Shattered Rainbows (Fallen Angels 05) by Mary Jo Putney

Author:Mary Jo Putney
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-01-04T01:46:51+00:00

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Chapter 23

Catherine threw back her head and laughed into the wind. "Beautiful!"

Silently Michael agreed, though his gaze was on her sunlit form, not the crashing waves far below at the base of the cliff. She looked eerily like the sketch that Kenneth had drawn of the diabolically beautiful Siren who stood on a wild, rocky shore, singing a lethal song to draw sailors to their doom. If the Siren was as lovely as Catherine, those ancient sailors had died happy.

Davin Penrose was giving the visitors a tour of Skoal, explaining the sights and introducing Catherine and her "husband" to the islanders. The Skoalans were reserved with the laird's granddaughter. Slow, thoughtful gazes would go from her to the constable to Michael, then back to Catherine. She would have to prove herself before she would be fully accepted.

Michael guessed that her beauty counted against her, for it was hard to believe a woman so lovely could also be serious of purpose. The islanders would learn in time.

Davin spoke again. "Even though the island is small, the edges are so rough that it's said the coastline is forty miles long." He indicated the rocky path that led down the cliff face. "Below is Dane's Cove. There's a small beach below. You might like to visit another day. It's a good place to picnic."

Catherine smiled. "If the seagulls don't steal one's food. I've never seen so many gulls."

"It's illegal to kill a gull on Skoal," Davin said. "In the fog, their cries warn sailors that land is near."

Michael shaded his eyes and peered into the sun. "Is that another island out there, or a mirage?"

"That's Bone, our sister island. It's almost as large as Skoal. You've not heard of it?"

"I'm afraid not," Catherine replied. "What an odd name."

"Not so odd," Davin said dryly. "Skoal meant 'skull' in the old Viking tongue. The warriors' toast of 'Skoal!' was drunk from the skull of an enemy. Since Vikings named this island, it makes sense that the neighboring one is called Bone." Having earlier received permission from Catherine to smoke when he wished, Davin took out a clay pipe and filled it with tobacco from his pouch. "Bone is part of the Bailiwick of Skoal, so it belongs to the laird."

Catherine gazed out over the white-capped waves. "Does anyone live there?"

"It's an unlucky place." Davin shielded the bowl of his pipe from the wind and lit the tobacco. "There's a huge seabird colony, and sheep and cattle graze there, but no man has lived on Bone for at least a hundred years."

"Why is it considered unlucky?" Michael asked.

"Irish monks built there as well as here, but one Easter they were murdered by Vikings while singing mass. It was a long time before Bone was settled again. Things were well enough at first. Then a plague killed every man, woman, and child. No one has wanted to live there since." The constable gazed pensively across the sea. "There are other problems. The landscape is rocky and the soil not so fertile as here.

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