Chapter Thirty

A smoke-filled haze settled over the windowless chamber, adding to the gloom. Irene wound her arms around her waist, feeling as though the walls were closing in. Whatever was going on had Lady Roselyn and Bridget worried. When Julia first announced that they really had dropped into the thirteenth century, Irene had dismissed it as the way Julia was coping with her heartache. Irene should have pressed Julia for more details when she had the chance.

Lady Roselyn stuffed her hands into her bell-shaped sleeves and raised her chin. “You are correct. The men who escaped our dungeon are the same troublemakers Logan confronted in the Matchmaker Café. The fact that Sam is helping them is worrisome, as well. He will have to be dealt with. They all will. But that’s not the worst of it. When the wedding was delayed, the enchantment that protects Stirling Castle began to unravel. I think that is the reason it was so easy for Sam and his friends to convince the warring clans to abandon their truce and attack us. I honestly don’t know what will happen next.” She sank down, holding her head in her hands. “I need chocolate.”

Logan leaned forward. “Okay, this might sound obvious, but why can’t we just walk out of here? In case you missed it, my mother’s not well. This place seems to agree with her for the moment, and for that my father and I are eternally grateful. But it can’t last. She needs to be under a doctor’s care.”

Irene felt Logan’s growing concern. He was correct. Right now his mother looked fine. That would change as the disease progressed. Ann would lose the ability to care for herself. Even though her family would do whatever was necessary, it wouldn’t be enough. Irene wanted to stay at the castle until she learned why this place was so important to her mother. Watching Logan and knowing what he must be going through, it no longer mattered. They had to return.

“I agree with Logan. We need to go back as soon as possible.”

“I wish it were that simple,” Lady Roselyn said. “We can’t leave. None of us can. When we traveled back in time, everyone on the tour became part of the story and therefore subject to its rules. The most important rule is that no one from our century can leave until the stroke of midnight and then only after there has been a wedding. Without a wedding…”

Logan stood, toppling over his chair. It crashed to the ground as he narrowed his gaze. “Hold on. Rewind. What do you mean, we traveled back in time? You’re joking, right? That’s just a story line. It can’t be real.”

“Please sit down.”

“Not a chance. Explain.”

Bridget slid a glance toward Lady Roselyn, who gave a slight nod.

“We’re not your standard-issue matchmakers,” Lady Roselyn said. “Our methods are a little unorthodox, but right now the bigger issue is that we’re running out of time to fix things.”

Logan’s face looked ashen as he righted his chair and sat down. Irene slipped her hand into his and felt him squeeze her fingers gently. Somehow it didn’t feel as scary when he was beside her. She’d been faced earlier with the possibility that they were in the thirteenth century, so she’d had time to process the idea. Logan was trying to make the leap in a matter of minutes.

“Running out of time. That’s an understatement,” Bridget said under her breath as she rubbed her sister’s shoulders.

Lady Roselyn patted Bridget’s hand, their heated discussion forgotten. “We believe it’s not enough to provide a romantic setting for couples to meet. That only checks off the physical attraction box. The real test for a couple’s compatibility occurs when they are out of their comfort zone or in the face of conflict. How a person deals with conflict tells their true nature. Most couples don’t really know the person they’ve married until they are faced with a conflict: the birth of a child, loss of a job, or death of a loved one. We provide both a romantic location and the added twist of conflict. In the case of the Stirling Castle experience, we stage a mock attack to test couples’ reactions to danger and how they work together to overcome that danger. Our system is not without its challenges or failures, but we are proud of our success rates.”

“We have this little arrangement,” Bridget continued when Lady Roselyn nodded toward her. “We have permission to use Stirling’s portal or door to the past, as long as we respect its enchanted rules, and one of those rules is that a wedding must take place on Christmas Eve.”

Lady Roselyn pushed to her feet. “And since this enchantment requires that a wedding take place on Christmas Eve, only then will the doors open and allow us to travel back to our own time. We had it all planned. Angus and Caitlin were to get married. As you are aware, they now are not speaking to each other. We approached Julia and Grant, and although they have made the transition from friends to a potential couple, they feel their relationship is still too new.” Lady Roselyn drew herself up to her full height, looking more like Queen Elizabeth the First than a friendly tour guide. “We’re desperate. We’d like you to take their place. We want you to get married.”

Irene and Logan stood up so fast their heads bumped together.

“Marriage,” Irene said under her breath, gingerly pressing on the sore spot.

She bent over, holding her stomach. “I can’t breathe.”

Logan stood beside her as though frozen in place as he slowly rubbed her back.

In the background, Lady Roselyn was talking on as though she’d just announced the next course at a banquet. “You two are made for each other. I’ve rarely seen a couple more in love with each other at first sight than you two. Marriage is the next logical step.”

“The next logical step,” Irene managed through gulps of air, “would be for Logan and me to get to know each other better.”

Logan pushed back his hair with both hands. “Agreed. But more to the point,” he said to Lady Roselyn, “marriage is an important step. I should know. I was married before. Messy divorce. Hurt feelings on both sides. Not pretty. There has to be another way.”

Irene felt the room spin. She shut her eyes as she tried to regain her balance. Logan was divorced. He was not perfect after all. Okay, don’t overreact. Divorce happened all the time. No need to panic. Guys left. Cheated…

“Are you all right?” he said.

“Why did you get a divorce?”

“We were married for only a short time before we realized it was a mistake.”

“Children?”

Logan grinned. “She called me a child. Does that count?”

“That’s not an answer. And this isn’t funny.”

Lady Roselyn approached Irene as though she were a small animal that could frighten easily. “Everything will work out. You will have the choice of several lovely gowns. The wedding feast is prepared. Guests have arrived. The musicians are in place. The Great Hall is decorated.”

The wedding planner list continued, but Irene blanked out for a minute, holding onto the sides of the chair.

Bridget cleared her throat, drawing Irene’s attention. “Give it up, Roselyn. This isn’t going to work. Unlike us and the matchmakers in our family, people like Irene and Logan can choose whom to marry. We can’t force them. It must be their decision. And don’t forget that if Fiona suspects that they’re not ready, she’ll…”

“We are beyond doing what Fiona thinks is best. Besides, I suspect she would be perfectly fine staying here. There’s something going on with her that I can’t quite put my finger on. The bottom line is that we need a wedding, and Irene and Logan are made for each other.”

Irene shook her head, repeating what they had said about Julia and Grant. “It’s too soon.”

Bridget put her hand on Irene’s shoulder. “As much as it pains me to say it, my sister is right. At least consider it. There’s more to the enchantment than a wedding requirement. It’s also the reason Logan’s mother looks healthy again. It protects those here from disease for as long as they stay. But if the balance is not restored, I’m not sure if even that aspect of the enchantment is still possible.”

“You must wed,” Lady Roselyn interrupted. “Otherwise we might not…I mean we may all be…that is to say…”

“We’ll be stuck here,” Bridget finished. “As in permanent residents of the thirteenth century.”