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Authors: Janet Chapman
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threatened and sufficiently warned, Maddy kicked the fallen chair out of her way and marched to the door. “I’m going for a walk,” she said through gritted teeth. “And neither of you had better be here when I get back.”
“What time should I pick you up Saturday?” Trace asked softly.
Maddy halted with her hand on the doorknob, looking incredulous. But then her shoulders suddenly slumped. “I’ll be at the dock at nine,” she said, quietly walking out the door and closing it softly behind her.
William looked at all the empty chairs, and smiled across the table at Trace. “I’m assuming dinner is over?”
“Christ, it’s good to be home,” Trace said, returning his smile.
“Is there a reason ye just pushed her like that?”
Trace’s smile vanished. “To make sure there’s still enough fight in her to push back.” He folded his arms over his chest again. “You threatened to spank her?”
William shrugged. “I was just blustering. But since it was the first time she’d met me, she couldn’t know that I’d cut off my right arm before I’d hurt a hair on her head.”
“Have you met Maddy’s bogeyman boyfriend?”
“I’m afraid I’m the bogeyman,” William said with a chuckle. “It’s a long story best saved for another time, preferably when we’re on our fourth or fifth drink. What’s happening Saturday morning?”
“I’m taking Maddy out on my boat to show her my mermaid.”
“ Your mermaid? So you started the rumor going around town?”
“Not intentionally.” Trace uncrossed his arms, pulled something out of his pants pocket, and flipped it across the table to William. “Have you ever seen anything like that before, Killkenny?”
William studied the front of the coin then turned it to look at the other side. “It appears quite old,” he said, looking over at Trace. “I’m not sure about the writing on the back, but I have seen the symbol on the front before.”
In the first unguarded gesture William had seen the man make since meeting him, Trace’s jaw went slack in surprise. “You recognize the symbol?” he whispered. He stood up, his stance somewhat aggressive. “Where is it from? What does it mean?”
William also stood up, and flipped the coin through the air to him. “It’s the mark of a strong arm,” he said, heading across the kitchen and out onto the porch.
“A strong arm?” Trace repeated, following him outside.
William walked down the stairs to the driveway and turned with a frown. “I don’t know the modern word for it. A strong arm,” he repeated, searching for a better term, “as in a protector or a champion.” He suddenly had a thought. “Like one of those knights of that table. Sir Galahad, I think his name was. And King Arthur. My friend Mabel told me these iron-clad warriors would receive some sort of token from a woman, and vow to be her champion.”
“Mabel Anderson, the teacher? Eve’s mother? She told you the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?”
“Eve is married to my friend Kenzie Gregor, and I’m staying with them while my house is being built. And Mabel has been . . . entertaining me with such stories.”
Trace looked down at the coin in his hand. “And this is the symbol for a knight?”
“Nay, it dates back much further than King Arthur’s reign.”
Trace narrowed his eyes at him. “How come you know what this ancient symbol is, but you don’t seem to know much about knights?”
William shrugged. “I’m better versed in what went on before the ninth century.”
“You’re a historian, then?”
William glanced toward the path leading into the woods that he assumed Maddy had taken in an attempt to walk off her anger. He looked back at Trace, pointing at the coin in his hand. “If ye wish to find out more about it, ye need to look at the black magic being practiced several thousand years ago.” He shrugged. “If I had to guess, I would say the coin is a request for a strong arm, and
“What time should I pick you up Saturday?” Trace asked softly.
Maddy halted with her hand on the doorknob, looking incredulous. But then her shoulders suddenly slumped. “I’ll be at the dock at nine,” she said, quietly walking out the door and closing it softly behind her.
William looked at all the empty chairs, and smiled across the table at Trace. “I’m assuming dinner is over?”
“Christ, it’s good to be home,” Trace said, returning his smile.
“Is there a reason ye just pushed her like that?”
Trace’s smile vanished. “To make sure there’s still enough fight in her to push back.” He folded his arms over his chest again. “You threatened to spank her?”
William shrugged. “I was just blustering. But since it was the first time she’d met me, she couldn’t know that I’d cut off my right arm before I’d hurt a hair on her head.”
“Have you met Maddy’s bogeyman boyfriend?”
“I’m afraid I’m the bogeyman,” William said with a chuckle. “It’s a long story best saved for another time, preferably when we’re on our fourth or fifth drink. What’s happening Saturday morning?”
“I’m taking Maddy out on my boat to show her my mermaid.”
“ Your mermaid? So you started the rumor going around town?”
“Not intentionally.” Trace uncrossed his arms, pulled something out of his pants pocket, and flipped it across the table to William. “Have you ever seen anything like that before, Killkenny?”
William studied the front of the coin then turned it to look at the other side. “It appears quite old,” he said, looking over at Trace. “I’m not sure about the writing on the back, but I have seen the symbol on the front before.”
In the first unguarded gesture William had seen the man make since meeting him, Trace’s jaw went slack in surprise. “You recognize the symbol?” he whispered. He stood up, his stance somewhat aggressive. “Where is it from? What does it mean?”
William also stood up, and flipped the coin through the air to him. “It’s the mark of a strong arm,” he said, heading across the kitchen and out onto the porch.
“A strong arm?” Trace repeated, following him outside.
William walked down the stairs to the driveway and turned with a frown. “I don’t know the modern word for it. A strong arm,” he repeated, searching for a better term, “as in a protector or a champion.” He suddenly had a thought. “Like one of those knights of that table. Sir Galahad, I think his name was. And King Arthur. My friend Mabel told me these iron-clad warriors would receive some sort of token from a woman, and vow to be her champion.”
“Mabel Anderson, the teacher? Eve’s mother? She told you the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?”
“Eve is married to my friend Kenzie Gregor, and I’m staying with them while my house is being built. And Mabel has been . . . entertaining me with such stories.”
Trace looked down at the coin in his hand. “And this is the symbol for a knight?”
“Nay, it dates back much further than King Arthur’s reign.”
Trace narrowed his eyes at him. “How come you know what this ancient symbol is, but you don’t seem to know much about knights?”
William shrugged. “I’m better versed in what went on before the ninth century.”
“You’re a historian, then?”
William glanced toward the path leading into the woods that he assumed Maddy had taken in an attempt to walk off her anger. He looked back at Trace, pointing at the coin in his hand. “If ye wish to find out more about it, ye need to look at the black magic being practiced several thousand years ago.” He shrugged. “If I had to guess, I would say the coin is a request for a strong arm, and
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