Chapter 2

By the time April came to get her for the evening meal, Cassie was satisfied with the good progress on her class plan. She was feeling more confident she could do the job.

“April, what’s the process for getting a car if I wanted to go into the village tomorrow?”

“You just have to go see Ida. She’s in charge of the cars and she will give you the keys. You just need to tell her where you are going and sign in and out. There is a small fee for gas.”

“How far is it to the village?”

“The village is about nine miles and there are only three turns. I can show you on the map after dinner because there are no road signs. There are meant to be signs, of course, but the boys in the village take them down for fun.”

“I was in a fog of tiredness during my trip from the airport to here, and I am not sure I could get back to Dublin, but maybe I can find the village. Do I ask for the car tonight?”

“No need; they have ten cars.”

“Wow, a lot of cars; and this is a huge place for so few people. No wonder they need to generate income to keep it going. It must take thousands just to heat and cool it.”

“They shut down the original section where our rooms are in the winter months to save money. They keep a small heating unit in the archive area, but other areas are kept just warm enough to keep the pipes from freezing in the winter. It’s pretty spooky over there in the winter since there is even less light than there is now. I spent Christmas here one year when I was younger when it was still owned by the monastery. They opened it only for special community events back then. The Sisters closed the actual monastery school operations many years before my time.”

“It must have been a magical place for a young girl.”

“It was magical for a child, and I wanted to explore it all. But one of the Sisters kept a close eye on me and they told me if I ventured too far into the old side I might get lost and never be heard from again.”

“What is a terrible thing to tell a young person.”

“I think she made up the scary story so I’d stay put and out of trouble.”

“What kind of story?”

“She said at night the ghost of a young girl roamed the monastery, well the castle area, where we are, looking for her missing sister. Then, one night I dreamed about a little girl dressed in a white nightgown roaming the halls. I stopped wandering around so much after that.”

“Yes, I can see how you might think twice.”

“My granny used to say the spirits visit you in your dreams. She said the spirits and fairies will only come if you believe, though.”

“We will have to compare notes sometime. I’m always looking for story ideas.”

They went into the dining room and Cassie saw Jacob standing near the beverage center talking to a few guests, his aunt, and a priest. She felt her stomach do a little flip and she headed in the opposite direction. She silently repeated her mantra…don’t need a man to complicate things now.

Cassie and April sat down at the table in the back of the room and when she dared a look in Jacob’s direction, her heart skipped a beat. He was coming toward her. There was nothing she could do about it, and in the next second, he was there looming over her. She struggled to catch her breath.

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course not, nice to see you again, Jacob, please sit.”

“I’ll get the tea.” April stood and Cassie saw her try to hide a smile.

“I was hoping we could talk about your book idea. I am suffering from a horrible writer’s block and I need someone to inspire me.”

“I’m still in the earliest stages of trying to figure out what I am going to write about, so I don’t think I would be much of an inspiration for you, Jacob.”

“It’s just so nice to be around other writers. That in itself is inspirational. What did you do back in America, in the South, I believe my aunt said it was?”

“I was a senior editor at a publishing company in Atlanta, Georgia. I worked mostly with non-fiction books and such, very boring sometimes. I have done some columns and articles and a few short stories, but this will be my first fiction book. Well, my second one, to be honest, but the first one is still not edited and may never be. It was my learn-how-to-write book, I think.”

“Ah, yes, the old book-in-the-drawer. I have more than one. Ireland is such a great place to write though so I have no excuse. There is pain, agony, suffering, legends, myths, and magic around every corner.”

“I notice you left out love.” Cassie could not believe the words came out of her mouth. She didn’t flirt, ever. Must be the jet lag.

“Well, Cassie, the Irish don’t do so well with love. They can sing about it and write about it, but they often don’t know what to do with it.”

“You are smiling, but your eyes are not…bad breakup?”

“Does anyone ever escape at least one bad breakup?”

“So true, and I’m sorry. Forgive me for asking personal questions; again, I plead jet lag.” Cassie took a sip of water and tried to think of some way to change the subject. April’s arrival with their coffee and tea saved her the trouble.

“Mr. Sullivan, Miss Malone is going into the village tomorrow. If you have time, I’m sure she will be grateful for your help.

Cassie flushed with surprise, but April gave her a sweet smile, the picture of innocence.

“Tomorrow is perfect if you want to see a few sights. It’s my half day at the shop. Come around to the store at noon and we can have a bite to eat and then I’m free to be your guide.”

Cassie could see no graceful way out of it and wasn’t sure she wanted to. “That will be wonderful, Jacob, and thank you. I’m not sure yet where I need to go but I will work on a short list tonight.”

His aunt and two others soon joined them, and the conversation turned to current events and the upcoming writers retreat. They warned her they called the building “the center” mostly because it was called that before The Haven was operating. Though the locals knew about it, calling the place by different names was confusing to outsiders. Cassie thought The Haven name was a bit over the top, but she didn’t say anything.

When the meal was over, Jacob said goodbye and gave his aunt a hug. He stopped and turned back and gave Cassie a wave when he got to the door. Her heart gave a little school-girl leap.

****

Cassie woke the next morning in a great mood and ready for the day. She was not sure how many hours she was behind in sleep but it didn’t matter. She was determined to make the most of her day. April was knocking at her door before she finished her makeup.

“April, you don’t have to escort me to every meal you know. I think I can find it now.”

April looked hurt but came into the room anyway. “I don’t like being over here alone, if truth be told. I am so glad you are here for the summer. I just wanted to show you something before breakfast, in the garden.”

“Okay, I’m ready now, and I do enjoy your company, so come by any time you like, I don’t mind. I just didn’t want you to think you must worry about me.”

“That’s my job, Miss.”

The expression on April’s face told her to drop it. “Please call me Cassie. What is so important in the garden this morning?”

“Follow me.”

She followed April to the side entrance door.

“Here is the key. You can get out without it but not back in remember?”

“Yes, thanks April. Cassie put the key in her pocket and pushed against the heavy door. They walked into the little side garden and she followed April around the building wing to the other side. April stopped and pointed ahead of them toward the garden. A scruffy dog was sitting statue-still in the middle of the garden looking toward the old monastery wall. As they got closer they realized he was looking up at the window as if he waited on his master or mistress.

“Hi puppy, what are you doing here?” Cassie walked closer to him.

He didn’t move or look at her.

Cassie looked around for the dog’s owner. “This is the oddest thing I have ever seen. He is fixated on something up there, April. He can see something up there, but what?”

“Those rooms are empty.” April stepped backward and pointed to the top windows which were broad and long and opened onto a slim balcony with a low railing.

“Maybe he saw a cat climb up there.” Cassie shielded her eyes and stepped back too, but could see nothing moving.

As if answering a command, the dog turned and walked over to Cassie and sat by her leg as if he belonged to her.

“What’s your name, puppy?” Cassie searched him for a collar and though she found one, there was no name or phone number on it.

April leaned down to pet him. “There is nothing around here for miles, what is he doing here?”

“Maybe someone just dumped him out.”

“I’m not surprised. The economy has been bad for a bit, and people find it hard to feed their human families. Some are forced to abandon their dogs and cats. It’s horrible.” April patted the dog’s head.

Cassie learned down to get a better look at the dog. “He’s a male, and I think maybe a Sheltie mix, what do you think?”

April stepped back to survey him. “I don’t know much about dog breeds. We had a mean Terrier for years, and what I learned about him is my total knowledge of dogs.”

“What are we to do about him; will they take him in here?”

“I don’t know. I have never seen a pet here before.”

“Oh, I hate this, we can’t let him starve or get hurt.” Cassie looked around and then scooped the dog up in her arms.

“Miss Malone, ah, Cassie, where are you going with the dog?” April ran after her.

“Come on April, we will give him a bath and he can stay with us.”

“Oh, dear saints in heaven, look the other way!”

Once inside Cassie lost her nerve and was unsure what to do with him. “Can you keep him in your room until I get back from the village, and then we can decide what to do?”

“Yes, let’s put him in my room and go on to breakfast. I can bring him some food back. I can get into the pantry without any trouble,” April whispered.

They secured the dog in April’s room and went to breakfast. April left him with a stuffed animal and a dish of water and the remains of her oatmeal cookie from the night before. “I will give him a bath and play dog sitter while you’re away, Cassie.”

“Hope you don’t mind too much, April, I’m afraid he will run off if we leave him outside.”

“I don’t mind at all. It will be fun.”

Cassie made it into the village with just one near mishap. She managed to just miss two tourists on bikes as she rounded a curve too fast. She found Sullivan’s Bookstore without a problem. It was on the corner of the main street and hard to miss. She noticed that Jacob’s store was in a prime location, near the movie theatre and across from the bakery. He was bound to get a lot of traffic.

She entered the bright and attractive store and saw she had guessed right; it was busy. She was a little early so took the time to walk around and check out what local authors were selling. She looked for books to inspire her research and decided on a book of poetry and two books about Celtic warriors and myths. As she made her way to the front of the store she saw Jacob going behind the counter.

He spotted her and waved her forward. “Miss Malone, glad you got here in one piece, driving on the other side of the road and all.”

“I’m a quick learner but think I scared a couple of bikers. Love your store, and I found a few books.”

Jacob came from behind the counter, curious to see the books she selected.

“There is one more book I found for you too.” He went back behind the counter to get it.

“This is my gift to you.” Jacob handed her the book.

“Well, thank you very much. Oh, Celtic Women Warriors. Very kind of you.”

“It’s my welcome to Ireland gift. Sinead will take care of your purchases and I will be back in two minutes. Just need to let my day manager know I’m leaving.”

“Take your time; I could be happy in here for hours.”

Cassie watched him walk toward the back of the store. He was dressed in jeans today, and wore a pullover jersey that was almost the same color as his remarkable blue eyes. Something about him was so familiar, but she couldn’t figure out what it was, and it was driving her crazy.

The clerk put the books in a bright green cloth bag with an eye-catching logo on one side, an open book with a big S for Sullivan’s in the center. She walked over to the magazine section while she waited.

She found a magazine about properties in the area for sale when Jacob appeared behind her. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you thinking of buying?” He pointed to the magazine in her hand.

“Oh, no, well, I just picked it up, curious about prices.”

“I can tell you, they are a bit over-priced right now, but falling.”

“I can’t seem to make the pounds or punts, or whatever conversion to dollars. in my head.”

“It’s too nice of a day to do math. Are you ready to go?” He put his hand on her back.

Cassie’ s heart did a little two-step because he was so close she could feel the heat radiating from his hand and his body. Or was she just imagining it? “Yes, yes, I’m ready.”

“Where to first, Miss Malone?”

She pulled the notes from her pocket. “To the cemetery first, and then to the county archives maybe, and if we have time, the church, if all right with you.”

“Yes, but first I promised you lunch. We will go to Bernadette’s. The owner is my cousin and has the best restaurant in the village.”

“Sounds wonderful to me. Wait, isn’t that your aunt’s name too?

“Yes, a popular name in my family and in all of Ireland truth be told, and it makes for confusing family conversations.”

“I can imagine. The cousin who owns the restaurant is on which side of the family?”

“My father’s oldest sister started it, retired, and handed it over to her eldest daughter who has made it a huge success. They got all the brains in the family.”

She saw the restaurant ahead and noticed how quaint the village was and how many people were walking and riding bikes. It was right out of a movie or what some Americans thought Ireland looks like.

“Hope you’re hungry, Cassie. You’re in for a treat. Best seafood anywhere, though we are not on the coast. We are close enough to get great and fresh fish daily.”

“My body still doesn’t know what time it is so I’m eating everything any time food appears before me.”

They enjoyed a lunch beyond Cassie’s expectations, as was the conversation. She was relieved to find that Jacob’s cousin was not in the restaurant. She wasn’t sure she was ready to be assessed by his family members.

Jacob smiled at her as she struggled to suppress a yawn. “You will be on Ireland time soon, and I’ll take you into Dublin for some night life. Are you up for it?”

“It will be great to see where the locals go and not just visit all the tourist places.” Cassie’s heart did another little up-tick at the thought of a night out with Jacob. What is wrong with me?

“It’s a date then, next Saturday, dinner in Dublin.”

“When am I going to find time to write?”

“Fun first, then work, Cassie.”

“I can tell you are going to be a bad influence on me; though I doubt it is your real life creed.”

“You see right through me. My life has been all work for a good while. I am ready for a little fun, I think. I promise I won’t monopolize all your time while you are here in Ireland though.”

They spent the next two hours at the local cemetery and the small local library looking at old village records and news stories. There was one story about a missing girl from the monastery school that caught her eye. Cassie took notes, and took pictures of anything and everything, hoping the local atmosphere might give her a great book idea.

She found being with Jacob easy and for the first time in a long time she relaxed a little as the tension slipped away and her mood brightened. She felt so at home in the village and with Jacob. She was surprised how easy it was to be herself. The feeling washed over her again; she was home. She wondered if Jacob felt the same sense of harmony and comfort in her company, but put the thought aside to examine later. This immediate attraction made her wary.

She arrived back at the retreat center relaxed but tired. She noticed two workmen were putting up a new sign, The Haven. She hoped those words were true for her for the next few months. She felt the signs of a twelve-hour sleep-crash coming. Her trip excitement adrenalin was wearing off and reality was setting in.

Cassie saw April picking flowers near the main entrance as she drove in.

“Hi April, pick a few for me.”

“Cassie, you are back and looking happy. Did you enjoy your day with the handsome Mr. Sullivan?” April pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to her.

“Yes, thank you April, it was very nice and I am very tired. What’s this?” Cassie opened the note.

“From Bernadette.”

Cassie scanned the note. “Yes, oh well, okay. She is just asking me to set my archive work hours so she will know when I will be there. It seems she has her own project going on and doesn’t want to get in my way.”

“Shamus is doing very well by the way.”

“Shamus?”

“You know, Cassie, Shamus, our dog.”

“Our dog…now wait a minute April, we can’t hide him forever. We will have to tell them and find him a home. Can’t you take him home to Dublin?”

“Oh no, Miss, my daddy will not want another mouth to feed. Can we at least keep him here until we find him a home? I promise I will start looking tomorrow.”

“All right, but if this gets me in trouble here—-”

“Don’t worry, Miss, I will take the blame if they find out.”

“Oh, April, I have a bad feeling and I don’t want you to take any blame either.” But Cassie was defeated and she knew it. The dog claimed them, and they were his.

After a quiet dinner in the common dining hall, she and April went back to their wing of the old castle section and April took her via the scenic route. Cassie was amazed at how well preserved the furniture, tapestries and the paintings were everywhere she looked. It was like stepping back in time.

“April, as much as I am enjoying this tour, I am about to crash for the evening. I have a class to teach in two days so I need to catch up on my sleep and be ready to sort things out tomorrow. See you at breakfast?”

“I’ll take Shamus for a walk and then he and I will snuggle up with a good book. It looks as if we are in for a little rain, so perfect weather for it.”

“I doubt I can stay awake long enough to read, but it does sound like heaven.”

They parted ways on the second floor; April went down the hall to her room to get Shamus and Cassie climbed up one more flight to her floor. As she opened her bedroom door, she felt the fatigue hit her hard. The sunlight was gone now and the dim hall lights did little to ward off the gloomy passageways. She was happy to get into her room and turn on the lights. It was still light enough outside to see the garden below thanks to the outdoor lights now on. She walked out to the balcony and felt the damp rolling in with the wind. Yes, rain was coming. Little pinpricks of anxiety traveled through her and she couldn’t put a name to the reason. Cassie shivered. She saw April and Shamus below and they looked as if they had been together forever. She closed the balcony doors and pulled the sheer white silky panels across them.

Cassie stayed in the shower a long time, but it failed to revive her as she’d hoped. It relaxed her instead and she yawned as she got into her pajamas and crawled into the big bed. She reached for a book and that was the last thing she remembered until she woke hours later shivering from the cold. Disoriented and groggy she reached for the bedside lamp and looked around. Why was it so cold? Then she saw the curtain moving and realized the balcony doors were open. She got up and closed the doors, and on the way back to bed she realized those doors had been locked before. Was she wrong and the wind pushed them open? She shook herself and jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin and tried to remember what she dreamed. It could have been about Jacob.

Something woke her in the mysterious pre-dawn hour when dreams melt into reality and back again. She sat up and tried to focus her eyes, but there was dim light, and she was half-blind without her contact lens. She listened for any sounds and mulled the wisdom of getting up versus going back to sleep. In the end, sleep won, and she drifted off again. Sometime later, her eyes opened again to see a girl sitting there, still and ethereal, at the end of her bed. She was maybe nine or ten, small and thin, with long dark hair and pale white skin. Her eyes were a pretty blue-green and very bright, almost glowing, and they dominated her small frame. Their brightness was shocking against her paleness. She wore a long old-fashioned white nightgown. Somehow, Cassie’s brain was able to take this in before she registered the reality: There was a strange child in her room and she was sitting on her bed.

Cassie jumped out of the bed and walked closer to the girl to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. She looked at the girl and the girl looked back. The girl then mumbled a few words and Cassie rubbed her eyes.

“Who are you and why are you in my room?”

“An bhfuil deirfiur?”

“What, I didn’t understand you?”

The girl covered her face with her hands and small cries of pain vibrated around the room.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, let me take you to Emily or Rose. They will understand what you are saying and can help you.” Cassie ran into the bathroom for her robe.

She stumbled back into the room trying to focus her eyes. “Let’s go see them and…hey, where are you?”

Cassie turned on the lamp and looked around the room. The child was gone. She ran out into the hall and walked up and down trying each door and finding each one locked. She ran downstairs to April’s room and knocked on her door.

April and Shamus came to the door. “Cassie, what is it, are you ill?”

“No, no, I saw a little girl, she was crying and said something to me in another language, Irish…Gaelic, I think. I left the room to get my robe and when I returned she was gone.”

“Oh, you saw her? You saw the child?” April whispered and motioned for her to come in the room.

Cassie stood rooted to the spot. “What? Did you see her too?”

April pulled her forward and closed the door behind her. She put a finger to her lips and in a whisper, “Maybe she is looking for her sister. What did she say to you?”

“I don’t know what she said. I don’t know any Irish or Gaelic, or whatever the correct term is…but the question is, who is she and why is she here, April?”

“The child speaks in the Irish, as they say. She is always looking for her sister.”

“April, what on earth are you talking about?”

“Remember I told you I saw a child here before, but they told me I was dreaming? It was back when I was younger and visiting the monastery.”

“Yes, but…”

“I will tell you what I know, but it is a long and confusing story, and best to tell it under different circumstances, and away from here.”

“Whatever you think best, April. Let’s get away from here and go out to lunch tomorrow, maybe go into the village?”

“Yes, that will be best. I will say I need to go in for some archives supplies, which is true, and you offered to take me.”

“But April, the child…”

“Don’t worry about her tonight, Cassie, she is gone. You will understand it all later when I tell you.”

Cassie wasn’t yet convinced she was awake and made her way back to her room as if in a fog. This was her final day to get ready for her class. The class participants arrived tomorrow evening, and she needed to be at the welcome dinner at 6:00 p.m. Classes started at 9:00 a.m. the following morning. All this was running through her head as she tried to push out the image of the crying girl and replace it with thoughts of hard reality. This was a trick of the mind she used when she was a child to escape her world when her mother’s mental illness turned her life upside down. She would just step into a world she constructed in her head while insanity raged around her. Inside her head she was screaming, no, no, no!

After breakfast, April snuck outside with Shamus, and Cassie went out to pick a few flowers and get a bit of fresh air to clear her head. The rain still lingered on the grass and the flowers, and the air was soft and clean. Cassie forced herself back inside to work, and somewhere around the second cup of tea she convinced herself the mysterious crying child was a dream. She put it out of her mind and completed her class plans with an hour to spare before she and April were scheduled to leave. Cassie changed into a more flatteringly outfit after deciding the yoga pants was not a good look for wearing in public. She fussed more than usual with her hair and put on a little makeup. After all, she might just accidently run into Jacob.

Cassie tried to get Wi-Fi service but had no luck, and decided to go down to the archive rooms to log on and check her Email. As she walked down the stairs from the third floor to the second she felt an icy chill wash over her. She stopped on the second floor and looked around for any opened windows but saw none. She started down the hall to the archive rooms when she heard it. It was a whimper at first, and then it got a little louder, turning into a wailing sound that clutched at her heart. “My God who is that?” she asked, aloud.

Cassie thought it was one of the employees or workers hurt or crying in one of the rooms, but remembered April telling her they lived in the new renovated part. There was not much life in the old castle part where she was. She walked by each locked door and stopped to listen, hoping to find the source of the crying. Frustrated, and now a little afraid, she started down the hall toward the stairs. As her hand touched the railing the wailing turned into a scream. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. Cassie felt herself being rocked backward like a physical push. For a long minute, she could hardly breathe. At last there was quiet. She willed her legs to move and ran to find April.

“April, my God, did you hear that scream?” April was just coming in the door downstairs with Shamus.

“What…who was screaming?”

“Someone was crying and screaming on the second floor. We need to go tell someone so they can check it out. I can’t get into any of the rooms and I couldn’t tell where it was coming from.” Cassie pointed upward.

April’s eyes were huge and Shamus backed up and away from Cassie.

“Don’t go tell them, Cassie. They won’t believe you.”

“For heaven sakes tell me what is going on here?”

“I will tell you, but we can’t go to them with this. Come on, let’s put Shamus in my room and go on into the village where we can talk.”

Cassie paced at the door while April secured Shamus; and then, neither of them saying a word, walked through to the other side of the building to check out a car. For a good five minutes in the car neither of them said anything. April sat back and took a deep breath and exhaled so loud it made Cassie jump. The Haven faded into the distance. Cassie’s hands shook a little as she glanced at April, who was more pale than normal. They turned off the main road to get to the narrow two-lane road leading into the village. Cassie was forced to slow the car and concentrate on her driving as they got into the village and on the narrow roads.

Once at the restaurant, they both relaxed a bit, but Cassie was anxious to hear what April wanted to tell her. After they placed the order, April looked around the restaurant, and shifted in her seat. Now she leaned in close to Cassie. “I’m going to tell you this story and you have to promise me you won’t say where you heard it. You have to promise me you will listen to the entire story before asking questions.”

Cassie put her hand on April’s. “Of course I will, I promise.”

April took a long sip of water. “This is the story as I know it.”