I said, “Good idea, we got ‘No traveling alone in the passages,’ added to, ‘Don’t go anywhere without a man with a sword.’”
Hayley and Fraoch walked in. She said, “Holy cannoli, this is a lot of Campbell men.”
“Yep, that’s what we’re saying. And you should have seen it five minutes ago. They’re on their best behavior because Magnus entered, but five minutes ago it was wild, and Emma was in the middle of it with all the babies.”
She said, “I bravely go where no modern woman has ever gone before.”
Zach said, “I fucking love your Star Trek references, babe.”
Magnus spoke to someone and we took our seats at the high end of the table, with plates of food in front of us.
Emma said, “I see that we need Magnus if we want anyone to pay attention to us.”
Magnus said, “Madame Emma ye hae bravely entered a medieval Great Hall on day one without an introduction. Tis tae be admired, but I will give ye a bit of advice, ye daena want three quarters of these people tae pay any attention tae ye.”
Zach asked, “Who runs the place?”
“Cailean runs the kingdom for me. He’s my... what dost ye call it — the large painting?”
Zach said, “Your big picture guy?”
“Aye, he does the big picture of it all. Cailean’s castle, Innis Chonnel?—”
I said, “The ruin on Loch Awe?”
He nodded. “Aye, in this time tis kept in good order, the castle is strong, Cailean and his sons are verra good at management. Sean, when ye are talking about the stone with Ian, bring Cailean in on the conversation. He will oversee the work when ye arna here.”
Sean said, “Good, I will meet with Cailean today.”
“And I will ask Cailean if his son Niall and his wife can come and take over the runnin’ of the household.” He squeezed my hand. “His wife, Mary, speaks English, so there would be nae language barrier, but she must always be acknowledged as the most important person in the castle.”
I laughed. “Great.”
He chuckled. “Tis why I haena invited her tae come yet, she can be a trial. I imagine twill complicate yer relationship, Kaitlyn, as ye are the queen, but as she will be able tae communicate with ye, ye might not mind her pride, and if ye tell her she has done a great deal of good she might be easy enough tae manage.”
I laughed. “I’ve learned to manage a few women like that in my life.”
Hayley said, “Lady Mairead falls under that description, but on steroids.”
The Great Hall had grown quiet as the crowd dwindled. I sighed, “This is going to be a lot to get used to.”
Fraoch said, “Aye, but we are in it taegether.”
Zach shrugged. “Are we? We seem kind of spread out across time: we got a kingdom in the twenty-fourth century, we got James’s newborn baby in the eighteenth century, we got one of our best fighters, besides me of course, in the eighteenth century.” He looked at his watch. “I think right about now we have James and your Colonel in the twenty-first century...”
Magnus nodded. “When ye put it like that, in the light of the day, we appear tae be on our back foot.”
Sean said, “With mostly timber walls.”
Magnus exhaled. “Tis not all timber, some are stone, the corners are stone, there is some wood but?—”
“Och, ye are tryin’ tae justify it, the stone is too short, the south west is timber, the east is too thin. Ye must build properly, Young Magnus, a thick, strong, stone wall first thing. If Lizbeth were here she would never stop laughin’ on it.”
“Och nae, fine, aye, I agree. I daena want any wood on the walls, and the timber side must be done first. And Idefinitelydaena want Lizbeth tae mock me.”
Sean raised his glass and said, “Tae Lizbeth, may she always think kindly upon us.”
Magnus raised his glass and the two brothers drank.
