The House on the Hill: A Ghost Story

by Irina Shapiro

  Chapter 54

  December 1728

  Sophie clapped her hands in delight when she walked through the door of their new home two days before Christmas. The whole settlement had pulled together, and, according to Jacob Hayworth, every able-bodied male had lent a hand to complete the building before the end of the year, eager to share in the gold Teddy was spreading around so liberally. The house still smelled of fresh wood, paint and polish, and someone had hung a pine wreath on the door, adding a bit of festive spirit to the place. The new home would take time to furnish, but they had the basics, provided by Timothy Ogden, the carpenter, who’d benefited handsomely from Teddy’s generosity. There were sturdy beds, a pine table in the kitchen that could be used for cooking as well as eating, complete with four chairs, a matching pine dresser for the crockery, and several shelves in the narrow pantry. The dining room and the parlor were still empty of furniture, but they had the essentials and would manage for the time being.

  “Do you like it?” Teddy asked, his gaze anxiously searching her face.

  “Oh, it’s wonderful, Teddy.”

  “Come look at the view.”

  Teddy pulled her out the back door, which led from the kitchen to a square yard. The ground was covered with snow and every branch was decorated in shades of silver and white, but just beyond the bay, the Atlantic shimmered playfully, the sun’s reflection on the water like a pathway of gold coins carelessly strewn by a generous hand. It was breathtaking.

  “You were right, Teddy,” Sophie said. “This is the perfect place.”

  “We’ll be happy here, Poppet,” Teddy said. “You’ll see.”

  Sophie shivered, and they went back inside.

  “I think we have our first visitors,” Teddy announced.

  Mr. and Mrs. Hayworth had arrived, bringing a large canister of milk, a wheel of cheese, and a pumpkin pie. “Welcome to your new home,” Mrs. Hayworth said as she followed Sophie into the kitchen. “I hope you have everything you need. If there’s anything you require, just send your servant, and we’ll do our best to help you out.”

  “Thank you, Abigail. We’ll be all right. The pantry is stocked with supplies, and we have eiderdowns to keep us warm. I’ll see to the rest in the coming weeks.”

  “Don’t overexert yourself,” Abigail Hayworth said, giving Sophie’s middle a meaningful look. Sophie’s cheeks grew warm. “You must remember to rest.”

  “My husband makes sure I do. He worries about me,” she said.

  “He’s a good man,” Mrs. Hayworth replied. “Your arrival has been an unexpected blessing for this community.”

  Teddy made sure everyone in the surrounding area benefitted in some way. He purchased something from nearly everyone in the village, even if he didn’t immediately need whatever they were selling, and even made a foray into the Puritan settlement, returning with fresh eggs, a can of cream, and a jar of blueberry preserves.

  “I’m cultivating goodwill, Poppet,” Teddy explained. “We are newcomers, and people are always suspicious of newcomers, be they rich or poor. But if people benefit from having us here, they are more likely to dismiss their reservations. I want to know you’ll be safe here, among these good folk.”

  Teddy was right. His generosity was returned tenfold. Over the next weeks, several families called by. They were curious to see the house and meet Mrs. Holland, but they also brought gifts, which were thoughtful and came in handy. Mrs. Appleton had made sunshine-yellow muslin curtains for the kitchen window. Mr. Carter brought a rocking chair for which his wife had sewn a checkered cushion. The Lewises were kind enough to part with several jars of honey, and Mrs. Hoffman brought a container of sauerkraut. Sophie welcomed everyone and sent them on their way feeling full and appreciated. Her Quaker neighbors had taught her how to make a cup cake. Its name came from the recipe, which was easy and delicious. Sophie mixed one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, and four eggs, and set the cake to bake. She then spread several tablespoons of the blueberry preserves on top, which added a lovely, fruity flavor to her cake. Served with tea, it was a wonderful way to greet her new neighbors.

  “You are so isolated here,” Mrs. Lewis said as she sipped her tea. “It will be difficult for you in the coming months. We do get quite a bit of snow in January and February. Sometimes even in March.”

  “As long as we have sufficient supplies, we’ll be all right,” Teddy assured her.

  “But what about coming to church?” she persisted. “Surely you won’t want to miss Sunday services.”

  “We will do our utmost,” Teddy replied smoothly.

  Neither one of them had set foot in church since J.T. had been baptized in Sandwich in October. Teddy had lost his faith, and Sophie felt unworthy of entering the house of God, given that she was living in sin on money they’d come by through murder, and was now expecting a child that wasn’t her husband’s.

  “We’ll have to start attending services,” Teddy said once the Lewises had departed.

  “But Teddy—” Sophie began, but he shook his head.

  “People who don’t attend church arouse suspicion, and we want to be a part of this community, Poppet. Besides, I think going to church will do you good.”

  “It feels wrong,” Sophie argued.

  “Sophie, nothing I say will erase the guilt you feel, but once God welcomes you into his church, you will begin to feel more at peace.”

  “Sure, are you?” Sophie asked, feeling like lightening would strike her as soon as she walked into the church.

  “Yes, I’m sure. Besides, J.T. and the new baby will need stability in their lives and belonging to a local parish is one way of achieving that.”

  “And what would members of the local parish say if they knew the money they’d so gladly taken from you had come from death and plunder?”

  “They know,” Teddy replied evenly.

  Sophie stared at him, stunned into silence.

  “Sophie, these folks might not be educated, but they are not stupid. They know a foreign coin when they see one, and they also know that I didn’t come by it through honest work.”

  “And yet they have welcomed us,” she mused.

  “They’re afraid.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of me,” Teddy replied.

  “Why would they fear you?” Sophie demanded, outraged Teddy would suggest such a thing.

  “Because they don’t know what I’m capable of. It’s safer to keep me sweet and beholden to them because of their kindness than test my patience.”

  Sophie covered what was left of the cake and walked out of the kitchen into the frigid January night. She knew she was young, but there was so much she didn’t understand about people and human nature. Teddy had changed, more than she cared to admit, but he’d always been the clever one, the one who recognized an opportunity and seized it, while she had blindly believed whatever she was told and did what she thought was expected of her. Her naivete had nearly ruined her life. Perhaps it was time she took the blinders off and saw life for what it was: hard, often cruel, and not nearly as straightforward as she’d been taught to believe.

  Teddy came outside and draped his cloak over her shoulders. “Sophie, it’s all right,” he said softly. “As long as you don’t fear me, we’re all right.” When Sophie didn’t immediately reply, he asked, his voice trembling with apprehension, “Do you fear me, Sophie?”

  Sophie turned to face him and smiled. “No, I don’t. I love you, and always will.”

  “I’ll do anything for you, Poppet,” he whispered into her hair. “Anything.”

  “As I will for you,” Sophie replied. “You’re my reason for being, Teddy. My life. You and our children,” Sophie amended, placing a hand on her swelling belly.

  Teddy pulled her closer and kissed her. “What have I done to deserve you?”

  “You made me a dolly,” Sophie replied, smiling at the memory. “You made me feel special.”

  “I’d have made you a hundred dollies if i
t made you feel less sad after your mother died,” he replied.

  “One was all it took. Oh, Teddy, don’t ever leave me,” Sophie pleaded.

  Teddy didn’t reply. He pulled her so close she could barely breathe, but she didn’t push him away. She rested her head on his shoulder and they remained like that for a long while, gazing out over the starlit bay.

  Chapter 55

  The months passed quickly. For the first time since leaving George, Sophie had her own home and was surrounded by family. J.T. had turned two, and after nearly a year of living with them, he knew no other parents but the ones he had. Teddy was there, every day and every night, and she fell asleep feeling peaceful and safe knowing that he was by her side. Even Caleb was happy. He was sweet on a girl in the village, and she seemed to return his affections.

  “I think Caleb will leave us soon,” Sophie mused as she and Teddy lay in bed one night. “He’ll want to get married.”

  “Would be nice if they came to live here with us,” Teddy replied. “I trust Caleb, and it would be nice for you to have female companionship.”

  “I’m sure they’ll want a home of their own,” Sophie replied.

  “We’ve plenty of land here, but you’re right; they’ll probably want to settle in the village, close to her family.”

  “So, you will not oppose the marriage?” Sophie asked. She wasn’t sure how Teddy felt about Caleb leaving his service. Caleb was the only person Teddy truly trusted.

  “Of course not. Why would I?”

  “What if you have to leave?”

  “I don’t have to go yet,” Teddy replied.

  “Teddy, where is it, the loot?” Sophie asked. She had no idea where Teddy had stashed the booty from Hog Island.

  “It’s buried in the south corner of the tool shed,” Teddy replied. “Come spring, I’m going to travel to Boston. I’d like to see my mother and sisters, and while I’m there, I’ll try to sell some of the jewels. It’s high time we put that money to work.”

  Sophie knew what he was referring to. She wished she could talk him out of leaving, but the money wouldn’t last forever, and Teddy was in no position to seek honest employment. “I’m frightened, Teddy,” she said.

  “You’ve nothing to fear, Poppet. No one will trouble you,” Teddy replied patiently.

  There were things Sophie was afraid of that had nothing to do with their neighbors, but she chose not to speak of them. She feared for Teddy’s soul and what captaining a pirate ship would do to him as a man. Killing and plundering on someone else’s orders was bad enough, but to be the one who ordered the killing and the plunder was something else entirely. A part of Teddy’s humanity had been stripped from him on Captain Martel’s ship, but he was still her Teddy, he was still a good man at heart. She wanted to hold on to that man, to keep him from selling his soul to the Devil.

  Teddy turned on his side and propped his head with his hand, looking down at Sophie. “I won’t hurt anyone, Poppet, if that’s what’s worrying you,” he said.

  “What will you do, politely ask them to give you their valuables?” Sophie asked sarcastically.

  “Why not?” Teddy asked with a grin. “People know what happens if they don’t. Usually, all they care about is staying alive. Besides, there are other ways of being persuasive.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as tickling,” Teddy replied.

  Sophie yelped and began to giggle madly as Teddy performed a credible demonstration. “Stop!” she cried, laughing. “Please, stop!”

  “You see. Works like a charm,” Teddy said, still grinning.

  “Teddy, I’m serious.”

  “So am I. I’m not a murderer, Soph. I don’t want the deaths of innocent people on my conscience.”

  “What about Roy Smith?”

  “He wasn’t innocent,” Teddy replied, no longer smiling. “Look, I know you’re scared, and you’d be a fool not to be, but everything will be all right. You’ll see.”

  “Teddy, do you know what they’re saying about us? Reverend Martins says we’re sinners and heretics. He’s called on his congregation to shun us and boycott our custom.”

  Teddy considered this for a moment. “I’m not a big fan of the reverend, but he has a point. We are sinners, and heresy is a matter of opinion. I wager he sees anyone who doesn’t share his views as being a heretic. Pay him no mind, Sophie. We’ve friends aplenty in the village.”

  “They fear us. You said so yourself.”

  “They fear me,” Teddy corrected her. “No one blames you for anything. You’re only a helpless woman who must do as she’s told or she’ll feel the sting of her husband’s belt on her backside.”

  Sophie blanched at Teddy’s words, instantly reminded of her treatment at George’s hands.

  “Oh God, Sophie, I’m sorry,” Teddy muttered. “I didn’t mean—”

  “I know what you meant. Let’s go to sleep, shall we?”

  Teddy made a move to touch her, but Sophie slapped his hand away. “Not tonight,” she said firmly, and turned her back to him.

  “I’m sorry,” Teddy said again, but she ignored him. Sophie rested her hand on her belly, comforted by the ripples caused by the child inside her. As a man, there were certain things Teddy could never understand. Come what may, he was still master of his own fate, but her entire existence depended on him. She was an adulteress, a liar, and an accomplice to murder. Reverend Martins might see sin behind every bush, but he was someone who had the power to hurt them. He could bring the authorities down on their heads if he laid his hands on anything that could serve as evidence.

  Teddy fitted himself to Sophie’s back and laid his hand over hers. They lay like that in silence, their hearts beating in unison.

  “I’m sorry if I laughed at your fears,” Teddy said at last. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

  “You might not have a choice in the matter,” Sophie replied.

  “As long as there’s breath in my body, Soph, I will protect you and our children. Say you forgive me for my unspeakable idiocy.”

  “I forgive you,” Sophie said. I’ll always forgive you, she thought drowsily. Because you’re my life.

  Chapter 56

  Lauren

  Lauren frowned as she read the text from Ryan on Saturday morning. Wear sneakers and bring a jacket. Was he taking her on a hike? She’d assumed they were going somewhere romantic, but this didn’t sound promising at all. They’d spoken several times since their make-out session on the couch but hadn’t seen each other, and Lauren was beginning to wonder if she’d misread Ryan’s feelings since he hadn’t alluded to what happened between them. Maybe he only wanted a hook-up but having been in a relationship with Alicia since his early twenties no longer knew how to go about finding one. As far as he knew, Lauren was leaving at the end of the summer, so any awkwardness between them would be short-lived if things turned sour. Or perhaps she was overthinking the whole thing and reading too much into a hot kiss. She’d been in a relationship for over a decade as well and hadn’t gone out with anyone since Zack’s death. She was out of practice and possibly out of her depth when it came to embarking on a new relationship. What she needed was advice from a pro.

  Lauren reached for her cell and selected Brooke’s number. Brooke sounded sleepy when she answered but seemed glad to hear from her.

  “Hang on a minute,” Brooke muttered. There was a momentary silence, then Brooke came back. “What’s up?”

  “You’re not alone, are you?” Lauren asked.

  “Nope,” Brooke replied. Lauren could hear the smile in her voice. “Your charming brother is asleep in my bed.”

  “Stop right there. I don’t need to hear any more,” Lauren replied with a grin. “Are you happy?”

  “Deliriously,” Brooke purred, then her tone instantly changed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s all right. I’m happy for you guys. You don’t need to feel guilty about being in love, especially with Xav. He’s crazy about you.”
<
br />   “Really? He told you that?” Brooke sounded like an insecure teenager, but Lauren could understand her need for confirmation. Xavier wasn’t always good at expressing his feelings.

  “He did,” Lauren said.

  “You won’t be alone forever, Lori,” Brooke said, correctly reading her mood. “I think it’s good what you’re doing, selling your place. You need to move on, and you’ll never get over Zack if you’re surrounded by constant reminders of your life together.”

  “I know.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” Brooke asked. “I hope you’re staying in Boston.”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “I met someone,” Lauren said, her voice cracking with nervousness. She hadn’t told anyone about her feelings for Ryan.

  “Lori, that’s great. Who is he? Tell me everything,” Brooke gushed. Lauren heard the hiss of the espresso machine in the background. Brooke needed copious amounts of caffeine to function at full capacity.

  “He’s a veterinarian. He’s widowed, like me, and has a three-year-old son.” Lauren’s statement was met with silence. “Brooke, are you there?”

  “I’m here,” Brooke replied. “Lori, are you sure you want to get involved with someone like him?”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning, the man’s got baggage. Lots of it.”

  “So do I.”

  “Your combined baggage might be too heavy to carry,” Brooke explained. “Relationships are hard enough without two dead spouses to compete with, and a little boy who’ll always take priority over you.”

  “So, what do you suggest?” Lauren asked, deflated by Brooke’s assessment of the situation.

  “I suggest you have some fun before you settle into a relationship. Join Tinder, meet a few guys, figure out what it is you really want from a man. And most importantly, see if you’re ready. If you find yourself comparing every guy you meet to Zack, then there’s your answer. Does this guy remind you of Zack?” Brooke asked.

  Lauren took a moment to consider Brooke’s question. “No, he doesn’t,” she said at last. “Ryan is nothing like Zack.”