It was no more than that, Shannon mused, more than a little downcast. A tiny place with narrowing sloping streets and shops and houses nestled. Charming, certainly, and quaint. And, she thought with an inner sigh, inconvenient. No theater, no galleries, no fast food. No crowds.

A man glanced up at the sound of the car, grinned around the cigarette clinging to his bottom lip and lifted a hand in a wave as he continued to walk.

Brianna waved in return, and called out the open window. “Good day to you, Matthew Feeney.”

“Don’t stop, for Christ’s sake, Brie,” Maggie ordered even as she waved herself. “He’ll talk from now till next week if you do.”

“I’m not after stopping. Shannon wants a rest, not village gossip. Still, I wonder if his sister Colleen is going to marry that Brit salesman.”

“Better had from what I’ve heard,” Maggie said, scooting up to rest her hands on the back of the front seat. “For he’s sold her something already she’ll be paying for in nine months time.”

“Colleen’s carrying?”

“The Brit planted one in her belly, and now her father’s got one hand around his throat and the other seeing the banns are read. I got the whole of it from Murphy a night or two ago in the pub.”

Despite herself, Shannon felt her interest snagged. “Are you telling me they’ll force the man to marry her?”

“Oh, force is a hard word,” Maggie said with her tongue in her cheek. “Encourage is better. Firmly encourage, pointing out the very reasonable choices between marriage vows and a broken face.”

“It’s an archaic solution, don’t you think? After all, the woman had as much to do with it as the man.”

“And she’ll be stuck with him just as he’s stuck with her. And the best of it they’re bound to make.”

“Until they have six more children and divorce,” Shannon said shortly.

“Well, we all take our chances on such matters, don’t we.” Maggie settled back again. “And we Irish pride ourselves on taking more of them, and bigger ones than most.”

Didn’t they just? Shannon thought as she lifted her chin again. With their IRA and lack of birth control, alcoholism and no-way-out marriages.

Thank God she was just a tourist.

Her heart gave a quick lurch as the road narrowed. The winding needle threaded through a thick tunnel of hedge planted so close to the edge of the road the car brushed vegetation from time to time. Occasionally there was an opening in the wall of green, where a tiny house or shed could be viewed.

Shannon tried not to think just what might happen if another car came by.

Then Brianna made a turn, and the world opened.

Without being aware of it, Shannon leaned forward, her eyes wide, her lips parted in surprised delight.

The valley was a painting. For surely it couldn’t be real. Roll after green roll of hill unfolded before her, bisected here and there by rock walls, sliced by a patch of brown turned earth, a sudden colorful spread that was meadows of wildflowers.