started back on the west side. We stopped in a village for an ice cream cone and stopped at one of the Lake District’s stone circles. Because it was a Wednesday out of tourist season, I was able to walk around by myself.
When I returned to the car, I said, “What do you think these were, Romeo? The stone circles, I mean.”
I didn’t expect an answer, but got one anyway.
“Places where the old ones gathered for sacred purposes. Magic is drawn to this area.” I could believe what was being said, but not that the car had been programmed to say it. “There’s very little traffic here if you’d like to take over.”
Feeling as nervous and excited as I had when I’d learned to drive, I said, “Yes. But if I’m going to crash, you take over.”
“Yes, madam.”
It’s hard to compare beautiful places. I’d been on a lot of road trips and seen a lot of things, but I’d be challenged to name anything anywhere more beautiful. I’d enjoyed every second of passing scenery and the pleasure of being alone in an enclosed capsule. Well, as alone as one can be with a car that doubles as chauffeur and companion.
Now and then my mind came back to what I’d tell Evie, my daughter. At some point, the focus became a point of perfect clarity.
On the return trip I discovered that the danger of left side driving is getting comfortable with it. Once the initial anxiety wore off, autopilot tried to take control and inch me toward the right side. Romeo had an array of warnings that ranged from, “Uh oh”, to “Left. Left. Left. Left.” But all in all, the afternoon was wonderful. Restful. Informative. Head-clearing.
I gave him control when we neared Hallow Hill.
“Let me out here,” I said when we were in front of my house. “I assume you can put yourself away.”
“I can. Yes.”
“Romeo.”
“Yes, madam?”
“Do you have feelings?” Silence. “Do you have preferences?” Silence. “Does it matter to you whether you’re in the garage or out for a drive?”
“Drives are nice,” was the reply.
I nodded to myself. “I thought so. See you soon.”
“Yes, madam.”
When I opened the car door, I almost shut it again. Sometime between my walk in the field with the stone circle and arriving back in Hallow Hill a cold snap had come in, accompanied by a stiff breeze that made the moist air feel even colder.
I’d planned to go straight to the pub for dinner, but was wondering if I should stop off for some heavyier outerwear. I hesitated at my front door then decided that England was my new climate and I’d better start getting used to it. I put my keys back in my bag and decided to distract myself from being cold with considering what new menu item I’d choose at Molly’s before getting into flannels for an evening with journals.
When I turned the corner, the wind was blocked. Apparently my lane, that ran downhill to the river, functioned as a wind tunnel.
Keir Culain was leaning against the building. Waiting.
“Keir,” I said.
“Rita,” he said with a smile that would strip a girl of every inhibition. “On the way to the pub?”
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
“What do you know? I’m on my way there. How about some company?”
“You were on your way there,” I repeated in a heavy monotone so there’d be no question that I didn’t believe his story.
The light in his eyes danced when he laughed. “The magical world is full of coincidences.” I gave him a dubious look as we started walking toward the pub. “What have you been up to today?”
“I had the most marvelous day,” I said, realizing that it was good to have someone to tell about it, someone who seemed genuinely interested. “Most people would call it a self-drive tour, but since Romeo did most of the driving, I can’t make that claim.”
On the walk I told him all about my drive through the Lake District. “I see why they call it the Eden of England.”
“What was your favorite thing?”
I didn’t have to give it much thought. “The stone circles.”
“Ah,” he said. “You’re one of us. Drawn to the magic.”
“That’s what my car said.”
His brows pinched together. “Your car said that?”
“Well, not precisely. I asked if he knew what the circles were for. He said the old ones used them for sacred events. I remember thinking at the time that it was odd that someone had programmed a car with that answer.”