Page 11 of A Keeper of Time

“Ashley!” Maggie appeared shocked as she glanced up from her work and looked from one woman to the next. “Jenna! Sara! What are ye doing here?”

“We were hoping you could tell us,” Ashley replied.

Edna could see Maggie was mulling things over in her head.

“Did ye ken me aunt is missing? Did ye see me uncle?” Maggie put her pad of paper and pen down on the reception desk and came around to join them.

“Yes to both questions,” Sara replied.

“The men, including Angus, left for the Campbell’s and we thought it might be a good idea to check the area around the bridge for clues.”

“And somehow ye got here.” Maggie’s brows furrowed as she tapped her lips with her finger obviously deep in thought. “I’m no’ sure how that happened.”

“Neither are we,” Jenna said. “We have to get back home. We left our children with Irene and Helene. We’re only supposed to be gone for a short time.”

“Okay. Doona worry, I’ll get ye back there.” Maggie dropped into one of the lobby’s oversized wingback chairs.

“Are you alright?” Ashley asked. “You look a little stunned.”

“I guess I am. I just doona understand this. Something’s no’ right and I’m sure it’s got something to do with Aunt Edna’s disappearance.”

“Do you think someone kidnapped her?” Sara asked.

“I thought at first that she might have gone to help with a problem at Breaghacraig, but now I get the feeling she’s somewhere else but she can no’ contact me.”

“Have you tried contacting her?” Jenna asked.

“Aye, but I’m getting nothing at all, which frightens me.”

The women gathered around Maggie. Ashley took her hand as Jenna and Sara each placed a hand on her shoulders. “We’re here for you. We’ll help in any way we can,” Ashley assured her.

“Thank ye. I ken ye will.”

Edna wiped away a single tear that was streaming down her cheek. Her heart swelled with love as she watched these women banding together in their quest to help her.

Maggie seemed to get a hold of herself as she hopped up from the chair. “Ye all must be exhausted. Let’s get ye some rooms so ye can freshen up a bit and I’ll have Dylan make ye some lunch.”

Dylan appeared in the doorway to the dining room. “What’s going on out here? I heard voices.”

“Dylan, we’ve got company.” Maggie stood and headed to the dining room. The others followed along behind her.

“Oh, wow!” Dylan said, realizing who he was looking at. “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Of course you weren’t,” Jenna said, a huge grin on her face on seeing her cousin.

“What? How?” He crossed the room and pulled Jenna into his arms. “I’ve missed you cuz.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

“Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?” he said as he stepped back and held her at arm’s length to look at her.

“I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m definitely hungry,” Sara said.

“Sit then. I’ll put something together for you. What would you like? Have you been craving anything that you can’t get at Breaghacraig? Pizza, cinnamon rolls, burgers?”

“All of those,” Sara giggled.

Maggie led them to the family table. The one where Edna, Angus, Dylan and Maggie sat together every night for dinner. Edna’s heart ached as she longed to be there with them, but it ached more because she was coming to understand that Evanore’s plan involved sending her time travelers back to their own time. She had to be stopped before she destroyed all their lives.