Banshee Song
Book Two
Chapter Twenty-Four
"I think that went very well, don't ye?"
Sheamus nodded. Rhianna continued. "Granted it would have been better if they had placed an order with us, but it seemed very promising."
Sheamus checked his pocket watch. "4:30. We still have plenty of time to get to the ferry before the last boat leaves."
Rhianna looked around her at the bright, sunny forest. The path they walked was thickly carpeted with old leaves and new grass. They had taken a trip that day to meet with some prospective customers. They had just finished their last meeting of the day and were now heading back.
" 'Tis a beautiful day," Sheamus said to break the silence.
Rhianna inhaled deeply. "Aye, that it is. Just as it was the other three times you've said that today."
"Hey, just trying to make conversation, your ladyshipness." There had been an uncomfortable tension between them ever since their meeting two nights ago. They couldn't forget the sizzling electricity that had flared between them. The image of Sheamus's wet, bare body was burned in Rhianna's mind, taunting her, mocking her. She tried to ignore the effect his presence had on her. Sheamus, for his part, was focused on his plan for the evening.
"Are we going the right way?" Rhianna asked after many minutes of silent walking.
"Sure, the ferry's right this way." They broke into a clearing. Before them laid a wide-open field of wildflowers. And not a river in sight.
"Or not." Sheamus scratched his head. "Hmmm, I guess I took a wrong turn back at the fork." He checked his watch. "We'll never make it to the ferry on time and there's no other way to cross the river."
"So we're stuck out here?" Rhianna asked in dismay. They'd had a long, tiring day and she was exhausted.
Sheamus nodded sheepishly. "For the night, it looks like. The ferry will run again in the morning. Come on, maybe we can find a place nearby to spend the night."
They walked through the field of wild flowers. The vibrant flowers grew thickly and many stood waist high, basking in the golden afternoon sun. Rhianna smiled and ran her fingers along the fragrant blossoms as she walked. Sheamus smiled at the childlike expression of joy on her face.
"Having fun?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Rosy circles appeared on her cheeks. "Aye, it's just, I've spent so much time lately inside buildings of brick and steel that I've forgotten how beautiful simple wild nature can be."
Her eyes took on a distant, wistful gaze. "Mum loved flowers and the estate used to be full of flower gardens. We even had a wildflower garden like this. I can just remember what it felt like to run through the flowers, arms outstretched, wind in my hair, sun on my face."
Sheamus smiled warmly, imagining the young Rhianna at play. He remembered his own childhood - playing with Elizabeth. "Sounds nice," he murmured.
"It was," she replied dreamily.
They continued walking through the large field as the sun beat down on them. Sheamus shrugged, uncomfortable in his warm clothes. He pulled on his collar as sweat began to bead on the back of his neck. He looked over at Rhianna and her heavy dark dress.
"Aren't ye hot?" He saw that her forehead glistened with dewy moisture.
"Aye, a little. This dress isn't exactly suitable for hiking on a warm sunny day."
"So take it off."
Rhianna looked at Sheamus as if he had sprouted another head. "What?"
"Take it off - you're wearing something underneath, right?"
"Just my shift - and it's way too thin for going about in public."
"Look around ye, Rhianna. Do ye see any public here?"
"But,"
"Look, we've still got quite a walk ahead of us. Do what ye want, but I'm going to get comfortable." Sheamus took off his jacket and unbuttoned his white shirt until it hung half open, exposing most of his gleaming bronze chest. Rhianna stood watching, trying not to stare while Sheamus rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. He untucked the shirt from his pants and sighed.
"Aaaaah, much better."
They walked for a few more minutes. Rhianna stared enviously at Sheamus who was going to great lengths to show "how much better" he felt. He stretched his arms and his shirt gaped open. "Oh, feel that breeze. Great day for a walk."
Rhianna narrowed her jealous eyes. "Fine," she muttered as her fingers furiously attacked the tiny buttons of her dress. "Have it your way." She peeled off her dress and stood unabashedly before Sheamus, clad in a simple white cotton shift. The dress was so sheer that her undergarments could be seen.
Sheamus's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged. There was now very little covering Rhianna's long curvy body. Her arms were bare as were a good deal of her long smooth legs. She stretched luxuriously.
"Aaaaah, much better," she echoed.
Sheamus gasped in mock horror. "Lady Cassidy, I am shocked. How indecent of ye."
"Decency be damned - I'm hot." She grabbed her long red curls and twisted them up into a loose bun on top of her head. Sheamus couldn't help but notice that the action lifted her bosom, drawing his eyes to her full, rounded breasts. He coughed and turned his head when he realized he had been staring.
"Ye ready?" he asked. "We should probably keep walking."
"I don't want to walk," Rhianna said, her eyes glinting mischievously. She suddenly felt like a child and she welcomed it. For one moment she wanted to be free again: free from worries and responsibilities. Free from rules and expectations. Free.
"I don't want to walk," she repeated. She threw her dress at a surprised Sheamus. "I want to run!" And she took off across the field. She ran as fast as she could - arms open wide, head held high.
Sheamus watched with an amused grin. {So this is what our children will be like.} He watched as she stopped suddenly, many many yards away. She turned around and gifted him with a direct stare. Her eyes seemed to smolder for a moment and then with a wicked grin she called out, "Catch me if ye can!"
That did it. Sheamus dropped the clothes he'd been carrying and broke into a run toward her. Rhianna shrieked and began running. Perhaps she was beginning to tire, or perhaps she secretly wanted Sheamus to catch her. In any case, it was clear she wasn't running as fast as before.
Sheamus's long, powerful legs were quickly closing the gap. He grinned, reveling in the chase, and for a moment he resembled a mighty lion in the hunt. He continued to gain on her, his mind chanting 'faster, faster!' He was almost there, nipping at her heels now. She darted and turned like a graceful gazelle, always just out of reach. He smiled. They were nearing the end of the field and the beginning of a large forest. She was as good as his.
But Rhianna's pace didn't slacken but she continued to run toward the woods. She made fore one of the closer trees and latching onto a lower limb, propelled herself up into the tree. She was already well into the many branches when Sheamus reached the base of the tall, gnarled tree.
He stopped and stared up at her, panting heavily. Her taunting voice floated down from above.
"Ye haven't caught me yet, Brady."
"Not yet, Cassidy," he replied. With a deep grunt he pulled himself up onto the limb and began climbing branch by branch. He paused when he was halfway up. He searched for some sign of Rhianna but the branches and leaves were so thick that he could hardly see anything. He smiled though when he heard giggling as Rhianna scrambled down the other side of the tree.
{So that's her game,} he thought as he began to climb down the way he'd come. When he reached the first branch he saw her beneath him on the ground. She had just gotten down from the tree and was just starting to run again when he tackled her from above. They rolled and landed on a bed of soft leaves and grass.
"Oooof," Sheamus mumbled. He opened his eyes to find that he was lying on his back with Rhianna on top of him. Her emerald eyes stared into his with an intensity he could feel. He began to be very aware of her body tightly pressed against his. His arm was around her, hand on the small of her back. Moments went by as they fought to catch their breaths, calm their racing hearts.
"Ye caught me," she whispered huskily.
"Where's my prize?" he asked in a like manner. Rhianna's eyes darted to his mouth. She licked her suddenly dry lips. Her fingertips brushed his face and caressed his cheek. Her face fell forward, closer to his.
"Your prize is right here." She bent her head as if to kiss his full lips, but veered instead and placed a soft, tender kiss on the scar on his temple. She was floored though by the response her sweet kiss invoked in Sheamus. He moaned throatily at her touch and his hand caressed her back.
She stared into his eyes and wondered at the emotions that swirled in his blue orbs. She wondered more though at the emotions that whirled inside of her. She pulled out of his arms and stood to her feet. She brushed herself off and tried to bring her chaotic emotions under control.
"We, we should get going."
Elizabeth slowly lifted her heavy eyelids. She blinked several times, unsure if her eyes were actually open. All she saw was pure thick darkness. She went to move her hand in front of her face.
"Ah!" she gasped as a lightning bolt of pain shot up her arm. She became aware of a painful throbbing in her wrist and realized that it was probably broken. She gingerly moved her body, testing for other injuries. She seemed to be okay except for the side of her head, which was covered, in a sticky fluid. She didn't have to see it to know it was blood, and a lot of it. There was a loud ringing in her head and she felt dizzy and faint.
Shortly she became aware of muffled sobbing near her. Her mind flashed and she recalled the events before waking up. {We fell through the floor.} She looked up and maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her but she thought she could see a lighter area above her. Her eyes adjusted more and she could make out the upper level, many, many feet above her. She looked around her.
"Miriam?" she called, her throat painfully dry.
"Elizabeth?" came a watery reply.
"Are ye hurt?"
"My ankle hurts - I think it's twisted." There was a long pause. "Elizabeth, what are we going to do?" Elizabeth could hear the fear in the other girl's voice.
"I don't know, Miriam. I don't know."
Book Two
Chapter Twenty-Four
"I think that went very well, don't ye?"
Sheamus nodded. Rhianna continued. "Granted it would have been better if they had placed an order with us, but it seemed very promising."
Sheamus checked his pocket watch. "4:30. We still have plenty of time to get to the ferry before the last boat leaves."
Rhianna looked around her at the bright, sunny forest. The path they walked was thickly carpeted with old leaves and new grass. They had taken a trip that day to meet with some prospective customers. They had just finished their last meeting of the day and were now heading back.
" 'Tis a beautiful day," Sheamus said to break the silence.
Rhianna inhaled deeply. "Aye, that it is. Just as it was the other three times you've said that today."
"Hey, just trying to make conversation, your ladyshipness." There had been an uncomfortable tension between them ever since their meeting two nights ago. They couldn't forget the sizzling electricity that had flared between them. The image of Sheamus's wet, bare body was burned in Rhianna's mind, taunting her, mocking her. She tried to ignore the effect his presence had on her. Sheamus, for his part, was focused on his plan for the evening.
"Are we going the right way?" Rhianna asked after many minutes of silent walking.
"Sure, the ferry's right this way." They broke into a clearing. Before them laid a wide-open field of wildflowers. And not a river in sight.
"Or not." Sheamus scratched his head. "Hmmm, I guess I took a wrong turn back at the fork." He checked his watch. "We'll never make it to the ferry on time and there's no other way to cross the river."
"So we're stuck out here?" Rhianna asked in dismay. They'd had a long, tiring day and she was exhausted.
Sheamus nodded sheepishly. "For the night, it looks like. The ferry will run again in the morning. Come on, maybe we can find a place nearby to spend the night."
They walked through the field of wild flowers. The vibrant flowers grew thickly and many stood waist high, basking in the golden afternoon sun. Rhianna smiled and ran her fingers along the fragrant blossoms as she walked. Sheamus smiled at the childlike expression of joy on her face.
"Having fun?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Rosy circles appeared on her cheeks. "Aye, it's just, I've spent so much time lately inside buildings of brick and steel that I've forgotten how beautiful simple wild nature can be."
Her eyes took on a distant, wistful gaze. "Mum loved flowers and the estate used to be full of flower gardens. We even had a wildflower garden like this. I can just remember what it felt like to run through the flowers, arms outstretched, wind in my hair, sun on my face."
Sheamus smiled warmly, imagining the young Rhianna at play. He remembered his own childhood - playing with Elizabeth. "Sounds nice," he murmured.
"It was," she replied dreamily.
They continued walking through the large field as the sun beat down on them. Sheamus shrugged, uncomfortable in his warm clothes. He pulled on his collar as sweat began to bead on the back of his neck. He looked over at Rhianna and her heavy dark dress.
"Aren't ye hot?" He saw that her forehead glistened with dewy moisture.
"Aye, a little. This dress isn't exactly suitable for hiking on a warm sunny day."
"So take it off."
Rhianna looked at Sheamus as if he had sprouted another head. "What?"
"Take it off - you're wearing something underneath, right?"
"Just my shift - and it's way too thin for going about in public."
"Look around ye, Rhianna. Do ye see any public here?"
"But,"
"Look, we've still got quite a walk ahead of us. Do what ye want, but I'm going to get comfortable." Sheamus took off his jacket and unbuttoned his white shirt until it hung half open, exposing most of his gleaming bronze chest. Rhianna stood watching, trying not to stare while Sheamus rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. He untucked the shirt from his pants and sighed.
"Aaaaah, much better."
They walked for a few more minutes. Rhianna stared enviously at Sheamus who was going to great lengths to show "how much better" he felt. He stretched his arms and his shirt gaped open. "Oh, feel that breeze. Great day for a walk."
Rhianna narrowed her jealous eyes. "Fine," she muttered as her fingers furiously attacked the tiny buttons of her dress. "Have it your way." She peeled off her dress and stood unabashedly before Sheamus, clad in a simple white cotton shift. The dress was so sheer that her undergarments could be seen.
Sheamus's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged. There was now very little covering Rhianna's long curvy body. Her arms were bare as were a good deal of her long smooth legs. She stretched luxuriously.
"Aaaaah, much better," she echoed.
Sheamus gasped in mock horror. "Lady Cassidy, I am shocked. How indecent of ye."
"Decency be damned - I'm hot." She grabbed her long red curls and twisted them up into a loose bun on top of her head. Sheamus couldn't help but notice that the action lifted her bosom, drawing his eyes to her full, rounded breasts. He coughed and turned his head when he realized he had been staring.
"Ye ready?" he asked. "We should probably keep walking."
"I don't want to walk," Rhianna said, her eyes glinting mischievously. She suddenly felt like a child and she welcomed it. For one moment she wanted to be free again: free from worries and responsibilities. Free from rules and expectations. Free.
"I don't want to walk," she repeated. She threw her dress at a surprised Sheamus. "I want to run!" And she took off across the field. She ran as fast as she could - arms open wide, head held high.
Sheamus watched with an amused grin. {So this is what our children will be like.} He watched as she stopped suddenly, many many yards away. She turned around and gifted him with a direct stare. Her eyes seemed to smolder for a moment and then with a wicked grin she called out, "Catch me if ye can!"
That did it. Sheamus dropped the clothes he'd been carrying and broke into a run toward her. Rhianna shrieked and began running. Perhaps she was beginning to tire, or perhaps she secretly wanted Sheamus to catch her. In any case, it was clear she wasn't running as fast as before.
Sheamus's long, powerful legs were quickly closing the gap. He grinned, reveling in the chase, and for a moment he resembled a mighty lion in the hunt. He continued to gain on her, his mind chanting 'faster, faster!' He was almost there, nipping at her heels now. She darted and turned like a graceful gazelle, always just out of reach. He smiled. They were nearing the end of the field and the beginning of a large forest. She was as good as his.
But Rhianna's pace didn't slacken but she continued to run toward the woods. She made fore one of the closer trees and latching onto a lower limb, propelled herself up into the tree. She was already well into the many branches when Sheamus reached the base of the tall, gnarled tree.
He stopped and stared up at her, panting heavily. Her taunting voice floated down from above.
"Ye haven't caught me yet, Brady."
"Not yet, Cassidy," he replied. With a deep grunt he pulled himself up onto the limb and began climbing branch by branch. He paused when he was halfway up. He searched for some sign of Rhianna but the branches and leaves were so thick that he could hardly see anything. He smiled though when he heard giggling as Rhianna scrambled down the other side of the tree.
{So that's her game,} he thought as he began to climb down the way he'd come. When he reached the first branch he saw her beneath him on the ground. She had just gotten down from the tree and was just starting to run again when he tackled her from above. They rolled and landed on a bed of soft leaves and grass.
"Oooof," Sheamus mumbled. He opened his eyes to find that he was lying on his back with Rhianna on top of him. Her emerald eyes stared into his with an intensity he could feel. He began to be very aware of her body tightly pressed against his. His arm was around her, hand on the small of her back. Moments went by as they fought to catch their breaths, calm their racing hearts.
"Ye caught me," she whispered huskily.
"Where's my prize?" he asked in a like manner. Rhianna's eyes darted to his mouth. She licked her suddenly dry lips. Her fingertips brushed his face and caressed his cheek. Her face fell forward, closer to his.
"Your prize is right here." She bent her head as if to kiss his full lips, but veered instead and placed a soft, tender kiss on the scar on his temple. She was floored though by the response her sweet kiss invoked in Sheamus. He moaned throatily at her touch and his hand caressed her back.
She stared into his eyes and wondered at the emotions that swirled in his blue orbs. She wondered more though at the emotions that whirled inside of her. She pulled out of his arms and stood to her feet. She brushed herself off and tried to bring her chaotic emotions under control.
"We, we should get going."
Elizabeth slowly lifted her heavy eyelids. She blinked several times, unsure if her eyes were actually open. All she saw was pure thick darkness. She went to move her hand in front of her face.
"Ah!" she gasped as a lightning bolt of pain shot up her arm. She became aware of a painful throbbing in her wrist and realized that it was probably broken. She gingerly moved her body, testing for other injuries. She seemed to be okay except for the side of her head, which was covered, in a sticky fluid. She didn't have to see it to know it was blood, and a lot of it. There was a loud ringing in her head and she felt dizzy and faint.
Shortly she became aware of muffled sobbing near her. Her mind flashed and she recalled the events before waking up. {We fell through the floor.} She looked up and maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her but she thought she could see a lighter area above her. Her eyes adjusted more and she could make out the upper level, many, many feet above her. She looked around her.
"Miriam?" she called, her throat painfully dry.
"Elizabeth?" came a watery reply.
"Are ye hurt?"
"My ankle hurts - I think it's twisted." There was a long pause. "Elizabeth, what are we going to do?" Elizabeth could hear the fear in the other girl's voice.
"I don't know, Miriam. I don't know."
