WendyPan's Wonderland

Just One Kiss

 

Chapter 3

 

  

Once outside, he stood at what I figured to be the front gate, searching about, maybe wondering what this car thing looked like.

 

“I parked in front of the crypt.” I said as I looked up at him. He nodded and slowly walked off towards the left of the castle wall. I could see the whole graveyard and stone mausoleum off in the distance as we got closer and closer. And several yards away, on the side of the road, sat my rented car, in all its old, ugly mustard color glory.

 

 

“Be that metal contraption your car?” He asked with a puzzled look on his face, his eyes fixed on the car.  

 

  

“Uh, yeah, that’s the car.” He had approached the car but stopped just short of it. I couldn’t really read the expression on his face. He was staring down the car, that’s for certain, like it was going to attack or something.

“Saints preserve us.” He muttered as he shook his head. “You say it moves without a horse, how be that exactly?”

“Well, first, you have to open the door.” I pointed to the silver door handle. His gaze followed the path of my hand, but he didn’t move forward one bit as I hoped he would. “Ok, lean down so I can reach the handle myself.” This he did and I pulled open the door. “Can you set me inside now?" He hesitated before complying with my request. He gently set me in the car, the steering wheel at my left arm, the passenger seat behind me.

 

I turned and gathered my purse into my lap. I began digging through its contents to find my phone. I had five missed calls and the corresponding voicemails waiting for me. I ignored those messages and went right to dialing Charlie’s number.

 

 

He answered on the second ring.

“Hello? Kate? Where are you?” His voice was filled with panic.

“Hi Charlie, calm down please. I need you to come get me.”

“Did the car stall? Are you ok?” I had to get him to stop freaking out on me somehow but my news wasn’t going to help.

“The car’s fine and so am I, mostly. I tripped and probably broke my ankle so I can’t drive.”

“What?! How? What were you doing?”

“Trying to do my dare.” I said in a hushed tone. “Something scared me and I tripped. Hit my head too.”

“You’ve been gone for two hours. Everyone’s worried about you. I called your phone like five times. Where did you go Katie?” He always called me Katie when he was trying to butter me up for something.

“I’m in Merrion, south of Dublin, not far really. I’m outside of a castle here.” I put my hand over the receiver to ask Liam what the name of the castle was because I had no idea.

“McCloy Hall.” Liam responded in a serious tone. My focus was stuck on his gorgeous features as I looked at him once again. So hot, my brain trailed off until I remembered that I was talking to Charlie on the phone.

“McCloy Hall.” I repeated to Charlie. “It’s kinda crumbling and the only castle around here. Shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

“Ok, I’m on my way.” I had one more request that suddenly came to me.

“Wait Charlie.” I caught him just before he hung up.

“Yeah?”

“Can you bring a change of clothes?”

“Why? What happened to yours?”

“They’re not for me, I need some for yours. I need a shirt, pants, and sandals.”

“Why?” His tone obviously suspicious. I hated using my powers of persuasion over him but I knew he would always do anything I asked. He had told me so a few times.

“You’ll see when you get here. Can you hurry though?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, bye.” He hung up and I put my phone back in my purse. I looked back up at Liam but before I could say anything he spoke instead.

“Please excuse me for a moment. I’ve remembered something that I’ll be needing.”

“Yeah, sure.” He made an apologetic bow and headed off to the crypt. Maybe he had something to cover himself up in somewhere in the crypt, I had no clue.

 

 

My big concern was on Charlie’s reaction to seeing Liam, especially in his ripped up braies, or whatever he’d called them. I’d have to do some masterful Charlie control. It wasn’t going to be easy but I wasn’t quite ready to ditch this strange, beautiful man, not just yet. And I really had not a complete reason as to why I felt that way.

Liam returned shortly. I was wrong about him having more cover for himself but he had something dark in his hand. I figured out what it was as he got closer; my sandal. I hadn’t thought about where it’d gone to but he’d found it. I couldn’t wear it now anyway, and soon enough, I was sure I’d be wearing a cast on my right leg.

“I believe this belongs to you.” He held out my sandal so I took it and tossed it on the floor of the front passenger seat.

“Thanks. I won’t be wearing that one anytime soon though.” Something dawned on me just then. “You don’t know my name, do you?”

“No, you’ve not given it to me.”

“Oh,” I briefly chuckled. “My name’s Kate.” I held out my left hand for my official greeting. He bet down and bought my hand to his lips. He lightly kissed my knuckle.

“Tis lovely to finally know thy name, Lady Kate.” I blushed as he let go of my hand. No man had ever kissed my hand before. I wasn’t sure how to react. I pulled my hand back to my lap with a clearing of my throat. He stood back up and I could see him studying my wounded ankle. “Do you have the utmost certain assurance that these doctors are the best solution?”

“Yes, I told you, it will be fine.” I thought that now was a good time as any to ask him about my spur of the moment plan. “Since you’re so concerned, do you want to come along just to make sure I survive?” I hoped he say yes all though there was a part of me who knew what I was asking was completely mental.

He sighed. “I would, but what of your friend, Charlie?” Liam said Charlie’s name with some distain. “He will be here to care for you, will he not?”

 

 

“Yes, but he hates hospitals with a passion. He was really sick as a kid, nearly died. So he was forced to spend a lot of time in the hospital. And now he tries to avoid them at all costs.”

“Then he would agree with me about these doctors.”

“No. He doesn’t have a problem with doctors. It’s because of all the time he was stuck in the hospital, the isolation and not being able to be a kid like everyone else. I’d need to have someone with me while I was there. So, do you want to come or not?” I was starting to regret my asking him but then he gave his answer.

“Very well. I shall go, for your safety and so you will not have to be alone.”

“Thank you.” A smile spread across his face. “Why are you smiling at me?”

“I had been thinking of how you spoke with your friend which still is unbelievable to me that you had done such a thing. But the words you used, I did not fully understand, however I was able to find the meanings by other words you spoke. Your way of speech, I find amusing.”

“Amusing? Well, the way you talk, it’s very odd by today’s standards.” I paused. “What was that language you spoke when I first woke you up?”

“You do not know Latin?”

“Um, no. No one speaks Latin now. It’s called a dead language and is only really used for scientific things.”

“I see. What other languages do you speak?”

“None, really. Well, I know bits and pieces of Spanish and French but that’s it.”

“I speak not only Latin, but French, German, and Gaelic. It is common in my time to be taught different languages. The world seems to have been much smaller then.” I could understand his point of view, especially now that I had told him about the existence of America and the roundness of the world. I nodded my head in agreement.

“Well Sir Liam, be that as it is, when Charlie comes and when we’re at the hospital, can you try not to say, like, anything? I mean, it’s fine for when it’s just you and I talking, but you’ll freak everyone else out.” He seemed to get what I was saying.

“Oh,” his eyes suddenly grew wide. “What of my attire? I am very improperly dressed, even for being in your presence.”

“Don’t worry about that. I asked Charlie to bring some clothes for you. You and he are about the same size so I figured it’d have to work.”

“You wish for me to wear his garments?”

“Yes. It’s all I have to offer unless you have a better idea.”

“No, ‘twill do.”

“Good.” I said with a smile. I was curious to see him in modern clothes all though I knew I’d miss looking at those rock hard abs, firm pecks, and astoundingly thick shoulders. I was sure he’d probably look amazing in anything he wore. God, there went my mind again, back where it didn’t belong. Maybe it would be a good thing though, him covered up to keep me better focused.

“So, my sandal, was it that important that you had to go find it?” I needed a distraction. His amused smile wasn’t helping.

“Finding your sandal was not mine plan but I thought that I should retrieve it for you as you would want it. No, the reason I returned to the crypt was to recover my hidden means of return to my time.” He held up a small vial that had some greenish liquid in it.

“That’s going to send you back in time?” I asked skeptically.

“Yes. That is what I was promised it would do. And Malcom has never been wrong about his work.”

“Uh huh. Well, I do wish you the best of luck.” He smiled.

“Worry not, Lady Kate. I will wait until you are cared for and safely returned to your friends.”

 

 

I was about to comment about his repeated desire for my safety when I heard the noise of an approaching car. It sounded a lot like the car I drove so I had pretty much assumed it was Charlie since our rented cars were the same. Sure enough, I could see Charlie’s face through the windshield. Soon, I’d have to be creating an explanation of who Liam was and why he was coming with us.