Capítulo 2: Chapter Two: Homecoming
March 5: 13 Days Before the Festival
The lush scenery of Ireland was revealed through lightly tinted convex windows of the passenger train. Endless stretches of a rolling patchwork of fields every conceivable hue of green slipped timelessly away. The bright yellow and blue passenger train sped into deep gullies that offered little to look at but grey slag stone and tufts of grass that waved in the wake of the passing train. All this flashed past Sunny's window in an unending blur. The rhythmic beat as the wheels rolled over the rails and the variation of whirring noises lulled Sunny O'Neil into a trance state. The occasional high-pitched blast of the horn as the passenger train passed through villages would rouse her briefly from her woolgathering.
In the hours since the plane landed, Sunny had not any time to dwell on her sadness. It was not until she had settled into her seat in the railcar and was speeding overland toward her Aunt Fiona, who waited to collect the shambles of Sunny's life that she began to descend into the depths of obsessive depression.
When Sunny's plane landed at the Dublin airport she collected her bags and the one big trunk on a cart and went on a dash to a taxi that rushed her to the Connelly train station. This had occupied her for several hours and she had had no time to even think beyond getting from the plane to the train and settling in for the long trip.
With several rail changes behind her, she sat close to the window of the rail car, her right shoulder pressed close to the cool glass. She leaned her head against the thick pane and tried to forget everything that had happened in the last three weeks.
Try she might; she simply could not push the event away for very long. The memories and that day; were burned in her mind's eye and continued to display over her every waking moment, like the afterimage of a giant flash bulb. It would not go away. It kept exploding over and over in her head. Thankfully, she no longer wept whenever the events bubbled up from the depths of her brain. There were no more tears in her, only the intense feelings of betrayal and seething anger that simmered constantly in the marrow of her bones. That unreasonable anger disturbed her. Sunny had never felt such intense rage in her life, and if she allowed that anger to rise, she would feel this bubbling pain begin deep in the pit of her brain.
Sunny drew a deep steadying breath and tried to put that behind her. She gazed out at the rolling scenes in her window. She knew she was overly tired. The plane ride had been a series of fitful naps. She had requested a seat by the window but had ended up in the center row between a businessman, his wife, and two children who sat ahead of them. The couple and their children had been pleasant enough, but the wife never seemed to stop talking. Sunny had finally taken the medication her physician had prescribed and had eventually slipped into a kind of sleep that had not restored her at all. The after-effects had just dulled her mind to the point she was unable to feel anything. She guessed that was ultimately what the drug was intended to produce.
She took her smartphone from her purse and began to look through the images. She noted rather disappointedly that Dublin had been like most busy towns, it was a large city full of people moving about, and the noise of traffic, the various smells, and the scenery flowed over her. She had not missed the opportunity to take many pictures using her phone's digital camera. The thought was to upload them to a computer, print the ones she liked the most, and forward the rest of them to her parents.
The rail did have Wi-Fi outlets, but service was sporadic as they passed from town to town. On the short stops to pick up and drop off passengers, she connected to her email and sent a digital diary of images of her trip so far to her parents.
The train slowed and slid into a station to pick up and let off passengers. She looked through the images on her phone, trying to decide during the brief stop which ones to send to her mother. She frowned at the screen as she noted the signal was particularly strong and five email messages loaded up with accompanying successive chimes. Sunny clicked on the envelope icon and the list of messages popped up. One was from her mother; the other four were from Jason. 'Missing you' was the subject line of his four email messages. Her thumb hovered briefly over the icon considering opening the messages. The anger stabbed at her, and her head began throbbing. Why put herself through more pain by reading his deceitful messages? They were all the same. She sent them to the digital trash can and then permanently deleted them. The action gave her a little satisfaction and at the same time, she wanted to open them and read what Jason had attempted to say to win her back. Rather than dwell on the threatening negative feelings that were now always hovering near the surface, she tapped her thumb over the envelope icon and the message from her mother rolled up.
"Dearest Sunny, Dad and I finally heard from Aunt Fiona. She called late last night. She is going to meet you in Longford. She's arranged to get a rover from someone in town. I hope she has a valid driving license! LOL! I was trying to remember how far Ballencoo was from Longford – but can't remember; it seems so long ago now. If you can, once you reach the village give us a call – no matter what time it is, let us know you arrived safely. Love you, Mom."
Sunny smiled, then with a thumb, she touched the reply button and turned her phone on its side, and the small touch keyboard rotated. "Hey, Mom and Dad! I'm on the train now heading to Longford. The Wi-Fi signal comes and goes so I don't know how long I'll have service. I tried to find out how long it would take to get to Longford but could never find anyone who knew much about Ballencoo to tell me. Folks are sort of vague about that. As soon as I meet up with Aunt Fiona and get to Ballencoo, I'll call you.
I'm going to send a few more pictures to you and Dad since my signal is hovering around four bars! I've been taking a ton of pictures and have finally gotten into the sketchbooks you gave me for my trip! Hope to upload the bulk of the pictures as soon as I get another strong signal! I miss you heaps and bunches! I love you both! Your traveling child, Sunny."
Sunny found the pictures she wanted to add to the email and then tapped the 'send' button and quickly the swishing sound of the email being sent sounded from her phone. She clicked the phone off and dropped it back into her purse.
Several passengers had gotten on board, were finding seats, and stowed their bags in the overhead compartments. An elderly couple settled in the seats ahead of where Sunny sat. They nodded to her as they passed her on their way to their seats. A young man with a blue duffel bag arrived next to where Sunny sat by the window. He looked around at the other seats then opened the compartment angling a look down at Sunny, "You care if I put my bag up here with yours?"
Sunny glanced up at him and nodded her head curtly. "Go ahead; there should be plenty of room if you turn my bag around."
"Aye," He turned her bag slightly and hefted his up, and closed the compartment with a loud 'snick'. Sunny watched him out of the corner of her eye as he shrugged off his jacket and looked appraisingly at Sunny. She tried to be nonchalant as she reached into her purse again and dug around in it pretending to look for something. He folded his jacket and dropped it into the seat across from Sunny. The ticket master strolled up and asked to see his pass. He dug into the pocket of his jeans pocket and produced the ticket. Sunny looked over at him as he chatted briefly with the ticket master. He was of medium build and had light sandy-colored hair that was slightly curly. Sunny thought he was cute and when he turned and caught her studying him, he flashed a broad toothy smile that was infectious because Sunny found herself smiling pleasantly as he picked up his jacket and dropped into the seat that faced her. "You look to be travelin' light."
"Oh, the rest of my caravan is traveling somewhere in the baggage car," Sunny replied with a grim smile.
He tilted his head to one side as he listened to her. "From the States, eh? On holiday?" he asked, his brogue was light and crisp.
Sunny nodded, and then she realized that this man may be a robber or worse! She frowned gloomily as she remembered Jason had always told her she was too trusting and was therefore an easy mark!
Remembering such an incident and where Jason had lectured for what seemed like hours about being too trusting she felt suddenly anxious. The man with the boyish smile frowned at her. "Ach! Something—or someone just made you sad. I hope it wasn't me!"
She looked up startled at him and he laughed softly. "Ah, now where's the sunshine?" He stuck out a clean and manicured hand, "I'm Sean Calhoun by the way."
"Siobhan O'Neil," she answered and shook his hand. "Everyone calls me Sunny."
Sean leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. "Now why am I not surprised? I told myself that you had to have a name to match such a lovely face."
"You told yourself that did you?" she replied with a smirk.
He feigned a hurt attitude and then leaned forward. "Tell me; you're not married, are you?"
At the mention of marriage, Sunny felt herself falling and Sean instantly saw the hurt in her eyes, and he took her hand and rubbed it between his warm fingers. "Tut, tut! Now none of that! Don't you waste another tear on the bloody bastard!"
She had to laugh. "It's that obvious?"
Sean let go of her hand and sat back and appraised her. "Aye; very."
Sunny sighed heavily and looked down at her phone where it rested in her purse and remembered those email messages from Jason she had deleted.
Sunny looked up at Sean seeing that he was waiting patiently for an answer from her. She shook her head. "Sorry, it's not easy for me to talk about," Sunny replied.
Sean nodded understandingly. "Aye, well to waste another thought on him is time ill spent, Sunny."
"That's what my Dad says," She replied.
"Smart man!" Sean replied. "So, you're on holiday?"
"No," Sunny responded. She slipped her phone into her purse and turned her emerald-green eyes on Sean again. "Off to stay with my great Aunt."
"Does she live in Longford?" Sean wanted to know.
"No, in a place called Ballencoo, do you know it?" she asked.
A sudden and odd expression floated over Sean's face then he looked at her and shook his head as if to clear it of some dark thought, "Going back to visit?"
"I was last there when I was a little girl-- maybe three or four years old," Sunny replied. "I don't remember a lot, just that my Aunt Fiona was a lot of fun to be with."
"And if I were to come visiting," Sean said with a wry grin on his face, "What's your aunt's name?"
Sunny laughed lightly. "If you were to come visiting, you'd look for Fiona Dannan. It's an old name I understand."
"Aye," Sean replied, still looking thoughtful and confused. "Very old indeed!"
"Do you know it?" Sunny asked.
He was still frowning in thought but then he glanced up at her and shrugged lightly. "No, but I'm a newcomer to Ireland. My folks settled in Roscommon. But O'Neil is an old name too."
"My father's very proud of his Irish ancestry."
"And his daughter? How do you feel about your Irish blood?" Sean asked.
"I'm the proud daughter of Erin!" she announced proudly.
Sean grinned, looked at his watch, and held it up lightly tapping the face. "I'm starving; want to join me for a bite to eat?"
When she looked down at her hands Sean muttered under his breath to himself then took her hands in his and shook them gently. "You have to eat! Come on, don't make me have to eat all by myself!"
"All right," she said relenting. "I'll have a little snack."
"No, you'll have a proper meal!" He told her. He got up and pulled her to her feet. "Come on Siobhan O'Neil."
She reached down for her purse giggling like a schoolgirl and allowed him to pull her up the railcar to the dining car.
They arrived, found a spot, and sat down. Sean pulled the menu and ran a finger down the selections. As the waitress arrived and set two glasses of water down, he frowned at the water and then looked at the woman's name tag "Shannon, we're famished! We're in sore need of a good repast what say you to a couple of pints and two cold plates?"
Sunny studied the menu and saw that the cold plates consisted of sliced meats, cheeses, bread, and seasonal fruit. It was more than she would eat in a day! 'Shannon' nodded and returned with two large glasses of dark beer. Sunny had always loved the dark, smoky beer and she took a long, wonderful sip, closing her eyes in appreciation.
Sean Calhoun, as it turned out was a medical resident and was on his way home to visit his grandmother in Roscommon, which was beyond Longford. He was an only child; his father had passed away at an early age and had been raised by his mother until her death a few years ago and was now looking after his grandmother. He was an avid rugby fan and had played while he was an undergraduate. He had plans to practice medicine in his hometown. He was unattached, the girl he had planned to marry wasn't prepared to wait until he had graduated medical school and had married one of his friends instead.
Sunny picked at her plate of food, trying not to give in wanting to eat everything that Sean had picked out. He pointed at her plate, "You just gonna chase that food around on your plate or eat it?"
"I'm trying to watch what I eat," she murmured.
"Well, you need to eat, you're too skinny!"
Sunny laughed out loud. "You're kidding!"
"No!" Sean told her. "Not sure where you got the notion ya need to starve yourself to death!"
"I'm not starving to death," she said chuckling, "What a ridiculous thing to say."
"You are starving to death, Sunny," he responded. "You're starving more than just your body! You're starving your soul. I don't need to be a doctor to see it in your eyes."
She met his warm friendly hazel eyes and smiled. "I guess you're right Sean."
"So, eat up!" Sean told her angling a stern eye at her. Sunny did eat and they chatted about all sorts of things. They spent more than an hour and a half in the dining car talking about everything and nothing. Finally, the conversation turned to her. "What's next for you, Sunny?"
She watched as he cut sections of a red apple and took the piece he handed to her on the blade of the knife he was using. "Well, I've finished my studio work and graduated. I'm scheduled to start work in September in the graphics department of an advertising agency. I interned there last summer and won a spot on the staff."
"And have those plans now changed?" Sean asked gently.
Sunny smirked. "You could say that. My whole plan has altered a great deal."
He cut another slice of apple and held it out to her. She accepted it and chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Oddly enough it was my mother who suggested I come here. I didn't protest at all; in fact, I am running away, trying to get as far away from things as possible. Aunt Fiona's been asking me to come for a visit for years, so – here I am."
"I'm glad you decided to come home," Sean replied.
She smiled at Sean. "I am too. Aunt Fiona and I have kept in touch with cards, letters, and weekly telephone chats. I never forgot my time with her and now that I'm here and so close, I feel like that missing puzzle piece in my heart is back in place. I have a feeling that it'll be hard to leave."
"You could always decide to stay," Sean said. "Start over."
When they returned to their seats Sunny pulled her travel sketchbook from her purse and while Sean and she continued to chat, she sketched him.
"So, what all have you drawn so far?" Sean asked her as she paused.
Sunny flipped back through the pages a tiny frown knitting her russet brows together. "Not as much as wanted, but I've taken hundreds of photos and sent most of them back to my parents. I think I may have done it in part to ease their minds that I'm going to be okay. I plan to sketch more once I get to Ballencoo. While I was trying to finish up school, I put my sketching on the back burner, so I plan to make up for it now."
"May I?" Sean leaned forward and she relinquished her sketchbook. He looked down at his portrait and squinted critically at it then began to turn back through the pages. "You have an amazing talent, Siobhan O'Neil."
"Thank you." She murmured, blushing a pretty shade of pink as he grinned at her, and then continued to examine her sketches. He flipped back to his portrait and held his hand out for the pencil, "Just one thing missing here,"
"What's that?" she asked handing her pencil over to him.
The train whistle sounded, and she looked out the window, they had arrived in Longford. The time had passed so quickly, and she was about to leave her new friend. Sean held the book up so she could not see what he added then closed it and handed both the book and her pencil to her.
"So, you're going to be spending a while with Aunt Fiona?"
She grinned. "I am!
He pulled his cell phone from his jeans pocket held it up and snapped a picture of her, "I want to see you again Sunny." He told her. "You mind sharing your phone number with me?"
Sunny did not mind at all, and he tapped in the number as she recited it. He looked up at her with a warm smile. "Come on I'll walk you to the platform."
He pulled her bag down from the overhead compartment and carried it to the exit, then stepped down to the platform and held out a hand to help her down the steps. She took his hand in his and stepped down to the platform deck. It was a little chaotic as passengers left the train and others got on. Then there was a lull and they stood looking at one another. "Have a safe trip to Ballencoo." He told her.
"Thank you," she replied then on impulse, she leaned closer and kissed his cheek.
He grinned broadly and as the whistle sounded, he turned to step back to the train. "Until we meet again, Siobhan may God hold you safe in the hollow of His hand!"
Sunny waved to him as the train began to pull away, he blew a kiss to her and then pointed over her head and waved. "See you soon Aunt Fiona!"
Sunny turned and saw a woman coming from the station dressed in a long paisley-printed dress with a royal blue shawl draped around her shoulders. Fiona waved and smiled as if she knew the man. There was no mistaking Fiona, she hadn't changed from the memory Sunny held in her mind's eye of her. She had long silvery hair that was coiled around her head like a crown, and it was held in place by hair pins with tiny pearls decking each pin.
"Aunt Fiona!" Sunny hugged the woman and caught the warm scent of Lavender and Rosemary, it was suddenly familiar and comforting.
Fiona hugged the young woman close. She felt the swirl of sadness around the young woman and as she stepped back, she felt something else and was very surprised by the surge of something both familiar and foreign. It was the very same thing Maire had felt! Fiona held Sunny's hand warmly in hers and with the other hand pointed to the departing train, "Turn and wave at the lad!"
Sunny looked back at Sean and waved, her smile just for him. "His name is Sean Calhoun from Roscommon."
Fiona smiled and waved to him alongside Sunny. "A transplanted Scotsman, is he? There's an interesting story about the Chief of the Colquhoun's."
The train rounded the bend and Sean disappeared. Sunny looked at Fiona. "Really? What's their story?"
Together Fiona and Sunny walked into the station. "Well, the King issued a command to the chieftain to seize a well-defended castle in Scotland. The chieftain wrote the King back in French, the language that was spoken at that time, he wrote, 'Si Je Puis'; which means 'If I can' – which by the way is the Calhoun motto."
Sunny grinned because Fiona was just as she had remembered her. Fiona always had a story. They strolled over to the baggage claim area and Sunny handed her claim tickets to the porter and he went off to find her bags. Fiona continued with her tale, "Anyway, the Chief gathered a group of his best men and hid them in the woods outside the castle gates. Then he lured a great red stag past the gates where it would be seen by the garrison at the castle. Seeing the first meat in days go strolling by the starving garrison threw open the gates to chase the stag. The clansmen rushed the castle and captured it for the King."
"Anyone killed?" Sunny wanted to know.
"Maybe the stag," Fiona replied with a wink. "But no human that day lost his life. Quite an accomplishment I'd say --- for that day and time."
Sunny laughed happily. Fiona smiled and pointed to the exit, "The rover is just outside, We'll get the porter to roll out your bags and we'll be on our way."
"I don't remember; how far it is to Ballencoo?" Sunny asked.
"Oh, It's a fair piece to Ballencoo. Might be getting dark by the time we get there, so we'll be staying in town overnight and heading out to my place in the morning." Fiona replied. "Miggs can see perfectly well in the dark, but I can't!"
"Miggs?" Sunny echoed.
"My cob mare," Fiona replied, "And the major mode of transportation. Not too many of these beasts in town – running." Fiona rapped the hood of the green Range Rover. It had several dents in the hood and was a little beat up on the side doors. Sunny glanced in a window and saw that it was a manual three-speed and had nothing but a simple dashboard – not even a radio!
Sunny found a porter and pulled her claim tickets from her purse then together Fiona and she waited a few minutes while the bags were rounded up. The porter pulled the small luggage truck around the side of the brick building he began loading the bags into the back of the rover. When he was done, Fiona tipped the man. Sunny got in and looked around for a seat belt as Fiona started up the Range Rover. It sputtered a bit then began to rumble steadily. Fiona patted the dashboard and murmured under her breath, glancing over at Sunny. "Always say a prayer at the beginning and end of a journey."
Sunny's cell phone buzzed, and she pulled it from her purse and looked at the screen, and grinned. "It's from Sean."
"He's missing you already, is he?" Fiona said.
Sunny giggled and held the phone up to show Fiona. "You're psychic!"
"Nae," Fiona replied. "I just know human nature. The lad was captivated – but I don't have to tell you that! Tell him that there's a festival in two weeks. March seventeenth, why don't you invite him to Ballencoo."
"A festival? The seventeenth is St. Patrick's Day, isn't it?" Sunny asked as she began to key in the text message.
"Aye, but the true festival is on the twenty-first," Fiona replied. "The Vernal equinox when there is a balance between light and dark. The minister and his dear wife call it a spring fling, with dances, flea markets, and the like – oh and the Gypsies come and do their trading and contracting with one another."
Sunny nodded, "Sounds like fun." She texted the invitation back to Sean and dropped the phone in her lap. She sat back to enjoy the drive. "Sean said, he was glad I had come home. You know I feel like I'm home too – is that strange to feel that way?"
"Certainly not!" Fiona declared.
The phone buzzed and Sean's text came back: "C U then! ;-)"
The drive across the countryside to the village of Ballencoo was long and rambling. The roads were sometimes nothing more than a single-lane road, which to Sunny was odd given that almost every place else had proper roads. The borrowed Range Rover had no trouble navigating over low stone bridges and through the narrow roads with stone row fences. They were finally stopped by a shepherd and his flock. The man waved to Fiona, and she rolled to a stop and cranked the window down. "Oi Fergus, how's the hip?"
The man leaned his elbow on the Rover's door by Fiona and pushed his cap back on his head. "No trouble at all! That balm did the right trick!"
"Glad to hear it," Fiona replied.
Fergus squinted in at Sunny. "Who you got there with ye, Fiona?"
"This is my great-niece, Siobhan O'Neil. She's just arrived from the States."
Fergus tugged at the bill of his cap. "Ye do favor the Dannan clan, Miss."
Fiona smiled smugly first at Sunny and then at Fergus. "Aye that she does."
The last of the sheep sauntered past the bumper of the Range Rover and Fergus patted Fiona's arm. "I'm away. Slán go fóill!"
"Slán leat," Fiona responded and cranked up the Range Rover and they rolled off again, leaving Fergus and his shaggy sheep. Sunny waved to Fergus as they passed him.
"Are we close to Ballencoo?" Sunny asked.
"Aye, nearly there," Fiona replied. "Once we get settled in the hotel, we'll give your mum and dad a ring."
The scenery passed by, and they rolled to a stop at the gates of a manor house. "O'Donnell's place is out there over the rise. Alister O'Donnell is the current laird. His lady wife is a customer of mine."
"A customer?" Sunny asked, "What kind of services do you provide?"
Fiona smiled, "Oh this and that."
"That sounds mysterious!" Sunny replied glancing over at Fiona.
Fiona chuckled. "Nae, I take over a few things to try in her tea."
"Well if it's like the Christmas tea you've been sending to Mama for years – it's delicious!" Sunny exclaimed.
Fiona replied putting the Rover back into gear and driving off, "She went off to get 'cured' by the doctors in Dublin. Now she's home and needs to be 'cured' of the damage those doctors caused."
"What was wrong?" Sunny wanted to know. She decided it was best not to share the information that Sean was finishing up his residency.
"Cancer," Fiona replied. "Her physicians have done all they can do, now it's my turn."
"And how is she doing?" Sunny asked.
"She's better every day, I'm glad to report." Fiona declared. "A medical phenomenon, her doctor in Dublin tells her.
They drove on and as they rounded the last hill and through a large expanse of land that rolled off into the growing twilight, they drove past the moss-covered wooden road marker that proclaimed they were welcome in Ballencoo. Sunny studied each shop front and person walking on the cobblestone sidewalks. The Rover began to sputter and shudder a bit as they rumbled into the town. The streets were broad and other than the chugging Rover Fiona drove, there did not seem to be any other motorized vehicles in the town.
Fiona pulled the rover up in front of 'Cluny's Tavern' and turned the now wheezing engine off. "Well, here we are," She announced. "You feeling hungry?"
"I'm a little peckish," Sunny replied.
"Good," As they sat in the car, a man in his middle sixties opened the bright blue tavern door and waved to them. "I see you made it back in one piece!" he called.
He came to the driver's door and opened it, helping Fiona out. She patted the man on the arm. "Aye, Piper this is my great niece, Siobhan O'Neil."
His moss green eyes widened as Sunny came around to meet him. "She's the image of your grand dam, Fiona!" He grinned good-naturedly. "To hear Fiona tell you were just a wee thing! Here you are a right bonnie lass!"
Sunny smiled back and shook Piper's big meaty hand. "The last time I was here, I was about four years old."
"She grew up," Fiona replied studying her great-niece with an approving eye.
Piper waved a hand to the door of the tavern, "Go in and I'll get some of the boys to bring in your bags. Let Cassie show you up to your rooms then we'll tuck you into some supper."
Fiona led the way into the pub. The soft jingle of bells greeted them and as Sunny stepped over the threshold of the establishment she felt a warm and protective wave flow over her. She looked up at the set of tiny silver bells and smiled at them. Cassie was Piper's wife, and she was just as happy to see Fiona and Sunny as he had been. She came from around the bar to greet them. She was a tiny woman with warm twinkling brown eyes and graying mouse-brown hair that was twisted up in a bun on the top of her head. "Come with me, I'll bet you are exhausted after such a long trip."
They all climbed the wide stairs that led up to the second floor of the tavern. The main hall ran the whole length of the building with the rooms sitting to either side of the hall. Cassie opened one door and stepped back, "Fiona, not your usual room we moved you here so you would have connecting rooms. Siobhan, you're next to Fiona."
The rooms were larger than Sunny expected. Hers was like Fiona's. Each had an oak four-poster double bed. Fiona's room was in shades of pale crème and buttery yellow and Sunny's room was a pale crème and soft moss green. Cassie visited Fiona for a few minutes then when she heard the boys bringing up the luggage, she waved them into Sunny's room. The two young boys were not much older than fifteen or sixteen. They quietly set the bags inside the door and shyly glanced at Sunny and grinned happily as she favored them with a warm smile and a thank you. Cassie shooed them out and they clamored back down the stairs the way they had come.
Once the doors closed, Sunny sat on the bed and finally realized she was in another country thousands of miles away from everyone. It was a bit strange not to feel homesick. She missed her parents, but it didn't seem they were that far away. She pulled her cell phone from her purse and thumbed it on. No signal at all and then as she watched, the phone was completely drained of battery life! "Aunt Fiona, I've no signal and now no power at all on my cell."
Fiona stuck her head in the door. "I'm afraid you'll have no luck there with that contraption. We can ring up your mum and da downstairs, there's a phone box down in the pub. That's what I have to do when I make my calls."
"Okay," Sunny murmured.
Fiona tilted her head to one side in question, "Something you're thinking?"
Sunny shook her head in the negative. "Not really. Just still kinda confused."
Fiona nodded. "The shadows will pass before you know it, my pet. Don't expect your heart to patch itself up in a few days just because you're in new surroundings. It will help to be in a new place with new things to occupy your mind, but eventually, you will have to resolve it all and put it away to move on."
"You don't think being here will help me forget?" Sunny asked.
"Haven't you already begun to forget?" Fiona asked. "I was expecting to see a sad pale shadow of a girl at the train station. What did I find? A moon-struck lad reluctant to say goodbye to a beautiful young woman he'd met on a train."
Sunny chuckled softly as the vision of Sean Calhoun came to her. Fiona pointed at her great-niece, "You see? Already all those terrible memories are being replaced with beautiful new experiences. Forgetting is the easy part," Fiona told her. "Forgiving is the difficult part."
Sunny nodded; that coil of anger twisting again deep inside her essence. "Yes, I will have to work on that."
Fiona saw that flash of rage and was surprised to see it so strong in the young woman. It was something she had not seen in many years. She pushed that concern away and chuckled, her own emerald-green eyes sparkling with mirth. "Come downstairs when you've freshened up. We'll have a pint, call your mum and dad, and then listen to the new gossip."
Sunny smiled happily. "That suits me right down to the ground!"
Sunny joined Fiona downstairs in the tavern just as Cassie was bringing in a basket of bread and butter. Fiona pointed to the phone box and directed Sunny over to make the call to her parents. Sunny closed the door of the phone box and sat down on the bench inside. She picked up the heavy black receiver and began to feed the machine with coins. She spoke to the overseas operator to place her call. Within a few minutes, she heard her mother on the other end.
"Sunny I'm so glad you made it!" Maire declared. "How's Aunt Fiona?"
"She great!" Sunny exclaimed. "It was a long trip, but we're finally here in Ballencoo – And it's beautiful!"
"How are you feeling dear?" Maire asked.
"I think I'm going to be fine, Mama," Sunny said. "I really am going to be all right."
"Hey, sugar!" It was Thomas O'Neil's voice on the extension.
"Hi Dad," Sunny called. "I just wanted to call and let you both know that I'm here safe and sound."
"That's good honey," Thomas replied. "You have a good visit with your Aunt Fiona."
"Thanks, Dad, love you," Sunny called through the telephone receiver.
"Love you too honey," Thomas returned then hung up the phone, leaving Maire to talk to her daughter.
"Are you going to Laurel Cottage tonight?" Maire asked.
"No, we're staying at Cluny's Tavern and going to the cottage in the morning," Sunny replied. "This place is like a movie set; I keep thinking I'm going to see Maureen O'Hara biking through town any moment. It's idyllic!"
Maire laughed and felt her anxiety begin to fade as Sunny continued to talk. The operator came on and asked for more coins and Sunny added the amount they spoke for a few minutes more, and then Sunny reassured her mother again that it was all going to be fine. "I hope so, dear," Maire said. "Tell Aunt Fiona I said hello."
"I will," Sunny promised. "Love you Mama, and don't worry."
"I love you too my girl," Maire said, "I'm glad that you're feeling better."
"I am, Mama, goodnight!" She hung up the phone and rejoined Fiona at the table, "Mama says to tell you hello."
"Hello to Maire," Fiona said then waved to Piper over at the bar and he proceeded to fill two glasses with dark beer. The pub was already beginning to fill with early evening customers. A group of young men played billiards on one side of the pub and in the back, there was a gathering of men and women playing darts. The bar stood at the very center of the tavern with one side devoted to families and the other side reserved for more serious drinkers. A few older men were sitting at the bar.
Piper came over to set the glasses of beer down on the table. Sunny took a sip and smiled appreciatively. "Wow, that's not a commercial beer!"
Piper smiled broadly, "Nae, you're right! It's my own brew!"
"It's wonderful, Mister Cluny!" Sunny took another long sip and licked her lips.
"Ach, call me Piper lass, no standing on formalities. Fiona and I have known each other since our school days." The tavern keeper told her.
"Aye," Fiona replied rolling her eyes up at Piper conspiratorially, "In and out of trouble since we were wee things!"
The tavern door opened, and everyone paused to look. There was a plump woman with silvery gray hair her face was round with pink cheeks. She smiled and waved as several people called greetings. Piper and Cassie both called out to her in welcome. "Molly, where's your other half?" Piper said as he left Fiona and Sunny's table to hug Molly.
"Oh, he's coming," Molly said and then clapped her hands together in surprise as she saw Fiona. "Gracious! You're back!"
Fiona got up and went to hug Molly then drew her over to the table. "You and Ian come and join us," Fiona said, "I want you to meet Siobhan."
Molly's eyes widened as Sunny rose to meet the older woman. "Oh Fiona, she's the image of your grand mum!"
Sunny smiled. All she had ever seen was a faded sepia-toned portrait of her great-grandmother and namesake, but she did bear a remarkable resemblance to Fiona's grandmother. Her parents and her Aunt Brianna had noticed the uncanny resemblance early on. Sunny had the same clear alabaster skin, an oval face, and a slightly upturned nose. Her wide almond-shaped eyes were the color of clear emeralds. Sunny as a little girl had always thought her eyes were the color of lime Jell-O, but as she grew older, they deepened with glinting hints of gold and red fire around the iris; especially when she got angry. Sunny had full lips and straight even teeth and when she smiled, she could light up a room! Her hair was the color of deep rich copper and had a natural wave that had a life of its own. She had learned early in her teen years to leave well enough alone and allow it to curl naturally. It had been very short and very long in high school but was now well past her shoulders. Often, she drew it up into a ponytail, but recently she had decided to let it fall softly over her shoulders.
The tavern doors opened repeatedly cheers of greetings rang out. The man entered and gruffly waved to everyone. Molly waved him over and the stern set of his face softened as his eyes found his wife. He took off his cap and looked to Fiona then to Sunny. "So, this is your great niece?"
"Aye," Fiona replied. "Siobhan this gruff old thing is Ian McTavish."
Sunny grinned, the effect not lost on McTavish. He allowed a whisper of a smile to touch his mouth. His face was broad and expressive. His crystal blue eyes held a glint of mirth and straight-up defiance deep in the folds of his face. It was ruddy from the sun and wind. He was not a tall man but moved as a man who was used to having his way.
Molly sat down next to Sunny, and Ian moved around to sit between Fiona and Sunny, with his back to the wooden paneled wall. Cassie served two more bowls of stew and brought more bread. They chatted among themselves when a man at the bar turned slightly toward where Fiona sat.
"I heard that Erskine's bullock showed up!"
"Aye," came a reply from further down the bar. "And now Fergus is missin' his black ram!"
"It's them Gypsies!" declared the first man at the bar.
"Nae," Piper replied, "I don't think it's the Gypsies."
"Then who do you think is nippin' all the livestock, eh?" the second man at the bar wanted to know.
"Well, I'm not knowin'," Piper said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But I don't think it's Gypsies."
"Sumthin' is going on!" said another man from across the bar.
A chorus of "Aye's" sounded out.
One of the younger men from the billiard table came to refill his glass. "Did'ja hear about Colin McGee? I heard he had saved up to buy some prize-winning pullets, brought 'em in, and went into bed and the next morning they were gone!" he made a "puffing" sound to illustrate his statement.
"Aye," Piper said with a chuckle, "I heard that, but old McGee probably left the coop door open, and they all flew out!"
There was a smattering of laughter. The first man at the bar shook his head and slapped his hand down on the bar with a resounding thump. "I tell you it's Gypsies!"
"But the queer thing is," the young man said with a grin thrown over his shoulder at his friends, "Less than a fortnight had passed when McGee went out and found all his pullets back full grown and laying double yolks!"
"That can't be true," Sunny whispered to Molly softly.
"Oh, but it's true!" Molly exclaimed behind her plump hand. "I've paid a pretty price for those very same eggs!"
Sunny frowned and then took a sip from her glass. "Well, if that's true, sounds like Mr. McGee got the better end of the deal."
Ian chuckled and leaned over toward Sunny winking devilishly, "Aye you're right 'bout that m'girl!"
Fiona turned to the men, "It's not the Gypsies, only one comes through here and he is the very one who comes and will ferry your horses!"
"We're not speakin' of Tully," said the second man at the bar. "Tully takes good care of all my animals!"
"Who'd better have the first look at the newest prize animals!" accused the first man at the bar, "And probably secreting them out in those devil woods!"
"You've had far too much to drink tonight!" Ian growled, his blue eyes blazing at the man who was now weaving on his stool.
"I heard there are ghosts out there in the woods!" called a young man from the billiard table. "There's strange lights and things of an evil nature out there --- I hear."
"Someone should go in there and get to the bottom of all this thievery!" said the second man.
"Anyone caught in those woods will find their backsides full of buckshot!" Ian roared over the general discourse in the tavern. "It's protected land and will stay that way!"
"I heard there were wolves out there!"
Piper ducked down to look to the back of the bar where the group of young people were playing darts. Most turned away and busied themselves with gathering up the darts in the board.
"If there is any thievery, Gavin will look into it," Piper replied.
Another round of cheerful laughter circled through the tavern, including Ian. "Ach, the man couldn't find his arse with both hands!"
Molly admonished her husband, and he waved a hand back at her. Fiona dabbed her mouth with the linen napkin and turned in her chair to look at the men at the bar. "It's all good fun to spin a tale of strange and unnatural goings on up in the forest," she said quietly. "But in truth, the Ballencoo forest is family-protected land, and it will continue to be protected land until there are no more of my clan to care for it. I will say there are wild animals of all kinds in the forest, wolves, badgers, foxes, fowl of all kinds, and possibly a wild boar or elk living in those woods. It is as it should be." She directed a look over at the customers at the bar. "As for constable Gavin, the man does what he can with the resources he has, and he does a fair job."
"Aye," Piper said nodding in agreement.
Ian remained unconvinced. "Useless iggit!" he muttered under his breath.
Cassie served dessert and everyone dove into the wedge of cheesecake with strawberries and cream. Sunny ate half of her serving and began to feel the effects of the long trip and the two pints of dark beer. Molly looked over at Sunny and smiled. "You poor lass! You're so tired you can hardly keep your eyes open!"
Fiona smiled. "Aye, I know you're ready to call it an evening."
Sunny covered a yawn with her napkin. "I guess it's all finally caught up with me."
Cassie gathered her up. "Come on lovey, I'll draw you a nice warm bath and then you can sleep until you wake up."
Sunny nodded with a sleepy smile. She looked over at Molly, "We'll see one another again soon, I hope."
"Of course, dear! You come any time!" Molly cooed happily.
Sunny looked at Ian and he nodded, giving her a wink. "Any time lass."
With that, Sunny waved to Piper and followed Cassie upstairs. Cassie went further down the hall and Sunny went into her room and gathered up her things for her bath. Cassie met her in the hall outside the bathroom. "I'll go turn down your bed and then all you have to do is draw the covers over you and go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning dear!"
Sunny smiled and leaned over to give the woman a quick hug. "Thanks, you've been so nice."
Cassie patted Sunny's cheek gently. "We all want you to be very happy here."
"I am!" Sunny replied. She went into the bathroom, turned off the water, and shortly was sinking up to her neck in the tub of warm water, that Cassie had scented with lavender bath salts. It was deliciously warm, and it melted the remaining tension from her body. She was half asleep when she padded back to her room. She closed the door and crawled into bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
She dreamed. She was bathed in a warm golden light and there was Fiona and another woman with silvery white hair that hung long around her shoulders. She looked down at Sunny where she lay asleep in bed and smiled. Sunny opened her eyes, looked up into the woman's amazingly green eyes, and smiled back. "Welcome home Siobhan my love," the woman said to her. "Welcome home!"
Sunny could not say anything only smiled happily, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep restorative sleep.
Capítulo 3: Chapter Three: Laurel Cottage
March 6: 12 Days Before the Festival
Sunny opened her eyes and looked up at the paneled wood ceiling of her room. She felt rested and eager to start her day. She sat up and yawned and stretched. She could hear activity going on downstairs and wondered what time it was?
"Good morning love!" Fiona stuck her head in and smiled warmly. "Sleep well?"
"I sure did!" Sunny declared. "I had the strangest dream too."
Fiona pushed the dividing door between their adjoining rooms open and leaned against the door jam. "What was it?"
"I dreamed that during the night you and this wonderful white-haired woman with bright green eyes came in to look at me where I was sleeping, and she said, 'Welcome home Siobhan'. She was magical looking and all I could do was smile back and go back to sleep."
Fiona smiled. "Maybe it was your great grand mum coming to welcome you home?"
"Maybe," Sunny replied. "It was such a wonderful dream though."
"Let's get some breakfast and then we'll be on our way," Fiona said turning away to reenter her room.
"What do we do today?" Sunny asked.
"Well, I've a few stops to make before we go to the cottage," Fiona replied. "Nothing too strenuous, I promise."
Sunny set about getting dressed and repacked her cases. Sunny tucked her cell phone into her carry-all. Still no signal! Sunny sighed; all the pictures and information were still waiting for her, so she was not worried about losing any of her data. She and Fiona went downstairs and were warmly greeted by Cassie. "Good morning! I hope you slept well last night."
"I did!" Sunny replied. "In fact, I don't think I've ever slept so soundly in my whole life."
"She dreamt of her great grand-dam, Siobhan Dannan," Fiona said with a wink at Sunny. "That's a good omen I think."
Cassie's eyes grew wide. "Indeed, a good omen! I hope she was well pleased with her namesake."
"Oh yes," Fiona responded. "I'm quite sure she was."
Breakfast was oatmeal muffins, butter, and jam. Coffee, milk, and fresh squeezed orange juice. Sunny had a hearty appetite as did Fiona. When they were done, Cassie fixed up a basket with bread, cheese, and some grapes. "You'll probably get hungry on the road," Cassie told Sunny, "Knowing Fiona, she'll have scads of people to see before you get to Laurel Cottage."
"Aye," Piper declared as he stored a crockery urn with his dark beer under the front seat of the cart. "I'm placing a little refreshment to make the journey a little easier."
Sunny giggled as Piper handed her two glasses to put into Cassie's basket.
All of Sunny's bags were loaded up into another cart. Piper threw a canvas tarp over them and watched as a couple of teenage boys secured the trunks with rope. "I'll have the boys drop your luggage off at Laurel cottage."
Fiona nodded, "That's fine, leave everything in the hall."
The boys nodded and went back inside the tavern to finish their game of billiards. Fiona went up to speak to Miggs. "Miggsy, we have a few stops to make before we go home."
Miggs' ears turned forward and bobbed her shaggy-manned head. Sunny came up beside Fiona, "So this is Miggs?" she looked at the roan and white cob mare and smiled. "Hello Miggs. I've heard a lot about you from Aunt Fiona."
Miggs nickered and stretched her neck out toward Sunny. Sunny stroked the mare's nose and readjusted a lock of white mane that had fallen over one of Miggs' large brown eyes. "This is Siobhan," Fiona replied as if Miggs had spoken, "You remember me telling you about Sunny." Miggs simply eyed them both, her ears twitching as if in thought. Fiona heaved a sigh, went to the driver's side of the cart, and folded down the step. "Come on Sunny, she'll remember soon enough!" Sunny patted Miggs' well-muscled shoulder as she passed and climbed into the cart with Fiona following behind.
Fiona gathered up the reins and looked over at Piper and Cassie, "We'll see you soon," she and clucked her tongue, "On we go, Miggs!"
Sunny waved and called her farewells to the couple then turned to face forward. "Where are we going?"
"Well first we need to pay a visit to Lady Margaret," Fiona said then leaned forward, "You hearing that Miggs? We need to stop by Thornegate."
Miggs tossed her head and moved into a trot. Fiona smiled over at Sunny, "Miggs likes the horses the young laird keeps!"
Sunny chuckled softly. "Who is the young laird?"
"Hugh O'Donnell," Fiona replied. "He was in service for a number of years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the British Royal Army. In the artillery or something of that sort; anyway, he was injured and came home."
"Injured?" Sunny asked, frowning at the thought.
"Hmm, yes." Fiona responded, "Shrapnel from a land mine I believe; messed his leg up a bit," Fiona replied.
"I'd imagine he's glad to be home and away from all that," Sunny replied.
"Doesn't say much about his army life," Fiona said, "But he's very much interested in his horses. As a matter of fact, he's breeding the finest Gypsy Cobs in Ireland, I'd say."
"Is Miggs a Gypsy Cob?" Sunny asked.
"She is indeed!" Fiona replied with a proud smile. "Though she's not one of Hugh's cobs. Miggs came from Tully."
"And Tully is a Gypsy," Sunny said, "He was the one they were talking about in the pub last night."
"Them!" Fiona snorted disparagingly, "Those old fools don't know what they're talking about! Tully is a fine man."
"When do you think I'll get to meet Tully?" Sunny wanted to know. "Does he visit often?"
Fiona's spurt of anger died away and was replaced with a fond smile. "Oh, he comes through every so often, he's due soon for a visit."
Within a few minutes, Fiona drew up the cart at a track that ran along a row of tall hedgerows. Along the other side of the track was a white fence that bordered a pasture with a line of slender Lombardy poplar trees running in a straight line as far as the eye could see. Miggs turned her head to glance back at Fiona and nickered questioningly. "Yes, Miggsy! On we go!"
"It's a lovely place," Sunny replied as she studied the play of light and shadow the trees threw over the dirt track. "I suppose Thornegate is a huge rambling estate?"
"You'll see," Fiona said. "It was built in 1794 I believe."
Sunny looked ahead watching as the scenery slipped past slowly revealing the rolling green pastures and admiring the contrast of dark and light as the sun filtered through the canopy of trees. White sheep were sprinkled over the grassy knolls and their bleating could be heard as the light breeze carried their voices to Sunny. The track ran straight for quite a while then began to curve as it climbed over a small hill. Fiona drew the cart up and pointed, "There it is; Thornegate."
Sunny looked just over Miggs' head and there perched in a sea of emerald, stood a stately Georgian manor. It was made of a dun-colored stone with various sizes of outbuildings situated conveniently nearby. Sunny grinned and looked at Fiona, "Oh, it's lovely! Like right out of a Jane Austen novel."
Fiona chuckled, "It's a rambling estate, some 250 acres of pasture, woods, and such."
As they sat admiring the estate, they heard hoofbeats first then spotted a rider on a brilliant dapple-grey Gypsy Cob. Fiona waved as the rider got closer and Fiona leaned toward Sunny, "That is Hugh O'Donnell."
The rider steered the stallion around and it arched its neck proudly picking up the heavily fringed feet as it came around parallel to the pasture fence. "Hullo!"
The stallion nodded its head up and down, the long thick mane kicking up like a cloud of white smoke. The rider slapped the well-muscled neck good-naturedly.
"Hello Hugh!" Fiona called back, Miggs also bugled her greeting and Hugh laughed, "And a fine good morning to you and you too Miggs!" Hugh reined his mount and trotted down to an opening in the fence. "On we go, Miggsy!" Fiona replied lifting the reins slightly. Miggs did not need encouragement, she moved down the track to where Hugh and the dappled-grey stallion waited. Hugh leaned over and pulled the gate open, and it swung wide to let Miggs and the cart into the enclosed pasture.
Hugh latched the gate and moved his mount up alongside the cart nearest Fiona. "Mother's up in the tea garden, she's expecting you."
"Hugh, this is my great niece. Siobhan O'Neil."
Hugh turned his hazel-green eyes on her, and a slow smile grew on his face revealing even white teeth. "Sunny, I've heard so much about you from your Aunt Fiona that I feel I already know you."
Sunny smiled back, blushing prettily. The effect on Hugh was not wasted. He angled his mount back and around the cart to come up beside Sunny. He pulled his brown riding glove off his hand and leaned over. "Welcome to Thornegate."
Sunny took his hand. "Thank you, your home is lovely."
The stallion nickered and stamped his foot, sending muscles rippling under the grey and white hide. "And this bold chap is Greystoke," Hugh said.
"He is magnificent!" Sunny said, "I'd love to draw him!"
Hugh leaned over and whispered conspiratorially behind his hand, "Don't make over him too much --- he's already got an impossible ego!"
Greystoke seemed to agree for he nodded his shaggy head up and down and pawed the green sod.
Fiona clucked to Miggs, and they headed toward the side of the manor house. "How is your mother, Hugh?"
Hugh tore his eyes from Sunny to look at Fiona. "Oh? Yes, mother is much better. Your special blends have been a Godsend."
"I've brought something a bit different; something that should bring her appetite back."
Hugh looked sad for a moment then looked to Sunny, "Mother is recuperating from chemotherapy, and the treatments nearly killed her."
His lips grew tight, and his face was strained. Sunny caught the look and pointed in the direction of the stables. "Aunt Fiona says you raise the finest horses in Ireland. I'd love to see them one day when you have the time."
Hugh shook his head as if to clear it and he smiled over at Sunny. "I think that would be a very good idea, Sunny. Do you ride?"
It was Sunny's turn to look sad then she shook her head. "I've been on horseback a few times, but not really enough to say I'm accomplished."
"Well," Hugh said brushing his sandy brown hair back from his forehead. "I shall have to remedy that as soon as possible."
Fiona drove the cart up into the courtyard. The horses' hooves clip-clopped over the cobblestones and echoed off the stone outbuildings, in front were the open double doors that led into the car garage, and off to the far left was a wide road that led to the stables. A young man trotted out of the garage where an older man was working on a tractor parked in the largest bay. He took hold of Greystoke's halter, slipping him a treat to occupy the big stallion while Hugh dismounted.
Sunny realized that she was staring at Hugh and turned her attention to Fiona who was looking into her satchel for the right packet and bottle. She took a tall slender amethyst-colored bottle out and put it into the pocket of her jacket. She then pulled a tiny brown paper sack that had been rolled and tied with twine from her satchel and put it in her skirt pocket and climbed down from the cart. Sunny followed suit turning to Hugh for direction. From somewhere nearby he produced a dark brown cane with a brass horse head and ruby jewel eyes. He tucked the cane close to his injured leg and moved over to let the boy lead Miggs to the shade of the paddock to graze.
Sunny walked over to stand near Hugh and reached up to stroke Greystoke's neck. "Up close he's even more majestic," she whispered, and the stallion lowered his head, turning his nose and the broad plane of his head toward her and breathed in her scent. "Looks like you've made a friend," Hugh murmured and Sunny looked up at him, their eyes meeting.
It was a strange feeling that passed over Sunny and she felt tears prick her eyes suddenly. Hugh was still wounded and venerable. She seemed to feel his anxiety and pain. Then she heard Jason's voice ringing in her ears, "Oh grow up, Sunny! Guys aren't the noble knights you think they are --- you turn on that wide-eyed look and they will eat you up and move on to the next little girl!"
Hugh cleared his throat and stepped away as the boy came to take Greystoke and tethered him to the post where he could easily graze on the tender grass.
Fiona did not miss the look between them. She looked bemused at the two of them and moved toward the gate that led to the tea garden. "Come children!" she called lightly.
Sunny had to laugh and that made Hugh chuckle. "Hardly children, Aunt Fiona!"
"When you get to be my age, everyone is a child!" Fiona replied. She opened the gate and held it for Sunny and Hugh. To Sunny, the tea garden was like the 'Secret Garden', with sweet-smelling herbs and roses that grew in well-tended beds. As they walked along the narrow brick path, Sunny ran her hands over the lavender that grew on either side.
Lady Margaret was sitting in the shade of a pergola with a twining rose climbing up and overhead. She sat in a comfortable glider rocking gently, eyes closed, and face turned up to the filtered sunlight.
"Good to see you taking my advice," Fiona called by way of greeting.
Lady Margaret was a slender woman with amazingly blue eyes that twinkled merrily as she spotted Fiona. "Oh, Fiona dear, I'm so glad to see you!" She looked past Fiona, "And you've brought your great niece; good!"
Fiona drew Sunny up beside her, "Lady Margaret, may I present Siobhan O'Neil."
Margaret reached her hands out to Sunny and drew her to sit on the glider beside her. "I'm so happy to meet you, my dear."
Sunny smiled warmly at Lady Margaret, glancing at Fiona. "Thank you, I've been made very welcome to Ballencoo."
Margaret looked to Hugh where he stood looking out of place. "Hugh, will you join us for some lemonade?"
Fiona shook her head, "No these children have plans to look over the stables, isn't that right Hugh?"
Hugh smiled lopsidedly at Fiona and then at his mother. "Yes, that's the way of it, Mother."
Margaret sighed and patted Sunny's hand, "Don't let Hugh keep you all to himself, come back and visit before you have to leave."
"I will," Sunny promised. She got up and smiled at Hugh, "Shall we?"
Hugh bowed, "After you milady."
Sunny grinned and moved up the path with Hugh following. When they reached the courtyard, she turned to him as he closed the gate. "I'm just going to collect my sketchbook."
"Have you been drawing a lot?" Hugh asked following her.
She reached the cart and rummaged through her duffle bag and found a new book, mentally deciding to only sketch Thornegate and the horses. She found her case of pencils and took two out, tucking one behind her ear for a reserve. "The last few semesters I didn't do any sketching, and after graduation, I began again. I hadn't realized how much I had missed it."
"Fiona said you were going to begin working for an advertising agency in the States," Hugh said walking with Sunny toward the stables.
"I don't know now," Sunny replied. "All my plans sort of evaporated on me."
Hugh barked a bitter-sounding laugh. "I know what you mean. Never planned for an IED to make a mess of my leg and send Christine running back to Robert ---"
Sunny turned to Hugh as he broke off and stared at the ground. "Sorry, Sunny you don't want to hear my tale of woe."
"Seems like we've both come home to recover from the ---slings and arrows of our fortune?" She said softly.
Hugh chuckled, the shadows of pain clearing from his eyes, "I'm glad you've come to Ballencoo, Sunny."
Together they strolled through the stables and looked in on a mare and her newborn colt. Sunny sketched and listened while Hugh explained his plans to raise more of the Gypsy Cob and Drum horses. "Does Tully come?" Sunny asked lightly.
"He does," Hugh said leaning on the stable door and admiring the little black and white colt. "I wouldn't trust anyone else to my horses. He has a good way with them." He looked over at Sunny. "Why? You are hearing tales?"
Sunny nodded. "They were talking in the pub last night about the Gypsies."
Hugh frowned and moved away from the stall. "I wouldn't put much credence in what old sots say in a pub."
"No," Sunny said following him out into the sunshine of the paddock where several horses stood munching the sweet grass. "It's hard to believe that in this day and time tales like that still circulate."
"Well, some of them are true," Hugh replied with a sigh, "But one bad apple doesn't necessarily spoil the whole barrel."
"Do the Gypsies still come here?" She asked.
Hugh smiled, "Potential subject matter for your pencils?"
Sunny laughed and nodded. "Well, the idea does call up the romance and mystery of a Gypsy caravan."
"Aye, they are a unique people," Hugh said. "Damn fine horse breeders. I plan to do a little horse trading when the caravan comes through in the next couple of weeks."
"During the festival?"
"Aye, they come in and set up camp for a week or two here on Thornegate, in Ballencoo wood and around town."
"You mean the family lands between Ian McTavish and Aunt Fiona?" Sunny asked with a surprised look on her face. "I can't imagine that happening!"
Hugh angled a look of mock dismay at her. "Why Miss O'Neil with you belonging to Tuatha de Dannan --- one of the oldest clans in all of Ireland – I find it hard to believe you not know about the Dannan pact!"
Sunny put her pencil behind her other ear and feigned outrage and her best Irish brogue, "Well, do ya now, young laird? If that be true as yer sayin' I'm thinkin' you ought to be showin' proper respect!"
Hugh burst out laughing with Sunny giggling with him. Their laughter reached Fiona and Lady Margaret with the latter pressing a hand to her bosom in relief. "Oh Fiona, listen! I haven't heard Hugh laugh like that in years! It's a miracle!"
"No," Fiona responded smiling contentedly. "I believe that's the gift Sunny has that's all her own."
Margaret turned to Fiona a look of surprise on her face, "Do you think she will stay on?"
"That I cannot say," Fiona interrupted. "But she may return one day."
"Oh, I hope so," Margaret whispered then smiled as happy laughter drifted to the tea garden in the gentle breeze, "I do hope so."
"Sunny, you know, you've been sketching madly there for some time," Hugh told her. "When are you going to let me see what you've been doing?"
She turned her head one way then the other in appraisal of her work, then glanced up at him. "Well okay, I guess I can give you a look."
"Bless ye!" Hugh sighed with a glance heavenward. She handed the sketchbook over to him. "I don't think I caught the whole of it, but with a little tweaking --"
"I'd say it was genius to be able to do this from memory, Sunny!" Hugh said cutting her off. "This is wonderful!"
She smiled. "What do you think of your portrait?"
Hugh smiled at the sketch of himself. "He's a rather tense sort of bloke, but maybe he's got promise."
Sunny nodded, "Strong bone, proud stance and ----"
"You sound like you're describing a horse!" Hugh laughed; showing even white teeth then sobered as he met her clear green gaze with an almost defiant look. "And handsome?"
"Yes, Hugh O'Donnell," Sunny replied with an equally determined look on her face, "And handsome." A slow smile spread over his face as did a blush. He dipped his head into his shoulder to smother the foolish grin and coughed lightly. "Well now," he said as he gazed out over the paddock fence, "you won't be surprised if I come calling, will you Siobhan O'Neil?"
She laughed, feeling strangely empowered by the reaction she was having on this man. She had never felt in charge of herself and so self-confident as she did next to Hugh O'Donnell. Fiona appeared and waved. "Come, my dear, we've other stops to make!"
"Off to see Fiona's other patients?" Hugh murmured as they both looked toward the garden gate where Fiona waited.
"Patients?" Sunny repeated a slight frown knitting her brows together.
Hugh handed the sketchbook back to Sunny, "You didn't know?
"She called them clients, but it does make sense now," Sunny replied. Together they walked to the paddock where Miggs waited with the cart.
"Aye, Fiona travels all around the county tending to us." Hugh turned and whistled up to the grooms' apartments, "Mister Poole, our guests are leaving!"
The young boy poked his head out the door and waved acknowledgment. In a few seconds, he came bounding down the stairs and trotted over to collect Miggs and the cart.
Sunny handed her sketchbook to Fiona, "I'm just going to go tell Lady Margaret goodbye."
Fiona nodded and turned to Hugh. "You and Sunny get acquainted?"
Hugh watched Sunny disappear through the garden gate, leaned over to give Fiona a fond hug, and leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Thank you."
She looked up at him and smiled. "Come to see us Hugh, I'm sure Sunny will be glad to see you."
Sunny appeared at the gate and trotted over to the cart where Fiona and Hugh stood. Hugh pulled down the step and offered a hand to Fiona, who climbed up into the cart with Sunny following with Hugh's help. Fiona gathered up the reins, "On we go, Miggsy!"
"Bye!" Sunny called to Hugh, waving as the cart rolled away.
Hugh waved back with a huge grin on his face.
"She's a right pretty lady, ain't she, sir?"
Hugh looked over at Chris Poole and smiled. "She is, indeed, Mr. Poole."
"Might be you've taken to the lady?" Chris Poole asked with a grin and a wink.
Hugh feigned a scowl and swung at the boy with his cane, only to be taken aback that he had left his cane back at the stable. He had not needed it! The pain had somehow faded from his leg and back during his time with Sunny. Now that she was gone, the dull throbbing ache that was with him all the time began to seep back into the muscles of his thigh and calf.
"Get on with ye!" Hugh growled at Poole, "And fetch my cane!"
Poole chuckled good-naturedly and trotted off to find the cane.
Fiona made several more stops to cottages and Sunny was introduced to each man or woman along the way. Each time, a reference to Fiona's grandmother was mentioned and how striking Sunny's resemblance was to the great woman. As they traveled back toward town and Laurel Cottage. Sunny asked about Siobhan Dannan. "Was grandmother a medicine woman like you Aunt Fiona?"
Fiona drew a deep breath and held it for a moment then smiled at Sunny as she released her breath. "Aye, she was a medicine woman as you say. It's an old tradition to have a village healer."
"Hugh said I belonged to the --Tuatha de Dannan."
Fiona bit her bottom lip. That boy! She chuckled softly. "We're hardly a tribal kingdom anymore, but the Dannan clan is descended from the ancient people of Ireland."
"And the Dannan Pact?" Sunny asked.
"Hugh gave you a tour around some ancient history, did he?" Fiona asked with a light laugh.
Sunny chuckled. "Only in passing."
Fiona nodded. "Well, as for the Dannan pact, there is an understanding with the chieftain of the tribe, that have been traveling to Ballencoo since time immemorial," Fiona explained. "They come twice; sometimes three times a year to trade, visit, settle debts and disagreements, make marriage contracts, and the like. Thornegate was an ancient meeting place --- it has been for hundreds and hundreds of years. The owners of Thornegate struck a deal with the tribe, that for as long as the sun rose and set, they would have a place to meet."
"And the Ballencoo Wood?"
"The chieftain and his descendants are forever reserved a place of rest from their travels in Ballencoo Wood, but only those who follow the old way," Fiona said.
Miggs picked up her step as they headed toward a grey stone bridge. "Make a wish my dear!" Fiona told her. "We're about to cross the Trickle!"
The cart rattled over the stones and Miggs' hooves clattered hollowly over the dirt-covered track. Sunny closed her eyes and made a wish; that all the sadness would disappear like clouds on a summer day.
Whether it was real or imagined, Sunny felt the shadows of sadness in her heart lift and drift away and she felt happy. Fiona seemed to follow her thoughts and smiled. "Welcome home!"
Sunny breathed in the warm softness of the earth and smiled. "I do feel at home, it's such a happy feeling!"
Fiona lifted the reins, "On we go, Miggsy!"
Miggs tossed her shaggy head and picked up her step and they rolled down the road toward Laurel Cottage.
Sunny smiled up into the covering canopy of trees and for a moment thought she saw something running along the limbs of the oak and fir trees. She blinked and looked back over her shoulder as they passed under the overhanging limbs. "Aunt Fiona ---."
Fiona glanced upwards and then lifted the reins a bit higher to urge Miggs to quicken her gait, "Oh there are all kinds of animals running about the wood," Fiona replied. "Squirrels as big as can be!"
Sunny frowned up into the trees and then shook away the notion that she had seen creatures resembling spider monkeys swinging through the branches of the trees.
They rode on and the road curved to reveal Laurel Cottage. The house was not technically a 'cottage' but a rather large two-story stone and white lime plaster structure house with a bright blue door that glittered out from the dark mossy green stone alcove. The ivy all but covered the lower part of the house on one side with the graceful canes of sweet-smelling roses climbing around the entrance. There were bright blue flowerboxes with bright tumbling yellow and orange flowers sitting below the large leaded glass windows. There were two smaller wings of the cottage that sprouted out from either side of the main house. They rode through the flowering vine-covered arched gate and into the cobblestone courtyard. Miggs headed toward her stable and came to a stop at the water trough, dipping her head down to sip the water.
"Well, here we are!" announced Fiona. "Let's go in and have a bite, shall we?"
"Should we do something with Miggs?" Sunny asked looking at the horse.
"I'll come out shortly and settle Miggsy," Fiona said with a wave of her hand, "Let's get inside and I'll show you around the place."
Fiona apparently didn't feel the need to lock her house and simply opened the blue door and stepped in with Sunny following behind her with two of her bags.
There was a small entrance hall with a hall tree to hang scarves and coats. Stacked neatly were Sunny's trunks and luggage. "Good, the boys delivered your things," Fiona replied, "I think we can take what you need upstairs and store the rest under the stairs."
Sunny looked to the right and looked in on the parlor. There were comfortable chairs and tables with oil lamps sitting in several spots. The house smelled clean like cedar and lavender. There were large panel doors that opened to a dining room, and the room beyond the parlor was a library and study filled with books along three sides of the room. The kitchen was behind the dining room and was large and airy with stone counters made of natural granite. Back in the main entrance, the stairs led up to the second floor.
Sunny pointed to the door at the opposite end of the cottage. "What's through that door?
Fiona looked at the big wooden door and nodded. "Come I'll show you," Fiona said leading to the left side of the house. She opened the door and stepped back for Sunny to go in before her.
Sunny stepped into a small alcove and then stepped into the large room. "Oh my!" Sunny exclaimed. There was a stonetop worktable in the center of the room with a variety of mortars and pestles in marble of various colors and sizes. Hanging in the rafters on hooks were bundles of drying herbs and plants. Along the shelves on two walls from floor to ceiling were all sorts of sizes of white crockery jars with hinged lids and dark blue and red glass bottles with corks and beeswax sealing their lids. It was an extensive apothecary! On a shelf that extended from wall to wall were dozens and dozens of thick leather-bound books with Roman numerals printed on their spines.
"My goodness!" Sunny whispered in awe, "This is fantastic, Aunt Fiona!"
Fiona looked around the room, her eyes resting on various items on the shelves and worktables. "For generations, the Dannan women have been mixing and dispensing medicines to the folk in the area around Ballencoo," Fiona replied. She looked around the room. Her eyes fell on all the objects in the room before she looked again at Sunny. "You called me earlier, a medicine woman," Fiona replied sitting on the stool across from Sunny. She put her hands on the worktable and absently touched and straightened the pestles where they sat in their mortars so that they all lined up in the same direction. "The Dannan women have been healers for many, many generations. In the ancient days, they were called wise women, called; 'Cailleach feasa' to the outsiders; 'witches'."
"Witches?" Sunny repeated. "Really?"
"Aye," Fiona answered with a frown of disapproval. "It's the first thing most people think of ---those idiots running around naked in a circle on high feasts and holy days!"
Sunny laughed nervously at the images her imagination conjured up. "No broomsticks and black cats I trust?"
"A broom to sweep the floor and a cat or two to keep the mice out of my pantry and garden shed," Fiona remarked then turned and reached for a leather book and handed it over to Sunny. "Each of us has kept meticulous records of illness and cures, new plants and new mutations to disease and new cures."
Sunny opened the book toward the center and was amazed at the detail on the yellowed pages. There were botanical drawings and detailed notations along with what looked like recipes for medicines. "Where is your journal, Aunt Fiona?"
Fiona took one of the last journals off the shelf and handed it to Sunny. When she opened it, she found similar entries, drawings, and notations of plants and names of people she was dispensing medicine. The drawings were quite good, and she angled a look up at Fiona. "These are wonderful! You never said anything about your drawing skills!"
"Nae," Fiona answered.
"All this," Sunny said raising her hand to indicate the apothecary, "Is the reason why Mama kept what you do such a secret?
"She wasn't easy about having you come here," Fiona answered. "But you were so upset by Jason's -"
Sunny held up a restraining hand to prevent Fiona from continuing, "Yes, I know, and I get all that – Mama's been tiptoeing around something for years, and even after everything that's happened – she ups and changes her mind and it's suddenly okay for me to be here with you."
Fiona looked into Sunny's eyes for a long time then nodded slowly but did not elaborate further and pressed her lips together in a tight line and laced her hands together just as tight.
Sunny sighed heavily and lowered her head to stare at her own hands that were clenched together in white-knuckled fists. "I know; Mama made you promise."
"Aye," Fiona whispered.
Sunny nodded completely disgruntled with her mother and Fiona. She drew in the minty sweet smell of the apothecary and expelled a great sigh. "Okay, I'm not going to press you," she then gave her great-aunt a sly look, "Any other secrets I should know about?"
"Oh aye," Fiona responded solemnly. "There's all manner of secrets locked away in my heart."
That made Sunny laugh and Fiona smiled. "For another day, perhaps," She took the journals and placed them back in their slots on the shelf. "Let's get you settled in and have a bite to eat! I'm hungry!"
Fiona took Sunny upstairs and showed her to her room. It was a bright sunny room with high whitewashed plaster ceilings and dark heavy exposed beams. With a few trips, Sunny soon had all her smaller bags upstairs in her room and the contents of her trunk in her bedroom. As Sunny put away her clothes in the closet and stored other shirts and undergarments in the chest of drawers, she listened to Fiona downstairs in the kitchen humming softly to herself and making the normal noises of food being prepared.
Sunny sat on the bed and looked around. She drew up her carryall and pulled her cell phone out. She tried to turn it on, and it was completely dead. She looked around the wall and saw there were no electrical outlets anywhere. There were sconces at various spots, near the door and one near the bed and the closet. They were rectangular metal frames with opaque panes of glass. She examined the larger lamp on her bedside table. It was not a kerosene or oil-burning lamp. It was completely sealed on all sides, and she wondered how she would be able to read or draw after the sun went down. There was a knob on the top of the lamp and when Sunny twisted it a half-turn, a nice blue-white glow lit the area by the bed. Sunny felt no heat and could find no solar panel. "A magic lantern!" she murmured to herself, then chuckled lightly and went back to her unpacking. For some reason, the notion did not strike her as unusual. She glanced at the lamp, it all appeared perfectly normal, and reasonable.
When the kettle began to whistle Sunny abandoned her unpacking and went down to the kitchen. They ate the food Cassie had packed and Fiona added a few things to the meal including sliced cucumbers and crisp lettuce. They ate in the kitchen where the conversation soon returned to Sunny's mother.
"Did you and Mama ever try to talk about the ---you know – all of this?"
Fiona stirred her tea slowly as she added milk from a small cow-shaped pitcher. How was she to answer? As she was debating on a way to dissemble, she looked over at Sunny and decided against it, "I tried to talk to her when she came home when Colleen passed away, but she was too upset to hear anything I had to say. I guess I was upset about losing Colleen too, so neither one of us could talk."
"The distance between you two is more than just logistics," Sunny murmured with a frown creasing her brow. She looked back up at Fiona and grinned. "But I'm glad she never stopped me from getting to know you."
Fiona nodded. "Me too. I am all the family Maire, and her sisters have as far as family goes. I never got to know Erin or Brianna as I wanted. It might have been different, but Colleen was determined to keep them well away from here and this life."
Sunny looked around, not understanding at all why her mother or aunts would not want to see where their family came from. "Did grandmother ever come home once she left?" Sunny wanted to know.
"Many times," Fiona said. "But she would never remain too long." Fiona began gathering up the cups. The conversation was at an end.
Sunny studied Fiona and saw the tension in the woman. "Okay, Aunt Fiona; truce –for now."
"Bless ye, child," Fiona replied.
"I'm going to finish unpacking," Sunny replied. "Then why don't you let me do a few sketches of you?"
"Let's go into the garden," Fiona said, "The light is good out there in the late afternoon."
Sunny smiled and went upstairs.
Fiona began washing the few dishes in the sink and glanced out the window to spot a small figure standing in the shadows perched on a low tree limb. "For heaven's sake, don't let her see you!" Fiona whispered. "There'll be more questions than I care to deal with right now if she does!"
Like a wisp of smoke, the figure seemed to fade away. Fiona drew a sigh of relief and went back to washing the dishes.
Fiona sat reading a book of sonnets in the soft afternoon sunlight that filtered through the trees as Sunny busily worked in her sketchbook. Completely absorbed in her work she didn't notice the presence of wildlife in the garden until Fiona whispered to her. "Sunny, look there – a vixen and her kits."
Sunny paused and slowly turned her head to the direction Fiona nodded and saw the bright red fox and three miniature versions of the adult step out into the open yard of the garden. The vixen regarded the humans and then softly barked to her kits that rolled and tumbled playfully with one another. They moved on across the yard and back into the forest.
"That's why I keep my chickens in a coop," Fiona remarked. "I'd not have one chicken if I let them range in the open."
"Maybe that's what happened to those pullets they were talking about in the tavern?" Sunny replied studying the spot where the foxes had disappeared.
"Could be," Fiona replied, then she pointed to Sunny's sketchbook. "When can I see what you've been working on?"
Sunny tucked her sketch pencil behind her ear and turned the page toward Fiona. "What do you think?"
Fiona gasped, with just a few pencils, Sunny had created what looked like a black and white photograph – so realistic she thought the portrait of herself might move any second. "Amazing!"
Sunny grinned. "Thanks, Aunt Fiona – I've missed this part of my art a lot. I'm happy that I can devote my time to brushing up on the skills."
Fiona smiled. "I always knew you were going to be an artist."
"Really?"
"Aye," Fiona replied. "I'll have to find my box of your drawings. I've kept every one of them."
"Wow," Sunny murmured. "Everyone, huh?"
"Your namesake – my mother – was quite the artist too," Fiona said. "You can see some of her drawings in her journal."
"You know I'm going to have to pull my weight around here," Sunny told her. "What sort of things could I help you with?" Sunny asked folding her sketchbook up and storing her pencils in the metal tin case.
"Well, with it being spring, there are several plants and the like that need harvesting." Fiona said, "Plenty of preparations to make for the coming ailments. They come to me to treat the animals too."
"So, you're the vet and the doctor in these parts?"
"Aye," Fiona said. "Not many will seek out an outside doctor or veterinary."
"Except Lady Margaret," Sunny said. "Why did they go outside Ballencoo?"
"It was Hugh who urged his mother to see an outside physician," Fiona said. "She went for his sake."
"He seemed to have a change of heart with respect to his opinion of doctors," Sunny said. "I could see it in his face when he talked about the chemotherapy treatments."
"Hugh was a little like Colleen – not wanting to take on the responsibilities of his family," Fiona said.
Sunny heard the edge of disapproval in Fiona's voice as she spoke. She could not find fault in the woman's assessment, but she felt that disapproval extended further than to Colleen. "What happened?" Sunny asked.
"He left home and stayed away for a long time, but after his accident and his mother's illness, he is seeing life in a whole new way. He has an appreciation for life he did not have before."
"Was Christine from Ballencoo?" Sunny asked.
"Christine?" Fiona shook her head. "Heavens no, Christine was from London, worlds away from Hugh and his life at Thornegate."
"She hurt him deeply," Sunny murmured, "I could feel it." She sat forward and leaned to stare at the toes of her sneakers. As she studied the miniature world, she caught the enticing smell of the warm earth and the sweetness of the grass that grew beneath her feet. The blades of grass were so green that it felt like it was pulling her into the color.
Fiona studied Sunny closely for a moment before she continued; something had shifted in the young woman as she sat there. "Hugh tried to be someone he wasn't," Fiona replied. "When he found Christine, he was trying to live in a reality he had manufactured for himself. He had changed himself on the outside to blend in – in the hopes he would blend in with the people he surrounded himself with. Hugh changed his philosophy, his morals, his ideals; everything to fit in. It was contrary to everything he truly was. He was willing to give himself up to fit in the world Christine lived in. When he stepped on that bomb it shattered more than his leg – it shattered the world Hugh was living in."
"He woke up from the dream spell cast over him," Sunny murmured.
Fiona leaned forward, sensing the sudden change in Sunny. "Aye, the truth had always been there, Hugh was just not willing to see it the way it was --- had he been honest with himself – he would have seen the truth."
Tears welled in Sunny's eyes blurring the wondrous green of the grass that held her enthralled. A single tear clung trembling in her eyelashes then as she closed her eyes it fell to the ground, landing on a blade of grass like a droplet of dew.
Whatever Fiona was expecting passed, Sunny wiped her face with the back of her hand, and looked up at Fiona, "I know how Hugh feels and I know Mama and Daddy are worried about me, but when I speak to them again, I'm going tell them that I'm going to be all right."
"You've found forgiveness?" Fiona asked.
"Perhaps not in the traditional sense," Sunny replied. "It will be a long time before I forget what Maya and Jason did, but I've forgiven myself. And I am moving on beyond that. Hugh's got to do that too – I think he's begun to heal by throwing himself into his horses. I've got to do the same thing – coming here is going to help me heal and move into my own destiny."
Fiona felt her heart lurch with a kind of horrible resolution. Sunny looked up at Fiona and she smiled at her great-great niece. "Good girl!"
Sunny was in her room putting away the rest of her clothes when Fiona arrived with a lamp. "Thought I'd come and show you how the lamp lights work before it gets too dark," Fiona said, "the place is a wee bit dark once the sun sets."
Sunny paused in her sorting through her socks and joined Fiona at the lamp sconce at the door. Fiona smiled and pointed out in the hallway. The lamps along the wall were glowing brightly with a cool light. "How do they work?"
"It's a clever invention really," Fiona replied. "When you want to light up the room, you turn the finial to the right," She demonstrated, and the cool light lit the room up. "When you want to go to sleep, you turn the finial to the left and it closes. Only a little bit of light will seep under the cloche."
"There's no heat," Sunny said softly, "Is must be phosphorus?"
Fiona shook her head in the negative. "Honestly I don't know what it's made of. These lights have been here as long as I can remember, and they've never lost their light."
Sunny looked incredulously at Fiona. "You've never tried to figure out how they work?"
"No, not one time!" Fiona replied with a smile.
Sunny examined the sconce light by her bedroom door. She tried to see where the source of light was coming from, but there was no opening or hatch to pry open. She shook her head in disbelief. "Amazing!" Sunny murmured then pointed to the nightstand where her cell phone sat. "You know, I have a battery pack to charge my cell phone, but they don't work."
Fiona made a face. "I'm sorry my dear, but most electronic things don't seem to work this far in the woods. That's why I never bothered to put in modern wiring."
Sunny picked up the cell phone and looked at its dark screen then at Fiona. "Well, it doesn't matter – it's not all that important. I can live without this."
"Well, when you do need to contact the outside world, you can go to the library. Erin Corrigan will help you." Fiona replied, "The library is the one place with most of the latest technology."
Where's the library anyway?" Sunny asked. "I'd like to send an email to the reference librarian who helped me order the books on Ireland for me."
"It's one street over from Cluny's," Fiona said. "Right next to the post office; which reminds me, I haven't been in to collect the post in a while."
"Maybe the next time you go into town," Sunny said, "I'll go and just wander around and soak up the town."
Fiona nodded, "And maybe see if the Gypsies have arrived?"
Sunny laughed. "No flies on you! Yes, I'd love to sketch them and maybe the caravans."
"They're a mite particular about letting folks get in too close," Fiona replied. "Most of the time, with good reason."
"I'll be respectful," Sunny replied.
"Aye, I know," Fiona answered. She paused to glance at her reflection in the dressing mirror in Sunny's room and tucked a strand of hair back into place. "Time for my bath. I'll stop back before I go to bed, then you can bathe. Everything is there for you, dearie!"
Sunny nodded and watched Fiona walk down the hall and disappear behind the bathroom door. She heard the water being drawn and Fiona humming softly. She looked at the lamps again, twisted the finial to the right, and watched as the soft blue-white glow lit her room. The lamp on the bedside table worked the same way as the sconce lamps. The light it provided was bright enough to read or draw. She tried to see if she could figure out how it provided such a bright light but even when she shook it vigorously, the soft blue-white glow was steady. She gave up and finished unpacking. One of the last things was a box her mother had packed for her. In it was a package of her favorite gingersnap cookies, a bag of peppermints, and a package of Hershey's Kisses. There were several packages of drawing pencils and Sunny took those and placed them in her backpack along with her other drawing materials.
The cookies and candy were stored in the trunk at the foot of her bed. She was about to close it when she decided to store her digital camera and her smartphone safely away in the bottom partition of the trunk. As she closed the trunk and secured the latches, she felt suddenly free.
Fiona passed by Sunny's bedroom on her way to her room. "I'll see you in the morning, Good night Sunny."
"G'night Aunt Fiona, sweet dreams," Sunny called to her great aunt, then padded down to the bathroom to take her bath. She drew up a nice warm bath and sank into the soothing lavender-scented water, closed her eyes, let the day soak in, and began to let the past slip away into the evening.
She dressed in a set of pajamas, padded down the hall to her bedroom, and twisted the finial of the wall sconce at her door. The lamp on her bedside table was closed but just as Fiona had said, the cool light spilled under the shield and cast a soft nightlight to light her way to her bed.
She settled under the covers and stared up at the ceiling. The scent of lavender and cedar sent her to sleep. She dreamed of deep green fields and a soft pink pearl moon that rose along with a larger violet moon. It was beautiful!
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