Always and Forever

L. A. Fiore
Always and Forever

© 2013, L. A. Fiore
Self publishing

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

"But I have promises to keep....."
-- Robert Frost

2006

Quinn had never been to England but she was drawn here: to the rugged wilderness of its countryside, the quaint charm of its villages, and the majesty of its forests. She was on vacation, a graduation gift to herself. She had originally intended to go to California to soak up some rays but changed her mind at the last minute and booked a flight to England instead.

Sightseeing through the English countryside was breathtaking. The stone walls curved along the plains in the distance while the snowy white wool of sheep dotted the landscape. Hers was the only car she had seen in over an hour and the pristine landscape was as wild and untamed as she imagined it had been when man first walked upon the Earth.

She was passing yet another magnificent lush green glen yawning out toward the horizon when she suddenly pulled her car over to the side of the road and stopped: the action so spontaneous that she jerked forward causing the seat belt to lock.

She climbed from her car and started up the hillside, walking with a single-minded determination, as if being guided by some unseen force. She stopped just on the outskirts of a patch of trees when she saw it in the distance.

Crossing over the river that cut though the landscape, she continued on until she stood in the middle of a courtyard belonging to the most beautiful castle she had ever seen.

Why wasn't there a gift shop with souvenirs and bus groups of tourists being led through guided tours as there was for pretty much every other castle in this part of the world? It looked as it probably had in its heyday and seemed to be a place that time had forgotten.

She was transfixed and spent the years that followed trying to dig up anything she could on the castle but there was nothing. It was as if the place just magically appeared and whatever history it claimed was a mystery yet to be solved.

Present Day

Quinn Shaughnessy loved to dig; loved getting dirt under her nails as she removed the earth, layer by layer, with the hopes of unveiling something that time had forgotten. Ever since she was little, she had the itch to dig whether it was her parent's yard, her unknowing neighbor's garden, the schoolyard, in the park, in the woods -- it made no difference. Her parents thought it was all very cute, their future archaeologist, but it was more than that to Quinn. It wasn't just about digging but about finding something. From the very first time her little hands pulled through the dirt, she was motivated by an elemental and instinctual need to find what she was missing. It, of course, made no sense which was why she never shared her motivation with anyone.

As she grew, her love for digging turned into understanding the mysteries behind her discoveries and how what had been, affected what was and what would be. It was the need to answer these questions that had her studying both archaeology and anthropology at Columbia. A lucky break landed her an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It was during her internship that Quinn met Cole Pierce. She knew of his reputation as a Finds Specialist because he was one of the tops in the field with an impressive track record of finds, including most recently the discovery of the Tomb of Hecatomnus.

He worked for a private organization based out of London that had a cloud of mystery surrounding it, up to and including the reclusive billionaire who owned it. What was known was that the owner insisted on perfection and was very discriminating when hiring staff, selecting only the elite in their fields of study. The fact that Cole had come to the United States to see Quinn specifically was amazing. When he offered her a position with his organization, it was surreal.

Quinn moved to England after graduation and started immediately working in the field. No job was too small and no find too insignificant because to Quinn everything discovered was just another piece in solving the puzzle. It was through the organization that Quinn was granted access to some of the greatest finds of her generation. Her new assignment was studying the one place that had become her personal quest since that first day, seven years earlier, when she stumbled upon it. She was going back to her castle, had legal claim to be there and was to study every bit of it.

Though Quinn had spent years trying to learn all that she could on the place, visiting countless times through the years, she could find nothing with the possible exception of a name scratched on a piece of paper, apparently some type of land grant from the late 1600s. And that tidbit was located under generations of dust in a public records office in London. Whispering Winds, a fitting name for the castle considering the sound of the wind as it rustled through the valley really did sound like a whisper.

"Are you ready, babe? Time's a wasting. I hope we do find lost treasure then maybe you and I can jet off to a private island and spend a couple of weeks naked," purred Derek Blake, the rock star of archeology who was forever believing his own press, as he attempted to press up against Quinn while she loaded bags into the trunk of the car.

She sidestepped him and moved a safe distance away. "That idea is about as appealing to me as is the idea of having my fingernails forcibly removed one by one."

He flashed his award winning grin, the one that was plastered on more archaeological publications than Quinn wanted to think about. Derek was a mediocre archaeologist but after his obscure discovery eight years ago of the Dianthus heart, a rare pink diamond that had next to no document trail, his discoveries became something of legend.

Having to work with him was always difficult since there never existed two people who were more opposite in their thinking. The man was only in the business for the money, the big score, and the one that would get him fame and women. He was a joke among true archaeologists but it couldn't be denied that he had become a real-life Indiana Jones. He had an uncanny ability of tracking down the rarest of treasures, though how he knew where to look for them when most of what he uncovered had no records, always baffled Quinn and her peers. It was like he had a crystal ball.

"Oh, Quinn, don't be like that. We're going to be together for the foreseeable future so can't you try to be nice? We don't have to be friends but sex would be fun," he leered at her, lingering a moment on her breasts before his focus returned to her face. "Really fun."

"Tempting, but no." Her sarcasm went right over his head. "We should get moving, it's going to take quite a few hours to get there."

"Your loss," he sneered before he held out his hand for the keys. "I'll drive."

From her location across the river, Quinn looked through the bright green leaves of the trees that lined the river's edge and really studied the castle. The place rested up against the small river, the white-washed stone looking almost opalescent in the afternoon sun. It wasn't a large castle by the standards of the 18th century, but it was rather sprawling with multiple buildings all connected by the bailey or courtyard. A part of the structure that Quinn thought at first had been in ruins was actually incomplete. She'd spent countless hours pondering why the castle was never finished and answering that had become another one of her quests. The surrounding countryside was composed of lush green hills dotted with patches of dense forests. Quinn had no trouble imagining the elegant movement of deer as they darted for cover offered by the thick foliage of the old trees.

"Stop gawking, Quinn I'm hungry."

She rolled her eyes, dismissing Derek's idiocy, and started up the hill eager to be closer to the site. She knew from previous experience that it wasn't easy to get close to the castle since there were no roads leading to it. In fact, much of the area around it was wild and untamed which only further supported the fact that the location had been left untouched. Derek had been forced to park the car a bit of a distance from the castle which was why they were going the rest of the way on foot. As with her other visits, being here and seeing the piece of the past that time had forgotten made her more determined to learn what happened here.

"Considering its age the structure is in remarkably good condition," Derek offered.

"It's magnificent," Quinn replied then stopped and took a moment to savor the sight. God, she loved it here: loved what she now thought of in her heart as hers. Derek was ahead pushing open the old oak door and when she walked over the threshold she had the same feeling she always had: I am finally home.

Derek was pacing around the great hall shaking his head. "There is not a damn thing in here, nothing." There was disbelief in his tone as he turned his attention to Quinn. He didn't understand her passion for all things old but he sure as hell liked looking at her. He wanted her in his bed, had for a long time, and maybe this trip he would get lucky in more ways than one.

"Maybe we should find some place to stay."

Derek's voice startled Quinn since for a moment she really felt as if she was all alone in the hall. He was watching her with an odd expression on his face when she turned to look at him.

"I think I want to stay here."

His expression was incredulous. "Here? There's nothing here. What are you going to sleep on?"

There were, in fact, things here but apparently nothing that held Derek's interest and more than likely because nothing gleamed of silver or gold and, at first glance, none of the paintings looked to be lost works from the greats. Instead of arguing with Derek, Quinn instead announced brightly, "I brought a sleeping bag."

"There's no electricity or heating. You'll freeze to death. It gets quite cold at night."

This wasn't the first time she'd slept in the castle. In fact, if Derek knew just how often she had escaped life to hide out here he would probably think she had lost her mind. She wasn't about to share her secret so instead waved off his concern. "It'll be just like camping."

"I'm not staying here," Derek huffed.

"That's fine but I am." She didn't wait for his response before she headed to the car to grab her stuff.

He followed after her as she strode to the car to retrieve her things.

"Are you sure you're okay with staying here by yourself? There's a bed-and-breakfast in the village," he cooed.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I've slept in far worse conditions."

He didn't doubt that, she was hard core.

"What will you do for food?" he asked.

"The village is not two miles from here, Derek, an easy walk. Really, I know this isn't what you signed up for so go, I'll be fine."