“The truth. I have no idea where Brendan is.” Jasper took a bite of the sausage and chewed thoughtfully, his eyes still on Meg.
“So, how is it that they didn’t hurt you?” asked Meg suspiciously.
“Oh, I told them that I’m getting married next week and need to look my best.” He chuckled at his own joke and tore off a chunk of bread. Meg suddenly felt her knees go weak. If the men simply left Jasper in peace, that could mean only one of two things: he either told them where to find Brendan, or he made some kind of deal with them.
The Present
Chapter 44
I woke up to find the sky a pale blue, washed clean by yesterday’s rain. The breeze blowing through the open window was fresh and cool, the sun just barely above the horizon, spreading a golden glow above the tree tops and tinting the walls of my bedroom a peachy pink. I expected to feel depressed, frightened, and angry after yesterday’s ordeal, but what I actually felt was joy. I was almost giddy with it. I had gotten very lucky that Aidan came when he did, and I wasn’t about to allow Colin to make me feel like a victim. What he actually made me feel was a hunger for life. Yesterday’s incident reminded me how life could turn on a dime, and I didn’t intend to spend another minute wallowing in self-pity. I wanted to live every day to the fullest, and I would start with today, but first, I wanted to take a nice, hot bath to wash away any trace of what happened from my body. I turned on the taps and rummaged around for my iPod.
The water was almost scalding, the delicious scent of lavender bath salts drifting up in soothing steam as I turned on my favorite playlist and closed my eyes. I felt as if I were floating, the water gently lapping at my breasts and the heat drawing out every bit of tension from my body. Images of Aidan floated in front of my eyes as my hand unwittingly strayed between my legs, my body suddenly no longer relaxed, but coursing with desire. Yesterday’s kiss had awoken something which I had been suppressing for a long time, and I was suddenly vibrating with desire, desperate for it to be fulfilled.
My eyes flew open in alarm as something softly touched my arm. Aidan was standing above me, desperately trying not to let his eyes stray from my face. Oh, God, how long had he been there? I thought I’d locked the door, but here he was, seeing me in all my soapy glory. I pulled the earbuds from my ears and smiled guiltily.
“You didn’t answer, so I got worried,” he explained, his gaze drifting over my body. “I’ll just go now.”
He sounded strangled, and I could see my own desire reflected in his eyes. I didn’t say anything, just rose to my feet in the tub. My skin glowed from the heat and droplets of water slid between my breasts and down my thighs, but I didn’t bother to reach for a towel. I smiled at Aidan as I stepped from the tub and stood a few inches away from him, my face flushed with heat. Aidan was transfixed, his eyes asking me for confirmation that this was what I wanted. I couldn’t blame him after what happened yesterday. He needed to be sure, so I pressed my body against his and raised my face to receive his kiss. That was all the prompting he needed as he scooped me up and carried me back into the bedroom. Erotic scenes of slow seduction that played out in my mind before were pushed out by a need so strong, that I couldn’t bear to wait another second. I grabbed for his belt buckle, but Aidan playfully pushed away my urgent hands. “Not yet,” he whispered, “not yet,” as he pushed me onto the bed and pulled off his shirt.
I was momentarily shocked by the bruises to his ribs and stomach, but Aidan didn’t seem bothered. “It’s nothing,” he whispered as he kissed me, leaving me breathless with desire.
“Close your eyes and let me love you,” he asked, and I did, giving myself up to him with total abandon. As Aidan’s hands and lips explored every inch of me the words of an old-fashioned vow sprang to mind, “With my body I thee worship,” and worship me he did. If I had any doubts about his feelings for me, all my uncertainty fled as he put his feelings into kisses and caresses. I hardly noticed as he pulled me to the edge of the bed and pushed my thighs apart, getting on his knees in front of me and paying homage to that most womanly part of me. Wave after wave of unbearable pleasure flowed over me, the orgasm leaving me shattered and utterly reborn in equal parts. I felt like molten gold, fluid and shimmering as I finally descended back to earth.
When I reached for him this time, Aidan didn’t stop me, and I freely gave as much as I’d received, finally guiding him into my body and holding him there as the ancient rhythm of love overtook us, leaving us joined body and soul, and utterly fulfilled as Aidan gave me a kiss of unbearable tenderness and rested his head on my shoulder as his breathing finally returned to normal.
Now that the moment had passed, I was suddenly embarrassed by my wantonness. I’d never done anything like this before. All my previous sexual experiences had been initiated by the men, and I generally wanted to date for a while before letting things get that far. This was completely out of character for me, but Aidan didn’t know that, and might think that I was some slut who threw herself at every guy she found attractive. I averted my gaze from him, but he gently turned my face back to meet his eyes.
“Don’t turn away, mo gradh.” I had no idea what that meant, but judging from his expression, I knew it was a declaration of love, or at least intense desire. He rolled onto his back and pulled me to him, his lips brushing my temple in a butterfly kiss. I was torn between unbearable joy and uncertainty, and had no idea how to express to Aidan what I was feeling, but he did it for me, putting my mind at rest.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy,” he mused. “Funny how sometimes we don’t even realize how miserable and lonely we are until someone reminds us what it feels like to love.” Aidan lowered his head and kissed me again. He looked so peaceful and sated that I just wrapped my arms around him and pulled him down on top of me, kissing him with all my heart. I wasn’t ready to say the words, but I wanted him to know how I felt. Aidan slid his tongue into my mouth as I felt his body responding to my advances, and I gasped with pleasure and surprise as he slid into me again, moving slowly and deliberately this time until I was floating on a cloud of sensation, my heart humming with the knowledge that it had found a home.
I was abruptly brought back to earth by the opening and closing of the front door, and the sound of footsteps on the tile floor of the kitchen. It was the equivalent of a bucketful of cold water being poured over me just as I got warm basking in the sun.
“Oh, God, it’s Dot,” Aidan said as he tried to suppress a giggle. “Can you just imagine her face if she finds us like this?”
I could, and I could also imagine how well-informed the entire village would be within a quarter of an hour. I wasn’t ready to share my newfound happiness with anyone, least of all Mildred Higgins of the Gossip Shop, so I shoved Aidan out of bed and grabbed for my dressing gown.
“You certainly don’t look like someone suffering from bruising and a concussion,” he observed as he pulled on his T-shirt, covering up the ugly purple welts on his torso. What did I look like?
I sat up and studied my reflection in the mirror above the dresser. My hair was all mussed, my lips swollen from bruising and Aidan’s kisses, and a few love bites bloomed on my neck. But what really gave me away was the blissed-out expression on my face. I looked like a woman who’d been properly… I couldn’t even think the word to myself without wanting to giggle.
“Lexi, are you up?” Dot called as I heard her walking up the stairs. “I came to check up on you. I hope you don’t mind; I let myself in with the spare key.”
Aidan dashed out the door before Dot had a chance to see him in my bedroom, and I pulled the blanket up to my chin in the hope that Dot wouldn’t realize that I was naked beneath the dressing gown. She poked her head in the door and gave me a bright smile.
“Are you feeling any better, dear? You certainly look much improved.” She gave me a knowing look as Aidan appeared in the hallway, looking for all the world as if he had a peaceful night in his sleeping bag.
“She l
ooks well,” he announced with a wicked grin, “wouldn’t you say, Dot? I took good care of her.”
“No doubt you did, you scoundrel,” she replied with a smile. “Away with you. I’ll look after her.”
“I don’t need any looking after,” I tried to interject, but no one was actually listening to me. “I’m perfectly well.”
“Perfectly well, she says,” Dot grumbled as she retreated. “Back into bed with you,” she ordered as I made to sit up. “Dr. Delaney said a few days, did he not?”
I lay back on the pillows and allowed myself to enjoy the afterglow of my interlude with Aidan. Dot was here for now, so I might as well just let her take care of me. I had to admit that I felt a little lightheaded, whether from the concussion or from the treatment I just received at Aidan’s hands. I tried to suppress a silly grin as Dot appeared again, carrying a breakfast tray.
“Where’s Aidan?” I asked, wishing my contractor was still my nurse.
“Sent him packing, I have. You should have called me last night and I would have been here to look after you. This is no place for the likes of him.” I didn’t bother to ask what the likes of him were and just obediently accepted the cup of steaming tea.
“The whole village is buzzing,” Dot informed me as I took a bite of toast. “To think that Colin would be capable of such a thing. And to pull a knife on Aiden… And he always seemed like such a quiet lad.” She shook her head in confusion and disgust as she watched me. It reminded me of all those perplexed people who found out that their quiet next-door neighbor actually kept sex slaves in his basement for years and no one ever suspected a thing. Strange how people only saw what they wanted to see.
“Mildred was shocked that Aidan would volunteer to look after you,” Dot continued, “it’s not exactly appropriate under the circumstances. Is it?”
“Oh? What circumstances are those?” I asked, not really caring to know.
“Well, Colin works for Aidan; so for all intents and purposes, it was all Aidan’s fault. Should have known better. I suppose he wants to get on your good side so his business doesn’t suffer.”
“It wasn’t Aidan’s fault,” I retorted.
“And him staying with you last night… there’ll be talk.” Dot said that with such gravity that I nearly burst out laughing. She probably had the scarlet letter all ready to stitch to my bodice, although technically, I wasn’t an adulteress. Maybe Dot had a ‘T’ handy for “Tart.”
Aidan poked his head through the door, his smile full of apology.
“Away with you, I said,” Dot commanded, sounding like a general about to engage in battle.
“I’m going, I’m going,” Aidan replied with a laugh. “Sorry about the new regime, Lex,” he quipped, giving Dot a pointed look. “It was a hostile takeover. I’ll be back later to smooth any ruffled feathers.”
“Looks like you surrendered without a fight,” I countered, giving him a warm smile and already counting the moments until I would see him again.
“I know when I’m beaten.” With that, he blew me a kiss, since Dot was manning the door like a fire-breathing dragon, and left. I had to admit that Dot’s concern was kind of endearing. She appeared to be one of those women who wasn’t happy unless she was taking care of someone, and at the moment, I was that someone. It was kind of nice to have someone fussing over me, especially since my mother was thousands of miles away and couldn’t be there to baby me.
Spending the day with Dot reminded me of being sick as a child. I got the gold star treatment. Dot popped in every so often to make sure I was all right and bring numerous cups of tea, food, and the latest gossip from the village, but she didn’t hover over me and left me to my own thoughts, which kept straying to the room in the cellar. Colin had interrupted my exploration, and I longed to go back and have another look at the coffin. I was fascinated by it, and desperate to find any clue that might help me figure out what happened to the mysterious Brendan Carr. The thing was that I didn’t want to share my secret with Dot. I didn’t want anyone in the village to know about the room, not because I wanted to keep the history of the place to myself, but because stories of skeletons in the proverbial closet could scare away future custom; although, on the other hand, they could also increase it. For every person who was put off by something spooky, there were ten more who’d welcome the opportunity to stay in my haunted mansion. In either case, I’d wait till Aidan came back. I didn’t fancy going down there by myself, especially after what happened yesterday. At the very least, it would be nice to have someone hold the flashlight.
Chapter 45
By 6 p.m. Dot finally took her leave, after extracting numerous promises that I wouldn’t do anything foolish such as engage in acrobatics, hang off the chandelier, or succumb to Aidan’s advances. I wholeheartedly promised not to act like a circus performer, but as far as Aidan went, I kept mum. I couldn’t make any promises when it came to him, since my heart actually did a somersault every time I thought of our lovemaking that morning.
But it wasn’t just about sex. I wanted so much more than that. Aidan made me feel as no other man had before – safe. I had this odd feeling that no matter what happened, he would never do anything to hurt me, and would shield me from anyone and anything that meant me harm. I suppose that was a foolish assumption since according to Dot, he broke his fiancée’s heart, but I’d never heard his side of the story, and I suspected it might be somewhat different than the village version.
I glanced out the window to make sure the coast was clear and got out of bed. I was sick and tired of just lounging about, and although I wasn’t ready to walk, I could at least get dressed and sit. I still had a few hours before darkness fell, so I pulled on a pair of jeans and a top, applied a little make-up, brushed my hair, and grabbed my jacket before carefully making my way downstairs and out back to my little sanctuary. I loved the fact that summer in England wasn’t as humid and stifling as it had been in New York. The air was fresh, cool, and fragrant with the smells of the country. Crickets filled the air with their song, and the rushing of the stream and gentle rustling of leaves made me feel wonderfully at peace.
I closed my eyes and filled my lungs with air, inhaling the scent of flowers, grass, and damp earth from yesterday’s rain. I purposely sat with my back to the ruin to keep myself from watching for my ghost, but I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck rise as the sun began to drop toward the horizon. I knew he was there without even turning around, and I saw it in Aidan’s face as he rounded the house and froze, his mouth opening slightly at what he clearly saw behind me. He didn’t say anything, just quietly pulled up a chair and watched in awe as the man went about his nightly routine. I wondered if he had been there last night when the rain came down in torrents, but then I didn’t think a ghost would be much affected by the weather.
“So, you believe me now?” I asked quietly as the sun finally sank behind the horizon, and I knew that the man had retreated back into the ruin. Dusk was settling around us, the last remnants of pink leached from the sky as the first stars began to twinkle, and a crescent moon, thin and delicate as a sickle, appeared just over the tree line.
“I saw him last night,” Aidan said. “Or more accurately, I saw his candle burning in the window of the room that’s not there. Do you think he’s the man entombed in the cellar?”
“I couldn’t begin to guess,” I replied, secretly gratified that Aidan didn’t think I was mad, “but it’s as if he dies all over again if no one knows what happened to him, don’t you think?”
“I don’t suppose it makes much of a difference to him what people know. Do you think he even knows we’re here?”
“I’m not sure. There are moments when I think he’s just an apparition, almost like a projection on a screen, and at other times, I think he’s aware of his surroundings. It’s very hard to tell without getting closer, but I must admit that I’m not brave enough to face him.” The thought had crossed my mind to walk over to the ruin at sunset and see what would happe
n, but I quickly dismissed it. I didn’t believe the man had any power to hurt me, but I was just coming to terms with the idea that ghosts did indeed exist; I wasn’t ready to face one just yet.
“And maybe you shouldn’t. Whatever happened to him left his soul in terrible turmoil, and whether he’s aware of it or not, he has to continue his endless vigil over that tree for centuries to come. Maybe we’d better leave him to it.”
“I don’t think I can,” I replied stubbornly. “I need to know what happened to him. Will you come down to the basement with me? I just want to have another look around.”
I had to admit that I was gratified by Aidan’s look of concern. “Are you sure you want to go down there after…?”
“Yes, and I want to clean up the blood. Colin desecrated this man’s final resting place, and I want to put things right.”
I was glad that Aidan didn’t try to talk me out of it. I kept thinking about it throughout the day and felt strongly about respecting Brendan Carr’s tomb. I owed him that much. I followed Aidan to the kitchen and grabbed a sponge, a basin of water, and a flashlight, and opened the door to the basement with a resolve I didn’t really feel.
***
The room was much as it had been yesterday, except there was dried blood on the stone floor and smudges of what was probably my blood on the wall. Aidan took the basin and sponge out of my hands and went to work. I was grateful since the sight of the blood really upset me. Instead, I went back to exploring the tomb. I ran my fingers over every inch, but I didn’t find anything new. If only there was something more to go on.
Aidan shone the light over the floor and walls to make sure he got all the blood when he seemed to fixate on something just below the stone coffin.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Can you hold the light?” Aidan asked as he sank to his knees in front of the tomb. “There’s something in here, I think. Now that I saw what he was looking at I noticed it too. There was a niche close to the top of the plinth and right below the center of the coffin. When one looked quickly, it all appeared to be made of stone, but one rectangle appeared different from the others. Aidan ran his hand over the surface and then gently tried to work the stone to slide it out.
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