Summoned in Time - Barbara Longley Page 0,111
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 has all been a coincidence. The more I think about our lives and how this has all come to be, the more convinced I am that we have a faerie godmother or godfather.”
Meredith slid her arms around his waist. “Could be. Here’s another thought. If you and I both carry fae DNA, our children are likely to be gifted.”
“That’s grand, lass. Their lives will never be dull.”
Meredith’s stomach rumbled, and she stepped out of the hug. “I’m starving,” she said, a little bit surprised. Perhaps the constant nausea would soon be in the past. “I slept through lunch.”
“I’m hungry as well, and l did smell something delicious coming from the kitchen when I stoked the furnace.” Her husband began gathering her clothing. “Come, let’s go see about dinner, and then we can write Charles a letter and apprise him of our new address. I’m sure the farmhouse will do for us while our home is being built, and we also have this townhouse for a full year.”
Daniel helped her dress. Her hand in his, they set out for the stairs. Meredith smiled as a contentment warmed her from the inside out. She was where she wanted to be with the man she was meant to be with. Knowing she’d be able to see her family now and then put to rest any lingering anxiety she’d held. She was home in every sense of the word.
Author Note
In 2015, examiner.com posted the following article: U.S. Bureau of Land Management seeks volunteer residents for haunted ghost town. This definitely caught my attention. I wanted to turn the haunted ghost town into a story, but at the time I was under contract for another project. So, I tucked the article away until the right fit came long. When contemplating the third MacCarthy sister, I decided the haunted ghost town provided the perfect backdrop for Meredith’s adventure.
For the purposes of this story, I changed the names of the town and the famous haunted saloon. I did keep the location the same, the Garnet Mountain Range thirty miles from Missoula, Montana. I also added a few more modern amenities to the cabin where volunteers stay, and to the gift shop. The rest of the buildings remained as rustic and rough as they were in the nineteenth century.
I hope you enjoyed reading Daniel and Meredith’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you’d like to be kept up to date on new releases, sign up for my monthly newsletter, and while you’re at it, enter my monthly giveaway at: www.barbaralongley.com.
About the Author
Barbara Longley graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education/Human Relations, and a Master’s in Ed./SLD from the University of Minnesota. When the integration district where she taught dissolved in 2015, she transitioned into writing full time. Ms. Longley is listed on RWA’s Honor Roll of Bestselling Authors, and her books have garnered many awards, including a Maggie, the Holt Medallion, a National Readers’ Choice award, two Heart of Excellence awards, and Bookseller’s Best award. Ms. Longley creates memorable heroes and heroines who grow into their strength and go on to save the day. She writes romantic comedy, Celtic fantasy, and contemporary romance.
In her spare time she enjoys exploring all things meta-physical and mythical—much of which finds its way into her novels. Ms. Longley lives in Minnesota, a state famous for its miserable winters and ten thousand lakes. She lives with her family and a silly mutt called Sophie, aka Stinky Dog, aka Dammit Sophie.
To read samples of all my works of vision, visit www.barbaralongley.com. You can find Barbara on twitter: @barbaralongley, and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/blongleywriter, on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/barbara-longley and on Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/barbaralongley
Also by Barbara Longley
Heart of the Druid Laird
Perfect, Indiana Series
Far From Perfect
The Difference a Day Makes
A Change of Heart
The Twisted Road to You
Close to Perfect
The Novels of Loch Moigh
True to the Highlander
The Highlander’s Bargain
The Highlander’s Folly
The Highlander’s Vow
The Haneys Series
What You Do to Me
Whatever You Need
What Matters Most
The MacCarthy Sisters Series
Tangled in Time
Hidden in Time
Summoned in Time