The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance by Katherine Logan (comprehension books .TXT) 📗

believed Malcolm escaped to the Shetland Islands, but with the outbreak of World War I, the investigators didn’t have time to follow up, and the Frasers were just thankful he was gone. The family buried Malcolm under the proverbial rug.”

“Did you find a death record in the Shetland Islands?”

“There’s no record of him living there or a death certificate, but he wouldn’t have used his real name anyway.”

“What do ye think happened to him?”

“This is all conjecture, but I believe he went back in time.”

“To Jarlshof?”

“If we match up what we know, what we think we know, and then use our imaginations, I believe Malcolm used the brooch and found his soul mate—a Viking woman, and they had at least two sons—”

“—Erik and Sten.”

“We can’t prove any of this, and before you ask, I haven’t mentioned this to Tavis or David or anyone else.”

“Tavis might have heard something, even a rumor.” Elliott thought back through his life, and the first questions that came to mind were—had his mother heard the rumors? Had Elliott’s father’s violent outbursts frightened her into leaving him before he…pulled a Malcolm?

“Who’d Malcolm kill?”

“This piece of information makes Malcolm’s story more believable. The newspaper article identified the victim as Robert Stuart, Tavis’s paternal great-grandfather.”

“But Tavis isn’t a biological Stuart since Erik fathered him.”

“If Malcolm Fraser was Erik’s biological father, that would make Tavis a Fraser.”

“Holy shit! If everything ye’re saying is true, my great-uncle Malcolm traveled back in time, had two sons—one of whom tried to kill James Cullen—and the other fathered Ensley, Tavis, and Mark. So Erik’s brooch belongs to Tavis and Mark.”

“Technically, the Stuarts were guardians, so the brooch should go to the Keeper.”

“How could ye have not found this before?”

“I don’t have an explanation.”

“Tavis told me tonight that he made several trips with Erik, visiting different centuries, different cities, and staying for weeks and months at a time. If Erik traveled that much, he could have searched the archives or even planted documents so ye would find them.”

“But why would he want us to know?”

“Tavis said he got the impression that Erik was embarrassed or ashamed of something. If he was aware of what his father did, he might want the Keeper to know what happened to Robert Stuart’s brooches, or at least one of them.”

“James MacKlenna told Sophia that an ancient tribe living in Caledonia made the brooches from a rock that fell from the sky. The gemstones came from trading with Vikings. After many centuries, a small group of survivors traveled south to the Highlands and intermarried with Clan MacKlenna. When the clan leader discovered the brooches possessed unusual powers, he took precautions to protect them, and he became known as the Keeper. When the Keeper uncovered a threat to the brooches’ security, he appointed twelve guards to protect them. No one except the Keeper knew how many brooches there were or the identities of those chosen to guard them. Generations of MacKlennas have passed that knowledge down through their children.”

“Let’s unwind this pretzel if we can,” Elliott said. “If Mr. Stuart confessed to Malcolm under torture that he was a guardian and originally had possession of four brooches, but when he sensed trouble, he gave three of them away, Malcolm would have wanted to find those three to go with one he stole from Robert Stuart.”

“Maybe Malcolm was the original threat that caused the Keeper to disperse the brooches in the first place.”

“And he killed the Keeper, which sent all the guardians into hiding, and every time Malcolm got close to one of them, the guardians gave away their brooches.”

“That had to be frustrating for him.” Meredith sipped her wine. “Maybe…Malcolm hired spies to let him know if they heard of a guardian or a brooch. But how would they communicate?”

Elliott finished his drink and set the glass on the table with the folder. “Malcolm could have given his spies access to a brooch or brooches, and they started an evil organization that’s still in existence today.”

“There’s no way to prove any of this.” Someone knocked on their door, and Meredith said, “Come in.”

Ensley stuck her head inside the room, and Maddie burst in carrying a ball in her mouth and jumped up into Elliott’s lap. “Maddie!” Ensley yelled. “Get back here.”

Maddie turned and looked at Ensley, cocked her head, then dropped the ball in Elliott’s lap.

“With all the kids around ye pick me to play with ye? What’s wrong with this picture?”

“Everything,” Ensley said. “How much longer will it take you two to get ready? The kids are getting tired and cranky.”

Elliott said, “Heads up!” He tossed the ball to Ensley. “Good catch. We’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”

Ensley tossed the ball into the hallway, and Maddie raced after it. “I’ll let everybody know. Your elves are waiting at the top of the stairs.” Ensley closed the door.

Meredith walked toward her closet. “You’ll have to share this news with the family.”

“Ye’re right, but let’s not tell them tonight. It’ll ruin the celebration.”

Fifteen minutes later, Meredith and Elliott met Robbie and Henry—each holding two giant bags—at the top of the stairs, and at their feet were two smaller ones.

“It’s about time,” Robbie said.

Elliott picked up the smaller bags. “Ring yer bells, and let’s go.”

“How are we supposed to do that, Grandpa? We have our hands full.”

“Give me the bells,” Meredith said, holding up the strips of fabric with small bells attached. “These look like doggie doorbells.”

“They are,” Henry said, “but Maddie refuses to use them, so just ring ’em, and let’s get this show on the road.”

Meredith rang the bells as they all thundered down the stairs. “Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!”

By the time Santa and Mrs. Claus reached the bottom step, the kids were screaming, “Santa’s here! Santa’s here!”

Positioned in front of the Christmas tree were two comfy chairs with a table between them. A glass of whisky and a glass of wine sat on a tray with appetizers. The nearby fire was blazing, Christmas music played in the background, and