The Ground She Walks Upon by Meagan McKinney Read Free Book Online
Authors: Meagan McKinney
seen to it that the babe was well cared for. This theatrical production was unnecessary. So answer me! Was this whole night set up to extract my charity toward this bastard child?"
"I came here because of the geis, Lord Trevallyan, " Peter Maguire said, his voice quiet and full of respect. "My father instructed me on the geis when I was a young boy. He pledged my secrecy. If this is a hoax, I played no part in it. "
" 'Tis not a hoax, Lord Trevallyan, " Grania answered, the babe squalling in her arms. "I have foreseen the future. I knew ye would come here this night. The geis must be fulfilled. "
"And how is that to come about?" Trevallyan scoffed. "Would you see me wed to this babe? Is that how you see it? Bloody hell, I will. "
"Take her, my lord. Hold this precious babe in yer arms and think no more of the geis for now. " Grania thrust the newborn into Niall's arms. Trevallyan took the child, if only to keep her from being dropped on the hard earthen floor.
" 'Twill be a while before ye wed, my lord. I have seen it in my visions. If ye ignore the geis, tragedy will follow. " Grania hobbled over to the hearth and stood by the fire, as if the damp and cold bothered her old bones.
"Old woman, " Trevallyan whispered, struggling with the wailing baby. "All of you. " He turned to the four old men. "I tell you all that this is folly. I will not be a part of it any longer. You may have your geis, but this Trevallyan will not take part in it. "
"My son! Look at the cross!" Drummond cried out, holding the Celtic amulet to the fire once more. It released an ethereal purple glow.
" 'Tis all in our minds!" Trevallyan shouted, adamant that they were seeing things that weren't there. He thrust the baby back into Grania's feeble arms and exclaimed, "I tell you, all of you, I will not go along with this any longer. You're asking me to wait almost twenty years for a bride— to wed a woman I don't know and might end up despising. I will not do it. "
"Ye have no choice, my lord. " Grania's voice sang above the thunder and rain overhead. "The geis will be fulfilled by yer will or not. If ye defy it, ye will suffer. The English did not take our lands without a price. This is the price of being a Trevallyan. "
"All of you are mad. "
"This is not something that must be done now, Trevallyan, " Father Nolan said, his frightened gaze darting to the glowing cross. "You've many a year to get used to this arrangement. "
"There is no arrangement and there never will be. The Trevallyans will not pay for the land by my blood. I swear upon my grave that I'll be wed within the year and that my own children will be not much younger than this babe!" Thunder cracked overhead, making his words even more foreboding than they already were.
"My lord, don't do it!" Father Nolan begged, the rain drumming down upon the thatch overhead like Armageddon.
" 'Twas our fathers that bade us participate, Lord Trevallyan. 'Tis not something to be dismissed lightly. This has been generations in the making!" Maguire interjected.
"I will not go along with this. I shall marry the first woman I fall in love with, and this babe will play with my children. " Trevallyan took one last look at the black-haired newborn wailing in Grania's arms, then he swung his cape around his shoulders and departed in the storm for the waiting hack.
"My God, what will happen to the boy?" Drummond wondered aloud when the door slammed.
" 'Tis surely tragedy waitin' 'round the corner, " Maguire moaned.
"I'd hoped he would choose to avoid the future I have seen for him, " Grania whispered.
"The Trevallyan destiny has always been a dark one, " said Father Nolan.
"He has chosen his path. "
Ashen-faced, they looked to Griffen O'Rooney.
O'Rooney only nodded and clasped his palsied hands. "So be it."
PART TWO: The Gimmal
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea...
EDGAR ALLAN POE (1809-1849), "Annabel Lee"
Chapter 5
COUNTY LIR 1841
H e's a warlock! He sits up
"I came here because of the geis, Lord Trevallyan, " Peter Maguire said, his voice quiet and full of respect. "My father instructed me on the geis when I was a young boy. He pledged my secrecy. If this is a hoax, I played no part in it. "
" 'Tis not a hoax, Lord Trevallyan, " Grania answered, the babe squalling in her arms. "I have foreseen the future. I knew ye would come here this night. The geis must be fulfilled. "
"And how is that to come about?" Trevallyan scoffed. "Would you see me wed to this babe? Is that how you see it? Bloody hell, I will. "
"Take her, my lord. Hold this precious babe in yer arms and think no more of the geis for now. " Grania thrust the newborn into Niall's arms. Trevallyan took the child, if only to keep her from being dropped on the hard earthen floor.
" 'Twill be a while before ye wed, my lord. I have seen it in my visions. If ye ignore the geis, tragedy will follow. " Grania hobbled over to the hearth and stood by the fire, as if the damp and cold bothered her old bones.
"Old woman, " Trevallyan whispered, struggling with the wailing baby. "All of you. " He turned to the four old men. "I tell you all that this is folly. I will not be a part of it any longer. You may have your geis, but this Trevallyan will not take part in it. "
"My son! Look at the cross!" Drummond cried out, holding the Celtic amulet to the fire once more. It released an ethereal purple glow.
" 'Tis all in our minds!" Trevallyan shouted, adamant that they were seeing things that weren't there. He thrust the baby back into Grania's feeble arms and exclaimed, "I tell you, all of you, I will not go along with this any longer. You're asking me to wait almost twenty years for a bride— to wed a woman I don't know and might end up despising. I will not do it. "
"Ye have no choice, my lord. " Grania's voice sang above the thunder and rain overhead. "The geis will be fulfilled by yer will or not. If ye defy it, ye will suffer. The English did not take our lands without a price. This is the price of being a Trevallyan. "
"All of you are mad. "
"This is not something that must be done now, Trevallyan, " Father Nolan said, his frightened gaze darting to the glowing cross. "You've many a year to get used to this arrangement. "
"There is no arrangement and there never will be. The Trevallyans will not pay for the land by my blood. I swear upon my grave that I'll be wed within the year and that my own children will be not much younger than this babe!" Thunder cracked overhead, making his words even more foreboding than they already were.
"My lord, don't do it!" Father Nolan begged, the rain drumming down upon the thatch overhead like Armageddon.
" 'Twas our fathers that bade us participate, Lord Trevallyan. 'Tis not something to be dismissed lightly. This has been generations in the making!" Maguire interjected.
"I will not go along with this. I shall marry the first woman I fall in love with, and this babe will play with my children. " Trevallyan took one last look at the black-haired newborn wailing in Grania's arms, then he swung his cape around his shoulders and departed in the storm for the waiting hack.
"My God, what will happen to the boy?" Drummond wondered aloud when the door slammed.
" 'Tis surely tragedy waitin' 'round the corner, " Maguire moaned.
"I'd hoped he would choose to avoid the future I have seen for him, " Grania whispered.
"The Trevallyan destiny has always been a dark one, " said Father Nolan.
"He has chosen his path. "
Ashen-faced, they looked to Griffen O'Rooney.
O'Rooney only nodded and clasped his palsied hands. "So be it."
PART TWO: The Gimmal
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea...
EDGAR ALLAN POE (1809-1849), "Annabel Lee"
Chapter 5
COUNTY LIR 1841
H e's a warlock! He sits up
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