An Irish Mystery--Part One--Lenora Worth

"Patrick, you have to come home. Immediately."

Patrick Mulligan stared up at the crumbling walls of Shamrock Castle, the sound of ocean waves crashing behind him while memories of his mother's plea crashed inside his head. He'd come home from the chaotic life of a reporter in New York to the quiet, quaint countryside of Western Ireland to find out the truth and to hopefully find the brooch that had belonged to his mother Emily. Someone had stolen the beautiful golden filigree brooch that had been passed down from generation to generation through the brides of the Mulligan clan. And that same someone had broken Patrick's heart. Patrick kept his eyes trained on the turret room, where he'd met and fallen in love with green-eyed, red-headed Caryn. But they'd never had their wedding day and he'd never seen his bride wearing the fabled piece of jewelry on her wedding dress. Because instead of waiting for him to return, Caryn had taken herself off on her own grand adventure. And she'd used his grandmother's precious brooch to finance her trip.

"I'll always love you, Patrick.We'll always be together soon. I love you. And I'll wear this brooch on our wedding day."

"I have so many dreams, Caryn. I want to make a life with you in New York. I want to have a big family like your family. We'll be happy. I know I can make you happy."

His smile bittersweet, Patrick remembered how Caryn, who had come from America to visit relatives in the village, had managed to sneak into the ancient ruins of the castle and find her way up to the turret room. He'd been walking across a field, intend on going up to his secret place to write in his journal and dream about going to New York. But when he saw the pretty young woman standing in the arched window, looking like a trapped princess, Patrick had lost his heart forever. It had been as if he'd seen a brilliant rainbow and gone over the top to find a pot of gold.

But time and circumstance had changed all of that. Patrick had been filled with wonderlust and so off to America he'd gone to make a career in journalism. He'd hoped Caryn would return to America, too, and join him there, but immediately after he'd left with plans to attend college and meet back up with Caryn in New York so they could be together again, his true love had disappeared, along with the brooch he'd given her as a token of his love. Patrick tried to find Caryn in America, but her family refused his phone calls and he had no other leads. Why wouldn't she come back home the big Irish family she loved so much? Why had she abandoned him? And why had she used his treasured token of love to run away? That had been ten years ago. Since then Patrick had finished college and gone on to become a determined reporter.

When his mum had called him a few days ago to tell him that Caryn was back in the tiny village by the sea and needed to see him right away, Patrick had immediately hopped on a plan and come home to Ireland. He needed answers; he needed to see Caryn again. He was a reporter and a journalist, after all. And reporters liked to get to the bottom of things. Brushing dark bangs away from his face in frustration, Patrick turned from the old castle ruins to the foamy sea that reminded him of Caryn's eyes. He'd find the truth, if he had to climb a rainbow and go to the other end. And ... he'd finally get the answer to the real question that had burned inside his gut for so long? Why had Caryn broken his poor poet's heart?