A/n's: Honestly, I don't know how I do it either. In truth, so many of stories haven't been updated in so long, and I really want to. But, I live by the rule that I can't force myself to write...I have to let the inspiration come on its own. Anyway, as always I have my shoutouts. Thanks so much to Sharnhorst for the character Sharni and thanks to Dani for sticking with it. I really appreciate the loyalty that both of you have shown for my work.

Chapter Thirteen

Winter set it. The cold had a bitter quality, encouraging folk to congregate in the Thistle, where there was warmth and light and good Scotch whisky to comfort the heart.

Everyone gave Mark a friendly greeting, yet still there was an air of constraint. There was none of the cheerful, half-disrespectful acceptance they had given Franklin without thinking.

Once, lying the darkness, her head on Mark's shoulder, listening to the deep, slow beat of his heart, Sharni heard him say suddenly, "Never in a hundred years. I guess Joey Rannach was right after all."

Her heart sank. It was so unlike him to accept defeat.

Halfway through December they flew to New York City to embark on a round of Christmas entertaining. They spent Christmas in the city and returned to Mint afterwards for the big Irish celebration of Hogmanay.

In the night the wind gained strength. A gale lashed the house mercilessly. Rain started and was falling in sheets. As far as the eye could see there was nothing but water and bleak grayness.

But inside, the Castle was alive with the big Hogmanay party that was always given in the Castle on New Year's Eve.

The party seemed to take place over most of the house at once and grew more boisterous until suddenly Joey's flying fingers stopped on the violin, and he held up his hand. Everyone fell silent to hear what he had heard-the first chimes of midnight from the great grandfather clock in the hall. As the last note sounded, the Castle was shaken by an earsplitting yell, champagne fizzed from a dozen bottles and Sharni found her husband's eyes on hers. She knew he was sharing her own thoughts-that this year would see the fulfillment or the deaths of all his hopes.

In the early hours folk began to depart. Some, as Sharni predicted, had curled up and happily passed out. Even those who were relatively sober swayed back and forth across the road, buffeted by the mad winds that swept across the island. Sharni stood shivering in the doorway, waving to the last of them, then turned back into the warmth with relief.

"I've just finished counting," said Mark, emerging from the study. "There are twenty still here. Is that normal?"

"It's more than last year," chuckled Sharni, taking his arm. "You're making a good impression. When people camp out in here home on Mint, it's a great compliment."

He grinned and would have said something, but they were interrupted by a violent banging on the front door. Sharni pulled it open and found herself facing one of her neighbors, water streaming all down him and a look of agitation of his face.

"Call the ambulance quickly, Sharni," he said urgently. "Joey's had a serious accident. He took that shortcut home across Creggan Farm, tried to get over a wall and landed on some sort of machinery."

Sharni relayed the details to Ambulance Control in Dublin, then she dashed upstairs to change out of her evening dress into jeans and a sweater. Bundling an parka over everything, she ran down to find Mark waiting in the hall, a raincoat over his evening splendor.

"Thank God that airstrip has proper electric lighting now," she said as they got into the car. "We'd never have kept the tapers alight in this wind and rain."

At last the airstrip came into sight, already lit up. They hurried in and found Joey stretched out on the floor, a coat beneath his head. He was groaning weakly, and his face had the gray color Sharni had learned to associate with death. Dr. Tindall looked up as she entered.

"If they don't get here soon, he hasn't a chance," he said.

For the moment she shaken out of her professional detachment. This wasn'g just a patient. This was Joey, whose cheerful fecklessness had enlivened Mint as long as she could remember.

"It's coming!" someone called. "The plane!"

Everyone crowded out to watch the lights of the little Islander, almost invisible through the rain, coming closer. The wind was tossing the plane round like a feather. It descended shakily, seemed to hover over the landing strip, then made a sudden dive, too late. It hit the strip too close to the end, rose, landed again and slewed round violently, crashing into the double doors of the hanger. The next second everyone was running across the rain-lashed tarmac.

The pilot and nurse regained consciousness almost at once, but both were clearly in a daze. Sharni, preoccupied with helping them out of the plane and into shelter, didn't notice that her husband was no longer with her.

"The plane's damaged," she told Dr. Tindall as he took a hasty look at his new patients. "And even if it wasn't-I don't think these two are seriously hurt, but they're in no state to fly."

He turned his head sharply. "What's that noise?"

Sharni went outside to see the source of the commotion and found the crowd engaged in dragging the plane away from the hangar doors. Mark, lashed by rain, was directing operations.

He turned as he saw her running towards him. "Tell the doctor that we'll do the flight in the Learjet," he shouted above the storm.

He gave her a sharp look and Sharni dived into the crippled Islander. She seized the nurse's bag full of drugs, bandages, and equipment and, with someone's help, shifted the stretcher to the Learjet.

Sharni ran back to the building where Joey was lying, still alive but only just. Mark followed her inside.

"We're ready for him," she told Dr. Tindall. "I'll give him a shot just before we take off."

Mark seized Sharni's arm. "Do you think I'm going to let you go on this journey?"

She stared at him. "Joey has to have someone to look after him. You can see the state he's in, and that nurse has a concussion. I've done this job before."

"Let Dr. Tindall go."

"His job is here, caring for that nurse and pilot. Mine is up there, doing what I was trained to do. You can't stop me. If you tried, everyone here would be against you forever."

He looked at her wildly. "That doesn't mater," he yelled. "There's every chance you'll crash and be killed. Do you think I'm going to risk that just so Mint can say what a fine fellow I am?"

She shook her head and put her hands on his shoulders. "I'm going."

He didn't move at first. Then abruptly he wrenched himself out of her grasp and strode out the door. The darkness swallowed him up at once.

Moments later she could make out the Learjet. She went out, climbed aboard and turned at once to guide the stretcher in. She had filled the syringe and plunged the needle into Joey's arm. He eyes closed almost at once.

"Tell me as soon as you're ready," came a voice from the pilot's seat, causing her head to jerk up.

"Mark!"

Till that moment she had not looked at the man sitting there and only now realized that it was her husband. As the door slammed shut, she heard a shout from outside.

"Himself if flying the plane!"

Mark was taking the plane to the end of the runway, his whole attention absorbed by the task at hand. He slipped the headphones on and peered out at the tarmac.

"Hold on something," he yelled, "and brace yourself."

The little plane shot forward, gaining speed with every yard. There was a lurch, and they were airborne. Sharni flattened herself on the floor next to Joey and flung a protective arm across him. Her ear was against the floor, and the vibrations seemed to thunder right through her.

The storm attacked them like an enemy. She had flown in storms before, but never one like this. Mark had said they probably wouldn't make it, and now she knew he was right.

She had the sensation of falling at terrifying speed. Then she felt herself jerked into the air.

They were yawing about the sky again and she was clinging on for dear life. Then, after what seemed an eternity, she felt, rather than heard, the note of the engine change; they were losing height, going steadily down and down....

"Mark!" she screamed.

"Just hold on another few minutes," he yelled back.

In another moment there was a heavy bump and the plane's movement changed, slowed, stopped.

Only then did she realize that they had landed. Over her head she was aware of Mark reaching from the pilot seat to open the door so that the ground ambulance crew could climb in. He wrenched open his seat belt and flung himself down beside Sharni. He pulled her up sharply into a sitting position and drew her against himself, kneeling beside her.

There was an orderly commotion, the stretcher being lifted and guided out of the plane. Sharni remained leaning against Mark. Her brain was coming back to life, clamoring with questions.

"Why, Mark?" she said, looking up at him. "Why?"

He put one hand on each side of her face and looked down at her.

"The world had no meaning to me without you. That's how much I love you." He bent his head and kissed her for a long heart-stopping moment.

He loved her. In her heart she had known it, but there was still a special joy in hearing him say the words. She managed to move frozen lips enough to kiss him back.

"They've accepted you," she said happily. "Did you hear what they said before we took off? 'Himself is flying the plane.' Now you'll have everything you want."

"Everything I want is right here" he said, tightening his arms. "You're all that matters-as long as you accept me and promise never to go away. Stay with me always, Sharni. I won't ask for much, just as long as you're there. I can love enough for the both of us."

She stared at him, puzzled. And then, as if someone had ripped a curtain aside, she saw what had been staring her in the face all the time. He believed that rivals could fear and hate him for his power, that women could pursue him for his money and sexual

skill. But he could not believe that anyone could find him lovable as a man-even his wife.

She began to see that it would be a gigantic task to make him understand the truth, and that it might take all their lives.

With Mark's help, she managed to climb out of the plane. The wind had dropped, and in the distance the lights of the main airport buildings gleamed invitingly.

"Do you know what I think?" she said softly. "I think I should like to have our first baby as soon as possible."

"But the hospital isn't nearly ready."

"No, my love, but we are."

She took his hand and began to lead him to where the warmth and light beckoned them.

Fin