Irish Moon (28 page)

“Intriguing. Sir Ashlon and the other knight
appear to be in deep and serious conversation. His face looks
rather severe. I wonder from where in the past they are linked and
what topic could cause such distress?”

Breanne closed the book and glared at Finn.
“I don’t care.”

“If you need an easy excuse to see for
yourself, I would not object to you procuring a skin of wine. I am
right thirsty.”

Breanne opened the book back up. The sketch
stared back at her. She didn’t need an excuse to go spy on Ashlon
and though her mind itched with curiosity, she refused to
scratch.

She focused on the words again. Then like a
frog on a lily pad, an idea jumped into her head. Gannon. Of
course. Why hadn’t she considered his assistance earlier? Though
she could not take the book itself to the priory, she could take
the translation to him, pass it off as a riddle she couldn’t break
or something equally innocent sounding.

And if she happened to see Ashlon and
whomever he spoke with on the way to the priory, well, what harm
could come of it? As long as she avoided Rose and hoped that her
mother did not yet know of her supposed dizzy spell, she’d be there
and back before her evening bath for dinner.

Breanne smiled smugly to herself as she
scribbled the lines onto the blank parchment. A couple blots of ink
would not matter much, would it? She could find an explanation for
it if Gannon were to note the wasteful appearance. Being a scribe,
he would appreciate that a mistake here or there was natural for
beginners such as she.

Finn looked lost in interest in the goings on
below. Breanne rolled the parchment, tucked it into her cloak’s
inner pocket and left. “Don’t forget the wine,” Finn called as she
closed the door.

Breanne rolled her eyes and hurried down the
stairs. She took care to avoid the Grianan and came out the front
rather than side of the keep. The crowd surrounding the games was
dwindling and spreading into smaller groups.

She had no true reason to meander through
them, as the gate was directly ahead, but she gave in and did so
anyway. She only wanted a peek and what harm could come from
passing by?

But as she weaved through, she did not find
Ashlon.

“Who are you looking for, Bree?” Danny took
stride next to her.

Breanne ruffled his hair and smiled. “No one
in particular. Having a look at the masses, no more.”

“You look to be well. The walk did you good
then?”

She resisted frowning. Had she not known
better, she would think he was digging for information. “It did
wonders.”

“Where are you off to now?”

“To see my uncle, Father Connelly, and pay
visit to Gannon O’Shannon while I’m there.”

Danny’s eyebrows shot upward. “Really now?
He’ll be pleased to see you I’m certain.”

“Oh, and why do you say that?”

“He asked after you when you were abed. Not
long after we met that morning,” Danny said, eyes glancing around
when he referred to their secret. “I told him you were more than
well.”

“What else did you tell him?”

“Oh, no more’n that, Bree. I swear it. You
can trust me not to speak to anyone of that morning. I’d be in more
trouble than you, I think, if my father were to find out.”

“Well, I won’t be telling anyone either,
Danny.” She hugged an arm around him. “Off with you now before
Father Connelly sees you and has your ear to bend the next two
hours.”

Danny kissed her cheek and left her. Whatever
he’d been about, she hoped her promise was what he’d been trying to
gain with all those questions and references. Strange behavior.
But, then he was getting older, changing to a man.

She didn’t knock and found Gannon on her way
through the door. He looked distracted and walked toward her with
his eyes on the floor and a fist tapping his chin.

He started when she spoke his name. “Breanne,
what a lovely surprise.” He took her hand and kissed it warmly,
pressing it to his cheek after. “My but the walk looks fine on your
features. Glad to see you’re in good health.”

“Thank you, Gannon. And I appreciate your
patience, as well. I know it’s been too long since I promised to
pay visit to you here.”

“None of that, now. You’re here and just in
time to witness the delight of my day’s work. Follow me.”

Gannon led her, holding her hand. His long
legs reminded her of a colt’s, eager and yet sure as he walked
through a short maze of doors and corridors. Abruptly, he stopped.
“Did you want to speak with your uncle first, Breanne?”

“No need. I’ll catch a moment with him on my
way back if it’s all the same with you,” Breanne said.

Gannon winked and continued, stopping again
in front of a door. “Are you ready?”

Breanne smiled like a kid. “I expect I am.
What are you about, Gannon?”

“It’s a secret.” He put his finger to his
lips, flashed his eyebrows up.

Breanne giggled, forgetting her own mission
for a moment, caught up in his giddiness. He opened the door
slowly, bringing a candle from the corridor in with them.

The bare windowless room held a slim straw
pallet and a large rectangular chest propped open with a stick.
Gannon waved her over and motioned for her to kneel with him.
Breanne shook her head in wonder.

She opened her mouth to whisper but clamped
it shut when a small sound echoed from the chest. Breanne inhaled
sharply as Gannon opened the lid and exposed seven mewling little
balls of fur and one large black cat. They laid in a nest of gray
wool lining the oak chest carved on the inside but not out.

“Kittens,” Breanne said and Gannon squeezed
her hand then let it go.

“Three weeks old. And this is Minerva. She’s
a good mother. This is her first litter and though she lost
one--.”

“Oh, the poor thing. Did she know?” Breanne
pressed her hand to her heart where it hurt.

“Oh, aye. She kept it with her, licked it
clean for some time after the others got to feeding and then lay
her head on it, closin’ her eyes like she meant to say goodbye and
then looked up to me. I knew she wanted me to take it then, that
she was asking me to.”

Breanne held both hands to her chest over the
pain. Nothing could be worse than a mother losing a child. The idea
of it terrified her and made her wonder if she could bring life to
the world when it could so easily be snatched away.

She remembered the weeks after her mother
lost her child more’n ten years ago, all Ula’s sadness and putting
on a brave face. Ula’s best friend Isolde delivered within days of
Ula and Breanne often caught a strange pain in her own chest when
Danny was near.

Ula’s had been a boy, as well, and she had
struggled for two days and nights to give him life. Her father had
been gone and Breanne’s brother, Justin had already been buried
when he returned. Then her father had died only eight months after
and before he could fulfill the promise to his wife to try
again.

Seeing Danny growing and thriving all these
years must have been so hard for her mother and must be why Ula
saved her affections for when Isolde was not around. Perhaps to
save both of their feelings from hurt.

“What did you do with the poor baby?” Her
voice choked.

“I buried him. I named him Alabaster. He was
the single white kitten of the litter.” Gannon’s voice held
emotion, as well.

“Can I touch one?”

“She doesn’t seem to mind my handling them
but if you don’t mind overmuch, I’ll ask you to wait. Just until
they are a bit older and on their own more.”

Breanne nodded and swiped a tear that slipped
out. “Aye, a better idea to be sure.”

“You get the pick of the litter, Breanne. I
believe Finn is the sire and so you should have the first
honors.”

“Finn? That little beast. I can’t believe it.
I thought he must be too old for that sort of thing.” In truth she
thought his being an enchanted pooka, only taking the form of a
cat, would make him not fully feline. After all, he drank like a
person, ate like a person, spoke like one, too.

“I spied him here twice in the last month. I
like to think he’s been checking on her progress.”

“Interesting. It would explain his absences.
So long as he’s not causing chaos in the kitchen for the Brehon to
get fined for, I never wondered much about what he went about.”

If he did sire the litter of all black cats,
he’d left no sign of it in them. Unless some showed to inherit pale
green eyes. Minerva’s were yellow as a Beltane moon.

Beltane. Rather nice of her mind to remind
her of that little holiday just as she forgot her woes for a time.
She needed to focus on her original intent, to ask Gannon’s
assistance and doubly get to know him well enough to garner a
kiss.

“Danny insists that Finn promised him first
choice and already has it picked. If you won’t mind my telling you
which it is, and if you consider the others first, I can indulge
the boy.”

Breanne chuckled. “I can’t see a reason why
not. He gets attached right securely in your heart, that one. I
have a hard time saying no to him myself.”

A small kernel of suspicion lodged in her
belly. It was the second time he’d said to another that Finn spoke.
She wanted to dismiss it as a child’s fancy and had she known
better about Finn, she would. But then she couldn’t see Finn
risking the kind of exposure any other soul finding out his secret
would cause. Without a doubt, were any to know he was a talking
cat, he’d be burned as the devil’s servant before she could remind
any of the old ways, of fairy mounds and magick.

Her kernel of doubt dwarfed in comparison to
her endearment for the boy, who was more like a brother, when she
remembered the one she had lost. She hadn’t understood the loss
well then, when she worried more about losing her mother than
anything else. But, now she appreciated the missing piece.

A brother. Family. With Niall having no
children from his dead wife, Breanne would likely never know the
feeling outside of that she had with Danny. Unless what she’d heard
that day outside their door were true. Unless Niall meant to
replace the baby Ula lost and begin a new family.

“May I ask your word not to tell a soul?”

“What, oh aye, of course you may Gannon.” She
shook off the uncomfortable idea of her mother bearing Niall’s
fruit. “But, why?”

“Father Connelly is a mite suspicious of
animals, cats particularly. It took some convincing to allow
Minerva to stay here with me.” He pet the cat’s head as he
spoke.

“I promise. Although I should warn you that
Danny is a poor keeper of secrets.” Too late she realized she’d
just implied having some secrets of her own. “That is to say, often
he tells me a bit more than I believe he should be of other’s
personal matters.” Though she stumbled over her tongue, Gannon
didn’t seem to notice.

“Aye, I know. But, as he’s known for a
sennight with no folly, I’m hoping he’ll stay quiet. And I take
pains to remind him every chance I see him.”

“Speaking of personal matters, Gannon, I must
confess, I have come with somewhat of an ulterior motive.”

“Oh?” His eyes sparkled.

“I have come across a riddle of sorts that I
find I canno’ yet solve. I thought of you.”

His smile widened, displaying a set of even
and cleanly white teeth. “Let us have a look, then.”

Breanne’s discomfort instantly eased. She
should have known he would take pleasure in such a commission.
Without preamble, she retrieved the roll and handed it to him.

Without comment on its garish appearance,
Gannon read the lines as he moved to sit upon the pallet. The
kittens mewled in the vacancy. Breanne watched them, glancing
occasionally Gannon’s way and considering him well while he was
occupied.

His face was narrow but not unhandsome. His
hair was straight and a dun brown. His eyes were probably his best
feature and those only because they held such humor and charm in
them. Had he a different personality, he might seem quite dull to
her.

She watched him mouth the words. His lips
were thin and his beard was kept short, unless it didn’t grow well
yet. She tried to imagine those small lips pressed to hers in
passion. She couldn’t. She could envision them and even could see a
warmth about them kissing her. It wasn’t detestable but it didn’t
send her stomach aflutter either.

She could see a kiss from him to be loving,
enthusiastic but not particularly ardent. Breanne sighed. To
imagine was one thing, to know, another. She would not consider
attempting to find out today though. Three men’s kisses in a single
day seemed too much to ask of one woman’s lips.

Gannon tapped a finger to his mouth and
lowered the page.

“Intriguing. It is not obvious, is it?”

She shook her head and smiled. He looked far
from daunted by the lines. He looked indomitable.

“May I keep it and work on it?”

“Aye. But, only if I have your word as well
not to share it with another,” Breanne said. Gannon’s eyebrows shot
up and urged Breanne to find a quick explanation. “It was given to
me in challenge and I wouldn’t want the originator to gloat my
defeat quite yet.”

“Ah, I see. You have my word then, Breanne.”
Gannon reached down and kissed her hand to seal their trust. “I
also need to tell you something and I’m not sure exactly how to go
about it.”

Breanne’s belly tightened. She’d like nothing
less than a proposal right now. Even a mild declaration of
affection would send her running from the room if she didn’t get
her nerves under control fast. “What is it?” she asked, seeing no
way out of it.

“You’ll likely find this a bit funny, well,
I’m hoping so. I asked Niall after you not so long ago. Not an
official declaration of interest, mind you, but just was curious, I
guess, as to why you’ve not married.”