“Do you yield,” Andrew asked, fist clenched above the other man’s head.
The man nodded frantically, spitting out a blackened tooth. “Aye. Just dinnae hurt me no more.”
Andrew stood up slowly, looking down at the stricken figure. “On your feet.”
The man got up slowly but as he did so, he suddenly lunged forward, the dirk still in his hand. Beth went to shout a warning but Andrew had already reacted, leaping to one side and again sticking out a foot.
The man tripped over it, stumbling and falling onto his own blade. He landed heavily, gurgling as he did so. He writhed in place, rolling onto his back, the dirk sticking out of his chest.
“Who sent you?” Andrew asked, grabbing him by the neck. “Tell me who sent you and I’ll stop the bleeding.
“Dirk,” the man said, his fingers wrapping around the handle of the blade, trying to pull it out. “Dirk.” It was the last thing he said, his eyes glazing over a second later.
Beth couldn’t help it. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She’d seen too much death recently. It was more than she could take.
“Did he mention the MacLeishes?” Andrew asked, standing up and looking at her. “Why the sobbing, lassie? You’re safe enough now.”
“You think that’s what matters? He’s dead. You know before coming here I’d never seen a single dead body. It’s all too much. I’m going home.”
“Is that what you were doing out here? Were you trying to get back to the old hall?”
She nodded. “I couldn’t even do that without someone else dying.”
“You want to go back to your own time, don’t you?”
She nodded before frowning. “Wait, are you saying you believe me?”
“Aye, lassie. I do.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“You and your clothes and your knowledge of building techniques no one else has heard of. A stone vault for the hall, camber for the roads, all the rest at the castle. There’s no other story that fits than the one you told from the start. Only…” His voice faded into nothing and he looked down at the ground between them.
“Only what?”
He looked up, straight into her eyes. He held out both his hands, swallowing hers. “I dinnae want you to go back.”
She looked back at him, feeling his rough fingers on her own. “What? Why?”
“I want you to stay with me.”
“But why? I don’t understand why it matters so much to you.”
“Because I love you.”
Beth felt like she’d been punched in the stomach and lifted into the air at the same time. She was shocked beyond belief to hear those words. Sure, they’d shared a kiss but had he given any sign before that he loved her?
She realized something in that moment, something she’d always known when she looked deep inside herself, the reason why it had been so hard to go. “I love you too.” At once a pang of guilt struck her. Her mother needed her.
“So you’ll stay?”
Beth paused, thinking hard before answering. She looked down at the body on the ground next to them, knowing that staying might mean seeing many more like him. “I’ll stay.”
“I’m so glad you said that.”
“But only until the building work is finished, then I must find my mother.”
He nodded, his smile fading. “I understand.”
He took her hand, leading her out of the wood to the fields beyond. The rain was slowing and in the distance a flash of blue sky appeared between the fast moving clouds. He stopped, planted his feet apart and grabbed her. “I dinnae know what sent you to me but I’m glad you came.” Then he kissed her.
Beth felt a warmth spreading through her as they embraced but it was accompanied by a poignancy. How many more kisses would they get to share before she had to leave him forever?
