Stitches in Time (10 page)

Spent, Liam collapsed beside her. For several moments, he could not think, but simply floated in his own haze of sated exhaustion. He lay his head on her breast, listening to her heartbeat slow to a more normal pace and when he had the strength, he raised his head to look at her.

Maggie’s eyes were still closed, but as he watched, she took in a deep breath, letting it out in a long, slow, contented sigh. Opening her eyes, she smiled a lazy smile and shivered.

“Let me get you untied.” Liam stretched as he stood, his now limp cock shrunken, yet still impressive. In a few moments, Maggie was free and she stretched along the bed, not really wanting to get up. Liam
humored
her, pulling the covers up over her and sliding in beside her.

She nestled into his arms and looked up at him.

“Do I dare believe I might really not have to run the company?”

“Dare to believe it, Maggie. I don’t know how I can get enough money to buy it from your father, but I’m sure something will turn up.” He leaned over and winked at the tapestry. “Right, Seamus?”

“Ah, me boy-o, I do believe
yer
right. In fact…”

Seamus’ comment was cut off by Maggie’s cry. “Liam! The time! You have an appointment in fifteen minutes!”

“Damn!”

In a flash, Liam was out of the bed and on his way into the bath to wash up after their escapade. “Damn and damn again.” Returning, he took the boxers Maggie held out for him. “You’re not going?”

Maggie laughed out loud at the absurd thought. “No, Liam, my
savior
. I am not going. I’m staying here and taking a long, leisurely bath to wash off not one, but two sexual rendezvous!”

He grinned. “Give me a little while and I’ll cover you again, Maggie Andrews. And make you beg me for it.”

She wrinkled her nose as he pulled up his pants.
“Fat chance, Liam
Finnerty
.
You may have pushed my buttons this time, but we’ll see who the boss is next time.”

Maggie buttoned his sleeves as he buttoned his shirt. All his ties were still tied around the bedposts and she chose one while he finished up. Smoothing it out as best she could, she handed it to him.

“Ye can always blame the wrinkles on
yer
suitcase, lad.”

Liam grinned into the mirror over the dresser and tightened the knot. Perhaps he’d stop and buy another tie on his way back to the hotel. He turned and Maggie handed him his briefcase. Still nude, she had forgotten her nakedness in the rush to get him out the door. Leaning over, he tweaked a nipple as he stole a goodbye kiss.

She squealed and pushed him toward the door, ducking into the bath so she couldn’t be seen from the hallway. Waiting until she heard the door click shut, she emerged, rummaging around the drawers until she found the clothes she wanted. Humming to herself, she went off to take her bath.

And on the little scrap of cloth, sitting face up on the dresser top, a little man dressed all in green clapped his hands and kicked his heels.

“Ah, yes, Seamus O’Brien. Ye are a genius indeed!”

Chapter Four

After her bath, dressed in jeans and sweater, Maggie felt truly relaxed for the first time in two years. Telling her father she would no longer accept responsibility for the company would be difficult; but already the wheels were turning in her brain, determining just how she would broach the subject and tell him her plans.

There was no denying her emotions were running high. Liam’s dominance of her this morning had no right to thrill her as much as it did. She was an independent, modern woman, damn it. So why was she so excited when he tied her up? He certainly hadn’t raped her—Maggie knew she consented to every part of what he did to her. And boy, what he did to her!

A knock at the door disrupted her reverie; the bellboy stood there with the morning paper in his hand. “Mr.
Finnerty
said to bring this up to you, Ma’am. He said you might want something to read.”

And Mr.
Finnerty
must’ve already tipped him well, Maggie surmised as the young man simply delivered the paper and left without holding out his hand. Shutting the door, she threw the paper on the bed and opened the curtains

Sunlight streamed in, but Maggie could see the day was a chilly one. Everyone who hurried below had their collars turned up and bent their bodies into the wind. Glad she didn’t need to go out into the
cold,
she decided a morning spent with the paper wasn’t such a bad idea. Tucking her legs under her, she curled up on the bed with the tapestry on the dresser beside her and the paper spread on her lap.

“Well, Seamus, looks like it’s just the two of us for the rest of the morning.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw the leprechaun wink. Looking again, it looked no different than before and she just shook her head.

The front pages of the paper were dedicated to world and national news; Maggie skimmed the headlines—the world was still turning. Another section, devoted to local affairs, seemed more promising. Sightseeing was not why they were in Ireland, but still, she had hopes that they might get around to see a few of the landmarks before they had to fly home.

Scanning the articles, she was just about to turn the page when a rather striking photograph of an old castle tower caught her eye. Ireland was filled with old ruins, but for some reason, this structure looked familiar.
“
Glenquin
Castle…south of Limerick.
Pretty country.
Wonder what’s going on there?”

Her gaze skimmed the article under the picture—apparently the castle was undergoing restoration and some items of interest had been found. A hidden vault under the structure had been opened and the
archeologists
had discovered a treasure trove of antiquities. Several pieces of common
jewelry
, dozens of casks and crocks of all sizes, clothing, and a few old, rusted swords. A price hadn’t yet been put on the value of the find.

She read the article all the way to the last paragraph, where she stopped, reading out loud in her shock. “The most curious find was that of a torn tapestry, according to the curator of
Glenquin
Castle. Faded and worn, the figures of a man and woman embracing are still visible. What makes it so unique is the Celtic pattern of the border around the outside of the tapestry. This interwoven knot is unlike most others in early Irish design. It is thought to be, perhaps, a family motif.”

For several moments, Maggie stared at the paragraph, reading over the words, her heart thumping in her chest. With wide eyes, she reached for the tapestry scrap and examined it again. Unlike the tapestry mentioned in the paper, her leprechaun’s
colors
were still bright and vibrant. And the knot design that niggled at her brain in the store…she grabbed the paper and read the last line again. “It is thought to be, perhaps, a family design.”

“A family design…blast
it! I know I’ve seen that pattern somewhere before! But it looks like we may have found your greater half, little leprechaun.” She snorted. “Seamus. Leave it to Liam to name a figure in a picture.”

* * * * *

Liam returned just after lunch, but Maggie wasn’t in the room. The tapestry lay on the pillow with a note on top:

“Gone to rent a car.
Be back soon.”

“Seamus, what is she up to?”

The little leprechaun popped up out of the fabric. “Ah, me boy-o, I’m not spilling the lass’s secrets! But she’s a fine woman and I’m almost home.”

“What do you mean—almost home?”

Seamus danced around the tree bole, which had also popped up, and clicked his heels again. “Not
tellin
’
ye
. The lass will be back any minute and she’ll tell
ye
, she will. Just do as she asks, mind ye. It’ll sound preposterous, but do it anyway. Promise me.”

“Her note says she’s gone to rent a car.”

“Aye.
Now give me
yer
promise that
ye’ll
do as she asks. Don’t make me get out me sword again.”

Liam remembered all to well how the little leprechaun drew first blood the last time they had ‘
dueled
’ and he held up his hands in surrender.
“Fine, fine!
I promise I’ll do as she asks.”

The key turned in the lock and Maggie entered, looking a bit flustered. “I did it! I rented a car and got directions to Limerick. From there we go to
Newcastlewest
and then sort of south to
Killeedy
.” She waved a piece of paper as she entered.

“Why do we want to kill Edie?” Seamus was right, this was a preposterous request.

Maggie stopped mid-stride and gave him a puzzled look, then laughed. “We’re not going to kill anyone. We’re going to a place called
Killeedy
. See?” She showed him the map she had picked up downstairs at the desk. A line highlighted a route from Dublin toward Limerick,
then
veered south to pass through another large town before stopping at a vague point between North and South
Killeedy
.

“Do I get to ask why?”

“I’ll tell you in the car. Go ahead and change into comfortable clothes—did you bring boots?” When Liam shook his head, she continued. “Neither did
I
. Well, with any luck, it won’t be too wet. Go on, change your clothes.”

Liam stepped up to her and kissed her soundly instead.

The crush of his lips on hers took her breath away and for a moment, she forgot their mission. Her head swimming, she swayed and Liam caught her shoulders to steady her. Opening her eyes, Maggie needed to blink several times before his broad chest came back into focus. “What was that for?”

“Because I have never seen you so beautiful.
The uptight, unhappy woman I walked into this hotel with yesterday is certainly not the excited, vibrant woman who’s ordering me about today. I like you better this way.”

His compliment made her blush and smile. So intent was she on solving the mystery of the tapestry that she had forgotten to put on the mask that would keep him at a distance. A distance she no longer wanted. “Maybe I should just give you some privacy and let you get dressed…” Feeling suddenly shy and awkward, she escaped into the bath.

“So what’s in
Killeedy
, Seamus?” Liam pulled out a pair of jeans and quickly changed.

“True love,” was the only answer the little man would give him.

Collecting the tapestry, Liam knocked on the bathroom door. In only a few more moments, they were out the door and on their way.

* * * * *

Driving on the left side of the road through the city would have given Liam nightmares, but Maggie handled the car as if she’d been driving ‘backwards’ all her life. Confident and self-assured, she wove in and out of the traffic while filling in the story for Liam.

“I don’t know any more about that tapestry other than what the newspaper said, but the border patterns have to match! I just wish I could remember where I’ve seen that pattern before.”

“What, the border pattern? Why? What’s so special about it?” They were out of Dublin now and moving quickly down the motorway, bound for Limerick.

“I know I’ve seen it somewhere before. The paper said the experts thought it might be a family knot design, although that’s not traditionally how they were used.”

Liam frowned. “How else might they have been used?”

“Mostly borders of that sort were just decoration. The Book of
Kells
has lots of them; practically every page is bordered by some sort of design.
Animals, knots, flowers or vines.”
Maggie shrugged. “The tapestry has a rare pattern, however.”

“Well, it can’t be that rare. It’s the same pattern as on my ring.”

“What?” In shock, Maggie looked over at Liam, who held up his hand.
That
was where she’d seen the pattern before! All this time it had been right in front of her! “Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t think it was important. This ring has been in the family for eons. But there’s nothing fancy about it; just silver twisted into a bunch of knots.
Always thought it a bit plain, myself.”

“The simplicity is what makes it beautiful. If you follow the pattern, you’ll see
it’s
all one line interwoven on itself.”

“I know. It used to keep me occupied when sitting through boring meetings.” He grinned and Maggie laughed.

“I thought you loved the company and all that went with it.”

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t find some of those meetings deadly boring.
Especially early on when I wasn’t leading them.”

She chose to ignore his comment, although it didn’t surprise her. He liked the limelight as much as she hated it. “You said that ring has been in the family for generations. Are there any stories connected with it?”

“If there were, they’ve all been lost. My grandfather used to wear it and when he died, he bequeathed it to me. All he ever told me was that his grandfather gave it to him with the instruction that he was to pass it on to his own grandson. I wear it more in his
honor
than anything else.”