The Topaz Brooch
The Celtic Brooch Series, Book 10
Katherine Lowry Logan
COPYRIGHT PAGE
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
An original work by Katherine Lowry Logan. The Topaz Brooch copyright © 2019 by Katherine Lowry Logan
Kindle Edition
Website: www.katherinellogan.com
Editor: Faith Freewoman
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Cover Design by Damonza
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THE CELTIC BROOCH SERIES
The Ruby Brooch
The Last MacKlenna
The Sapphire Brooch
The Emerald Brooch
The Broken Brooch
The Three Brooches
The Diamond Brooch
The Amber Brooch
The Pearl Brooch
Family Trees
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Page
The Celtic Brooch Series
Cast of Characters
About the Author
1. MacKlenna Farm, Lexington, KY—Rick
2. New Orleans—Billie
3. MacKlenna Farm—Rick
4. Barataria, LA (1814)—Billie
5. Flight to New Orleans—Rick
6. Barataria (1814)—Billie
7. New Orleans—Rick
8. Barataria (1814)—Billie
9. New Orleans—Rick
10. Barataria (1814)—Billie
11. New Orleans—Rick
12. Barataria (1814)—Billie
13. New Orleans—Rick
14. Barataria (1814)—Billie
15. New Orleans—Rick
16. Barataria (1814)—Billie
17. New Orleans (1814)—Sophia
18. Barataria (1814)—Billie
19. New Orleans (1814)—Sophia
20. Barataria (1814)—Billie
21. New Orleans (1814)—Rick
22. Barataria (1814)—Billie
23. Barataria (1814)—Billie
24. New Orleans (1814)—Rick
25. Barataria (1814)—Billie
26. New Orleans (1814)—Rick
27. New Orleans (1814)—Billie
28. New Orleans (1814)—Sophia
29. New Orleans (1814)—Billie
30. New Orleans (1814)—Sophia
31. New Orleans (1814)—Billie
32. New Orleans (1814)—Sophia
33. New Orleans (1814)—Billie
34. New Orleans (1814)—Billie
35. The Temple (1814)—Penny
36. Villére Plantation (1814)—Rick
37. New Orleans (1814)—Rick
38. New Orleans (1814)—Rick
39. New Orleans (1814)—Rick
40. New Orleans (1814)—Pete
41. New Orleans (1814)—Rick
42. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
43. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
44. New Orleans (1815)—Rick
45. New Orleans (1815)—Rick
46. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
47. New Orleans (1815)—Rick
48. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
49. New Orleans (1815)—Rick
50. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
51. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
52. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
53. New Orleans (1815)—Rick
54. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
55. New Orleans (1815)—Rick
56. New Orleans (1815)—Penny
57. New Orleans—Penny
58. New Orleans—Penny
59. The Flight Home—Rick
60. New Orleans—Penny
61. New Orleans—Penny
62. New Orleans—Penny
63. New Orleans—Penny
64. Mallory Plantation, Richmond, VA—Penny
65. Mallory Plantation—Penny
66. Mallory Plantation—Penny
67. Mallory Plantation—Penny
68. Mallory Plantation—Penny
69. Mallory Plantation—Penny
70. Mallory Plantation—Penny
71. Mallory Plantation—Penny
72. Mallory Plantation—Rick
73. Mallory Plantation—Penny
74. Gothenburg, Sweden—Penny
75. Gothenburg, Sweden—Penny
76. Gothenburg, Sweden—Rick
77. Gothenburg, Sweden—Rick
78. Jarlshof, Shetland Islands—Penny
79. Mallory Plantation (Christmas Eve)—Elliott
About the Author
The Celtic Brooch Series
Author Notes
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Alphabetical Order
1. Adair, Brigadier General John: Commander of the reserve Kentuckians
2. Benoit, Remy: Elliott’s bodyguard, former Army medic
3. Bonnard, Marguerite: Sophia’s friend from 1789 Paris, dress shop owner
4. Bowes, Colonel Maurice: Instructor at West Point Academy
5. Bowes, Lieutenant Maurice: British Navy Lieutenant, ancestor of Colonel Bowes
6. Bradshaw, Morgan: Billie’s friend, caterer
7. Butler, Robert: General Jackson’s military aide from Tallahassee
8. Carroll, Major General William: Tennessee militiaman, commanded Andrew Jackson’s center at the Battle of New Orleans
9. Chotard, Major Henry: General Jackson’s aide-de-camp
10. Churchill, James: Subaltern, 4th Regiment of Foot, King’s Own
11. Claiborne, William C.C.: Governor of Louisiana
12. Clinton, Lieutenant Edward: British Royal Marine Infantry Captain
13. Coffee, General John: Planter and state militiaman
14. D’Avezac, Major Auguste Genevieve Valentin: General Jackson’s aide-de-camp and Judge Advocate
15. Duffy, Emily: Goddaughter of Kit MacKlenna Montgomery, daughter of Frances Barrett Duffy (first appeared in The Three Brooches)
16. Fontenot, Philippe: Husband of Rhona Fontenot
17. Fontenot, Rhona: Wife of Philippe Fontenot
18. Fraser, Elliott: Husband of Meredith Montgomery, father of James Cullen Fraser and Kevin Allen Fraser, grandfather of Blane and Lawrence, Chairman of the Board of the MacKlenna Corporation, retired equine vet (appears in all Brooch books)
19. Fraser, Jenny “JL” Lynn: Wife of Kevin Allen Fraser, mother of Austin O’Grady, Blane and Lawrence Fraser, sister of Connor, Rick, Shane, and Jeff O’Grady, daughter of Retired Deputy Chief Lawrence “Pops” O’Grady, former NYPD detective, VP of Development and Operations MacKlenna Corporation (first appeared in The Broken Brooch)
20. Fraser, Kevin: Husband of JL O’Grady, father of Blane and Lawrence, son of Elliott Fraser, half-brother of James Cullen Fraser, MacKlenna Corporation CFO (appears in all Brooch books except The Ruby Brooch)
21. Hebert, William: One of Jean Lafitte’s artillerists (the ogre)
22. Hinds, Major Thomas: Mississippi militiaman
23. Jackson, Andrew: General in US Army, statesman
24. Kelly, Elizabeth: Wife of Matt Kelly, mother of Amber and Olivia, grandmot
her of Noah and Heather Grant, grandmother of Elizabeth “Betsy” O’Grady, lawyer (first appeared in The Amber Brooch)
25. Kelly, Matt: Husband of Elizabeth Kelly, father of Amber and Olivia, grandfather of Noah and Heather Grant, grandmother of Elizabeth “Betsy” O’Grady lawyer (first appeared in The Amber Brooch)
26. LaCroix, Estelle: Billie’s lady’s maid
27. Lafitte, Jean: Privateer and hero of the Battle of New Orleans
28. Landry, Roy: Former Marine, NOPD Detective
29. Latour, Major Arsene Lacarrière: Architect, Jackson’s chief engineer
30. Livingston, Edward: General Jackson’s aide-de-camp
31. Lockyer, Captain Nicholas: British Naval officer
32. Mallory, Amy: Wife of Jack Mallory, mother of Patrick and Margaret Ann, former Olympian, ESPN baseball analyst (first mentioned in The Broken Brooch)
33. Mallory, Jack: Husband of Amy Spalding Mallory, father of Patrick and Margaret Ann, brother of Charlotte Mallory, New York Times best-selling author (first appeared in The Sapphire Brooch)
34. Mallory, Charlotte: Wife of Braham McCabe and mother of Lincoln, Kitherina, and Amelia Rose, sister of Jack Mallory, surgeon (first appeared in The Sapphire Brooch)
35. Malone, Inspector: Billie’s father, NYPD Inspector
36. Malone, Tommy: Billie’s ancestor who fought in the Battle of New Orleans
37. Malone, Wilhelmina “Billie” and “Penny” Penelope: Former Army Ranger, West Point graduate, owner of a catering business in Napa, California
38. McBain, David: Husband of Kenzie McBain, father of Henry, Robbie, Laurie Wallis, Alicyn, and Rebecca, President of MacKlenna Corporation, veteran, author (appears in all Brooch books except The Ruby Brooch)
39. McBain, Kenzie: Wife of David McBain, mother of Henry, Robbie, Laurie Wallis, Alicyn, and Rebecca, veteran, West Point graduate, MacKlenna Corporation attorney (first appeared in The Emerald Brooch)
40. McBain, Henry and Robbie: Twin sons of David and Kenzie McBain (first appeared in The Broken Brooch)
41. McCabe, Braham: Husband of Charlotte Mallory and father of Lincoln, Kitherina, and Amelia Rose; Jack Mallory’s brother-in-law, Kit MacKlenna Montgomery’s first cousin, former Union cavalry officer, lawyer, senator (appears in all Brooch books except The Last MacKlenna)
42. Montgomery, Cullen: Husband of Kit MacKlenna Montgomery, lawyer, author, founder of Montgomery Winery (first appeared in The Ruby Brooch)
43. Montgomery, Kit MacKlenna: Wife of Cullen Montgomery, goddaughter of Elliott Fraser, guardian of Emily Duffy, founder of Montgomery Winery (first appeared in The Ruby Brooch)
44. Montgomery, Meredith: Wife of Elliott Fraser and mother of James Cullen Fraser, grandmother of Blane and Lawrence Fraser, owner of Montgomery Winery, breast cancer survivor (appears in all Brooch books except The Ruby Brooch)
45. Moretti, Gabriele “Gabe”: General manager at Montgomery Winery in Tuscany
46. O’Grady, Connor: Husband of Olivia Kelly O’Grady, father of Betsy, brother of JL Fraser, Shane, Rick, and Jeff O’Grady, son of Retired Deputy Chief Lawrence “Pops” O’Grady, former NYPD detective, VP of Global Security for MacKlenna Corporation (first appeared in The Broken Brooch)
47. O’Grady, Lawrence “Pops”: Husband of Maria Ricci, father of Connor, Rick, Shane, Jeff, and JL, Retired NYPD Deputy Chief (first appeared in The Broken Brooch)
49. O’Grady, Shane: VP of Global Security for MacKlenna Corporation, brother of JL, Connor, Rick, and Jeff O’Grady, son of Retired Deputy Chief Lawrence “Pops” O’Grady (first appeared in The Broken Brooch)
50. Orsini, Sophia: Wife of Pete Parrino, mother of Lukas Parrino, painter, artist, entrepreneur, granddaughter of Seamus Digby (first appeared in The Pearl Brooch)
51. Pakenham, Major General Sir Edward Michael: British Army officer
52. Parrino, Pete: Husband of Sophia Orsini, father of Lukas, former NYPD detective, former Marine, VP for Global Security for MacKlenna Corporation, JL O’Grady’s former NYPD partner (first appeared in The Broken Brooch)
53. Plauché, Major Jean Baptiste: Louisiana soldier
54. Reid, John: Lawyer and General Jackson’s aide-de-camp
55. Ricci-O’Grady, Maria: Wife of Lawrence “Pops” O’Grady (first appeared in The Diamond Brooch)
56. Ronde, Colonel Pierre Denis de la: Louisiana militiaman
57. Stuart, Travis: Team leader at Northbridge Worldwide Group, Naval Academy graduate
58. Taylor, Franklin: Billie’s ex-husband
59. Thompson, Clovis: Owner of the auction house in New Orleans
60. Viking Warriors: Erik, Bjørn, Birger, Forde, Arne
61. Villére, Major Gabriel: Son of Major General Jacques Villére
62. Wilson, Cate: Rick’s assistant at Montgomery Winery in Napa
63. Youx, Dominique: General, Jean Lafitte’s brother
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katherine graduated from Rowan University in New Jersey, where she earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Following college, she returned to Central Kentucky, where she worked as a real estate and tax paralegal.
Katherine is a marathoner and lives in Lexington, Kentucky. When she’s not running or writing romance, she’s enjoying her five grandchildren: Charlotte Lyle, Lincoln Thomas, James Cullen, Henry Patrick, and Meredith Lyle, and a dog named Ripley.
Please stop by and visit Katherine on her social media sites or drop her an email. She loves to hear from readers.
Website * Facebook * Twitter
I’m A Runner (Runner’s World Magazine Interview)
Email:
KatherineLLogan@gmail.com
Family trees are available on Katherine’s website
* * *
1
MacKlenna Farm, Lexington, KY—Rick
The morning after arriving at MacKlenna Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, Rick O’Grady, president of Montgomery Winery in Napa, had intended to get in a three-mile shake-out run, but David McBain sent a text and asked Rick to meet him at the security center.
Instead of a run, a brisk walk would have to do.
Rick reached the security center sweaty from the early morning humidity, but a breeze carrying the scent of late spring flowers, freshly mulched beds…and, of course, horses…wafted over him, along with the yellow-greenish pollen exploding in the air.
Spring in Kentucky wasn’t a place for hay fever sufferers.
When his nose started itching, he yanked open the door to the security center, which triggered the door sensor chime alert.
The high-powered technology inside the building generated an incredible amount of heat, so David kept the thermostat set at sixty-five degrees, claiming he also worked better when the air was crisp. And for a sweaty Rick, he was happy to leave the heat, humidity, and pollen behind, and step into McBain’s freezer.
The entryway led into a large room divided by a glass partition, with offices on one side and a row of computer stations with large flat-screen monitors on the other. The state-of-the-art computer system hummed as the hub continually scoured data and satellite images. High-resolution topography shuffled from one MacKlenna property to another, monitoring operations around the world, beginning with MacKlenna Farm, followed by Montgomery Winery, Mallory Plantation outside of Richmond, the wineries in Tuscany, the ranch in Colorado, the ranch in New South Wales, and the castle in the Scottish Highlands. Rick paid particular attention to Montgomery Winery’s flat-screen—relieved to see all looked quiet on the western front.
Rick spotted David standing at the refreshment bar, stone-still—like an ancient warrior—intimidating the hell out of the coffeemaker. For long minutes Rick watched him, waiting for David to snap out of it.
He didn’t.
Rick waited another minute. What the hell? It didn’t speak highly of Rick’s intelligence to bother David while he was in some weird zone, but Rick had done stupider shit before. So, hoping it would break through whatever had a hold on David, Rick asked, “What’s going on?”
David’s expression changed the way a lion changes at the scent of prey.
But, smart or not, Rick wasn’t ready to let it go. Another sign of stupidity. He hung around, put a pod into the coffee machine, and a green MacKlenna mug under the spout. Finally, he asked, “What the shit are you looking at?”
David was a former member of the Royal Scots and had fought in Afghanistan. He was a dark-eyed son-of-a-bitch in his late forties with ten percent body fat and muscles cut and chiseled to perfection. His neck and jaw visibly tightened, and his face took on a mask of invincibility, but his eyes said the opposite. David was looking at something that scared the shit out of him. He held his coffee mug in a white-knuckle grip while fragrant whorls of steam rose in the chilly air.
Rick had to ease David out of the spell without getting knocked on his ass in the process. “What do you see?”
“Olc,” David groaned in Gaelic.
David wasn’t one to overreact, so whatever he was seeing was real to him.
Rick didn’t know what the word meant, but, combined with David’s body language, it didn’t mean angels.
Rick waved a hand in front of David’s face. The man didn’t flinch. He didn’t blink. If Rick had punched him in the gut, David wouldn’t have reacted to that either. Rick had seen a soldier on the battlefield freeze in fear. His buddies shook him until he thawed. But David wasn’t the type of man to freeze or to shake.
Rick Googled the word olc. Evil?
How was Rick supposed to fight evil when he couldn’t see the enemy?
He stuck his hand in his pocket and gripped the warm beads of his mother’s rosary.
Easing David’s coffee mug out of his hands, Rick replaced it with the rosary, draping the cross over the backs of David’s fingers.
There was no air blowing from a nearby vent, and David’s hands weren’t shaking, yet the cross jerked as if controlled by an invisible string. That and the enlarged pupils of David’s eyes freaked the shit out of Rick. He needed help.