by T L Harty
He mulled this over, considering the offer in light of this new information.
“Listen, Ardan, it’s wise to just let her pay,” I advised, “unless you think you can win an argument with the lady. We are spending the rest of the day together, and it won’t go smoothly if you pay for your own lunch. She is a stubborn, Irish woman. I imagine you are familiar with those?”
“I am married to one,” he answered, with a little fear behind his eyes. “It is done then. I drive, while you purchase.” He looked at me, expecting confirmation that the saying was spoken correctly.
“That’s close enough,” I said, tapping him on the shoulder. “Good man.”
Ardan drove us to a buffet-style restaurant for lunch. When Ardan came to the table with his plate, Grammy was visibly shocked at the amount of food piled up.
Ardan sat down, very pleased with himself. “There’s an old Irish proverb,” he said. “Men are like bagpipes: no sound comes from them till they’re full.” He and Grammy laughed. It was funny, but hard to believe that Grammy laughed. Ireland really loosened her up.
“Tell us something about yourself, Ardan,” Grammy probed.
He was busy eating, but that didn’t stop him from speaking. Grammy was a little put off by his manners, ensuring that most of her standards were still intact.
“I have a wonderful wife who is busy raising our three lads,” he shared. “Between the three of them and me, I don’t know how she does it.”
“Well, she must love you,” I said. “She stays with you. My parents were divorced when I was three.”
He wiped his mouth and chin. “Divorce isn’t legal here,” he informed, “not since 1937.” Food was flying out of Ardan’s mouth intermittently when he spoke. Grammy peeked over at me to see if I noticed. My poor attempt to conceal a smile proved to her that I had.
“You missed some wonderful information at the cathedral today, Muriel,” Grammy announced. “No one knows where that sculpture above the tomb came from,” she said, attempting to intrigue me. “They don’t know why men carved them or what purpose they served. Isn’t that mysterious?”
“Men didn’t carve them,” I sighed. “Women carved them as a sign that there were other Oris about and it was a safe haven for their kind.”
Grammy’s eyes got wide when I said that word in front of Ardan.
“A sign for what being about?” Ardan asked.
“Druidesses,” I corrected. I continued speaking to Grammy, explaining, “When I first saw a sheela-na-gig in Wells, it appeared vulgar...the woman sitting that way with her legs open. But, that area of a woman’s body is where life springs forth. It is the beginning. It is actually quite beautiful when thinking about it that way.”
“Well, that doesn’t mean that women carved them. You have no proof, lass” Ardan pointed out.
Unimpressed with his argument, it would be necessary to reach him at his base instincts. “Have you ever seen other sheela-na-gigs, Ardan?” I asked. He shook his head up and down, as he had just taken a huge bite of shepherd’s pie. I continued, “I have only seen two. Both were bald and not very attractive. Art has been a part of my life for quite some time thanks to this woman sitting next to me.” I pointed to Grammy. She was still enjoying Ardan thinking we were mother/daughter, so I had been relegated to pointing a lot.
“Most of the art created with women in it,” I explained, “includes long, flowing hair and bare, ample bosoms. If men were creating small stone sculptures, they’d highlight breasts or hair before other places.”
Ardan didn’t say anything, but he shook his head up and down while he digested my points. The man sitting at the table behind Ardan turned around. “That’s true,” agreed the stranger. “I don’t know a man alive that would choose lookin’ at a woman’s gibblets over her fun bags.”
“Don’t be acting the maggot with ladies present,” Ardan instructed the stranger.
“My apologies,” he said, and turned back around.
“When Christians came to this land,” I said, “they incorporated a great deal of the indigenous ideas, art and folklore into worship. Those stone sculptures and others were added to churches to make the people feel comfortable…a part of something.”
“Weren’t a lot of people here pagans?” Ardan asked. “Aren’t pagans just like witches and devil-worshippers? How could they have been willing to accept the gospels?”
“The word pagan doesn’t even go back as far as St. Brigid,” I shared. “It’s from the 14th century and it means non-participant or something. They were a peaceful people who merely based their worship in nature. Also,” I added, starting to raise my voice, “it’s not even a word from here. It’s either Roman or Greek.”
During my rant, Grammy had placed her hand over mine. I heeded her request to stop speaking, even though there was so much more to say.
Ardan pointed at me, while looking at Grammy. “You have a fiery one there,” he observed. “She does make sense about those sculptures, though.”
“She’s just a teenager with a big mouth,” Grammy laughed. “You know how that can be. Do you want to get some dessert before we go?” Ardan got up to re-visit the buffet.
“A teenager with a big mouth?” I repeated, incensed.
“That’s exactly right!” Grammy whispered. “You dare say the word Oris in front of someone? And then you explain a historical mystery, as though it’s common knowledge?”
“It’s all wrong,” I sneered.
Grammy saw that Ardan was heading back toward our table. Her expression changed, and she sweetly said, “We can talk about that later tonight, dear.”
“Ardan, may I have the car keys?” I asked. “I’d like to take a nap. You and my grandmother can enjoy the rest of the day. I’m getting too old for make-believe.”
I slept off and on until we arrived back in Dublin.
Grammy and the driver got out of the car and hugged one another. I stuck out my hand to purposely avoid a hug, but he moved it aside to hug me nonetheless.
“You have a wonderful trip lassie,” he told me. “And take good care of your granny.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand you,” I sarcastically joked. “It must be the accent.”
He laughed, realizing I understood his words just fine. My big mouth earned me another hug.
Chapter 9- Aine, the Pixie Queen
The castle grounds were silent. The other women had taken their leave, and the snow on the ground muffled any kind of outside noise. Deidra and I had rooms across the hall from each other, while Ann and Tracy were just down the same hallway.
Most of the rooms were converted into suites to include a full bathroom. I assumed stone walls would make the room look cold, but the rich fabrics, thick rugs and overstuffed furniture couldn’t have been homier. The walls were adorned with beautiful artwork that depicted meadows or bodies of water. There were two windows on either side of a large painting. My bag had been put on the bed, so I unpacked my belongings into the dresser under the large painting. We had all decided to get this taken care of before going to the dining hall for dinner.
Once my task was complete, I knocked on Deidra’s door. Tracy and Ann were already in her room. Ann led the way to the dining room. It was a huge room that could have housed a large restaurant inside, if need be. The dark, metal chandeliers above our heads were beautiful. They each boasted hundreds of small lights, making them appear to be stars.
I looked away from the lights just in time, nearly walking into Bruce. The other three chuckled, as my skin took on a red hue of embarrassment. He pulled out a chair for me. I put my hand on the back of the chair and looked up and down the table. There were ten chairs on each side, but we were in the middle of the table.
“Do you think it’s O.K. to sit here in the middle?” I wondered.
“You can sit anywhere,” Bruce said, smiling. “Would you rather I pull out a different chair for you?”
“Is this good for everyone else?” I asked, trying not to be struck dum
b by Bruce’s smile.
Everyone nodded. I smiled at Bruce and thanked him, sitting in the chair. He snapped my napkin which startled me, but it was nothing compared to him putting it on my lap. From behind my chair, he placed opposite sides of the napkin in each of his hands…then lowered it onto my lap. His cheek was an inch away from mine when he said, “You are all set now.”
I just nodded, trying to pretend that his breath on my neck had no effect. He walked around the table, taking the seat opposite of mine. Deidra ran around the table to sit next to him. The scene was surreal, as we all chatted like we were dining at a restaurant in our hometown. A couple of women rolled a cart out with our meals. We all had the same offering: A side salad, baked chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.
When Ann finished her meal, she spoke to Bruce, saying, “Deidra, Tracy and I are going to hit the hay. Could you show Muriel around the east side of the castle, Bruce? That will be one less thing I have to do tomorrow.”
“Of course,” he obliged.
“Doesn’t Deidra need to see it too?” I inquired.
“No,” Deidra answered. “I went on a castle tour when you were in your meeting.”
They all traipsed off, leaving Bruce and I alone. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, placing it on the table. I looked at him sideways, as these circumstances were suspicious. Furthermore, it was annoying that I had no input about participating in a tour.
“Are you ready, my lady?” he asked, rising from his chair.
There was no reason to answer, but I grinned at his verbiage. He walked around the table and put out his hand. Placing my hand in his, he gently raised me up, tucking my hand underneath his other arm for our stroll. It landed squarely on his bicep, which was yet another impressive feature about the man.
He guided me to an adjoining room. The ceilings were high, similar to the dining hall, but there were golden chandeliers and beautiful frescos overhead. Bruce stared at me while I took it all in. The walls were covered in wall paper, while velvety, camel-colored draperies lined parts of the room. Candelabras were tastefully dotted throughout. There was a romantic glow from only one chandelier and candelabra in use.
“Come here, let me show you something,” he instructed, releasing my arm.
We walked to the other end of the room. It had to be about fifty feet long. Bruce opened one of the draperies that hid a window, and extinguished the candles on the candelabra. It took a while to realize what there was to see, but the skies did not disappoint. The stars dotted the night, shining so brightly, that it looked like they could easily be reached.
“Wow!” I exclaimed. “There are so many.”
“Yes,” Bruce agreed. “You can see them like this all year round, but for some reason they shine brightest in the cold weather.”
“Why did you call me Danu earlier?” I asked, turning around to face him.
“We can talk about that later,” he said. “For now, we must dance. That is what this room was built for, after all.”
There was no music, but I indulged his silliness. Bruce spun me around in a waltzing fashion, but the motion made me lose consciousness for a moment. Bruce reacted quickly, catching me before I fell.
“Please forgive me,” he pleaded. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, no,” I said. “It’s not your fault. Maybe whatever drug they gave me is not out of my system yet. Would you mind if we continued this tour another time? I’d like to get to bed. It’s been a long day.”
“Of course,” he agreed. Bruce didn’t release me right away. I took hold of his arms around me, trying to let him know it was time to stand on my own. Our gazes were fixed on one another the whole time.
“Let me walk you to your room,” he said. He tucked one of my arms under his again.
When we arrived at my door, I turned around to thank him for his concern, but he checked once more, “You are sure you will be OK?”
Smiling, I assured, “I’m fine- just a little foggy-headed.” Trying to giggle it off was not reassuring to Bruce. “If anything, it’s embarrassing. There’s no reason to worry.”
It had been a while since the days of my first kisses, but I would swear Bruce wanted to kiss me goodnight. The advance wasn’t encouraged because there was too much to figure out, not the least of which was my situation with Rick. I had questions about the training to be completed, and who it was they wished me to become. Further complications were not on the agenda.
For me, the age had passed where a kiss signals the end to an evening. It was now an invitation for more, so I shook Bruce’s hand, thanking him for the tour, and escaped into my room. Flopping on the bed, sleep swallowed me up until morning.
The next day, I awoke to a soft knock on the door. It was Ann. She wanted to go down for breakfast, but yesterday’s clothing was still draped on my body.
“Let me hop in the shower,” I said. “Give me ten minutes.” There was no way I wanted to encourage any suspicion of impropriety.
After my shower, I entered my room where Ann was lying on the bed. “You know,” she informed, “you don’t have to make the beds. We have people here that will do all of that for you.”
“It’s no big deal,” I said. She didn’t need to know that the bed was never unmade.
Ann had left the door open, so Deidra came into the room. “Good morning, Mom!” she announced, giving me a big hug. “How was your tour last night?”
Ann raised her eyebrow, smirking at me over Deidra’s shoulder. Ann looked very interested to hear my answer.
“There was no tour,” I explained. “I got really dizzy and went to bed early.”
“Are you feeling OK now?” Deidra asked, with concern in her voice.
“I’m fine,” I answered. “Good as new.”
After breakfast, we were walking down a hall. Bruce exited one of the rooms with only shorts and sneakers on, glistening with sweat.
“Good morning, Bruce,” Ann sung, as we walked slowly past. “Did you have a good workout?”
“Yes,” he answered.
Deidra went back to check out the room, discovering a small gym. She must not have seen it the day before. My eyes were not leaving the backside of Bruce, as he walked away.
“He probably needed to get a good workout in because last night’s tour didn’t end like he’d hoped,” Ann whispered. There was only time to shoot her a look because Deidra ran back again.
“Do you think we could use that gym?” Deidra asked Ann, excitedly.
“I don’t see why not,” Ann replied. “Whatever resides in this castle is for your use.” That last comment was slyly made for me.
Once through the hallway, we entered an open area that had one wall almost entirely made of glass. It was two stories high, and the panes let in a beautiful glow of morning light. The snow reflected too much light for us to concentrate near the glass, so Ann led us to the back wall, where a seating area existed. A large door was not far from the seating area. I assumed it was the front door to the castle, but I had no memory of entering through it.
Deidra and I poured some water, and took our seats. We waited for Ann to speak or stand up and teach, but she only sat in her chair as we did.
After a few minutes, she spoke, “My style of training is a very organic process. We learn by talking.”
“Well, I am glad that you are training us first,” I remarked. “Recognizing love has got to be the best gift of them all.”
Ann put her water glass down, while her expression turned sorrowful. “My gift is the worst,” she said, sheepishly.
“How can that be?” I wondered.
“Because love has many different manifestations,” she said. “Not all of them are healthy.”
“I don’t understand,” Deidra confessed.
“First,” she said, “I can completely understand why you would think my gift is the best. When the word love is spoken, people think about romance, truth, importance, soul mates and so on.”
Deidra and I looked at each other, whil
e shaking our heads in agreement to Ann’s statement.
“I have felt a person’s love for an object,” she shuddered. “I was once at a boat show where a man was admiring a boat with his wife and children. When I moved closer, it was apparent that he loved the idea of the boat more than his own family. It was heart-breaking.” There were tears in Ann’s eyes.
“I’ve felt one-sided love, where feelings were not reciprocated,” she explained. “I’ve known the love of money, power or cruelty. Love should not be distorted in such a way. It was not meant to be trivialized.”
Ann grabbed a couple of notebooks off the table in front of us, handing one to each of us. “Write this down,” she instructed. “Love not the world or the things in the world.” Ann slapped the arm of her chair, and said, “If you only remember one thing from our time together, let that be it. Love is for people…and only people. If our actions are motivated by love and our purpose is pure- our mistakes will be minimized.”
Tracy entered the hall. I had completely forgotten she was here. “Deidra,” she announced, “it’s time for your history lessons.”
Deidra got up to rush out of the room with Tracy. This entire scenario was very exciting for her, proving she was light years ahead of me when it came to accepting our lot.
“Why did Bruce call me Danu?” I asked Ann.
“He shouldn’t have done that,” she responded. “That will be covered under Clio’s training.”
“So, what is our goal in this secret society?” I wondered.
Ann shook her head, smiling. “That will be covered under Bridget’s training,” she told me.
“It would be nice to get a schedule,” I suggested.
“Don’t worry,” she laughed, “a couple of the council members will have a syllabus for you. They are way more organized than I am.”
“What are you supposed to accomplish this week, during your portion of the training?” I probed.
“The subject of my training is delicate,” she said, avoiding the question. “You wouldn’t appreciate me just blurting it out.”