Rose laughed. “Of course you are! I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“That’s good then. Me and Patch have been practicing. He’s getting very good at it.”
“Getting good at what?”
“Carrying the train, of course! After all, he is going to be brides-dog.”
Rose found she had no answer to that.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Okay, ready?” Elisesaid. “Pick a card, but don’t tell me what it is.”
Catriona, sitting cross-legged in front of Elise, nodded and then pulled a card from the deck, glancing at it before she pressed it against her chest.
“Right, put it back and I bet I can guess which one yours is.”
Obediently, Catriona put the card back in the deck. Elise proceeded to shuffle them and then lay them out in a pattern on the rug between the two of them. She picked up a card and held it out.
“Was this your card?” It was the four of hearts.
Catriona’s eyes went wide. “Aye, it was! How did ye do that?”
Elise waved her fingers dramatically. “Magic.”
Jenna, who was sitting in the window seat, rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to her, Cat. That wasn’t magic at all, just sleight of hand. Anyone could do it.”
“So ye could teach me?” Catriona asked, excitement in her voice.
Rose smiled to herself as she sat at the dressing table while Mable fussed with her hair. It felt so good to have her sister and niece here. She wasn’t sure she would have been able to do this without them. Lir kept her promise and dutifully brought Elise through time so she could be present today and brought Jenna over from the neighboring island of Skye where she lived with her husband, Arran MacLeod.
To say that they were both surprised by her story was an understatement. As Elise had pulled herself out of the tidal pool that Lir had used as a portal, it was probably the only time Rose had seen her younger sister speechless. Jenna too had been shocked that her rule-following, risk-avoidant aunt had agreed to travel to the fifteenth century. And not only that, now she’d decided to stay.
Mable stepped back. “All done. I hope ye like it.”
Rose squeezed the maid’s hand in thanks then turned to the others. “Well? How do I look?”
“Awesome!” Catriona cried. “My papa willnae know what’s hit him!”
Rose couldn’t help but smile. Catriona was already picking up Jenna and Elise’s turns of phrase. She just hoped the pair didn’t teach her any swear words. She wasn’t sure how she’d explain that one away to Cailean.
“I think Trouble has got it just about right,” Elise said, using the nickname she’d given Catriona. “You look awesome, sis.”
“Like a proper fifteenth-century lady!” Jenna added. She gave Elise a mischievous smile. “Sure you don’t want to come and join us, Elise? I can really picture you in one of my dresses.”
Elise scowled. “No, thank you. There is no way you’re getting me living in this time. It’s bad enough that I have to come here if I want to visit the pair of you. No internet? No coffee shops? No indoor plumbing? Not a chance.” She shivered at this horrifying thought.
Jenna laughed. “You get used to it. You’d be surprised what you can get used to when the trade-off is finding your soulmate.”
A disgusted look crossed Elise’s face. “Ugh. You sound like a Disney movie.”
Rose chuckled at their banter. Oh, how she’d missed it. She perhaps hadn’t realized quite how much until now.
There was a knock on the door. Mable went over to answer it, revealing Drew MacRae standing there, looking dapper in his tartanplaid and with his hair and beard freshly combed. It was strange to think this was the same man who’d been at death’s door when she first arrived. Now he looked whole and hale and years younger than his sixty years.
He cleared his throat. “Erm… I’ve been sent to tell ye… that is, I’ve been sent to ask… if ye are ready, the ceremony is ready to begin.”
Rose felt a thrill go through her. She wasn’t sure if it was nerves or excitement or both. She rose to her feet. “Thank you, Drew. We’re on our way.” She said it calmly, even though her stomach was suddenly tying itself in knots.
