Chapter Five
Eve pressed herhands to her cheeks the moment the door closed behind Lord Stamford. He wanted her secrets. Moments ago, he almost learned more than he would ever wish to know. She searched the darkness of the corridor for the shadow of the man she’d seen. He’d had dark hair and a hawkish nose. His clothing was of a much earlier style, and when their eyes had met, she sensed a pain that ravaged him even in death.
If Virgil hadn’t called up to Lord Stamford, would he have also demanded to know what she was staring at? Eve rubbed her temples and tried to calm her thundering heart. He didn’t know. Here, she was simply Eve. Not the odd daughter of a baron with no hope for a marriage match other than one with a man older than her father. In a sense, it was freeing. She didn’t want Lord Stamford to see her as others of her acquaintance did.
There was something so lonely about him. Gruff and even cold. Then he touched her hair and his eyes softened, giving Eve a glimpse of a different man beneath.
The feel of his strong arms around her had sent heat spiraling through her center, awakening a desire she’d never known. She wanted to experience that again. To feel his solid body press against hers while he whispered in her ear or kissed her. A shiver of longing stole through her at the thought.
Alfred rubbed against her leg and purred.
She reached down to scratch his head, and he leaned into her touch. “I nearly forgot. Here’s your cheese.” She set the small piece on the floor, smiling when Alfred gobbled it down. When she rose, something thumped at the end of the hall.
The cat turned his head to stare into the shadows. Within them, she thought she saw something move.
“It’s only reasonable that I should stumble upon a house with a ghost the first time I have the freedom to be seen as anything other than addled,” she muttered.
Alfred let out an odd sort of meow, then ran down the corridor toward whatever awaited.
“Alfred, wait!” Eve ran after him. She wasn’t afraid for his safety. She’d yet to see a spirit harm anyone. But animals sensed things that most people couldn’t see. That’s how she’d first discovered Rose. Her old kitty, Matilda, had watched the ghost with fascination and hadn’t seemed to realize that Rose couldn’t pet her.
The corridor turned right and ended in a short hall with three doors. Alfred waited at the last door, tail flicking. Eve slowly opened the door and found a staircase rising into the darkness. “A candle is in order, I believe. Wouldn’t you agree, Alfred?”
He purred and scampered up the stairs.
Eve searched the adjacent rooms and found a candle and flint. As she followed the cat up the stairs, her breath quickened with anticipation.
A large attic lay at the top of the stairs. Old furniture and children’s toys filled the space, along with boxy trunks and an old spinning wheel. It seemed as if the entire history of Greyhaven was tucked away up here, covered in dust and spiderwebs. A window at the far end let in little light, as the storm continued to dump snow.
Eve shivered at the chill in the air and rubbed her arms against a sudden draft as she wandered through the attic,marveling at the treasures from the past. One trunk stood open, and inside she found an old, faded green gown. Brown spots marred the delicate fabric, but the lace trimmings were beautiful. She held the gown aloft, wondering about the woman who might have worn it.
“It’s all I have left of her,” a man said softly.
Eve gasped and turned to find the man she’d glimpsed at the end of the corridor when she’d been with Lord Stamford. His image was faded and shadowed, and when he moved, she saw through his form.
“She must have looked beautiful in this.”
Sadness filled the air, weighing down her heart until she felt the urge to cry.
“She never wore it. It was to be her wedding gift.” The man came closer, his gaze fixed on the dress. Shadows gathered around them until she could barely see his form.
“What happened to her?” Eve asked.
He disappeared, and then his voice echoed all around her. “She loved me. There was another… He wanted her as well. Her heart, the treasure that it was, belonged to me.” The shadows dispersed and he stood several feet away, looking out the window.
“Did you love her?” Eve’s heart was breaking for the man. The sadness swamping her was nearly overwhelming. She’d never felt such emotions from a spirit. None at all with Rose. Who was he?
“More than anything. My family disapproved.” The trunk lid beside her slammed shut, making Eve jump. “They refused to allow our marriage. I intended to marry her anyway.”
Eve looked down at the gown in her arms. “What stopped you?”
Silence fell. When Eve looked up, the man was no longer at the window but directly in front of her. Startled, she took a step back.
“She was like you,” he said.
She sucked in a breath, astonished at his response. Then he was gone.
“Eve?”
