8
The sound of my lips sputtering with the exhale of breath sounded like an echoing whoopee cushion in the large room of the National Archives in Kew, where I sat searching through my fourth census. “Fifty-seven more to go,” I muttered and slapped the book closed.
“You might have better luck looking on their computers,” Crystal said beside me without taking her eyes from the PC screen.
“No, thanks. It will only make my eyes even more tired.” I ran my hands over my face before deciding to people-watch for a few minutes to rest my mind. “So many names and not one lead to find Violet Sue Laurence.”
“We’ll find her.”
A man entered the room. He had the same features and build of Danny. My breath caught, and my heart leaped, leaning in to look closer. It wasn’t him.
I wonder what he’s doing now. Probably working? Unless of
course his power is still out.My thoughts meandered to his eyes, arms, lips—oh, his lips. I’ll never know the warmth of them.
“You should call him.”
My brows pulled together. “What?”
“Don’t try hiding the fact that you were just thinking about him. You get that faraway look and sigh a lot when you think of him.” Crystal batted her lashes and held her hand over her heart as if love-struck.
“Ha ha.” I stood, took the twenty-pound book, and handed it over to the man at the help desk. After waiting for a few minutes for him to locate another book, I returned to my seat beside Crystal. “I wasn’t thinking about him.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Ugh, the guy gave me the wrong book. This is dated back to 1706 to 1714.” I flipped through a few crisp pages. “Weird, it doesn’t look old.”
“They’re copies. The real old book is locked up somewhere where the light and elements won’t break them down and destroy them.” She pulled the book across the wooden table to get a better look at it. “But these old books are interesting to read as they’re categorized by year, county, towns, and sometimes by manor houses.”
“Cool. I wonder if Wrenthal Castle is listed.”
“It has to be. But don’t waste your time looking. You won’t be going back there anyway.”
I ignored her and flipped through the book. Crystal returned to her computer search while I ran my finger down the list, looking for Wrenthal Castle. Bingo! Handwritten copies of names ran the length of one page. Since I was a teen, I’d gather names for when I had my own children. I wanted to name them something old yet original. Finding a name that had meaning and was attached to a memorable place I visited was a bonus.
I read each one, along with the dates of marriages, births, and deaths that happened in that year in the small town surrounding Wrenthal Castle. I held my breath when I came to a death date.
“Crystal, look here. This woman, Monique Anne-Lise Leroy, died the same day as her wedding day. See.” I pushed the book closer to her and pointed. “She married Lord of Wrenthal on August 20th of 1710.”
“Lord of Wrenthal Castle. Interesting.”
“Do you suppose that she’s the ghost at the castle?”
“Don’t know, don’t care. I’m not going back.” She pushed the book back toward me and reached for the mouse beside the PC.
“Come on!”
Someone shushed me.
I lowered my voice. “You can’t tell me you’re not interested.”
“Yes, I can.”
I rolled my eyes and reread her name. “I wish it said how she died. I wonder who the other ghosts are. You did see other ghosts besides the one I described, right?”
“Yes. The Jane Austen ghost.”
“Danny Boy said there are three ghosts that he knows of.” I flipped to the next page but found it listed a different town. “I wonder if there’s more.” I stood and picked up the book, tucking it under my arm. “I’m going to see if I can get this copied.”
“You know it’s all copied onto their digital files. You might even be able to access it online if you pay a little extra,” Crystal said over her shoulder.
“Hum. Maybe I will.” A smile spread across my face as a plan began to develop. My stomach flipped with excitement the more I contemplated my idea. “Crystal, there’s a change of plans in my itinerary.”
Jessica
Okay, I haven’t stepped into sight of any of the windows. No one has seen me. I can back out now.My feet carried me further until the trees gave way, and the castle stood before me. Anyone looking out the windows would see me right away. Perhaps no one was looking out the window. I haven’t knocked on the door. I can still leave and call Crystal to turn around and pick me back up. Of course, I would have to walk the mile back down the road where she broke down the first day I came here. Coward. She couldn’t even drive me to the gate.
My luggage bounced with each step, dislodging stones from the ground. He’s going to think I’m nuts for coming back. He might not even be home. I rounded the gate and spotted Danny’s car in the gravel drive. My stomach fluttered at the sight of it. I lifted my suitcase and switched handles to carry it instead of letting it slam against my heels again. I set it down and wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans before picking it back up and pausing, studying the stone arches and windows.
“Jessica Grayson, you’re not a coward and will not back down. Monique needs you.” At least I think she does. I forced my leg forward and headed through the great iron gate, over the gravel courtyard, and under the arched entry that hung the door. With my suitcase at my side, I lifted my hand to knock, but paused when I heard something moving over the gravel to my right. A man came into view, pushing a wheelbarrow.
“Hello, Ron.” I smiled and waved at him.
His head lifted to look at me from under his gray hat. He stopped, set the wheelbarrow down, wiped his leather gloved hand down the front of his overalls, and frowned at me. “Who are you? We don’t give tours here.”
My head jerked back in surprise. “Mr. Davidson, it’s me, Jessica. The crazy American.”
“Too right,” he mumbled, lifted the wheelbarrow, and continued calling over his shoulder, “Go home. We don’t do tours.”
I stood for a few minutes, pondering his odd behavior and considering doing what he said. I should go home. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket to check my coverage. Nothing. No bars. Could Ron have some kind of memory loss? Maybe he even forgets who he is.
I should go home.Resolved to follow my instincts and Ron’s advice, I lifted my suitcase once again into my sweaty grip and turned to escape with my tail between my legs when I heard the door squeak open.
“J—J—Jessica.”
With my shoulders held to my ears, I turned and gave him a half smile. “Hi.”
He stood before at the entryway in all his splendor. His T-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoe with keys in hand gave me the impression he was on his way somewhere sporty. “You’re here? T—t—to stay?” He gestured at my suitcase.
I lowered my shoulders and set my suitcase down. “I’ve found something—something that I think will help you with your ghost problems.”
“Oh?”
What am I doing? This is crazy!I shifted my weight repeatedly while I spoke, “I hope it’s okay to come back—you did say I was welcome, and I—”
“Of course. Y—y—you’re always welcome. I just didn’t expect you b—b—” he paused, “t—t—” he sighed.
“To come back so soon?” He nodded.
“I know. I’m really sorry for barging in—well, not barging per se. I didn’t exactly barge, but I’m sorry for showing up without a phone call or warning. This is crazy. I’m sorry. I should go.” I picked my suitcase back up.
“No. Let me take that.” He dropped his keys, bent down to retrieve them, only to drop them again before he stood completely. He grunted, picked them up and shoved the keys into his shorts pocket before he took the suitcase from me. “Come in.” He stepped back into the door, flattening his back against it to make room for me to enter. In doing so, he stood taller, emphasizing his defined chest and arms.
Don’t drool.
As I walked into the entry, I dropped my head to hide my grin in my hair. The iron chandelier lit up the room, giving it a cheerier look than when I last saw it. “Well, I see you have power again.”
“Yes. It returned to normal not long after you left.”
“Figures,” I said, then pointed toward the living room. “Can I use your phone? I should call Crystal.”
“Yes, of course.” He led the way, leaving my suitcase at the entrance. Everything in the room was in its place, except the sofa Crystal, Danny, and I sat on before departing. It sat as it did, close to the fire with its back to the door. The memory of singing ridiculously at him caused the room to warm. I’m such a child. I took the phone receiver from him and pulled out my cell phone to look up Crystal’s number. Her phone only rang once before she answered.
“Hey, Crystal. It’s me.”
“Where are you calling from?” By the windy noise on her end, I could tell she was still in her car.
“The castle.”
“Wow. I guess they have power back.”
I glanced around at the artwork on the walls. “Yep.”
“Should I come back for you?”
“No. No need.”
“Was he happy to see you?” she asked in a playful tone.
“I suppose.” My voice remained even, and I turned away from Danny as I spoke.
“You know, the only reason I agreed for you to go back to that nuthouse was that I’m counting on you falling head over heels with this guy so you can get married and live here so we can see each other more, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “Really? I thought it was because you were concerned for another human being—even if she’s dead.”
“Nope. Now go work your magic so we can have a wedding in the autumn leaves,” she said with a slight giggle.
“I have no magic.”
“Whatever. Call me when you want me to come back for you. If I don’t hear from you in a couple of days, I’m bringing the brute squad.”
I chuckled. “I’ll call you with regular updates.”
“I’m counting on it.”
We ended the call, and immediately my apprehension returned. “Are you sure I can stay—It’s really so I can help you get rid of your ghosts. I promise not to get in your way of work or anything.”
“Please stay.” The look in his eyes made my heart speed to light-years ahead of its time. It almost seemed as though he might beg if I changed my mind and walked out the door.
He must get terribly lonely if he’s wishing for my company.“Well, thanks.” I shifted my weight side to side before I broke the silence and our eyes locked. “Let me show you what I found.”
I headed into the entry, pulled my luggage back into the sitting room, and sat cross-legged on the floor beside my suitcase. “So, I went to the National Archive in London and accidentally found something interesting involving Wrenthal Castle.” I spoke as I unzipped the large zipper on my suitcase to pull out my new laptop, cord, and unopened video camera, only to quickly shove my bag of feminine products back in before they fell on the floor. I lifted the equipment toward Danny. “Here. Hold these a moment.”
“You bought a video camera?”
“And a laptop notebook thingy.” I stood and made my way into the living room. “We can set the video camera up in the blue room and see if we can catch anything on it. Maybe whatever we find we can use it to solve the mystery.”
“Mystery?”
“I’ll show you. Sit here,” I said as I sat on the sofa and patted the spot next to me.
“You didn’t need to buy a laptop. I’ve got plenty for you to borrow.”
“Really? How many?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Eight or so.” He noticed my raised eyebrows and added, “I’m in the software business. Most of them belong to my company.”
“Oh, all right, Mr. Computer geek. Maybe you can help me set this stuff up, then. I suppose you have internet access when you’re not out of power?”
“Of course. This isn’t the Dark Ages,” he said with a heart-melting smile.
Before I could continue telling him what I found, he had to help me connect with his wireless internet. I logged on to the Archives’ website and then typed in the book where I found Monique Anne-Lise Leroy’s information. I scrolled to the spot and waved at the screen. “Tah dah!”
“What?”
“Look. See this name here? She died the same day she married the Lord of this Castle, Florence John Pugh.” I couldn’t hide my smile when I saw the interest in his eyes. He leaned in closer and I turned the laptop so he could get a better look.
“This is 1710, is it?”
“Yeah. I figured since the ghost I saw had the same clothing style as someone from the seventeen hundreds, it had to be her.”
“I would assume the same thing.” He scrolled down a bit more, resting his hand behind me at the back of the sofa and leaned forward. The smell of his spicy cologne filled my senses, and I drank it in with pleasure. I studied him as intently as he studied the laptop on my knees.
“Do you suppose—” he stopped mid-sentence when he turned and found I was staring.
Busted.
He leaned back, cleared his throat, and spoke again, “D—d— do you suppose the other ghosts will be on here as well?”
“Yeah. But I haven’t the foggiest where to look.”
He removed the laptop from my legs and leaned back into the sofa to do his own searching. As we sat there, staring at the screen, I found myself leaning closer to him. Before long, I had my feet tucked under me and my body pressed against his side. If only this moment could last forever.