The Temple of Indra’s Jewel: (6 page)

“Everything’s grand, Mum. Remember Sophia from the Lérins Islands? I’ll be right back.”

“I’m Lucille. It’s lovely to meet you, again,” Mrs. O’Kelley said, ignoring her son and following at a close pace, all bunny teeth and big, brown, worried eyes.

“You too,” I stammered, although truthfully I didn’t remember meeting her at all.

“And it’s nice to see I raised such a gallant fella, but do ya mind tellin’ me what’s going on? Please tell me ya didn’t steal her from the hospital, son?”

Cullen turned and smiled at his mother trying to put her at ease. “She’s fine—everythin’s fine.”

“All right. All right. Lay her down in the guestroom—she looks like she could use a rest—and then come and fill me in. I’m only your mother, ya know.”

We came to a small, cozy room, and he set me on the bed, where floral patterns ran rampant and the pillows were large and fluffy, tempting me to drift off.

“Do you think I could borrow a phone? I want to call my grandmother.”

“To be sure. Rest here for a minute and I’ll go grab it.”

I woke to a voice wafting down the hall. I paused and listened; it sounded like Cullen speaking. Feeling curious as a cat, I climbed out of bed and tiptoed out the door as stealthily as I could manage. Cullen’s voice jumped out at me.

“I tell ya, Liam, those curves give me vertigo.”

“Yeah, she’s a looker and daft in the head… thinks she’s from the nineteenth century or some shite.”

“Don’t be rude, ye arse. She’s been through enough. I don’t know what happened to her, but I swear she’s the girl I told ya ’bout—the one in the dream.”

“Yer crazy talkin’—ya just want her to be.”

“No. I couldn’t forget a girl like that. Geez, man, her eyes are like blue marbles. And that mouth, and those freckles… No, I’m sure. Crazy as it sounds, it’s her. And the kicker is that lately the dreams are more frequent, and they’re vivid as all hell.”

I peeked my head in. I didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping but I couldn’t resist. Cullen, staring out the window, looked like he was lost in his thoughts. He sat across from a dark-haired man in an oversized chair. They faced away from me, thank goodness.
It
must
be
his
brother,
the
one
he’d
been
looking
for
when
he
found
me
, I thought. They looked nothing alike. Liam’s head turned as if he sensed my presence, and I jerked back out of sight.

“So, speak up, boy. What else was in the dreams? It’s been years since you mentioned them.”

“Well, there’s a dark castle all shrouded in mist. Eerie like. The next thing I know I’m in this room full of gaudy panels, and there’s this hidden case of gems. She’s there, Sophia, but her hair—actually it’s different. In the dream it’s light and curly as a pig’s tail.”

I bit my lower lip and leaned my head tight against the wall. No way. He can’t have known of Sapphira.

“And there’s this man with eyes as angry as all hell. He wears an oversized silver ring on his finger with a viper symbol. I don’t know why but I always notice the ring. I wanna punch him straight in the gob. There’s somethin’ inside me, somethin’ that needs to protect her. Like I’m the only thing standin’ between her and death.”

“Bloody hell. Did ye tell her about the death thing?”

“No. She seemed scared enough.”

“Good. ’Cause ya sound like a bleedin’ idiot. I think ya best keep yer gob shut or she’ll be runnin’ fer the hills.”

I paused, thinking about what he’d said: a viper ring. A snake. That was what Sapphira had written. Why hadn’t I looked for a symbol? He was probably right in front of me the whole time. I scooted back up the hall and leapt onto the bed when I heard movement. I was lying still when I heard someone enter the room. Cullen, I presumed. A deep breath escaped from his lungs as he pulled the blanket up over me.

I opened my eyes and feigned a yawn. His cool, laid-back smile immediately put me at ease.

“I’m glad to see yer up. Here, Ma made you a cup of tea with honey in it to warm ye.”

“I fell asleep again.”

“That you did, so I just let ya be.”

“Thank you,” I said, reaching for the cup. “For everything.”

I sat up and pressed down the folds of my skirt. I wanted to ask him about his dream, but how could I without mentioning that I’d been listening? The tea hadn’t even cooled when Cullen’s mother knocked and entered, carrying a tray of delicious-smelling food.

“Well, hallo there. I brought the two of you some pastries and scones; thought maybe you could both be using a little sustenance. I also brought your suitcase up in case you wanna be a touch more comfortable.”

“Thank you.”

She left the room, and Cullen held the plate out toward me.

“These look delicious.”

“Oh, Cullen.” She popped back inside. “Da and I are after leaving now fer the boat. Are you coming?”

“Oh, I don’t want to keep you. I’ll just be on my way.” I attempted to stand, but my head spun, and I teetered.

“You’re not going anywhere. Can you manage without me, Ma?” Cullen said. He grabbed my arm and helped me sit back down.

“Oh, yeah. Your cousins—you know they’ll do a fine job, to be sure. You can find your own way to dinner, then?”

“I can.”

And with that she closed the door.

“Your mother’s very lovely.” I paused, playing with my pastry.

“Yes, and very pushy.” He laughed. “So you better eat whilst you’re talkin’.”

I took a deep breath and began. “So—everyone seems to agree I’m crazy.”

He furrowed his brow. “Nah.”

I paused, taking a bite. “The truth is I really don’t know what to believe anymore.” I swallowed hard, my doubts circling like vultures overhead. “It’s okay if you want me to leave,” I said, feeling incredibly vulnerable.

“Now that’s the craziest thing you’ve said all day. How ’bout I’ll help you ring your family?”

The tears spilled down my cheeks as he reached toward me and gently handed me the phone.

The call with Gigi went well. I hung up the phone, drying the tears from my eyes, just as Cullen came back in the room.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, she was relieved to hear from me, but she had a lot of questions. Apparently Nick phoned her, screaming I’d run off. On top of that, my passport’s missing. It’s not in my luggage. Nick must have it, so I can’t book a flight home yet. I guess I’ll need to arrange a hotel ’til I can track him down.”

“Ye’re more than welcome to stay with us.”

“That’s very thoughtful, but I certainly couldn’t impose any further.”

“Honestly, we’d love to have ye. Consider it done. I’ll take you back to the hospital if you want. You can see if they’ll help you track down what’s-his-name. Of course that’s on one condition.”

“What?” I asked, shifting.

I heard him take a breath, like he was gearing up. After a moment he let it out and moved restlessly on the chair. “That you’ll allow me to hit him if he touches you again.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

T
he sun shone as we headed east on Boulevard du Littoral. Cullen rolled the windows down; the ocean breeze blew through my hair. Cannes Hospital lay behind us. The excitement of getting my passport back left me feeling euphoric as we pulled into the O’Kelleys’ drive.

Nick’s absence at the hospital meant I didn’t have to deal with Cullen confronting him, although part of me had relished the thought. My passport had been there. I was looking forward to booking my flight home.
Or
am
I?
I asked myself as I looked over at Cullen humming to the radio. I was growing fond of the man, even if he couldn’t carry a tune. Perhaps that’s why I’d agreed to come back to his family’s vacation home.

“I think I’m going to fire up the barbeque and maybe go for a swim,” Cullen said, getting out of his truck. “Would you care to join me?”

“That sounds amazing, but I need to call the airline first.”

“How do you like your steak?”

“Red.”

“A woman after my own heart.” He laughed, opening the door and stepping back so I could go in first. “Why don’t you go change? We can look up flights on my iPad when you get back. The towels are in the closet.”

As I rummaged through my luggage, I saw my cell next to my bikini.
I’m
such
an
idiot—I
could
have
already
looked
up
flights.
I picked it up and turned it on: Low battery. Good thing I brought the charger. Three days in the nineteenth century and I’d forgotten I owned a cell.

I changed, pulled my hair into a ponytail and tightened the towel around my waist. I descended the stairs and stepped out onto the patio stones surrounding the pool.

Cullen stood, dripping wet, hair tousled, over the barbeque as it smoked, wafting the delicious aroma of grilled meat. Spatula in one hand and beer in the other, he smiled and motioned to the pool. “Sorry. I didn’t wait for you, but please feel free to take a dip.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll just enjoy the last of the sun from here.” I took a seat in the blue-and-white striped lounger.

“I took the liberty of pullin’ up all of the available flights leaving over the next couple of days.”

“Great. Thank you.”

“Can I get you a beer or a glass of wine while you check that out?”

“Sure. Wine would be great,” I said, picking up his iPad.

Cullen returned with an empty glass, a bottle of red, two plates and a large bowl of salad.

“Is this okay? There was no white chilled.”

“Wow, you’ve been busy! Yes, that’s great. I prefer red.”

“So tell me about the likes of you,” he said, flipping the steaks.

“You know…” I started to speak just as a man stepped out the door in a very teeny-weeny bathing suit bottom.

“Old man, what the hell are you wearing?”

“Cullen. Bollix. You scared the daylights outta me. Your mother’s idea. She wants me to wear it to get some colour up here,” he said flustered, pointing to his upper thighs.

“This is my father, John O’Kelley. Da, this is Sophia, the girl from Sainte Marguerite Island.”

It was the man I’d seen smoking on the front balcony when we’d first arrived. He was impressively built, especially for an older guy.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. O’Kelley. Cullen was just talking about you.”

“’Tis good to see you lookin’ so well. This fella here has done nothin’ but worry about ya, and that’s a fact.”

“Thank you. I’m just sorry to have caused so much trouble.”

“Well, now, nothin’ to be done about that. So what was my boy here sayin’? Bad mouthin’ me, I bet.”

“Don’t worry, Da. I was just tellin’ her how you invested brilliantly with Grandda’s help and owned two major cable networks by the ripe old age of forty.”

“Yep, and he’s long since turned his good fortune into big business. I tell the truth,” a woman’s voice shouted from the kitchen.

I glanced at John’s itsy-bitsy swim trunks and smiled. I had to agree—it was clear that John was very big business.

Lucille, snickering, walked out behind him in a beautiful navy sundress and handed him a towel, which he quickly wrapped around his waist. Her red hair was swept up in a neat French twist that showed off her long neck and single bare shoulder to perfection. I wondered how old she was. She seemed young to have two full-grown men as sons.

“It’s dinnertime, ya old fool. There’s no sun.” She kissed his shoulder and then directed her gaze at me. “Sorry for invadin’ yer privacy, dear.”

“Yes, and I apologize I’m not in better shape,” John added. “I’m just not in the habit of finding other women in the house.”

“And let’s be keepin’ it that way.”

I laughed at the two of them. “I appreciate the hospitality. Please don’t mind me.”

“Why don’t the two of you join us for a drink?” Cullen said. “We’ve already cracked your favourite wine.”

“Perfect,” Lucille said, darting into the house. The sound of cabinet doors and rattling glassware soon followed.

I moved out of the lounger and took a seat at the table, with my back to the house, allowing me to admire the beautiful shrubs and flowers.

She returned, smiling, and set her glass on the table. She filled it and then topped up my glass before she dropped into a seat on the bench next to her husband.

“To you, Sophia.” She lifted her glass, and I turned to Cullen, who grinned.

“No, to Cullen,” I said, and I toasted him and then her.

Cullen’s grin deepened, and he raised his glass. “
Slainte.
Oh, that reminds me. We’ll be in need of some silverware shortly, won’t we?”

Lucille looked down at the tablet screen on the table.

“Going home so soon?”

“Yes. I love it here, but I need to get back.”

“I’ll drink to that. We’ve been down here wanderin’ for a month. Cullen and Liam just joined us last week, but we’re all heading home shortly. Cullen’s off on one of his business trips, and the rest of us are heading back to Dublin.”

“Is Liam going back too? I thought he was accompanying Morai somewhere?” Cullen asked, lifting the grill lid and letting the mouth-watering smells out to further tease my appetite.

“Oh, well, maybe it’ll just be the two of us then,” Lucille said, looking up lovingly into her husband’s face.

“I can deal with that, to be sure.”

“Awe, Jackie.” She pecked him on the cheek.

Cullen set a plate full of steak and shrimp in front of me. “Sorry, folks, but we’ve run out of meat. I didn’t know you were joining us. You want me to throw a couple more on?”

“No, we had dinner with Aunt Shay, remember?”

“This smells delicious,” I said.

“Tastes good too,” said Cullen, stuffing one of the shrimps into his mouth before taking his seat.

“Cullen, you’ll get indigestion,” chided his mother.

“Oh, Lucy, he’s all grown up. Leave him be.”

“That’s a great idea,” Lucille said, standing. “My wine is empty anyway. John, wasn’t there that thing you wanted to show me?”

“What?” John looked up, perplexed.

“That thing—you know.”

“I don’t remember any
thing,
unless you want me to model my new swimsuit for you upstairs.”

“Oh, John,” Lucille said, tugging his arm. “Let the kids be. Come on.”

“All right by me,” John said, standing quickly and sweeping Lucille into his arms.

“Goodnight,” Lucille called, giggling as John carried her into the house.

“Your parents are amazing.”

“The old ones are something else, to be sure,” Cullen said, cutting off another huge chunk of meat.

“To be in love like that after so many years.”

“Oh God, let’s not be after talkin’ more about them. They do enough of that themselves.”

I finished my dinner, pushed my plate away and pulled my towel up around my shoulders, wrapping it tight to my body. The air had cooled, and I was beginning to feel chilled in my bikini.

“Are ye cold?” he said. He suddenly got up and flipping on the outdoor lights. Flames shot up and lit the fireplace to my left.

“You have an outdoor fireplace?”

“What did you think it was?” he said, laughing and disappearing into the kitchen.

It even crackled like a real fire.

Cullen returned, covering me with a velvety soft black blanket. He topped up my wine.

“Thank you. You’re spoiling me.”

“Maybe you deserve to be spoiled.”

I blushed and looked down at the patio stones.

“So, what’s the craic?”

“Pardon?”

“What’s happenin’? You know, like what’s up with that fella from the hospital? Is that your man?”

“He was. Not anymore.”

“Ye’re better off. He seems like a real cad.”

I smiled, unsure if it was electricity crackling between us or the fire.

“I’m just thankful you pulled me from the water.”

“What fella wouldn’a?”

“Plenty.”

For what seemed like an eternity he just sat there looking at me. Then he stood up and came and sat in the chair next to me.

“I know we don’t really know each other, but—” he said, stopping short.

“It feels like we do,” I said, finishing his sentence.

“Yes.”

I took a quick breath and thought about his conversation with his brother. Sapphira. His dream.

He leaned forward, and I realized he might kiss me. I jumped to my feet, almost spilling my wine.

“Well, it’s getting late. I should go to bed.”

He let out a deep breath and set his glass down on the table with a clack.

“Yeah, it’s been a long day, hasn’t it?” Standing and stretching his legs, he moved around the table, walking so close behind me I could almost feel his breath on my neck as he gathered up the plates.

“Did you get your flight booked?” he asked before carrying our dishes into the kitchen.

“Yes. Sorry, I meant to ask you if you knew a car service I could use tomorrow.”

“I’ll take you. What time?”

“Noon, but you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s all right. I want te.”

I helped him load the dishwasher, and he walked me to my room, lingering for a moment before walking away.

I imagined what it would be like to kiss him but shook the idea away. With everything going on, I didn’t need anything to further complicate my life.

I closed the door, and then I pulled down the sheets; fatigue tugged at my eyes. I was asleep before my head even sunk into the pillow. My last impression was of the faint smell of tobacco lingering in the air.

He stood in the shadows, puffing away and running a hand through his dark hair. Yesterday had changed everything. She’d gotten away from him in the hospital. The bitch! He wasn’t about to let that happen again. He’d hung around all night, near enough to overhear the conversations in the backyard yet far enough away to be hidden by all the trees and shrubs. He rolled his shoulders in an effort to dislodge the growing tension and took a cleansing breath that brought with it the waft of tobacco.

She walked past the window, turning away as she undid her bathing suit top. He felt himself harden. He could see the muscles clearly defined in her back as she slipped a white nightgown over her head. It was her—he’d found her, and that meant he’d found it, the Purple Delhi Sapphire.

With a low moan, I forced myself from a sound—and admittedly, slightly drunken—sleep, jerking upright. My cell phone was ringing.

“Hello?” I croaked out, spotting the familiar floral patterned curtains framing the moonlight in the O’Kelleys’ guestroom.

“Sophia, honey, did I wake you?”

I recognized Gigi’s concerned voice and looked around the room for a clock.

“No. Well, yes,” I said, trying to clear my head and think straight.

“Are you okay? You don’t normally go to bed before 11 p.m. You sound upset.”

“I’m fine. I just lay down for a minute, and I must have crashed. I had a nightmare, that’s all.”

“Awe, sweetie. Big hugs. Was it the same one?”

“No. This one was new. It’s nothing. Probably just too many scary movies,” I said, trying to fake it. I hated scary movies and Gigi knew that, but she let it go. “Anyway, what’s going on? How come you’re calling? I thought I was going to call you.”