Felicia's Spirits

by Marie Higgins

  Louisa shook her head. “No, he wasn’t warning you against Sebastian. He was warning you about Mortimer.”

  Felicia sighed. “Then why didn’t he tell me that?”

  Louisa moved closer and knelt in front of Felicia. Her smile was sweet, as always. “Most people have guardian angels... like us, but you have been given a gift of sight so that you can see us. Most people cannot see their angels.”

  Felicia scrunched her forehead in confusion. “Really? You think I have a special gift?”

  Louisa laughed. “Of course, you do. You’re talking to me now, are you not?”

  “So... that’s why I see you? Because of my gift?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will I always have this gift?”

  “I cannot tell you, Felicia dear. But for some reason, we are here to help you along life’s path, so you might as well cherish our help.”

  “I promise, I will.” Felicia’s attention moved to the fireplace again as her mind centered around Bash again. “Louisa? Can you see other spirits... or guardian angels?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is...” She swallowed the knot of emotion forming in her throat. “Is Sebastian one of my guardian angels?”

  “Not yet. I haven’t seen him.”

  “Well, if you see him, will you tell him...” Her voice cracked, so she cleared her throat. “Will you tell him I loved him? I wasn’t able to tell him of my feelings before.”

  “Yes, I shall tell him.”

  “Thank you.” She took a deep breath and looked at the other woman. “For everything, especially for talking to me now. It made a difference.”

  “I’m so happy.”

  She waited for Louisa to disappear, but after a few seconds when the woman was still there, Felicia looked at her again. “By chance... You or the others wouldn’t happen to know where the topaz diamond ring from India is, do you?”

  Louisa smiled widely. “You know where it is. All you have to do is think really hard. You can do it, I know you can.”

  Surprise washed through her and she gasped. “Why do you think I know? You sound like Mortimer.”

  “But you do know.”

  “Do I know that I know?”

  Louisa chuckled and shook her head. “You will have to really think about this and you’ll figure it out.”

  Felicia grumbled and stood, walking to the fireplace. She leaned her hand against the rock wall surrounding the hearth. “I’m glad you have faith in me, because I certainly don’t.”

  After a few moments of silence, she peeked over her shoulder. Louisa was gone. Why couldn’t her guardian angels help her when she needed it the most? That would certainly make life a lot easier.

  SEVENTEEN

  Felicia’s mind was ready to explode. She was tired of thinking. Apparently in her investigation, she knew enough to know where the ring was, so why was her mind drawing a blank?

  Two days after Sebastian’s death, she still hadn’t returned to her daily routine. She’d received a few unexpected visits from neighbors and Officer Rossi, to see how she was faring, but she didn’t want to chat for too long. She tried to appear strong, but inside, her heart had crumbled, and it would never be repaired. She was destined for a lonely life without Bash, and she didn’t know how she could handle it.

  She dug out her notes on the case that she’d hidden under a floorboard not long after she and Edwin had moved to Capri. Her fear at the time had been to keep the notes hidden until she trusted someone enough to want to find the ring and receive the reward. She hadn’t trusted Mortimer, and her instincts had been correct. The deceiving man was pure evil.

  Edwin had been relieved to know she had quit being an agent for Mortimer. She’d chosen to marry Edwin because of his kindness and willingness to protect her. Up until the day he died, he was always looking out for her. He hadn’t known that she’d buried the notes for the last case of the missing ring, but even if she’d told him, he wouldn’t have cared that she loosened a few floorboards to keep the notes hidden.

  Sitting on her bed, she stared at the notes spread out across the lavender quilt. Memories resurfaced – none of them were pleasant... except the day she left her career as an agent. Indeed, that had been a day of gladness.

  Mortimer had suggested that she turn in all of her notes from previous cases, but she decided not to give him some of the important notes for the missing ring case. How could she have trusted that man after everything he made her do throughout the years? If society ever discovered the things she’d accomplished, they’d shun her from their lives forever.

  It surprised her that Edwin had looked past all of her misgivings. Sebastian had also looked past her sins. Perhaps not four years ago, but only because she’d never let him see the real Felicia underneath her disguises.

  Footsteps creaking on the floor in the hall brought her alert. Seconds later, there was a knock on the door.

  “Lady Adler?” Alberto said. “Someone is here to see you. They say it’s important.”

  Felicia sighed. She really just wanted to be left alone. “Who is it?”

  “Officer Rossi and another officer.”

  “Can they return another day?”

  “No, my lady. Officer Rossi bade me to inform you of the importance of this matter.”

  “Fine. Tell him I’ll be down shortly. Show the men into the sitting room.”

  “I will, my lady.”

  She stood and moved to the hanging mirror on the wall, looking at her reflection. She still didn’t have much color in her face, and her eyes were red and raw from crying. She’d left her hair long, but only because she didn’t have the strength to style it in a coil or ringlets.

  Frowning, she shook her head. It didn’t matter how terrible she looked. She was in mourning, and if people couldn’t understand that, they would just have to leave her home.

  She took her time walking downstairs and into the sitting room. Officer Rossi and another policeman sat on her sofa. When they saw her enter the room, they quickly stood and removed their hats.

  “Lady Adler,” Officer Rossi began, “please forgive my intrusion, but I knew I had to come see you.” As he paused, he licked his lips and shifted his stance. “A man’s body was found along the beach not too long ago.” He cleared his throat. “It was Mr. Harrington.”

  Felicia’s body trembled as agony consumed her once again. She sat before her legs couldn’t hold her up any longer and she ended on the floor. “Are... you certain? Can I see him?”

  Officer Rossi nodded. “The man’s face was unrecognizable. We think fish tried to feast on him.”

  My poor Sebastian. She shuttered, wishing he hadn’t told her that bit of information.

  “However,” he continued, “the clothes are the same, except they were ripped.”

  Closing her eyes, she tried to stay strong, but failed miserably. Tears filled her eyes and poured down her cheeks. As she blinked to find her vision, a handkerchief was placed in front of her. She glanced up at the other officer through blurry vision and nodded. “Grazie.”

  He muttered something in Italian that she didn’t recognize, but she didn’t care. How could these men expect her to carry on a decent conversation when they were talking about the man she loved?

  “Forgive me again, Lady Adler,” Officer Rossi added, “but we wondered if you know about his family in England. We will need to inform them. We will also need to have a burial service.”

  She couldn’t stand it any longer. The pain in her heart was too much. She placed her hands over her ears, closed her eyes, and shook her head. Couldn’t they see how hard this was for her?

  Tears that she didn’t know she still had, kept streaming down her face. Sobs tightened her chest, making it hard to breathe. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was the officer who’d given her the handkerchief. She could tell by his scent of pine. His hand slowly moved, stroking her back. She wanted to push him away, but she realized he was just trying to comfort her.

  She turne
d her face toward him and leaned against him. Pushing her face against his chest, her crying grew louder.

  Then another hand touched her knee. She couldn’t see Officer Rossi, but the warmth from his body told her that he knelt in front of her.

  “Please, Lady Adler,” Rossi said with a tender voice. “Let me know what we can do to help you.”

  Slowly, her sobs diminished as weariness consumed her. “Please,” she said breathlessly as she pulled away. “I cannot handle this. Just do whatever you need to do.”

  The man she’d been crying against said something to Rossi in their Italian language, and once again, she wasn’t paying close enough attention and couldn’t understand him.

  “Lady Adler, Officer Petri just asked if you would like to pick out a burial box for Mr. Harrington.”

  She wished she’d known more about his family, but it appeared she was the closest person to Sebastian here in Capri. She would need to be the one to make all the arrangements. “Yes, I will do that, but just not today.”

  “Fine. We shall wait one more day.”

  “Grazie,” she told Rossi. “I’ll come to the station tomorrow.”

  “Then I shall wait for you to come.” He nodded. “Good day, Lady Adler.”

  As the men started to leave, she remembered something and jumped to her feet. “Officer Rossi?”

  He stopped and looked at her. “Sì?”

  “Mortimer came to see me yesterday. He was still in the disguise I’d seen him in that one day. Do you remember the description?”

  “I remember.” He stepped closer.

  “Please have your men watch for him. We need to bring that evil man to justice.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

  “Grazie.”

  They officers left her house. She wearily climbed the stairs to her bedchamber. As much as she wanted to fall on her bed and sleep the day away, the papers holding her handwritten notes were still scattered across the bed.

  She sat down where she’d been earlier and stared at the notes. There was no way to concentrate on the missing ring case. Instead, she needed to focus on Sebastian. He deserved a nice burial service, especially since he had no family that could attend.

  She wiped her wet cheeks, hoping to remove the last trace of her tears. She’d use all the money she had to purchase him a nice burial box.

  Memories assailed her again, remembering Edwin’s box. He’d always been a flashy person, and he insisted on having a decorative box that held his beloved possessions. He’d always enjoyed jewelry and men’s trinkets. He’d given Felicia anything she wanted during their short marriage. The only thing he wanted in return was to see to his wishes when he died. He wanted a red silk lining inside the casket, and a pristine white pillow under his head. He’d wanted his favorite rings on each finger, and other jewels that he’d collected over the years were to be engraved on the box.

  A small chuckle rose from Felicia’s throat. She recalled thinking that if someone dug up his box from the cemetery, they’d be able to steal priceless pieces of jewels. Remarkably, nobody thought about that and buried him six feet under. The one thing he’d wanted to be buried with him couldn’t fit inside the box, so Felicia had it nailed shut and hung on the wall in his old bedchamber.

  His great-grandfather had chiseled a jewelry box for Edwin’s mother before she’d wed his father. That had been Edwin’s prize possession after his mother passed. No wonder he’d wanted it buried with him. She’d learned right away how possessive he was over that jewelry box. He’d never allowed her to even look inside.

  She expelled a breath and reached for one of the papers with her written notes. She scanned what she’d written – both front and back sides – and then moved to the next page. After reading three more pages, she read a passage that brought her mind to a sudden stop.

  Today I discovered more about the man I suspect of stealing the topaz diamond ring from India. His name is Sir George Wendt. People say he’s a handsome older gentleman that is an expert at wooing the ladies. It’s rumored that he enjoys attending social gatherings. Everyone has said he’s a stylish dresser. A few people I’d spoken with mentioned his oddity with jewels, and that he’s possessive over an old jewelry box.

  “His jewelry box?” Felicia muttered.

  She shook her head and re-read over the passage. A gasp sprang from her and she jumped off the bed as if it was on fire.

  “This describes Edwin!”

  Her mind replayed the moment they’d met. She had attended a ball in which she’d hoped to meet Sir George Wendt. When she realized her leads had brought her to a dead end, she was ready to leave the ball. On her way out to her carriage, she bumped into Edwin Adler. He was charming and attractive older man, and he’d become friends with her immediately.

  A throbbing pain split through her skull as realization sank inside of her. “I’d been married to the thief?”

  Without another thought, she darted out of her room. “Alberto,” she yelled in a high-pitched voice.

  She needed help getting that box down she hung in Edwin’s room, and find something to open it with.

  “Alberto!”

  He ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. “Yes, my lady.” He stopped in front of her.

  “Alberto, I need you to—”

  “Don’t tell him!”

  The voice of her male spirit stopped the words in her head. She swung her head toward his voice. He stood on the other side of the staircase, slowly walking toward her, shaking his head.

  “You cannot trust anyone in this household. Remember that.”

  She held her breath. He was correct. She and Sebastian had realized someone in her home was one of Mortimer’s spies. She couldn’t even trust Alberto!

  “Lady Adler? Do you need something?” Alberto asked.

  She regulated her breathing and looked back at the butler. “Yes. I need...” She swallowed hard. “I would like you to bring some tea up to my room.”

  His curious expression moved over her slowly. “Would that be all?”

  “Yes. Grazie.”

  She waited until he’d turned and moved down the stairs before she glanced at her spirit. “We need to talk,” she said softly. “In my room. Now!”

  The man nodded and followed her inside her room. She closed the door and faced him, crossing her arms over her bosom.

  “What do you know about Alberto? Please tell me if I can trust him or not.”

  “No, Felicia. You cannot trust him. Mortimer is paying him to listen and watch your every move.”

  Anger flared inside of her, but she tried to remain calm. “And I thought he was someone I could trust.”

  “No, my dear. He is not.”

  “How foolish I’ve been. Why do I trust people so easily?” She paused and glared at her spirit. “And for that matter, why should I trust you?”

  He smiled. “Because I’m your guardian angel.”

  “So about that...” She walked closer to him, tilting her head slightly as she studied his face. He seemed familiar, but she didn’t know why. “Who are you and why have you been chosen to be my guardian angel?”

  “You really don’t know who I am?”

  “No. At times I think you are familiar somehow, but I probably think that way because I’ve known you since I was five or six.”

  “You were six.”

  “So then, who are you?”

  A tender smile touched his face. “I am your father.”

  EIGHTEEN

  Shock vibrated through Felicia as she stared at the familiar face. My father? She hadn’t had memories of her father, had she? Apparently, she had if she thought he looked familiar. Her mother hadn’t talked about her father much, except that he died when she was a small child.

  There were times while growing up where she watched other children her age with their fathers, and she’d longed to have one to share that special bond with. Her chest tightened, and yet anger continued to spin throughout her body. She’d been ch
eated all of her life. And as long as she could remember, she’d been looked at as if she was crazy for being able to talk to spirits. Of course, most people just figured she was talking to herself.

  Felicia bunched her hands by her sides. “So you are my father?”

  He nodded.

  “And my other spirits are my relatives, too – except for Louise who was mother’s best friend.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, what if I don’t want you in my life? What have you ever done for me besides make me think as though I’ve gone insane?”

  Her father’s eyes widened, and he gasped. “You cannot be serious.”

  “I am!”

  “We have helped you many times—”

  “Well, I don’t want your help any longer. Two very important people in my life are not with me now, and my so-called spirits haven’t done anything to help me.”

  “But Felicia, dear, you have to understand—”

  “I mean it, Father. I want you and the other spirits out of my life. I never want to see – or hear – from you again!”

  Sadness crept over his expression. He sighed and nodded.

  “Please tell the others.”

  “As you wish.”

  Right before her eyes, he turned into a foggy mist and disappeared. Tears threatened her eyes again, but she was too upset to cry. She wanted justice for Sebastian’s death, and for her mother’s kidnapping now.

  The knock on the door startled her and she jumped.

  “My lady, I have brought your tea,” Alberto said on the other side of the door.

  She hurried to her bed and sat on the mattress. “Enter.”

  The door opened and in waddled her maid. Alberto stood at the doorway, his gaze scanning the room suspiciously. Once the maid set the tray of tea and cups on the table, she bobbed toward Felicia before leaving. However, Alberto stayed in place.