Flux

23. Yours Always

My dearest Kelty,

I'm afraid I won't be here when you wake up. My sincerest apologies for my abrupt absence. Be assurred that tonight was one of the best nights I have had in such a long time.
Unfortunately, a rider has come in the night to tell me of an incident at Frank's place in Maybole. You remember Frank from the Holy Trinity in Ayr? I pray I won't be too long and I await your gentle, kind soul upon my return.

Yours always,
Hugh

I read the letter more times than I would've cared to admit. An incident? What kind of incident? Was he trying to avoid me already?

Surely it was just my own insecurities talking. We had the most amazing night, he had said so himself.

Although, I would never have described myself as gentle, but I kind of like how he does.

But its been three days and still no sign of Hugh and I was beginning to worry. Just a little. But I didn't want to admit that to anyone else.

People would start to think I was crazy, head over heels for the Lord. Which I wasn't. I just like him, is all.

As there were no guests, and Hugh, was gods knows where, the work at the castle wasn't that onerous. Alice made our meals and I cleaned up and we got back into that same routine as before the Christmas celebrations. Similar to when I first started here over a month ago.

Christ, has it only been over a month? It already seems like a lifetime ago when I travelled back here. And I'm still not any further forward in knowing how to get back to my time.

I finished drying the dinner plates in the kitchen when Alice came back  through.

"Get the water boiled up Kelty! Quickly! M'Lord's back with Frank. A bit worse for wear I might add. Drunken idiots the pair of them."

I grabbed one of the large teapots and filled it with water and placed it on the oven.

"Whats happened?" I asked as I placed more wood into the stove.

"Franks had a hell of a time. His house in Maybole burned down poor fella."

"Burned down?" I asked shocked.

"Aye! Near half a dozen houses caught fire from it too. No idea how it started.  The poor bastard" Alice said shaking her head. She pulled down the jar of tea leaves and put a handful into the boiling water.

"This might help them with their hangover tomorrow" she said stirring them in.

"Drowning their sorrows in drink then I see?"

"Aye! The blubbering idiots can't even stand up straight now! God knows how much whiskey they drank. They both reek of it!"

A huge clatter came from the main hall.

Alice rolled her eyes. "For Christs sake!" She placed a hand over her forehead. "Kelty, when that teas ready bring it through for them. I'll go see what the racket is"

She left quickly before I could answer.

I prepared a tray for the tea and put come sweet cakes on it too and brought it through.

I went through to the main hall but there was no one there, so I called for Alice.

"Through here Kelty" she replied from  the drawing room upstairs.

When I drop off the tea, I quickly place it on the side table before running over to Hugh's side. I notice a bandage on his right arm.

I kneel down next to him and lightly place my hand on his wrist below the cloth wrapping his arm. "What hap..."