Chapter 10
When Victoria finished her letters, she folded them and sealed them with wax.
She decided to walk down to the village to post it to the Crown Hollow Tribune in the hopes of getting more response from interested parties, rather than solicit the local village.
The second letter was to her aunt giving her an update on life in the estate, though she suspected her uncle would share that information upon his return.
Still, she felt it necessary to write the letter to let Aunt Eloise know all was well and not to worry about her. She kept the tone light and positive. She did not mention any of the strange happenings in the manor because she, herself, was not certain they had actually happened.
After she retrieved her hat and gloves, she headed out of the manor and down the gravel drive, the morning sun lifting her spirits. She had convinced herself the things she’d seen and experienced inside the old estate was nothing more than her imagination or perhaps the residue of a bad dream.
Her experience in the child’s room never happened. Not really. Not if she didn’t let it. It was merely her overactive imagination. Yes, she felt isolated at Ravenfell with the caretaker skulking the halls. But she was not going to let that squash her determination to remain.
The village was bustling. The market square hosted a large bubbling fountain.
A young girl with pale blonde hair begged her mother for a copper.
Her mother relented, handing over the coin.
When she did, the girl’s eyes lit with joy.
She clutched it in her fist, holding it tight as she closed her eyes and whispered something, then tossed the coin in the fountain.
“Do you think my wish will come true, Mama?” the girl asked.
Her mother grinned. “Only if you keep it a secret. Come on. Papa is waiting for us.”
She took the girl’s hand, and they hurried away, melting within the throngs. Smiling, Victoria stepped up to the fountain and peered into the shimmering water glistening in the morning light. Coins of all shapes and sizes rested on the colorful tile. Every coin represented a wish or hope.
Inspired, she dug into her reticule for a copper.
She closed her eyes, the coin between her thumb and forefinger, and whispered a wish she dared not speak aloud.
When she opened her eyes, the splash in the fountain was louder than it should have been.
Or maybe it only sounded that way because, for a heartbeat, the world had gone still.
A shadow fell across the stone. She hadn’t heard anyone approach.
“What did you wish for?”
The voice was low. Male. Familiar. She turned slowly to see Gabriel standing there. Her heart fluttered, startled by his sudden appearance.
Gabriel stood a few feet away, his hands tucked behind his back.
His dark coat stood out in the early morning sunshine, the top button was the only one done as though he’d put it on in haste.
His shoes—normally polished—were coated in a fine sheen of road dust. The light breeze tousled his hair, making a few strands flutter on the top.
And it occurred to her, then, he wore no hat.
She also noticed, for the first time, the cut features of his face. His chiseled jaw clenched tight as he gazed at her with his onyx eyes. His fine-boned cheeks. He was…handsome and yet there was an underlying sense of melancholy about him.
“You startled me,” she said, trying to quell her racing heart.
But, she thought, it was not racing merely because he startled her.
“Forgive me. I didn’t intend to.” His expression remained unreadable, his voice lower. Different. Gentle.
“Did you follow me?”
“Yes.” He didn’t bother to hide it. “The roads are not always safe. And…” He hesitated. “You seemed troubled this morning. I thought perhaps some company wouldn’t be unwelcome.”
She blinked. That almost sounded like concern.
His reticence in the kitchen flashed through her mind.
Though his demeanor had not changed, there was something else there.
He looked pale, his features lined with fatigue.
As if the walk to the village had taxed him to near exhaustion.
Sweat beaded along his forehead and dampened his short sideburns.
“Well, I can manage a short walk and a post without being spirited away,” she teased, more lighthearted than she felt.
He didn’t return the smile.
She turned toward the post. He fell in step beside her, his hands still firmly tucked behind his back.
They crossed the square together. She was acutely aware of his height next to her as well as the sidelong glances they garnered from villagers.
He reached the door to the post first, pushing it open.
A chime sounded, announcing their arrival.
Gabriel stood aside to allow her to enter first. There were no other patrons.
Only a young man not much older than her behind the counter sorting packages.
He greeted them with a smile and bright eyes as she approached. “Mornin’, miss. Posting a letter?”
“Two, actually,” she said. “One to the Crown Hollow Tribune and another to my aunt in the city, if you please.”
He accepted them with a nod, glancing between her and Gabriel. “Haven’t seen you round here before. Are you new to the area?”
“I’ve recently come to live at Ravenfell Manor,” she said brightly.
The boy’s smile faltered. “That crumbling old place?”
Gabriel stiffened beside her.
“Yes,” Victoria said. “It belonged to my parents. I hope to restore it.”
The boy scratched the back of his neck as he shifted his stance, discomfort creasing his features. “Wouldn’t be my choice of places to live.”
Her brows drew together. Gabriel remained ramrod straight beside her. “Why is that?”
“Well…you know what they say about it.”
“No, I don’t,” she said, her heart thumping in her chest. “What do they say?”
“Just that it’s haunted by the lady who died there. They say her spirit never left.” He leaned in a little, voice hushed. “Some folks say she still wanders the west wing, wailing at night for a child lost.”
A sharp breath escaped her before she could stop it. A child wailing. A woman wandering the halls. The west wing. Cold chills danced up her spine. She refused to look at Gabriel and instead kept her eyes on the boy behind the counter.
“That’s enough,” Gabriel said suddenly, his voice like steel.
The boy blinked and stepped back. “Sorry, sir. I meant no offense.”
“The lady has business to attend to. She doesn’t need to hear ghost stories.”
“O’course.” He stamped the letters with precision, his features falling. “I’ll get this off straightaway.”
“See that you do.” Gabriel placed a firm hand on her elbow. “Miss Ravenwood?”
She gave a nod of thanks to the young man and allowed Gabriel to guide her outside.
The sunlight no longer warmed her quite the same way.
They crossed the square in silence, his hand eventually falling away as they passed the fountain.
The cheerful voices and clatter of morning business faded into the background, replaced by the echo of that boy’s words.
All the effort she’d put into dismissing her fears evaporated like breath on a cold windowpane. She could no longer explain away what the boy had said as simple village gossip. Not after everything she’d seen. Not after the voice in the dark.
A woman, crying for her child. A mirror that shouldn’t have been there. A crushed lilac.
She refused to cut a glance to Gabriel. To look at him and confirm her suspicions. Not that he would confirm anything. He kept his emotions in check every moment.
Except when he snapped at the boy. For that one moment, his perfectly polished exterior cracked. And in that crack, she caught something raw. Grief or, perhaps, fear. She couldn’t be sure. But she knew one thing.
Gabriel Allward was hiding more than dusty ledgers and silent hallways.