Eire of Hostility

  Chapter 9

  For a few hours, the Monday evening of Simon's arrival was spent at Gil's pub. The weary newcomer wanted nothing more than to sleep in his new bed, but he was a man of his word and bought a few rounds for everyone in attendance. Besides, he felt that a thank you wasn't enough for the welcome he received. Old Archie and Flinn got the measure of Simon soon enough, and plied him with scandalous stories and dirty jokes.

  The laughter and din of conversation quieted when Jane prepared to sing. With Jack on fiddle and ugly Roy O'Neill banging a beat on a bodhran, she strummed her guitar and sang an old folk song of reception and friendship in Irish. As soon as she began, Jane immersed herself in the spirit of the song, and all her wild fears were temporarily forgotten. Simon didn't understand the words, but was nonetheless stirred by the intensity and emotion of Jane's beautiful voice. It was a good ending to a long day.

  The last Tuesday of January offered spitting rain throughout the day, turning to a gentle snow in the evening that melted on the glossy streets of Ballaghadaere. Ten people filtered into Doolin's restaurant, in the hub of the snow-quieted village, to gather for a fine meal and wishes of welcome to the newest member of the area. The restaurant had been rung in advance, and the new chef, Jed Gorski, had been personally asked for to prepare the meals. The McCarthy clan and two tall Americans gathered in short order for the reservation.

  Simon Rike, normally uncomfortable in a crowd, found that he was uneasy on that occasion for an altogether different reason. He actually cared what the other guests - and certain other members of the community, for that matter - thought of him; a new concept for Simon. The crux of it was his cousin Brody; most folks apparently thought well of him, even though he hadn't been there very long. Because of that, Simon didn't want to offend anyone for his kin's sake. Brody and Kate were also his only links to his new business ventures, at least initially, and he didn't want to lean on them too much.

  Most worrying was the thought that others would compare the cousins, and Simon would come up short. Brody had a sociable way about him, a standard that Simon couldn't match. He could only hope the folks of that village didn't use the same measuring stick for everyone.

  Cora McCarthy was distracted enough not to ask many questions of Mr. Rike to ascertain his character. While he was yet another Yank, Kate and Brody had vouched for him and his honor. They said he was a solitary sort, which was proved true by his quiet demeanor at the gathering on St. Steven's Day at Brody's quaint cottage. Even so, Jack had good things to say of him afterwards, which didn't count for much in her eyes. But Liam also referred to Mr. Rike as a sound bloke, which carried weight with her.

  What had Cora preoccupied was her daughter Jane's recent, elusive, almost paranoid behavior, as well as her daughter-in-law Fiona's almost giddy demeanor, a conduct that Jack shared. Cora waved the latter off as ebullience of pregnancy. She let the men carry on their testosterone-laden blather while she enjoyed her fine meal and kept a wary eye on her youngest child.

  Brody truly enjoyed the setting at the large, round table. Cora, while seemingly a tad out of sorts, was pleasant and reserved. Liam and his son Jack were both entertaining, engaging everyone in their stories and conversations, and still after him with laughable mockery to try his hand at golf. Kate sat next to Brody, and he had trouble keeping his eyes off of her. Sitting there, surrounded by love and friendship, with a sparkle in her gorgeous eyes and a laughing smile on her luscious lips, Kate's pure beauty had him staring more than once. Brody felt his heart swell every time she simply touched him or looked into his eyes.

  When not looking at her, Brody watched for signs of Simon's comfort level. He was proud of how his cousin was adapting already. He, Jack, and Liam carried on about horses and farming and hunting; Simon fit in better than he yet realized. While the other men chatted about topics beyond Brody's knowledge, he busied himself to help feed Shey, cut Emma's chicken, or give a nervous Jane reassuring winks and grins. He also asked for Jed to come say hello to thank him personally for the fantastic meals.

  Kate was in great spirits, all things considered. Her stock market ventures were doing well enough for the Rose Foundation to make some meaningful donations. While getting Simon's finances exchanged and set at the bank earlier that day after getting him a new cell phone, she promised him that she and Alana would show him around the village on the next weekend.

  Kate noticed when Brody set the new waitress and the tourists seated nearby at ease with a disarming smile and warm greeting; women seemed enticed of his powerful physique, and men looked relieved that the big man was friendly. Kate felt both proud and possessive of people's reaction to him. She later watched with joy and pride as her man interacted with Emma and Shey. He was a natural with children, and they adored him. Kate dreamed of when she could give Brody babies of their own.

  No longer able to think of her little sister as a child, Kate worried about poor Jane after her traumatic experience. Other than the raw iron that Brody had dulled and made into a necklace, they knew of no other protection to offer her. Hopefully Liadan would be around soon enough and could offer otherworldly council.

  Jane attempted to enjoy the fancy meal and the lively talking going on around her, but had trouble keeping focus because of her unsorted feelings and consequent lack of sleep. There was a sense of safety being with family, although it was a transparent shield; if some powerful creature from fantasy came for her, then no one, except maybe Brody, could offer protection.

  Another emotion in the swirl was Macklin; Jane felt like a woman with him, and the regard for her in those magical ocean eyes was palpable. She felt more secure with him than back at home, but she also needed the familiar solace of her family.

  Adding to the conflicting mood was a sad disillusionment; Jane felt betrayed that her happy childhood dreams, the cartoon fables of her youth, had it all wrong. Instead of tinker bells and fairy godmothers, she got malicious wisps, monstrous ogres, and sinister plots. Jane's constant trepidation from two nights before had begun to wear her down.

  Just as Jane began to resettle into the relative comfort of her loved ones around her in a festive mood, she glanced at one of the big windows of the restaurant… and screamed.

  All of the others at the table couldn't hear it; the pitch was too high for human ears to hear. What alarmed them all was when some of the glasses suddenly shattered, and china plates cracked. At the same time, Jane - her mouth wide open and her eyes filled with terror - leapt from her chair and scrambled behind Liam. It was instant chaos of bursting crystal, tea and wine splashing, and reflex actions all around the table.

  Everyone automatically flinched in their seats and pulled away. Jack and Fiona immediately shielded their children with impulsive shouts of alarm. Shey began to wail. Liam let out a loud, swearing exclamation. Cora crossed herself. Simon stood with alacrity and instinctively reached for a nonexistent hip pistol. Brody protectively threw his arms out to shelter Kate on one side and Ella on the other. The few other patrons spun in alarm.

  Keeping her wits, Kate glanced past Brody's big arm and saw that everyone seemed unharmed. She also noticed Jane cowering behind their da. Looking in the opposite direction, toward the picture windows, Kate saw a man looking in with evident surprise on his youthful face, and his hands covering his ears. His nimbus was dense with sparkles.