Phoebe laughed. “We’ve got friends from the fifteenth century who needed a lot of help too. So cheer up. We’ve got experience helping time travelers.”
James bobbed his brow. "Just wait until ye discover television."
"Television?" Bella asked.
"Moving pictures in a box," Phoebe explained. "Like watching a play, but the players are tiny and trapped inside glass."
Bella's eyes widened. "Truly?"
"No,” James said, shooting his wife a scowl. “No one is tiny, and no one is trapped inside glass. She’s a tease.”
"Guilty as charged,” Phoebe said. “But don’t worry. Television is far down on the list. No technology for a while, yeah?” She stepped back and waved at her husband to go ahead of her. “Let’s leave these fine people before the smell of ye makes them ill.”
Bella watched them go, a wistful expression on her face. "They seem happy."
"Aye," Flanders agreed. "I reckon they are."
"Did ye know her well? In the past?"
Flanders hesitated. "We were...acquainted."
Bella's eyes narrowed. "How acquainted?"
"I once thought I might make her my wife," he admitted. "But she chose James. As she should have. They were well on mad for each other."
"You loved her?" Bella's voice was carefully neutral.
"Hardly. I hadn’t known her l—" Flanders shook his head. “We were well suited for each other. Not the same as love. What I felt for Phoebe was nothing compared to what I feel for your sister."
Bella studied him for a long moment. "Ye seem to love rather easily, Flanders Leesborn."
"Don’t count on it, Bella Muir.”
Reminded of Brigid’s request, they shared a smile.
As he walked away, she gave a warning. "I'll be watching ye, Viking."
41
A SHRINE TO TRUE LOVE
* * *
That evening, Brigid insisted on joining everyone for dinner, despite the doctor's reservations. She didn’t want any more injections of that drug that took away her wits, and besides, the pain was decreasing all the time. The man admitted that she was through the worst and finally let her have her way.
A chair with large wheels on the sides made it even easier to escape her room, and she wasn’t so sure she would let anyone take her back again.
The nurse insisted on delivering her to the dining room, then positioned her in an empty corner to avoid the risk of anyone bumping into her raised legs. Word had spread, apparently, that she had escaped because Bella and Flanders rushed into the room soon after her wheels were locked in place.
“I’ll feed her,” Bella shouted, before Flanders could. But he wasn’t paying her any attention.
His eyes found Brigid and he fell to his knees. “Ye’re well, then?”
“I’m improving all the time.”
He blinked tears from his eyes and just looked at her for a long minute. When others started through the door, he climbed back to his feet.
James laughed at him. “Pull it together, man. No one dies from minor burns in this century.”
