Izzy grinned. “Thanks.”
As they ate the cakes and walked into a large pantry, Abby frowned. “I wouldn’t have chosen here for a secret room.”
“This is the best place,” Jannet said, stopping at a set of shelves. “No one comes in here except the cook and kitchen staff. They are the most loyal of all the staff.”
She pushed the shelving unit to the side and opened the thick wooden door with metal clasps, pushing it inside a room.
“Neat,” Izzy said, stroking the metal sides of the shelves. “I love it.”
Inside, Jannet lit the light sconces and sat down on a wooden chair while Abby and Izzy perused the contents of the room.
Abby didn’t know what she expected, but the room was sparse with minimal shelving, some hangers with men’s and woman’s clothes from different eras, and an old wooden table in the centre.
Izzy made a beeline to the clothes racks while Abby examined the table’s contents. Somehow her parents had managed to bring small, twenty-first century keepsakes back in time with them. She was surprised to see some books, but Abby noticed none were about history, only fantasy fiction and herbal remedy books. Framed photographs of her parentswith a barrel-chested, kilted man, and some of her and her siblings at different ages were spread over the table. Abby picked up the one of her parents and looked closely at the Scot. He must have been Iain’s father, yes, the same eyes stared out at her as if he were amused that she had found him.
“Come along,” Jannet said. “Abby, you and Iain can explore this room at your leisure at another time.”
“Oh, I was hoping I could try on some of these clothes,” Izzy said, feigning a pout.
Jannet chuckled and opened the door. “Perhaps the next time you visit.” She shooed them out.
Izzy grinned at Abby. “You’re so lucky. I’d love to live here.”
“It’s cold and drafty, and with the dogs in the great hall in the winter, smelly,” Jannet said.
“Way to make me want to stay,” Abby said.
Jannet linked her arm through Abby’s, and whispered. “It’s not that bad, but we don’t want your sister staying, she has her own life to live.”
Chapter 25
That night, Iain called for a feast and Abby was overjoyed that her sisters understood her decision to stay with her Highlander. Garrett wasn’t happy, but Abby loved him all the more because of the effort he made to be gracious and get along with Iain and his men.
Word had already gotten around that Iain and the strange woman were to marry, and many came up to his table and congratulated him. The women seemed to be a bit wary of Abby, but they nevertheless welcomed her into the clan.
The celebration feast was in full swing, and while Maeve sat on Iain’s left side, Abby happily sat on his right gazing around the great hall. She had a lot to learn, but with Iain by her side, she was eager to do whatever she had to do to become accepted by his people.
Iain’s table on the dais had been set to allow room for Abby’s family to sit along the opposite side. Izzy claimed the seat facing Abby, and Garrett sat opposite Maeve. Max was opposite Iain.
Soft music filled the room from the players of bagpipes and flutes.
Compared to the raucous jubilation of Iain’s warriors and crofters, her sisters and brother were subdued, Garrett especially, but she noted that didn’t seem to hamper his hunger for food or wine.
The warriors kept glancing at the strangers at Iain’s table, and Abby didn’t have to hear their conversations to know what was being said. Who were those people? They acted differently, talked differently.
Thankfully, they wouldn’t be saying they dressed differently, because Jannet and Maeve had dressed them in clothes of the time. Izzy looked beautiful in a jade-green gown, and she didn’t mind in the least that the square neckline was cut so low. Her hair had been curled into ringlets, most of which were piled high on her head, leaving the remaining tendrils encompassing her sweet, doll-like face.
Max kept pulling at her lemon-yellow gown as if trying to give her more room to breathe. Abby smiled when one side of the MacLaren tartan she had worn over her shoulders to hide the low-cut neckline fell. Max hissed and threw the end back over her shoulder.
Garrett’s nine-yard tartan showed his physique off to its best. His white shirt was a bit tight, but that only made him look more handsome. He was naturally more muscle than fat, but even though he hauled his paintings around from show to show, his muscles had gained more definition since she’d last seen him, like he’d been working out—hard.
The air around Abby tingled, and she snapped her head in all directions. Leaning forward, she whispered, “Did you feel that?”
They all shook their heads. “What is it?” Iain asked.
The serving staff flitted around the table, all ears, Abby was sure. She waited until they left and everyone in the room was busy eating. “Nothing. I’m probably a bit jittery is all.”
“Ye are having second thoughts?”
