Page 31 of A Ghost of a Chance

Silently, she shook her head.

“Do you know where they are?”

“That shaft of light of which I spoke—it came again at dawn yesterday, er, that is, last year. The Larkins were both pulled into it and they disappeared.” She hugged herself.

An understanding light came into his eyes. Gently, he said, “Do you believe they might have entirely ceased to exist?”

“I do.” She looked to him for answers but got lost admiring his handsome, strong profile.

“And you fear that could be your fate as well?”

She nodded. “When the light appears, it pulls on me like a river’s current but I perceive nothing beyond that strange light. Nothing.”

He pressed his lips together in sympathy. “I regret that I have no answers for you, but I suppose a part of me has always assumed that there is more after this life.”

Could he be right?

Another refrain began in her head. After so much silence concerning her composition, her music at last sang to her again—entirely due to Rafe’s company, no doubt.

As they wound their way amid the celebration, he stopped and gestured. “Look. It’s Madam Miska.”

So it was. Bejeweled and dressed in silks and scarves, the gypsy who had told Rafe’s fortune sat leaning over a young girl’s palm, speaking as if she were the village sage. Nearby, a group of young girls leaned in to hear, giggling and exclaiming.

Rafe gestured to the Romani woman. “I found her after you...left...and told her about you and how we met.”

She pictured him entering the camp looking for a fortune teller. He must not have received a terribly warm welcome. Why would he go to that much trouble?

“Did she believe you?”

His lips curved into a smile of wonder. “Surprisingly, yes, she did.”

“And?” she prompted. “What did she say?”

“That she sometimes sees spirits and had seen you standing next to me.”

“How extraordinary.” She kept pace with him as he headed for the lane leading up to the luminous Ravenswood Manor. So, she was not as invisible as she had always thought.

“What do you wish to do tonight, my dear? Music?”

She smiled up at him. “We needn’t only engage in activities of my choice. What diversions do you seek?”

He gazed at her in soft affection. “For the most part, I do what I want the rest of the year. This is your day.”

“Today feels like any other. Really, I would be happy doing anything you wish.”

He chuckled. “Very well, then I wish to hear you play the pianoforte. No one else plays like you do. And your composition is truly unforgettable.”

Eagerly, she all but rushed toward Ravenswood Manor to play the new section. Rafe kept up with her.

Along the way, Osanne glanced at him. He had changed subtly, and he wore a new scarf, one with embroidery on the hem—possibly made by a young lady who hoped to turn his head. Casually, she asked, “Did you visit your family this past year?”

“Yes, I went home for Christmas.” He made a slight grimace.

“Is all well?”

“Yes, they’re well. They’re overtly trying to match me with Benjamin’s sister, Kitty.” He shook his head.

She quelled a surge of jealousy that arose at the image of Rafe with another. “You do not favor her?”