Shadows 02 Celtic Shadows

by K C West

  “Fair enough.”

  “We’ll probably need to come back and look around, to check windows and doors for possible entry,” I added, as Lord Morrison escorted us out of the room. “I assume you’ll give us freedom of access for that.”

  “Of course. Call me when you’re ready, and I’ll be here.”

  “By the way, John, how is your wife?” PJ asked, as we climbed the stairs.

  “Jenny’s fine, except that she’s under the weather today.”

  “Nothing serious, I hope.”

  “Just a bad cold. It’s being here, you know.” He waved his arm, encompassing the dark and dreary decor. “She gets chilled.”

  PJ and I shared another look. This time I had no difficulty reading her mind. The place gave us chills, too.

  Lord Morrison escorted us to the door. “Until we meet again, and that will be soon, I hope.”

  We shook hands all around.

  *

  “Phew, I’m glad to be out of there,” PJ said, as we climbed into the Rover. “It’s freaky. Even you looked like you had seen a ghost.”

  “I know.”

  “What do you know?”

  “What if I told you that Marna appeared to me in there? I wonder if it was a warning of some kind.”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose and gave a weary sigh. “Oh, not again. I thought we were done with the Amazons. I know that at some level you’re not ready to let them go, but you must - and you will.”

  I wasn’t about to argue the point. For her, the Amazon chapter was closed. I wished I could be as certain.

  “How long is it since your father has seen Morrison?”

  “Geez, years. Many, many years. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “That all is not what it appears to be.”

  “Yes. Something’s screwy, but I can’t put a finger on it.”

  “For one thing, Morrison’s younger than I expected.”

  “I thought that, too,” PJ said.

  “Mmm. And your father hadn’t heard from him in years.”

  “Right.”

  “Morrison said they talked all the time. But if they weren’t corresponding with each other on a regular basis, why would he say that, and why would Frederick be sending him pictures of you?”

  “He wouldn’t be. Maybe Morrison saw my picture in People Magazine, or worse, in some supermarket rag.”

  “But he knew about your problems with your father.”

  She nodded. “Same source, I expect. What are you getting at?”

  “Nothing tangible.”

  I pulled the seatbelt across my shoulder and started the engine. “There’s something else,” PJ said, after several moments of silence.

  I guided the vehicle back along the drive and through the iron gates, waving to the gatekeeper. “What’s that?”

  “He told us to call him when we were ready to return.”

  “What about it?”

  “The difference, my dear Kimmy, is between the Queen’s English and American English, like boot and bonnet. Americans call, Brits ring.”

  “Maybe it’s a Welshism.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Now who’s suspicious?”

  We reached a fork in the road, and I pulled off to one side and stopped the car. “Are you saying the man we spoke with is really an American?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. It may be my imagination, but his accent didn’t ring true.”

  “If he isn’t Morrison, who the hell is he?”

  She chewed her lower lip in thought. “I’m going to call Dad to see if he has any recent pictures - newspaper clips, perhaps - of his lordship.”

  “Good idea.” I steered back onto the road. “And what was all the talk about Owain Glyndwr? It has no bearing on the Celtic riddle.”

  “Name dropping, Kim. For the Welsh, having Owain Glyndwr in your family tree would be something special.”

  “Or he may have cooked up the story just to throw us off.”

  PJ tilted her head and frowned. “Off what?”

  “I have no idea.” I paused for a moment as we reached another bend in the road. “But, speaking of ideas, it’s such a lovely day. Let’s take a drive and stop at a pub somewhere for a sandwich and a glass of ale.”

  “Ah, you’ve a hankering for some Bass Ale?” She gave me a knowing look.

  “You know me too well, my love.”

  “All right. Under one condition.” Her green eyes sparkled. “We go back to the inn afterwards for a bit of hanky panky.”

  “I suppose that could be arranged.”

  Chapter 7

  Kim was supposed to be working on her laptop, but I caught her glancing in my direction as I dressed. It felt good to know that I could distract her with little more than a wiggle of my hips as I pulled on my jeans. Oh, yeah.

  Trying to be as casual as I could be under the circumstances, I let my fingers brush across my breasts when I buttoned my shirt, and her gaze lingered on my chest. I smiled, still pretending not to notice, but left the top two buttons undone. Uh-huh. I could see her swallowing.

  I struck a sexy pose.

  She frowned.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Where’s your medallion?”

  “Oh, that. For a minute there, I was afraid I’d lost my irresistible charm.”

  Kim grinned. “You? Never. So, what happened to your medallion?”

  I tucked my shirt into my jeans and buckled the belt. “The clasp is loose. I was afraid it might fall off, so I put it on the dresser for safekeeping.”

  The laptop gave a tiny ping, and her look was diverted to the screen. Damn. My charm was resistible after all.

  I closed the distance between our bed and her chair and leaned in to kiss the back of her neck and run my fingers through her hair. “Must you work right now? I thought maybe we could have some fun.”

  “Perhaps,” she said, turning and giving my mouth a nibble. Then her eyes refocused on the monitor. “Hang on, Hot Lips. We have an e-mail from your dad.”

  “Finally.” I slid onto her lap so I could read the message as she brought it up. “Maybe he’s sending that photo of Morrison I asked him about.”

  There was a soft knock on our door, and I scrambled to a less compromising position.

  Kim chuckled. “If that’s Arwel, you don’t have to put on an act. I’m pretty sure she knows about us.”

  I fastened one more button on my shirt and finger-combed my hair. “Us?”

  “Our relationship.”

  “Oh.” My hand was on the doorknob. “How perceptive of her.”

  “The woman has eyes. It probably didn’t take much effort.”

  “Hi, Arwel.” I smiled as she handed me a tray laden with breakfast goodies.

  “Bore da, ladies. Here’s something to start your day.”

  I accepted the tray. “Thank you, and bore da to you, too. This smells divine.”

  She bobbed us a curtsey, as if we were royalty. “Cook says the marmalade is fresh made and the scones hot out of the oven. Oh, and the tea is Earl Grey, just the way you like it.”

  “How wonderful,” Kim said, smiling at her. “You’re spoiling us with such good service.”

  “Not a bit, Dr. Blair.” Twin rosy spots bloomed on Arwel’s cheeks. “You two are no trouble at all.”

  “You Welsh folks don’t seem to worry much about carbs or calories, do you?” I inhaled the fragrant aroma coming from the tray.

  Her puzzled expression answered my question. “You wouldn’t need to,” I hastened to say, “with all the nice footpaths you have in this country.”

  I thanked Arwel again and set the tray on our bedside table. She and Kim exchanged pleasantries before our hostess left to assist her other guests.

  Unable to control myself any longer, I spread generous amounts of butter and marmalade on a hot scone and took a bite. “Mmm.” I tore off a chunk for Pup and then licked the sticky residue from my fingers.

  Kim turned
to watch us. “You know, too much sweet stuff isn’t good for him.”

  “I know, but how do you resist that look?”

  “It isn’t easy, but I try. Besides, I see it often enough on your face that I should be immune.”

  “Moi? You’ve got to be kidding.”

  She laughed. “You’re doing it right now.”

  Damn. Another secret weapon gone. Was there anything left in my arsenal? I sighed and poured our tea, carrying the cups and a plate of scones to Kim.

  She ate and drank while I moved to the back of her chair and peered over her shoulder.

  “What does Dad have to say?”

  She swallowed the last of her scone and put her cup down. “See for yourself.”

  I maneuvered into a comfortable position on her lap, leaning into the warmth of her embrace. “Ah, this is nice.”

  “Make yourself comfortable, why don’t you.”

  “Thanks, I have. Can you still reach your tea?”

  She shifted under my weight and groaned. “I think I can manage. Let’s get to your dad’s message.”

  We read the e-mail together.

  Ladies, we may have a problem. My security people have warned me about some threatening messages that have been coming in. These threats, though not specific, extend beyond me to my staff and family. I’m taking the usual precautions to safeguard all of us. Since you are out of the country, I ‘m sending a couple of fellows to keep an eye on both of you. Geoff Hunter and Trevor Poole are trusted employees and part of my personal security team when I’m in the UK. They are aware of and comfortable with your private relationship. I’ll keep you posted and will try to get some photos of Morrison age-enhanced for you shortly. Just be careful, okay? Priscilla, you know the drill. Love to you both, Dad.

  I eased back against Kim’s chest. “That’s interesting.”

  Her body stiffened. “Interesting? Is that all you can say?”

  “Easy. It’s no big deal.”

  Her arms tightened around me. “He sounded serious. Maybe we should head home.”

  I broke her fierce grip and stood up so we could face each other.

  “Will you please relax?” I picked up her teacup. “Here, finish your tea.”

  She took it, but only long enough to stand and replace it on the desk. “I can’t think about tea now.” Her body still radiated protective vibes. “And what does ‘you know the drill’ mean? Has this sort of thing happened to you before?”

  I shrugged. “Once or twice.”

  “Jesus.” She grabbed me again, tighter this time. “That does it. We’re leaving.”

  I pushed her back, breaking contact. “No, now wait. Listen to me Dad has been through this before and he knows what to do. Let him handle it, okay?”

  She gripped my hands and pulled me into another suffocating hug. I wanted to make a joke about being some sort of human yo-yo, but her body was trembling too much. “How can you be so casual about a threat like this?” she murmured against my cheek.

  I gave her what I thought was a lighthearted laugh. “It’s the downside to being rich. I’m afraid having money makes craziness happen. It’s a curse, sometimes.”

  “I wouldn’t know about that.” She pulled back and stared into my eyes. “I’m not used to this kind of thing, so please humor me. I’m concerned about your safety and your father’s.”

  “I know you are.” My eyes stung with unshed tears. “Please don’t be upset.”

  She fretted over me, stroking my hair, patting my bangs, and kissing my forehead. When she spoke again, her voice was husky. “We’ve only just found each other, and if anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do. I can’t imagine life without you. I think I’d go insane. Do you realize that?”

  “Yes,” I said, my throat tightening. “I feel the same way about you.”

  She was my fierce, independent, Amazon warrior, so alone against the world before we met, and now so vulnerable because of loving me.

  Her fingers dug into my shoulders. “I love you so much.” Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.

  “I know you do,” I whispered.

  Funny, wasn’t it, how love could hurt? One minute you were alone and aloof, playing the field, tossing lovers aside with abandon, feeling no pain, no worries. And then you found the special one, and everything changed. What you had together was so precious that you feared losing it, even when you were safe and secure. Even when you knew that both of you were together forever and always, there were moments when you feared it could all disappear.

  I looked into the depths of those glistening brown eyes. “And I love you more than anything. Don’t ever doubt it.”

  We were silent for several seconds, holding each other, reining in our emotions. “Good,” she said, giving my back a final rub. “Then, it’s settled. We’ll call Frederick and tell him that, under the circumstances, we can’t stay any longer.”

  I pushed against her chest, clearing space between us. “Whoa. Hold on a second. I don’t recall us making that decision.”

  “There’s no other sane way to deal with this, PJ.” She turned away from me and paced in front of the door. Pup whimpered and tracked her progress with growing agitation.

  “Look, you’re getting Pup all worried.” I stood in her path, raising my hands to her shoulders and forcing her to halt. “Kimmy, sweetheart, read my lips. Do not worry. Okay?”

  Brown eyes, which had been so full of love just seconds ago, now darkened, and her jaw tensed.

  Jesus. The Great Stone Face. I took a long, cleansing breath. “Look, I know you’re concerned. And I’m flattered beyond measure, really I am. But we’re not in some third world country. We’re in a small, peaceful place, in a town most people can’t even pronounce, let alone find. Dad is sending us bodyguards. They’ll make our lives miserable with all their attention, but with them dogging us, we’ll be safe.”

  Pup made a noise. “Sorry, Pup. I meant no disrespect.”

  That made Kim chuckle. “Like he knows what you’re talking about.”

  With her tension diffused, the rigidness left her face and her brown eyes lightened and filled with love again. “I suppose you’re right.” She sighed and moved into my outstretched arms. “I just don’t want anything to happen to the people I love.”

  “Oh, honey.” I rubbed the small of her back. “I know, and I appreciate that. And I love you for it, believe me.” My arms circled her waist. “But right now, I say let’s get on with our lives.”

  “Well…”

  “We won’t have much time to ourselves once our security gets here.”

  “True.”

  “How about we take a drive to check out that National Library? We wanted to see what kind of research facilities they had and make ourselves known to the higher-ups and such, so we can learn more about Owain-what’s-his-face, right?”

  “Right.”

  “I bet that big, stone building has just what we need to get to the bottom of this Morrison mess.”

  Kim picked up her teacup and drained it. It had to be cold by now, but it seemed to settle her. “I’d like that, as long as we’re cautious.” She grabbed her purse and jacket. “A trip to Aberystwyth scope out the library, followed by a nice Welsh tea someplace will work for me.”

  I gave her big smile. “Me, too.”

  “And when we get back, we’ll take Pup for a stroll around these lovely hills.”

  “Throw in some shopping, and it sounds like you have a plan, Doc.”

  She cringed. “Shopping? I don’t recall promising - ”

  “Shh.” I put my fingers across her lips. “You love me, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.” She sighed, giving my fingers tiny kisses. “But shopping?”

  “It goes with the territory.” I pulled my fingers back and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

  “Wow,” Kim said when she could breathe again.

  I smiled. “And that goes with the territory, too.”

  *

 
The large neo-classical building that housed the National Library of Wales was an impressive structure that dominated its hillside location. It overlooked the seaside resort of Aberystwyth and resembled a palace. Its interior was warm, spacious, user-friendly, and inviting. The Main Hall was big, almost overpowering, and there was even a restaurant on the premises.

  Hampered by the probable illegality of Morrison’s possession of the corpse of an ancient Celtic warrior, we avoided confiding in anyone during our search for information. We were able to locate numerous promising history books in the reference section and made appointments to speak with several heads of departments in the near future. Kim made notes on the entire visit, so that we could plunge right into work once we had formulated a plan of action.

  Then, of course, we had the Owain Glyndwr connection to examine. We didn’t know what to think about that, or why it had been brought up at all. Glyndwr had been a hero, complete with accompanying myths and legends. We looked forward to separating fact from fiction wherever possible.

  I made a few discreet inquiries about Lord and Lady Morrison, but nobody could recollect the last time they had seen the couple. We were led to believe that the Morrisons spent most of their time away, at their other homes, and weren’t recognized locally.

  “Why don’t they know these people better?” I asked Kim, once we were in the Rover on our way back down Penglais Road, looking for the turn onto A44.

  “You heard what they said about them not spending much time here. But frankly, I think those folks know more about the Morrisons than they care to share. They were keeping their opinions to themselves. For some reason, they didn’t want to discuss anything. Maybe it’s just that we’re too inquisitive for their taste.”

  “You think?” I gave her a grin. “I thought we were nice and subtle about it.”

  Kim wanted to explore some of the hills and valleys around Dolgellau, so we spent a relaxing hour driving to scenic overlooks, walking Pup along bike paths, and admiring several duck ponds.

  Afterwards, we found a spot to park the Rover, near one of Wales’s famous footpaths. We walked along the path for a couple of miles before heading back to the Rover.

  “You can walk from village to village,” Kim said, “or, if you want, from county to county. Ideal for those on extended holidays from South Wales to North Wales.”