Chapter Twenty-Six
‘We’ll be off first thing,” said Finn as he undressed that night in Hecate’s tower room.
She sighed. “It will be sad to say goodbye.” She folded her gown carefully, and tucked one or two more things into her valise for the journey.
“You’ll miss them.” It was a statement.
“Of course.” She nodded. “But that is offset by the pleasure I find in Doireann Vale. I miss that too. And Dal and Augusta and the others.”
He smiled as he slipped beneath the blankets. “You are lucky to have people to miss, Hecate. The ones I miss the most are gone forever.”
She looked at her nightgown, and then at what she could see of Finn’s shoulders, bare against the pillows. She tossed the garment into her case, then hurried to join him, tucking herself into his side. “You have me now.”
“I do indeed,” he pulled her into his arms. “But you know what I mean.”
“I do, Finn. I truly do.”
“I spent some time with Edmund this afternoon. I asked if he’d be kind enough to send a letter over to Ireland for me. The last remaining relatives I might have—and I’m not sure if I even have them anymore—are from the Casey side of the family. In Derrynane. I thought it only right to see if any were left.”
“You did the right thing,” approved Hecate. “I would be the first to encourage you to find out. After all, just look around you here at Ridlington. Family is so important.”
“Edmund has given us his blessing.”
She eased back a little and stared at Finn. “He has? When? He didn’t say anything to me…”
“It was a discussion between men, Hecate.”
“Involving my marrying you. I fail to see why I wasn’t included.” She sounded irate.
Visions of itches swam through Finn’s mind. “Did you really give your siblings rashes?”
She snuggled back into him. “Of course not. What a thing to say.” She was quiet for a moment or two. “Well, maybe not a rash, as such, just an itch here or there.” She chuckled. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“Your brother hasn’t,” observed Finn. “There was something else he didn’t forget either.” He reached out to his jacket which lay across the table by the bed. “Here.” He passed her the small box.
She pushed herself up a little, and moved the box into the light. “What’s this?”
“Open it and see.”
She did. And sucked in a breath of air that nearly choked her. “Finn…”
“It was your mother’s, Hecate. It was Moira’s.” He took it out of the box. “Rosaline found it a while ago and they’ve been holding on to it until you came back to visit. Edmund allowed me the honour of returning it to you.”
“Oh…I…” Tears filled her eyes.
“I think your brother senses how I feel about not being able to buy you a ring, love.” A thread of distress wove through his words. “I have nothing to offer you but myself. And for a man, that’s a damn hard thing to say.”
“But for a woman, it’s the best thing she could ever hear,” Hecate leaned into him. “Put the ring on my finger, Finn. Let my mother’s jewel bind us together. It makes her a part of this, a part of us, don’t you see? You knew her before I did. It’s just…right.”
Finn slid the ring onto Hecate’s left hand, where it rested as if it had been made for her.
She moved it, letting the light dance through the stone. “What kind of gem is it? I’ve never seen the like,” she whispered.
“Edmund believes it’s some kind of topaz. Apparently on one of his voyages he sailed to Russia and was briefly treated to a glimpse of some of those incredible jewels we hear about. He saw a tiara made from a similar stone and was told it was topaz. He had believed it to be sapphire, but was corrected. Quite rudely, he told me.”
Hecate chuckled. “Yes, I can’t see Edmund liking that sort of conversation at all. He doesn’t mind being wrong, but he would prefer to correct himself, not have someone do it for him.”
“Well, I am in his debt, so you can be sure I won’t be correcting him any time soon. About anything.” Finn sighed and leaned back down on the pillow. “We have his blessing, and now we have your ring. And a new memory of your mama that will be always with us.”
