Page 10 of A Keeper of Time

“It’s too late. They’re gone.”

She turned to find Evanore watching her with a satisfied smile.

“Gone where?” Edna questioned.

“Back to their own time,” Evanore replied, curling a piece of ribbon around her finger.

“But why?” Edna got the feeling that Evanore’s answer would tell her everything she needed to know about why she was here.

“Because that’s where they belong!” Evanore’s voice exploded in the quiet of the room. “It all must be undone!

Edna held her tongue. She wanted to scream right back at Evanore. Ashley, Jenna and Sara had husbands and children. How dare she take them away? But Edna knew it would do her no good to rile the witch. This was the way it was going to be and until she could utilize her powers again, she was at Evanore’s mercy.

“I’ll leave ye,” Evanore said, her voice calmer now. She released the crystal ball in front of Edna. “Ye’ll be needing this.”

The sound of Ashley’s panicked voice drew Edna’s attention to the orb. “What just happened?”

“Where are we?” Sara asked.

“Or when?” Jenna questioned.

“Isn’t someone supposed to be here to meet us?” Ashley wondered.

“You’re right. Edna always told us that.” Jenna walked to the opposite side of the bridge.

“So maybe we’re still in our own time,” Sara said. There was a good deal of skepticism in her voice from what Edna could hear.

“Oh, wait. There’s someone fishing over there.” Ashley hurried towards the man. “Teddy? Is that you?”

“Aye. What are ye doing here?” he asked, obviously recognizing her.

“I don’t know. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” She turned to the other women. “We’re in Glendaloch.”

“Have ye seen Edna?” he asked, putting his fishing rod down and turning towards them.

“No. We’re looking for her.” Ashley brushed off the front of her dress.

“I’m waiting for her here in case she comes back.” Teddy returned to his fishing.

“Go find Maggie,” Edna said, hoping her voice would reach them, but knowing deep down that it wouldn’t. She wondered why Evanore hadn’t sent them to San Francisco since that was where they were from. The only answer could be that Teddy had been there and so the magic had drawn them to Glendaloch. She wondered if Evanore even realized this, or did she simply tap into the magic of the bridge without any knowledge of how it really worked.

“Well, it looks like we’ve time traveled, so we should do something about it instead of just standing here. Let’s walk to the inn and see if Edna’s back,” Sara began walking along the path that would take them to the main street in Glendaloch.

“Good idea,” Ashley said as she grabbed Jenna’s hand and followed Sara. “Bye, Teddy.”

He waved to them as they left.

Edna clasped her hands, bringing them up to her lips in silent prayer. She relaxed a little knowing that Maggie would help them get back home.

The windows disappeared and the room darkened. The only light came from the crystal ball. Edna sat on the burgundy velvet settee that took up most of this small room off of the main foyer. The ball followed her and hovered at eye level. She watched as the women made their way to Glendaloch proper and headed for the inn. They wore their medieval clothing, but no one in town cared. These time traveling women and their Highlander husbands had been seen around town many times over the years. People were used to seeing them dressed in garb reminiscent of another time. Most likely assuming them to be costumed for some event Edna was holding at the inn.

As Ashley, Jenna and Sara reached the inn they took a moment to look around. Maybe they were reminiscing about their lives in the twenty-first century or perhaps they were still wondering how it was that they found themselves so far from home.

Ashley beamed as she pointed to the bookstore. “Before we go back I’d like to get some books for the children.”

“Good idea,” Jenna glanced further down the street. “We should pick up some other things we might need from the pharmacy.”

They approached the inn and as they entered the small bell above the door tinkled.