Before she could pull away, he covered her hand with his. His strength and warmth seeped into her fingers, reminding her he’d unfailingly offered both of those things to them from the moment he’d…appeared.
“ ’Tisbothof ye, that I wish tae see safe.”
Both?
Unprepared for the jolt of surprise and…pleasure…his words evoked, she pulled her hand free and took a step back.
Then came the heat of embarrassment. She’d probably misinterpreted his meaning. He’d only meant the comment in general. Of course he’d want her to be safe. But that didn’t necessarily imply anything more.
The surge of disappointment was nothing more than fatigue. She’d merely confused gratitude with caring. Besides, he’d made his intent to leave very clear. And whether she and Em stayed here, or went their own way, she knew Darach would never be a permanent part of their lives.
“That’s…all I had to say,” she muttered, turning away to head back to the library, but the empty ache in the pit of her stomach called out her lie. Clearly, Emily wasn’t the only one who’d become too attached.
* * *
Disgusted with her self-indulgence,Tess threw herself into the task of determining if this old relic would make a suitable home for Emily and herself. Nothing else mattered. Nothing elsecouldmatter! She wouldn’t let it.
So far, they’d discovered a few small, cramped rooms at the back of the house that might have once belonged to a housekeeper or cook. They also found two decent sized rooms they could claim as bedrooms, along with a couple of antiquated bathrooms.
All in all, it seemed to come down to her available funds versus the cost of renovations. Though the structure of the house appeared sound beneath her small flashlight beam, she’d need the opinion of an inspector before making a final call. Toss in a contractor, landscaper and furnishings and the bottom line looked big. Perhaps too big.
The crash of more boards coming down outside, echoed in the dark hallway they’d entered. “Sounds like Darach is making progress. Do you think this hall connects to the kitchen from this side?” she asked Emily. “It would be nice not to have to go clear around. I’m kind of anxious to see the kitchen in daylight.”
“Me too,” Em replied, reaching toward yet another door that opened off the hall. “What do you think this is?”
“I don’t know,” Tess laughed. “I’m so lost now, I have no idea what backs up to what, or what to expect next.”
“Let’s play a game,” Em urged with a grin. “I’ll peek around the door, and you guess what’s inside.”
“Okay, you’re on.” Tess stood back wondering what kind of room would be logical in this spot.
Emily turned the knob, pulled, and peeked around the edge of the door. Her flashlight crashed to the floor and rolled in a half-circle. “Oh. Hi.” She giggled. “You surprised me.”
Tessa bolted forward, heart in her throat, and yanked Emily behind her. If Darach was trying to scare them, it was in very poor taste. “What the—”
Another crash from falling boards echoed from outside, as the bottom of Tessa’s stomach pitched and rolled.
Emily leaned around her. “Where’d he go?”
“W…who?” Tessa breathed, staring at the single candle on the floor of an empty storage room, it’s flickering flame casting eerie shadows in the tiny enclosure.
“Jack. He was hiding, I guess. Maybe he thinks Darach will be mad that he came back inside.”
“That’s not funny, Em.” Tessa swallowed and stepped inside the cramped space, scanning every nook and cranny, looking for a trick door, or any kind of escape route. She wished it really had been Darach playing a dirty trick, but she could hear him outside, hammering and noisily prying on the boards.
However, knowing they were exploring all the rooms, he could have slipped inside and set up this candle to scare them. But why? Retaliation for telling him to back off with Emily? No, he wouldn’t do such a thing, especially if it might frighten Emily.
She studied the dusty floor. The only visible footprints were her own. She swallowed. There had to be a reasonable explanation.
Luckily, Emily’s fantasies went directly to the fictitiousJackas an excuse for the candle. But such a thoughtless prank could easily have gone the other way. It could have terrified her!
And what of a fire? The candle was small, but what if it had been left there, unchecked, until it burned down to the wooden floor? All this ancient wood would have gone up in a flash, possibly trapping them inside.
Tessa’s anger pulsed in her ears, overriding her initial shock. She blew out the candle with all the force of her fury. If Darach did this, he’d be gone so fast he’d think he’d warped through time. If it wasn’t him…? The options playing through her mind sent a chill up her spine.
It made total sense that someone, some vagrant, could have been camping out here, perhaps trying to shelter from the storm, and was now hiding. This old place was certainly big enough to make them difficult to discover. Actually, anyone could be hiding in the house for any number of reasons. None of them good.
Regardless, she’d find whoever lit that candle and deal with them and the idea of any more tricks, once and for all. And she intended to start with the most obvious.
She backed out of the closet and picked up Emily’s flashlight. “Take this and stay close to me.” She grabbed Em’s free hand and tugged her down the hall in a ground-eating stride.
“Where are we going?” Emily asked, struggling to keep up.
“Outside.”
“To find Darach?”
“Yes,” she snapped. “And get some solid answers.”
