Our Shared Horizon (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 10) Read online

  Our Shared Horizon

  Diana Knightley

  For all of those with their eyes on the horizon in this chaos-making world…

  (Especially my children, for their positivity and their chaos, I love every moment of it.)

  Contents

  1. One - Hayley

  2. Two- Hayley

  3. Three - Hayley

  4. Four - Hayley

  5. Five - Hayley

  6. Six - Hayley

  7. Seven - Hayley

  8. Eight - Hayley

  9. Nine - Hayley

  10. Ten - Hayley

  11. Eleven - Hayley

  12. Twelve - Hayley

  13. Thirteen - Hayley

  14. Fourteen - Hayley

  15. Fifteen - Hayley

  16. Sixteen - Kaitlyn

  17. Seventeen - Kaitlyn

  18. Eighteen - Kaitlyn

  19. Nineteen - Kaitlyn

  20. Twenty - Kaitlyn

  21. Twenty-one - Kaitlyn

  22. Twenty-two - Kaitlyn

  23. Twenty-three - Kaitlyn

  24. Twenty-four - Magnus

  25. Twenty-five - Kaitlyn

  26. Twenty-six - Magnus

  27. Twenty-seven - Kaitlyn

  28. Twenty-eight - Hayley

  29. Twenty-nine - Hayley

  30. Thirty- Hayley

  31. Thirty-one - Hayley

  32. Thirty-two - Hayley

  33. Thirty-three - Kaitlyn

  34. Thirty-four - Kaitlyn

  35. Thirty-five - Magnus

  36. Thirty-six - Magnus

  37. Thirty-seven - Kaitlyn

  38. Thirty-eight - Kaitlyn

  39. Thirty-nine - Kaitlyn

  40. Forty - Hayley

  41. Forty-one - Hayley

  42. Forty-two - Hayley

  43. Forty-three - Hayley

  44. Forty-four - Hayley

  45. Forty-five - Hayley

  46. Forty-six - Hayley

  47. Forty-seven - Hayley

  48. Forty-eight - Kaitlyn

  49. Forty-nine - Kaitlyn

  50. Fifty - Kaitlyn

  51. Fifty-one - Magnus

  52. Fifty-two - Kaitlyn

  53. Fifty-three - Kaitlyn

  54. Fifty-four - Kaitlyn

  55. Fifty-five - Kaitlyn

  56. Fifty-six - Magnus

  57. Fifty-seven -Kaitlyn

  58. Fifty-eight - Hayley

  59. Fifty-nine - Kaitlyn

  Thank You

  Series Order

  Some thoughts and research…

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Diana Knightley

  About me, Diana Knightley

  Also by H. D. Knightley (My YA pen name)

  One - Hayley

  I was slumped over, my face pressed heavily into the horse’s mane and it smelled like sweat and unwashed animal, accosting my nose. I was too weak to sit up though, because this time travel shit hurt like hell. I was riding alone because, besides me, Fraoch’s horse also had to carry my bags full of gifts for Magnus’s family. We were heavy. I was heavier than usual because of agony.

  Fraoch was walking beside us, leading his horse, being quiet on it all.

  When I lived here before, I had named Fraoch’s horse, Thor, because he was big and strong and looked a little like Chris Hemsworth in the nose area. It meant, at the time, that I got to tell Fraoch about Thor and comic books and really the whole Marvel Universe and it had given us a lot to talk about. Back when we used to talk to each other.

  I patted Thor’s neck and whispered, “Hey, did you miss me? I came back.”

  Thor kept a steady pace, lulling me, helping me become comfortable. When I opened my eyes to peek at Fraoch, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking but he was thinking, that was certain. His sight settled on the path inches in front of his feet.

  We were headed to the castle.

  He had to take me straight there.

  Because Fraoch had a date tonight, a meeting with the young woman he was going to marry.

  I clamped my eyes shut and considered keeping them closed, like in a temper tantrum kind of way. If I couldn’t see it, it couldn’t be happening. Then I sighed, and righted myself in the saddle.

  We had agreed this was complicated and then I had gotten on the horse.

  “How long was I gone?” I wondered if I could leave and come back.

  “A couple of days.”

  “Oh. And they found you someone already?”

  “A’ready.”

  The dates were too close. I couldn’t loop back without the possibility of trampling on myself. I had heard the warnings. Besides, time travel was too painful, I did not relish the idea of trying it again today.

  “What’s her name?”

  “Elen MacNichols.”

  “Oh.” More quiet between us.

  I broke our silence by saying, “I’ll leave tomorrow, I just... I brought all these gifts and...”

  “Ye need tae rest afore ye can travel again, I ken...”

  We drew near the castle gates.

  Lizbeth came bustling across the courtyard with an older woman in her wake. “Madame Hayley! What dost ye mean by returning?”

  Fraoch offered his hand to help me from the horse. Lizbeth and the woman accompanying her met each other’s eyes.

  “Thank you, Fraoch.” I smoothed my hair and tried to look respectable and not like I traveled through multiple centuries and landed in a pile on the forest floor of the eighteenth century.

  Lizbeth said, “Madame Greer, may I present Madame Hayley, a dear friend of Queen Kaitlyn.”

  Madame Greer looked me up and down and seemed to find me acceptable enough. “I hae heard much of ye from Fraoch, Madame Hayley. I was nae able tae meet ye afore as I was carin’ for m’sister — she has the gout, as ye have probably heard from Queen Kaitlyn — verra considerate. I am sure she told ye, I am almost daily at m’sister’s bedside.”

  Kaitlyn had, of course, never mentioned such a thing, but she had warned me about Madame Greer. “Oh yes, it’s lovely to meet you, she told me all about your sister’s gout while we were at church the other day. We go daily, as you know.”

  Lizbeth asked, “How is Kaitlyn?”

  I said, “She is pregnant.”

  Madame Greer, clasped her hands together. “Wonderful! A bairn! She is providin’ King Magnus an heir!” She yanked up her apron and dabbed at her cheeks.

  I met eyes with Lizbeth. She asked, “And is she well?”

  “She is. She is happy and healthy. Magnus is with her and they are doing great.” I watched Fraoch as his strong shoulders stretched in his shirt while he unloaded my bags from his horse.

  Madame Greer followed my eyes. Her brow drew down. “Well, tis a pleasure tae meet ye, Madame Hayley. Fraoch, ye have a dinner tae attend! Mistress Elen and her family hae arrived and are awaitin’ ye in the Great Hall.”

  “Och, aye.” He straightened his belt, adjusted his sword, and ran a hand down his beard, smoothing it.

  Madame Greer said, “Good, follow me.”

  Lizbeth said, “Stay behind with me a moment, Madame Hayley. I would like tae speak tae ye.” She turned to an older man, and asked, “Would ye have these bags brought tae my rooms?”

  I said, “Except for these, these need to go to the Great Hall. They’re presents for after dinner.”

  Lizbeth said, “I see. Well, follow me.”

  Following Lizbeth was nerve-wracking. I tried to keep my back straight and my head held high, but I felt a great deal of shame — I just traveled three hundred years to be with a man-child who was being forced to m
arry another woman. I was the ‘other woman’ in this scenario. What the hell was I doing?

  Lizbeth sat and offered me a chair across from her. We were in one of the Earl’s lavish rooms, a couple of doors down from the Great Hall, surrounded by tapestries and paintings and fine rugs. “This is nae private, but if we are careful we winna be overheard.” She smoothed her skirts. “Why are ye here, Madame Hayley? I asked ye tae consider the implications. I told ye twould be verra difficult tae handle him if ye were affectin’ his head. Madame Greer and I hae found him a wife, I daena ken what ye are...” She shook her head, her expression best described as ‘exasperated’.

  Yes, I understood. I was very frustrating.

  But to be fair, in my timeline, I had been away from here for almost six months — long enough to get my hopes up. To plan. I had been having so much fun planning. I had shopped. I had come bearing gifts. I was an awesome gift giver. I couldn’t wait to give Fraoch his presents, but now he wasn’t mine to give presents to — two days and I had lost him.

  I sighed. “I’m sorry I came back, I just missed him. I wanted to see him.” We stared at each other across the ornate woven rug.

  She had her mouth resting on her hand, her brow turned down, her eyes direct. She looked a lot like her half-brother Magnus, actually, the same expression. “What are your intentions?”

  “I don’t know — I thought I knew. I planned to return and tell him I liked him and see what happens from there.”

  “Fraoch MacLeod is nae in a position tae ‘see what happens.’ He needs tae marry. He needs tae align himself with a family, and he needs a dowry tae be settled. Madame Greer has had her eye on this young woman, Elen MacNichol. She has three older brothers. Her family has good land and a high standin’ in the area. She is above Fraoch, but because of his ties tae Magnus, and therefore Sean, and through him, the Earl, Fraoch has been deemed suitable enough tae marry her. Ye must see this is a good match for him?”

  I looked down at my clasped hands. “I do.”

  “I ken ye think ye could have a happy marriage with him, but ye haena land or family here. Madame Hayley, I like ye verra much and daena like the idea of ye livin’ in a hovel with Master MacLeod’s babies all around ye — imagine the fussin’! Ye would be wailin’ along with the bairn, wishin’ ye had the sense tae return home and marry a man of greater fortune and less humor.”

  “I like his humor.”

  Lizbeth waved my words away. “Och, humor will get ye nothing good in this world, Madame Hayley. What ye need is a man who can hunt, who will go tae the woods when ye tell him tae, and will listen tae ye when ye speak on a matter.”

  “Fraoch listens to me. He hunts for me, he...” I let my voice trail off.

  She sighed as if I was so terribly disappointing.

  I said, “I’m sorry I’m arguing with you, I do understand what you’re saying. It’s true, Fraoch would be much better off marrying someone here who has a big family. I get that. I don’t know why I wasn’t thinking. I just like him. I simply wanted to make him happy.”

  “Did something transpire between ye? Before ye left? Or on this day when he arrived with ye? Did ye discuss this matter, has he made ye a promise?”

  “No. Never. We have never been anything but friends and he... and nothing today. He just told me he was going to be married. And I didn’t know what to say...” I smiled to cut the drama. “You know, if you think about it, this is all your fault. You told me he was praying about me, that he liked me.”

  She huffed good-naturedly. “Och, I am often so wise on things I set them intae disarray.”

  “But I understand I really do, I want the best for him and...”

  “This is the best for him, Madame Hayley. This is a good match and a fair future. I need ye tae distance yourself from him, give him room tae see she will make him comfortable.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, it would be best if I left tomorrow.”

  She had a glint in her eye. “But first ye said ye have presents?”

  I grinned. “So many presents. This one for you privately, Kaitlyn sent it.” I fished in my leather satchel for a zippered pouch. “She told me she gave you some birth control pills after your baby was born — there are a couple of years worth here, one a day.”

  Her cheek color went high as she hid the bag in the folds of her skirts. “Please tell Kaitlyn I greatly thank her, I was almost finished with the last.” She stood. “I will take them tae my rooms and then we will go tae the Great Hall for dinner.”

  Two- Hayley

  My eyes swept the Great Hall and settled on Fraoch, his strong back, the side of his face. He nodded, almost imperceptibly. He was in a conversation and couldn’t draw his attention from the matter at hand but he knew I was there — it would have to be enough.

  This was the grownup thing for me to think, of course, my rational brain:

  This is good.

  I understand.

  This is the best thing for Fraoch.

  But my heart was sunk low low low. My hands were shaky.

  A young woman sat beside him — scratch that — a girl. She looked to be less than eighteen years old, slouched forward, staring down on her uneaten meal. She never looked left or right, or engaged with Fraoch at all. She looked terrified. My stomach hurt.

  The Earl was in his chair at the head of the table, his rouged cheeks and high wig setting him as more important than everyone else in the room, also more comical. Lizbeth accompanied me to his chair for a reintroduction.

  “You have returned tae Balloch, Madame?”

  “I have, thank you for allowing me to stay.” I felt flustered — he hadn’t invited me to stay and whenever I spoke with him I sounded like an idiot. It was like talking to an antique oil painting that was judging me.

  “Any relation of Magnus is welcome. How is he? His kingdom is verra grand?”

  “It is. He is well. He sent presents. Excuse me.”

  I rushed to my leather satchel leaning against the wall and returned with three gift bags made of silk brocade with gold embellishments. Gold silk ribbons cinched them closed.

  The Earl’s eyes went wide and he pushed his plate away to make room. “Och! They are beautiful! I have always considered Magnus a particular favorite.” He untied the first bag, revealing a silver can. “What is this?”

  “Sugar.” I unscrewed the lid and handed him a spoon.

  A large spoonful went in and then he coughed, spraying it on the table. He mopped his face with a cloth napkin and declared the sugar “delicious!”

  “Magnus said he would bring more next time he comes to visit.”

  The second bag held gold coins. The Earl peeked inside, nodded, and placed it on his lap under the table. The last gift bag held a pair of shearling sheepskin slippers and a hot water bottle. I explained how to fill the rubber bottle but he lost interest in me, whispering to the woman on his right. I bowed away and found my seat farther down the main table, beside Lizbeth.

  A glass of whisky was put in front of me. I slammed it. For edification.

  Fraoch was at a side table angled away from me so I could only see his back and only if I tried.

  It was boring without him — I missed his bragging, his big booming stories, and his laugh.

  And when I looked he was quiet, head forward, stiff and formal, barely speaking. An older man sat to his right, the young woman sat on his left. Three men sat across from him. They were all eating, not speaking much. The girl never spoke at all.

  Maybe he sensed I was watching him, because he turned my way, checked on me. He was chewing his lips. His eyes were pensive. He quickly turned away.

  I let out a long deep breath. “Who’s going to bring me another drink?”

  Sean chuckled and delivered me an ale.

  I took a bite of a tough meat, chewed it despondently, and swallowed it down. I glanced back at Fraoch — speaking with the man beside him.

  Probably wedding things. Marriage. Family.

  I was supposed to be doin
g that. Me.

  Ugh.

  I had spent six months of my life mooning over a man in the eighteenth century. I traveled all the way to marry him and he couldn’t. It was ridiculous, actually, how wrong I had been.

  I chugged some ale and laughed at a joke Sean told.

  More ale.

  I got kind of hot. I fanned my neck and tried really hard to cool down.

  Another bite of meat. Some turnips. A whisky was passed to me by a leering man at the end of our table. I slammed it down. “Who wants presents?”

  Sean retrieved my duffel bags. From the largest, I passed out shoe boxes to everyone in the immediate circle.

  Sean inspected the cardboard box in his hand. “Where did ye get the packages? Ye hae only been gone for a couple of days.”

  I stopped in mid-movement. “Yeah, I mean, Magnus sent this — a shipment. He wanted to surprise you. I went and met it, by um, carriage.”

  He seemed eased by my explanation and even more when he opened the lid. Uggs. A pair for Sean, one for his wife Maggie, a pair each for Lizbeth and Liam. There were smaller pairs for the children. The Uggs I brought for Fraoch I shifted to the bottom of the bag.

  I had four extra pairs in men’s sizes and I gave them to Sean to give to the men he chose. But there was so much interest that I brought out a pen and a notebook and made a list of more shoe sizes. It looked like I needed to bring about forty more pairs next time... Mags would need to be involved probably.