"Still, I'd really like to know the rest of it."

He nodded. "I've no doubt o' that. But as it happens, we've arrived." He pulled the car to a stop, and she looked through the windows at a sprawling castle. Not the kind you might see in a fairytale, but more like something out of a nightmare. Its stone was such a dark gray as to appear nearly black in places. There were barred windows in some sections, spikes lining the uppermost walls, towers on either end that stood like menacing sentries.

"Welcome to Castle MacLellan," he intoned as she stared. And then he touched her shoulder. "Dinna look that way, love. 'Tis much nicer on the inside than it seems from without." He got out of the car, came around to her side, and opened her door. "Shall we?"

She got out, and shivered at the cold, wet embrace of the fog. Or maybe it was at the cold appearance of the stone monstrosity in front of her. Or maybe, she thought, it was none of those things. Maybe it was the certainty that she was about to step right into her mother's secrets, and the gut feeling that once she did, there would be no turning back. Not ever. And life would never be the same.

And then Ian took her arm, held her a little closer to his side, and a warmth suffused her, and gave her the strength and courage to walk with him up to the door.

Chapter 3

The woman who greeted her at the door was fat and pink. Those were the two things most noticeable about her, those and her friendly smile. She'd let her hair go silvery, but still wore it in long curls that tumbled unfettered to her shoulders.

She was dressed in a pewter-colored, quilted house coat, and a pair of what looked like ballet slippers.

She gripped Kira's hands in both of hers, beaming at her. "Lassie! Oh, I'm so glad to see you at long last. Welcome home!"

And then before she could reply, Kira found herself wrapped in soft, squishy arms, and pulled into a bosom that could have housed several small children.