by Jo Jones
Emily nodded and managed a smile.
“Well then, let’s see what we can find…” Darach looked around the dusty room and spied a fallen piece of carved molding, from the shelves.
“Don’t you dare!” Tessa cried when he reached for it. “I need that.”
He gave her an odd look but didn’t say anything as he paced a few steps away before stopping to stare at the windows.
Tess followed his gaze. “The window boards!”
“Aye,” he nodded. “But I’ll need something tae pry them off with. I’ll go look around outside. Mayhap, I’ll stumble ontae something useful.”
He hadn’t been gone a full minute when Tess remembered there should be a tire iron in the car. That would work perfectly. And she could grab their blankets and sleeping bags to wrap up in until the fire warmed the room. They’d also need their flashlights to explore the rest of the house.
“I’m going to get some things from the car, Em. Will you be okay to stay here, alone, while I get them? I really don’t want you to get wet all over again.”
Emily shrugged, her body hunched as she stared at her toes.
“Okay, what if you stand in the alcove by the door? You’ll be able to see me, but you’ll stay dry.”
“I guess,” Emily said, her voice betraying her true feelings. “But you won’t be very long, will you?”
“Of course, not,” Tess assured her. “But I won’t go at all if you’re frightened.”
She could see the fight going on inside Emily. Every emotion played across the child’s face. She was trying so hard to be brave.
How could you be so thoughtless, Tessa?
“On second thought, if you come with me, you could carry the picnic basket in, and save me another trip.”
All the tenseness left Em’s body, replaced by a huge grin. “I think that’s a good idea. I bet Darach’s awful hungry.”
“He’ll be even hungrier after he wrestles that huge board off the window,” Tess said, taking Em’s hand and heading outside.
She cursed herself for even considering leaving Emily alone, anywhere, for any amount of time. Since her parent’s deaths, being left behind had become Emily’s Achilles heel.
And the fear of failing at pseudo-motherhood had become Tessa’s.
Chapter Four
Darach made his way through the snow-frosted tangle of weeds and debris, to the back of the house. He was surprised to find the remnants of a tumble-down shed, and a fairly intact set of stairs leading to a root-cellar.
At the bottom of the stairs, the cellar door hung drunkenly on one hinge, with a loose, rusted chain-lock securing the handle. It took seconds for Darach to lift the door off the other hinge and make his way inside.
The place was dark, dank, and smelled of rot. ’Twas impossible to see more than a few feet beyond the doorway, and though he had no idea what might be above his head, he felt a strong instinct to stoop.
He needed a candle or something dry to light. Cautiously, he poked the toe of his boot a little deeper into the shadows, then took a small step and tried again, hoping to stumble across a shovel, or rod, or anything strong enough to pry with.
Finally, his toe hit something firm, so he drew his foot back and tapped it again, a wee bit harder this time. A good, solid thud. The object dinnae budge. This time he circled his foot around it, to gauge its size. No’ very large, a’tall. A bucket, or small barrel, mayhap. He dragged his toe up the side. No’ tall, either, and it seemed something was inside.
He leaned over slightly and sniffed, cautious in case the decaying odor of the place originated from this vessel. Something rustled to his right, then scurried past him. Hopefully, ’twas naught but a red squirrel, seeking respite from the snow. At least the thing scurried rather than slithered.
Bending lower, he nearly laughed out loud when he recognized the distinct odor of the bucket’s contents.
He plucked a chunk off the top and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. Och! What a delicious pleasure to be able to smell again after so many years. Even something as unpleasant as a piece of coal.
His cousin had brought a rare piece o’ the stuff to his mither’s house, to boast of his prosperity after marrying a wealthy tradesman’s daughter. Darach had thought it an ugly, smelly way to heat a home when naught was wrong with a lovely peat fire.
But today, he would happily burn coal like a rich man, smelly or no’. Reaching down, he felt for the bucket-handle and lifted his prize. He’d found treasure, indeed. Enough that Tessa and wee Emily wouldnae remain cold.
He climbed out of the root-cellar, unable to get the picture of the child’s face out of his mind. The pain in her eyes as she spoke of her mither and da, near broke his heart.
He’d known the bairn less than an hour and somehow, she’d already burrowed through his carefully constructed armor and broken down barriers he’d spent nearly three centuries constructing. All those years stuck on the moor, with all those seasoned warriors, whom he admired and respected, hadna accomplished what this wee lass had done in a handful of minutes.
Slivers of panic danced on his nerves. By the saints, he dinnae want to care about her! Or, her lovely aunt with the fern-green eyes that seemed to see right through to his soul. Even more, he dinnae want them to care about him. He’d be gone in two days and couldnae leave any attachments behind. ’Twould lead to naught but more heartache for everyone.
A sudden thought stole his breath and stopped him in his tracks. He’d asked for Hell. Planned on it. Had Soni given it to him, after all?
What if Hell is no’ a place, but a condition?
Darach’s chest hurt. What if he couldnae stop caring? Mayhap, he couldnae change what was already there, but he could certainly prevent his fondness for the bairn from growing any stronger.
And what of Tessa? ’Twas impossible to have developed special feelings for her in so short a time. Aye, he’d admired her from the moment she’d brandished that ridiculous key at him. She’d been protecting Emily, o’course, but she’d shown a good deal of courage facing a total stranger with naught but her wits.
’Twould be easy to allow his admiration to grow, if he wasnae careful. To say the lass was winsome, did her an injustice. He couldnae seem to stop stealing glances at her. But ’twas her manner as much as her looks, he found captivating.
Aye. ’Twas indeed something unique about her and despite the imprudence of the thought, he wished to peel the protective layers from her, slowly and surely, until he learned the source of the light she seemed to keep carefully buried behind all that bluster. He’d glimpsed it in the way she looked at Emily. In her soft sigh as she’d gazed hungrily at the library. And mayhap, just once in her eyes when he’d caught her, unguarded, looking at him.
Och! Had he gone daft? He shook his head, sending snow crystals flying from his hair and drew a deep cleansing breath, then released it into the frigid air. Somehow the strain of the journey from the moor to this place, had shifted things in his skull. His judgement was most certainly askew.
He needed to stay focused, put in his two days of mortality to fulfill Soni’s request and move on to his reckoning. He still owed penance for the two lives he’d sacrificed for his own gain, and he was ready—even eager, to pay.
“Darach!” Emily called from somewhere at the front of the house. “Can you hear me? Come see what we found.”
He took another moment to reassure himself he’d sealed his heart away for good and called back. “On my way, lass.”
When he rounded the corner of the house, Emily waited with a sturdy looking bar leaning against her leg. “I see ye’ve had a successful treasure hunt, as well,” he grinned. “What have ye there?”
“Aunt Tess said it’s called a tire iron. See?” She held the end away from her leg. “It has this kinda flat, skinny end she said you could use for prying stuff off. Will it work?” She scrunched her face. “It’s pretty heavy, though.”
He sat his bucket down and took the weighty bar from her.
“Och. ’Tis perfect, lass. Ye really are good at treasure hunting. After I take this coal inside, I’ll come back out and put it tae use.” He tapped the tip of her nose. “Looks like we’re going tae save that pretty nose of yers, after all.”
At the sound of Emily’s incessant chatter, Tessa looked up from scraping bits of debris from the floor into a small pile against the wall. Seconds later Darach entered with Em bouncing around him like an adoring puppy.
Tess had never known Emily to make such an instant connection. She loved seeing her happy and engaged but feared what would happen to all that delight and animation when Darach left. If Tess was smart, she’d send him away before Emily became any more attached. Or, she did.
She had to admit the incongruity of how much safer she felt with Darach here, despite his being a stranger. Everything in her life right now; her new responsibilities, the idea and overwhelm of redoing this old house, living in a foreign country, had her emotions in turmoil. But somehow, in the midst of all that, Darach’s presence brought a sense of safety and security to the chaos, when it should be adding another layer of uneasiness.
She couldn’t deny a sense of relief at relying on someone else, for a moment. Even for little things. She’d been the only one to look out for herself and Emily for some time now, and Darach appeared so…capable. And willing. Was it wrong to want to lean on him just a little?
Or, was that just one more example of how misguided her judgement had become? A real mother would have the instincts to know what to do. But she certainly didn’t. The only thing she did know was that she didn’t want to raise Em by default, making one mistake after another.
“Ye’ve been busy,” Darach commented, noticing the pile of supplies she’d brought in from the car.
“You, too.” She pointed to the bucket. “What’s in your—?” Her eyes widened when he showed her the contents. “You found coal? I can’t believe it! Where?”
“A root cellar in the back.” He set the bucket beside the fireplace. “ ’Twas so dark, I couldnae ken what else might be in there. I’ll need tae find a candle, or such, and go back. There may be other items of use tae ye.”
“I grabbed a couple of flashlights from the car,” she nodded toward her stash.
Darach looked confused for a moment, then understanding filled his eyes. “Och! Torches! Aye. I’ve seen ’em used at the...” He shifted uncomfortably. “They’ll be a great help. Thank ye.”
Torches? Seen them used? What an odd thing to say, Tess thought, noting his sudden nervousness.
“Ever since Emily and I decided to come and investigate this old place, she’s been begging for a…what did you call it, Em?”
“An inside camp out,” she giggled.
“Yes,” Tess continued, “so of course, we needed all the proper equipment in case we actually decided to stay. Which,” she gave her niece a pointed look, “is still to be determined.”
Emily grabbed Darach’s hand and pulled him over to the pile. “Some of it’s still in the car, but we have tons of camping stuff. See? Flashlights and sleeping bags, and extra blankets. We even have blow-up mattresses, and lanterns, and water and—”
“I think he gets the point,” Tess laughed, a little embarrassed by their overkill. Darach must be thinking what silly girls, they were. “We like to be prepared,” she said a little defensively.
“Yup. It pays to be prepared,” the child stated earnestly.
Tessa winced, silently admitting she may have harped on that point a few too many times out of fear of putting Em in any danger.
“If we sleepover,” Emily blurted, “you could sleepover with us, Darach. We have extra blankets.” Emily looked at him with such hope in her eyes, it tore the reprimand from the tip of Tessa’s tongue.
“We haven’t even seen the rest of the house yet,” Tess reasoned. “There’s no need to spend the night if we decide this place won’t work for us.”
Sliding her hand from Darach’s, Emily stared at the floor, dragging her toe through the dust. “I know.”
Tess hadn’t meant to sound so sharp. She held out her arms. “Come here, sweetie.” When Em slid into her arms, she gave her a tight hug, then pulled back and smoothed the damp tendrils of hair from her face. “We’re partners, right? So we’ll make the decision together. But right now, let’s get a fire started, get warmed up, then we’ll take the flashlights and go exploring.”
Emily nodded. “Partners.” She gave Tess their signature, partner fist-bump. “And, after that, even if it’s not lunchtime yet, I think we should have our picnic.” She leaned close to Tess’ ear to whisper. “I bet Darach’s really hungry.”
“Excellent decision,” Tess replied as Em moved away.
“I’ll see about getting that board off the window,” Darach said, “Hopefully, I can bust it up for kindling.” He grabbed the tire iron and went outside.
When Emily started to follow, Tessa stopped her. “Em, let’s let him work. Besides, I don’t want you to get any wetter than you already are. So, how about you and I grab some flashlights and check out a couple more rooms until he’s done?”
“Yes!” Emily grinned, scurrying for the flashlights.
“Are you warm enough?” Tessa tugged on the collar of the child’s coat when Em handed her a flashlight. “Do you want to wrap a blanket around your shoulders?”
Emily shook her head. “Nope. I’m good.”
“Yes, you are,” Tessa laughed and gave her niece a squeeze. “You’re the best. Now let’s go see if this house feels like a home.”
Chapter Five
“Where should we go first?” Emily asked. “Upstairs? I want to see what’s up there.”
“Me too, but let’s finish exploring this floor, first,” Tess suggested, flashing her light at a set of doors adjacent to the library. “We need to know what sort of rooms open off this entry, and where the kitchen is. I’m hoping to find a room close to the kitchen that’s big enough for a dining room.” She gave Em a playful shove. “You don’t want to have to walk very far to serve your banana muffins, do you?”
“No,” Emily grinned.
“What do you think would be best? One great big family style table, or several smaller tables for privacy?”
“Family style!”
Tessa chuckled. “That was fast.”
Emily ducked her head and shrugged. “I guess you could have both, but how will everybody make friends if they’re all separated?”
Sensing their conversation wasn’t really about potential guests, Tessa paused and gave Emily her full attention, hoping she’d open up a little. “Do you think it’s important that everyone make friends?”
“Sure. Don’t you like it better when people are friendly? You can ask them where they’re from and if they have any kids, and stuff. But if they’re all sitting apart, they won’t talk. My teacher said if you don’t talk to people, you won’t know if they’re a forever-friend. They’d be like a present you didn’t open.”
Intrigued, Tess leaned down and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Emily’s ear. “Your teacher sounds nice.”
“She was really nice. When school started, I didn’t know anybody, so I was kinda scared to ask kids if I could play with them. That’s when she told me about forever-friends.”
“Wise teacher. Did you try doing what she said?” Tess hadn’t realized how much, as an only child, Em must miss the company of other children. And now, homeschooling made the possibility of finding new friends even more difficult.
In the six months since the accident, they’d both sort of drifted, trying to find solid ground again. It was clearly time to find a permanent home and give Em the stability and opportunities she needed.
“Yes, I made lots of forever-friends,” Emily replied excitedly. “What my teacher said worked every time. Just like with Darach. I haven’t asked him yet, but I know he’ll be my forever friend.” She gave Tessa a very adult, stern look. “You should try it, Aunt Tess. Darach could be your friend, too. All you have to d
o is ask him.”
As Tess stood, Emily held up a cautionary finger. “But remember, you should still be a friend to him even if he doesn’t want to be one to you.”
The child’s earnestness delighted Tess. “You’re absolutely right.” She tapped the tip of Em’s nose. “Thanks for the reminder. But remember, hon, Darach is still a stranger. A very nice one, but until we know more about him, we should still be cautious. That doesn’t mean we can’t be friendly, but, smart-friendly. Does that make sense?”
“I guess,” Emily sighed. “But I already know he’s a safe stranger. You just don’t know it, yet.”
“Em—”
“You’ll see.” The child laughed and twirled away.
Tess had to admit she didn’t feel Darach posed any danger. He was more of a mystery to be solved. A distractingly appealing one.
Clearing her throat and her thoughts, she’d called after Emily. “Wait for me.”
Tess moved the beam of her flashlight along the wall of the great entry, admiring the rich, detailed moldings. So far, at least in the dim light, much of the original workmanship seemed to be in fairly decent shape. “It’s early yet, but if we actually decide to try a B&B, we’ll need a name. Any suggestions?”
Emily skipped in and out of Tess’ light. “Mmmm. Something friendly, so people will know it’s a good place to come.”
“Agreed. Let’s see. Something like… ‘The Friendship Inn, Bed and Breakfast, where you arrive as strangers and leave as friends’?”
“Yes!” Emily exclaimed. “I like it!”
“We’ll keep it as an option, then.” Tess pointed to the doors adjacent to the library. “I doubt that’s the kitchen, but let’s see what it looks like and what we could use it for.”
They entered facing tall, almost ceiling to floor bay windows covering most of the outside wall. Another fireplace, smaller than the library’s, graced an adjacent wall and opposite that, she swept the beam of her flashlight over a faded, pastoral mural that gave the room a decidedly intimate and feminine feel.
