Banshee Song
Book Two

Chapter Eighteen

"Mr. Callahan, have ye seen Miss Brady?"

The groundskeeper looked up from the bushes he'd been pruning. "Aye Sean. She's down at the pond. Liam's showing her the new baby ducks."

"Thank ye, Mr. Callahan."

Sean walked toward the pond and felt his spirit come alive. It was spring. A time of rebirth, of renewal. Everything was so fresh, and alive. His heart swelled with pride as he looked on the beauty of the old estate. The grass was a deep lush green, punctuated here and there by fields of wild clover. The trees were covered with fragrant blossoms. He walked by the vegetable gardens, with their rows of newly tilled soil. Mr. Callahan would be planting seeds soon.

The air was filled with the calls of various animals. Chickens clucked and roosters crowed. Occasionally, a goat would bleat. Liam, the young boy who cared for the livestock, would soon have his little hands full.

Sean chuckled. {Baby ducks} Soon it would be baby chicks, kids, kittens and puppies, and who knew what else. Spring. Birth and rebirth.

He walked by the old vineyards. Here the grapevines were overgrown in a wild, tangled mess. That was his next project. He wanted to begin making wine again. The Cassidy Estate had been well known for its wine in the past. {But all that takes money.} He reminded himself. Well, that would soon be taken care of.

Finally he neared the small pond and her voice filled the air. It was such a light, musical sound that Sean wished the voice would never quit.

"Liam Callahan, stop it! I'm trying to stay dry." Laughter. "Liam, if I have to come after ye, you're going to be sorry!" Her singsong voice showed that she wasn't angry.

They came into view as Sean neared the pond. He stifled a laugh. Both Elizabeth and the boy were wading in the pond, water up to their knees. On the shore stood a line of fluffy white ducklings all quacking loudly.

"Like this, duckies!" Liam cried as he smacked the surface of the water, laughing.

Elizabeth laughed. "We don't have to teach them how to swim. See, their mother is already leading them into the pond." They watched as the ducklings followed the mother duck into the water. "See? They don't need any help."

Sean could see the pout on the boy's face. "But I want to be the mother. I want to teach them how to swim."

"Don't worry, Liam," Sean said as he came up to the pond, making his presence known. "There are still plenty of animals around here ye can be mother to. Have ye fed the chickens, yet?"

Liam's face brightened. "I'll do that now!" he cried and ran off as fast as his little legs would carry him.

Elizabeth chuckled as he took off. "That's quite a worker ye have there. He doesn't even know it's work."

"Aye, he and his father have been a great help to us. Mr. Callahan is the only original servant left."

"I heard about his wife. So sad."

"Aye. I can't imagine how hard it must be; a widower with a young son. But as long as I'm alive, he and Liam will always have a home here."

Elizabeth looked at her employer. "That's so generous of ye."

Sean shrugged. "In many ways they're the only family Ree and I have left. Besides, Mr. Callahan keeps the place running. He grows all the food we eat and Liam cares for the livestock. I really couldn't make it without them."

Sean paused as his eyes took in Elizabeth's state of dress. Her skirt had been tucked in between her legs, leaving them bare at the knees. He watched in fascination as water droplets rolled down her bare calves.

Elizabeth blushed, ashamed to have been caught in such a state by her employer. "Och, I'm so sorry," she cried as she came forward out of the water.

"Don't be. In fact," Sean added with a wicked gleam in his eyes, "I believe I'll join ye." He took off his shoes and socks and rolled his pants up to his knees. He inhaled deeply and a goofy grin crossed his face. How he loved the feel of the cool dirt between his toes. He walked forward into the water. It was cool, but not cold.

He rolled his shoulders, feeling the old tension slide off. "Och, 'tis been forever since I did this," he sighed. He kicked his legs in the water as he walked. Splish splosh.

Elizabeth looked at Sean with a slight frown on her face. "Sean, (they had gone back to calling each other by their Christian names) how old are ye?"

"Sixteen."

"Really, because the way ye talk, ye sound like you're an old man."

Sean stared at her in mock disbelief. "Me, an old man?"

"Aye. Ye walk around like the fate of the world rests on your shoulders. How is it that it's been "forever" since ye did this?"

Sean shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know. I've just never had the chance. My life hasn't been very easy, ye know."

"Right, meanwhile my life has been a walk in the park," she reminded him.

He glanced at her as she walked beside him. "So, how are ye doing?"

Elizabeth smiled sadly. "Some days are better than others. Today.it's not so bad."

Sean nodded silently. He could tell Elizabeth didn't really want to talk so he decided to take her mind off her grief. "So what do I do to keep from being an old man?" he asked with a smile.

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, ye can start by doing this more often."

"I think I can manage that."

Elizabeth cocked a blonde eyebrow. "Are ye sure? Ye don't mind if people see the great lord of the castle wading barefoot in the pond?" she teased.

Sean gazed into her eyes. "Not as long as I have company."

Elizabeth's heart quickened with his words. Her wide blue eyes stared back at his, unblinking. Why did she always feel this way whenever he was around? She broke contact and averted her eyes.

Sean fought to recover from the charged moment and looked away. Unfortunately, he wasn't watching his feet and he slipped on a twig. He lost his balance and fell backward into the pond. There was a giant SPLASH and when the water settled there was Sean sitting in the water. Only his head, shoulders and knees were visible.

"(laugh) Are you (laugh) okay? (laugh)" Elizabeth managed to get out.

Sean chuckled and stood to his feet. His clothes were now a soaked, muddy mess. He looked at Elizabeth who was still laughing. He grinned as an evil thought took shape.

"Laugh at me, will ye?" he asked as he came toward her.

Elizabeth held out her arms to fend him off. She laughed as she struggled half-heartedly against him.

"I'll teach ye not to laugh at me!" he cried laughing as they both fell into the pond.

"Aaaaah!" she shrieked as they splashed into the water. She sent Sean her evil eye. "Sean Cassidy, I will get ye for this!"

He laughed and swam away from her. She followed him into the middle of the pond. There they engaged in a rousing splash fight that had them both laughing tears.

"Peace!" Sean cried as he held up his arms. "I surrender."

"Gasp! The great lord of the manor surrendering to a lowly maid?" she teased, her blue eyes strangely smoky.

He stared at her then. Her wet hair hung off her head in limp ringlets. Water gleamed and sparkled off her face. And her large blue eyes were staring back at him. She had never been so appealing, so desirable as she was in that moment.

His hand reached forward with a will of its own. His fingers brushed the hair out of her face, caressed her cheek, and danced across her full lips. "You're more than a maid to me, Beth," he whispered.

She gazed at him in wonder while her stomach did flip-flops. His lips fell forward, also moving of their own will. Her eyes fluttered shut as she prepared to receive his kiss.

But the kiss never came. An image flashed in Sean's mind and he was again reminded of his plans. He remembered his reason for seeking Elizabeth and stopped. He sighed audibly and tried to distance himself from the girl before him. Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes. She stared at Sean with confused eyes.

He took a measured step away from her. He avoided her eyes at all costs. "I'm sorry," he choked out. He cleared his throat. "I apologize for my actions, Elizabeth. My behavior was uncalled for and inappropriate."

The confused girl continued to stare at him. What had happened? She had been so sure he cared for her, but once again he had changed. Why? His cold words ripped at her heart. But his next words would break it. "I was looking for you to tell you that we will be having a guest in two weeks. She will be staying with us through the summer. I need you to prepare a suite for her. Her name is Miss Miriam Lockeheart and if all goes well, she will be my bride."

"That's the last one."

Rhianna gazed in wonder at the shiny new machine. "They're beautiful," she breathed.

"That they certainly are," Sheamus agreed.

"When will they be ready to run?"

"I'm going to do test runs tomorrow. If all goes well, we'll be open again on Monday."

{A whole week,} Rhianna thought. {That will be a whole week that our factory was shut down - not producing parts.} But there really was no choice. The machines had to be replaced. She couldn't allow workers to risk their lives on the old death traps.

The hardest part had been scrounging the money together for the newer models. Cassidy's had only just begun making a profit again and simply could not afford the large expense. Rhianna was also dead set against taking money from the estate, although Sean would have given it to her had she asked. So she set out to get a business loan.

It hadn't been easy. Banks didn't want to do business with her. Finally she got a loan, but she had to put the factory down as collateral. That was the hardest decision she had ever made. If something happened and she couldn't pay back the loan, the business would be taken away from her. But as Sheamus had said, "You don't have a business without the machines anyway." So she knew she didn't have a choice. She would just have to be sure to make all her payments on time.

So they had spent a few days in ordering and installing the machines. Now they needed to devote time to another pressing matter; finding the saboteur. Rhianna was reminded of something Sheamus had said earlier. He had made a comment about how money seemed to disappear from the company. She had remembered then the ledger books, which she had been unable to balance.

Rhianna spent the next few days buried in the books while Sheamus tested the machines. She double-checked every entry and triple checked the math. But nothing. She despaired of ever finding the mistake.

But finally, late Friday evening, she found where large amounts of money had been moving through the petty cash account. Petty cash was supposed to be used for small purchases. But instead there were large amounts going through the account. And no receipts she could find to explain the purchases. She dug into the trail of money, wondering who it would lead back to.

"Oh no!" she gasped in horror. "Not him!"