Feeling totally lost and devastated, Dougall followed along behind Sara and Logan who were chatting happily as if they’d known each other for years instead of having just met this very morning. He wasn’t paying any attention to where they were going or to the fact that both Logan and Sara had stopped. He walked right past them and was greeted by a horrific sound as Sara reached out and grabbed him, pulling him back to where she and Logan stood.
“You’re going to need to be more careful. That car could have killed you. Are you okay?” She seemed genuinely concerned for his well-being.
Dougall nodded his head, noting that they stood alongside several other people waiting for something. Fast moving vehicles buzzed past them and then suddenly they all stopped. Everyone began walking and he followed suit. Sara was right. He needed to pay attention to his surroundings. He was usually much more alert than this, but all he could think about was Helene and how heartbroken he was to have seen her leave with this Zeke person. He planned to put an end to that as soon as possible. Helene was his. She knew this. Why couldn’t she understand that he’d only done what he thought was best at the time? Granted it was the completely wrong thing to do, but no matter. Helene loved him. How could that change so quickly?
“Dougall,” Logan said, sounding somewhat exasperated. They’d arrived back at Sara’s home and Dougall would have been hard pressed to say how they’d gotten there.
Sara was gazing at him with her hands on her hips.
“Where are ye? I’ve been speaking with ye fer a while and just now realized ye havenae heard a single thing I’ve said.”
“I’m thinking about Helene. How could she go running off like that? Wasnae she happy I’d come for her?”
“Listen, Mister. You’ve got to understand something about women. They don’t like being thrown into dungeons and left for dead,” Sara pointed out.
“I’m nae an idjit, ye ken,” Dougall’s patience with Sara was nearing its end. No one ever dared speak to him the way this wee lass did. She obviously had no idea who she was dealing with. He was a respected warrior back in his time. Anyone speaking to him thusly would soon find themselves at the end of his sword.
“Well, ye could’ve fooled me. If you love Helene so much, then you shouldn’t just expect to show up and have her fall into your arms. She’s going to need some time to deal with seeing you again. She feels betrayed. Don’t you get it?” Sara threw her hands in the air in apparent exasperation.
“Get it?” His head was hurting him from Helene’s rejection and now from these strange words Sara continued to fire at him like arrows.
“Understand,” she said.
“Sara, I cannae live without Helene. Ye must help me.” He would do anything to get Helene back. She was his love and perhaps she’d changed, much as her appearance had. It pained him to think about it, but perhaps now that she was a woman of the future with her painted nails and unusual clothing, perhaps she didn’t love him anymore.
“I’m not so sure how much help I can be.” Why did she keep looking at him as if he were some foul beggar she’d found on the street.
“Tell him what he must do to get her back. Yer a lass. Surely ye understand the ways of women, even if they’re not from yer time.” Logan put his hands on Sara’s shoulders as he implored her to help Dougall.
Sara hadn’t wanted to feel sorry for Dougall, but she did. She still thought Helene would be better off with Zeke, but she also knew that Helene did still love Dougall, even if she refused to admit it to him. “Okay. I’ll try.”
“Shall we go after them now then?” Dougall didn’t want Helene spending any more time with Zeke. He had to get her away from him. Perhaps then she’d listen to him and love him again.
“Are you nuts? It wouldn’t be a good idea to interrupt their date. At the very least you’d really tick off Zeke.”
“Tick off?” More words he didn’t understand.
“Anger,” Sara explained.
“I dinnae care. I can best him in a fight.” Dougall was a big man. There was no need to puff himself up to prove it, but he did anyway.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Not everyone keeps a sword by their front door in this time, but Zeke does because he runs a medieval martial arts studio here in the city. He’s won all sorts of competitions and he’s got the medals and trophies to prove it.”
“I am nae impressed. I have fought in many a battle and have never once even suffered a minor injury.” Dougall was proud of his expertise on the battlefield.
“Look, Zeke’s my brother. You’re not going to kill him,” Sara protested.
“Mayhap I could injure him then.”
“No. None of that is going to happen. You’re going to win Helene back by showing her that you appreciate her, love her and will never ever do anything to put her in danger again.”
“I do appreciate her and love her and I’ve told her I’m sorry. ’Twill never happen again.”
“I think Helene likes it here. She is experiencing things she’s never seen before.”
Dougall suddenly understood that there were things in this world that he couldn’t fight. Helene was becoming a new woman and as such she may not want him anymore.
“Hey, don’t be sad. That’s not a bad thing. It just means that you need to grow and change too.” Sara placed a hand on his arm. A gesture Dougall appreciated as he was feeling quite hopeless.
