Always and Forever Read online

  Across the street from the grocery store was a small pub and already she could hear the voices carrying out into the street. She entered and all heads turned in her direction curious about the newcomer, no doubt. She smiled absently as she made her way to a stool at the bar. A large man, built like a linebacker with a shock of red hair and wearing a white apron, stopped just before her.

  "What can I get you, lass?" the giant asked.

  "Scrambled eggs, a side of rashers and a cup of coffee please."

  "Sure thing. You the one looking at the old place down the road?"

  "The castle, yes. I'm Quinn and my organization is researching the history of the place."

  "Jack O'Shea. Quinn, nice Irish name that."

  A smile curved her lips before she added, "Quinn Shaughnessy."

  At that announcement the man pulled his head back as his laughter echoed around the pub.

  "I don't suppose you have any stories about the castle?" Quinn inquired.

  Jack rubbed his chin before answering, "That I might. Let me call your order in Quinn Shaughnessy and then I'll tell you what I know."

  "Great, thanks."

  Jack returned shortly later with her breakfast. He set it in front of her and grabbed the coffee pot, pouring them each a mug, before he settled back against the far counter and crossed his thickly muscled arms over his massive chest.

  "So, you're looking into that accursed place are you?" he wondered aloud, "Alone?"

  "Yes, well, no I did have a partner but upon first inspection of the castle he was completely uninterested." Quinn took a quick bite of her eggs and couldn't stifle the moan of pleasure at their creamy, herb flavor.

  "These are delicious," she offered.

  "My secret recipe."

  She took another bite of eggs giving Jack the opportunity to share with her what he knew.

  "I've always been told the place was cursed."

  Quinn was surprised to hear that. "Why?"

  "The people in this village don't move much so many of the families living here now had ancestors then and the stories passed down say that the owner and his family met with foul play but the odd thing is no one knows how exactly. Whatever happened it was bad enough to have the people of the time fearing the place so much that it was abandoned almost immediately and left, forever, in an incomplete state. In fact, some of our more colorful residents have hinted to rumors of magic and witchcraft surrounding the castle and that's what has kept the place empty and forgotten, turning it into our own haunted castle of sorts."

  She could certainly attest to it being forgotten, remembering the first time she had seen it standing majestically on its little patch of the world untouched by time or people. Jack continued on.

  "In truth, no one really knows what specifically happened and, what I've always found strange is, no one knows the name of the family that lived there. How could their deaths be rumored about and yet not their names? It's all very creepy and I think it's the inconsistencies, more than anything, that has fueled the rumors about the place being cursed and what has, ultimately, kept people away."

  Quinn had been staying in the castle on and off over the past seven years and, besides feeling a deep sadness for an unrealized dream, she hadn't felt anything sinister or dark. She had to agree with Jack, about the oddity of the story, since she knew first hand that there were no documented records at all on the castle. How was that possible? It was incredibly odd that such a physically prominent piece of the area's history was not only left abandoned but actually forgotten, and that no one was interested in studying the secrets the castle held. Regardless of what had happened there, the castle was a link to the past and its stories could help form a more clear understanding of life back then. The lack of interest and neglect was so contrary to her own way of thinking that she found it very hard to understand.

  Quinn finished with breakfast, Jack coming over in between waiting on people to chat. He leaned over and whispered to her just as she was preparing to leave.

  "There is someone in the village that can tell you more. Her name's Maude and she lives right outside of town in a cottage in the woods." He stopped for a moment and looked a bit nervous before he continued.

  "She's an odd one and the things she knows, well, it's a bit creepy but she's harmless, I think."

  Quinn covered his large hand with her own.

  "Thank you." And then she tilted her head and studied him as a red flush covered his cheeks. Realizing he was blushing, Jack stood up and growled. "Go on, get out of here." But he wasn't able to keep the smile from his lips.

  "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow," Quinn said.

  He watched her leave before he removed her dishes and stuck them in the tub behind the bar wondering if he had done right by her when he told her about the crazy old lady in the woods.

  Quinn was intrigued by the woman Maude and definitely planned on paying her a visit, but first she needed groceries. The bell jingled as she opened the door and stepped inside. The store was dimly lit but she could see well enough to spot the small selection of vegetables arranged neatly to her left and on her right the refrigerator section of meats, mostly venison and duck. Just in front of her there were aisles of canned and boxed goods. She grabbed a linen bag and walked up and down the aisles filling her sack with tuna and canned chicken, soups and cereal, a few bars of chocolate, water bottles and a six pack of diet coke before she went to the register which was being manned by a short, plump woman with gray hair pulled up into a bun. As Quinn emptied her sack, the woman just stared at her and when Quinn really looked at her, she thought she saw fear. The woman quickly lowered her head and started to ring up the items and, once her groceries were bagged and paid for, Quinn started for the door.

  "Thank you."

  The woman offered nothing so, chalking up her odd behavior to shyness, Quinn left the shop and started walking through town. She reached the town's edge and spotted the worn path in the underbrush that went deeper into the woods. Suspecting this was the way to Maude's, she followed it. A faint glow up ahead beckoned her forward until the trees magically cleared to reveal a small stone cabin. Wisps of smoke from the chimney were curling up into the bright blue sky. A smile touched her lips.

  "Lovely."

  Before she could knock, the door opened and there stood an old woman with a face so wrinkled that she could easily pass for over a hundred years old but her eyes, a robin's egg-blue, were sharp and alert. Quinn was just opening her mouth to introduce herself when the woman's greeting left her speechless.

  "So you have finally come. I've been waiting." With that she turned and disappeared into the cottage leaving Quinn gaping at the now empty threshold. The thought that she should turn around and walk away popped into her head but she dismissed that and stepped into the cabin. Inside a warm, crackling fire burned brightly in the stone hearth. The floors were wood, but smooth to the touch. Colorful wool braided rugs dotted across the living area. Iron torches, burning fire, were anchored around the room. The walls were lined with book shelves that spilled over with leather bound works. In front of the fireplace sat a long sofa of walnut wood and the warmest brown silk. A tabby cat was curled up on the floor by the fire snoring softly.

  "Please sit I'll brew some tea. There is much to do."

  Maude disappeared as Quinn took a seat on the sofa as she pondered Maude's words. Much to do? Whatever was she talking about? Before long Maude returned carrying a large silver tray with a teapot, porcelain cups and saucers and a plate of mouthwatering cookies. She placed the tray on the table before taking the seat next to Quinn. She poured them each a cup of tea before settling back on the sofa.

  "So you've come for answers." Maude crooned as she took a rather loud gulp of tea.

  That comment took Quinn by surprise but she dismissed the odd chill that worked its way down her spine and offered, "I'm here to research Whispering Winds and Jack mentioned you knew much of the history of this town and that of the castle so I hoped that I could inter
view you."

  "Indeed."

  Quinn wasn't deterred by the old woman's less than enthusiastic response and continued on.

  "I am fascinated with the castle and the secrets it could tell. Do you know anything about who lived there and what happened to them?"

  "Oh, aye, but I can't say: tisn't my secret to tell." She leaned closer to Quinn so that she could smell the faint scent of lavender on the old woman's withered skin.

  "I will say this. There is powerful magic at work in that place and if someone knew where to look they may just stumble onto the adventure of a lifetime."

  Jack had said the woman was odd but was she crazy? Not really wishing to share the fate of Hansel and Gretel, Quinn decided it was time to go.

  "Thank you so much for the tea. It was very nice meeting you."

  The old lady grinned as Quinn stood to leave.

  "Careful, Miss, you may just find what you're looking for but all magic comes with a price."

  Creepier words Quinn had never heard and with a rushed wave she fled the cabin as if the hounds of hell were hard on her heels.

  Maude walked over to the door and watched as the young woman disappeared from view.

  "I'll give you a little nudge, dearest Quinn, since I've a promise to keep."

  Quinn slowed her pace once she was back on the lane heading from town but, honestly, she was a bit unnerved from her very odd encounter with what she believed was an honest-to-god witch. A shiver went down her spine thinking about the cryptic, but undeniably creepy, words the woman had said to her.

  A half an hour later she was back in her bedroom where she dropped her groceries and purse near her sleeping bag then walked over to one of the massive windows and stared out. In the distance, she could see the river bending around the landscape and as she followed its curves, she noticed a man standing near the edge. He was so far away but he was looking up towards the castle, and it seemed, right in her direction. He was tall with wide shoulders and narrow hips dressed in all black and his hair, too, was black and long framing a face that she couldn't quite make out. He looked so lost standing there as if he couldn't find what he was looking for.

  Before her mind could object to her spontaneous, and potentially stupid, decision she started from the room -- slowly at first, until she was in a full on run by the time she flew out into the courtyard. He stood in the same spot and when he saw her he started to move toward her but as soon as he took his first step, he began to fade. Quinn stopped short and watched as he looked down at himself and up at her and now she could see that his eyes were green, like summer grass, and in them was confusion and pain. His hand reached out for her just before he disappeared completely. Her jaw dropped in shock but she also felt the sting of tears as the most intense feeling of loss assailed her. She stood rooted to that spot for a long time before she forced her feet to carry her back inside the castle.

  Quinn found herself, throughout that day and the next, looking out the window hoping to catch a glimpse of the man, but the river swept quietly along its vacant banks and eventually Quinn convinced herself that she had imagined him. Then on the third day when she glanced out the window from the study, he was there: standing in the same spot where she had seen him before. She didn't hesitate to run to him but, once again, when she approached him he started towards her and began to fade.

  "No!" Quinn screamed as she ran to him but right before she reached him he was gone. A chill caused goose bumps to rise on her skin as she stood in the spot where he had been. She felt that same crushing sense of loss that she had felt the first time. She lowered her head to look down at the patch of Earth to see what was so unique about it that it had the power to hold his spirit there and that was when she saw the glint of something metal from within the strands of grass. She hunched down to get a better look and realized it was a ring, an old ring based on the design, with an emerald the size of a grape centered within the delicate gold. She reached down to pick it up but as soon as her hand wrapped around it, she felt the heat of the stone burn her seconds before everything went black.

  Chapter Two

  1704

  When Quinn opened her eyes it took her a moment to remember and when she did she actually felt embarrassment tint her cheeks. She had fainted -- never in her life had she fainted -- and yet she had and really with no sound reason for doing so. Oh man, she was glad her brothers weren't here or she would never live it down, ever. She happened a glance to her right but where the castle should have been was instead a thick patch of trees.

  "What the hell?"

  She forced herself to sit up but the sight that greeted her had her wondering if her head had taken a bit of a hit, maybe on one of the river rocks when she dropped like a potato. Standing before her was a man, a beautiful man, with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was tall and powerfully built, though dressed oddly, like he was going to a Renaissance Fair. She took her time admiring his form but when her attention moved to his face, she saw that he was looking at her with complete disbelief and a touch of fear.

  "Where did you come from?" he demanded.

  Quinn started to stand, her jeans were coated in mud and her t-shirt wasn't much better. "Damn it," she muttered.

  "What manner of dress is that?" he asked nervously.

  The man was taking a step back but his focus was moving between her denim-clad legs and her chest.

  "Me! You look like you just stepped out of a Jane Austen movie," Quinn declared.

  "A what?"

  "Cute." She didn't realize the villagers had a sense of humor. Did they play this prank on everyone who came to visit?

  "You have the most unusual way of speaking," he said.

  Quinn ignored him and was about to walk away when she caught a glimpse behind the dashing English Lord which caused her feet to stop moving and bile to rise up her throat. There was Whispering Winds and based on all the activity around it, it was still very much under construction. The craziest notion entered her head, impossible actually, but as Quinn stared at both the man and the castle she couldn't help but blurt out: "What year is it?"

  "Excuse me?" he asked skeptically.

  "The year?" Quinn barely whispered.

  "'Tis the year of our lord 1704."

  At that announcement, Quinn almost fainted again, but after a few deep breaths she pulled herself together. Clearly, she had hit her head and was suffering some type of brain trauma since time travel wasn't possible, yet. She examined the man before her and realized that what he was wearing was no costume based on the exquisite detail and superb quality of the fabric. Quinn had studied this time period extensively so if she was dreaming, her dream would be historically accurate, right? It was the castle in the background, though, that really sealed the dream idea for her. She had spent seven long years trying to learn everything she could about the place and now she was here, in the time when the castle was under construction, more over it was occupied. Yes, she was dreaming but it was a damn realistic dream and one she intended to fully enjoy. Her attention returned to her imaginary English Lord and she congratulated herself on her attention to detail because the man was beautiful.

  "Are you unwell?" he asked kindly but warily.

  Quinn took a moment to appreciate his lovely accent before she replied, "I'm fine. Are you okay?" She wanted to ask what happened, how she had appeared before him. But dream or not, she was afraid further inquiry would bring forth the torches to light her on fire for being a witch.

  "Who are you?" he asked after a moment's hesitation.

  "Quinn Shaughnessy."

  "Quinn, odd name for a girl."

  "My parents love all things Irish. I'm rather fond of it."

  A smile flashed over his handsome face. "I like it, too. Where did you come from, Miss Shaughnessy?"

  "I don't think you would believe me if I told you."

  The man regarded her for a minute before he said, "One minute you were not there and the next you were."

  She was afraid of that
but she looked at him squarely when she answered, "I honestly have no idea how I got here but I will say that I am very, very far from home."

  He seemed to ponder that non answer for a moment before he walked over and offered her his arm.

  "I do not understand your dress and it will make others suspicious."

  Quinn looked down at her Calvin's and knew, despite being in a dream, that her English Lord was right. The words tumbled from her mouth without much thought, "I haven't any other clothes to wear."

  "I know where we can get some," he offered helpfully.

  "I don't have any money," Quinn replied.

  "Don't worry about that," he countered.

  Quinn stopped walking and turned to the mysterious stranger. "Why aren't you making the sign of the cross and backing slowly away from me?"

  He studied her a minute and Quinn suspected he wasn't sure what her words meant so she clarified, "Why are you helping me? Particularly with how I came to be here?"

  He thoughtfully replied, "I do not understand how you came to be here and I will admit that I don't totally believe what my eyes have seen but I can see that you are lost and alone. I would hope, had I a sister, that if she found herself in a similar situation that someone would come to her aid."

  Quinn could tell there was more that he was not saying so she pushed, "And?"

  It was admiration in his expression when he said, "You are very astute. Normally, I would not say what I am about to say but considering the circumstances I'll share." He inhaled deeply before he added, "I had a dream the other night about just this."

  Quinn paled in response to those words which instinctively had him reaching for her hand as he offered reassuringly, "Yes, you look like I feel but I must admit I'm as much intrigued as I am terrified."