by Hope Darby

Created on: June 20, 2009

"You've never been to Ireland before, have you?"

Startled out of her daydreams, Clarissa glanced up and met the pale green eyes of the man standing in front of her. He was smiling, and his face was a map of laugh lines and freckles.

She smiled and answered, "No, I haven't. How did you know that?"

With a grin, the man glanced at the "Beauty of Ireland" guidebook resting on the table in front of her, where it had fallen open somewhere in the middle, forgotten as she had slipped into reverie.

"Oh!" Clarissa blushed just a bit. "I guess it's pretty obvious. Just like, I bet you HAVE been to Ireland before!"

Laughing, the man said, "Now why would you be thinking that?" He scrubbed his hand across the top of his dark auburn hair, the fair white of his skin slashing through the unruly mop. "If I tell you my name is Patrick O'Malley, would it give me away even more?"

Clarissa chuckled. "I would have been disappointed if it was Joe or Steve. Hi, Patrick O'Malley. I'm Clarissa James."

They shook hands, and Patrick flopped down in the seat opposite her. He motioned to the waitress, and asked for a cup of coffee. After the waitress, whose nametag read "Shelly," placed his cup and saucer in front of him, she topped off Clarissa's dark brew.

"So what brings you to Ireland, Clarissa James?"

"You'll laugh if I tell you," she hedged.

He said nothing, just raised a slightly bushy eyebrow, took a cautious sip of his steaming coffee, and waited.

"I want to see dead people."

Startled, Patrick sloshed his coffee over his bottom lip, yelping a bit at the sting of scalding liquid, and then started laughing.

"You've watched too many Bruce Willis movies, love! Are you planning on visiting cemeteries, then?" he asked with a grin that told her he thought she was joking.

"No, actually," Clarissa stated, "I'm going to see Lisheen."

Tilting his head, he said, "Lisheen? You won't find many dead people at that castle, no matter what your guidebooks tell you. You'd do better to rent some movies and stay in your boarding room."

Clarissa leaned forward, pointed at the bulging backpack lying on the ground beside her chair, and said, "Not the castle. The Ruins."

Paling, Patrick asked her, "What do you know about the Ruins? You can't very well drive up to them for a daytrip and come home. Why would you want to go there?"

"Because I want to see them. I want to visit the Rath. I want to experience what everyone has always talked about."

Patrick shook his head, his face still so

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