Search for the Crystal Key (A Continuation of Dark Escape)

Chapter 2

The storm ceased sometime during the early hours just before sunrise, leaving behind it mini mountains of icy snow to be removed before her home could run at its normal pace.

Tara sighed. Winters in Manhattan were so much easier. She couldn't have imagined such burdensome weather and was therefore not totally prepared for it. She was grateful for the good sense she exercised in following Maggie's suggestion to purchase the small tractor with a snow plow attachment. A cold reminder of her friend, the valuable piece of equipment was left dormant since the day it was delivered.

Today it would make its debut.

She'd programmed her coffee maker prior to going to bed and wafts of the dark liquid's rich aroma lured her out from beneath the warm security of her goose down comforter. She hated the cold and often wondered why her crazy ancestors settled in the north. Even if they had come from a cold climate, surely, they could have acclimated to the warmth of the south had they given it a chance. She dreaded the air that awaited her outside her covers. She'd have stayed in it all day if she hadn't had duties and responsibilities. They forced her to brave the brisk air of the large, poorly insulated rooms of the great house.

She'd just reveled in her first sip of coffee when the telephone rang.

She rushed to answer it, hoping it was Dennis calling to tell her he was on his way. He'd urged her to join him on his vacation down south, but she neither felt the inclination to go, nor was she as free as she was when she boarded Sugar elsewhere. Now, if she wanted to go somewhere for any length of time she had to hire someone to look after her mare, her kittens, and her house. She wasn't up to entrusting people she didn't know with her most precious possessions. After her nightmare with Dominic, her trust level was exceedingly low.

Looking at the after effects of the horrendous storm, she wondered if leaving Manhattan was the wisest thing. She wasn't a farm girl and didn't profess to have any skill with something as formidable as a tractor and snow plow. The thought of having to sit on the mini-monster and maneuver it through the thick blanket of heavy, crystallized precipitation that went on for as far as the eye could see was horrifically intimidating. She fervently hoped that it was Dennis calling to tell her he'd returned early from his trip.

"So, how goes it out there in no man's land?" Mitch's sarcastic tone of voice that accompanied the equally sarcastic remark grated on her already frazzled nerves. "I understand you had a whopper of a storm last night. I just called to see how you survived it."

"I hoped you were Dennis," Tara grumbled.

"I see you're your usual sunny self in the morning. No coffee yet?" he sighed.

Having her rudeness so clearly pointed out startled Tara into realizing just how much she'd changed since she moved into her beautiful country estate.

As if reading her mind, Mitch continued, "You know, the Tara O'Shea that I knew and loved would have never been so curt and thoughtless, no matter how she felt inside. She was always the epitome of social etiquette. I'm not sure how I feel about the Tara you've become since you moved to the country. I think the hustle and bustle of Manhattan produced a much more amiable female."

"I'm sorry. I'm not feeling all that great today," she said earnestly. After a moment's silence she added, "I hear you're in love. Congrats."

"I am and thanks. I want you to meet her. I think you two will get along great. She has a lot of qualities you'd like. It's like you two could be sisters or something," Mitch said and then quickly added, "That's not why I'm with her. I love her for who she is. In fact, I asked her to marry me."

"I..." she started before he continued and interrupted her.

"I thought we'd pop out to your place this weekend," he said brightly. "Dennis should be back by then, right?"