What do I tell him now? How do I explain this?
“I was curious about the English lady ye brought home without family. He sent word back from Rosewood London which happens to be where Lady Isla is from like ye mentioned. Lord Lambert’s only daughter Isla Lambert died a year ago. The family is in mournin’ still.”
Jack blinked at the information Jamie just gave to him. His throat grew tight, and he searched his brain for words.
He hadn’t even thought about the possibility of Isla existing in this time too. Now that Jamie brought it up, Jack knew he had to explain to his friend what was really happening.
“My Laird?” Jamie called in a questioning tone. “She is an imposter, My Laird, one ye must seize at once.”
Jamie got on his feet and Jack did the same. He grabbed his friend's hand from across where he stood and looked him right in the eye.
Not knowing what else to say, Jack told him in a cold tone. “Lock the door, Jamie… there are thin’s ye must ken.”
“My Laird—”
“Now,” he ordered.
* * *
Jack spent hours explaining the details of what happened and how he met Isla to Jamie, but still he could tell Jamie hadn’t fully grasped what he was saying. “This is the truth I tell ye, Jamie, and ye can tell nay one,” he warned again.
“My Laird—” Jamie said.
“This is a secret ye must carry to yer grave, Jamie,” he continued, not giving Jamie a chance to speak. “Ye dinnae must understand it, I struggle to understand myself but ye must never speak it to anyone else. Do ye understand?”
“I am loyal to ye, My Laird, but this is an insane plan that ye have mapped out here. The Lords in our council are wise men and if ye keep pushin’ the weddin’ for longer they will begin to question and raise other suggestions. Ye must do somethin’.”
“I just need to help Isla get back to her time, then I will take a wife as they want me to do,” he replied to Jamie.
Jamie got on his feet, walked to the table, and picked the brandy. He gulped down the entire thing, then groaned long and loud.
“That burned,” he admitted before returning to his seat again. “I needed to make sure all ye have told me is real and I amnae dreamin’.”
Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead to ease the strain he felt there. “It is only a fortnight to the fair now. It will soon be over. She has helped me in her time here and it is my turn to do the same for her.”
Jamie blinked, then leaned forward on his chair again. “So, the treasure from beneath the caves… the gold?”
“She ken there was gold there because she kens our history,” he replied. “She helped me find it and it wasnae much of a search. In her time, the gold was found so she knew the right place to search.”
Jamie burst into a long hard laugh that made Jack laugh too, and when it was over, silence befell his study.
“I still worry for ye,” Jamie finally said. “How do we ken she doesnae have an ulterior motive in comin’ here? A sinister one?”
Jack shook his head. “Isla isnae like that. She is a wonderful woman once ye get to ken her. I ken ye are lookin’ out for me, Jamie, and tryin’ to protect me, but I tell ye this… I trust her.”
“It sounds like more than trust,” Jamie replied. “I see both of ye together, My Laird, I ken ye care for her.”
When Jack said nothing else, Jamie asked, “May I speak freely?”
“Of course,” Jack answered. “I always want ye to speak freely, Jamie.”
“I think ye love her.”
Jamie saying words Jack had been battling with his heart was like a splash of cold water in his face, and it made him shift uncomfortably in his chair.
“I cannae love her, Jamie,” he replied in a low voice. “And now ye ken why… she is never goin’ to choose me or her—” he trailed off and shook his head. “It is best nay to think about it.”
“But ye do love her, and I think she might even love ye too. I see how ye look at her even when we have supper together. I might nae have trusted or liked the lady much, but I can tell she admires ye.”