“But your mother didn’t lose her power, or any of your ancestors.”
“No, but they all had girls. With the first boy in centuries, I thought it might have something to do with that.”
And he could tell she wanted to stop talking about it. It was late, and they had a long day of travel. He wanted to push her but he knew it was the wrong time. So, he changed the subject.
“Are the rooms big enough?”
She visibly relaxed, her expression softening just a bit. And he decided he would let it go, just for tonight.
* * * *
Maggie was still a little on edge as she walked with Angus back to Jack’s room. There was no doubt in her mind she would be sleeping with Jack while they were there. They had connecting rooms, but especially for tonight, she wanted to sleep with him. He’d been very upset earlier.
“So, you have no family members?”
She shook her head. “My da died before I was born.”
No reason to tell him that it was a common occurrence. Almost every woman in her ancestry lost the husband of her child before the child was born. She hadn’t believed it, playing fast and loose with lives. And Ian had paid for it, but he was mostly at fault for it.
“And your mum?”
She sighed. “Mum died. Hit by a drunk driver when I was eighteen.” Another half-truth. She did die, but Maggie had been long gone. Ian and she were already honing their skills and stealing jewels.
“No one else?” he asked with a tone that made her defensive as usual.
“I did fine on my own. Ian and I had already met and we formed a family with some other folks.”
“Did they also break the law?”
“No. They were Magickal folk like us. We had a little show we put together, traveled through Ireland. But, some people got sick of the travel and wanted to settle. Ian and I didn’t.”
They arrived at Jack’s room and she was thankful. She still had jet lag and she had very little patience at the moment. Plus, she wasn’t at her best.
“So, you know where the kitchen is now. We eat breakfast in the morning room.”
She smiled, her eyes feeling suddenly exhausted. She could barely keep them open. “Imagine that.”
He chuckled. “Maggie O’Conner, you’re a wee bit sleepy.”
“I am. It’s been a long few days. Thank you for the tea.”
But he was waiting for her to do something so she did the one thing she could think of. She rose to her tiptoes and brushed her mouth over his cheek. When she pulled back, he had a stunned look on his face. She started to feel weird standing there.
“Uh, okay. Goodnight.”
“Is that what that was? A goodnight kiss?” he asked. There was something else in his voice. The affable tone had dissolved and there was an edge to it that caused her to curl her toes.
“It was to thank you for the tea.”
“And dragging you across the world and putting you and your son in danger?”
“You know, men can never be happy. I was nice enough to let that go and thank you but no, you have to complain that I kissed you.”
“So it wasn’t a goodnight kiss?”
She rolled her eyes. “No.”
“Good.”
Then, he grabbed her right hand and yanked her forward. Before she knew what was happening, his mouth was pressing against hers. A burst of heat swirled in her belly as she tried to think of something, anything. Before she could, he was stepping back. Her head was still whirling, and she was gasping for breath. He was standing there as if he hadn’t done anything.
“What the bloody hell was that?”
He smiled. “A goodnight kiss.”
Then, he turned and ambled down the hall as if he hadn’t just turned her world upside down.
Chapter Eleven
Angus was up early the next morning. Even with jetlag, he couldn’t lay about in bed. Something urged him up and out that morning. It was the bane of his existence, but he had come to accept it as part of his makeup. Over two hundred years of mornings told him he wasn’t going to change.
That morning, though, it seemed as if something else was compelling him to move. He was so early that he had beaten Callum out of bed. He smiled. Granted, Callum wasn’t always the first to rise these days. His cousin’s attention was now more on Phoebe than work and Angus was glad for it.
“Do you know where to go for breakfast?”
The small voice had him turning around, realizing Jack had snuck up on him. It was an odd occurrence because Angus had exceptional hearing. He found the lad just a few feet behind him. He looked no worse for wear. Truth was, most children wouldn’t be able to deal with the fear of an attack and a trip across the Atlantic the way this child did. He was sure most people would think it odd, but he found the lad fascinating.
“Right down this hallway.”
The solemn boy nodded and waited. Angus didn’t think he had ever seen a child this serious in his life. Dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, sporting a pair of sneakers, he was much too serious for a young boy.
“Where’s your mum?”
“Sleeping. She’s so tired.”
There was something in his voice that caught Angus’ attention.
“Is there something you need to tell me, Jack?”
He looked down at the floor. “No.”
“Jack.”
It took him a few moments, but the boy finally raised his gaze. “I might have helped her sleep longer.”
The confession pulled a smile from Angus. The idea that he had used a little trickery on his mother was kind of funny.
“Is that so?”
He shrugged. “She was very worried so when I woke up, I helped a bit. I promise.”
Then, it hit Angus just what they were discussing. He had known what they were talking about, but accepting it was another thing. “You can do spells?”
The expression on Jack’s face told Angus he was offended by the question. “Of course. Can’t you?”
Angus shook his head. “Why would you think I could do something like that?”
He shrugged. “I just figured you could seeing how old you are.”
Angus opened his mouth but for a moment nothing came out. He closed his mouth and swallowed, trying to come up with the proper question.
“And how old am I?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light.
Jack squinted up at him as if trying to count the years. “Not sure, but you’re not from this century or last. Your past is too long.”
His heart almost stopped then and there. “What?”
“You have a lot of colors around you…only really old people are like that. So, I thought you must be special in some way because you don’t look that old.” When Angus said nothing, Jack asked, “Is that bacon I smell?”
He wanted to ask the boy more, but he knew that wouldn’t do. And it wasn’t as if his family thought they were going to keep their past hidden from Maggie. Angus blew out a slow, steady breath. “Yeah. I’m sure. Come on, sounds like they have breakfast ready.”
They walked down the hall without saying another word. Angus was deep in his thoughts when he heard the patter of feet behind him. Maggie was running down the hall, her voice strong and clear.
“Jackson Michael O’Conner!”
Jack stopped and leaned against Angus’ leg. “I’m in trouble.”
Angus smiled down at him and ruffled his hair. “When it comes to women, I’ve realized that it’s best to face the music.”
When they turned to face Maggie, Jack gripped his leg tighter. Maggie was a bit of a mess. Her hair was a wild mass of curls, more auburn than brown today and she looked like she had just left her lover back in bed.
And, if he ever died, he was surely going to hell for thinking about Jack’s mother and for wishing he had been that man. It only made him human wanting her this way, but any man in his right mind would want the woman.
“You disappeared from our room when I specifically told you not to go w
andering about this place. We are guests and it’s rude.”
“Sir Angus doesn’t mind.”
He glanced down at the boy, then back up to the avenging mother. “We really don’t. Any room we want kept private is usually locked.”
Maggie narrowed her eyes. The sparks of blue were deeper today with hints of green within them.
“Is that so?” she asked, her voice filled with venom.
It seemed to be carried on a wave of irritation. It hit him like he’d been smacked. His head was spinning when he heard footsteps behind him. He knew without looking that it was his brother.
“Mr. Lennon—”
“Which one of us are you talking to?” Angus asked.
She looked between the two of them, apparently trying to decide how to single him out.
“Ms. O’Conner, why don’t you just call us by our first names. It will be easier to keep us all straight,” Logan offered. His voice was solicitous enough to irritate Angus. Worse, she softened a bit in his presence.
“Thank you, Logan. Do you think you could take Jack into the morning room while I talk to you brother?”
That sounded very ominous but Angus was pretty sure he wouldn’t come up with a way to avoid the confrontation. It wasn’t as if he had done anything wrong, but from the way she was looking at him, she had other ideas on the subject.
“Of course. Come along with me, Master Jack.”
Jack hesitated. “You canna hurt him, Mum.”
She settled her hands on her hips. “Jack, go with Logan. I need to have a little chat with Angus.”
Jack finally let go of his leg and stepped forward. He motioned for his mother to come closer. She bent at the waist and listened. When she straightened, she nodded once.
“Now, go with Logan and behave.”
Jack gave him a sad look before walking over to Logan.
“Did you sleep well, Master Jack?”
“Yes. Now that I have met Sir Angus, I’m no longer dreaming of him.”
Maggie closed her eyes in irritation or mortification; he wasn’t quite sure which. Logan and the boy continued to chatter on about nothing important. Soon, the sound of their footsteps faded until the only sound was the ticking of the massive cuckoo clock behind him.
“Do you want to explain yourself?” she asked.
Gone was the sweet woman he kissed the night before. It wasn’t as if she had ever been that sweet to him, but that moment he had kissed her, he thought she had felt something for him. She apparently hadn’t been affected by it. Just that little thought irritated him. He felt like he was defending himself constantly.
“I dinna do anything wrong.”
She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “I have several rules, but the primary one is in regards to my son.”
“I found him in the hall and he was hungry.” Anger colored his words. He hated losing control of his temper, but he didn’t like the way she was talking to him. She was acting as if he were trying to steal her son.
“Are you implying that I canna take care of my son?”
“No I’m not.”
“Then, what? Forget it. After breakfast we will find other lodging.”
He snorted but she moved to step around him and he realized she was telling the truth.
“That’s a stupid idea.”
She stopped just a few inches in front of him. “Are you calling me stupid?”
Dammit, how the hell did she go from concerned mother to being so bloody angry at him.
“No, I’m not calling you stupid, but you have no money, no passports, and you’re here illegally.”
“Truth is, I didn’t really leave according to official documents, so I can go where I want.”
She brushed her hair back over her shoulder with angry movements. He could tell she was trying to control her anger. Part of him was glad that she was still keeping the conversation going. Another part of him, the one that was now ruling his actions, wanted to push her more.
“No, you were declared missing, presumed dead. And this is a bloody stupid argument. He was in the hallway; I had him come down to breakfast with me. Good God, woman, you’d anger a saint.”
A flash of light filled the hallway as if they had been hit by lightening. A crack sounded behind him then another burst of heat knocked him back a step. Glass shattered behind him. Her mouth opened and she dropped her arms.
He turned and looked at the cuckoo clock. The glass had exploded, as if something had forced it to shatter. It lay in broken pieces on the floor behind him.
“Bloody hell, what was that?” Logan said as he came down the hall, Jack on his heels.
Angus looked at Maggie. She had that same look of fear that she wore a couple nights earlier in her apartment. “Maggie?”
In the next instant, her eyes rolled back in her head. Angus rushed forward in time to catch her before she pitched forward. He picked her up in his arms as Jack rushed closer.
“She’s fine, Jack.”
He nodded, that solemn look on his face again. “I knew this would happen though. She isna used to her powers anymore.”
“You think she did that?”
The clattering of feet told him the rest of the household was on their way to the scene. Nothing much went on in their residence without all of them knowing. Something like that probably gained the attention of their closest neighbor.
“What the hell was that?” Anice said, with Callum, Phoebe, and Fletcher running down the stairs. Ada the cook, several of the maids, along with Belvidore, were running toward them.
“Mummy got mad at Sir Angus and then she broke you’re clock. I’m ever so sorry.”
Callum came over closer. “Is she okay?”
“She’s breathing but Jack thinks the use of her power knocked her out.”
Just then, Maggie stirred awake. Angus looked down and watched as her eyes opened. They fluttered a couple times before she finally got them open all the way. Even with all the people surrounding them, it was one of the most intimate things he’d experienced in a long time. It was as if he had been watching her wake after a nap.
She shook her head as if trying to clear it.
“It’s okay, Mum.”
Her eyes widened when her gaze met his. “What are you doing?”
“I’m holding you.”
“Why are you doing that?”
“You almost fell, Mummy.”
Angus said, “You used your powers and you passed out.”
She frowned at him. “Put me down.”
He knew he should, but he didn’t want to. It was too nice having her in his arms. “You need to rest.”
“Then maybe you should take her to Callum’s office,” Phoebe offered.
Maggie sighed. “This is silly. Put me down.”
He wanted to argue. There was something telling him that he had the right to hold her, to protect her, but that was illogical. So, against his better judgment, he set her down.
She wobbled a bit, but straightened herself. “I suggest we get to eating, Jack. You get a little grumpy if you go without eating.”
Angus wanted to argue with her, but he knew there was no way to win. He watched as mother and son walked down the hall together. He needed to remember that she wasn’t an ordinary woman.
“Are you sure she’s okay?” Phoebe asked.
He glanced at her. “I’m not sure, but there is no way to win an argument with her.”
It was something he would be wise to remember when dealing with an Irish witch.
Chapter Twelve
After breakfast, Maggie walked Jack down to what Belvidore called the sitting room. It was a cozy little space with a thick Persian rug and a fire that always seemed to be lit. While the other rooms in the house seemed a bit formal, this one was not. Large comfy furniture dominated the room.
“I will take good care of Master Jack, my lady.”
For a moment she paused and looked up at the man and realized he had always shown deference around her.
“Belvidore, why do you address me as my lady?”
He hesitated, clearly not wanting to let her know the reasons, but he acquiesced.
“It is an old fashioned term, but one that I think is befitting of you, my lady. Especially with your connection to the family now.”
“I am not connected to the family.”
He frowned at her and she felt a wave of uncertainty sweep over her. It was followed by a bit of embarrassment. Why she worried about what the butler thought of her, she didn’t know. Still, there was some kind of connection to him.
“I knew some of your people, you know,” he said conversationally. After a glance in Jack’s direction, he looked back at her. “There is a reason you are with us. You will see.”
Maggie had a feeling she could argue with him as long as the day was and still lose, so she mentally shrugged and left Jack alone with him. As she was walking down the hall, she paused, thinking of what she had just done. She knew next to nothing about this family and the people who worked for them, but for some reason, she had a feeling that Belvidore would fight to the death to protect Jack.
“Lost in thought, Maggie,” Anice said as she stepped up beside Maggie.
Her happy voice jolted Maggie back into reality. “Just thinking about leaving Jack with Belvidore.”
“He will be safe with him. Belvidore adores little boys. He always complains there aren’t enough of them around here. Of course, now I can toss all of the inquiries about that to Callum.”
She was smiling at Maggie, which made Maggie feel like a slouch. While Maggie wasn’t tiny, she was compared to Anice, who was a statuesque beauty. If she weren’t such a nice woman, Maggie would surely hate her.
“What is going on in there?”
“What?” Maggie asked.
“Your head. Every now and then you disappear into your thoughts. It must be amazing to be in there. Do you come up with all kinds of dreadful ways to kill people?”
Maggie laughed. “No. Are you going to the meeting?”
“Everyone is going.”
Wonderful. She should have guessed they would all be there, but she had been hoping to avoid Fletcher, who didn’t seem to like her. Animosity was easier for her to feel now that her Magick was returning.
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