The taxi arrived in just under half an hour, and the old man still sat slumped over across a small table at the back of the room. After agreeing to pay the taxi driver double what it would cost to get the man home, he agreed to come inside and help me get the drunk into the car.
Twenty minutes later, I gathered up me empty wallet, put on me coat, and flipped the lights off as I made me way to the front doors to lock up for the night. I fumbled to get a grip on the correct key with me bulky gloves. Finally giving up, I bit the end of one of me gloves allowing me to slip it off so that I could get a better grasp on the slippery keys.
The street around me was dark, and I hurried as best I could, not wanting to linger any longer than necessary. I twisted and pulled on the handle to ensure it locked and was just slipping me glove back on when a loud voice to the left caused me to drop the glove and keys.
“Oh my God, Bri! It is you. I am going to freaking kill you! Open that door back up, right now because we are about to have quite the conversation, and I’d rather not freeze to death while doing so.”
I dinna move to pick up me belongings and stared back at the strange, red-haired woman. The only word I’d been able to understand from her was Bri, and I wasna sure of how to deal with the woman’s sudden appearance. Obviously, she was someone who had known Adelle’s daughter and, from her manner of speaking, I could only assume she’d known her quite well.
“Oh. Surprised to see me, are you? What? Did you really think you could just skip out on your entire life and not expect anyone to come looking for you? You weren’t that much of a loner, Bri. There are people who care about you. I care about you! Now, quit staring at me like I’m the one who’s lost my mind. Open that damn door, or I will open it myself.”
In an effort to allow meself a few moments to think on me best course of action, I bent to retrieve me glove and the keys to the pub and obeyed the woman’s orders by opening the door. Assuming she would follow, I made me way inside and flipped on the lights. I knew I couldna pretend to be Bri. If she knew her well, it would be impossible. “May I ask yer name? I’m no Bri. My name is Blaire.” I paused, guilt at the woman’s pain causing me to shift nervously. The woman’s eyes bulged, and her face reddened.
“You have got to be joking me. You do realize that coming to find you has cost me several months’ salary, and that’s something I really can’t afford considering I’ve been busy planning a wedding for the last year and a half? Or did you forget about that, too?”
I squished up my nose, knowing whatever I said was going to upset her. “I’m verra sorry, miss, but I truly doona know who ye are.”
“Sorry! Well then. I’m sorry for this as well, but I bet that when I’m finished, you’ll remember who I am and who you are just fine.”
I wasn’t sure what the women meant, but as she lunged toward me, I knew she meant to cause me some sort of physical pain, and I moved quickly out of her path beginning our odd dance of lunge and dash around the empty room.
Chapter 8
Present Day
Conall Castle
Bri glanced uncomfortably at her half-dressed husband before turning back to face the shocked custodian. “Hello,” Bri smiled as sweetly as she could and reached behind her until she found Eoin’s hand, pulling him up the stairs behind her as she continued out of the stairwell. “We were just leaving.”
Looking down, Bri did her best to scoot by the man, hoping they would be able to exit without further explanation. Her mother had told her once that if you walked with authority and pretended like you were somewhere you were supposed to be, people were less likely to question your behavior. It had worked well for her mother, allowing Adelle to ransack through more museum displays than Bri could count. She sensed she would not have the same success rate and knew she was right as the man moved to stand in front of her, blocking their exit from the basement.
“Now, I know that ye both must have seen the ‘Do Not Enter’ sign on the front of this door. What made ye think that the sign did no apply to the two of ye?”
Eoin started to speak, and Bri quickly threw an elbow into his ribs to silence him. The feeling of his bare chest against her skin gave her an idea. Before allowing herself to think it through, she threw her right arm over Eoin’s shoulder and snuggled in close to reach over and kiss his cheek. “I’m sorry, sir. You see, we are visiting the area on our honeymoon, and the castle is just so romantic. We are having a hard enough time keeping our hands off each other as it is. When our tour group walked by here, I just decided to take the opportunity to slip away for a few moments with my new husband.” Not waiting for the man to respond, Bri turned and pressed herself up against Eoin, kissing him hard on the mouth.