Home > Within Golden Bands (A Home for My Heart #2)(5)

Within Golden Bands (A Home for My Heart #2)(5)
Author: Norma Gail

“My mother pleaded and cried, and Brighde agreed to stay for a while. A few months later, they gave Taran the death sentence for stabbin’ the man in the heart. Ach, my poor sister—inconsolable. A terrible storm came up during the night, and in the mornin’ she was gone. The note on her pillow said she wouldn’t give up the child.”

Kieran’s strong hand caressed her barren abdomen the way he’d once cradled their child. “Go on.”

“We reported her disappearance to police all the way to Inverness, Aberdeen, and Glasgow, advertised in newspapers, checked with hospitals, without a trace. My mother decided Brighde must have drowned herself in the loch. Bein’ full of trees and razed homes after they dammed the loch, a body might never surface. Your grandfather insisted no one speak my wee sister’s name again.” A sob wrenched from his throat. “I didn’t intend to hide it, lad.” Hamish rubbed his hand over his face, and leaned back, eyes closed. His down-turned mouth and sunken eyes made him look old and tired.

“What year did she disappear?” Kieran’s voice softened, and he turned his gaze to the window.

“About four years before you were born. Shortly after, Diarmid’s entire family vanished without a word.”

“Kieran, love.” Maggie walked to his side, placing a hand on his back. “I’m sorry. We couldn’t go against your grandparents. If this man is related to Diarmid and Taran, we’d expect brutality.”

“Have you told the police?” Kieran wiped the tears from Bonny’s cheek with the back of his hand.

Hamish shook his head. “No, lad. We needed to explain first. The police can wait until tomorrow or the next day, after you’re home.”

Bonny shivered, and Kieran pulled her to him. First, the shooting and now this.

 

 

Chapter Two

 


Stonehaven Farm, Loch Garry, Scotland

If only Detective Sergeant Alasdair Kavanaugh wouldn’t drum his fingers on the table. Weak and on edge, Bonny found it difficult enough to appear composed without him driving her to distraction. The exhaustion the doctor warned of, coupled with grief and disturbed sleep, made her a shaky, fragile mess. To take one breath after another was hard work.

A tall, thin man in his mid-thirties with a complexion once ravaged by acne, Kieran had known Alasdair for years. Her eyes slid across the table to the head of the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Bruce McLeod. Perhaps in his mid-fifties, he impressed her as a friendly, personable sort of man—under different circumstances. Both reached for the Buchan Thistle cups and saucers Maggie handed around when they accepted her offer of tea.

Warmth trickled through Bonny’s veins at the sight of the homey, hand-painted pottery in spite of the uncomfortable conversation. With both she and Kieran weak from blood loss and grief, Maggie and Eleanor waited on them hand and foot. Headaches from the blow Kieran received consigned him to bed in a dark room several times a day.

“I’ve started an investigation into deeds on the property,” Alasdair announced. “Disputes aren’t unusual when land holdings this extensive have passed down through the generations.”

“Do you want the original copy of the deed, Detective?” Hamish tugged the yellowed paper from an age-worn envelope.

“Let me look it over. It will be invaluable if the case goes to court after we catch this bloke. Keep it locked in the safe and mention it to no one.” DCI McLeod’s eyes skimmed the paper front and back before he returned it.

With all the talk about Kieran’s secret aunt, deeds, and damming the loch, Bonny realized she had much more to learn than tending sheep.

“Investigators made casts of the footprints from where you were attacked. We’ll be out from time to time to check and recheck details, but I’ll never send anyone unannounced.” McLeod’s business demeanor vanished when he nodded toward her, his lips curving into a kind smile.

“I remembered more about my attacker in the shower this morning.” Kieran accepted a warm, fresh scone from his mother and slathered it with clotted cream. “A wild man, hair to the middle of his back with feathers braided into it. A long beard and a feileadh mor.” He glanced toward Bonny. “An old-fashioned great kilt, longer in the back than the front, and no shirt. He spoke the Gaelic. His eyes darted around. Never met mine. Unhinged. A bampot, ready for a good stramash.”

Cold fingers of horror crept up Bonny’s spine. Wasn’t it enough to deal with the death of their child without a crazy man creating trouble?

After a few more questions, which Kieran couldn’t answer, the detectives rose. “Please don’t hesitate to call, day or night.” DCI McLeod’s voice gentled, and he clasped Bonny’s cold hand in his. “I’m sorry for your loss. We’ll do everything possible to ensure your safety.”

When Hamish walked them to the door, Kieran pulled her into a bear hug. With the solid warmth of his chest beneath her cheek, Bonny melted into him. Her overstimulated nerves settled. “Can you trust me to be careful and take care of you, love? Angus and Seumas, and the rest of the farmhands know to be on the alert. This will be all right.”

If only she felt the assurance Kieran expressed.

***

Grabbing the phone, Kieran vaulted from his chair and stepped into the hall. Bonny napped on the couch, a warm blanket up to her chin, honeyed lashes shadowing her cheek.

“Hello.”

“Kieran, it’s Dan. Are you all right?”

Outside the window, mist lifted from the water as shafts of sun streamed through the clouds dappling the loch with light. “Ach, Dan, sorry if I sounded abrupt. Why did you call my mobile?”

“Bonny didn’t answer.”

“She’s asleep.” Kieran padded to the kitchen. Her best friend Kari, in New Mexico, must have had her twins. He would tell them Bonny lost the baby before giving her the phone, but no amount of explanation would ease the painful situation.

Dan laughed. “Yeah, Kari napped a lot too. Pregnancy takes a lot out of them. I suspect twins will make it worse.”

Kieran closed his eyes against the pummeling headache and sank into a chair, head in his hand. “Kari had the babies then?”

“A couple of hours ago. Can you wake Bonny up to hear our news?”

“Aye, but we need to talk first. Can Kari listen too?”

“I’m here,” Kari spoke up. “What’s wrong?”

“We’ve had a rough time of it. They airlifted Bonny to the hospital when she hemorrhaged and they performed emergency surgery to remove a tubal pregnancy. You know the baby was a miracle to begin with and now she’ll never have another. She almost bled to death. She went through it all alone because I was attacked and hit over the head while I searched for stray sheep. I escaped but passed out. It’s a long story.” He choked and cleared his throat.

“Oh, Kieran, no.” Kari sniffled. “Should we wait to tell her?”

He scrubbed his hand over his face. “We’re struggling, but she’ll want to know. Hold on while I wake her.”

“Sure,” Dan said.

“Thanks. I’ll take her the phone.”

Bonny lay staring out the window when Kieran entered the bedroom. “It’s Kari and Dan calling. I have the phone on speaker.”

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