The Sunstone Brooch : Time Travel Romance Katherine Logan (no david read aloud TXT) 📖

Paul here,” David said, “then they’re closer than we thought.”

An enormous claw of fear punctured Elliott’s stomach and tightened it hard. With a desperate but clear voice, he said, “We’re leaving tonight. We have to find James Cullen before Paul does.”

“Ye can go tonight with Meredith, Kit, and Cullen, but Emily can’t leave until tomorrow. And Tavis and Remy need time to plan and prepare for how they’re going to kidnap Austin.”

“They should already have that figured out. Clothes, guns, and everything else they need they can find at the plantation. They can fly up tonight, saddle three horses, knock out Austin, and head through the fog before midnight. Call Tavis. Tell him it’s go time.”

Elliott turned out the lights, David reset the alarm, and they hurried out the door. “If Emily can’t leave now, Braham and Charlotte can bring her later,” Elliott said.

“If they can’t, I’ll take her.”

Elliott opened the front passenger door and climbed into the rental car. “It’s more important for ye to stay and watch over the family. We can’t both be gone right now. With ye, Braham, and Daniel Grant protecting the clan, the family will be safe.”

David started the car and pulled away from the curb. “Ye better call Charlotte and Braham and explain the situation.”

Elliott clicked on Charlotte’s phone number, and she answered on the second ring. “Hi, Elliott.”

“I’m in DC, but it’s become obvious that we have to go back now to find James Cullen. Emily said she couldn’t leave until tomorrow, but we can’t wait. Will ye bring her later?”

“I just got off the phone with her. She was able to rearrange her schedule, and she’s on her way here. What time are you leaving?”

“As soon as we get everyone packed up. David arranged for a pilot to fly us home, so we’ll land at the plantation in about forty-five minutes. I’ll text Braham to turn on the landing lights, and I’ll call Meredith to let her know. She can advise Kit and Cullen. Will ye pack a medical bag for Emily?”

“Already done, and it’s waiting in the cleanroom with the rest of the gear.”

“Thanks, dear.” Elliott disconnected and called Meredith. “Paul wasn’t at the house.”

“I can’t say I’m disappointed,” Meredith’s tone of voice spoke to her wariness. “I want to know where my son is, but I didn’t want you to hurt Paul.”

What Elliott had to tell her next wouldn’t ease her mind at all. “David smelled peat in the guesthouse.”

“So Paul’s gone after JC.”

“Looks like it. We’ll be back at the plantation before midnight, and I want to leave as soon as Emily arrives.”

“Have you talked to Kit?”

“No, will ye tell her?”

“Sure. We’ll meet you in the cleanroom. Be careful.”

Elliott pocketed his phone and leaned back against the headrest. “Ye’ve met Sean MacKlenna. Will he understand the danger we’re facing?”

David drove them across the Potomac by way of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge. “With what Kit told him when she was there in 1852, and what he later learned from Braham, Charlotte, and me, he knows there are more than two brooches, but I doubt he can appreciate the danger involved. Ye’ll get on well with him, though. Ye both love the clan, the farm, horses, and Kit.”

How well would they get on if Elliott brought a shitload of trouble to Sean’s door? About as well as they would if Sean did the same to him.

27

Mallory Plantation, VA—Elliott

Elliott entered the cleanroom to find Meredith, Kit, and Emily already dressed in period-correct costumes. Trousers, a waistcoat, and a high-button coat similar to what he wore when he went back to Kit’s estate in 1881 lay folded on the stainless steel table, along with a shirt, tie, and boots.

Cullen was already wearing a similar suit and was sitting on a stool, drinking coffee from a mug with a Mallory Plantation logo. He looked as natural in nineteenth-century clothing as he did in khakis and a MacCorp polo shirt.

The younger generation, or second-gens, called the khakis and polo shirt a farm uniform. They refused to wear it unless they worked at the barns during the sales or racing season.

Elliott hugged Emily and kissed her cheeks. “Thanks for rearranging yer schedule, lass. I hope ye get to visit with yer family.”

“I wouldn’t miss this for anything, Grandpa, even if it meant termination from my residency program.”

“God forbid! If that were a possibility, I wouldn’t have invited ye. Ye’ve worked too hard to lose it.” He then kissed Meredith. “Thanks for getting everyone ready. Did ye pack my journal? I made notes of things I want to talk to Sean about.”

“It’s there on the table with your clothes. Look under the jacket.”

He found it and flipped it open. On the first page was a list of items to check off before he could leave town or leave the century. “Did ye leave our wills and financial arrangements where Kenzie can find them?”

“I took care of everything on your list.”

He set the journal aside and spun her around, admiring her feminine silhouette. The dark green and gold silk rustled around her legs. “Ye look amazing. Is this new? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

“It’s one of the dresses Olivia and Amber bought in Denver in 1878. When they heard Kit, Emily, and I were going back to the 1880s, they suggested we check their racks of clothes down here, plus we have the wardrobes from our trip back to 1881 Napa. But I prefer this ensemble.” Meredith twirled again. “It makes a better first-impression outfit, don’t you think.”

“Aye, I do.” Elliott picked the coat up off the table and held it against his chest. “So I’m wearing Rick or Connor’s Denver clothes, and Cullen is wearing his own?”

“No, you’re wearing the same suit you wore back to visit Kit.”

“The trip from hell. It’s all blurred in my mind.”

“I’ve tried to forget it, too.”

“This suit is dated. I should have a first-impression suit.” He walked over to the racks