“What do you want me to do?”
She turned her head and stared up at him. The porch light haloed his head with light. “You’re so much like Liam now. It’s like I can’t stop looking.”
“I don’t want you to. I can be Liam. I don’t have to try the whole exorcism thing. We can just get in my car and go away.”
Her mouth went dry at the thought, and everything in her wanted to do as he said. But there was no going back, was there? “I’m married to Barry.”
“The marriage hasn’t even been consummated, has it?”
She shook her head and heat swept over her face. “You know why I married him.”
“Liam is your real husband, and if he’s here with me, then we belong together.”
His persuasive words penetrated deep into her soul. She missed Liam so much. She stepped away. Before he could tempt her even more, she turned and rushed back into the house. Inside the foyer, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, then went to find her mates in the dining room.
She found Ena laughing and talking to Grady. At least they were having a good time. They brushed past her and went out to the front porch together. Fiona and Ciara headed to the parlor still talking to Barry about the schedule for the upcoming tour. Richard and Patricia strolled after them discussing protecting the seashore. Richard was doing most of the talking.
She glanced across the table and found Patricia staring at her. A shudder worked its way up her spine at the coldness of her mother-in-law’s glare. Alanna recalled the expression of fear on Patricia’s face when she saw Maire. Was there any connection between the women?
She was alone with Patricia so maybe she could get to the truth. “Patricia, I’d like to be friends. I know we got off to a bad start. Can we begin again?”
The woman stood to clear the table as if she hadn’t heard, though the clink of tableware against china wasn’t loud enough to drown out Alanna’s words. “Patricia?” Alanna moved closer, then stopped when the woman raised narrowed eyes to lock with hers. “Why do you hate me?” she whispered.
“You will hurt my son,” Patricia said. “Leave now before it’s too late.”
“I am not going to hurt Barry.” But if she left with Jesse, there was no doubt it would hurt Barry.
Patricia put down the plates with a clatter. “Barry deserves better than you can give him. Let’s drop the pretense. You know I hate you. I know you hate me. The most we can hope for is that you’ll come to your senses and leave before Barry is hurt. I’m going to do all I can to see that happen. You’re just like your sister.”
“My sister?” Alanna put her hand over her mouth and stared at Patricia.
Patricia took a step back. “I meant your mother. It was obvious from meeting her that she has no morals. And neither do you, or you wouldn’t have married a man you didn’t love. You’re using Barry, and I’m not going to allow it.” She picked up the stack of plates and stormed off to the kitchen. “If you knew more about Barry and what he needed, you would never have married him.”
But Alanna wasn’t thinking about Barry. Had Patricia met Neila? Alanna believed that her mother-in-law feared something. What? How could Maire or Neila hurt her? She claimed not to have met Maire before today, but the fear had been obvious from the moment Patricia laid eyes on Maire. None of it was making any sense. Tomorrow she would go see her great-grandfather at the Travellers’ village and see if she could understand this.
In no mood to talk to anyone, she went up the steps to her room though it was only eight o’clock. She paced the floor, then decided to go up to the ballroom and play her fiddle. The music would sooth her agitation and maybe even blunt her desire to go find Jesse.
The lights were off in the hall outside her bedroom door. She tried to turn them on, but nothing happened. Maybe the switch on the other end would work. The second floor was quiet except for the sound of her footsteps along the corridor. Running her hand along the plaster wall, she felt her way in the darkness until her fingers touched the light button. She pushed it, and light flooded the hall. She made her way through the labyrinth of hallways to the locked door where she paused.