The Bride's Curse by Glenys O'Connell Page A

place. In the meantime, convinced she’s about to die at any minute, she’s asking me to bring in her wedding dress. She wants to be buried in it.” Brett’s voice failed him at that thought and he focused on his anger toward his sister in order to stop tears pooling in his eyes.
    “And this dress is the gown you’re looking for?” Kelly prompted.
    “It seems that my sister—” Anger laced his voice now. “It seems that Sasha was a bit short on cash and thought she’d have an advance on what she expects to inherit from Mary by holding a little estate sale through a local auction house. The dress, a lace and silk item from a French designer, was one of the items that were sold. And your name came up as being the person who bought it.”
    • • •
    Kelly had already guessed, from his description, that he was referring to the dress now known as the Cursed Bridal Gown. Obviously, he wanted the dress back, but Kelly needed some time to think about all this. She couldn’t tell him she thought she had the dress, because she’d already sold it to Daria, a woman who knew what she wanted and was unlikely to change her mind. It was a conundrum that needed some thought. “I did buy a vintage gown at an auction in Derry, but whether or not it’s the dress you’re looking for is a moot point. I need to telephone the auctioneer and see if I can find out where the gown I have came from.”
    Brett looked as though he wanted to challenge her on this, but then he shrugged. “Okay, I’ll give you a few days to do that, and we’ll talk again. In the meantime, how about we enjoy the evening?” He reached across the table and pushed back a curl of red hair, then traced her jawline with his thumb.
    The effect was electric—Kelly shivered at his touch and knew she wanted more. At the same time she was just burning to question Brett about the dress’s history. Had it really been cursed? And why? And did she even believe in such things?
    This wasn’t the time, though. They finished their meal and went out into the mild sea-scented evening. Brett reached for her hand and they strolled along Main Street, the breeze from the bay ruffling their hair and clothes, and awareness sparking between them. There was no need to speak as they just enjoyed the moment. When the breeze grew stronger and colder, Brett slipped off the jacket he was wearing and wrapped it around her shoulders.
    A gentleman!
Kelly smiled her thanks but grew somber as she warned herself not to enjoy being wrapped up in his warm scent too much. After all, they hardly knew each other and in her experience even long-term relationships could shatter easily enough.
    “It’s getting late, so let me walk you home.”
    “My place is right on the edge of town, too far to walk in the dark,” Kelly replied. “But if you want to follow me in your car, perhaps you’d like to stay for a coffee before you head back to Derry? I’m actually on the coast road, so it’s not going out of your way.”
    “Red, I’d be happy to go out of my way for you.”
    Kelly all but growled. “How many times do I have to warn you about that nickname? Just remember, it’s lonely out where I live, and the sea … well, accidents happen.”
    “Now you’re scaring me.” He looked anything but scared, Kelly thought. There was a masculine strength about Brett that suggested there wasn’t much that would scare him.
    “I seriously doubt that.”
    They parked on the laneway outside her house and were just walking on the garden path toward the front door when Kelly saw a bright shadow ahead of them, and a sharp pain lanced through her skull. She cried out, grabbed at her head, and slowly crumpled to the ground. Then she was falling, falling as shots rang out all around her under the hot desert sun …

Chapter Five
    The world had turned white, completely white, and was so bright it made Kelly’s eyes burn. Was she dead? Was this the famous white light people talked about? She tried wriggling