Page 18 of Highland Ghost

Chapter Six

“Pack our things, we’re leavin’ now,” said Caitlin, storming into her sister’s room the next morning without bothering to knock.

“Caitlin?” Kellina sat up in bed, lighting a candle, blinking and looking toward the door. Nash was sleeping on his stomach next to her, his arm hanging off the side of the bed. His head was to the side and he was snoring very loudly. “What are ye doin’ in here? It’s no’ even first light yet.”

“We need to leave, Sister. This is place is haunted, and my betrothed is naught but a black-hearted deceiver who wants me to die.”

Robena was on the bed between Nash and Kellina, and started crying.

“Now ye made the baby cry,” scolded Kellina. “Go back to bed and we’ll talk about this in the mornin’.”

“It is mornin’,” she stated, hurrying over to the window and ripping open the shutter so her sister could see the first rays of the rising sun on the horizon. A cold breeze blew in, and Robena cried louder.

“What is the matter with ye?” Kellina ran to the window and closed the shutter. “We’re all goin’ to catch our deaths from the cold.”

“If we dinna leave here, I will die. That is, as soon as I marry Ian.”

“Stop bein’ so dramatic. He’s a handsome man and ye’ll enjoy bein’ married if ye just give it a chance.” Kellina picked up her daughter, rocking her in her arms to comfort her and put her back to sleep. Nash smelled like whisky, and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.

“Kellina, ye dinna understand. Last night I saw two ghosts.”

“No’ with the ghosts again. Please,” said Kellina, rolling her eyes. She paced back and forth, rocking Robena.

“Nay, it’s true, I tell ye. Ian even admitted it. There is a curse in his family and every first-born male MacBain from the male side who gets married is dead within two years if they are no’ really in love.”

“What are ye talkin’ about?” asked Kellina as the door opened and Matilda rushed in with a crying Bram in her arms.

“Kellina, something scared Bram and he will not stop crying,” said Matilda.

“Matilda, I’m sorry, but I have problems of my own. Canna ye ask North to help ye?” asked Kellina.

“I cannot wake him. He drank too much Mountain Magic.” She looked over at Nash, snoring on the bed. “I see you have the same trouble with Nash as well.”

Robena started crying once again. “Well, ye might as well stay,” said Kellina. “No one is sleepin’ anymore except for our husbands.”

“I’ll bet Bram is cryin’ because he saw one of the ghosts,” Caitlin told Matilda.

“Ghosts? For real?” Matilda raised a brow. “Did Robena see one too?”

“Nay, my sister woke up Robena and that is why she is cryin’,” Kellina told her. “I’m sure all her racket is really what woke Bram as well.”

“Why doesna anyone believe me?” Feeling exhausted and all alone, Caitlin collapsed atop the chair. Then the sound of bagpipes was heard from the garden. Caitlin ran back over to the window, ripping open the shutter and looking out. “There,” she said, pointing at the wispy form that was the ghost of Bernard in the garden. “Look, quickly. It’s the piper ghost.”

“Stop it, Caitlin,” said Kellina, putting her daughter down on the bed.

“I mean it. Both of ye, get over here and look and then ye’ll believe me.”

“I’ll take a look,” said Matilda, hurrying over to the window with her son still in her arms. She looked down at the garden and gasped. Bram looked out the window, too, and started to cry louder. “Kellina, you’d better take a look at this. Your sister is telling the truth.”

Kellina hurried over and looked down into the garden as well. Just then, the ghost of Sylvia floated over to Bernard and they embraced. Then, as the first rays of sunlight brightened the horizon, the sound of the bagpipes faded and both ghosts dissipated into thin air.

“Now do ye believe me? Those were the ghosts of Sylvia MacBain and her lover, Bernard.” Caitlin looked over to see both her sister and Matilda staring out the window with their jaws dropped open. “Sit down, and I’ll tell ye all about it, and why I canna marry Ian MacBain.”

Caitlin closed the shutter with a smile on her face because, now, for the first time, someone would believe her when she said she saw a ghost. Two ghosts, to be exact.

*

Ian watched asthe apparitions of both Bernard and Sylvia disappeared from the garden, then he closed the shutter and went over to don his weapon belt and boots. He’d head down to the great hall to say goodbye to his guests, and to take one last look at Caitlin before he never saw her again.