by Lisa Coots
“What? I don't think so. We’re so tired. We were at the hospital all night. I’m sure he’s exhausted too.”
Serena walked back out onto the porch with Faith. The sun was higher now, already warming everything it touched.
“Yeah. I’m sorry about Mason, but I know Claire will be relieved.”
“I figure Evan will be thrilled.”
“Yeah, so the wedding? We can really start moving things along now.” Faith raised her eyebrows and gave Serena a smile.
“Yes, let me get the house back running and we can finalize the plans.”
Faith’s gaze locked on the Coeur du Bayou sign. Reaching a hand out, she traced the lettering with a fingertip.
“He loved me,” she whispered.
“What?”
“He loved me. He made this sign for me.” Dazed, Faith caressed the dainty painted flowers with her fingers.
“Faith, are you ok?”
“My father, when he found out…” She shook her head sadly. “He was so angry. He was going to burn this sign. I found it in the burn pile out back, I hid it from him. It’s the only thing I had left of Jacques.”
“Are you remembering this now?” Serena whispered.
Faith blinked rapidly. “Um. No. I saw it before.”
“So that’s why it was stuck in the back of the closet. Anna hid it from her father.” Serena smiled at the simple explanation and marveled at how it had stayed hidden for so long.
“Yeah. I got to go. I can't bake so I’ll go to the diner and help Gil.” Suddenly in a hurry, Faith made her way to her car.
“I’ll call you,” Serena called to Faith as she climbed in and slammed the door.
“What’s going on?” Gabe asked from the staircase.
“Faith’s leaving and I’m going to bed.” Serena closed the heavy door behind her and sagged against it. The heat would make it nearly impossible to sleep.
“Just wanted to let you know, the electrician is on his way.”
“Great.”
“Is everything alright? I thought you’d be more relieved about the Richie guy being gone.”
“I’m just worried about Faith. She’s so obsessed with Anna.” Pushing herself away from the door, Serena felt the sweat already pooling on her lower back.
“Oh, right. The ghost lady.” There was the eye roll she had expected earlier.
“I’m too tired to argue with you right now.” Serena waved a limp hand at him.
Gabe gave a small laugh and looked around curiously. “Get some rest. Maybe when you wake up everything will be back to normal. It’ll be like a bad dream.”
“Gabe, that would be magic.”
Waking to the sounds of male voices in her house, Serena was momentarily startled until it all came back to her. Her sweat soaked skin and the heavy stale air let her know the house was still without electricity.
Sneaking upstairs, she took a quick cold shower in the hopes that it would revive her long enough to sort out what needed to be done. Gabe had been helpful, but he didn’t believe. He’d be looking for logical answers, facts or not. Ben would be back soon, miffed that he missed all the action. At least she’d have a few days before she had to deal with Mason and the memories.
Immediately feeling guilty, Serena needed to check in on him. She knew she wouldn’t leave him in the hospital alone. As she dressed, she made plans to drive back over. If Ben made it back in time, he’d probably go with her.
Making her way back downstairs she heard Gabe’s voice. “So you think it was faulty wiring?”
“I can’t explain it. That’s the only thing I can think of and don’t ask me how your brother connected with it from the staircase.” The other male voice sounded thoroughly mystified.
Serena smiled at Gabe’s attempt to find the cause. Catching a reflection of light through the sidelight, she made her way to the front door. Seeing Ben’s Land Rover parked in the driveway, she made her way back to the kitchen as Gabe was coming out.
“Hey. Ben’s here. I was thinking of going back to the hospital. I’m sure Ben’s going to want to come too,” Serena gave him a hopeful look then added, “if you have this covered.”
“It should be fixed by nightfall, but don’t bother going back up there.”
“Why?”
The front door opened and Ben came in holding it wide. “You sure you don’t need help?”
“Reuben,” Mason’s voice was weak but firm as he stepped over the threshold. “I’m just moving a little slow.”
“Mason.” Serena hurried over to the door as Mason held on to the door jamb. “What are you doing?”
“He called me. I was planning to go by there anyway, but when I got there he promptly checked himself out.” Ben frowned in Mason’s direction.
“You should have stayed until you were stronger.”
“And miss all the fun?” Mason’s breath was labored as he looked around the room. “God, it's hot in here.”
“Let's get you to your room.”
“No, I need to sit for a minute.” He pointed to the parlor then took a shaky step.
“All right, stop being stubborn.” Ben put an arm around Mason’s waist and helped him to the nearest chair. “Ok, if you’re good, I’m going to get some pictures and check equipment.”
“You go on ahead. I’ll just sit right here.”
The paleness of his face and the sheen of sweat over his lip worried Serena. “Mason, you should have stayed at the hospital until you were stronger.”
“Ah, love… Worried about me still?” There was hope in his voice as he gazed at her longingly.
“Of course.” Serena lowered her eyes unable to meet his.
“I had to make sure he was gone. I don’t feel him. No trace.”
“No, I don’t either. I saw him leave.” Her eyes wandered to the mantle and her neatly placed candlesticks.
“I had to make sure you were safe.”
“I am. I’m home.”
“Are we not going to talk about it?”
“Mace, please. I think we should wait till you’re feeling better. It’ll give me more time to process everything. This heat is not helping.”
“Faulty wiring? Are you kidding me?” Ben’s exasperated voice rose as he entered the parlor. “Here’s water for everyone. Two for Mason. Got to keep hydrated.”
Gabe followed him in not ready to give up his argument. “The electrician said it’s the only logical explanation.”
“I guess it’s too much to hope that you left video running on the stairs?” Mason asked his eyes fixed on the water bottles. Serena held her breath, knowing that Richie wouldn’t have been the only thing to see on the stairs. Whatever was between them, madness or magic, it was private.
“No, I thought I’d be gone a few days and I didn’t want Serena to have to worry about batteries. With Faith in and out of here, I didn’t think it was a good idea.”
“Speaking of Faith, I’m really worried about her. I was going to wait until Mason was feeling better.” Serena twisted the cap off the bottle then twisted it back on.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mace, do you feel Anna here?” Finally looking at him, Serena hoped his answer wouldn’t confirm her fears.
“Ummm. Sadness. It’s still there. Burnt smell.”
“Could the burnt smell have been a premonition of what was going to happen?” Ben asked curiously.
“Maybe, but I still smell it.”
“I don’t smell anything.” Gabe sniffed the air around him.
“No, I don’t feel Anna.” Mason sat straighter in his chair. “Why are you asking?”
“She didn’t warn me about Richie last night. I thought maybe she was gone, too.”
“Well, isn't that the goal?” Gabe frowned at her.
“Yes, but Faith had a really bad episode yesterday, and not in the house.”
“Whoa… Wow. You’re right,” Ben said excitedly. “It was in the graveyard.”
“So, you’re thinking…
” Mason put a bottle to his forehead and closed his eyes.
“Anna’s hitched a ride with Faith,” Ben answered for her.
“She was upset that the electricity wasn’t on this morning. At first I thought it was because she couldn’t bake, but at the door she got weird. She told me about the sign and how she hid it in the upstairs closet, but it was from Anna’s point of view.”
“That’s crazy. Should we get her back over here?” Blue eyes wide, Ben paced in front of the mantle, his shirt already damp with sweat.
“Yes, we need to do another session,” Mason agreed.
“When you’re stronger and the electricity is back on.” Serena wasn’t sure it was the best course of action, but something needed to be done.
“They’re putting the new box in now. Shouldn't be much longer.” Gabe rubbed his eyes, sitting heavily on the loveseat.
“Yeah, I need to check all of my equipment. Ugh. The batteries are probably going to have to be replaced.” Ben frowned and headed out of the room. “The new batteries might have been drained, too.”
“It certainly felt like it.” Mason gave a halfhearted laugh.
CHAPTER 29
Grateful for the hum of electricity coursing through Coeur du Bayou, Serena breathed in the cool air. Mason was looking better every day and moving around more. She knew he wanted to talk about the memories, but she wasn’t ready. His eyes followed her everywhere. She felt his regret and it saddened her.
Wanting to give him time to recover, she had kept her distance. Actually she was afraid the memory would return. How could they be together, constantly reliving that horrible memory?
Pushing it from her mind, she tried to focus on the task at hand. Faith. Her behavior was becoming stranger every time she came by. Mason had insisted on another session. Bringing more water bottles upstairs, she passed one to Ben as he grumbled over his video recorder in the pale yellow room.
“So you’re telling me she ended up marrying the Harold guy?” Mason asked Ben but his eyes were on Serena. Happy to see his coloring was back to normal, she smiled at him.
“Yes, it all came together quickly once I figured out the name. The first mayor of Cypress Point was John Bertrand. His son, Harold married Anna Fox in 1905,” Ben recalled from memory.
“I still can’t believe it.” Serena shook her head frowning. It didn’t make sense.
“The other graves out there are her parents, Harold, and I'm assuming other relatives. Haven't connected all of them yet.” Fresh batteries inserted, he snapped the cover back on the video camera.
“Well, it gives me a new line of questioning.” Mason flipped through the papers in the file. “I think we should start with the baby and go from there. Maybe if we take some of the focus off of Jacques, she’ll tell us more about the baby.”
“Yeah, I think so,” Ben agreed.
“Wait. Bertrand?” Serena leaned over Mason to see the file. “Any relation to Faith?”
“Faith?” Mason gave her a confused look.
“Oh, my. This is crazy. Could Faith and Evan be descendants of Anna?” Serena wondered out loud.
“That would be too much of a coincidence, wouldn’t it?” Gabe said from the doorway.
“I don’t want to ask Faith. She’s already kinda…” Ben circled a finger around his temple.
“No, I think you should talk to Evan.” Serena saw his grimace, then suggested, “Or Margaret.”
Ben gave her a blank look.
“Margaret, their mom. She’d be happy to talk to you.”
“Umm, yeah. I remember her from the engagement party.” A panicked look crossed Ben’s face.
“Ben, she’s an awesome cook,” Serena teased him. “Where do you think Faith learned to cook?”
“Ok, I’ll go talk to her.” Ben rubbed his stomach grinning. “Maybe around lunch time.”
“Mason, are you sure you’re up for this?”
“Sure, love.” His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. She knew she was the cause and the remedy. Soon, she’d have to find a way to make things right.
At the sound of the door opening downstairs, Gabe stuck his head over the railing and called out to Faith, “We’re up here.”
Mason closed the file, handing it to Serena to put away.
Faith gave Gabriel a wary glance as she passed him in the doorway of Anna’s room. Going directly to the bed, she laid back without a word.
“Everything ok, Faith?”
“Yeah.” She lifted her head to look at Mason. “Are you sure Jake shouldn’t be here?”
“No, it’s better if he’s not. That way if we do another session with him we’ll know if he's actually remembering instead of just recalling information from your sessions.”
“Oh, yeah. I guess that makes sense.”
“Why don't you just get comfortable? Rena brought up some water, if you need it.”
“Ok.” Faith leaned back on the bed and closed her eyes.
“Gabe, stay or go, but close the door.”
“I think I’ll stay.” Gabe closed the door and stood behind Mason leaning comfortably against the wall.
“Ben. Ready?” Mason waited for Ben’s confirmation.
“Yep. We’re a go.” Ben gave a thumbs up.
“Rena, maybe you should move away from the door.” Mason’s concern was apparent but she wasn’t moving away from the door. If it opened she planned to stand between it and Mason.
“I’m good.”
“Ok, let’s get started.” He gave them a nod, then softened his voice. “Just relax, Faith. Breath in and out... Listen to the sound of my voice…”
“I’m here.” An impatient voice came from Faith.
Mason blinked, speaking softly, “Anna?”
“Yes. I don’t know where Jacques's buried. I’ve searched and searched. I wanted him next to me.” Anna’s speech tumbled from Faith as if she'd been waiting a long time to speak.
“Anna, I know you loved him.”
“I did. We were supposed to get married.”
“So what happened? Can you tell me?”
“My father killed him. He killed him and dragged him into the woods. I don’t know where.” Her soft cries filled the room.
“Anna, I’m sorry. The baby. What about the baby?”
“My baby. I don’t know where she is either.” The crying continued.
“You were pregnant?”
“Yes, he wanted to marry me.” Faith’s hands cradled her stomach.
“But your father wanted you to marry Harold?”
“Yes, he told me I had to get rid of the baby.” The anger in her voice was unmistakable.
“Anna, what did you do?”
“I told him I wanted my baby. I begged him, but he put me on a boat to New Orleans till I had the baby.”
“Did you have the baby?”
“Yes, my little girl. They took her from me!” Her voice rose in desperation. “I hate him. I swore he’d be sorry.”
“Did you come back here after?”
“Yes, he made me marry Harold. He owed money and was going to lose the lumber mill if the gambling boat didn’t come.”
“Oh. The mayor was Harold’s father and he needed his help to get the boat here.”
“Yes, but it didn’t work out. I made sure of that.”
“What happened? What did you do?”
“I wanted to make sure he was ruined. I burned down the lumber yard.”
“What?” Mason’s expression changed from concern to surprise.
“I begged him to let me have my baby back. I said I’d marry anyone he wanted me to, if I could have my baby. He said no one would want me if they knew.” She turned towards Mason, her eyes flashing with anger. “But he did. Jacques wanted me and my baby.”
The door flung open suddenly. Gabe stepped out to look down the hallway. Serena grabbed him, pushing him back into the room clear of the door. Standing in front of Mason, she waited for it to slam shut.
“Anna, calm down please,”
Mason tried to reassure her. The bedroom door slammed shut making Gabe start.
“No! He did it.”
A gust of wind blew the door open again, bouncing it against the wall.
“No, Poppa, no!” Anna screamed as the house began to shake. Grabbing his head, Mason began to moan.
“No. Mason wake her up,” Serena whispered to Mason watching the door way. When Mason didn’t answer she pleaded, “Faith, wake up.”
Mason began to fall forward limply. Gabe caught his shoulders to keep him from falling out of the chair. Faith began to scream, writhing on the bed in jerky motions. Serena frantically tried to recall the safe word.
“The word, Ben. What’s the word?”
“There was no word.” Stumped, Ben shook his head.
She thought back to the last session, their dance and Mason’s promise.
“J’adoube! J’adoube!”
Faith fell back on the bed as the house shuddered. Eerie moaning continued around them.
“My baby.” A soft whimper made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
“Mason. Mason.” Gabe shook Mason by his shoulders roughly.
“Gabe. Stop.” Mason slapped at his brother's hands trying to break free of his grip.
“Are you ok?” Serena knelt next to him.
“Yeah. I think.” He glanced at Faith on the bed. “Get her out of here.”
“What?”
“Don’t you feel it? Anna’s back in the house. Get Faith out before she decides to hitch a ride again.”
“Faith. Can you hear me?” Standing to lean over the bed, Serena shook Faith’s shoulder urgently.
“Noooo. Stop,” Faith moaned opening her eyes. “It was bad. Oh God. Serena, she was so mad.” Her death grip on the bed spread twisted it as she sat up slowly.
“It’s ok. Here, let’s get you downstairs out on the porch. Maybe some fresh air will help.” Serena tried to pull her off of the bed.
“She did it.” Faith grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.
“What? What did she do?”
“She killed her father,” Faith whispered loudly, gripping her arm tighter.
“I know, Faith. I saw it.” Mason patted her hand. “It’s over now.”