“No, it’s not possible!” A burst of adrenaline hit her bloodstream, sending her heart racing. “You don’t mean—”
“Oh, but I do. It’s the very farm where your sister and her husband have their inn—the inn you and Daniel shall build as your home. The portal will be in your own backyard.”
“Who the bloody hell is behind all of these impossible coincidences?” Daniel blurted. “First the lost letters, and now this?” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t believe … it’s too damned impossible … far too disconcerting.”
He shot up from his chair, jammed the paper into a pocket and stomped out of the room. “I’m going for a walk, Meredith,” he called from the hall closet. “I need to clear my head.”
His striding steps and the slam of the front door filled the study. “He’s right, and I don’t blame him for feeling a little spooked,” she said.
Meredith explained about Daniel’s vow to his mother and the lost letters that would’ve altered everything. “Is it possible someone is orchestrating all of this? One of the Tuatha dé Danann perhaps? Daniel believes he might have a trace of fae blood. His granny had the sight, and so does he to a lesser degree. We know my family carries fae DNA. Might one of our fae relatives be pulling strings?”
Alpin grunted. “Not likely. It has been more than one of your millennia since any of us have bothered to involve ourselves in such involved machinations. Besides, it’s against our laws. A complicated web like the one you speak of would lead the council straight to the spinner.”
He rose from his chair. “Sometimes things like this are no more than a quirk of fate.” He started toward the door. “I suggest you not wait overlong to see about purchasing your farm. It’s a prime piece of property. I shall return to you once the land is yours to show you where the portal is located.”
“Thank you, Alpin.”
“For what?” He stopped at the door to glance back at her. “Truly, I’ve done nothing. Don’t you agree?”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he was right. All he’d done was provide information and guide their thoughts to the correct conclusion. “Say hello to my family for me, and tell them we’ll visit as soon as we can.”
“I will. Shall I tell them about your daughter?”
A girl! They were going to have a daughter. She swallowed hard and nodded, resting her hand over the barely discernible baby bump. “Yes, thank you.” She started to rise.
“Don’t get up. I’ll see myself out.” He winked. “And I’ll not be using the front door.”
“I need to go wake our cook and our maid. Daniel will be hungry when he returns.”
Alpin nodded, and walked away. She gave him a minute or two to disappear. Smiling, she gathered the two empty whiskey tumblers and made her way to the servants’ stairs at the rear of the townhouse.
After their cook and maid had gotten past their embarrassment at being caught napping on the job, Meredith climbed the two flights of stairs to their master bedroom. With everything that had happened today, she needed a nap.
She too harbored suspicions that something besides a quirk of fate had steered their lives. Only, she didn’t really care who or what had brought them together. Smiling, she undressed to her undergarments and slipped into bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Meredith woke to the sound of someone rustling around the room. Stretching, she luxuriated in the comfort and warmth of the bed as Daniel lit their lamps. The room’s radiator made noises as if just coming back life. Her husband must have added coal to the hot water boiler in the cellar before coming to their bedroom.
“How long have I been sleeping?” she asked, looking toward the window, surprised to find it was already dark.
“If you went to bed shortly after I left, then you’ve been sleeping for three hours.”
“Have you been gone all that time? That must’ve been some walk.” She sat up and swung her legs out of bed, pausing for a moment to be sure she wouldn’t be hit with a wave of nausea.
“Aye. I stopped at our bank, and then I visited the land agent.” He sat down beside her and reached for her hand. As he often did, he played with the diamond he’d had cut and set for her while they were in New York. “We’re buying Widow Devine’s farm in County Wicklow.”
She had to swallow a few times before she could speak past the tightness of her throat. Soon she’d be able to visit her family. “That’s wonderful. I’ve been there, and I can tell you the home we’ll build is wonderful, and our farm sits among gently rolling hills with a lovely view of the ocean.”
“My only concern is the distance from Dublin and the port,” he said. “Charles and I had planned on making the city the center of our enterprise.”
“Wicklow has a port too, you know. Besides, by 1856, trains will be running from Dublin southward along the eastern coast and back. We’ll only be twenty-six miles from Dublin, Dan. By train that will take no time at all. We can commute, or we can keep a small flat in town so we have a place to stay when we need to.”
His eyes widened. “You know this for a fact?”
She nodded. “I read about the history of the railways in Ireland while visiting my older sister in County Waterford. I love reading about history.” She frowned. “Only now it’s future information.”
He helped her up and drew her into his arms. “You’re amazing, and I love you.” He sighed and gently rocked her back and forth. “Meredith, I’m not so sure I believe this
