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Colum had sought his brother out, but Eric and Nikolett had both disappeared right after the meeting.

Colum’s entire reason for agreeing to join the Masters’ Admiralty was because Eric had offered him a role that would take the trinity marriage off the table.

He didn’t necessarily like being alone, but he enjoyed solitude.Relationships—friendships or romantic—were hard to start and took a shocking amount of work to maintain.It was why his friendship with Franco was such a gift—the brilliant, easygoing, extroverted man hadn’t been put off by Colum’s quiet.He had once heard Devon, Franco’s husband, tease him, saying, “I know you’re an extrovert, but you can’t just start adopting every introvert you meet.”

Colum wasn’t upset by that description—being the introvert who only had relationships when an extrovert adopted him.Josephine had been an extrovert.She’d never met a stranger and could talk for Ireland.

Unless he really thought about what he was doing or saying, Colum knew he came off as rude.Usually about ten minutes into a conversation, he’d be daydreaming about finding somewhere quiet to sit and read.How in the hell was he supposed to survive in a lifelong relationship with two strangers?He’d thought being the archivist would save him from that, but he was wrong.

He closed his eyes briefly and burrowed his head deeper in the sand.

“You’ll walk her to her hotel?”Xavier asked Colum.

Annie looked ready to refuse the offer, but Colum jumped in before she could, surprising himself when he realized he wanted to spend a few more minutes with her.

“Aye.”Then Colum started to worry that was a weird thing to say, or Annie would think he’d said it because he thought she’d get lost.“It’s a nice day and I fancy a walk.”

Wait, now did it sound like he would only walk with her because he wanted to walk anyway?Feck, he hated trying to figure out stuff like this.

Luckily, Annie grinned.“I’d love the company.”

Colum grabbed his old tweed gilet and pulled it on over his jumper.Josephine had given him the body warmer for Christmas close to ten years ago.She’d offered to replace it with a new one countless times, but Colum couldn’t see throwing money away on something new when the old one was still good.It was more than a bit worn nowadays, but his reason for keeping it was different, not due to financial issues but sentimental ones.How could he throw out a gift from Josephine?

The three of them walked out into the crisp air after making plans to meet at the archive again tomorrow morning.

Ordinarily, Colum preferred to work alone or with Franco, who—like him—could sit for hours on end, reading or researching without coming up for air.Colum had expected having others in his workspace to rub against the grain, but he hadn’t minded Xavier and Annie’s presence.The conversation had been intense, and he was more than ready for a bit of quiet, but he wasn’t dreading going to New York with them, which surprised him.

It was apparent the Trinity Council had chosen his partners in this search well, Annie and Xavier both able to bring their own unique perspectives to the table.

He heard the short honk of a horn as he locked up the archive, turning to see a Škoda Octavia pull up to the curb, the man behind the steering wheel offering a wave.

Xavier shot them both a dark, lingering look as he walked down the stairs.“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

How did he manage to make that sound both sexy and like a threat?Colum had no idea.And what did that look mean?

“Alone at last,” Annie joked, reaching over to slip her arm through his.

Colum froze at the contact, then frowned.“You don’t like Xavier?”

Annie laughed.“He’s fine.Just a little joke.”

“Oh.”Colum tucked his elbow closer to his torso, pulling her more tightly to him, liking the feel of her hand on his arm more than he would have expected as they walked along the black iron fence that bounded Merrion Square.

“Is there any chance I can entice you into having a pint and maybe something to eat?I had breakfast on the flight, but you know how airplane food is,” she said, crinkling her nose.

Colum readily accepted the invitation, well aware there was nothing in his apartment except three-day-old Dublin coddle he’d been eating for lunches and dinners.He’d learned long ago that while he was a passable cook, he rarely made time to do it.So he had started making a big casserole or stew and eating it for every meal until it was gone, at which point, he’d make the next one.

They paused for a moment to look at Wilde’s monument, which had a place of honor on one corner of the square, then at the Oscar Wilde Museum, which was currently closed.And besides, a previous archivist had gone through and taken all the important things.

He led Annie around the corner, down the short block, and past the entrance to her hotel to a nice little pub.

It didn’t look like much, and she stopped outside, smiling at the gold-painted name.“Is there some law in Ireland that says all pubs need to look the same?”Annie joked.

“The same?”

“That font for a name, an outdoor seating area it’s too cold to use, and a big wooden door.Inside a wooden bar, rickety stools, dark corner booths, dim lighting, and an endless supply of Guinness.”

This time, Colum got the joke.“Oh aye, an old man pub.Miss any of those elements and the punishment is fifty years hard labor.”