Rundimahair: A new hero for a new adventure by Larry Forkner (summer books .TXT) 📗

conversation as they went. Sean was fairly certain that he was the topic of discussion.

After eating a large breakfast, Sean decided he would get a little exercise. He thought it better to wait until Ashling was available to show him around the interior of their home. It looked to be a lovely day, so he decided he’d begin with a tour of the grounds of the Cahir home.

After he’d walked out to the front gate, Sean turned to look at the stately old home from a distance. It was a charming two-story, with tall, white stucco walls. Four evenly spaced dormers protruded from the steeply pitched roofline, where warm, brown-toned tile covered the roof. The multi-colored stone chimney that climbed the north end of the home looked to be hundreds of years old. A wide, brick-lined walkway led to an impressive double-door entry that appeared to be made of ancient solid oak. The entire home appeared to be very old but meticulously maintained.

Sean found a gray stone path at the edge of the front yard that led around the side of the home and into a spacious backyard. At a glance, he estimated the grounds to be well over two acres in size and as well maintained as the beautiful home. The large expanses of grass were a lush green, and the many large trees and shrubs were perfectly trimmed and shaped.

The path led him to the middle of the back yard and into a breathtaking flower garden that was surrounded by a perfectly shaped hedge of privet shrubbery that was easily ten feet in height. The hedge was a deep green with sweetly scented small white flowers blooming throughout. In the center of the flower garden, the stone pathway split and followed around both sides of a large, circular fountain. The walls of the fountain were about two-feet-high and appeared to be constructed of the same stone material as the main house. In the center of the circle was a fountain pushing a spray of water eight feet into the air, before it fell back into the pool at the base of the fountain.

Sean was amazed by the intricate detail of the structure and the entire garden. He was surrounded by roses of all shapes, colors and sizes. It was obvious that someone spent a great deal of time caring for the flower garden and everything else he’d seen on the grounds of the Cahir home.

The Cahirs didn’t behave like a typical wealthy family, but Sean knew enough about housing and real estate to realize that it would take a fair chunk of change to maintain the large, beautiful home and grounds.

After touring the exterior of the home, he was very anxious to wander through the rest of the interior. There were probably many interesting surprises awaiting him there, as well, judging by what he’d already seen.

Fatigue began to overtake him as he circled the fountain to get a closer look at the many roses in the garden. He assumed that the accident had taken more out of him than he realized, since he was normally fit and full of energy. Reluctantly, he turned back to the house, thinking a quick rest might do him some good.

As he walked, Sean looked around him and smiled at the warm, sunny day and gazed up into the clear blue skies. He was amazed at the mild, pleasant day since it was the middle of February. Weather on the Oregon coast was usually cold, wet and often foggy this time of year.

Another thought struck him, and he turned to look back at the flower garden. It was without doubt one of the most beautiful settings he’d ever seen, and that was part of what bothered him. How had they managed to have a rose garden in full bloom in the middle of February? He made a mental note to talk to Ashling about it when they began their tour.

By the time he made it back to the house, he was feeling very tired and decided he’d go directly to his bedroom for a short power nap. He struggled up the stairs, wondering why he was feeling so weak and sleepy when it was only mid-morning.

Sean dropped onto the bed, turning onto his right side and wrapping the quilt over him. Just a short nap would do him a world of good, and then he’d seek out Ashling and see if she was ready to begin her duties as tour guide. He realized that he was looking forward to spending time with her, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. She was a very attractive and interesting woman that any man would enjoy spending time with. His thoughts continued to dwell on Ashling, and he was soon fast asleep.

When he finally opened his eyes again his room was dark and the house quiet. A quick glance at the bedside clock told him he’d slept through the remainder of the day and well into the night. It was now a few minutes before two in the morning.

He was amazed by the passage of time and realized his body must have needed the rest. He made another mental note to not over do it for the next few days and give his mind and body a chance to recover.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a strange clanking noise outside his bedroom window. His first instinct was to ignore it, but the clanking was soon joined by the sound of metal scraping on rock and his curiosity got the better of him.

Sean rolled out of bed and stumbled to the window, still feeling a bit lightheaded. He pulled aside the drapes, hoping to identify the source of the strange noises. At first he didn’t see anything, but when the scraping sounds began again it was apparent they were coming from behind the large willow tree in Eamon’s back yard.

He lifted the sash on the window about an inch. The metal on stone sounds rang louder