Page 57 of The Valiant Knight (The Ravensmire Chronicles #2)

“Perfect,” she said. “I’ll take you to the best pizza place in DC. I’m going to miss that.”

Finn knew it was a good time to discuss it. He trusted the man doing his ink, and had no issue talking in front of him.

“I don’t think you should sell your home.”

She stared at him.

“Why? Have you changed your mind?” she asked, getting panicky.

“ NO ! Mo ghràdh, hear me out, but if you have to travel back for work, where would you stay? Or if we wanted to go to the US for a holiday? My house is paid for, and we could easily swing yours.”

She got it now.

“Mine’s paid for, Finn. I only have a car payment.”

Well, that worked out.

“We can sell the car, and then we can keep both homes. You’re still going to be an American, and deserve to have a home there. You’re giving up everything for me, and I’d love to see the US.”

She beamed.

“Really?” Gabby asked.

“Yes,” he admitted, knowing that any good relationship needed compromise, and Gabby shouldn’t be the only one doing it. “It’ll be fun. Holidays there, and the rest of the year here.”

That worked for her.

“I’m going to go figure out the logistics,” she said, as she pointed to a chair in the waiting area.

“Go, mo ghràdh. I’m not going anywhere.”

That he wasn’t.

When she was gone, his friend clued him in.

“Finn, your ex is back, and she’s raising hell. She is telling everyone your new side chick is a problem for her.”

He laughed.

“Did you hear what happened?” Finn asked.

Rory shook his head.

Well, he told him, and the whole time, he was amused. Everyone was because apparently, they all knew Rosie, and didn’t really like her.

“She got what she deserved,” Rory admitted. “She isn’t a great person.”

He laughed.

“You guys could have told me that a while ago,” he said. “Like when I was saddled up to her.”

He snorted.

“You don’t talk about your friend’s girl. EVER . That doesn’t end well, and you know it.”

Yeah, he did.

Glancing over at Gabby, she was smiling as she sent an email or text.

“I’m marrying her,” he admitted. “I just don’t know how to give her the ring. It needs to be romantic.”

He was befuddled.

“She’s staying at the castle, right? There has to be a place you can do it romantically there. Do something romantic under the stars.”

That was a good plan.

“Thanks!” he said, knowing how he’d do it. There was a hot tub behind the library windows in the courtyard. He wouldn’t mind skinny dipping again, but this time in warm water.

“She’s a nice lass,” his friend said. “A definite upgrade.”

Oh, he was aware.

And thankfully, this time, he was going to get his happily ever after.

Finn deserved it.

* * *The Ravensmire Castle* * *

Ravensmire

Five P.M.

They’d grabbed some pastries, and brought them back to the castle, but also a pub burger and fries for Graham. They would eat later, but needed a little snack.

Gabby was peckish, and Finn loved feeding her. If his lass wanted a pastry, she was getting one.

PERIOD.

Honestly, he couldn’t wait until she was pregnant, and had some weird-ass craving in the middle of the night. He would be bringing it to her.

Bet.

On.

It.

When they arrived, the two men were at the kitchen island, having some tea.

Well, Graham was having tea, and Tony was downing coffee.

“Hey!” Gabby said, coming in carrying a takeout bag for Graham.

“Thank God,” Tony said. “I’m starving.”

Well, they had bad news than.

“Uh, we didn’t get you food.”

He stared at Gabby.

“What?”

She explained.

“How would you, Doctor Magnus, like to go out tonight to the pub for some pints and dancing?”

He grinned.

“Oh, well, I could use me some beer.”

Graham looked ill at the mere idea.

“That’s why we got you a burger and fries. We didn’t think you’d want to join us.”

He was honest.

“I don’t think I could smell alcohol and not puke,” he said. “But a burger would hit the spot.”

Well, that worked for them.

“So, instead of dinner, Finn and I brought a snack, Anthony. You know how you love sugar.”

Oh, he did.

When Finn handed him the pink box tied with ribbon, he nearly gnawed through it to get to the sugar inside. When he got the lid open, she stared inside.

“That’s sticky toffee pudding,” she said, “and those are donuts.”

Oh, well, sign him up. He pulled out a donut and handed it to Graham.

“For you, Son.”

The man took it and smiled.

“Thank you,” he said.

Then, Tony took one of the sticky toffee puddings out, and dug into it.

It was so good.

“How was your afternoon?” Gabby asked. “Find anything else out about the situation here?”

They both began laughing.

It made Gabby and Finn pause.

“Uh, why are you laughing?”

Oh, there was one good reason why.

Tony shared what had happened with the two ghosts when they went upstairs.

Gabby was curious.

“Did you follow them?”

Was she out of her mind?

Clearly, she hadn’t learned that was a bad idea here in the castle.

“We were waiting for ALL of us to follow them up. We aren’t insane, considering what went down up there,” Tony said. “Meaning you out that window.”

Yeah, that was a good point.

She had been targeted by that malevolent shadow, and if she wasn’t there, who knew if it would target them?

“Can we go up now?” she asked, finishing her donut quickly because she wanted to investigate.

Finn sighed.

“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m going to feel safer in the US with all those guns than I do here in this castle. I have a feeling I can’t leave Gabby alone for a minute or she’s going to find an adventure.”

Oh, he wasn’t wrong.

She was going to be exploring her new home, and meeting all kinds of people. The fun was yet to begin.

Honestly, she couldn’t wait.

“We can, Lass, if you really want to,” Finn said. “I thought we came to the conclusion that we couldn’t learn anything new?”

That was true, but she wanted to make sure that they were able to leave enough of a trail for the next people, or for her if she helped when they were back.

“I’ll go alone,” she said.

Oh, hell, no.

That wasn’t happening and someone was clearly out of her goddamn mind.

He just stared at her until she figured it out. Honestly, it didn’t take her long.

“Or you can come with me,” she offered.

He laughed.

“Good call, Lass.”

This wasn’t the highlight of his day, needless to say, but Gabby wanted to play investigator, and it was the least he could do since she was uprooting her life, and moving here.

Honestly, he’d rather they got the hell out of here, but what the lady wanted, the lady was getting.

“It feels better here,” Tony admitted. “I haven’t heard or seen Ceit since I put her shattered skull into the crypt. Maybe she’s finally at peace.”

Maybe.

They’d have to wait and see if she kept haunting the castle.

“I’ll eat when you guys head out. I’ll do it in bed, and then crash early,” Graham offered.

That worked for them. At least they knew where he’d be, and it wouldn’t be in an alley doing questionable things.

“Let’s go,” Gabby said, and the woman led the way. She wasn’t afraid, simply because the vibe in the castle was much better.

Maybe the dead were calming down.

Heading up, they went into the room where the door had been closed, and they heard the squeaking of the hinges.

“They definitely came in here,” Tony said. “We heard that.”

Inside the room, Gabby came to a dead stop, and Finn walked into the back of her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

That’s when they saw it.

Tony gasped.

“That’s the painting we put away, and that appeared next to my table, and we put away again. How did it get up here?” he asked.

Oh, boy.

No one could answer that, and for good reason. They didn’t bring it up.

Walking over to it, Tony picked it up.

“Be careful,” Finn warned.

Only, the room felt fine. It was calm, the windows were locked and closed, and there was nothing off about the area.

Tony inspected the painting.

“Someone must want us to look at this,” he said. “And that’s why they tried to lead us up here.”

When he saw some paint chipping off the picture, he used his nail.

“Who is this?” Graham asked, focused on the painting. He’d seen it in the storage room, but he never thought twice about it.

Gabby knew.

“It’s Ciarán. I saw a painting online of him in his tartan and war gear.”

Tony stopped them.

“There’s something under it. I need to bring this to a brighter light,” he said.

“I’ll get something to scrape it,” Graham offered, following him down the stairs.

Finn stayed close, when they left to make sure Gabby was safe.

“It does feel better in here,” she said, pulling a sheet off of a mirror that was there. “I thought this might be a painting too.”

He checked it out.

“Yeah, it doesn’t feel as oppressive,” he admitted.

Because she was curious, Gabby went to a chest. When she opened it, there were books in it.

“We should go through these,” she suggested.

Before he could say anything, he heard his name being shouted from downstairs.

Shit.

Gabby glanced over her shoulder.

“Go. I’m good. I’m not in front of a window or bookshelf, and really, Finn. It’s calm in here. Maybe putting Ceit away worked. She’s not haunting the place.”

Yeah, well, it wasn’t her that he was worried about.

“Okay, but if you need me, yell. Please,” he said, kissing her on the top of the head before jogging down the stairs.

Gabby went back to the books.

She could hear the door closing behind her, so she looked over.

It was moving so slowly.

Well, it was drafty in the tower. That had to be it, so she ignored it.

When she heard it close, that’s when she heard the sound of some laughter, and it was very familiar.

Oh, shit.

Standing up, she was just in time to see that hooded, dark figure appear and then move at her.

And Gabby did the only thing she could.

She screamed.

Meanwhile…

When Finn got downstairs, he found both Tony and Graham crouched over the painting with butter knives. They were scraping off chunks of paint.

“We should get this handled by someone who restores paintings,” Graham suggested. “This is out of our realm, and I don’t want to ruin it. This might be valuable.”