he grated, his eyes snapping to her. “Ye’ve been lying to us all this time!”
“Lying to you? What are you talking about?”
He brandished the phone at her as though this explained everything. “Why didnae ye tell us about this? What game are ye playing?” His voice throbbed with fury.
“Have you gone mad?” she demanded. “I’m not playing any game!”
“Oh?” he snapped, taking a few steps towards her. “Then why did ye not tell us ye were a time traveler?”
Lily could not have been more shocked if he’d accused her of being a Martian. “I’m sorry, a what now?”
