An Irish Romance

By KaitlynRose

Disclaimer: I don't own Days. I am not profiting from this story. It is for entertainment purposes only.

Author's Notes: This story begins after Lucas, Sami, and the boys return from the War Zone. Lucas has told Sami that he still loves her, but he can't trust her, so he can't be with her. After that I take this story on a new direction. Please forgive me if I have at anytime messed up the history of Shawn Brady Senior as given to us from Ken Cordy. For the life of me I can not remember much of his back story other than he is from Ireland. On another point, I've never been to Ireland but I tried to do as much research as I could for this little story of mine. Now that I've hopefully covered my but, I hope you enjoy this little tale.

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Shawn Brady Sr. stood at his counter looking across his small Pub. There sat his darling granddaughter Sami, lost in her own thoughts. She looked so sad, confused, lost even. Gone were her spirit and determination. What sat before him was a lass who's heart was broken, who's whole world had come crumbling down, and for once she didn't even seem to have any fight left in her.

Shawn shook his head and felt a surge of anger boil up in him. Sami had been through so much in her young life, too much, in fact. This latest escapade, this so called story of her sleeping with Brandon, he didn't buy it, not for one moment. He knew his granddaughter loved Lucas, loved him with all of her being, and she would never have betrayed her man in such a way. Now there was this nonsense of Marlena being pregnant with Roman's child, yet they were still married to other people and he knew Sami would never get her wish of having her parents back together. All this pregnancy did was complicate her life that much more.

He was also upset with his son Roman. He wanted his son to be happy, but how he could marry Kate was dumbfounding to him. Kate wanted to destroy Sami, and yet Roman married a woman who would gladly stick a knife in Sami's back if given half a chance. He didn't know if she had set Sami up to be in bed with Brandon, but he didn't trust her, especially after he heard what happened with Shawn D. He knew Kate had called the judge, he agreed with Hope a hundred percent on that.

It seemed the world was out to get Sami, and after a lifetime of fighting to stay ahead of it, she was suddenly losing. He made up his mind. He needed to do something to help the girl he loved so much. He wasn't blind, he knew Sami had done some terrible things when she was younger, but she had grown a lot the last couple of years. He actually credited Lucas for a lot of that, which made losing him that much harder for Sami.

He thought about what he should do. He knew she needed money. He could help her with that. He smiled to himself as he thought about his bank account. The people of Salem would probably be shocked at how much money was in it. True, money had been tight when his children were young and living at home, it wasn't cheap to feed and cloth four children, but his kids had been grown for a long, long time and he and Caroline had lived a pretty simple life. So over the years the money had just been accumulating in the bank. He could have retired years ago, but that just wasn't the Irish way. No, as long as he was healthy and his old body could still move he would work. Besides, what would he do all day if he didn't have his pub and his customers to talk to? He'd be bored to death.

He had led a good life since leaving Ireland. Still, he missed his old home, even after all these years. He hadn't wanted to leave, but it was necessary at the time. He had been a bit of a wild one back in the day, and had made an enemy or two. Of course that was no longer a problem. He had heard a few years back that both of the men who hated him had passed away. There was no reason he couldn't go home now, but his life was now in the States. Suddenly he had an idea. He didn't have to go back to Ireland to live, but he could go visit, and he could take his granddaughter with him. Some time away would be just the thing she needed to begin to heal. "Brilliant," Shawn said to himself.

He stood back from the counter and walked over to the booth Sami was sitting in. She hadn't eaten her chowder, or any of the food he had put in front of her.

"Sami, darling, I need your help," he said as he sat down across from her.

"Of course, Grandpa, anything," she said and graced him with the first smile he had seen in a long time.

"Sami, I'm not getting any younger," he started.

"Grandpa, don't talk like that. You aren't going anywhere any time soon," Sami said sternly. She couldn't bare the thought of losing Grandpa Shawn. He was the one family member she had that loved her unconditionally. No matter what she did, she knew he would continue to love her.

"I'm not planning on going to the pearly gates anytime soon," Shawn chuckled, "but there's no denying that these bones of mine are getting pretty old. I want to do something. It's something I always thought I would do with Caroline, but well, sometimes the Lord has other plans for us."

"What do you want to do?" Sami asked. "I promise to help."

"I want to go home," Shawn said.

Sami's brow creased and she was momentarily confused. "Grandpa, you are home."

"No, lass, I want to go home to Ireland. I know Will is gone for the summer, so I was thinking that maybe you would go with me. How about it, Sami, me and you, gone for a month or so, traveling over the green hills and valleys of Ireland?"

"Grandpa, I…I can't. I don't have the money to go flying to another continent. Besides, my life is a mess at the moment. I need to try and fix things, get back on me feet as they say."

"Sami, I would really appreciate if you would do this for me. I would like to see Ireland once more before I die. As for the money, I have that covered. I can easily afford to pay for your trip, for that matter I can even help you get you feet back under you when we return. I think it's time I took on a partner with the Pub. Now that your grandmother is gone, running this place by myself is getting a bit difficult."

Sami was stunned. Her grandfather was offering to make her a partner in his business. "Grandpa, I'm…I…wow…I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll go to Ireland with me. Make an old man happy. Besides, this will be as good for you as it will be for me. I think some time away from Salem would be the best thing for both of us. I know the past year has basically knocked you for a loop, and Lord knows losing my Caroline almost was more than I could bear."

Sami reached across the table and placed her small smooth hand over his large and calloused one. With a genuine smile on her face she said, "I'd be happy to go to Ireland with you."

"Oh thank ya darling. You make me proud."

Sami's eyes welled up. No one was ever proud of her.

"What's going on here?"

Both looked up to see Roman and Kate standing there. Neither Shawn nor Sami had heard or seen them come in.

"Sami has just agreed to go to Ireland with me for a visit," Shawn said. "I want to go back and see my home one last time."

"Are you sick, Pop?" Roman asked.

"No, no I'm just fine. I'm just getting older by the minute is all."

"Are you sure you want to take Sami?" Kate asked. "I mean, who knows what trouble she'll get herself into over there."

Sami just hung her head. She didn't feel like fighting. She was so sick of it. Kate had won, she had lost Lucas, and her broken heart just didn't have the strength anymore.

"Kate, I'll thank you not to come into my home and insult me granddaughter. If you have nothing nice to say then I suggest you leave."

"Okay, let's just calm down and act like adults," Roman said. "Pop, what brought this on? This is the first I've heard you mention of going to Ireland."

"It's something I've been thinking about for a long time," Shawn fibbed.

"Well, wouldn't you rather have me or Bo go with you?" Roman asked.

"No, I wouldn't. I think Sami is the perfect person to take with me. I think she would enjoy seeing where the family comes from, and meeting some of her distant relatives."

"We still have relatives over there?" Sami asked.

"Mercy yes," Shawn said. "Plenty. We even have a castle. Mind you it's just a little one, but it still stands to this day. I haven't seen it in almost fifty years, but I know it is still kept up immaculately. In fact the family has been asking for me to come back for some time to take care of a few things." That part was actually true.

"I never knew any of this," Sami said. "This is incredible."

"See, I knew you were the perfect person to take. I knew you would appreciate learning more of your history."

Lucas and Shawn D. entered the Pub. Sami's eyes went wide for a moment before turning to look back at her grandpa. Kate took advantage of the moment.

"So, Shawn, how long will you and Sami be out of the country?" Kate said loudly.

"I was thinking at least a month, longer if Sami is okay with that?" Shawn answered.

"Will doesn't come home for six weeks. We can stay over there until then if you like," Sami said.

"You're leaving for a month and a half?" Lucas gasped. "I mean, you just got back."

"I know that," Sami snapped. "But it's not like I have any reason to stay here!"

"Pop, you can't leave for six weeks. What will happen to the Pub," Roman asked.

"I'll close it up while I'm gone. That's one of the perks of owning your own business," Shawn said simply. "Sami, go home and start packing. I'll call and get us some plane tickets and we'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Wait," Lucas said. "Where are you going? How…how do I get in touch with you should Will, you know, need you or something?" He couldn't believe Sami was going to leave for six weeks. Even though he had dumped her somehow the knowledge that she would be gone, really gone, upset him.

Shawn Sr. smiled to himself. Lucas still loved Sami. It was plain as day. Maybe he could help get the two of them back together.

"Don't worry, Lucas," Shawn said. "Once we get to the castle we'll give you a call and give you a number to keep in touch."

"Castle?" Lucas questioned. "What castle?"

"The one the Brady's own," Sami told him as she stood up to leave. She gave her Grandpa a kiss on the cheek and a quick wave to everyone as she hurried from the restaurant. She felt pleased, very pleased. Her grandfather had made a point of singling her out from the rest of the family and she appreciated that more than anyone would ever know. She truly was looking forward to a great adventure and getting to know more about her ancestors and such, plus, it was obvious that Lucas was truly upset over her leaving. What was that old saying, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder?' She would make a point of taking pictures and writing Lucas to let him see how much fun she was having without him, making him miss her all that much more.

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Lucas paced back and forth in his apartment. This was crazy. Why should he care if Sami was going to Ireland? Let her go. His life would be a lot less complicated once she was gone. Yeah, six weeks of peace and quiet. It would be nice. His eyes caught a photo on the table. He picked it up and ran his finger over Sami. Six weeks without Sami. Ah hell, who was he kidding? He still loved her. God help him, it was true. He still wanted her now as much as he did before the wedding, but he couldn't trust her. He doubted if he would ever be able to trust her ever again.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Great, his mother was probably her to gloat over Sami's leaving. He opened the door and was surprised to see Shawn Sr. standing there.

"Oh, uh, hello," Lucas stuttered.

"May I come in?" Shawn asked.

"Of course." Lucas stood back and allowed Mr. Brady to enter.

"Lucas, I'm not going to beat around the bush. My granddaughter loves you with all of her heart and from what I've seen, you love her too."

Lucas let out a deep sigh as he shut the door. "I love her, but it doesn't matter any more."

"Are you daft? Since when does love not matter?"

"Since Sami slept with Brandon," Lucas said firmly.

"Sami never slept with Brandon!"

"Did she tell you that?" Lucas asked, his anger starting to grow. He could just see Sami now going to her grandfather and getting him to plead her case.

"No, she doesn't have to. I know my granddaughter, faults and all. I know she schemes, I know her past as well as you do. I also know that every action she has ever done she did out of love, even when they were wrong. Sami fights to hold on to what she loves, and she loves you. Her whole life she has wanted to be married, and she was one day away from marrying the man that she loved."

"I know what I saw," Lucas replied. "She was naked in bed with Brandon."

"And she has no memory of how she got to be that way. Someone did something terrible to my granddaughter, and when she needed you more than ever, you turned your back on her."

"I understand what you are trying to do," Lucas said, "but it isn't going to work. Sami cheated on me and I saw it."

"Sami would never cheat on anyone she loved. The girl is loyal to a fault. Marlena cheated on her father and it destroyed her. Franco cheated on her and it almost wound up getting her executed for something she didn't do. Brandon cheated on her and it got her sent threw a set of glass doors, nearly killing her in the process. Sami would never do something that has such terrible consequences to you, and more importantly, she would never force Will to endure the pain she endured as a child. If you love her as much as you claim to, you would know that too!"

Lucas sat down hard on the couch, dropping his head into his hands. "I know what you say makes sense," Lucas conceded, "but I still saw what I saw. Every night when I close my eyes I see Sami lying on top of Brandon. Do you think this is any easier for me than it is for Sami?"

Shawn had a seat next to Lucas. "Do you believe Sami loves ya?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe Sami wants to spend the rest of her life with you?"

"Yes."

"Do you still love Sami?"

"Yes, more than anything."

"Then why are you fighting your own feelings? You already know in your heart the truth. Stop listening to your eyes or your head and start listening to your heart. My Sami loves you. She wants you. She would never betray you. End of discussion."

"It's not that simple," Lucas said.

"Sure it is," Shawn replied.

"Listen, it doesn't matter at the moment anyway. You and Sami are leaving for the next six weeks!"

"Yes we are, and you could to if you want to," Shawn said.

"What?"

Shawn reached into his pocket, pulled out a plane ticket and handed it to Lucas. Lucas looked at it and saw that it was a ticket to Ireland leaving tomorrow at six in the morning.

"I don't understand," Lucas said.

"It's simple, I am inviting you to go to Ireland with us."

"Does Sami know about this?"

"No, she doesn't, and I would like for you not to tell her until she sees you at the airport tomorrow morning. Furthermore, if you decide to go, I do not want you to tell your mother where you are going or with who. Make up a story, but do not tell her you are going to Ireland with Sami for six weeks. I don't know if your mother had a part in what happened to Sami, but I'm not taking any chances with my granddaughter's health or safety. She's been through enough."

"Shawn, this is a bad idea." He started to hand back the ticket.

"Just keep it. As for this being a bad idea, I think it is a perfect idea. You and Sami away from all family, both hers and yours, except for me of course. You two will have six weeks in a medieval castle to figure out what your future will be. Either you are meant to be together, or you will realize that you should just be friends while you continue to raise Will."

"What is the deal with this castle? I mean, I never would have thought…who are you exactly?"

"I'm Shawn Brady, owner of the Pub, maker of the best damn clam chowder there is. As for the rest, let's just say that story can wait for a while."

Lucas recognized the playful, sneaky smile on Shawn's face. It was one Sami had made many times. He stood up and headed towards the door.

"Oh, by the way, make sure you pack some sweaters and even a light jacket. It may be summer, but where we're going it's only going to be about 55 to 65 degrees during the day, and much cooler at night."

"I never said I was going," Lucas protested.

"Uh huh," Shawn said. "Be sure to get a good night's sleep. See you tomorrow." With that the older man closed the door behind him and left Lucas still sitting in his sofa wondering how he had lost control of the entire situation.

"Lucas, how on earth do you manage to get yourself into these messes?" he asked himself. He ran a hand through his hair before standing up and walking over to his closet. He gave the door a jerk and pulled out his suitcase. "This is insane," he muttered, all the while stuffing clothes into the bag. "I'm insane!"

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The next morning Sami stood in the airport next to her grandpa. She was excited and sad at the same time. She was looking forward to getting away for a while, yet she was going to miss Lucas. What if he decided to move on with someone else while she was gone? What if instead of missing her he actually found that he liked having her gone? That would be awful. The fear those thoughts caused was so strong that for a moment she almost thought of backing out of the trip, but one look at her grandpa's face and she couldn't do it. He was so excited to be going back to Ireland. She couldn't disappoint him. She could only hope and pray that Lucas wouldn't fall in love with someone else while she was gone.

"Sami, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said automatically.

"Now don't be telling me fibs young lady. I've watched at least a dozen emotions cross your face in the past few minutes. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm just worried that Lucas will move on while I'm gone. What if he falls in love with someone else? Six weeks is a long time."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Shawn said with a smile.

"Grandpa, you don't understand. Kate will be working day and night to find as many single women as she can to throw at Lucas while I'm gone. She'll buy him another wife, just like she did Nicole."

"Sami, you really don't have to worry about that happening, I swear. Look over there," he said calmly.

Sami turned to see Lucas approaching them with a duffle bag tossed over his shoulder and a smirk on his face. She turned back to Grandpa Shawn trying to figure out what was going on.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Lucas is coming with us," Shawn answered.

"What? How?"

"I invited him."

Without warning Sami threw her arms around her grandfather's neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, darlin'. It just seems to me if you and Lucas are to have a chance at all you both need to get out of Salem. Now there is no Kate, no Brandon, no history or past standing in your way. Just be nice to him. Don't goad him, don't yell at him, and don't bring up past actions. Look forward. If he gets mad, just let him blow off the steam and don't take the bait to fight back."

"I won't," Sami said. She knew this was her last chance to make it with Lucas. It was now or never and she wasn't going to blow it.

She turned to look at Lucas as he finally made his way to them. She gave him a big smile.

"Don't get too excited, Sami. I'm here. Personally I think I need my head examined, but I'm here none the less. It doesn't mean that we are back together, and I don't know if we ever will get back together."

"I understand," she said softly. "Regardless of what happens, I am glad that you are coming. Just the fact that you showed up means there is at least a shred of hope, but I promise not to push."

Lucas looked at her, studied her face to try and see if she had any ulterior motives going on. Finally, seeing that she was being sincere he said, "I appreciate that."

"British Airways Flight 914 to Heathrow is now boarding," a woman's voice called over the loud speaker. Everyone picked up their carry on and walked towards the boarding entrance. They handed over their tickets and made their way on to the plane. Sami and Lucas were surprised to see that they were sitting in first class.

"Grandpa, these tickets must have cost a fortune. We could have gone in coach," Sami exclaimed.

"Samantha, I've told you over and over, I can afford to do this. The Pub has been very successful over the years, and your grandma and I lived a pretty simple life. I've just been banking the money for years, letting it grow. Since I can't take the money with me when I die I may as well have a little fun right now."

Sami was still shocked. On top of the trip itself, her grandfather had given her $1,000, which had converted into 893 euros, so she would have her own money for the trip. They were sitting in row 4, seats A, B, and C. Sami ended up in the middle with Lucas on her left and Grandpa on her right. She looked at each man and couldn't help but smile. At the moment she felt so safe, so cared for, even with things still up in the air with Lucas she was comforted by the knowledge that he loved her. He proved he loved her simply by coming.

Lucas stowed her carry on under her seat for her and she made herself comfortable.

"How long is the flight?" Sami asked.

"It'll take about eight hours to reach London where we have an hour layover, then the flight to Ireland from Heathrow only takes about forty-five minutes," Shawn said.

"It'll be night by the time we get there," Sami said.

"Yes, it will be because of the time change. Don't worry, though. Shaymas will be there to meet us when we arrive."

"Who's Shaymas?" Lucas asked.

"He's my nephew. He takes care of the family home. He's been told to expect us."

"Grandpa, I get the feeling that there is so much you haven't told me," Sami said. "Are you some kind of big shot in the family or something?"

Shawn chuckled. "You could say that. Since my older brother passed about ten years ago, I'm now the head of the family."

"What does that mean?" Sami asked. "Does that mean you're in charge of the clan or something?"

"Sami, what are you talking about?" Lucas laughed.

"Well, I saw Braveheart, and they kept talking about the clans."

"Clans are in Scotland," Shawn said. "The Irish don't have clans, but they do have a family patriarch, and at the moment I'm him. I'm currently the owner of the family estate, and when I die it will pass on to the next in line."

"You mean you own the castle we will be staying at?" Sami asked.

"I don't think of it that way. It belongs to the family, but I guess in the legal sense, yes, I own the castle and the lands."

"So who is next in line to inherit?" Lucas asked.

"Well, technically it would be Roman, but I don't think he would see the importance in it, the sense of history or responsibility. That's part of my mission in this trip. I want to visit with the family and make a decision on who should inherit next. I need to make sure that the person who inherits it would put the family first, and not themselves. I don't want anything to be sold."

"Wow, that's a big decision to make," Lucas said.

"Yes, yes it is, but an important one," Shawn said. "Maybe you two can help me make it."

"Of course we'll help," Sami said.

"I'm surprised you didn't recommend yourself to inherit it," Lucas teased. If Lucas expected her to bite his head off, she failed to meet his expectations.

"I doubt I can inherit. For one, I'm not a man. I'm betting this thing goes from father to son or something like that, and two, I don't need the responsibility of keeping a castle from falling into ruins. I wouldn't know the first thing of what to do," Sami explained. "But I am excited to see it. I am very interested in learning about the Brady history. Grandpa, why did you ever leave Ireland? Obviously you loved it, and you were important in the family."

"I wasn't that important in the family. My older brother was to be the head, and then it should have passed to his children. But his boy Robert was killed in a car accident about twenty years ago, and his daughter, Mikayla, was murdered on her honeymoon."

"How awful," Sami said. "Who killed her?"

"They never found out," Shawn said. "At first the blame fell on her new husband, but he was so over come with grief that he committed suicide. He threw himself off the Cliffs of Moher. Its 700 feet down to the Atlantic Ocean below; they never even found his body."

"You don't think it could have been Stephano?" asked Sami. "I mean, did he have it in for the rest of the family like he did the ones in Salem?"

"As a matter of fact he did for a while, but once he followed us to Salem he seemed to focus on our line more than the others," Shawn said.

"Why did Stephano hate the Bradys so much?" Lucas asked.

"Ah, that is a good question, and I don't know the answer to it. I'm guessing that somewhere back in the family the Bradys and the DiMeiras crossed paths and a feud was started, but who started it and over what I'll never know. Lord knows I wish I did. Maybe things could have been smoothed over and my children and my grandchildren wouldn't have had to suffer so much."

Once the pilot gave the signal to unfasten their seatbelts Sami dug into her carry on and pulled out a book to read. Lucas glanced at the cover and saw it was a book on Ireland about legends and myths. Shawn also had a book to read but he couldn't see the cover from this angle. Lucas brought a book, but right now his mind wanted to be left to its own thoughts. He thought about his and Sami's relationship and about what Shawn had said to him the night before.

He was still confused about a lot of things, and still unsure of what he truly believed, but the more he thought about Sami and her cheating on him the more plausible it seemed that she might be telling the truth about being drugged. He didn't believe that his mother had set her up, but maybe someone else had. After all, if she had been after Brandon all along she wouldn't be sitting here right now next to him but off on some plan to get Brandon back in her life. When Sami wanted something, she wanted something, and it was obvious that she didn't want Brandon.

Hours later Lucas groaned. He was losing sensation in his rear end. Even in first class long flights were grueling. Lunch had been a small distraction. Sami had either finished or tired of her book after several hours of reading. Right now she was asleep with her head resting softly on his shoulder. He had tried to sleep but he was wound too tight. It felt so good to have her next to him once again, to smell the soft scent of her shampoo, to feel several wayward strands of hair tickle his cheek, yet he could still see Sami and Brandon together and the thought was tearing him up inside.

Then there was this trip. He was torn about that as well. Part of him still thought he was crazy for agreeing to come, and then part of him was truly excited for the adventure ahead of them. How would Sami be once she was away from Salem? So far she had been genuinely sweet and charming. She hadn't pressured him for any type of commitment or even mentioned their problems. That wasn't like her, to be this calm, but then she would have six weeks to try and work on him he guessed, so there really wasn't a rush for her to start scheming.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts. We will begin descending soon. We will be arriving on time in about thirty minutes."

Lucas was about to wake Sami but stopped when he saw Shawn reach over and fasten her seatbelt for her before buckling his own. Lucas smiled. He wasn't used to seeing someone else looking out for Sami besides him. He frowned at that thought. That was a big part of Sami's problems. No one seemed to care about her or take care of her. She was a diamond in the rough. Beautiful and exotic, sharp and hard, but life had made her that way.

He could still remember the innocent, naïve girl of fifteen that he met years and years ago. She wasn't as pretty then because of her baby fat, but she had had a good heart. She had been so open and trusting long ago. That hadn't lasted long, however. Life had been cruel to Sami. Hell, he had been cruel to Sami, but that was the past and Lord knows he couldn't change it. Maybe he could change the future though. Maybe he could use this trip away from Salem and all Sami's enemies to show her life didn't have to be so hard all the time.

Sami sat up with a jolt when the planes wheels hit the run way. The plane bounced a bit and a loud squeal came from the tires as they made contact.

"We're here?" she asked sleepily.

"We're in London," Lucas told her. "Did you have a good nap?"

Sami let out a yawn. "Yes, I did. Hmmm, I could use some coffee though."

"I'm sure we can fix that soon enough," Lucas grinned. "Although, since we're in merry ol' England we might have to settle for tea."

The plane finally came to a stop and everyone began to depart as the captain's voice came over the speaker thanking them for flying with British Airways.

The three walked to the escalators and went downstairs to get their suitcases from the luggage carousel.

"I don't know about you kids, but I'm starving for some real food," Shawn said.

"Food would be good," Lucas agreed.

"And coffee," Sami added and let out another yawn.

"We only have an hour so let's be quick," Shawn said. He led them to a small airport café. "Well, it looks like real food will have to wait until we get to Wellston." He grabbed some slices of pizza from under and heat lamp. Sami and Lucas each took fish and chips. They walked up to the register to pay.

"What is Wellston?" Sami asked.

"The name of the estate. It's located in County Clair. It's between the town of Kilfenora and the cliffs. It's such a beautiful place, surrounded by rolling hills and wood lands all around."

"You mentioned the cliffs before, where Mikayla's husband committed suicide," Sami said before taking a bite.

"Yes, the Cliffs of Moher. They face the Atlantic Ocean. Those cliffs are famous. To the south is Hag's Head and to the north is O'Brian's Tower. Just before the cliffs is The Burren. I used to play there as a child with my brother and sister. Of course my parents didn't know or they would have had a fit. Its limestone flats on top with hills and grass growing between, but underground is a vast network or caverns and caves, some natural and some man made as people mined the limestone. There is an underground waterfall and streams. To a kid it is a magical place. Now I hear you can't just wander around on your own anymore. You have to go on a guided tour. Hah, like I need a tour guide to show me around my own home."

"You own the Burrens?" Lucas asked.

"No, no, but it's such a part of my child hood that I resent the fact that I can't just go there and walk around freely."

"So is Wellston near the coast then?" Sami asked.

"It's about five miles from the coast, but on horseback that only takes about forty minutes to cover. It's the same for Kilfenora. It's about six miles to the east of Wellston. There was a church closer to the house but father insisted on going to the Cathedral every Sunday." Shawn looked at his watch. "We better hurry up if we're going to make our next flight."

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Two and a half hours later three weary travelers stepped out of the airport in Co. Clair and looked around for their driver. It was dark outside and a gusty wind was blowing. Sami shivered. Her warmer clothes were in her suitcase. She was wearing the jeans and the flimsy ruffled blouse she had on when they had left Salem early this morning.

Lucas saw Sami shivering and wrapped his arm about he shoulders as he rubbed his hand up and down her bare arm to warm her. She gave him a grateful look.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome."

"Ah, there's Shaymus." Shawn waved his hand in the air and Shaymus drove the car to the curb. He hopped out at once to greet them.

"Oh what a pleasure it is to meet you sir!" Shaymus exclaimed. "My mother is so happy to have you home. She has talked my ear off all day." Shaymus grabbed Shawn's hand and shook it vigorously.

"It's good to meet you to. My goodness it has been a long time. The last time I saw you, you were just an infant. Glad to see you've grown into a fine man," Shawn said. "Let me introduce you to my granddaughter. Shaymus, this is Samantha Brady, my son Roman's daughter. This is Lucas Roberts, her friend."

Shaymus clasped Sami's hand and shook it gently. "It's a joy to meet you Miss Brady. The family will be so excited to meet one of their American relatives. You sure are a beautiful lass."

"Thank you," Sami blushed. "It's nice to meet you too, and please, just call me Sami."

"Of course, miss. And hello to you, sir."

"Hello," Lucas said as he shook Shaymus' hand. "Lucas is fine."

"Well, now that introductions have been made let me get your bags in the car and we can go."

"Here, I'll help," offered Lucas.

Sami took a moment to look at Shaymus. He was in his fifties, a bit shorter than Grandpa, and his hair was salt and pepper. His face was weathered. Shaymus obviously spent a lot of time out doors, but even with its deep creases it was a pleasant face, friendly. His clothes were nice but simple. Black pants, a crisp white collar sticking out from under a beige wool sweater.

"Samantha, go ahead and get in the car before you catch a chill," Shawn told her.

"Okay," she said and had a seat in the back of the black old styled car. The car must have dated from the 50's or 60's but it was in immaculate condition. Someone obviously loved this car enough to put a lot of effort into keeping it perfect. Soon Lucas was sitting next to her with Shaymus and Shawn up front.

"So how is the family doing?" Shawn asked.

"They're doing just fine. Things were rough when Uncle Conor died so soon after Mikayla. They said he died of a broken heart since his whole family was then gone. Mother misses him a great deal."

"So Constance is doing fine otherwise?"

"Yes, she is anxious to see you, as is my wife and kids."

"I can't remember your wife's name."

"Moyra. We've been married for almost twenty-five years now. I also have a son named Liam and a daughter, Bridget. Sami, you should be glad to meet her. She's so excited to meet her American cousin."

"I can't wait," Sami replied eagerly.

Shawn continued, "So do you have any grandchildren?"

"No, not yet, but both Liam and Bridget are courting someone, so maybe it won't be too much longer," Shaymus chuckled.

Sami tried to look at the landscape as they drove but it was too dark to see anything except black outlines contrasted against the night sky.

"Wellston has been prepared for your visit. The cooks name is Mrs. Heathcliff, and her husband, Mr. Heathcliff, takes care of the stables. The two maids are Miss Delphine and Miss Lucy. Mrs. Heathcliff is in charge of them. She runs a tight ship as they say."

"We have a cook and maids?" Sami asked.

"Of course," Shaymus exclaimed. "Didn't ya know?"

"I just found out about Wellston yesterday," Sami told him.

"You mean you were never told about any of your family or about the estate here?"

"It's a long story," Shawn said. "One best left for the morning."

Sami had more questions but Grandpa had officially ended the conversation. The car turned right into a long driveway and soon what looked like a large manor home came into view. Many of the windows had light shining through. Then Sami noticed the two towers on the building, one on each side that rose up taller than the rest of the structure. It didn't look like a medieval castle, at least not the one she had created in her mind. It was much warmer looking and more inviting even though the building was made of giant stone blocks and she could see the fortifications along the roof.

She was surprised to see people waiting for them at the door. Shaymus stopped the car in front of the main doors and right away someone was opening the car doors for them.

"Hello, welcome to Wellston," a middle-aged woman was saying.

Lucas stepped out of the car and then turned to offer Sami a hand getting out. She took his hand and held it as she was greeted by her family.

"I'm your second aunt, Moyra, and these are your second or third cousins and my children, Liam and Bridget."

"How do you do?" Sami said. "My name is Sami, and this is Lucas. It's nice to meet you."

"Hello," Lucas said politely. He tried to stay in the back ground but didn't leave Sami's side. He could tell she was slightly over whelmed.

"Shawn, how wonderful to meet you at last! We were so sorry to hear about your loss," Moyra said.

"Thank you, dear," Shawn said. "I know Caroline would have loved to have made this trip."

"Oh my!"

Everyone looked to the main door and saw an elderly woman standing there. She was petite but regal looking in her blue dress with matching jacket and a perfectly coifed silver bun on top of her head.

"Connie!" Shawn cried. He jogged the several steps between them and pulled his sister into a tight embrace. "Lord it's good to see you."

"And you," Constance said. "I thought you would come home after Conor died, but when you didn't I gave up hope of ever seeing you again."

"I'm sorry I was gone so long, but I'm back now. Connie, I want you to meet someone." He took Connie by the hand and led her over to Sami. "Samantha, this is my sister Constance."

"It's wonderful to meet you," Sami said.

"Constance, Samantha is my granddaughter, from Roman."

"My dear, you are so lovely," Constance said. "Welcome to Wellston. I hope you will like it here."

"Thank you," Sami said. "I think I'm going to enjoy my stay very much."

Constance turned to Lucas. "Constance, this is Lucas Roberts," Sami said.

"So is this your husband?" Constance asked.

"Uh, no," Sami stammered. "He's…" What was he? Sami honestly didn't know. Her son's father, yes, but what did that make him to her.

"I'm Sami's fiancé," Lucas finally answered for her. Sami felt Lucas slip her engagement ring into the palm of her hand.

She smiled at him for not only saving her from an embarrassing moment, but also because of the knowledge that he still carried her ring with him.

"Well, Lucas, I hope you enjoy getting to know your future in-laws."

"I'm sure it will be as interesting as getting to know the ones in Salem," he smirked. Only Sami caught the perfectly hidden insult in his words. She gave him a look but he just continued to smirk at her.

"Well, let get you all inside. Mrs. Heathcliff has prepared a light supper for you to have before you retire for the night. I'm sure you're all exhausted from traveling all day."

Everyone followed Constance into the house. Sami could see the looks of happiness and sadness that crossed over her grandfather's face as he entered the home. His eyes moved over every surface, every wall. He glided his fingers over tables and chairs as he walked.

"It's the same," he said. "I was afraid I'd come home and everything would look different, but it's the same."

"Conor was insistent on preserving the past. When a piece of furniture would wear out he would have it reupholstered in the same fabric or sent to a crafts man to repair it instead of replacing it," Constance explained.

Sami and Lucas both took a moment to examine the rooms as they passed. Some of the rooms had rough stone walls while others had smooth plaster walls painted in rich yellows, reds, and blues. The furniture was all antique and chairs and sofas were over stuffed and covered in pillows with bold floral designs. Sami felt as if she were stepping back in time. The painted rooms looked to be from the 1800's while the stone rooms could have been from the time of Camelot for all she knew.

"When was the castle built?" Sami asked.

"As far as we can tell, it was in 1589. Granted it didn't look like it does today," Constance said. "Over the centuries additions were added and in the past century plumbing and electricity were installed, which was not an easy task, let me tell you. Most of the rooms have heat in them now, but there are still a few rooms that are heated by a fire place. The Brady's have been in possession of the estate since 1878, when Gavin Brady was rewarded by the King of England."

"Rewarded for what?" Lucas asked.

"For being a pirate and stealing gold from the Spanish and the French," Constance laughed. "What the King didn't know was that for every two gold coins Gavin gave him, he kept one for himself. He didn't sail the seas to help the British crown, he sailed to make himself rich.

They entered the dining room which was set with formal dishes and silverware. The table was huge and at least twenty chairs surrounded it. Only three chairs had place settings at the moment.

"Shawn, it was so good to see you again. I'll be going now but I'll be back tomorrow so we can talk some more."

"I'd like that," Shawn told his sister. "We have a lot of catching up to do." They hugged once more before Connie and her family left them alone.

"Wion't they be staying here too?" Sami asked.

"No, they live in a manor less than a mile away on Wellston property," Shawn told them.

"So we will be here alone?" Lucas asked.

"Yes. The servants stay in a separate house out back."

"Wow," Sami whispered.

"So what did you think of your relatives?" Shawn asked.

"Uncle Shaymus and Aunt Moyra seem very nice, or second uncle, or what ever they are."

"Aunt and uncle will do," Shawn laughed.

"And Aunt Constance was wonderful. I can't wait to talk to her again. She knows so much history about the family and the estate. As for Liam and Bridget, everything happened so fast I barely even had a chance to look at them. I'm sure I'll get to know them more as the weeks go by. What did you think, Lucas?"

"I liked them," Lucas said. "They're definitely friendlier than some of your other relatives," Lucas laughed.

"That's the truth," Sami agreed with a sigh. Lucas had expected her to defend her family but he realized that Sami no longer looked at her own family with rose colored glasses. It had taken a long time but she finally saw them for what they were, people who continually let her down over and over, people who over looked their own faults yet pointed hers out every chance they got.

"Good evening, Master Brady," said a large woman as she stepped through a swinging door into the dining room. "I'm Mrs. Heathcliff, your cook. I hope you are all hungry. I've made you lobster bisque soup with hot bread. If you like I have roast beef cold cuts if you want a sandwich too."

"I think the soup and bread will be plenty," Shawn said.

"Good," replied Mrs. Heathcliff. She hurried out of the room to fetch the food.

"Master Brady?" Sami chuckled.

"Bah!" Shawn grumbled. "I never was into all those formalities. That was more Conor's style. He enjoyed being to the manor born. I preferred hanging out with the field hands and our old cook, Bethany. She was the one who taught me how to make my clam chowder."

Mrs. Heathcliff came back into the dining room carrying a large container filled with a thick soup and a ladle and set it before them. Then she filled each bowl with a generous amount of soup. Sami could tell the older woman had been doing this for a long time. She was on the heavy side but she moved with grace and efficiency. She wore a simple uniform of a black skirt with a black cardigan sweater over a black blouse. Her freckled face had no make-up and her hair was pulled back tight. It was hard to tell her age exactly but Sami had the feeling that she had lived a hard life by the deep lines on her hands and face.

The three ate quickly and spoke little. Each was tired and lost in their thoughts. When the meal was over Mrs. Heathcliff returned to carry out the dirty dishes.

"Master Brady, there are cigars and brandy on the side board if you'd like a night cap before turning in," she told him.

"Thank you. I never took to cigars but a night cap does sound nice. It's been a long time since I've had real Irish liquor."

"If you'll excuse me, I think I'll turn in for the night," Sami said. "Even though I slept on the plane, I'm exhausted."

"Of course, miss." Sami watched the cook pull a cord and in a minute a brown haired girl of no more than eighteen entered the room from the other side.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Delphine, please show Miss Brady and Mr. Roberts to their rooms." Mrs. Heathcliff turned back to Sami and Lucas. "Your bags are already in your rooms. Should you need anything during the night simply pick up your phone and dial 10. The phone will ring in the servant's quarters."

"Thank you," Sami and Lucas both replied. They followed Delphine back through the house and up a grand staircase to the second floor. The staircase cut the house in half with their being and east and a west wing. Delphine led them down the west wing to their rooms at the end of the hall.

The hallway was lined with portraits of her ancestors, there were several swords on display, a family crest, and even a suit of armor stood guard next to the window.

"This is so…weird," Sami said.

"Weird, miss?" asked Delphine. "Is something the matter?"

"No, no, I didn't mean to imply that anything was wrong, it's just that, until yesterday I didn't know anything about this place. To suddenly find myself standing in a castle, looking at a suit of armor, and meeting all these relatives is just…weird. I suddenly feel like a princess or something, and believe me, my life has been many things, but charmed wasn't one of them."

"I see," Delphine replied, but Sami doubted if she really did.

Delphine opened a door and Sami stepped inside. "Oh my God," Sami exclaimed. The room was huge. The walls were painted pale yellow, a roaring fire was burning in a stone fireplace. Thick floral rugs were placed here and there on the floor. Then there was the bed. It was a giant four poster draped in sheer curtains and lace. The bedding was white with large rose flowers, silk ribbons and lace trims . A vase with fresh flowers was next to the bed. Sami hurried across the room to the balcony doors. She pushed them open and stepped out onto the balcony. The air was brisk but the sky was clear and filled with thousands of stars.

Lucas stepped up behind her. "I take it you like your room?"

"Lucas, this place is wonderful. There's so much I want to learn and see." She turned around to face him. The lavish smile left her face and she looked at him seriously. "Lucas, thank you for earlier. You saved me an embarrassing moment and I appreciate it. And don't worry, I know we're not really engaged again, but it does make explaining our…relationship, or…what ever you call it, easier."

"You're welcome, and thank you for not jumping to conclusions," Lucas said. "I still don't know what our future is going to be, but for now let's just take one day at a time."

"I agree," Sami said and gave him a small grin. "Lucas, I know I've said it before, and I know you didn't believe me, and I know I still don't have any proof that what I say is true, but I didn't do what you think I did."

Before Lucas could even respond she walked off the balcony and back into her room. She saw Delphine laying out a beautiful white silk night gown with a matching robe. The cuffs were edged with two inches of delicate lace as was the trim on the lapels. It reminded Sami of something from a Victorian romance novel.

"How exquisite," Sami said as she ran her fingers over the soft material.

"They belonged to the previous lady of the house. I have already hung your clothes in the wardrobe over there. In the other wardrobe you'll find some extra clothes belonging to the last Mrs. Brady. They're quite lovely."

"Thank you for all your help, Delphine. And please, call me Sami. There's no need to call me Miss Brady."

"Okay, Sami. Have a good evening. Mr. Roberts, your room is right next door, if you'll follow me."

"Good night, Sami," Lucas said. He was tempted to walk over and kiss her, but he held back.

"Good night, Lucas."

He left the room trying to picture how beautiful Sami would look in that night gown. "Down boy," he muttered to himself as he followed Delphine next door.

"Excuse me?" Delphine asked.

"Nothing," Lucas mumbled. He stepped into his room and saw that it was every bit as luxurious as Sami's, only this room was a bit more masculine. Instead of lace and flowers the bedding was hunter green with burgundy and gold mixed in. He didn't have a balcony but he did have a large picture window and a fireplace that was already burning.

"Do you need anything, sir?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Good night, then." Delphine stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Lucas sat down on the bed with a sigh. For once he had to agree with Sami. This whole experience was weird. Shawn Brady, Lord and Master of Wellston Castle and all its grounds, and Sami was practically an heiress or something. Yep, it was official; he had entered the Twilight Zone.

------------------------

Later that night Lucas woke from his slumber. The room was dark since the fire had burned itself out. He blinked his eyes trying to figure out what had woken him. Suddenly his room filled with lightning and a rumble of thunder rolled over head. So the thunder had waked him up. He was about to roll over and go back to sleep when an even brighter flash of lightning lit up his room and a vibrating boom roared over head.

"Oh crap," Lucas moaned. Sami was scared of thunderstorms. She would never admit it of course, but she was none the less.

Lucas pulled back the covers and got out of bed. He was surprised by the chill in his room. He was only wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and the cold air brought goose bumps to his arms and chest. He pulled on the terry robe that had been left lying on the chair next to the bed and tied the cord.

A bolt of lightning flashed and this time the thunder over head was so loud and went on for so long that the castle itself shook. Lucas heard Sami scream in the next room. He hurried to the door and entered the hallway just as Sami came flying out of her room and almost crashed into the suit of armor. The next flash of lightning caused the polished metal to glow eerily and Sami cried out in fear once more when the lightning faded and plunged the hallway back into darkness.

"Sami! Sami its okay," Lucas said. At the sound of his voice she turned and threw herself into his protective arms. Sami wasn't crying but she was trembling something fierce.

"Lucas, where are we?" she asked.

He realized she was disoriented from the storm and being in a different place. "We're in Ireland, remember? Calm down, it's just a storm. You're safe. You're safe."

Lucas guided her back into her room and then turned on the bedside lamp. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her in her silk night gown. The white gown came down to her ankles and yet he couldn't remember her ever looking sexier. He handed her the matching lace robe and she slipped it over her bare arms. She jumped when thunder rumbled once more. She had never liked storms, but after coming back from the war zone she was even more frightened of them.

Lucas saw Sami flinch and he put a hand on her shoulder to keep her calm. "Are you okay?"

"I…for a moment…it sounded like the bombs. I'm sorry if I woke you. I understand if you want to go back to bed," she said.

She was giving him a way out of her room, he realized. Sami had promised him she wouldn't push and even though she was scared and the last thing in the world she wanted to be was alone, she was trying to keep to her promise by not forcing him to stay.

"How about I stay until the storm blows over?" Lucas offered. "It already seems to be quieting down. It probably won't last much longer."

"Thank you. That would be nice." Sami sat down on her bed, pulled her knees up to her chin, and hugged her arms around her legs.

Lucas turned away suddenly. She looked so damn beautiful. It was more than just the vintage night clothes. It was her long hair cascading in curls down her shoulders. It was the vulnerable look in her eyes and the relief she showed when he offered to stay for the storm. She had no right to look so vulnerable and virginal, because Lord knows Sami Brady wasn't vulnerable and she wasn't a virgin.

He walked over to the fire place and tossed another log into the grate. There were some burning embers still smoldering from the previous fire so he didn't need any matches. He crumpled up some sheets of paper and set them in with the wood. There was a crackle, then a snap, and it wasn't long before red flames were engulfing the new log.

As he worked he continued to think about Sami. Okay, so she wasn't a virgin, but the truth was, she was vulnerable. She had spent most of her life frightened, lost, and alone. She acted tough, she acted strong, and she acted like she didn't need anyone, but he knew better. He had seen and heard her crying in the night, heard her scream during her nightmares, seen her dissolve into tears after arguing with someone the minute they were gone. He had heard her praying to God when she thought no one was listening. It wasn't fair that she had to endure every thing alone.

But she wouldn't have to be alone if she hadn't slept with Brandon, he reminded himself. He had offered her his protection, his comfort, and his love, and she had betrayed him. At least, that was how it looked. How could Shawn Brady, and Marlena too, for that matter, be so sure Sami hadn't cheated on him? They hadn't been there, but he had.

He stood up and stared at the flames for a minute before he realized there had been no more lightning or thunder. He turned around to tell Sami good night and smiled when he saw her.

Sami was sound asleep. She was lying on top of her covers with her head on her pillow. Her hair framed her delicate face. One hand was lying next to her head on her pillow while the other one rested on her stomach. She looked like an angel surrounded by silk and lace.

His body reacted to the beauty before him and he experienced a longing so strong that it took every fiber of his being not to throw himself on top of her and pleasure her all night long and relieve the aching within him.

"God Sami, do you know what you do to me?" he whispered. He bent down to touch her but stopped when his fingers were a hair's breath from her face. With a sigh he pulled back, turned off the lamp, and walked from her room. He chanced one more look at her. Her skin and hair were illuminated but the glow from the fire place. "Good night Sleeping Beauty," he said as he pulled the door to.

Sami waited a full minute before she opened her eyes to make sure he was really gone. She had heard what he said, had felt his eyes on her body. She just had to be patient. She didn't need to scheme or plot. All she needed was to relax and let time and nature take its course. For the first time in her life she was just going to be an ordinary girl behaving in an ordinary way. Lucas would see that she had changed, and he would love her again. No, he would want her again, for he already loved her. He said he needed to trust her, well, she would make sure that for the next six weeks she was honest and straight forward with him at all times.

--------------------------

The next morning when Sami awoke she felt happier and more relaxed than she could ever remember. She hopped out of bed and hurried over to her closet. She looked at the clothes she had brought with her and sighed. She remembered how Moyra, Constance, and even Bridget were dressed last night. They were all fairly conservative in their appearance. Her clothes were beautiful, but hardly conservative, and for that matter, not totally appropriate for the cooler temperatures. Grandpa had warned her it would be colder here, but she wasn't ready for the twenty degree difference between here and Salem.

She figured the pants and skirts she had brought were fine. The problem was her tops. They all showed a bit too much cleavage and the materials were too thin. She walked over to the other wardrobe and opened the double doors.

"Oh wow!" Sami gasped. Inside were beautiful handcrafted Irish sweaters in a variety of colors, fitted cotton button down blouses and muted neutral tones, a London Fog trench coat, and more Victorian nightgowns. There was also a black dress that reminded her of the one Audrey Hepburn wore in the beginning of Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Under the doors were three pull out drawers. In the first drawer she found wool socks and a collection of scarves, some from Burberry, and others from Hermes. The next drawer held winter scarves, leather gloves, and a small jewelry box. Sami opened the box and found delicate pearls, several vintage brooches, and pearl earrings. The most spectacular item was an emerald necklace that had matching earrings. The emeralds were cut in the classic emerald shape, surrounded by diamonds, and set in what looked to be either white gold or platinum. Sami could tell these jewels were the real thing.

She pulled out the last drawer and saw several pairs of riding boots. Of course, Shaymus had mentioned something about the stables last night. They had horses here. She loved horses. While in Colorado she went horse back riding almost every day.

She took out a white button down blouse and selected a navy blue print Burberry scarf to wear with her own khaki pants. She skipped the high heels she would usually wear and took out her simple brown loafers she had brought for when they went to tourist spots.

Once she finished getting dressed she was surprised by how much she liked the way she looked. She knew she usually dressed a little on the slutty side, but she always felt she needed to if she were going to hold on to her man, but that had never really worked had it? The woman she saw in the mirror looked classic, elegant, but not snobby, just well put together. She was about to put her hair up but decided against it, leaving it loose and natural. Even her make-up ended up looking more natural today, some foundation, a bit of blush, a light brown on her eyes, and a bit of lip gloss. Perfect.

A knock on her door had her calling for the person to enter.

"Good morning miss. I'm Lucy. I've come to make your bed and let you know that breakfast is ready in the dining room."

"Thank you, Lucy," Sami replied. She was about to put away the clothes she had pulled out of the wardrobe.

"Don't mind that, miss. I can attend to it."

"Alright," Sami said. "Thank you."

Sami walked down the hall and then down the stairs. Today she had a bit more time to look at things. The sitting room was large and comfortable. The stone fireplace in this room took up almost the whole wall. She passed the library and saw it was filled with rich woods and masculine furniture. A mahogany writing desk was placed perfectly next to the windows. Tucked to the side was a modern computer on a second desk. There was a billiards room past the library. She could close her eyes and see men smoking cigars, sipping brandy, and shooting pool while talking politics.

Finally she came upon the dining room that she had been in the night before.

"Well good mornin' to ya," Shawn exclaimed. "We thought you were going to sleep the day away." He stood up from the table and gave her a kiss upon her cheek. "Don't you look lovely."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Sami replied with a big smile. "I was exploring my room and the rest of the house just now. The previous lady of the house had great taste." She looked to Lucas and saw him smiling, nodding his head in approval of her outfit. "So what's for breakfast?"

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Mrs. Heathcliff entered the room carrying platters of eggs, rashers of bacon and sausages, a plate of slices tomatoes, a basket of bread, and a bowl of something black and white that Sami didn't recognize. Sami couldn't believe the woman could carry all of that with ease and never drop anything. One by one the items were transferred from her arms to the table.

"I'll be right back with a jug of juice and the coffee."

"Hmm, this looks divine," Sami said and she filled her plate along with Lucas and Grandpa. "What's that?" Sami asked.

"Black and white pudding, it tastes like sausage. Try it, it's very good," Grandpa told her.

Sami took a small spoonful and put it on her plate. For something that looked disgusting it tasted pretty good.

"Grandpa, do we have horses here?" Sami asked.

"Yes, a whole mess of 'em," Shawn replied.

"That sounds fun," Lucas said. "I haven't been riding in years."

"Nothing better than riding across the Irish country side," Shawn agreed. "If you two want we can go after breakfast."

"That would be great," Lucas said. "How about it, Sami?"

"Count me in," she said.

------------------------

Sami found a pair of riding boots that fit and hurried to the stables where Lucas and Grandpa were already waiting and talking to a man that Sami guessed was Mr. Heathcliff.

"Hello," she said as she approached. "You must be Mr. Heathcliff."

"Hello, Miss Brady. I just got a horse saddled for you. She's a good ladies mount. Real gentle."

"Forget that," Sami laughed. "You can take the saddle off of her. The last thing I want is to ride an old nag."

"Do you have riding experience?" he asked. "Horses can be very unpredictable."

"I've been riding since I was a child," Sami said. "I want a horse who likes to run."

"Sami, darlin', I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Grandpa, trust me, I'll be fine."

"Give me a minute to get the saddle off of Nelly and I'll put it on Prancer."

"Prancer, I like that name. It reminds me of Christmas."

A few minutes later Mr. Heathcliff gave Sami a boost up onto Prancer. Before Lucas or Shawn could even get their horses turned around Sami had already kicked her heels into Prancer's side and they were off.

"Sami!" Lucas exclaimed. Part of him was worried, but another part of him was incredibly turned on.

Sami looked over her shoulder. "Catch me if you can!"

Lucas never could resist a challenge. "Yah!" He kicked his horse and laid chase.

"You goin' ta follow them?" Mr. Heathcliff asked Shawn.

"Nah, I think I'll go slowly in the other direction. We'll give the love birds a bit of privacy." Shawn gave Heathcliff a wink and then guided his horse out of the pen wearing a pretty smug look on his face.

Sami felt so alive. The horse under her was sure footed and swift. The wind was wiping through her hair as her horse galloped across the open fields. She chanced a look back and saw Lucas not too far behind her. She kicked her horse into greater speeds and headed for the wood. She slowed down once she entered the trees but still kept a quick clip to stay ahead of Lucas. She dodged this way and that and her smile only grew when she saw the small stream trickling ahead. Gripping tight with her knees she pulled on the reins the way she had been taught and in a swift motion the horse jumped the stream and landed gracefully on the other side.

If Lucas thought he had been turned on before it was nothing compared to the stirrings in his loins when Sami and Prancer jumped the creek. The only thought going through his head was 'What a woman!' Quickly he and his horse jumped the creek and continued to follow Sami through the winding woods.

Sami cleared the trees and saw nothing but open country. In a second it was once more full speed ahead. She listened as the horse's feet would make soft thumps on the grass but then hard clicks when traveling over the slabs of limestone. She realized that this was the Burren grandpa had talked about last night, which meant the cliffs were straight ahead. The Burren seemed to go on forever and ever. She slowed her horse down some to give it a rest. The animal had been pushed hard but seemed to enjoy it as much as she had.

"That's a good girl," Sami said patting the horse's neck. She looked back and saw Lucas still far behind her. She was going slower now. He could easily catch up to her if he wanted to but apparently he was content to stay behind her. "Say, I bet Lucas was impressed with that," she told Prancer. "I don't think I ever told him that I rode horses in Colorado." For that matter, she didn't know Lucas could ride either. He had matched her pace for the entire duration. She didn't see him jump the stream but she bet he did. After another fifteen minutes she finally reached the cliffs.

She dismounted and walked slowly over to the edge. She was about five feet from the edge and found that she couldn't get any closer. She remembered the cliffs in Italy, the one that Kate had caused her to fall over. Something told her if she fell off of this one she would never survive.

She heard Lucas' approach and waited for him to join her without turning to look at him. She didn't want him to see her just yet, not until she got the bad memories under control. She smiled as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"That was quite a chase you gave me."

"You seemed to keep up pretty well," she said.

"Who taught you how to ride like that?"

"My grandparents in Colorado. They owned a ranch. Every day when I came home from school I went straight to the barn. Chores first, and then an hour a day spent in the saddle. I never realized how much I missed riding until just now."

"God, what a breath taking view." The sky was clear, the ocean below coming toward them in big waves. They looked from side to side and saw the cliffs were shaped almost like a folded accordion. From where they stood they could see the waves crash into the base of the jutting cliff next to them.

"I want to see over the side," Lucas said as he let go of her and stepped around her towards the edge.

"No!" Sami grabbed him arm in a death grip. "Lucas, it's too dangerous."

Lucas looked at her funny. "I'll be okay. I just want to get a look at the waves crashing down below."

"No, please Lucas, don't get too close."

"Sami, I'll be okay? Since when are you afraid of heights?"

"I'm not afraid of heights, just very high cliffs!"

Lucas could hear the panic rising in her voice and suddenly he understood. "Oh my God, Sami, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He embraced her tightly and guided her even farther away from the edge. "I'm so stupid. Of course you're afraid of the cliffs."

"Lucas, don't. The past is the past. I'm so sick of talking about it or thinking about it. I just want to be normal and live a normal life, and to do that I have to make a conscious decision to forget and forgive past deeds, ones that were done to me and ones that were committed by me. You need to do the same. I know you have forgiven me for the past, but have you forgiven yourself. Face it; we were both young, both stupid, both selfish, and both being manipulated by other forces. It's time to let it go."

Lucas caressed her face and stared into crystal blue eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Sami Brady?"

"Not funny," Sami said and punched him lightly in the arm.

"Okay, okay, so you are the real Sami. I've just never heard you say anything like that before."

"I've never felt this free, this unguarded, or this safe before. I can't explain it. The minute I stepped off that plane it was like I left the past behind. It doesn't matter here. There's no one here just waiting to yell at me, or insult me, or hurt me. It's a wonderful feeling."

"I have to admit I love seeing you this way," Lucas said. "I think the last time you were this care free and happy you were probably fifteen years old."

"No, the last time I truly felt this at peace I was ten."

Lucas understood immediately. She was talking about when she still thought John was her father.

"Lucas, I am so happy you are here, and not for the reason you're probably thinking, but because honestly, I am having the time of my life and I can't think of another person on the entire planet I would rather have with me right now than you. I know you probably didn't want to, but thank you for coming. I still can't believe Grandpa went behind my back and invited you. I was completely blown away when you showed up at the airport."

"I'll be honest. I had reservations at first, but I'm happy to be here too. Sami, forgive me, I'm not trying to ruin this perfect moment, but look me in the eye and tell me what happened that night. Don't even mention my mother's name. Just tell me everything you remember exactly as it happened."

"Lucas, why? If you're not going to believe me then what is the point."

"Please Sami, just do it." He placed his hands on either side of her face and she met his stare head on.

"I went to the airport to tell Brandon to leave. The horoscope said he was going to ruin the wedding. I called my psychic and she told me what hotel to go to. I found out what his room number was. I went to his room. He offered me a drink from the hotel bottle of wine. I accepted it to try and calm my nerves. I was a wreck from worrying. He had a drink too. The next thing I remember is you pounding on the door. When I opened my eyes and saw where I was and who was with me I thought I was going to die. The last conscious memory I had had me fully clothed and standing upright. You know the rest of the story. Lucas, I swear on my life, I swear on Will's life, I did not voluntarily betray you. I can't explain why I ended up naked. I can't explain why the horoscope was altered. I can only tell you what I do know."

Lucas never broke eye contact with her. Sami's voice never faltered. She hadn't blinked or tried to look away. In that moment he knew Sami was telling the truth. He still didn't think his mother was behind the set up, but Sami was telling the truth.

"Lucas say something. I can see that your brain is working over time, but please speak to me, or at the very least let go of my head," she smirked.

Lucas laughed. He couldn't help it. "Sami, I believe you. I'm sorry it took this long. It's just so hard to take you seriously when you are running around ranting like a crazy person. We both need to work on our communication skills. No more flying off the handle and screaming. From now on we talk, we don't shout."

"Agreed. Obviously you don't think your mother set me up, so who do you think did? Someone went to a LOT of trouble to hurt me in the most devastating way possible. Someone knew exactly how to play upon your fears of betrayal caused by Nicole. Lucas, someone actually sexually assaulted me to break us up. I was drugged, and…and then they…Lucas I was naked." Her voice began to rise and crack as she continued. "What if…I never went to the hospital to be tested. I honestly don't know if I was raped again that night or not." Her eyes filled with tears.

Lucas held her, stroking her back, offering the comfort he had denied her for so long because of his own anger over the situation. After a minute he pulled back to look at her. "Do you think Brandon would have raped you?" Lucas asked cautiously. "Could he have planned this?"

Sami thought for a moment. The thought had crossed her mind previously but she had dismissed it. "No, I don't think Brandon did this. He knows my past, and he feels guilty for cheating on me already. I know he can be violent when he loses his temper, but he's not a rapist. So I'm pretty sure Brandon was a victim too."

"What about Tony? It would have been a piece of cake for him to have pulled this off, even if he wasn't in the country when it happened. He could have easily hired people to do it. He's done a lot worse."

Sami nodded. "It could have been Tony." As she thought about the things Tony manipulated her into doing at Stan in her moment of weakness, he actually stood out as a very good candidate to have done it really. "But while Tony held me prisoner, he had so much fun taunting me about how he watched Kate and Eugenia set me up that it's hard not to believe the psycho. He was just too happy about it. Honestly Lucas, I don't know what to think anymore! I'm just so tired of being hurt, of people coming after me. I just want to be left alone. Live and let live."

Lucas cupped her chin in his fingers. "No one is going to hurt you again. I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, but I swear, no more. However, you do need to listen to me sometimes. I begged you to just stay home. You promised you would. You put yourself in danger and I didn't even know you were in trouble."

"So it's still my fault."

"No! No, I am not saying that. But in the future if you would just trust me once in a while, or let me know when you are about to run off and do something like that, it would help if you let me in on it. I never want to see you hurt again. I never want to lose you ever again." With that said Lucas bent down and covered her lips with his own.

Sami surrendered to the kiss, opening her mouth as Lucas delved deeper and deeper. She returned his kisses as the wind sprayed them with salt water and the waves crashed into the cliffs below. After a very long time Lucas finally pulled back. He raised her hand, the one that wore the engagement ring.

"Samantha Gene Brady, will you marry me?"

"Yes, a thousand times yes." She couldn't hold back the tears of happiness that rolled down her cheeks this time.

Lucas wiped them away with his thumbs. "I love you."

"I love you too, with all of my heart. I've always loved you. Even when I was chasing after Austin, even when I was pursuing Brandon like a crazy person, in the back of my mind its always been you, I was just so intent on hating you that I couldn't see it, couldn't allow myself to feel it."

"Come on," Lucas said. "We need to get back before your grandpa sends out a search party. Plus I'm sure he is anxious to hear we're engaged again."

"He will be. I think he schemed this entire trip to get us back together," Sami said.

"Gee, I wonder where he could have learned something like that from," Lucas laughed. He walked Sami back to her horse and helped her mount her saddle. The return trip back to Wellston was much slower this time as the two talked about their future and about how excited Will would be when he found out.

"Lucas, let's not tell anyone," Sami said. "Please, the last thing I need…we need…is for relatives to start showing up to talk us out of it. The next six weeks is our six weeks. I think we owe it to ourselves to savor them and spend this time just being a couple."

"I agree," Lucas said. "No one in Salem is to find out, not even Will just yet."

-----------------------

That evening everyone Sami had met the day before returned and they brought even more relatives. She met more second and third cousins; she couldn't keep track of all of that stuff. There was Brian, who was 32, tall, dark, handsome, and knew it. She found him to be a bit pompous. Then there was Conor, who was named after Uncle Conor. He was 33 and fair. Conor reminded Sami of Lucas' brother Mike Horton. She liked Conor. He was very nice.

She learned that Shaymus was a stock broker. He helped to maintain the family fortune. Moyra was a stay at home mother even though her kids were now grown. Bridget ran a small flower shop that she simply adored. Shaymus' son Liam was a farmer and currently oversaw the planting that went on at Wellston. He said he loved working with his hands.

Constance was widowed and lived with Shaymus and Moyra. She was the last surviving member of Grandpa Shawn's immediate family. Sami adored the older woman who reminded her a great deal of Alice Horton. She seemed a pillar of strength and dignity.

Finally she met Thomas Donlevy and his son George Donlevy, whom she was currently talking to.

"So how are you related to the family?" Sami asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," George laughed. "I think my father is a cousin to your grandfather or something like that. I can't even begin to count how many times removed. I remember as a child always coming here and playing with Mikayla and Brenton."

"Who's Brenton? I know Mikayla is Uncle Conor's daughter."

"Brenton was her older brother. He's the one who died in a car accident."

"Oh yes," Sami said. "Good grief, I can't keep all this straight. I've just been given too much information to fast," she laughed, shaking her head. "I never knew any of these people existed until just a few days ago."

"So now that you've met them how do you feel?" George asked.

Sami didn't know Lucas and Constance had come up behind her or that they were both smiling when she said, "It's strange but I feel so at home here. I've only been here a day and a half and yet it's like I've lived here all my life. It just feels like home. I adore everyone I've met so far and everyone has been so kind to me. I don't know if I ever want to go home."

"Many people fall in love with Ireland once they come here. It's the magic of the island," George said.

"Samantha I'm so glad to hear you like it here," Constance said.

Sami jumped. "Oh my gosh, I didn't know you were behind me," she laughed.

"Sorry dear, didn't mean to startle you. George, if you'll excuse me I want to steal Samantha from you for a moment."

"Of course," George said.

Sami stood up and smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress. She had put on the pretty black one in the wardrobe, along with the strand of white pearls. She looked very elegant, as Lucas had quickly pointed out to her. She joined Aunt Constance. Lucas was about to walk away but Constance asked him to join them.

"Sami, come with me upstairs. I want to show you something."

"Sure."

The three made their way up the grand staircase and into the west wing. Constance walked a bit down the hall and stopped in front of one of the many portraits that hung on the walls.

"This fellow here is Lucius Brady. He is my great grandfather, your great, great, great grandfather. The woman with him is Lady Catherine. Lucius was the first Brady to take a wife who wasn't Irish. She was British to be exact. Lucius was betrothed to an Irish woman name Morgana back in the early 1800's but Morgana only had a dowry of 2,000 pounds. Wellston was in trouble back then. The crops of potatoes failed to come in that year. When the crops didn't come there was no money for the tenants to pay their rent. Lucius was facing losing the castle. So he left Morgana at the alter and went to England to find an English bride, one with money. He succeeded. Lady Catherine had a dowry of 50,000 pounds. That was a fortune back then. Wellston was saved."

"What happened to Morgana?" Sami asked.

"She killed herself," Constance replied.

"That seems to happen a lot in this family," Lucas said. Constance just smiled. She walked down to the next picture.

"This is Shawn Brady, the man your grandfather is named after. He is my grandfather, the son of Lucius. Shawn witnessed his father's loveless marriage. He saw the cruelty Lucius inflicted on to Lady Catherine. He knew of his father's many, many mistresses. He vowed to marry for love, and he did. The woman with him is Elizabeth McGhee. She was a wonderful woman, adored by all. She gave Shawn two sons, Roman and Nathaniel."

Sami smiled when she heard the name Roman. So now she knew who her father was named after.

"Unfortunately, Elizabeth died while trying to give birth to a daughter. Shawn was destroyed by the loss. He lived another thirty years but he was a broken man. He never remarried."

They moved down to another portrait. "Roman was my father, and your grandfather's father. He was young and full of new ideas. Until this time the estate was still running on a feudal system."

"That's where people rent your land to grow crops, right?" Sami asked.

"Yes, exactly. But my father Roman knew that times were changing. Ocean liners were being built, factories and trains. He had a thirst for the new and the modern. He convinced his father Shawn to send him to America to go to school. He went to Harvard right after World War I. There he met Jack Kennedy."

"You mean President Kennedy?" Sami gasped.

"The one and only," Constance grinned. "Of course he wasn't president yet. He was a college student like Roman. Anyway, Roman became friends with Jack, but the person he really admired was Joe Kennedy, Jack's father. Joe was the patriarch of a large and wealthy Irish family, and he knew how to make money without even trying to make money. Let me tell you, Roman wanted to be just like him. You have to understand the times. Back then many of the people who lived in estates like these were going under. The castles were either left in ruins or donated to the country to be turned into a museum if they could find a benefactor. Even worse yet, some of them were being bought by wealthy American Yankees. Roman swore not to lose his home. He learned about stocks and bonds from Joe, along with other money making schemes that weren't necessarily completely legal. This was during the twenties when everyone in America was making money and becoming rich."

"Didn't he lose everything when the market crashed?" Sami asked.

"No, he didn't. Joe warned Roman that it was time to pull all his money out of the market. Obviously my father asked why, but Joe didn't have an answer. He just told him to do it and do it fast. My father trusted the man explicitly. Two weeks before Black Tuesday all of the stocks were sold and the family fortune tucked away in a Swiss bank account. Roman found himself an American wife, Mary Beth Addison, and then came home to take over the estate once my grandfather finally died. Roman and Mary Beth had three children; my eldest brother Conor, my other brother, your grandpa Shawn, and me. And that's the history of our family, at least as far back as I can remember."

"Thank you for sharing this with me," Sami said. "I don't know if I'll be able to remember everything, but I'm honored to know it."

"Downstairs in the library is a leather bound journal that contains the history of our family, including even more information about more recent members. I've made it my duty to record everything as it happened and to keep a running record of important events. Feel free to read it, and add to it if you like. I am giving it to you."

"To me? Why?" Sami asked.

"Because I want the family history to continue. I want this estate to continue."

"But what about Shaymus, or your granddaughter Bridget?"

"Bridget is a nice girl, but she dreams of going to America. She is more interested in Hollywood than the happenings of Wellston. If there is going to be someone to continue to record our families story after I am gone, it is going to be you. I can see in you a love and honor for the Brady lineage. Yes, you are the right choice." Constance patted Sami's hand as she spoke.

"May I ask why you wanted me to come tonight?" Lucas asked.

"I would have thought that plain as day. You are about to become a member of this family. Now you know as much of Samantha's history as she does."

"Thank you," Lucas said.

Constance nodded. "It's getting late, and I'm getting too old to be up this long. If you two don't mind it's time for me to get Shaymus to take me home."

"Of course," Lucas said. He offered Constance his arm and escorted her back down the stairs. Lucas was touched that Constance had shared this with him. He suddenly understood what Sami was saying when she said this place felt like home. In a very short period of time these people were starting to feel like family to him too.

----------------------

Once the guests were gone Sami kicked off her heels and sat in the sofa. Delphine and Lucy were already starting to clean the mess. Lucas sat on the coffee table across from Sami and picked up her foot and began to massage it.

"God that feels wonderful," she moaned.

"The foot doctor is in the house," Lucas teased.

Shawn had a seat on the sofa next to Sami. "Did you have a nice evening?" he asked.

"Yes, I did. Grandpa, thank you for bringing me here, for sharing this with me. I can never thank you enough."

"Your happiness is all the thanks I need, my darlin' girl. You deserve to be happy. I know life hasn't always been kind to you, but maybe you can find a second chance at life here in Ireland."

"Who knows?" Sami said with a yawn. "If Scarlet O'Hara could run away to Ireland maybe Samantha Brady can too."

"It's definitely something to think about," Shawn stated. He gave her a kiss on forehead and stood up. "Well if you two youngin's will excuse me, this tired old man is ready for bed."

"Good night Grandpa."

"Good night Mr. Brady."

"Now I'll have none of that. You're goin' to marry my Sami. From now on it's Grandpa to you."

"That may take some getting use to but I'll try," Lucas said.

"Good." Shawn finally left the room and headed upstairs.

Lucas looked at Sami. "Are you serious about living in Ireland?"

"I don't know. I could see it. I have tried my entire life to make Salem my home, to fit in with a group of people who don't want me. I've been here all of two days and these people accepted me with open arms. I feel an inner peace here that I've never felt anywhere else."

Lucas ran his hands up her calf and began to massage higher up her leg.

"What about you?" she asked. "Could you see yourself living here, because my home will be wherever you are?"

"You would do that for me?" he asked. "Let me make the decision of where we live once we're married."

"If the choice is between you or Ireland, you win," Sami said with a sigh as Lucas' hands went higher up her leg. She closed her eyes and reveled at his touch.

"Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?"

"Yes, I believe you mentioned it several times."

"Did I tell you how much I liked your dress?"

"Hmm, you said it was very classy."

"And your pearls?" Lucas continued as he massaged higher and higher.

Sami couldn't concentrate any more. Lucas was causing her passions and desires to escalate by the second. She let out a little gasp as his fingers brushed her most private parts. Her eyes popped open and she saw the wicked smirk on his face.

"Don't start something you're not going to finish general," she warned.

"Who said anything about quitting?" Lucas said seductively.

"Then if we're going to continue with this mission I think we should find a more private place before Lucy or Delphine walk in and see something they shouldn't."

"Or heaven forbid, Mrs. Heathcliff," Lucas added.

"Exactly. I don't think she would look too kindly on us having wild and passionate sex on the sofa." Sami grabbed Lucas by the collar and pulled his lips down to hers. The kiss started out gentle but quickly became desperate and hungry.

"Umph," Lucas moaned. "We need to get upstairs and now." He couldn't take it any more. Almost as if reenacting the scene from Gone with the Wind he scooped Sami up into his arms, like Rhett did Scarlet, and carried her up the grand staircase and all the way to her bed.

Delphine and Lucy had waited for the two lovers to leave the room so they could finally go back in to collect the dirty dishes. Neither Lucas nor Sami had heard the girls giggling or seen the longing looks on their young faces as they hid in the kitchen.

To be continued…