7
”This is maddening!” Beauty waved her hand at the curtain and made it fly open. “She is not leaving!”
“Perhaps she is a bit thick in the head. You might need to knock her about to get her to concede,” Widow said, entering the blue room.
“Me? Why do you not help? Might I remind you that I am the only one trying to run her out?” Beauty stated.
“You excel over Baby and I in this regard, so we will leave you to it.”
“He did not see me. After all the commotion I caused, he did not see me!”
“Do not take it too hard, my dear. You gave her quite a scare, and with her being your prime target, I would say you accomplished your goal.” Baby joined the conversation upon entering through the closed door.
“I most certainly did not accomplish any goal. She is still here,” Beauty said, scratching at her back.
Widow moved to rest her forehead on the window but soon remembered she could do no such thing. “It is too late for that anyhow. He will prevent her from leaving no matter what we do. He’s already at work doing just that and will never let her go.”
Dan
Keep a level head. Don’t do anything rash, or she might think you’re mental.My mind flashed back to our embrace. Although it happened at the height of the panic induced retreat, I still couldn’t help but enjoy her nearness. Keep a level head and stop thinking about her intriguing curves!
“Are you all right?” Jessica asked. Her questioning expression could only indicate she’d witnessed the internal struggle made clear upon my face.
“I—I—I’m brilliant.” I led the way through the revolving door into the kitchen. The scent of cooking meat filled the air, but the room remained empty. “Hungry?”
“I’m starving. I kind of skipped breakfast. With all the ghost sightings going on, I’d forgotten to eat.” She slipped onto a barstool next to the counter and pointed at the plate of muffins. “May I?”
My nod was interrupted when I noticed the blood stain on her bandage. “I think y—y—you’ve torn it open.”
She glanced down. “Figures. It hurt when I … uh … jumped you. Sorry about that, by the way.” Her cheeks pinked a bit.
Again, the memory of her body against mine played over in my thoughts. I pursed my lips to hide the smile that had started to form. “D—d—don’t apologize. I didn’t mind—that is—I am glad t—t—” I give up. The more I say, the worse it will get.
She lowered her head to examine her bandage. I could see her shy smile through her hair, which hung like a curtain across her face. Could she have enjoyed it, too?
“May I take a look at it?” I pointed at her leg. She nodded, and I unwrapped the bandage.
“So … have you got a girlfriend?”
I choked. Her question took me by surprise. Had she simply asked to start up a conversation, or was there significance in her desire to know? At the moment, I couldn’t tell. She grinned, apparently amused. I cleared my throat multiple times, and once I recovered, I thought carefully about my response. Taking the time to answer helped with the stuttering—at least to some degree. “No.”
“No, you don’t have a girlfriend?”
I shook my head.
“What about a boyfriend?”
I grinned and shook my head again.
“Just checking.”
I pushed the embarrassment away from me and in hopes to see how she’d react under pressure, I turned the question back on her, “W—w—w—why do you ask?”
She didn’t miss a beat, and there was no sign of her getting shy. “I just wanted to be sure that no one would add me to their hit list for holding your hand or … anyway, I didn’t want to come to an untimely demise by a jealous girlfriend. I’m not particularly fond of joining your ghosts.”
“Th—th—there’s no fear in that.”
“Good.” Pink rushed her cheeks, and I studied the rose tint on her skin and her dark, brown eyes that I could easily lose myself in. So, she does get embarrassed.
“Still here, I see.” Bridgette’s voice and the outside door closing brought me back. In my rush to act natural and pretend as though I hadn’t sat as closely as I had to Jessica, I shifted away. Unfortunately, I bumped into Jessica’s wound, causing her to flinch in pain.
“Terribly sorry.”
She giggled quietly.
“Good morning, Bridgette,” I said.
“It’s nearly afternoon now.” Bridgette opened the Dutch oven lid with an iron hook to check the meat inside.
“Hi, Bridgette,” Jessica said, back straight and a smile alighting her eyes. “It looks divine. I can’t wait to eat it.” She glanced at the food and then returned to watch me remove the last of the bandages.
From a nearby drawer, I grabbed a napkin. “Looks as though the tape didn’t help.” I dabbed at the fresh blood and sat back.
“Bridgette, is there a first aid tin here in the kitchen?”
“In the cupboard there. What’s she done?” Bridgette replaced the lid to the food and leaned over my shoulder. “Serves her right. Poking about like she owns the place. Don’t you know there are ghosts about?”
“Sure do. She’s pretty spooky, too,” Jessica said, not missing a beat.
Bridgette shook her head and tsked. “I don’t wish to linger in the house so long as you’re agitating the spirits and causing trouble. I’ll be in the cottage if you need me.”
Jessica and I were alone once more. “Sorry about her,” I said and opened a cupboard to peek inside.
“No worries. She’s fine.”
I could feel her eyes on me while I searched the cupboard for the first aid tin. Feeling self-conscience wasn’t a foreign emotion for me, but I couldn’t help but feel differently under her scrutiny.
More than anything I wanted her to like what she saw. Perhaps if she saw my arms flex … I pulled a heavy mixer from the cupboard, even though I knew the first aid wouldn’t be behind it. While flexing my biceps, I berated myself for acting like a fool. How can I be so juvenile?
I found the tin in the next cupboard and turned back to find her head bent tilted, resting in her hand. Her eyes were on me, a small smile lit her face, and her hair hung down one side, exposing part of her neck. An instant surge of attraction pulsed through me. I gulped. “F—f—found it.”
“Don’t you find it odd that it’s always in the last place you look?”
“Well, of course. Why would you keep—” I stopped myself then when I realized how shortsighted I had been. Someone just shoot me now. Her lips turned up at the end. By the amusement in her eyes, I knew she’d caught me, and by her smirk, it was clear she enjoyed teasing me. With the first aid tin, I sat on the barstool in front of her and rubbed the back of my neck, hoping to hide the blush I must have had.
The room’s temperature grew warmer the longer I sat bent over her leg, doing my best to patch up her cut. I needed something to occupy my mind so I might stop thinking of her soft skin. “So, why are you so fascinated with ghosts?” That seemed like a safe topic with her.
“Most people don’t know about this darker side of me.”
I glanced up to see her right eyebrow higher than the other in a playful, sinister way.
“I’ve always loved spooky ghost stories at the campfire, haunted houses during Halloween, and scary movies, but truth be told, if you would’ve put me in that blue room five years ago, I would’ve freaked. Well, I did freak out, but I’d go into shock and faint dead away.”
“How can you love something that would’ve made you faint? What changed?” I asked and started wrapping fresh gauze bandages around her smooth leg.
“It’s the thrill of it. Have you ever seen haunting ghost shows? You know, like TV shows where people go looking for ghosts in—” she made quotation marks with her fingers, “haunted buildings or places.”
I nodded, sat back, and slapped the lid to the first aid tin closed. “Finished. Be careful this time.”
She took on a serious tone and saluted me. “Right. No more climbing men and tearing it open. I’ll stick to climbing things far less dangerous, like stairs.”
I stood to hide any sign of a blush. “S—s—so you watched haunting shows...” I waved my hand to urge her to continue, then searched the kitchen for things to eat.
“Oh. Um. I noticed the people on the shows tried extra hard to make it seem like things were happening, and for the most part, nothing would. But when something did happen, it was tiny things, and the only time anyone was in serious jeopardy was when they’d stumble about in fear and hurt themselves. The pretend ghosts were harmless. The way I figure it, if I did come in contact with any ghosts, they can’t harm me. The only harm I’ll come to is tearing open my leg from being a klutz.”
“Did you believe in ghosts when you were younger?” I sliced some cheese and the remaining loaf of artisan bread.
“The more I watched those shows, the more convinced I became that there weren’t ghosts. But I like the idea of them. I like the idea of getting spooked and pretending. It was kind of a wish of mine to go on one of those shows so I could debunk their ghost theories—even though I like the thrill of the idea. But I believe in them now.”
I handed her a plate of fruit, bread, and cheese and lowered in the seat beside her. Electricity shot through me when our knees touched briefly. “M—m—my grandmother and uncle spoke of the ghosts as if they were part of the family. For a time, I believed their stories, and I thought I might have seen one or t—two, but that was many years ago.”
“Where’s your family now?”
“My brother and I are the last of the Gladwins—at least on my grandf–f–father’s side. I have distant cousins somewhere.”
The sound of chewing was the only noise for several minutes. For once, I didn’t feel out of place or awkward sitting silently beside an attractive woman. It felt comfortable, something I could look forward to at the end of a stressful day.
“You think I’m odd, don’t you?”
Where did that question come from?“No. Not at all.”
“Well, you don’t normally take in screaming hysterical women into your home then find them bleeding all over your bedding, climbing up you like a ladder, and seeking out ghosts for a good time, do you?”
“All the time.”
“Really?” Her head cocked to one side. “You lead an interesting life, Dan Gladwin.”
“Do I? I thought that was a typical day for an old bachelor such as myself. I guess I’ve been going at it all wrong.”
“It seems you have.” Her laughter spread through me like a warm shower on a frigid day. We lapsed in perfect silence for another few minutes.
“What kind of stories did your family tell you? Are they stories of the ghosts that live here?”
I took a deep breath and pushed my plate away. “Humm. You know, it’s been a while. I seem to remember there were two—no— three young girls who were either killed or ended their life by their own accord. I believe there’s been some debate about that over the centuries.”
“Really?” She rested her chin in her hand when she leaned closer with her elbow on the counter. “What happened?”
The temperature in the room increased. The curve of her cheek looked so soft I wished I could touch it to see if my eyes were deceiving me. “W—w—well, they say a servant had—”
“We’re back!” Crystal’s voice entered the dining hall, interrupting my study of her beautiful eyes. “Hello?”
Jessica let out a sigh before she called, “We’re in here!”
Jessica
I hurried to meet Crystal at the kitchen door and hugged her. “Rotten timing,” I whispered in her ear. If only she had waited a few more minutes, then I could’ve learned more about these ghosts and possibly gotten more hints from Dan that he might like me.
When she pulled away, she gave me a quizzical look. Ron stepped past her and proceeded to dig through the fridge.
“Any luck?” I pretended like the statement hadn’t passed my lips.
Crystal gave a quick nod. “I got through to Tyler, and he’s going to call someone to come tow us home.”
“When?”
“Not sure. As soon as he can get someone. He’d come get us himself if he weren’t so far away.” She shrugged off her jacket and set it and her purse over the back of a nearby chair. “Did I miss anything while I was gone?”
“Not much. Just a ghost throwing us from the blue room.” I tried to act nonchalant about the ordeal, but inside I was bursting at the seams to jump and scream with delight at sharing this news with her.
Not that she’d feel as thrilled as I was about it.
“A ghost threw you?” Her eyes doubled in size.
“Not exactly,” Dan said, sliding to stand beside me and leaning back on the edge of the counter.
I held a muffin out to Crystal, knowing she would most likely be hungry. “The ghost moved objects in the room to scare us out. She sure acted like she didn’t want us there, even though I was the only one who saw her.”
“It’s good I left, then,” Crystal said, biting a large chunk off the top of the muffin.
“I dunno. I kinda want to go back into her room.”
Crystal coughed a few times, then swallowed, eyes tearing. “You’re insane, you know that, right?”
Dan’s expression echoed Crystal’s statement. His one adorable eyebrow was higher than the other, making me want to laugh.
“What?”
“If you lovely ladies need me, I’ll be in the cottage. Or perhaps you might join me for a walk?”
Crystal and I shook our heads. Ron tossed an apple, catching it before waving over his shoulder and retreating outside through the kitchen door.
When I returned my attention to Dan, I caught him staring at the closing door with a look of concern.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No. Nothing.”
“What do we do until someone comes to rescue us?” Crystal asked.
“Come with me. I think you both need some time to relax.” Dan guided us from the kitchen and into the front sitting room. “I’ll stoke the fire while you two make yourselves comfortable on the sofa.” He picked up one end of the sofa and turned it closer to the fireplace.
“As long as no ghosts show up, I think this might be a good idea. Do you have more pillows than these three on the sofa?” Crystal asked, pulling her feet up beside her after she sat.
I plopped myself at the other end of the couch and found it less bouncy than I originally thought it would be. The crick in my neck I’d developed on my flight over shifted into a dull ache.
“I’ll gather a few from the closet after I get this fire roaring.” Within minutes, the fire warmed my toes, and I stretched closer.
“I’ll be right back with those pillows.” The door swung but didn’t shut after he left.
“All right. What’s up?”
I lifted my head to see Crystal’s eyes boring into mine. “Huh?”
She folded her arms. “You said rotten timing, and I want to know what’s up.”
“Oh, he was about to tell me some ghost stories, but now that you’re here, he probably won’t so he doesn’t scare you.”
“Is that all?”
“Yeah.”
“No, it’s not. By the way you’re hiding your eyes behind your hair, I can tell you’re hiding something.”
“I’m not hiding my eyes. I’m just picking the polish off my toes.”
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “Did he kiss you?”
“What? No! Don’t be absurd.”
“It’s going to happen, though. I can almost scoop the chemistry up into a ball and throw it at your head when you two are close.”
“Whatever.” I warned her by slapping her leg when his returning footsteps sounded at the door.
“More pillows for you, ladies.” Dan dropped a few between us, and we snatched them faster than the contents of an opened box of chocolates. He checked the fire then stood, looking around as if wondering where to sit.
“Move your feet so he can sit, too.” I slapped Crystal’s feet away.
Dan stood for a moment before settling down between us. He folded his arms over his chest and stretched out his toes to the fire. “So, what brought you clear across the big blue, Jessica? Was it simply to see a friend?”
“No. I’m looking for a long-lost relative.”
“Really?” He only sat inches from me, and with each movement he made I could smell his aftershave. I inhaled deeply.
“You should show him.” Crystal gestured at me.
“Hang on.” I stood and retrieved my purse from the entryway, then returned to his side. I sat sideways on the sofa with my legs folded and knees touching his side and leg. My wallet fell out. I set it on my knee while I searched for the information written on the folded papers within.
Dan took my wallet from my knee and examined the outside of it where my driver’s license sat tucked under the clear plastic.
“Nice picture.”
“Give me that—it was a long time ago—it’s a horrible picture of me.” I tried grabbing it from him, but his arms were longer. I scowled at him. “If you get to see mine, I get to see yours.”
“Fair enough.” He reached into his back pocket, pulled out a thick wallet, and handed it over.
Disappointingly, I found his photo to be perfectly normal—not to mention good-looking. His warm eyes hadn’t changed a bit. The only real difference from the man who stood before me and the picture was the beard. Wait. “What’s this? Danny?”
“Danny’s my full Christian name.” He held out his hand for his wallet, but I ignored it.
“Oh, Danny boy ... The pipes, the pipes—”
“No! Not that song!” He sat taller and covered his ears.
“... are calling ...” I could’ve sung the song beautifully, but what would be the fun in that? I bellowed it in wretched tones, dragging each note out for more effect. Crystal covered her ears. Danny tickled me to get me to stop, but his feeble attempt did him no good. I continued on. He lifted his hand to cover my mouth, but I turned my head and pushed his hand away. Doing so only provoked a wrestling match with our arms. We both laughed and played our game, all the while I kept on singing.
“My ears!” Danny called. He managed to capture one of my hands and pin it under a leg he had brought over my knee. With one hand out of the way, he clamped his hand over my mouth. My song ended. Laughing with his hand covering my airway proved difficult, so I opened my mouth and licked his hand.
“Ewe!” He pulled his hand away and wiped it on his jeans.
“It’s true. Jessica is still twelve,” Crystal said with a smirk.
“All right, all right. I’ll stop.” I sat against the back of the couch, pulled my feet up, and hugged my knees.
“And that would be why you don’t go by Danny?” Crystal asked.
“Precisely,” Danny said and leaned back as well.
“Well, you’re Danny to me from now on,” I smirked.
The conversation turned back to the long-lost relative I’d been on the hunt for. He suggested I research different history centers through their records and asked if he could help get deals on any bed and breakfast or hotels. The topic turned to family history in general. Sitting beside someone, talking of anything I wanted and watching the flecks of fire snapping and swirling in the marbled fireplace was pleasant. My eyes grew heavy until Danny’s hand slid to the side of his leg, where he picked at a loose thread. Every time his hand brushed against my leg, I surged with energy. I would’ve snuggled into his side and held his hand if Crystal hadn’t been in the room with us.
But would Danny want me to? Would he enjoy being close to a hyperactive freak like me?No wonder I’m not married yet.
The light in the room grew more faint as the sun sunk lower to the horizon.
“Where are they?”
I lifted my head to see Crystal checking the time on her phone.
“They?”
“Our ride out of here. It’s been hours. Shouldn’t they have come by now?” She stood and paced to the windows overlooking the gates not far from the house.
I stood and stretched. “Maybe there are other damsels in distress in haunted castles, and we’re last on the list of rescuing.”
“I just wish they’d hurry.” She folded her arms and leaned on one leg.
“Well, I’m going to visit the ladies’ room.” I grabbed a flashlight before leaving the comfort of the toasty fire and headed down the hall beyond the dining room and kitchen.
I leaned over the sink to wash my hands only to find the water turning from clear to pink, then red. The temperature in the room plummeted to frigid degrees. Frost inched its way across the mirror and the flashlight flickered out. I took one breath in and froze in place. What the crap is happening?
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I tried again, “Danny?”
As soon as the flashlight flickered back on, I jumped, feeling as if my heart had lodged itself in my throat. In the mirror, I saw a pale version of myself hanging from a rope that tightened around my neck. Written in the frosted mirror were the words: GET OUT!
I stumbled back against the wall, wishing my lungs might work. My fingers closed down on the door handle, and in seconds, I flung it open and then slammed it shut again. The hall felt like a tropical warm island compared to the bathroom I’d escaped from. Warm or not, I wanted to be far away from the image that might just be burned into my mind for eternity.
I’m not dead. I’m not dead.
Movement at the end of the hall brought me back to reality. Crystal stood just outside the sitting room with her arms reaching into her jacket that Danny held up for her. Her smile brightened when she spotted me. “They’ve finally come. They’re loading up the car—what’s wrong?”
My heart still pounded against my ribs. “Me? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.” I hurried past her and Danny to retrieve my purse and returned to the entry. “My stuff’s still upstairs.” I pointed over my shoulder and proceeded up a few steps before Danny offered to help me. “Oh, all right.” Oh, bless you!He’s like a knight in shining armor!
My uneasiness faded with the security I felt with him by my side. I shoved the loose clothing back in my suitcase while he watched and fidgeted. I glanced at him a few times while I packed. He shifted from foot to foot and cleared his throat. I would guess he wanted to say something if I didn’t know better. I kept silent to avoid interrupting him if he decided to speak. The second I zipped my bag, he bent over to take it while I went to stand and we bumped heads. I fell back down to the floor.
Oh! That hurt!
“Oh! I’m t—t—terribly sorry!” Danny helped me to my feet. “I’m so—please. l—l—let me—”
“No. Don’t be sorry. It happens.” I rubbed at my head and smiled up at him to convey I was hunky dory, even though I wanted to cry.
“May I?” He gestured to my head, and I nodded. His gentle touch sent my heart to the moon and back. He moved back my hair and touched the spot that was most likely red.
“No blood?”
“No blood,” he reported. His fingers slowly moved down the length of my hair, sending chills up my back and wanting more. My breathing became quick and shallow when I found his eyes searching mine and then glancing at my lips. Oh, yes. Please do!
“Jessica! They’re ready for us!” Crystal’s bellow reverberated and stole the moment away.
Danny backed away and lifted my suitcase. “Let me get that for you.”
“Thanks.” Oh, that girl! She’s going to get a tongue-lashing once we’re alone!
As I stepped from the castle, I glanced back a few times, wishing I could stay and dig into why the castle was haunted in the first place. And maybe get to know Danny a little more. With each step to the truck, my heart grew heavy. Would I ever see this place again?
I stood beside the tow truck door, ready to step into its cab. Danny stood beside me, scratching his neck and asking for the third time if I had everything and if he could do anything more for us.
“Well, thanks for opening your home for a couple of crazy women, and I’m sorry if we caused any problems,” I said again. The setting sun touched his wavy hair, turning it brown to red. In the light, I could tell his hair was thinning and not as thick as it would’ve been when he was young, but I loved it. How can I say goodbye to such a perfect man?
“You can stay anytime you’d like. You’re always welcome.” His eyes echoed his words. “Good luck finding your relative.”
“Thanks. Maybe once your internet is back on, you can find me and we can chat online sometime,” I said, handing him a slip of paper with my information on it.
“I’d like that.”
His smile had a whirling effect on my heart. “Well, thanks.” I stepped into the truck next to Crystal.
Crystal waved. “Thanks, Dan. Take care, but I won’t be back—that’s unless you can get rid of those ghosts first.”
He laughed, shut the door and waved as the truck pulled our car out of view of the castle. I sighed and gave Crystal a dirty look.
“What?”
“Rotten timing.”