Paranormal After Dark

by Rebecca Hamilton

  She and Thomas followed her family at a slight distance, her arm safely tucked in his. At the bottom of the stone steps, she glanced towards Frankel’s store and nearly smiled at the thought of a big pink hog perched on the front stoop. “There was really a hog on the stoop there?”

  “I thought it was dead at first, but I guess it was just sleeping. Next thing you know it was just running around, squealing and trying to bite people. It was ludicrous.” He chuckled. “Your friends looked somewhat shocked to see us together…so close together.”

  “I hadn’t seen any of the Society ladies since the Raid, so it was good to know they were okay. I’m sure I’ll be the subject of much scandalous chatter amongst them now.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “I didn’t see Lucy at the service and that’s quite a shame. I wanted to see the look on her face when she finds out we’re courting.”

  As they walked past Arsenal Square, dodging around slower moving citizens, they passed several uniformed Marines patrolling Shenandoah Street. Most loitered around Large Arsenal or crouched in the shade of the two buildings, but a few actually seemed to be taking mental inventory of all passersby. She looked up at Thomas, “Do you think that the Marines will stay here for good?”

  “Depends on what happens with Brown I guess.” His lips curled into a smile. “Why, do you feel safer with them here?”

  “I feel safer with you.”

  He cupped his hand over hers, gently squeezing it. “Good. Once they start up the Armory again, expect me to call on you constantly, just to be assured you’re safe in that big, lonely house.”

  “I have some parts of me that I’d like you to check for safety.”

  “I fancy the sound of that, sweet girl.”

  Adelaide’s eyes lazily followed the Winchester and Potomac rail tracks running parallel to the street, finally settling on the larger brick Arsenal. She inwardly shuddered. There were several thousand weapons in there—all weapons produced at the Armory—and they had all been in the hands of Brown and his men.

  “That creature,” he spoke slowly, his tone much softer than it was before, “or, rather, spirits like it. Have you seen others?”

  “It had been a long time since we’d seen any at all. There seem to be more; a constant flow. But the ones we’ve seen since the raid? Those were the results of life’s cord being cut too soon. We know why these specters were there. It’s the ones that appear out of no consequence that you have to worry about.”

  His eyes searched hers as they waited to cross into the Ferry Lot, his brows knitted in concern. “Is your watch the only thing that stops them?”

  “Sage stops them, my watch destroys them. Annie has some stones and gems she swears do the same, but I’ve never seen it.”

  He was quiet for several moments, keeping her body close to his. Finally, he stopped walking and cradled her cheek in his hand, tiling her face up so he could look at her. “It’s one threat I can’t protect you from.”

  “I’ll be okay, Thomas.”

  He pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing his hands down her back. “You have to be okay, Adelaide. I can’t live my life without you in it.”

  * * *

  SHE DIDN’T SEE him again until Sunday Services and, even then, afterwards he was caught up in conversation with Robert. Reluctantly, she joined Sarah, Annie, and Susan in their typical meeting place: on the well worn path to Jefferson Rocks. She positioned herself so she could keep her eye on when his conversation with her brother ended.

  “Did you hear what happened to Lucy?” Annie pursed her lips together, looking almost gleeful. “During the raid, I mean.”

  Adelaide shook her head and peered over Annie’s shoulder at a group of Marines speaking with Mr. Roeder. “No, I haven’t talked to her. In fact, I haven’t even seen her. What happened?”

  “Her father was one of the men kidnapped and held in the Armory.” Susan paused. “And from Annie’s sources, Lucy is still beside herself with panic. She refuses to leave the house.”

  Annie shook her head in disgust. “She seeks attention more than anyone I know.”

  “Is her father going to allow that?” Adelaide asked. “She can’t stay in there forever. We all went through a lot, but you don’t see any of us milking it.”

  Annie shrugged. “My sources say she has taken to bed; she claims that the very thought of leaving her room makes her faint.”

  “That’s too pathetic to be true; just who are your sources, Annie?” Adelaide crossed her arms, her attention turning from her friends back to Thomas Cooper. He was headed in her direction. “Never mind, keep your secrets to yourself. I have other matters to attend to right now.”

  She clamped her teeth on her bottom lip to suppress a wide smile and walked away from her friends. His face lit up and he reached his hand out to her, easing her arm around his. “Were you spying on me, Miss Randolph?”

  “Of course not, Mr. Cooper.” She grinned at him. “I just happened to see you take leave of my brother and thought I’d make my way to you and say hello. Hello.”

  “You were all that I could think about.”

  Adelaide leaned against him. “All pleasant things, I hope.”

  “Bawdy and vulgar, as always.”

  She laughed, squeezing his arm with her free hand. “Was he prattling on about the Marines and their inability to ever leave the Ferry? He’s obsessed with what will happen to Brown or when the trial will take place.”

  “There are a lot of rumors going around right now.” There was a tone in Thomas’s voice that she didn’t necessarily like, almost as if he was aware of something she wasn’t privy to knowing. “There’s talk of renegade slaves ready to pick up where Brown left off. I’ve heard that some politicians are calling for an end to slavery.”

  “I guess that is a good reason for the Marines to still be here, then.”

  They fell into a comfortable silence, walking down the stone steps together and down the street towards the Ferry Lot. He touched his temple to hers, reaching up and trailing his finger down her jawline. “There’s so much more that I want to say to you. Things I was too nervous to say the night of the Raid. I was focused on keeping you safe.”

  “I’m not sure that’s possible, my darling. Even when you call on me, my father forces Sarah to be in the room with us. He thinks we’d use that time to do inappropriate things to each other,” she smiled coyly, “which is exactly what I’d want to do.”

  “It might be possible.” He paused, eyeing the Marines in Arsenal Square. “Do you enjoy ciphers, sweet love?”

  “I suppose.”

  “We can write to each other, using a cipher, and say as we please. And because of the code, even if our letters are found, our thoughts will remain secret—as long as we keep the code secret. All vulgarities and inappropriate imagery will remain between us.” He smirked, brushing his lips against hers. “But you mustn’t tell anyone, not even the ladies in your little ghost hunting society.”

  “Well, of course not.” She playfully poked his dimple. “It wouldn’t be a secret then, would it? But what shall our code be? It would need to be something not easily deciphered.”

  “I have given that thought, too.” He pressed a piece of brown paper into her hand. “Look at it later, when you are alone.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “I will write to you soon and tell you what I’m too shy and innocent to say out loud.” He chuckled and then turned serious, looking into her eyes. “I promise.”

  * * *

  THAT NIGHT, AFTER what must surely have been an hour of writhing around their shared bed, Sarah’s legs jerked in her sleep induced ritual and her breathing became slow and even. Slowly, Adelaide eased into a sitting position and slid to the floor. Her eyes had already adjusted to the darkness so she was able to move swiftly to the bedside table and relight the candle. If Sarah awoke, she would insist she was using the chamber pot and needed the extra light to find it under the bed.

  She’d purposely left her Sunda
y shoes underneath the bedside table. Sitting on the floor, she reached into the left shoe and pulled out the crumpled brown paper. Gingerly, she unfolded it and smoothed it out against her leg, staring at the light pencil markings. Written in neat, uniform handwriting was:

  A PROMISE

  1 2345678

  She stared at his handwriting for a few more moments and then carefully refolded the paper. She never wanted this to end; she was so intensely attracted to him. He made her body feel like it was on fire—he made her feel like her soul was complete. It was too easy to fall for him: something in that sweet smile and those big blue eyes. He made her feel like she was at home, like being with him was exactly where she belonged.

  Emotionally, she was losing herself to him: it wasn’t just fun and desire and having a good time. This was suddenly more than just a casual courtship. She was falling in love with him.

  Hopelessly, madly, intensely in love.

  Chapter 8

  “IT HAS BEEN sixteen days since a Shadow was seen in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Are there any other new items of business?”

  When no one responded, Lucy stared at them critically from her perch atop her bed. “There must be some new business. We haven’t had a meeting in weeks.”

  Adelaide was conflicted as to if what she, Annie, Susan, and Sarah were present for actually constituted as an official meeting of the Harpers Ferry Ladies Society. Lucy had insisted that Esther bring up the dining room chairs and arrange them in a semi circle around her bed so they could conduct the meeting “in comfort.” It looked like a meeting—for the most part—and sounded like a meeting, but Mary Roeder had not been invited and the only real gossip any of them had was about Lucy.

  “I heard that Brown will be hung in Charlestown during the first few days of December.” Susan piped up. “I am under the impression that it was a very swift decision by the courts. My father was very surprised.”

  “Good.” Lucy looked indifferent. “That man’s actions have caused me to lose my strength. I swear to you ladies, I feel as though my life’s blood has been thinned by his very presence.”

  Adelaide stared at Lucy. She certainly didn’t look weak, or thin for that matter. In fact, she was starting to look a little plump in the face.

  “Annie, are there new matters in town? Concerning living or dead; I mean, you lot are out there all the time. Surely you’ve seen something.”

  Annie snorted, her lips pursing together in a smirk. “Adelaide Randolph is courting Thomas Cooper.”

  Lucy opened her mouth and then closed it, glaring at Adelaide as if she could wish death on her simply by staring hard enough. “Whore.”

  “She said courting, you vile slag, not bedding.” Adelaide fluttered her eyelashes sweetly. “Though, given the chance, I would.”

  “Well, fine, if there’s no new business, when shall we have our next meeting?” Lucy pursed her lips together, looking quite like a trout. Her cheeks were flushed from her internalized anger. “Our standard week?”

  “That’s fine.” Annie answered for all of them. “Whose turn is it to host?”

  “No.” Lucy shook her head firmly. “We shall have it here again. I just can’t bear the thought of how tiring it would be to travel to someone else’s home. Scribe, please make note that our next meeting shall be in one week. Miss Adelaide Randolph is excused from the next meeting.”

  Susan didn’t say anything but scribbled at her papers furiously.

  “I declare this meeting finished.” Lucy sank back into her pillows. “That is all ladies, if you’ll excuse me, I need my rest. Susan, please leave the minutes on your chair. I will have Esther collect them later.”

  The society members obediently filed out of Lucy’s bedroom; Adelaide kept her eyes on the back of Sarah’s head as they descended the staircase, afraid she would burst into laughter at Lucy’s behavior. Once safely on the street below, Annie groaned and elbowed her in the waist. “You’re lucky a miracle didn’t occur and she leap out of bed, just to strangle you.”

  Adelaide giggled and pulled her wool cloak tighter around her body. “She’s a jealous wretch, one of the many tragic victims of the Brown Raid. She’s said it herself. Didn’t you hear? She repeated it a hundred times.”

  “How tired could she get traveling to someone’s house?” Annie hissed. “I live across the street from her. She literally would have to fall out the door and roll across to my home. We’d hoist her up the stairs like a delivery of readymade trousers.”

  Adelaide snickered. Annie was right: her house was diagonal from Lucy’s house. In the evenings, if Lucy didn’t have the blinds drawn, a person could sit on Annie’s front stoop and look directly into her bedroom window. In fact, when they were younger, they’d done it. It was wholly uninteresting. It looked like all Lucy did was gaze at herself in the mirror.

  “I’ll see you ladies tomorrow.” Annie cast an sideways glace towards Lucy’s house a final time and then picked her way across the filthy street to her home above her father’s readymade clothing store. Once she was safely inside, Sarah and Adelaide parted ways with Susan and began the trek back to Ferry Lot. As they approached Arsenal Square, Adelaide saw Thomas heading across the street, obviously coming from the tavern.

  Her body ached to be close to him again, her fingers twitching to grasp the rough fabric of his frock coat. His arm barely brushed against hers as he started past, the light breeze catching the smell of smoke and alcohol from his clothes.

  “Hello, Miss Randolph.” He caught her hand and pressed it to his cheek. “I would love to stay and chat with you, my sweet, but you should get inside where it’s warm. I’ll call on you later.” He lifted his hat and acted as if he was going to continue on down the street. He turned and, almost as an afterthought, said, “Oh, Miss Randolph.”

  She grabbed Sarah’s arm to slow her down and turned back to him. “Yes, Mr. Cooper?”

  Shyly, he pressed a square of white fabric into her hands. “I believe you dropped this, Miss Randolph.”

  Adelaide smiled sweetly at him, feeling the paper hidden beneath the fabric. “Thank you, sir. I wouldn’t want to lose this.”

  He lifted his hat again. “Good day, my darling.”

  Sarah’s lips were pursed outward, looking quite like she had bitten into a tart apple, but somehow she restrained herself from making a bawdy comment about Thomas. She stared past the Arsenals towards the Ferry Lot. “Next thing you know, you two will be kissing on the street.”

  “Everyone knows we’re courting, Sarah. I’ll treasure the look on Lucy’s face for the rest of my life.”

  Sarah laughed and then turned serious. “Do you think things have changed?”

  Adelaide tightly grasped the handkerchief and note in her hand, trying her best to conceal it in her palm so no one—especially Sarah—would notice. “What do you mean?”

  “Just things around here.” She nodded in the direction of a few US Army troops milling around the large arsenal. A group of them had been housed in the large arsenal—of all places—since the raid. “I don’t know... things feel different. Today’s meeting wasn’t even fun. It seemed like a chore.”

  “We’re outgrowing it. We can stay on the hunt without weekly meetings.” Adelaide shrugged. “Lucy likes attention, though. It makes sense that she would use something like the raid to her advantage.”

  Sarah fell silent. After a few moments, she spoke up again. “Do you think we’ve changed?”

  “I don’t think so.” Adelaide replied. There was uncertainty in her voice—she wondered if Sarah noticed.

  * * *

  THAT NIGHT, AFTER Sarah had fallen asleep, Adelaide huddled against the candle and unfolded the note from Thomas. Even though they had been passing notes for weeks, she still got shivers of excitement when about to read a message from him. They were full of desire, eloquent and detailed descriptions of what he wanted to do her, how he wanted to touch her body. She craved him. She wanted to feel his body respond beneath her fingertips and hear his t
hroaty gasps when he was at his most vulnerable moment.

  She smoothed out the creases and looked over his carefully written figures:

  6 f6nd 5y78lf th6nk6ng 8v83y d1y 1b4ut y4u3 l627, th8 w1y y4u3 54uth t17t87 wh8n 6 k677 y4u. 6 c1n 7t1nd 6n th8 13543y g34und7 1nd l44k u2 t4 y4u3 w6nd4w—ju7t th8 th4ught th1t 6 c4uld 7t81l u2 th8 4ut76d8 7t163c178 1nd b8 6n y4u3 1357 51k87 58 c31v8 y4u 5438. 6 w1nt y4u. 8v83y n6ght, 6 d87638 y4u. H4w h13d w4uld 6t b8 f43 y4u t4 7n81k 4ut76d8 1t n6ght 1nd c458 t4 58? 6’d 588t y4u 4ut76d8; y4u w4uldn’t h1v8 t4 w1lk 1l4n8.

  Once translated, his note read:

  I find myself thinking every day about your lips, the way your mouth tastes when I kiss you. I can stand in the Armory grounds and look up to your window—just the thought that I could steal up the outside staircase and be in your arms makes me crave you more. I want you. Every night, I desire you. How hard would it be for you to sneak outside at night and come to me? I’d meet you outside; you wouldn’t have to walk alone.

  She peered over the side of the bed to make sure Sarah was still sleeping. Once satisfied that her sister was deep in dreams, she slipped her hand underneath the bed frame. Several weeks ago, she had hidden a piece of brown paper (from Poppa’s store) against the mattress. Keeping an eye on Sarah and the doorway to their room, she tore off a small slip of paper. Adelaide composed her thoughts carefully and then wrote:

  My only fear, my love, is that the soldiers in Arsenal Square will arrest me and drag me back to my father. Otherwise, I’d be in your bed this very night. Promise me that won’t happen and I’ll be next to you, naked. Don’t blush, a girl can be in touch with that side of herself just as much as a man. I won’t hide my body behind clothes when we’re alone together. I want you to kiss and touch all of me.