Ghost Diaries 1_Gigi's Guardian_Paranormal Romance

by Michele McGrath

  The driver needed no further urging and the cab practically flew the short distance to the local hospital. Even umbrellas don’t go faster! Nor do motorbikes!

  “He is a doctor now. His results came through this morning,” Gigi gasped, when the contractions eased enough for her to speak. “We were going to tell you once Adele had left. After all, this is her day, not ours.”

  “Now we’ll have two things to celebrate,” said Finn, holding her tight. “Hang in there, kid.”

  5th September 1968, Thursday, London.

  Fionnuala Snow Queen O’Halloran was born at 8 o’clock this evening. Gigi insisted on naming her after Finn and Finn insisted on naming her after Gigi. Gigi doesn’t like her name and ‘Snow Queen’ is so Sixties. I just hope Nuala forgives them both when she grows up!

  She’s got big blue eyes and a head covered in reddish fuzz. Finn whooped the instant he saw her. “Mother of God, would you look at that! My hair and my nose! Who says she’s not mine now?”

  “Poor child!” said Gigi, teasing him and laughing through tears of relief. Gigi is happy Nuala has Finn's nose, because she’s never liked her own. She keeps wondering what the baby will think about the combination of a coffee-coloured skin and red hair. Nuala is the glorious mixture Thelma once predicted.

  Leilani, Thelma, Maude and I gathered round the cot to coo at the new arrival. All the friends and relatives had left and Gigi had fallen into an exhausted sleep. Finn was the last to leave. They had to throw him out of the ward, because he didn’t want to go and tried to pull rank. The sister soon sorted him out and packed him off, insisting that everyone needed rest, including him.

  “A perfect job,” Thelma said, smiling at me.

  “Thanks to all of you!” I spread my arms out to them. “Group hug.”

  “Funny to think that she’s going to be a brilliant scientist, one day. She’s so tiny and fragile.” Leilani said, cradling the baby in her arms, with Thelma and Maude hovering right beside her.

  “I can tell you’re not used to babies,” Maude remarked. “Give her to me, you amateur!”

  “Now, now, girls. Take turns!” Thelma supervised the transfer.

  “Bet she’s prettier than yours ever were!” Leilani shot Maude a provocative glance.

  “No contest! All my brats inherited my husband’s lantern jaw, poor blighters! What a disaster! I nearly gave up, when the sixth was just like the previous five! God alone knows how many of those chins are running around Australia now. This one is a distinct improvement.”

  “Every child is a joy,” Thelma corrected her gently, “whatever they look like. Your children did you credit, when they were alive, and they come back to visit you and their father, don't they?”

  “True, but every one of them visited a plastic surgeon once they got through the Pearly Gates!”

  “Would you have changed any of them?”

  Maude smiled and lifted Nuala into her arms. “Not even for this wonderful blue-eyed baby who will cure the common cold.”

  “There now!” Thelma was pleased. “Let Ariane take her turn.”

  “Oh no,” I said, putting my hands behind my back. “I’ll drop her!”

  “You won’t. If you hadn’t been Gigi’s Guardian, she would never have had Finn for a father. He’s going to be a wonderful Dad and she’ll adore him. Nuala is part of you as you are part of her, even if she won’t realise it for ever such a long time yet. Anyway, you need the practice. You never know what your next job will be!”

  “If it’s as much fun as this one, I’ll be perfectly satisfied.” I said, cuddling Fionnuala closely. Then I reluctantly laid her back into her cot and kissed her gently on the forehead. For a moment, her big blue eyes opened wide and she stared directly at me. A jolt like an electric shock ran down my spine. I glanced up at Thelma, who was smiling, through misty tears.

  “I’m an old silly for crying when I’m happy,” she said, wiping her cheeks. “She recognised you and, one day, she will remember this moment.”

  One by one, we laid the gifts we had prepared beside the sleeping baby. Gigi is sure to find them when she wakes up and wonder where they came from. Leilani captured the roar of her ocean in a tiny pink-veined seashell.

  Maude laid an intricately carved whistle beside it. “So she can always make music.”

  Thelma gave her a shamrock encased in a crystal. I asked Lydia to create a special miniature rose for Fionnuala because there is more than one kind of love in both my worlds.

  “May she know love and happiness all her life,” I said, crossing my fingers tightly.

  In the doorway, I turned and blew kisses to the sleeping mother and her child. I won’t see them again for a long while. They don’t need me any more, but Thelma is right. How could you possibly forget your first assignment?

  Copyright © 2012 by Michèle McGrath

  All rights reserved

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the author.

  All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  My books are fiction set in history.

  Written in English (UK)

  Published by Riverscourt Publishing

  Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or the site where you bought it from.

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  About Michèle McGrath

  Award winning author, Michele McGrath, was born on the beautiful Isle of Man in the middle of the Irish Sea. She has lived in California, Liverpool, France and Lancashire before returning home. Living in Paris and Grenoble taught her to make a mean ratatouille and she learned the hula in Hawaii.

  Michele is a qualified swimming teacher and manager, writing self help books on these subjects. Although she writes in many genres, her real loves are historical romance and fantasy. She has won numerous writing competitions, had second places and been short-listed many times. She has had tens of thousands of sales and downloads.

  **Visit her blog at http://www.michelemcgrath.co.uk/blog

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  What others are saying about Michele's books:

  "From the very first and magical sentence, I was hooked on this novel."

  Eddie on Kindle, reviewing Manannan's Magic.

  “Set in post-revolutionary France, Duval and the Infernal Machine captures the atmosphere of suspicion and intrigue that reigned in Paris at the time. The author does a splendid job of immersing the reader into the darker corners of the city." Simon on Kindle reviewing Duval and the Infernal Machine.

  “I have been terrified of the water ever since nearly drowning in Lake Michigan. My wife has tried to teach me to float - with no success - for 40 years. The techniques outlined in this book are easy to follow. Maybe finally, after all these years, I'll be able to swim and NOT be afraid of the water. Thanks Michele, wish you lived in the States so I could get private lessons." Steven on Kindle reviewing Learn to Swim, even if you are terrified."

  “An intriguing and haunting short story, which the author says is based upon a real wartime experience. The fitting and satisfying ending will stay with me for a long time. An excellent story."

  Gunnar on Kindle reviewing Five Lamps.

  “Beautiful! Just 12 short pages, but it left me in tears. The author has such a delicate, lovely way with words that the sentences and sentiments were whispered over the pages. I will save this on my kindle to read again."

  Tina on Kindle reviewing The Carpenter's Bench.

  Books by Michèle McGrath

  Novels

  Regency Belles & Beaux

 
; Lady Alice’s Dilemma: Lady Alice is enjoying her first London Season until her disgraced brother appears in disguise.

  Miss Ridgeway’s Privateer (Coming shortly) Following her father’s death, Lucy is sent to her grandmother in Ireland, where she is to be presented at the Viceroy’s court. These plans are interrupted when the ship she is travelling on is captured by French privateers. Lucy is held for ransom. One of her captors is the Irishman Patrick O’Rourke, the ship’s surgeon whom she has met before in unusual circumstances. How can she possibly fall in love with a pirate?

  Lord Philip’s Return (Coming shortly)

  The Manannan Series (Historical Fantasy)

  Manannan’s Magic: Manannan McLir flees from a blood feud in Ireland and finds a tragic love with a young Celtic girl, Renny. Betrayal, a Viking invasion and a narrow escape all feature in this novel.

  Niamh of the Golden Hair: Niamh is captured by Viking raiders and unexpectedly falls in love with her captor. When he is badly injured, she must find her father, Manannan, who may be able to cure his wound.

  Emer’s Quest: Emer, Manannan’s granddaughter, dreams that her father will be shipwrecked. She rides after him to prevent him leaving but she is too late. She persuades friends to follow him. On her journey she meets Atli, a trader who offers to rescue her father if she will marry one of his sons. Unfortunately his son Hari does not want her.

  Manannan Trilogy: Box Set

  Duval Series (Napoleon’s Police)

  Duval and the Infernal Machine 1800: Rookie police agent, Alain Duval investigates the attempted assassination on Napoleon Bonaparte. The book features romance, terror and an unexpected ending.

  Duval and the Empress’s Crown 1804: Police Agent Alain Duval is tasked with finding the crown but time is very short and his suspects many. Present when the crown disappeared are Napoleon's sisters, Princess Elisa, Princess Pauline and Princess Caroline. Are they involved or merely witnesses? Aided by his wife Eugenie and his friends Lefebvre and Fournier, Duval sets out to unravel the mystery.

  Duval and the Italian Opera Singer 1805: Carla Cortini arrives in Paris claiming that her son is Napoleon’s child. She relates the story to Duval and enquiries seem to confirm that it is true. When Duval goes to tell her and take her to the Emperor, he discovers that the mother and son have been kidnapped.

  Duval at Waterloo 1815: The last Duval book. Duval travels to Paris and gets caught up in the preparations for Napoleon’s last battle.

  Napoleon’s Police: Box set of the first three Duval books published.

  Short Story Collections

  Bible Women: Five short stories of women in the New Testament, starting from the birth of Christ until his death.

  Baker’s Dozen: Thirteen short stories in a range of genres including romance, fantasy, crime and history.

  Books for Children:

  A Night at the Manx Museum: Meet Manannan, a Manx cat, the great deer and many more characters.

  Stories for Seven Year Olds: Three stories in one. A magical harp takes Shannon far away to a land of magic carpets and evil viziers. Rory is scared of heights, which is a problem because he is a robin who needs to learn to fly. Sun Sun Lau is a Chinese dragon who wakes up to find himself in the British Museum and has to escape from those who want to put him in a zoo.

  Non Fiction

  Learn to Swim even if you are Terrified

  Teach your Child to Swim: The Easy Way.

  Easy Business Skills Box set

  Easy Self Confidence

  Easy Time Management

  Easy Assertiveness

  Easy Communication Skills

  Easy Presentation Skills

  Look out for free days and promotional offers on my website.

  Gigi’s Guardian, A Night in the Manx Museum and Manannan’s Magic are available in paperback through booksellers on the Isle of Man.

  Find out more on:

  http://www.michelemcgrath.co.uk

  I would love to hear from you:

  email: riverscourt@gmail.com