Shadows 02 Celtic Shadows

by K C West

“Yes, I’m sorry. I guess there’s still a lot of tension.”

  “Should I ask Francine to bring us tea, or something stronger?”

  My laugh sounded strained, even to my own ears. “Maybe some bottled water. My throat is a little dry.”

  “Of course.” He rose and moved to the intercom on his desk.

  His summons was answered immediately, though the voice wasn’t Francine’s. “Yes, Mr. Curtis. What can I do for you?”

  “Megan, please have Francine bring two bottles of water to my office.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And have her visit the porch and ask Dr. Blair if she needs anything.”

  “Right away, sir.”

  That would probably freak Kim out, I thought, then I giggled. Oh, hell, she might even get to like it.

  Dad returned to the sofa. “Something funny?”

  “I’m just wondering how Kim is going to react to being waited on.”

  He grimaced. “She’s not used to any of this, is she?”

  “No. It isn’t really her style.”

  “She’s a fine scientist. I’m impressed with her work. Sending you down there to Arizona was the best thing I ever did.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  He directed his gaze at me for several seconds, head cocked to one side. “You know, she’s done wonders for you. The reports you’ve faxed me, the grant money you gave those kids - All of that showed so much initiative, so much professional maturity.”

  “Thank you, Dad.”

  He touched my knee, giving it a squeeze. “And you’ve settled down, tamed your wild social behavior. Ending that pointless relationship with Stephen was for the best.”

  I hoped he would agree when he knew the whole story. “Yes, it was.”

  “In short, you’ve blossomed.”

  “Whew.” My cheeks were flaming with all this sudden praise. “I appreciate the sentiment, but really, I owe it all to Kim.”

  He slid closer and put his arm around my shoulders. “If that’s the case, you stick with her.”

  “Oh, I intend to.” Night and day, through thick and thin. Until death did us part, I would stick with her.

  He hugged me against his chest and kissed the top of my head. “Good.”

  “Actually, that’s part of what I wanted to discuss with you.”

  “Right. You mentioned something in your last e-mail.”

  There was a brief, but firm knock on the door, and Francine entered, carrying a tray loaded with two chilled bottles of water, two crystal goblets, and several slices of lemon. It also held crackers, cheese, fruit, and a glass bowl with a generous supply of whole cashews. Both Dad and I reached for a handful and laughed as our fingers collided.

  “Guess you can tell we’re related,” he said.

  Francine smiled at me. “Welcome back, Dr. Curtis. It’s wonderful to have you at Windswept again.”

  “Thanks, Francine. I’m happy to be back. How is Dr. Blair doing?”

  “Oh, she’s quite content. I’m bringing her a pot of tea and some fresh blueberry muffins.”

  “If you spread the muffins with honey butter, I know she’ll love it.”

  “I’ll be happy to.” She turned to my father. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

  “No, thank you, Francine. Just have Vivian hold my calls until further notice.”

  “Of course, sir.” She moved to the door just as Vivian brought in a bundle of mail.

  “I wouldn’t have disturbed you, but the top letter came Air Express and was marked urgent.” Vivian handed the mail to my father and gave me a reassuring smile. “I must say, it’s wonderful to see you back in here with your father.”

  I seemed to have a cheering section among the staff. I grinned back at her. “Thanks, Vivian. Dad and I really needed this time to talk. I’m just sorry we were delayed for so long.”

  “You’re here now. That’s what counts.” She watched as Dad returned to his desk and slit open the letter. “Will you need anything further?”

  Dad looked up at her, frowning. “Not just now, Vivian. Stay close, though. I think I may need your assistance in a few minutes.”

  “Of course. I’ll be right outside.” With a brief nod of her head and a wink in my direction, she was gone.

  I took another handful of nuts and chewed them while Dad drummed his fingers on the desk, lost in thought.

  “Problem?” I asked, getting up from the sofa and flopping into one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

  He passed me the paper. “Do you remember the Morrisons?”

  I looked at the ornate embossed letterhead and gave the name some thought. “Should I?”

  “I think you saw John a time or two when you were very small, but I met him long before you were born, sweetheart. We first ran into each other, literally, in a bookstore in Oxford during my junior year abroad. He backed into me, and I knocked half a dozen books onto the floor. We began laughing, and when we couldn’t stop, we were escorted out of the building for creating a disturbance.”

  I smiled, still chewing.

  “That was before he met Jenny and I met your mother. When they got married, I was his best man. It was quite a posh affair. Through the years, we kept in touch as best we could, but when your mother died… well, we lost touch. Now it seems they’re someplace in Wales, living on his family’s estate.”

  “Wow. Quite the upper crust.”

  “Yeah. Lord and Lady Morrison.”

  I finished reading the letter. “I have to admit, it sounds intriguing… some sort of mystery. But where do I fit in? How did he even know I’m an archaeologist?”

  Dad shrugged, his attention focused on a small pile of papers. “I guess he must have read about it in a news article, or something.”

  “I see. Still, I’m sure there are better-qualified people right in his own backyard. He’s talking about a Celtic warrior and some kind of connection to ancient relatives.” I sighed. Now, where had I heard that before?

  Dad shifted in his seat, making the chair squeak. “I’m sure he wouldn’t ask for help if he didn’t really need it.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “You would be doing me a favor, if you’d assist him.” He paused a moment, and then his expression brightened. “What if you and Kim were to go over there together? How would that be? You could work on it as a team for a couple of weeks and then take a holiday.”

  “You’d have to ask her, but I’m sure she’d be very helpful.”

  A tiny smile played at the corners of his mouth. “You seem to know a great deal about what Kim likes.”

  I sank back into my seat on the sofa. “We got to be very good friends while we were in Arizona.”

  He stared at me for several seconds. “Yes. I imagine you did.”

  I handed the letter back to him. “I need to talk with you about Kim and me. It’s important.”

  “Why don’t you go get her, and we’ll discuss it together?”

  “No!” The word came out with more vehemence than I intended. “That is, I - uh, we thought that I’d better tell you alone… first.”

  He frowned. “About you and Kim?”

  Jesus. Did he have any idea what I was going to say? He looked so stern. I was going to blow it. I just knew it.

  “Priscilla, do you have something to tell me?”

  “Oh, sorry. Yes, it’s about Kim and me. We became friends in Arizona. Good friends. And then things changed between us. Our friendship grew into something stronger. I know it might come as a shock to you, but… I fell in love with her.”

  His expression never changed, and I couldn’t tell how the news had affected him.

  “Dad? Did you hear what I said?”

  He leaned across his desk and stabbed the intercom button. “Vivian?”

  Her cheerful voice contrasted with the tension in the office. “Are you ready for me now, sir?”

  “No, not yet. Please find Dr. Blair and have her report to me at once.”

  “Right away, sir.”
r />   Oh, shit! I had messed up. I did a mental review of our conversation. The stuff about Wales had thrown me off, made me rush. I had freaked him out. Damn it, I only told him the truth.

  “Dad, please. I - ”

  He stood and held up one hand. “Let’s just wait for Kim to get here, so I can talk to both of you at once, okay?”

  I sat in silence, hands clenched in my lap, blinking back tears. If he wouldn’t accept us as a couple, then that was that. He could forget about reconciliation. I loved her. If he forced me to choose between the two of them, I’d take her side in a heartbeat.

  There was a knock on the door, and Kim entered the office, looking brave and incredibly beautiful.

  Chapter 2

  Despite the opulence that surrounded me, I was quite relaxed, drifting from the pages of my book into a dreamy, nap-like state. A light breeze ruffled my hair.

  Pup, lying on the floor beside me, also seemed, in his own doggie way, a little overwhelmed by so much wealth. It was probably just my overactive imagination, but I could have sworn that his eyes widened the first time he was served water in a crystal doggie bowl and food in a fine china dish that was trimmed with colorful hand-painted doggie images.

  “Don’t get too used to it,” I warned him. “When we get back home, all this luxury will disappear, and it’ll be back to Wal-Mart’s finest plastic.” He arched his eyebrows in what I took to be condescension. Francine’s arrival interrupted my reverie. She carried a silver tray with tea in a cozy-covered teapot and a delicate Royal Doulton tea service. My eyes focused on the plate, which held two of the most delicious looking, and what I assumed were homemade, blueberry muffins. “Ms. PJ - I mean Dr. Curtis - thought you would enjoy some refreshments.”

  “Thank you, Francine, and please thank Dr. Curtis for me.”

  Francine prepared to pour the tea. “Cream or sugar?”

  “Both, please.”

  “Two cubes or one?”

  “Two, thank you.” It wasn’t my usual practice to have sugar in my tea, but I could not resist those sweet little cubes, especially when I visualized dipping them into my tea and then sucking on them. Mmm. Made me think of PJ. I felt my face flush at the unbidden erotic connection.

  The cream was the real thing, too, not the two-percent stuff I used most of the time. If I wasn’t careful, I could get used to this lavish lifestyle.

  Pup fixed his big, yellow eyes on me as I picked up a muffin.

  “No, Pup. Too much sugar for you, my friend.”

  “I haven’t forgotten you, Pup,” Francine said, patting his head. “I have some freshly baked dog biscuits for you, so why don’t you come with me and see whether they’ve cooled sufficiently?”

  Pup trotted into the house alongside her. Just like a male, I thought. Couldn’t resist a pretty woman.

  After enjoying my tea and muffins, I lay back and allowed my mind to wander.

  This situation wasn’t good for me. I needed to be working, not sitting on my butt living the good life.

  I wondered how PJ was doing. She was going to break the news to Frederick this morning, so the good life could be over for me before I knew it. Oh, PJ. I hoped she wasn’t making a mistake, springing it on him too soon.

  I must have fallen asleep then, because the next thing I was aware of was Vivian waking me. “Dr. Blair, Mr. Curtis wants to see you in his office right away.”

  “He does? Oh, dear.” I stood and straightened my clothes. “Where’s PJ?”

  “She’s with him.”

  “Vivian, how is his mood?”

  She gave me a strange look. “Fine. Business-like, as usual. That man works way too hard.”

  As I made my way to Frederick’s office suite, I took little notice of the exquisite artwork hanging on the walls. PJ’s mother had been a connoisseur of the arts, and her collection, displayed here and at their Boston home, revealed her good taste. I doubted that I would have the opportunity to admire this part of the collection. For now, I was too absorbed in wondering what awaited me, what Frederick’s reaction would be. I was in a state of limbo, not knowing what kind of future was in store for us, or if there was any future at all.

  Frederick was a powerful man. With little effort I could visualize him as an enforcer who could, if need be, hire someone to make sure I was no longer a “threat” to his daughter.

  Geez, I hated dark alleys, but that was where I was going to end up. Stop it! Frederick was nothing if not an ethical businessman. He wouldn’t stoop to criminal activity to get rid of his daughter’s lover. More than likely, he’d try to pay me off with a generous sum and a one-way ticket to Outer Mongolia.

  My mind returned to the present as I entered the office suite. Vivian had taken a detour to the kitchen, so there was no one at her desk to announce my presence.

  I straightened my shoulders and tried to take bold steps to the closed door of Frederick’s private office, his inner sanctum. My knock sounded too firm.

  “Enter.” It was a command rather than an invitation.

  “You wanted to see me, Frederick?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  I glanced at PJ. She was sitting across the desk from Frederick in one of the leather chairs. Her face was red, and her green eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her golden hair was mussed, as if she had been running her hands through it, in desperation perhaps.

  Frederick hadn’t looked at either of us. Instead, he added his signature to a sheaf of papers.

  I wanted to get on with it, get it over with. Why was he prolonging the punishment?

  Finally, he replaced the cap on his pen and carefully placed it on the desk. He leaned back in his chair, looking first at PJ and then at me. There was no trace of a smile on his face.

  I glanced at PJ. She made a discreet movement with her finger, drawing it across her throat. Frederick caught the gesture and froze her with his gaze. She dropped her hand into her lap and looked in my direction. Pleading, I thought, for me to make things right.

  I felt sorry for her distress, but what was done was done. We’d have to live with the consequences, whatever they were.

  “We need to talk.” Frederick stood up and came around his desk to stand in front of me.

  “Yes, sir.”

  PJ rose and moved to my side. Her fingers sought mine and held on to them.

  Obviously, she’d made up her mind, but did this have to happen just as she and her father were rebuilding their relationship? I glanced toward her, my eyes questioning. Was I worth her risking continued estrangement from her dad?

  The rift between them had started when PJ was fourteen. Her mother had been killed in a plane crash in Egypt while on assignment as a photojournalist. Apparently, PJ and Frederick had never worked through their grief successfully.

  Frederick didn’t say anything. He looked first at me and then at PJ.

  “I can explain,” I said, “and I hope you can find it in your heart to understand.”

  “Dr. Blair, what is the extent of your relationship with my daughter?”

  “Dad, it’s like I told you.”

  “Priscilla, I want to hear Dr. Blair’s version.”

  “I love your daughter, Frederick,” I said. “I love her more than anything or anyone in this world, but if it means that she’s going to lose you again - ” I hoped the catch in my throat wasn’t audible “ - I’ll walk out of here alone and never turn back.”

  “Kim.” PJ dropped my hand and swung around to face me, forcing her father to step aside. “You can’t mean that. You wouldn’t, would you?” Tears overflowed onto her cheeks.

  “Yes, if it comes to that, PJ. I have to do what’s right, what’s most beneficial for you.”

  “If you think that walking out on me is the right thing to do, then your priorities are severely screwed.”

  A chuckle alerted us to the fact that Frederick was smiling.

  “That won’t be necessary,” he said, drawing us both into his arms. “Welcome to the family, Kim. You’re good for Priscilla
. I know that, and I’m proud of the two of you.”

  PJ slapped him on the chest and then wiped at her tears. “How could you? That was cruel, acting like you disapproved. I almost had a heart attack.”

  “I’m sorry. I was only teasing you both. Forgive me for allowing it to go on so long.”

  “Jesus.” PJ’s voice shook with emotion, but she finally joined in the group hug. “Did you know about us all along?”

  “I had my suspicions, but I waited. I knew that sooner or later you would say something.”

  “I think I’ve lost ten years off my life.”

  “You and me both,” I said, grinning with relief.

  Frederick smiled. “I won’t say it didn’t concern me at first.”

  PJ looked up at him. “Oh?”

  “You do have a history of being headstrong. I was worried that you hadn’t given sufficient thought to your actions, and about what the fall-out might cost you. If you hadn’t spoken of it this soon, I would have broached the subject myself.”

  “I have thought about it. Kim and I talked long and hard about the situation. She even tried to dissuade me.”

  “You realize, don’t you,” he said, leaning his hips against his desk and half sitting on it, “that you’ll face disapproval in some circles and downright discrimination in others?”

  “I know that. Kim made sure I understood what I was getting into, and what to expect.”

  “And children, Priscilla?”

  “We’ve talked about that, too. Right now, we both want to concentrate on our relationship and our work. If we decide later that we want a child, there are ways, and you know it.” PJ put her arm around my waist. “It’s quite common these days for couples like us to adopt, or use scientific methods, so don’t rule out being a grandfather.”

  “Ah, ‘tis a brave new world,” Frederick said. “One that I don’t always presume to understand. What I do understand is love, and if that’s what you and Kim share, who am I to deny you the right to such a powerful emotion?”

  “I love Kim.” PJ squeezed my waist and gazed into my eyes. “And I know she loves me.”

  I kissed her on the forehead and looked at Frederick. “I tried to dissuade her. I really did, because I can’t imagine what she sees in an old fossil like me.”