The Secret of Isobel Key (18 page)

The next morning, the doctor was found dead, looking like a man who had passed peacefully in his sleep. It was clear to all who saw his body that this was a man who had gone to his rest with a clear conscience, and the citizens of Edinburgh admired the good doctor even more in death. Seeking to do exactly as the man had requested, his directions were followed to the letter. Even before his body was interred, his belongings were packed into crates and shipped to St. Andrews on the sea.

Tammy had sweet-talked the librarian into letting her take the papers out of the basement, and she was seated at a carrel on the main floor of the library, three boxes of documents before her. Afternoon sunlight was streaming in, and Tammy was thankful that she wasn't trapped down in that dank basement alone. If she had to spend her vacation doing research, she'd rather soak up some Scottish sunlight, too.

Tammy decided to avoid the witchcraft files, despite the fact that they were more interesting than anything she had seen so far. She really wanted to help Lou, even if she thought that parts of this search were a bit far-fetched, so she'd been doggedly making her way through a mish mash of papers from the seventeenth century. The librarians had helped her get started, bringing her different boxes which coincided with the years of her search, but Tammy thought her eyes would be permanently crossed from trying to decipher old bills from the butcher and other random things.

There was one document that looked interesting: a journal, which the tag said had been willed to the university upon the death of its owner, a local doctor. The volume was fairly thick, however, and as Tammy skimmed it she found herself overwhelmed by the technical data within the pages. She thought it shouldn't be called a journal: it was more of a work log than a record of personal thoughts and experiences.

She was about to return it to the box and move on to the next item when a folded sheet of paper fell out of the journal. It landed on the floor, and Tammy quickly scooped it up, looking around to make sure that none of the librarians had seen her drop the three hundred year old document. Gingerly, she opened the letter and began to read. Her eyes grew wider and wider, and she stood up abruptly when she reached the letter's conclusion. Trying to steady herself, she walked to the information desk, her palms sweating. With forced casualness, she asked the librarian to make her a copy of the ancient letter. The librarian behind the desk, a withered old man, didn't so much as glance at the page she handed him. Tammy breathed a sigh of relief; she wanted Lou to be the one to reveal the information it contained to the world, not some random librarian or scholar. Lou deserved that; in fact, it was her birthright.

For a century following the burning of Isobel Key, it was dangerous for the family to speak openly of her and their connection to the accused, for witches were still being condemned in Scotland well into the 18th century. Eventually, though, quirky ancestral stories full of tragedy and passion became all the rage, and the once-secret spell book became a treasured topic of conversation among not only the family but their friends and acquaintances as well.

When Isobel Key first started recording her knowledge in the little notebook, she never would have used the term grimoire to describe her journal. Had the book ever fallen in to overzealous hands, however, it would have been proof enough for Isobel to be convicted as a witch many times over.

But as the years passed and the world changed, something which could have once been a deadly proof of sorcery became only a cherished family artifact, a novelty to trot out when the conversation was lagging. Isobel Key's carefully documented spells and recipes passed without note from generation to generation, but occasionally, some soul would brew up a tea according to the ancient directions and discover that whatever ailment had plagued them no longer existed.

Brian glanced at Lou. He had been having a difficult time focusing on the ancient parish records that he was looking through; his eyes kept straying to her face. Brian sighed, and Lou lifted her eyes to meet his.

“This is kind of tedious, isn't it?” She said. Brian started to protest, but Lou continued. “I really appreciate that you offered to help me with this, but you must be so bored. If you want to call it a day, we can still meet up for dinner at seven.” She tried to sound confident and relaxed, but her heart was sinking.

Brian slid down the bench until his left shoulder was almost touching her right, and Lou held her breath. “I don't want to leave.” He spoke softly, and the warmth from his breath tickled Lou's cheek. He continued, “I like helping you with this. And it isn't just the research project, Louisa. I just--” he paused, and her heart stopped for an instant, “I want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can.” Lou exhaled loudly and turned her head to meet his intense gaze.

The look Brian was giving her seemed to be asking a question, and Lou acted impulsively. She leaned toward him, ready for a kiss, but just as quickly he lunged toward her, and they cracked their foreheads against each other with a sickening “thwack.”

“Ouch!” They both exclaimed at the same time, and Lou began to giggle. Brian joined her after a moment, and soon they had dissolved into a punchy fit of laughter.

“That wasn't exactly how I planned it.” Brian admitted sheepishly, rubbing his head and smiling.

“You planned it?” Lou asked him, and he nodded.

“I have been thinking about how I should have kissed you when we had dinner on the beach. I've been kicking myself for not doing it then.”

Lou's eyes widened in surprise. “You have?”

“Actually,” Brian shook his head ruefully, “I should've kissed you that morning when you were grumping so much about the rain, the day we stopped in Lochalsh. I keep missing my opportunity. You haven't made this easy!”

Lou felt her heart accelerate as Brian looked at her. He cleared his throat. “No sudden movements this time, okay?”

She shook her head slightly, afraid to move.

He lingered, painfully slowly, and then Brian leaned toward her. Lou shut her eyes, her lips parted as she waited.

She felt his breath on her lips as he hovered there, frozen in time for an instant, and then her mouth was enveloped in his warm kiss.

Lou tried to focus on research, but it was hard work. Brian was making it even more difficult, sliding his arm around her waist and drawing her close every so often, leaning over and playfully pecking at her cheek whenever the idea struck him.

Just sitting so close to him was maddening. Lou was aware of the minute hairs on his arms, and she was overwhelmed by his rich, masculine smell. Drawing a deep breath to steady her shaking limbs, Lou glanced at her wristwatch. With relief, she realized they were due to meet Tammy in exactly three minutes. She wouldn't be able to get any more work done today, even if she'd had three hours.

She stood up and started shuffling papers back into place. “Brian, we're supposed to meet Tammy at seven. We should go.” Trying to sound businesslike, Lou tidied her side of the table and picked up her coat. Before she could put it on, however, Brian took it from her and held it out to help her into it. She melted at the gesture; no guy she'd ever dated had done anything so sweet. They left the church hand in hand, walking comfortably. Lou felt like they'd known each other for years; she was so comfortable with Brian, so quietly confident and secure. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but she thought she could get used to it. Lou lowered her eyelashes and glanced at Brian, hoping he couldn't feel her watching him. His square jaw was dusted with orange stubble, and Lou blushed, remembering what it felt like to have that sandpaper pressed against her face. Yes, she could definitely get used to this.

When they strolled back to the hostel, Tammy was nowhere to be seen outside or in the lobby. “Maybe she went upstairs to get something,” Lou suggested, and Brian shrugged.

“Why don't you go up there and look for her? If she's not there, well, I don't mind waiting to eat, I guess.” Brian nuzzled her ear and whispered, “Although I wouldn't complain if we went to dinner without her.”

Lou looked into his eyes and smiled slowly. “I don't think Tammy would mind, either. Let's eat!” She tugged his arm and turned to lead them both back outside.

Brian glanced at the stairs behind her. “Don't you want to at least check the room for her?”

Lou considered for a moment, but then shook her head. “I'll leave a note for her at the desk, though.” With that, she spun around and penned a quick note, telling her friend that Brian had taken her for dinner, and to come meet them downtown if she wanted. Brian gave her his cell phone number, and she added it to the note. Without another thought for Tammy, the two headed out into the twilight.

They never made it to dinner. Instead, they were tangled up in the sheets of the guest bed at the place where Brian was staying. Luckily, his friend wasn't home. Lou surveyed the wreckage they had made of the room; her pink bra was dangling off the edge of the dresser, two of the pillows from the bed had been flung across the room, and Brian's clothes were strewn about haphazardly. She took in the scene for a moment, and then she started to giggle.

“What's so funny?” Brian had been stroking her back lightly with his fingertips, and he pulled back, worried that he was tickling her. Lou gestured helplessly to the mess they had made of the room, and Brian saw at once what she was laughing at. He began to chuckle, too, and they soon dissolved into a fit of hysterics. Brian got out of the bed and reached for her bra. Slingshot style, he flung it at Lou, hitting her shoulder, and her giggles grew louder.

She threw a pillow in his direction, but Brian was walking into the bathroom, and the door closed between him and Lou's weapon. Lou glanced at the clock on the nightstand.

“Gosh, it's almost nine!” She called out to Brian.

He came out of the bathroom, drying his hands on a towel. “I'm starved. We need to get some food before I take you back to the hostel.”

Lou nodded, wriggling into her clothes while trying to stay as covered by the blankets as she could. Brian laughed at her as he went into the kitchen to look for food. He was clad only in his boxers, and Lou paused for a minute to enjoy the view of his broad shoulders and gorgeous backside. She'd never seen anything so sexy.

“There's bread, and bananas, at least.” She heard him call out.

“Is there any peanut butter?”

“Yes. What do you want to do with that?”

Fully dressed, she bounced out of bed and headed to the kitchen. “I'd love a peanut butter and banana sandwich. My mother used to make them for me every year for the first day of school.” Brian made a face like he was gagging, and Lou swatted his arm.

“Really, they're good! I'll make one for both of us.”

Brian stepped aside, watching Lou move about the kitchen. She was so beautiful, with her rich curly brown hair and those icy blue eyes. She glanced up and caught him staring at her, and laughed again, suddenly shy.

“You'd better go put some clothes on; we can't have you walking around St. Andrews like that!” Lou turned back to her sandwich preparations, and Brian left the kitchen. He closed the door to the bedroom while he dressed, and when he emerged, Lou greeted him with a kiss and a disgusting looking sandwich.

“Try it!” She said, laughing at his face as he surveyed the brown and yellow mixture. Cautiously, Brian took a bite. He chewed for a moment, thoughtfully, then swallowed and stuck his tongue out at Lou.

“I hate it,” he declared, “but I'll eat it because you made it for me.” He kissed her cheek, leaving a smear of peanut butter behind, and kept eating the sandwich.

She chewed hers thoughtfully, watching Brian out of the corner of her eye. Lou wasn't sure what to say next, and an uncomfortable silence descended. When they were finished eating, Lou grabbed her purse and waited in the hallway while Brian locked the door of the apartment behind him. He checked his pockets and pulled out his phone.

“There've been three missed calls, all from the same number. I don't recognize it, do you?”

Lou
looked at the screen. “No, but then again, I wouldn't recognize any numbers here.” A thought dawned on her and she sheepishly looked up at Brian. “I hope it's not Tammy. I'd feel awful for ditching her.”

Brian was already dialing the number for his voicemail. He handed the phone to Lou.

“You better listen to this.”

~

Rushing back to the hostel, Lou and Brian found Tammy sitting in the lobby.

“Tammy! What happened?”

Tammy glared at Lou as she rushed over. “I had dinner with Maggie, that's what.” She gestured to the woman behind the desk, who smiled.

“Your message said it was urgent! Are you okay?”

Tammy crossed her arms. “You'd know all about it if you hadn't ditched me.”

Lou cringed. “I'm sorry. It's just that,” she flushed and lowered her voice. “You were right: a fling was just what I needed.”

Tammy burst out laughing and Brian looked over at them curiously. Lou tried to shush her friend, desperately ignoring the heat that was creeping up her neck.

Tammy slapped her forehead. “Oh! God, I almost forgot. I found something. I have to show you both right now.”

The matronly woman at the front desk looked up and grunted. “No boys upstairs, Tammy. I won't be bending the rules for you!” Brian sighed, and Lou turned back to him.

“It's late, Louisa. Maybe I should get back to my friend's place. I'll see you first thing in the morning?” Brian's eyes were boring into hers, and Lou could tell he wanted her to come back with him, but she already felt guilty for abandoning Tammy earlier.