“A fecking priest hole? I never would have known!”
“Well, at least you’ve found something that Conor knew nothing about,” smirked Rose.
“He’s a wonderful man,” smiled Julia. “Very handsome for his age, don’t you think?”
“Lass, if you’re trying to convince me of the good qualities of Conor Laughlin, you’re a wee late. I’ve been single my entire life because the only man I ever loved married another woman. A good woman, by the way. She was taken too soon from him. Nevertheless, I sat on the sidelines.
“His sweet son, Sean, he would come and see me often, talk to me, read with me. He always made sure I was nearby. I appreciated that more than he’ll ever know.”
“He gave you a rousing vote of approval to his father,” laughed Julia. Rose laughed with her, nodding.
“Well, I believe all things happen in their time. I know the Laughlin’s have sometimes been seen as fierce, bullies, maybe even Irish mafia. I’ve never seen that side of them. They’ve helped more neighbors than I can count and they’ve always been there for me and my family.”
“Same,” nodded Julia. “They were great friends to one of my dearest friends, Katarina English. She’s an attorney on our team back home.”
“Look,” whispered Rose as she pushed the door completely open, shining the flashlight into the room. She stepped inside, feeling along the wall, hoping for a light switch but there was none. Instead they lit the two candles, dusty but still viable, that were on the shelf.
Along one wall was a narrow wooden bed with a dusty mattress and cover. It looked as though the mice had enjoyed some time here at one point. There was a shelf with a number ofbooks and a nightstand that had a pitcher and cup waiting for its owner.
“This is incredible,” whispered Julia. “I’ve never seen anything like this. It looks like it could have been a child’s playroom at some point or maybe a maid’s room.”
“Are you feelin’ any ghosties?” asked Rose.
“None other than those that should be here,” she smiled. Julia ran her fingers along the bindings of the old leather books.
The first was a bible. She opened it, fanning the pages to be certain she didn’t miss anything. The next four were books about wildlife, plants, and trees. She fanned those as well, finding nothing except pressed flowers between the pages.
“I’m not finding anything,” said Rose lifting the mattress one more time just to be sure her eyesight hadn’t fooled her.
“Wait,” said Julia looking at the bed as she lifted the mattress. “What’s that?”
“What’s what?” asked Rose. Julia pointed just below the bed seeing another book. “It looks like a bible. Not unusual considering the room we’re in.”
“But there’s already a bible on the shelf. Why have two? Who would have two? Those books were expensive. No priest could afford two of such fine quality.” Julia knelt beside the bed, pulling the leather-bound bible from its hiding place. Standing, she thumbed through the pages and stopped.
Pulling out a folded piece of paper, she opened it and stared at the drawing.
“Julia?” whispered Rose. “Julia, what have you found?”
“I think we need to speak with the men.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“A priest’s hole,” said Conor shaking his head. “I can’t believe it. Then again, there would have been no reason to believe there was need for one here. What did you find?”
“Bibles. Plural,” said Julia. “One had nothing in it but the other had a folded drawing.” She held it up and they all frowned at the sight.
“Castle O’Shan,” said Joseph. Julia nodded.
“Not just the castle. The tower that the woman told you about. Look at it. There’s a man’s figure in the window but it’s skeletal. Not completely but almost. This drawing is dated August 1691.”
“The year O’Shan allegedly died,” frowned Sean.
“Exactly. If he was sick, sitting in that window and the priest saw him, perhaps he didn’t want anyone to know he was sick. The priest wrote on the back of the drawing in Irish Gaelic. Rose translated it for me.
“I thought I was truly going mad as I saw the man in the window. I’d been summoned to the castle by the local priest, asking me to give strange blessings and perhaps even an exorcism, my specialty.
“The guards refused me entry but I persisted, sprinkling the holy water along the sides of the keep. I could feel the evil, the heaviness in this dark place. The stories from the local villagers seemed unbelievable but having stepped foot on the land, I believe it all.
