“You’ll die a painful death with nobody by your side,” she murmured as William pulled her free.
“Come,” William said and led her from the court as everyone whispered around her and stared.
“I will not sleep with you,” she stated, and William chuckled.
“I’ve no intention of trying to bed you, girl. But I don’t like Walter or his arrogance and cruelty. He’s a stuck-up, social-climbing disease.”
“My lord, don’t return inside. Flee this place. Walter has been ill; if you go back in there, you risk catching whatever it is,” Jeska said.
William froze and looked down at her. “And you?”
“I’m clean. I swear. Please, as payment for your kindness, do not return,” Jeska pleaded.
“Go with God’s Grace, Jeska; I shall heed your warning. Do you have somewhere to go?”
“Yes. Thank you, my lord. I wish you the best in your endeavours,” Jeska said and hurried into the night. Guilt was already eating at her. She needed one of her own kind because Jeska had just released the plague in England.
It would become known as the Black Death, and although many believed it originated in Central Asia, the truth was that it was two separate plagues. One naturally occurring disease in rats, which would have died out if not for Jeska releasing Disease.
Disease amplified the plague, ensuring he’d have plenty of food in the future. One plague, two causes, and fifty million deaths.
???
Jess woke up sweating. She couldn’t afford to fall in love again, so she picked up her phone. She stared at the messages before placing them back down. One dinner wouldn’t hurt, and Mitch had pulled her out of the Loch. She wouldn’t have drowned, but he didn’t know that.
Mitch
He whistled as he headed through the hotel until he saw Diarmad’s face. Oh hell. His friend hurried towards him, grabbed his arm, and marched him to the bar.
“Two whiskeys,” Diar ordered.
“Dair, I need to grab a couple of hours’ sleep,” Mitch argued.
“Not until you tell me everything. And don’t lie, Mitch. Several witnesses reported seeing Nessie at Drumnadrochit, and you were right there. You must have seen her. And there’s damage to my yacht, which means you now owe me the full story!” Diar insisted.
“Will you let me sleep after?” Mitch almost begged.
“Start talking,” Diar demanded and settled in.
Mitch sighed and started from when he saw Nessie on the shore just before she entered the water. It took two whiskeys and an hour of questioning before Diar was satisfied. Finally, he sat back and studied me.
“You like this woman.”
“Diar, I don’t know Jess enough to agree or deny that.”
“Mitch, you cared enough to wrangle a dinner invitation from her. That means you really like her,” Diar pushed.
“Possibly. But what of it? Jess could be another gold-digger. She made sure to tell me she was poor,” Mitch responded.
Dair frowned, and Mitch wondered what he was thinking now. Diar’s thought process was a weird and wonderful thing.
“Like she made a point of it?” Diar asked.
“Yup.”
“Maybe she’s not but is pretending to be. Could be Miss Mayhew has suffered her own version of gold-diggers,” Diar pointed out. “Mitch, it’s not just women looking for an easy ride.”
“That’s true, but she’s not likely to be richer than me,” Mitch said, and Diar laughed.
