Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Essie paced back and forth in the library. She should be working on the fairy ball, but all she could think about were the heavy keys lying on her desk. Something had told her to wait until Zander could go check out the rooms with her.
A warm, furry creature brushed against her ankle.
“Ahh!” she shrieked. Marmalade let out an annoyed yowl before bestowing another caress.
“Marmalade! You scared me,” Essie told him and leaned over to scratch behind the tomcat’s ears. “You always show up at the weirdest times.”
Marmalade meowed again, giving Essie the impression he agreed with her completely. Did he plan his arrivals that way?
“Do I have competition for your affection, Little girl?” a sexy voice asked from the doorway. He looked absolutely yummy in his battered jeans and boots.
“Zander! I’m so glad to see you. How is everything at your house?”
“They sealed the place up completely. I don’t think they’ve missed a single hairline crack. The contractor explained the heating phase has almost peaked. I pretended I could hear the tiny screams of the bedbugs as they vaporized.”
His sound effects made Essie giggle and helped disperse her anxiety. “Thanks, I needed that.”
“Are you worrying about the next event?” Zander asked, walking forward to wrap his arms around her.
“The ball? No, not really. I’m excited by it. The organizer is already talking about making the dance an annual event. I can’t wait to see everyone’s outfits. I bet you’ll look hot as a centaur.”
“I get to be a centaur? That’s exciting. Why do I have a mental picture of hoofed feet and a tail?”
“I hadn’t thought of that, but we need to make that happen now,” she said with a laugh. “Or I bet you’d be equally amazing in a tuxedo.” Her mouth watered at that thought. Those wide shoulders were a tailor’s dream.
“I’ll put my thinking cap on to see what I can come up with,” Zander said, “if I can get a kiss.”
Closing her eyes, Essie raised her lips for him. When his mouth didn’t press against hers, she peeked up at him. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?” she asked.
“Oh, no, Little girl. I asked you for a kiss.”
Essie raised up on her tiptoes to deliver a steamy smooch. His arms tightened around her, and when she leaned back to end the exchange, he hugged her against him. “Uh-uh, Little girl. That’s only enough for one hoof. I’ll be lopsided if you don’t kiss me again.”
Of course, she wasn’t going to argue with that logic.
Pressing her mouth to his, Essie lost herself in the passion that welled between them.
Zander cupped her jaw as he took control.
She curled her fingertips around his broad shoulders and held on to the heat building inside her.
Rubbing her pelvis against him, Essie allowed herself to show him how much she wanted him.
When he lifted his head, she could only stare at him.
“Little girl, I thought you moving in with your aunt was the best day of my life.”
“It’s not?” she asked, worried that she’d done something wrong.
Zander shook his head. “No. Every hour I get to spend with you is better than the hour before.”
“I agree.” Essie pressed a hand to her stomach and took a deep breath. She turned to her desk and grabbed the keys. “Sara gave me the keys to the master suite today. She cleaned the rooms and suggested we might like to stay on the third floor. Together.”
“Are you ready for us to take that big step, Little girl?” he asked, studying her face closely.
“Yes.”
That simple answer made him smile. “Let’s go check out the space. Have you been up there before?”
“Never. That level has been closed off for as long as I remember.” Curious by nature, Essie couldn’t wait to see Esther’s old rooms. The prospect of sharing a dedicated space with Zander excited her in an entirely different way.
“Let me make a quick stop in my room.”
When Zander returned, he held a small case in his hands.
“Just some supplies in case we need them.” Before she could ask what they were, he held out his hand for hers.
She eagerly linked her fingers with his.
The sensation of his warm flesh against hers distracted Essie from her curiosity about the bag.
A hunch that they’d find something much more important filled her.
With her mind racing a mile a minute, Essie didn’t chatter as they walked to the grand, curving staircase. The feeling that eyes were watching her prickled the skin of her back about halfway up the stairs. Essie checked over her shoulder to see if she was imagining an observer.
Stopping in her tracks, she steadied herself on the smooth, wooden railing as Edmund and Esther had taken shape hand in hand below the large picture of the couple in the vestibule.
Gasping at the sight of her aunt, Essie whispered, “They’re together.
” She pressed a hand to her heart as her eyes filled with happy tears to see them together again.
“Who, Little girl?” Zander asked, turning to follow her line of vision. “Esther and Edmund?” he asked.
“You can see them?” Essie asked with excitement.
“The portrait? Of course.”
“No. They’re standing right in front of the picture.”
“Who is?”
“Edmund and Esther. I could only talk to Edmund before. Now they’re reunited and holding hands,” Essie explained, sure he would think her imagination was on overdrive.
“You’re not surprised to see them,” Zander said, studying her face. He wasn’t rattled or concerned about her sanity.
“Edmund had talked to Esther for years. When she passed, he appeared to me.”
“You are full of surprises, Little girl.” Zander smiled at her, completely accepting Essie’s statements. “Are they happy?”
An almost physical wave of love and contentment wafted over Essie. “They are. I’m so glad they’re together. Wait!”
She stared at the couple, trying to believe her own eyes.
“What’s happening, Little girl?”
The wrinkles on their faces faded out as their hair color deepened from gray to deep brown and black. “They’re not old anymore.” She gasped as Esther’s clothing changed subtly, becoming an adorable skirt and stylish top that suited her sweet nature perfectly.
“What now? Did they grow another head?” Zander asked.
One peek at his face told her he wasn’t making fun of her but trying to lighten the moment. “No. We need to check upstairs.”
“Come on then.” Zander tugged her upward.
Essie breathed a bit harder by the time they reached the top floor.
Zander stood back as she fit the large key into the lock.
With a click, the door swung open. Before she could step forward, Zander scooped her up in his arms. He carried her over the threshold and paused to kiss her tenderly before setting her feet back down on the carpet.
The scent of lemon cleaner and fresh air greeted them.
Essie looked around at the gleaming woodwork.
Sara had worked so hard to get this room prepared.
Essie bet the housekeeper had accomplished this by herself.
She hadn’t enlisted the help of the extra cleaning staff Essie had hired to help her on a several times a week basis.
They stood in a beautiful sitting room. Old-fashioned chairs and couches filled the room.
To her delight, the furnishings weren’t delicate antiques Essie would have been scared to sit on.
The sturdy furniture was oversized, as each piece was designed for two instead of one.
She ran her hand over an elegant, upholstered chaise lounge and imagined lying in Zander’s arms as she devoured a book or he read to her.
“I’d love to snuggle here,” she whispered.
“Spending time together will be incredible.”
“Let’s see what’s inside. There are two more keys.” Essie practically skipped to another set of doors. She tried the handle, and to her surprise, it turned. “It’s open. Sara mentioned she’d never found the locks they fit.”
“We have a mystery to solve,” Zander told her as he pushed the door open.
They stepped into a gorgeous blue bedroom. The gigantic, four-poster bed was draped with silk and piled with pillows. Essie walked forward to wrap her hand around one wooden support.
“It’s a princess bed,” she whispered in disbelief. She’d get to sleep here? The entire room was so romantic.
Zander chuckled when he joined her. “Edmund was obviously ahead of his time. Look up.”
Essie shot a glance at the underside of the canopy.
Faded pieces of antique mirror fit together to reflect the bedding below.
She sat on the bed to get a better view and popped back to her feet.
Lovers in this bed would see the sensual reflection of their bodies moving together.
Uncle Edmund! A second scandalized thought hit her.
Aunt Esther! She’d never considered her aunt having sex.
The memory of the young couple downstairs rebounded into her mind. Of course, they’d been young and in love. No wonder her aunt had never married again. Finding a replacement for someone she cared so much about would have been impossible.
“When he died, she couldn’t stay in these rooms and remember. She missed him too much,” Essie whispered.
“Perhaps she understood a love like theirs only came once in a lifetime.”
Like our relationship. Essie nodded, wondering if he was thinking the same thing she was.
Zander was right about Esther. Her aunt wouldn’t have settled for anything less.
She turned and scanned the room. Her eyes were drawn to a panel in the corner.
The details in the decoration signaled her to examine it closer.
Two elaborate E’s intertwined together. The last section of one E appeared arrow shaped. Did it point to a darker spot?
“Zander! There!” She pointed toward a small opening built into the wood grain. She raced over to check the slot and held her hand out for the key ring as he joined her. Her fingers trembled as she fit the medium-sized key into the hole.
“How did you spot that?” he asked in amazement, running his fingers over the carved wood.
“The pattern drew my eye. That E seemed to point to something.”
She turned the key and heard a click. The panel slid away to reveal a dusty wooden floor. “Sara really didn’t find this room,” she whispered. “She must not have known about this extra space.”
“Let me go first, Little girl. I want to make sure the floor is safe.”
Zander walked inside with Essie plastered against his back, peeking around him. When he stopped abruptly, she kept moving, jarring them both.
“Whoa, Essie.” He steadied her with an arm around her waist as he drew her forward to see what had surprised him. “There’s a light switch. Let me turn it on.” He stepped to the side of the room and flipped the toggle. Soft light filled the space.
Essie looked around the room and froze. Her gaze rebounded to Zander’s face as she tried to confirm that she was actually seeing correctly.
She stepped toward the first cloth draped piece of furniture and pulled the cover off, coughing as the dust she dislodged wafted through the air.
After staring at the oversized crib, Essie reached out a hand to stroke the lingering shine of the polished dark wood. A doll rested on the pillow inside.
“That rascal built her a nursery,” Zander said, smiling as he shook his head in admiration.
“A nursery? They didn’t have any children.”
“This furniture wasn’t made for babies or small children, Essie. It’s sized for adults. Esther was a Little girl. Her husband didn’t just die. Her Daddy passed away as well.”
Shock at the proof of the couple’s lifestyle mingled with heartfelt sadness at the depth of loneliness her aunt must have experienced when Edmund died.
Essie braced herself against Zander’s side as she scanned the room again.
Her mind flew to the books she’d read where the Daddy had created a nursery for his adult Little girl.
“Esther! She was wearing a cute outfit downstairs. A short skirt and almost like a sailor top. She was a Little girl.”
“I bet we’ll find those play clothes over there in the wardrobe,” Zander suggested, pointing at the large, draped furniture piece against the wall.
“What are those other things?”
“Let’s find out.”
Together, they moved from shrouded item to the next piece of furniture.
They carefully folded each dustcloth together to trap the dust inside.
Zander and Essie discovered a changing table, a double-sized rocking chair, a table and chairs with a silver tea set on top, a filled bookshelf, and a toy chest in addition to the wardrobe.
“He built her a secret nursery. And kept it hidden from everyone. That’s so amazing,” Essie whispered. “What are we going to do?”
“We are going to bring this place back to life,” Zander said enthusiastically.
“Do you think Esther would be okay with us using her nursery?”
“I bet this is another reason she left the house to you instead of to your cousin.”
“Oh, God! Can you imagine what he would have said finding this?”
“I don’t want to imagine.” Essie propped her hands on her hips, setting off a puff of dust that had settled on her clothing. Immediately, she launched into a series of three vicious sneezes.
“Time to get out of this nursery, Little girl. Let’s get the dust rinsed away before your nose flies off.”