Page 65 of Heart of the Wren
Alone at last, Dara and I kissed in the hall. I rested my forehead against his and sighed. And my sigh became a laugh. “What a feckin’ night.”
We retired to the living room where I poured us a drink. I was too wound up to sleep. Instead of sitting in my favourite armchair, I sat on the couch and held Dara’s hand, stroking it with my thumb.
Dara gave me a quizzical look. “You seem different,” he said. “Your aura has shifted colour.”
I took a sip. “I know she wasn’t really Mairead but seeing her face, saying I was sorry to her… it helped.”
Dara squeezed my hand. “I’m glad some good came from all of this.”
I kissed him. “More than some, I would say.”
“What are you going to do with the farm?”
“I don’t know anymore. Everything’s changed now.” I took a deep breath and set my glass down. “If… If I decided I was going to stay for another while, at least — and I’m not saying I will — but if I did, would… Would you… I know you want to get moving again, but would you stay? Here. With me?”
Dara kissed the back of my hand. “I’d love to.”
“Did you sayI love you?”
“I saidI’d love to.But now you mention it, I do love you. I’d love to and I love you.”
We laughed and kissed again.
I put my hand on the side of Dara’s face. “I love you too. You mad aul witch.”
???
The following few days were spent tidying up the house, binning everything the Wrenboys had broken, and assessing the damage. There had been no sign of the sheep’s orf infection returning. Michael had been stumped as he hadn’t even started treating it properly. He’d been oblivious to any of the supernatural goings-on at the farm in the previous weeks but sure that was Michael all over. The devil himself could ask him for a light and Michael would just shout at him for getting in his way.
I was able to find someone to replace the kitchen window, thanks to Pat Lynch. If you needed anything done in a hurry, Pat was your man. He always knew a fella, or he knew a fella who knew a fella. I met him in thepub and told him about the brooch.
“Have you reported it yet?” he asked. “Because if you haven’t, I know someone who’ll buy it, no questions asked…”
???
“I need to talk to you.”
Dara shut the door and sat next to me on the bed. “This sounds ominous.”
I smiled at him. “I was talking to Pat Lynch. As it turns out, I can’t simply sell the brooch. There are laws about finding treasure. Fortunately, the National Museum was so happy to hear about it, as well as the location of where I found it, that they’re sending a team out to examine it. Tomorrow.”
“They’re on the ball.”
“I said the same. I assured them the field wasn’t being used so everything would be left as it is. I don’t know how Clíona is going to feel about having a bunch of archaeologists swarming all over her hill. With any luck, they won’t find anything so they won’t upset her.”
“At least the fairies won’t be here to bother them.”
“I left them out of the story,” I said. “But, if the brooch is from the Bronze Age, and if it’s in as good condition as we think, well, they said they’ll pay me a finder’s fee.”
“Brilliant!” Dara said.
“You’re not going ask how much?”
He shrugged. “It’s none of my business.”
I gazed deep into his eyes. “It’s a lot, Dara. Enough for me to buy ahouse in town, if I want to.”
Dara tilted his head. “So you’re not going to stay at the farm.”
