I blinked.
He passed the prayer book to me and I leafed through it. “I guess I should do some research on her.”
“Aye, she is yer family, twould be good tae learn her history.”
“Anything good in the Bible?”
He thumbed through it, while I looked at the last few things in the chest.
Finally he said, “This is a more recent book. Tis not related tae Scotland.”
He showed me the main plate.
I said, “That’s my grandmother’s surname. On my father’s side.” I flipped to the middle where there were pages that listed births, weddings, and deaths. One of the last names under births was that of my grandmother. “This is definitely her book and is about my family based here in North Carolina.”
I closed it and picked up the prayer book again. “This one is much, much older.”
“Did ye ken yer family here had a connection tae Kilchurn castle in Scotland?”
I said, “No one ever mentioned it.”
He nodded.
I held it in my arms, surrounded by all my best, most beloved treasured possessions. I couldn’t believe I never realized that the prayer book was from a different person, different ancestors, a whole different branch of my tree.
I sighed. I would need to research.
I looked at Torin. “I want to do some research, but first I wonder if we ought to go back to bed... I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed and tired and… I could let you wander in my gardens?”
He frowned a bit. “Alas, mo leannan, I canna go back tae bed as I must see tae the horses.”
I teased, “You’realreadyusing the stables as an excuse not to go to our bed, Torin? Are you already tired of me?”
“Och nae, how could I grow tired of ye? Ye are bonny and invitin’ and I want ye again, but the horses canna tend tae themselves. The pasture inna large enough, tis m’duty.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I understand, but will you be disappointed in me if I go take a nap? I’m really feeling tired, this has been a lot.”
“Aye, ye can rest, I will tend tae m’duties, and perhaps I will come waken ye when I am done. I will need a wander, likely.”
He leaned over, kissed my cheek, and then used the edge of the chest to rise, but his eyes caught something inside. “Tis all the way tae the bottom?”
“What do you mean?”
He leaned over to look underneath at the short carved legs. He stuck his hand in the space under the chest and then looked back inside. “Ye ken the bottom is higher than it ought tae be.”
“There’s a false bottom?”
He shimmied the chest in front of him, kneeling, and put a hand underneath and one inside. “There is…” He leaned in and put his fingers in, feeling around the inside edges. He ran his hands along the bottom, tugging. “There is nae drawer.”
He pulled a small blade from his belt. “Dost ye mind if I pry it?”
“You think something might be inside?”
He nodded. “Aye, tis common in chests tae hide valuables below a false bottom.”
He lifted the corner of the heavy chest and turned his head toward it to listen. “Ye heard it shift?”
“I did, yes, try not to damage it, please.”
