breath; the contents
were obviously very important to them. Curiosity piqued, Raegan unsealed the
flap of paper at the end, and ran her thumbs down to free the little box
inside, sliding it out gently. Bridey nodded at her eagerly, urging her to
continue; but the mother of pearl clasp was so delicate that she was almost
afraid to handle it. Slowly she eased it open.
Nestling on the black velvet interior was a fine gold chain,
threaded through a translucent pendant carved out of metal and glass. Cradling
it in her hands, she gently tipped the necklace out onto her palm. It felt
warm, which was unexpected, and strangely right; as if it belonged to
her. The glass globe housed a tiny hourglass, perfectly visible within its case
and skilfully crafted. The hourglass was tipped with black on both top and
bottom, gleaming darkly from within the glass case, and contained tiny topaz
beads which appeared frozen in motion; the time had only just begun to tick
down, it seemed.
‘Oh, thank you,’ Raegan gasped. ‘It’s wonderful!’ She put it
on straight away. The pendant hung between her cleavage, tucked underneath her
shirt and resting against her heart.
‘Like I said, it’s a family heirloom,’ Bridey said,
watching her with an unreadable expression. ‘Your grandfather’s clan in Galway
placed great importance on these trinkets, a bit like the people of Claddagh
with their rings.’
Uncontrollably, Raegan’s eyes flicked to Con .
He cleared his throat in answer. ‘When girls and boys reached sixteen it was
tradition for the craftsmen of the village to make these specially; the clan
strongly believed there were mystical properties in the stones that would
protect the young adults from harm as they left their parents’ domain. It’s a
sort of talisman, if you like.’
Raegan’s hands had moved, quite unconsciously, to grip the
pendant. It felt reassuringly heavy in her palm.
‘You may think we’re old fools, Raegan, but we’d like you to
promise always to wear this; Con really believes that it’ll bring you good
fortune. Lord knows, we’ve had enough bad luck to last us a lifetime. We
couldn’t bear for anything to happen to you.’ Bridey’s eyes were glistening; embarrassed,
dabbing at her face with her apron, she pushed her chair back with an abrupt
squeak and hurried back to the kitchen. The clanging of pots and pans soon
filled the room.
Raegan was left with Con; but after seeing Bridey’s tears
she couldn’t meet his eye. A mounting sense of shame prickled at her skin.
‘I don’t deserve this – though I guess after last night you
think I really need it,’ Raegan said in a low tone. ‘I don’t know what I was
thinking! I’m so sorry-‘
‘Enough.’ Con’s voice was quiet but brooked no argument.
‘Your gran has gone to a lot of trouble to make this a happy day. Don’t spoil
it.’
She stared at him, open-mouthed.
‘You were reckless and stupid. But you’re safe, and that’s
all that matters. And it will never happen again.’ There was no question in
Con’s voice. He still wouldn’t look at her.
‘No,’ she whispered.
Suddenly it was all too much. Her head was throbbing, she
was nauseous, and now a pain in her chest – not physical – joined in. The room
was closing in on her. Raegan felt a desperate need to catch her breath.
She stood up in a rush and banged her knee on the table.
Unbeknownst to her Con’s eyes followed.
‘Just going to wash up before lunch,’ she announced, her voice over-bright and unnaturally high.
On the other side of the room, Bridey looked up from where
she was crouched, peering into the oven. ‘I’ll be dishing up in a wee while,’
she said in surprise.
‘Won’t be long.’
***
The mattress creaked loudly as Raegan flopped against it.
After a moment she opened her eyes, hands fidgeting idly
with the pendant around her neck. She couldn’t bring herself to hurry back
downstairs. Her grandparents meant well, she knew that. But sometimes
were obviously very important to them. Curiosity piqued, Raegan unsealed the
flap of paper at the end, and ran her thumbs down to free the little box
inside, sliding it out gently. Bridey nodded at her eagerly, urging her to
continue; but the mother of pearl clasp was so delicate that she was almost
afraid to handle it. Slowly she eased it open.
Nestling on the black velvet interior was a fine gold chain,
threaded through a translucent pendant carved out of metal and glass. Cradling
it in her hands, she gently tipped the necklace out onto her palm. It felt
warm, which was unexpected, and strangely right; as if it belonged to
her. The glass globe housed a tiny hourglass, perfectly visible within its case
and skilfully crafted. The hourglass was tipped with black on both top and
bottom, gleaming darkly from within the glass case, and contained tiny topaz
beads which appeared frozen in motion; the time had only just begun to tick
down, it seemed.
‘Oh, thank you,’ Raegan gasped. ‘It’s wonderful!’ She put it
on straight away. The pendant hung between her cleavage, tucked underneath her
shirt and resting against her heart.
‘Like I said, it’s a family heirloom,’ Bridey said,
watching her with an unreadable expression. ‘Your grandfather’s clan in Galway
placed great importance on these trinkets, a bit like the people of Claddagh
with their rings.’
Uncontrollably, Raegan’s eyes flicked to Con .
He cleared his throat in answer. ‘When girls and boys reached sixteen it was
tradition for the craftsmen of the village to make these specially; the clan
strongly believed there were mystical properties in the stones that would
protect the young adults from harm as they left their parents’ domain. It’s a
sort of talisman, if you like.’
Raegan’s hands had moved, quite unconsciously, to grip the
pendant. It felt reassuringly heavy in her palm.
‘You may think we’re old fools, Raegan, but we’d like you to
promise always to wear this; Con really believes that it’ll bring you good
fortune. Lord knows, we’ve had enough bad luck to last us a lifetime. We
couldn’t bear for anything to happen to you.’ Bridey’s eyes were glistening; embarrassed,
dabbing at her face with her apron, she pushed her chair back with an abrupt
squeak and hurried back to the kitchen. The clanging of pots and pans soon
filled the room.
Raegan was left with Con; but after seeing Bridey’s tears
she couldn’t meet his eye. A mounting sense of shame prickled at her skin.
‘I don’t deserve this – though I guess after last night you
think I really need it,’ Raegan said in a low tone. ‘I don’t know what I was
thinking! I’m so sorry-‘
‘Enough.’ Con’s voice was quiet but brooked no argument.
‘Your gran has gone to a lot of trouble to make this a happy day. Don’t spoil
it.’
She stared at him, open-mouthed.
‘You were reckless and stupid. But you’re safe, and that’s
all that matters. And it will never happen again.’ There was no question in
Con’s voice. He still wouldn’t look at her.
‘No,’ she whispered.
Suddenly it was all too much. Her head was throbbing, she
was nauseous, and now a pain in her chest – not physical – joined in. The room
was closing in on her. Raegan felt a desperate need to catch her breath.
She stood up in a rush and banged her knee on the table.
Unbeknownst to her Con’s eyes followed.
‘Just going to wash up before lunch,’ she announced, her voice over-bright and unnaturally high.
On the other side of the room, Bridey looked up from where
she was crouched, peering into the oven. ‘I’ll be dishing up in a wee while,’
she said in surprise.
‘Won’t be long.’
***
The mattress creaked loudly as Raegan flopped against it.
After a moment she opened her eyes, hands fidgeting idly
with the pendant around her neck. She couldn’t bring herself to hurry back
downstairs. Her grandparents meant well, she knew that. But sometimes
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