Luke's Gold

by JoMarie DeGioia

  There it was, the difference spoken loud and clear. She was English; he as Irish as the clovers which dressed Uncle Seamus’s finest shoes. She was Pixie and he was Braunach. Such unions were not forbidden, though.

  “You have yet to see the ocean from Ireland’s perspective, lass,” he said. “Or from my time.”

  Brianna’s blue eyes sparkled, a sight as lovely as the ocean itself on a summer morning. To wake to their beauty each day was something Luke had never imagined wanting so much. Ah, he did.

  “I would love to see Ireland, Luke!” Violet said. “Your Ireland.”

  Luke smiled at the child. “I shall feel honored to show it to you, sprite.”

  Brianna’s brow knit, and he knew her sister’s illness as well as his easily-spoken promise weighed on her. She doubted him, despite her words of last evening to the contrary.

  “Have you had enough to eat, Violet?” she asked the child.

  At Violet’s nod she rose and went into the kitchen, emerging with that bottle of medicine Luke had seen her give Violet before. The child pulled a face but Brianna cajoled her to take it, the blasted medicine that wasn’t doing enough to heal Violet or give Luke back his gold.

  Luke set the thought aside, preferring to let Brianna lead the rest of the evening.

  The unspoken challenge of his other promise, to his uncle and family, hung in the air between them despite passing the time watching television and talking.

  Violet yawned loudly not much more than an hour later.

  “You must go to bed, love,” Brianna said.

  The child’s pout was adorable and, though it charmed Luke, her sister was not so easily swayed.

  “Oh, all right,” Violet sighed. She shot a cheeky grin in Luke’s direction. “It was lovely meeting you, Luke.”

  Luke stood and bowed to her once more. “The pleasure was mine, sprite.” He looked over at Brianna, and took another step toward attachment. “Perhaps tomorrow we can have an outing?”

  It was unfair to put the Pixie on the spot, he knew. He hid his smile as she obviously pondered the wisdom of it.

  “Oh, yes!” Violet chirped.

  “That…” Brianna gave a reluctant nod. “That would be lovely.”

  He won that challenge, he thought with some relief. While Brianna settled her sister in her chamber, he cleared the mess of pizza boxes and plates and napkins into the kitchen. Standing in the middle of the modest room smaller than even in his cottage back home, he acknowledged again that the Pixie only used the gold for the child. More’s the pity, for if a mercenary bone lurked in her delectable body he wouldn’t hesitate to wrest the gold from her. As for now, he would bide his time and see if there was indeed a way to satisfy her family and his family. And his heart.

  Chapter 13

  “We’re not there yet, are we Brianna?” Violet asked.

  Violet seemed to shrink beside her, taking up less than half of her seat on the bus.

  “Just a few more minutes, love,” Brianna soothed.

  She looked over at Luke, whose green eyes studied the child with worry. He gripped the handrail in front of him tightly, weathering the speed and sway of the vehicle as it made its noisy way uptown. He was an amazing man, and his speedy adjustment to the present time was but one reason she felt that way.

  Yesterday he had done much to occupy Violet’s mind—and her own, were she

  honest with herself. A ride in a horse-drawn hansom cab through downtown Indianapolis followed by dinner in a sidewalk café let all three of them focus on something other than sickness or doctors. The hours had passed with no talk of Violet’s treatments or Luke’s gold. Even she knew they couldn’t put off that last topic for long.

  “I’m eager to see this hospital of yours, Violet,” Luke said.

  Violet perked up at the sound of Luke’s voice. “Oh, it’s nice enough. And Dr.

  Noble is nearly as handsome as you.”

  Luke grinned. “Is that so?”

  Brianna met his gaze, and she knew he wanted her opinion of the doctor.

  “And competent as well, pray?” he asked. “Surely he’s a paragon.”

  The teasing tone was there but their relationship was so new, so as-yet-undefined, she guessed he wondered if another held her heart. She nearly laughed at that notion. No one before Luke had ever come close to her heart let alone her passion.

  “Oh, there it is,” Violet said.

  Violet’s voice, flat of emotion, broke through to both Brianna and Luke. The bus squealed to a halt and they rocked in their seats.

  “Come, love.” She forced a smile of encouragement and gave the child a squeeze.

  “Dr. Noble is waiting.”

  Luke lifted the child, causing her giggles to fill the bus and draw reluctant smiles from the other riders.

  “Mustn’t keep the man waiting, sprite,” he said.

  Violet clung to Luke’s neck, a big smile on her pale face. She was already happily under his thrall. If only Brianna could be so open about her own attraction to Luke.

  Giving herself a mental shake, she stood and followed the two of them off the bus.

  * * *

  The child weighed next to nothing in Luke’s arms, and her trusting embrace

  caused his heart to swell. The little Pixie did nothing half-measure. And her hug told him she accepted him in the role in which he cast himself over the past two days. What the role entailed in whole, he wasn’t quite so sure. Nevertheless, he would protect her as fiercely as her sister would.

  Brianna was at alternate times both open and shuttered, her gaze worried and affectionate now. He knew she was attracted to him; even last evening, after the child went to bed, they had once more kissed and cuddled and tempted the honor that burned between them as strongly as the passion. He was confident he had her desire. But her trust? He suspected that was a treasure as precious as his family’s gold.

  After he saw Brianna followed, he crossed through the large glass doors that slid open at his first step in front of them. His nose wrinkled as an odd smell struck him, a bit like citrus fruit combined with the pungent scrub bushes back home that grow where the ocean meets the rocky shore. No doubt some medicine or cleaner, though it did little to instill his faith in this place to heal Violet.

  The hospital was made for children; that was evident from the pictures on the wall

  and the sprightly music playing from some unseen source. The maids, nurses, wore smiles on their pleasant faces and big overshirts decorated with the cartoon characters he had seen on television. They seemed both efficient and positive, and there was little wonder Brianna had brought her sister here for treatments. Sadly, treatments that may or may not be working.

  “I’m so glad you came with us, Luke,” Violet said.

  He tickled Violet beneath her chin and was rewarded with another smile. “I be at your command, sprite.”

  She narrowed her eyes on him, her mouth quirked. “And Brianna’s?”

  Luke nearly stumbled. Another glance behind him showed a preoccupied Brianna hadn’t heard the little girl’s question. Was he at Brianna’s command?

  He brought his forehead to hers. “Can you keep a secret, sprite?”

  Violet looked at him like he was the biggest fool to ask such a question. “Of course.”

  “If I had my way, I would willingly bend to your sister’s will,” he said softly.

  “Forever.”

  She gave a slow nod, and Luke knew he had this Pixie’s trust. If only her sister could be won so easily.

  Brianna came up to him then, that false brave smile on her face once more, her eyes shining. “Come, Violet,” she said, her tone light.

  Luke placed the child on her feet and watched as Brianna took her hand. A flash of blue light, tiny yet unmistakably clear for another Faery to see, connected the two sisters. At Brianna’s touch, Violet straightened her tiny shoulders and braced herself.

  Purposely stepping back, Luke let the two Pixies lead the way toward the place labele
d with an odd word he hadn’t seen before: outpatient.

  Brianna urged her charge along, pushing open a wide wooden door that hid a corridor. Luke saw the place was different here. The long corridor was bracketed by doors on both sides along the way. A few of those cheerful pictures dressed the walls here too, but little noise came from behind each of those tightly closed doors.

  A center of activity was straight ahead, manned by another brightly-dressed nurse.

  “Hello, Violet!” the round-faced lady beamed.

  “Hello,” the child answered in a small voice.

  “You may take Violet into exam room three, Mrs. Wellbrook.” The nurse shot a speculative glance in Luke’s direction and faced Brianna again. “Dr. Noble will be with you in a few minutes.”

  Luke smiled at the nurse when she looked at him again, and her eyes took on that cloudy cast of a woman under his charm. There would be no trouble from this quarter. No questions Brianna wouldn’t want to answer nor any impunity to Brianna’s virtue.

  “I much like your hospital, Violet,” Luke said.

  The little Pixie merely nodded, all signs of animation dulled now. His hands fisted as it struck him fully: the impotence to affect her condition was so sharp he barely kept himself from doubling over. How the devil did Brianna deal with this over and over again? The woman was stronger than he’d imagined.

  * * *

  Brianna steeled herself for another of Violet’s examinations as they entered the exam room. The chamber was set up for Violet: stack of oft-read chapter books that wouldn’t engage her sister’s mind, crisp white sheets that wouldn’t give her any comfort, a bag of blessed blood that wouldn’t help heal her. So much depended on this visit. She felt it in her soul. The MacDonald following closely behind her did more to ease her mind than she wanted to admit. He had kept Violet engaged during the bus ride despite

  his own unease and the smiles he coaxed from her with such skill had fairly lit up the world. He didn’t know, didn’t truly know, all she had endured for Violet’s welfare. Oh, he sympathized. For the time being, at least.

  Over the past few days, since that first passionate tangle on her little couch, they’d said nothing of the future save for what they would do together the next day. True, Violet’s illness had to be her top priority. And while Luke was smitten with the child, his top priority was his family’s gold. No smooth words or passionate advances would convince her otherwise.

  “I’m scared,” Violet whispered.

  The tiny voice, smaller even than the little girl, drew Brianna’s gaze to Violet.

  She was pale, her mouth a thin line so different from the curve of a smile she’d worn moments before.

  “Don’t fret, love.” Brianna’s own smile felt stiff and false. “Dr. Noble will make it right.”

  From the doubtful expression on Violet’s face, she didn’t believe Brianna’s promise. She climbed up onto the bed, looking impossibly small as she held her arms at her sides. Luke hung back, but Brianna was grateful for his presence. She sat herself in the hard chair beside the bed.

  A nurse soon came into the room, her thin face wearing a polite smile as she efficiently attached the tube to Violet’s arm. A glance at Luke showed Brianna his shock, though it was quickly gone. He leaned against the wall and watched in silence while the nurse pricked Violet’s finger and drew a droplet of blood into a thin glass tube. Red cell count, Brianna knew. The nurse smiled at Violet, patted her hand and took her leave.

  “I couldn’t imagine such a thing,” Luke said, his eyes large as he watched the blood flowing into Violet. “Does it hurt, sprite?”

  That urged a tiny smile from Violet. “Not really.”

  “The blood should make her stronger, Luke,” Brianna said.

  From his expression she knew he hadn’t missed the doubt in her voice, damn his cunning. The tenderness in his green gaze soothed her pique, however. A shifting around her heart came and her throat tightened. “Luke, I can’t tell you how much—”

  “Good morning.” Dr. Noble came in, fresh and bright in his crisp white coat. He stilled when he saw Luke, and she watched as the two men took each other’s measure.

  “Will Noble,” Dr. Noble said. “And you are?”

  “Luke MacDonald.”

  Suspicion clouded Dr. Noble’s eyes, and her glimmer threatened to dissipate.

  Brianna quickly murmured a few words under her breath and the doctor blinked. He extended his hand to Luke, the friendly smile again on his face. Luke caught Brianna’s eye before taking the man’s hand in a shake.

  “Pleased to meet you, Mr. MacDonald,” the doctor said.

  Luke nodded. “Noble.”

  Dr. Noble sat beside Violet on the edge of the bed. He probed her little belly with a thoughtful look on his face. “Hmm.”

  Brianna watched the doctor’s every move, her body stiff. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed Luke until he placed his hand on her shoulder. His strength poured into her like a golden rush and she knew he possessed his own type of magic.

  “Doctor?” Brianna asked at last.

  Dr. Noble ruffled Violet’s pale hair and stood. “I want to wait to see the blood count results, Mrs. Wellbrook. Things are much improved.”

  A warmth coursed through Brianna, full of hope and cautious relief. She trembled with the strength of it and Luke’s hand smoothed over shoulders.

  “Isn’t my belly smaller, Dr. Noble?” Violet asked. “I thought so, but I didn’t want to get Bri… Mama’s hopes up.”

  Brianna looked at Luke, seeing her emotions reflected in his eyes.

  Luke turned to the doctor. “Tell us.”

  The doctor nodded. “It appears Violet’s spleen has at last begun to respond to the medicine. Now she’ll need more transfusions, and I don’t want you to cease her Prednisone. I’ll write out instructions to reduce the dosage over the next few weeks.”

  “What are you…?” Brianna swallowed and came shakily to her feet. “Are you

  saying…?”

  “The child is better, then?” Luke asked, his voice thick.

  The doctor smiled. “It appears so, Mr. MacDonald.” He nodded to Violet. “I’ll check in on you before you leave today with your Mom’s instructions.”

  Dr. Noble left the room and the door swung shut. In the next instant Brianna was in Luke’s arms, laughing and crying against his chest. “She’s going to be all right!”

  Luke chuckled as he held her tight. “Easy, lass.”

  She stepped back and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Violet stared up from her position on the bed and Brianna gave her a careful hug, mindful of the tube in her arm.

  “Oh, you’re getting better, love,” Brianna said.

  Violet just smiled.

  * * *

  The next day was brighter than Brianna had seen since autumn in Cornwall, right before Violet sickened. She longed to tell her grandmother the child would soon be well, but even with her magic she couldn’t attempt such contact. And she wouldn’t leave Violet just now. She went to the coffee shop to lose her eagerness in the simple, mindless work. Putting some distance between herself and the MacDonald would help her make

  sense of her feelings, as well.

  Last night, after seeing a sparkling Violet to bed, Luke had kissed her good night.

  Neither he nor she said anything about the gold, but she knew he thought of it. It had wrought a miracle in Violet, aided by the caring staff at the Children’s Hospital. Yet Luke’s uncle still worsened in Ireland, two hundred years ago. Though the thought made her feel selfish, she longed to keep the gold to see the child’s treatments to the last. And to keep Luke by her side. Selfish, selfish, selfish.

  “So she’s better, then?” Lori asked.

  “Yes.” Brianna smiled at her friend. “The doctor was pleased. And Luke—”

  She stopped, but Lori hadn’t missed her slip.

  “Luke?” Lori’s eyes widened before her lips curved in a smile. “He went to the hospital with you?�
��

  Brianna opened her mouth, finally giving a nod. “He’s been wonderful with her.

  And me.”

  “I’m glad, Bree.” Lori stepped closer and touched Brianna’s arm. “You can use someone to lean on.”

  Brianna didn’t want to need anyone, least of all a Braunach from the past who could pop out of her life as quickly as he had popped into it.

  “Violet and I are all right on our own, Lori.”

  Lori clicked her tongue. “Just all right? Don’t you want more than that?”

  Brianna wouldn’t think about it. Sweeping past her friend, she picked up her abandoned coffee pot and stepped in front of a stout man at the counter.

  “More coffee?” she asked.

  He raised his eyes to her, eyes as black as coal. Brianna felt her blood chill, and clutched the pot handle tightly. He said nothing, just stared at her before shaking his bald

  head. He hopped off the stool, he was small of stature, and dropped some coins on the counter. In a flash he was gone, leaving Brianna to stare after him. She still shook, so she set the coffee pot down once more.

  “Who… who was that guy?” she asked.

  “Who, the little guy?” Lori shrugged. “He’s been here a few times in the last couple of weeks. Looks like Danny Devito, only without the humor. Kinda creepy I know, but he doesn’t say much.”

  Again, that unease filled Brianna. She thought of the shifting shadows outside her house the night Luke had confronted her. Surely Luke had been watching her, watching Violet. There was nothing furtive about him. He was as bold as he was confounding, and she admired that about him as much as his beautiful green eyes or MacDonald honor.

  Luke entered the shop then, wearing the crooked grin that turned her insides into mush. “Hello, lass.” His expression suddenly changed and he took long quick strides to the counter. He took her hands in his. “What’s wrong, Brianna?”