The Billionaire's Setup

by Marie Higgins

  “One of her maids. Missy poisoned Victoria’s sherry.”

  “Why did the maid do that?”

  Nicole sighed. “She was in love with William. She was jealous that Victoria had him. Missy was determined to make him fall in love with her after Victoria’s death. She wrote everythin’ down in her journal.”

  She paused as her mind replayed parts of the dream. A gasp sprang from her and she touched Nolan’s hand. “Missy wanted to kill me. She spoke to me as the young maid, but she knew I was a Carrigan. She told me that all Carrigans need to die for ruinin’ her life.”

  “All?”

  Nicole nodded. “I don’t know why. She never told me.” Groaning, she turned on her side and hugged the pillow. “Oh, Nolan. How are we goin’ to stop her from tryin’ to kill me and Bailey? Missy knows we’re on her ground now. While I was in that trance, I was helpless. She had some kind of hold on me that I couldn’t break free from.”

  He held her hand as his thumbs softly moved over her skin. “How were you finally able to get out of her hold?”

  Sighing, she tried to smile as she stared into his gorgeous green eyes. “Because of you. I felt your arms around me, and warmth filled me, giving me the strength I needed.”

  His frown deepened as his attention dropped to their hands. His chest rose and fell faster than before, and finally, after a few seconds, he looked into her eyes again.

  “When I saw you go down the hall in a trance,” he began, “I knew you were sleepwalking, but when you acted like you were going to fall down the stairs, it scared me. When I tried to pull you back, something – or some one – was fighting me. I could feel that the ghost who was in control was evil.” He expelled a fast breath. “Nicole, I think it’ll be best for yours and Bailey’s safety, if we get out of Hanover House, quickly.”

  She nodded. “You’re probably right, but I need to sleep. That dream drained me.”

  He moved off the bed and took a few pillows to the lounge chair in the corner of the room. “You get some sleep and I’ll make sure you don’t go sleepwalking again. Tomorrow, we’ll get out of here once and for all.”

  NOLAN HADN’T SLEPT very well, but at least Nicole stayed in his bed. As the sun rose in the sky and brightened the room, he watched Nicole sleep. She was very pretty, and it was good to see her finally relaxed.

  Last night’s episode at the stairs had scared the crap out of him. He’d been interested in paranormal activity most of his life, but yet he never thought he’d ever feel when an evil ghost was around. As he put pieces of the mystery together, he surmised that Hanover House was haunted with two ghosts. But he found it odd that Victoria never mentioned anything to Nicole about seeing her maid’s ghost around the manor.

  One thing was certain – staying in this place was dangerous for Nicole. It didn’t matter if he was still heart-broken over the discovery of her identity and who she’d thought he was – he was compelled to help her. These deep feelings he had for her would take a while to disappear, but as long as he didn’t do anything lovey-dovey with her, his heart would be protected.

  He let her sleep as he slipped into the bathroom to shower and dress – making sure he blocked the front door first to keep her from leaving. Once he was ready for the day, he snuck back into the bedroom. She was still fast asleep on the bed.

  Some of the things she’d told him about the ghost, Missy, didn’t add up. Why had Missy wanted all the Carrigans dead, and yet, she focused more on Nicole. Was it because Nicole was a believer and Bailey wasn’t? He wished he knew how to help, but then making sure Nicole and her cousin leave Hanover House today would be the only way he could help.

  “Nolan?”

  He whipped his focus toward the bed. Nicole stretched her arms over her head and yawned. She still had that sleepy look on her face and her hair was messy, but at least she wasn’t in a trance. Seeing her that way was very disturbing.

  “Good morning.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Rested.” She smiled. “Your bed is very comfortable, but it was more than that. It was knowin’ you were here with me, protectin’ me, that made me relax enough to sleep.”

  His chest tightened. Why was she doing this to him? She should know they weren’t meant to be together. She needed a man who was as wealthy as she was so that years down the road she wouldn’t think he loved her money more than he loved her.

  “Did you have any more dreams?”

  She shook her head. “Thankfully, no.”

  “Do you want me to go with you back to your room so that you can change?”

  “If you don’t mind... I would like that very much.”

  She climbed out of bed and stretched again. He moved the chair and dresser that he’d blocked the door with, and they left his room. Out in the hallway, a draft breezed over them and Nicole shivered. He wondered what ghost was lurking around now. However, because he could breathe better now, he suspected the ghost was Victoria.

  Once inside Nicole’s room, she moved over to the thermostat and turned it up. “Do you mind waitin’ in here while I shower?”

  “No, I don’t mind.” He sat on the cushioned chair in her room and clicked on the television.

  She gathered her clothes and hurried into the bathroom.

  As he surfed the channels on television, his ears picked up sounds coming from the bathroom – the shower being turned on, and her dropping the soap, but mostly, he heard her humming. A smile touched his face. He would probably always love Nicole, which meant his life would be full of heartache.

  A breeze moved over him and the papers on the small table fluttered. He clicked off the television and sat up straighter. “Victoria? Is that you?”

  He listened intently, but couldn’t hear her. He really needed to hear her. “Victoria, if that’s you...” He glanced around the room, wondering what to have her do. “Turn on the television.”

  Seconds later, the television came on. He smiled. “Victoria, Nicole needs your help. She had something bad happen to her last night, and she nearly fell down the stairs. You see, your maid, Missy is the one who poisoned you, and she’s one pissed-off ghost who is trying to harm Nicole. Have you seen Missy haunting the manor?”

  A breeze brushed by him again, and it sounded like the word, no. His heartbeat quickened. Was he actually hearing a ghost? “Do you know why she would want all the Carrigan women dead?”

  Nooo...

  Hearing the ghost’s voice better this time, he smiled. “Missy was in love with William. That’s why she wanted you dead.”

  I know...

  “But we can’t figure out why Missy wants revenge on Nicole. If you can help us, we’d greatly appreciate it.”

  There was silence for a moment as he thought back on what Nicole had told him. Then he remembered about Missy writing in her journal. “Victoria? Where was Missy’s room when you were alive?”

  Third floor.

  He frowned. There was no third floor. “Do you mean the attic? Was that the third floor when this house was yours?”

  Yes.

  He nodded. “Thanks, Victoria. I have an idea on how to find out why Missy wants revenge on the Carrigans.”

  TWENTY-NINE

  Every time Nicole looked at Nolan, love burst in her chest. He hadn’t said anything about their argument about him not being rich – and her being a billionaire – but he hadn’t left the bed and breakfast as she thought he would. Instead, he was going to stay by her side until they could figure out why Missy was trying to kill Nicole.

  He’d gathered Nicole and Bailey into his room, and had Nicole call for Victoria. Bailey’s eyes were wide as her gaze darted around the room. It was hard not to laugh at the frightened woman, even though Nicole had promised Bailey that Victoria wasn’t going to hurt her. Nicole had decided not to tell Bailey every detail to what had happened with Missy, though.

  “This feels like we’re getting ready for a séance,” Bailey whispered.

  Nicole chuckled and sto
od from the table, walking to the window. “There. Is that better? Now we’re not all sittin’ at the table.”

  Nolan reached across the table and gently patted Bailey’s hand. “No, this isn’t a séance, especially when Nicole can talk to Victoria any time while we’re in this place.”

  Nicole turned and leaned against the window. She breathed deeply and prayed her ghost ancestor would help them. It had thrilled Nicole when Nolan admitted hearing Victoria’s voice earlier when Nicole was in the shower – which of course, was another reason to love that incredibly sweet man.

  “Victoria? Can you hear me?” Nicole asked.

  Finally, the woman in the blue dress appeared over by the dresser. She glanced around the room, smiling. “Is this like a family reunion?”

  Bailey gasped and her gaze jumped to Victoria. Nicole was happy that her cousin could still see and hear the ghost.

  “I suppose... if that’s what you want.” Nicole moved away from the window.

  “Victoria?” Nolan asked, searching the room. “I can hear your voice better now.”

  The ghost beamed as she moved to Nolan. “Nicole, you’ve got a keeper with this man. Don’t let him go – or I’ll be tempted to take him for myself.” She wagged her eyebrows.

  Nicole’s cheeks warmed, but the brightness on Nolan’s expression dimmed slightly. Her heart sank. Why couldn’t he believe that a wealthy woman could be in love with a working-class man? After all, Victoria and William were like that.

  “Victoria,” Nolan continued, “we need your help since you know this house. You are the only one we can trust.”

  Confusion etched on Victoria’s forehead when she looked at Nicole. “What’s going on?”

  “Last night I had a dream about Missy.” Nicole inhaled slowly, not wanting to recall how she almost died last night. “The maid was sittin’ at her desk, writin’ in her journal about how she was goin’ to kill you before your weddin’. When she was finished, she closed the book and slid it in a hole in the wall before coverin’ it with a picture. Not long after that, she tried to harm me. She told me that Carrigan women need to die, because livin’ would ruin her plans.”

  “What plans?” Victoria asked.

  Nicole shrugged. “She didn’t say. I was left very confused afterwards.”

  Victoria shook her head. “That girl was confused a lot while she was my maid. She messed up on everything. Now I think, more than ever, that she had lost her mind.”

  “Yes, that’s probably what happened,” Nicole continued, “but we need to know more of her thoughts in order to figure out why she dislikes the Carrigans.” She moved closer to Nolan, standing behind his chair. “I believe by findin’ her journal, we might learn more about her. The maid needs to be stopped.”

  “There must be a reason she hasn’t crossed over yet,” Nolan added. “And if we can find that in her journal, maybe she’ll finally crossover.”

  Nicole stepped closer to her ancestor. “Victoria, we need to find that journal, which is why we need your help. Will you show us where her room used to be so we can search through it?”

  Victoria frowned and shook her head. “Missy didn’t have her own room. She shared it with Anna and Mrs. Burns. There were three women servants to one room, and all that fit in the room were three beds and three armoires. The room would have had no space for a desk.”

  Disappointment washed over Nicole and she glanced back at Nolan who met her gaze. He looked as helpless as she felt. And Bailey... her face was still white, and her eyes were wide. That poor girl wasn’t connecting well with paranormal.

  Nicole rubbed her head and paced the floor. There must have been something in the dream that would have hinted to where Missy kept her journal. But after Nicole had watched Missy write and put the journal inside the wall, the dream had opened up to let Nicole see what most of the servants were doing.

  “Victoria?” Nolan asked. “Was there a desk anywhere in the house that the servants used?”

  Folding her arms, the ghost tapped her finger on her forearm as she nibbled on her bottom lip. Finally, she snapped her focus back to Nicole again. “The kitchen. I remember there was a desk in the back kitchen because that was where Matilda wrote out the weekly menus and the shopping list.”

  Hope sprang inside Nicole. “Great. That will help us a lot.”

  “But...” Bailey said in a small voice. “What if Missy moved away from the house after Victoria’s death? The maid would have certainly taken her journal.”

  Nicole sighed with frustration. Why hadn’t she thought of that, too?

  “There’s one way to find out.” Nolan opened his laptop and his fingers flew across the keyboard. “Victoria? What was Missy’s last name?”

  “Henderson.”

  As Nicole watched him, she was privileged to see a different side to his personality. She now studied the businessman beneath his handsome good looks and sensual gaze. She’d gotten a taste of his fun sense of humor, and it was good to see a different side to him. It surprised her how much her love for him grew.

  She moved behind him again. He had searched the internet for Missy Henderson in connection to the Carrigan family. A few searches came up, as well as a newspaper article that someone had scanned into the historical page on the newspaper’s link.

  Nicole moved closer, resting her hands on Nolan’s shoulders. As she skimmed the article, she gasped. “Oh, no.” Her heart dropped. “Missy was burned in the fire of 1927.” Nolan looked up at her, frowning. “I’d forgotten about the fire,” she told him. “Would her journal have burned durin’ that time, too?”

  He switched his focus back on the article. He gasped and looked up at her, smiling. “The fire was only on the east wing. That was mainly where the bedrooms and banquet rooms were located.”

  “That’s true.” Victoria nodded. “The kitchen was on the other side of the house.”

  “Perfect.” Nolan clapped his hands once and stood. “Victoria? Do you think you can take us down to where that space used to be? While you’re showing Nicole, Bailey and I will try and keep the workers in the kitchen – or any of the other employees here – distracted.”

  “I will?” Bailey gasped.

  He gave Bailey a soft smile. “Don’t worry. All you have to do is act the way I will act, and... I know how dramatic you can be.”

  Color seeped back into Bailey’s face as a grin tugged on her mouth.

  “And Victoria?” Nolan added. “Please try to keep Missy’s spirit away from Nicole.”

  Victoria nodded. “I’ll do what I can to protect my great, great, great niece. However, since I’ve not seen Missy’s ghost here, I don’t know if I’m allowed to see her or not. To think that I’ve been haunting my home all these years and I’ve never known about another presence... Oh, how frustrating that is!”

  Nicole moved closer to Victoria. “I just hope we can find a way to stop your maid so she doesn’t try to do this to future Carrigans that might come to this bed and breakfast.”

  “Indeed.” Victoria’s mouth tightened. “That woman has gone too long without being punished for killing me.”

  As they were leaving the room, Nicole wanted to hold Nolan’s hand, but he acted as though touching her repelled him. She prayed that wasn’t how he really felt. After all, he hadn’t acted that way last night when he carried her to his room. But she did know one thing. Before they started this hunt to find the missing journal, she needed to talk to Nolan one more time.

  She grasped his arm, holding him back from leaving the room. When he turned to see what she wanted, she closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hitched a breath, and immediately, his hands went to her hips, but she wouldn’t let him push her away.

  In haste, she rose up and placed her mouth against his. Lips that had once been so soft and inviting were hard and cold, but she wouldn’t stop. Not yet. Slowly, she moved her lips over his until gradually, his mouth relaxed. As soon as that happened, his body leaned against hers as his a
rms slid around her waist.

  Although she wanted to keep kissing him, Bailey would soon be back, wondering what was taking them so long. Gradually, Nicole broke the kiss and withdrew slightly, gazing lovingly into his warm, green eyes.

  “Thank you, Nolan... for everythin’.” She caressed the side of his face before brushing her fingers through his short hair. “You have been my hero in every way, and I want you to know how much I appreciate and... love you.”

  She smiled and stepped out of his arms. He blinked several times, looking at her as though he hadn’t heard her correctly. They really needed time to talk about this, but it would have to wait until later. Missy’s journal came first.

  “Come on, let’s go.” She slid her palm against his and entwined their fingers as she led the way out of the room.

  Nothing was said between them – or even from Bailey. Inside the elevator, Nicole pressed up against Nolan’s arm, holding her breath. This elevator scared her, and she didn’t trust Missy not to try and harm her and the others.

  When the doors opened, Nicole released a breath. Nolan glanced at her and gave her a smile. He squeezed her hand in comfort.

  “You’re going to be all right,” he said softly. “And we’ll be here for you.”

  Nicole’s heartbeat skipped. His gaze wasn’t as cold as it had been before, which was a good sign. “As long as you keep tellin’ me that, I’ll believe it.”

  He nodded but didn’t say any more as they walked out of the elevator. It was early afternoon, which meant the people who worked the kitchen for breakfast should be gone. Although, Nicole was sure someone who worked here was bound to try and stop her from following Victoria into the back where the kitchen staff had prepared meals for the Carrigan family.

  “Stay right here,” Victoria said just before she floated through a wall.

  “Do you know how freaky this is?” Bailey grumbled softly. “I feel like I’m in a Halloween movie where the characters know not to go into the attic or the cellar – or a corn field – but they still go anyway... and someone always gets killed.”