“But…I’ll help,” Emily coaxed.
“So will I,” Darach quickly offered, before remembering he wasnae free to make such a promise. The reality of how painfully temporary his mortality was, felt far worse than the musket ball he’d taken on Culloden’s battlefield. “For…as long as I can,” he added. The words scraped like glass on his tongue.
“I know you would, and I appreciate your willingness to help—both of you, but it’s not just the labor. I’m not sure we have enough money to cover such a huge renovation.” She turned to Darach. “So, I guess the next step is uncovering the windows. No sense making plans until we get a better idea of everything that needs to be done. And we still haven’t finished exploring downstairs.”
Emily crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her aunt. “We’ll be all right. Don’t worry, okay, Aunt Tess?” She looked up and gave Tess a wobbly smile. “I don’t need my own room. You can have it for guests, and I…I don’t need a puppy. We can save some money on those things, can’t we?”
Tess dropped to her knees and hugged Emily. “Oh, sweetie.”
Darach had to step out of the room. He couldnae breathe past the lump in his throat and he dinnae want them to misinterpret the moisture in his eyes. Something must have gotten in them. Dust particles, likely stirred up from Tess circling the room while she plotted and planned.
Somehow, something had gotten twisted in his head and heart. Something as unreal as the mortal cloak he wore. Mayhap some kind of spell on this house, or something resulting from his swift departure from the moor? He dinnae recognize himself anymore. How had he become so emotional? So…attached?
For the first time in either of his lives, he dinnae ken what to do with his fear. He couldnae charge the enemy, yelling in the face of his terror. He dinnae even ken who the enemy was. Was it the ghost who threatened the welfare of these two innocent lassies? Or, was it Tessa and Emily, themselves, who’d conjured strange, wondrous and frightening feelings in him?
They came out of the room, hand in hand. “It’s down here, in the corner,” Emily said, releasing Tessa’s hand to bound ahead.
“I thought that room was empty,”
“Sort of,” Emily shrugged.
“Coming, Darach?” Tess raised an eyebrow, as if challenging him. “Looks like we’re treasure hunting again.”
He followed them as Emily opened the door to a room near the curve of the balcony and disappeared inside. He’d seen no reason to look inside earlier, when Tess declared it a small storage room.
“Come see,” Em called from inside the room.
Tess shot Darach a puzzled look and followed Emily into the room. Darach crowded in behind them. The room was indeed empty. And dark.
“Back there!” Emily’s voice rang with excitement as she fixed her flashlight beam on the back wall. “It’s another door. And look what’s inside!”
“Let me.” Wary of what tricks their resident ghost might try, Darach squeezed past them to grasp the doorknob. He waited a few seconds for the ghost to try his pathetic parlor tricks but felt and heard naught but the two lassies breathing behind him. He eased the door open and stood back.
Another set of stairs.Narrow wooden treads, scuffed bare in the centers from centuries of use, climbed steeply out of sight.
“See?” Emily exclaimed. “Cool, huh? It’s like secret stairs to a secret place where maybe they kept their…secret stuff? Like, treasures, or something!”
“It’s very cool,” Tess said, clearly trying to disguise the amusement in her voice. “And you’re very clever, Em. I believe what you’ve discovered, is the entrance to the attic. And even though I doubt there are any treasures after all these years, despite our ancestor’s hurried escape, it might be worth exploring. But another day. We still have a lot of work to do, downstairs.”
“Escape?” Em’s eyes widened. “Were they in trouble? Was this a prison?”
“No,” Tess shook her head. “Not this house, anyway. But the whole country was kind of becoming one after the Battle of Culloden. Remember that place we visited, with the clan stones? Remember the guides telling us about a huge battle that was fought there? Between the English and the Jacobites?”
“I remember. The Jacobites were the ones who didn’t want the English to be their bosses, right?”
“Right. But they lost that fight and then Englandwasthe boss. And they made it really hard on all the people who’d fought against them.”
“And their families,” Darach added, no’ bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice. “And anyone else who’d tried tae aid ’em.”
“Exactly,” Tess nodded. “They became so fearful for their lives and the safety of their families, many of themescapedEngland’s punishment by abandoning their homes and going someplace else, to try for a better life.”
“So…that’s why our lots-of-greats grandpa came to America? To make his family safe?” Emily asked.
“Yes. That, and a new start.” Tess smiled and tapped the tip of Emily’s nose. “You just aced today’s history lesson. And now, you and I are back here to reclaim our heritage. If we can,” she added.
A sudden, chilling draft swirled down the stairway, lifting fine strands of hair around Tessa’s and Emily’s faces. Darach hurried to close the door, silently damning the ghostly intruder. Apparently, he hadna made himself clear enough.
“There must be a broken window up there. Let’s go back and warm up by the fire.” Tessa rubbed her arms. “My goodness, this is the draftiest house I’ve ever been in. That’s something else we’ll need to address if we plan to stay.”
“Aye,” Darach agreed. “And the sooner the better.”
