Chapter Eleven
Despite his anxiety over leaving Tessa alone on the bottom floor, Darach took the stairs three at a time. Her decision to search the house separately, although practical, left her vulnerable to Jack’s possibly dangerous devices. Darach knew discounting the danger, especially after the candle, would be reckless as well as foolish. But he also had Emily’s safety to think about. She was alone, frightened, and completely vulnerable.
Between his calls and Tessa’s, Emily’s name echoed throughout the cavernous house. ’Twas impossible for her no’ to hear them. Was she angry enough to ignore them? Make them worry? ’Twas no’ like the bairn he’d come to know. And love.
His gut twisted. His vow to remain detached—to focus on naught but his long-awaited penance—had turned into a colossal failure.
Penance. God grant him the surety that neither Tessa nor Emily would ever play any part in that.
He’d scoured two-thirds of the upper floor, including the room where he’d confronted the ghost, when he passed the small room where Emily had discovered more stairs. He still had several rooms to check on this floor, but something beckoned him toward the narrow winding stairwell, at the back.
When he opened the door, that samesomethingraised the hair on his arms, the back of his neck, and urged him to a stealthy silence. Expecting to be set upon by the ghost at any time, he eased up the stairway, listening intently, alert to any changes in temperature or movement of the musty air.
Could Emily be with him, unable to respond?
By the saints, if that ghostly blackguard had harmed her, even in the slightest, Hellfire would rain down upon him the likes of which he’d never seen, alive or dead. No’ even at Culloden.
Halfway up the stairs, he heard the soft inflection of Emily’s voice. She didnae sound distressed, only…melancholy. So, the ghost didnae have her. Who then, could she be speaking to? Darach paused, turned off his flashlight and listened.
“…said they’d only be gone a few days. They promised. Then we were all going to come here, together. But…their plane crashed and they…they all died.” Her voice broke along with Darach’s heart as she sobbed her pain.
He almost went to her; wanted desperately to gather her in his arms and comfort her. Protect her. But he held back when, through broken sobs, she continued.
“My…my Aunt Tessa is trying so hard to be a good mom for me, and she’s great and everything, and I love her a lot, but…I…I miss my mom and dad so much! And my grandpa and grandma. I can’t tell Aunt Tess how I feel ’cause she’s already sad. I know she misses everyone, too. My friend? Becca? I know her from school. I use’ta could tell her stuff, but when we moved here, I had to leave all my friends behind. So, I don’t have anyone to talk to, anymore. Aunt Tess is worried all the time about how to take care of us, and she works extra hard to make things fun for me. If I tell her how I feel, it will only make her more sad. That’s one of the reasons I want a puppy, so it could be my new friend. I want to play with it, sure, but I could also talk to it about stuff I can’t tell other people.”
A long minute passed while Darach struggled with the burning lump in his throat. He was about to continue up the stairs when Emily began again. “Darach’s my friend, but he already said he’s leaving. I really like him, and I think Aunt Tess does, too, even though she pretends not to. When he leaves, I won’t have any friends. Will…willyoube my friend, Jack? I know you’re supposed to stay outside, but you could stay up here where Aunt Tess won’t see you and I’d come to visit you all the time.” She muffled the last word with a loud yawn. “It could be our secret.”
Jack?He was with her after all?
It took all of Darach’s strength not to bolt up the remaining stairs. Instead, he took his cue from the lack of fear in Emily’s voice and took one cautious step, then another.
“Ye should have a lie-down, lass, and we’ll talk more once ye’ve rested.”
Darach almost didn’t recognize the ghost’s voice. Gone, was his blustery, threatening growl.
“Okay,” Emily said on a sigh. “But only for a minute. They’ll be looking for me. Will you keep an eye on this for me?”
“Aye, lass,” the ghost replied. “This, and ye.”
Above him, Darach could see a faint glow that he assumed came from Emily’s flashlight. He waited several anxious minutes then quietly moved up the stairs until he could peer over the edge of the attic floor.
Sitting in the corner, ghostly eyes already fixed on Darach, Jack held a finger to his lips to warn Darach to be quiet. Emily lay beside him, fast asleep.
Bewildering.Darach could find naught else to describe what he beheld. Nothing he’d said or threatened the ghost with had made the slightest difference, but somehow Emily had managed to thoroughly tame the shadowy beast.
What was it she’d said when they’d first entered the manor? That it reminded her of Beauty and the Beast’s house? Coincidence? Or did Emily have a touch of Soncerae’smagick? Emily certainly seemed to have worked some, where Jack was concerned.
Darach gently gathered Emily into his arms and gave the ghost his most severe scowl. “We’ve still to speak of the candle,” he whispered low. “Dinnae think tae try such a perilous hoax, again.”
“Dinnaeyethink anything has changed between us.” The ghost’s quiet response held its own warning. “What transpired here is between the bairn and me. ’Tis naught tae do wi’ ye and doesnae change the terms I gave ye earlier. If ye care for the bairn and her aunt—and I ken that ye do—ye’ll convince them tae leave, or I’ll take charge of the task, myself.”
Emily stirred, snuggling deeper into the protection of Darach’s arms. He shifted, taking care no’ to wake her. The day’s toll had been heavy for one so young. “ ’Tis yet to be settled between us,” he countered, heading for the stairs.
“Hold,” the ghost ordered.
Darach paused and slowly turned back, impatience tightening the muscles in his jaw. He wouldna engage with a sleeping bairn in his arms, but he also wouldna be dictated to by this interloper.
“This seemed tae be of importance tae the lass. ’Tis likely she’ll want it when she wakes.”
