Nine Steps to Sara

by Olsen, Lisa

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight then.” Letting out a long breath once she got out of the seat, she opened the back door to pick up Jack and carry him inside, but Will jogged around the car and pulled her away from the open door.

  “Hey now, you didn’t think I would let you go without a proper kiss goodnight, did you?” the pad of his thumb brushed across her cheek as he tipped her face up to his. “Aw, you did…” his face clouded when he read that was exactly what she’d expected on her face.

  “It’s fine, if you have other plans…”

  “Sorry about that, love. Believe me; no matter what other mistress I may dance to tonight, you’ll still come first where it counts.” Will leaned in to capture her mouth with his, and Sara forgot any momentary hurt when he kissed her like that. It was hard not to chase after his lips when he pulled away, her heart still pounding madly, and she would have lost her balance if he hadn’t been holding fast to her.

  “What was that about a mistress?” she breathed, lips still tingling.

  “Ah, Sara,” he chuckled softly. “There’s no danger of anyone stealing my heart, you’ve the only key. Now give us another kiss, and let’s get the boy inside before you catch your death out here in the cold.” His kiss was softer, but no less affectionate and when they parted, Sara couldn’t keep the smile from her lips.

  Still smiling after getting Jack settled into his room for the night and another shared kiss in the darkened hallway, Sarah slipped into her room, getting ready for bed with slow, unhurried movements. She had the key to Will’s heart? “I sure hope it fits,” she sighed, sliding under the covers with a happy sigh.

  *

  “It’s time now, my Lady.”

  “Are you sure about this, Brisbin?” Sara held the infant’s soft cheek to hers, reluctant to let him go, even into the capable hands of her lady’s maid. The shabby room she’d rented held little more than a bed and a washstand, but it suited her purpose, having left her finery behind.

  “It’s now or never, unless you’ve given up this plan,” the maid replied, buttoning her coat to the top and reaching for the plain woven basket, so different from the lacy bassinet they’d left behind.

  Was she doing the right thing? If only she could be certain… “No, I’ve no choice, Edward has seen to that.” She looked down at the little face, oblivious to the life changing events at hand. “I’ll save you, my darling, the only way I know how.” Laying a kiss to the top of his head, her tears slipped out to splash on the baby’s cheek, startling him awake. Instead of crying, he looked up at her with wise, gray eyes, almost as if he knew… “Goodbye, my sweet Matthew. Brisbin will look after you until I can come for you myself,” she brushed the tears from his cheek. “But know that I love you more than all the world. You’ll tell him every night, won’t you?” she looked up at the maid, desperate for the nod of compliance.

  “Aye, my Lady, I will. But we must be off now, or have to wait another week for the next ship bound for America.”

  “I know,” she laid the baby down in the basket, taking great care to swaddle him in protective blankets. “I’ll write to you as soon as I can. You have the money?”

  “Close to my heart,” Brisbin patted her chest. “I’ll care for him as if he was my own,” she promised gravely, as if she were off to march into battle instead of taking an innocent child on a long journey. “Are you sure you won’t come with us, my Lady?”

  Longing mixed with dread as she looked down at her son’s sweet face. “I can’t, you know I can’t. He’ll never let me go. Maybe some day when he’s gone I can…” her eyes clouded with tears again and she shook her head. “You’d best go before it’s too late.”

  “As you wish,” Brisbin bobbed. “Goodbye, my Lady. May the Lord keep you safe.”

  “No, Brisbin,” she smiled sadly, “the child is all that matters. I pray that He keeps you out of harm’s way on your journey.” Watching the window until she could no longer see the maid with her precious cargo, her shoulders slumped as they disappeared from view. Dipping her hands into the basin of cold water on the stand, Sara looked up, expecting to see her own blue eyes, but it was Gemma staring back at her in the reflexion, eyes red rimmed and puffy from crying. “I sacrificed all for my child. Can you do the same?”

  Sara startled awake, surprised to find herself snuggled up in bed instead of the rundown room. “God, what a weird dream,” she breathed, head falling back against the downy comfort. She didn’t usually dream she was someone else, but something about the dream had felt so real… She’d felt the woman’s anguish over giving up the baby, her son. And the fear… the all consuming fear that drove her to send away her own child to keep him safe. Safe from her husband, Edward. Edward Darling.

  “What did he do to you?” Sara whispered in the darkness, wondering if Gemma had been the one to send her the dream, or if there was an overactive imagination to blame. Utter stillness met her question, but the hairs on her arms stood on end as her skin erupted into goosebumps, the air feeling charged somehow. “Hello?” she tried again. “Gemma is that you?”

  A soft footfall sounded from somewhere in the room and Sara froze, hardly daring to breathe. With the curtains mostly drawn, only a sliver of light pierced the darkness, shrouding the majority of the room in shadow. There could have been an entire army of ghosts in the room and she wouldn’t know it until they reached their pale, shriveled hands for her… Sara swallowed back the wave of fear that train of thought brought, forcing herself to keep it together.

  It was obvious she wanted to communicate, and Sara couldn’t understand why she didn’t come right out and do it. If she could talk to Jack, why not to her? “Please, I just want to talk to you. Can’t you tell me what you want?”

  The silence seemed to swell, a high pitched whine filling Sara’s ears, and she couldn’t be sure if she heard a breathy word or if it was just her imagination. But it sounded like the word safe.

  “Keep my son safe? Like you did?” she sat a little higher in the bed, heart pounding at the thrill of making contact. “That’s all I want too, but I don’t get what you’re going for. What kind of danger is he in?”

  Sara strained her ears, but that time there was no response. The silence stretched on and seconds turned into minutes, her disappointment growing when the spirit didn’t acknowledge her. “I won’t just leave, you know. You can’t scare me away,” she challenged. “So if Jack’s really in danger, you’re going to have to find a way to tell me how or this whole haunting thing is a huge waste of time.”

  The lights in the chandelier near the fire suddenly flared bright, exploding in a shower of sparks and broken glass that made Sara squeal into her blankets. Reaching for the bedside light in the eerie darkness, the swell of relief at finding the little knob quickly deflated when nothing happened as she turned it again and again. “Awesome…” she murmured, frozen in place. Without the light, it wasn’t safe to leave the bed with the broken glass, and without the light, she didn’t think she’d be getting much sleep for the rest of the night. Had she said the ghost couldn’t scare her away? Huddled with the blankets pulled up to her nose, Sara started to seriously rethink that position.

  *

  It was early when Sara woke; neck stiff from sleeping in a half-sitting position, wedged up against the head board all night long. At least she’d been able to fall asleep, though she didn’t feel particularly well rested. In the calm light of day, it was easy to believe she’d dreamed up the ghostly encounter from the night before. The bedside lamp turned on easily when she tried it, and closer inspection of the sitting area in front of the fireplace showed no sign of any broken glass. Balancing precariously on the arms of the closest chair, Sara peered into the chandelier carefully, finding each of the tiny bulbs perfectly intact. Had she dreamed it all up?

  Shuffling into the bathroom to brush her teeth, Sara mulled over the dream and the events that followed, trying to spot anything that might lead her to believe it was all in her head. There wasn’t any
proof either way, but she couldn’t shake the idea that Gemma really had tried to communicate with her. There had to be a way to find out more about the woman.

  Lost in thought, it didn’t occur to her to check and see if the connecting door was locked or not until Will stepped through wearing a pair of loose sleep pants and a wife beater, a little bleary-eyed with hair sticking up at all angles. “Oh God, I forgot,” she spat out the last of the toothpaste, rinsing her mouth quickly. “Avert your eyes for a sec, okay? I look terrible,” she groaned, searching for wherever Katie had stuck her hair brush.

  “You look beautiful,” Will approached, wrapping his arms around her from behind to meet her gaze in the mirror. “All mussed and glorious like you’ve just woken from a good night’s sleep. The only way you could possibly look better is if you were waking up beside me.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her head and she smiled back at him in the mirror.

  “You… obviously haven’t woken up completely yet, but I appreciate the sentiment,” she laughed. “I forgot about the whole sharing the bathroom thing. Do you want the first shower?”

  “Naw, you go ahead. I only came in to say good morning,” he squeezed her a little tighter. “I’ll be away most of the day, doing some work for my Da.”

  “Oh, you will?” Unable to keep the disappointment from her voice, she realized she’d been expecting him to have as much free time as she did, but of course that wasn’t realistic. “What kind of work?”

  “It seems some fancy Lady’s got it into her head to completely restore an old dilapidated estate,” he winked at her in the mirror. “Apparently that requires all manner of arrangements, and I offered to help him get things in motion. Otherwise, he’d be working himself day and night; he’s in such a lather to get started.”

  “Oh that,” she smiled back. “I happen to have it on very good authority that the Lady in question isn’t at all rushed in getting it done, you know. So don’t feel like it has to be finished all at once.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. I think it pains him to see the Earth lying fallow,” Will sighed. “He’s been plain itching to get his hands back into it for a long time now, there’s no holding him back.”

  “Then I guess the sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll have time for me again,” she laid her head back to rest against his shoulder.

  “I promise, I’ll be back before you can say Bob’s your uncle.”

  “Bob’s…”

  Will laid a finger against her lips as she started to say it, his mouth turning up into a lopsided grin. “I’ll be back soon enough, try not to get into too much trouble without me.”

  “Speaking of trouble, I don’t suppose I could get a peek at your room, could I?” Sara gave him her most winsome smile.

  “Interesting segue,” he raised a brow. “I don’t see why not. Excuse the mess, I wasn’t expecting company.” Will led her through the adjoining dressing room and into the room that used to belong to the Ladies of Darling Park. “May I ask why the sudden need to see my boudoir? You’re not thinking of tempting me to stay here today are you? Because that would be… fantastic.”

  Sara laughed, stepping into the room. Pretty and feminine, the décor was similar to Joanie’s room, only grander, with a light blue patterned paper on the walls with little yellow flowers. “I like it.”

  “You’re more than welcome to it.”

  “Don’t you think it might get a bit crowded?” she smiled over her shoulder, fingers running over the dulled shine on the ancient writing desk by the window.

  “More cozy I’d say,” he gave a half shrug. “I meant I could always take another room if this one is more to your liking than the master suite.”

  “I’m good where I am for now, but this room gives me some ideas on how to spruce up the other one.” The lighter woodwork really went a long way to making the room brighter and more cheery. “This was her room, huh?”

  “Sorry?” Will looked up from a duffel bag where he pulled out a fresh change of clothes.

  “Gemma. This was her room once upon a time.”

  “Do you mean the spirit? I hadn’t realized you were on a first name basis.”

  “We’re connected somehow,” Sara frowned, not quite sure how to explain it. “Maybe it’s because she’s my ancestor… I don’t know, but I feel like she wants me to do something. I had the weirdest dream last night. A dream where I was Gemma, and I had to give up my baby to keep it safe from Sir Edward.”

  “Sir Edward?”

  “My husband. Anyway, I sent the baby off to America to keep him safe, and then Gemma looked back at me in the mirror and sorta challenged me to do the same.”

  “She challenged you to send Jack away to keep him safe from your husband?” Will’s brows drew together in puzzlement.

  “No, not exactly. I don’t get the feeling she’s telling me my husband is dangerous, but I get the feeling that she thinks there’s something dangerous for him here at Darling Park.”

  “It sounds like an odd dream, but a dream nonetheless. I wouldn’t lend too much credence to it.”

  “See but that’s the weird thing. After I woke up, it got even stranger.” Quickly Sara took him through the spooky, one-sided conversation she’d had with the ghost, culminating with the shattered lights. “Only when I woke up this morning, there wasn’t any sign of broken glass at all.”

  “It sounds like you had another dream.”

  “It didn’t feel like a dream, it felt very real,” Sara sighed, sinking down on the edge of the bed. “What if I’m placing Jack in danger by staying here?”

  “Sara,” Will sat beside her on the bed. “You can’t base life altering decisions on the basis of your dreams.”

  “No, I know,” she nodded, wishing she could make him understand the unease that permeated her entire being every time she thought about it. “I just wish I knew more, one way or the other. Whether it’s the ghost of a sad woman who died unhappy and craves attention, or if it’s my imagination kicking into overdrive, or if there really is something eerie about this place.”

  “I hardly think there’s anything sinister at play here, Sara. Maybe you should have a hot shower, a nice cuppa tea and everything will look a good deal better once you’ve had a spot of breakfast, hm?”

  “I guess so,” Sara couldn’t help but feel a little glum that he didn’t seem to key into the distress she felt over it, especially since he knew there was truth to the ghost stories in the mansion.

  “I’ve got to get moving. Why don’t you go take that shower and I’ll nick round to another bathroom to wash up. I’ll see you tonight and we can talk about this more if you like, sound good?”

  Sara nodded, “Sure, that sounds fine.” Pushing away from the bed, she prepared to give him some privacy to get ready for the day, but he caught her hand and tumbled her onto his lap.

  “It’ll be alright, my Lady,” his lips quirked into a smile. “Trust me.”

  “Not if you keep calling me my Lady,” a roll of the eyes was given.

  “Fine, then trust me, my Sara,” Will brushed the hair back over her ear sending a shiver down her spine. “I’ll not let anything bad happen to you.”

  Was she his? “I am,” she whispered, answering the question he wasn’t privy to. “I mean, I do, I trust you.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Good Morning!” Joanie sang out cheerily, and Sara and Jack traded looks across the breakfast table.

  “Aren’t you bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning?” Sara observed aloud, wondering if her late night with a certain jerky developer had anything to do with Joanie’s improved mood. The pretty redhead was dressed to impress in a designer knock off and upswept hair. A little overdressed for breakfast, but Sara had to think it wasn’t for their benefit. “What are you up to today?”

  “I have a date,” she beamed, loading up her plate with bacon and eggs.

  “I think that’s more food than I’ve ever seen you consume before noon. What kind of pod did you spring
from and what have you done with the real Joanie?” Sara quipped.

  “I have to load up, this is the last time I might get to eat today,” she replied as if that made perfect sense.

  “Because… you’re going on a starvation date?”

  Joanie fixed her with a withering look. “It’s been a long time since you were in the trenches, Sara. Don’t you remember the cardinal rule? I can’t let him think I eat.”

  “Why not?” Jack asked, eyeing the bacon on her plate with obvious envy.

  “Because women are supposed to be elegant, exotic creatures that you men can never quite figure out. It’s our job to drive you crazy trying to suss out what we want, so we can’t ever appear to actually want anything.”

  Lord but her world view was disturbing. “Don’t listen to a word she says, Jack. You find a girl that makes you happy, not crazy. I take it you’re going out with that guy Cole?”

  “You don’t mind do you?” Joanie caught her bottom lip between her teeth, and Sara actually believed it mattered to her.

  “Not at all, I think it’s good for you to find a playmate, you might keep each other out of trouble.” And it might keep Cole off her back for a few days until she had a chance to get Lowesley to shut him down.

  “Good, cause he’s picking me up here in half an hour,” she grinned from ear to ear. “He’s taking me down to the coast. There’s a luxury resort he had a hand in and they let him stay there whenever he wants, so I might be gone for a couple of days.”

  “Wow, that seems a little fast to be going away with a guy you just met last night, Joan,” Sara frowned, her maternal spidey senses kicking into gear.

  “Oh please, it’s not like I’m shacking up with him, he promised me my own suite,” she washed down a crispy piece of bacon with tart orange juice. “And I might even use it,” she winked. Sara darted a quick look to Jack to see if he’d caught the connotation there, but he didn’t appear to be following the conversation anymore.