Shadows and Lies: A World of Gothic: United States

by Raine English

  Chapter Nine

  I SPENT THE entire day in the study going over expenses and making appointments for last-minute things we’d forgotten, such as the electrician.

  As the day wore on, I kept glancing at the clock, wondering where Jaxon and Jessica were and kicking myself for having told Jax I didn’t care what they did as long as their work got done.

  I knew one thing, though: I wasn’t going to let them know that their being gone so long bothered me.

  When Theresa came in to ask if I wanted dinner, I told her to just make me a plate and stick it in the refrigerator so I could eat it later. It wasn’t until nine p.m. that I made my way into the kitchen. I’d just finished eating when Jaxon and Jess came strolling in. They seemed to be in a great mood, laughing and chatting.

  “What an absolutely perfect day,” Jessica said. “You wouldn’t believe the stunning fabrics Nancy showed us. It was so difficult to decide what to use where, but I think you’ll be happy with our choices, Liv. At least I hope you’ll be.”

  “I’m sure they’re fine. That’s why I put you in charge.” I went over to the sink and rinsed off my plate and then stuck it in the dishwasher. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed. It’s been a long and tiring day.” As I was about to leave, I turned to Jaxon. “You wouldn’t happen to have my grandfather’s journal, would you? It was in his desk drawer, and now it’s gone.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t even know it was in there. What about you, Jess? Any idea where it might be?”

  She had her back was to us, as she was on her way out of the kitchen. “Nope. Sorry.”

  When she was gone, Jax said, “We wound up going to New Orleans for dinner, and I made an appointment for you for tomorrow with Lily Dewitt. She’s a well-known psychic who also does past life regression.”

  “What time?” I asked, annoyed that he would do that without checking with me first.

  “One p.m.”

  I shook my head. “I have an electrician coming to install additional outlets in the guest rooms at that time.”

  “And you have to be there when he does that?” he asked with determined firmness.

  I rolled my eyes. “No, I guess not.”

  “Good. I’ll have Gerard handle the electrician. See, there’s no reason we can’t go.”

  His smug smile irked me. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  When I was up in my room, I’d wished I’d stood my ground and not agreed to go with Jax to see the psychic. All this talk of ghosts and curses and past lives was really starting to get to me. And by going to the appointment tomorrow, I’d only be encouraging more of it. But I never went back on my word, and I wasn’t about to do so now. I’d go and get it over with, and then put an end to all this foolishness once and for all.

  ~*~

  AS WE DROVE down Dauphine Street, there was something about it that made me feel like I’d been there before. The buildings with their elaborate wrought iron railings and potted plants hanging from second-floor balconies seemed so familiar.

  Jaxon pulled up in front of one with red shutters and a black front door. “Why don’t you go ahead in while I find somewhere to park? I don’t want you to be late for your appointment.”

  While I didn’t relish the idea of going inside alone, I knew he was right. It was one o’clock now.

  “It’ll be fine,” he said, sensing my hesitation.

  I got out of the car and watched him pull down the street before going inside. As I entered the building, a bell above the door jingled, announcing my arrival. I had a weird sense of déjà vu. The place smelled of an odd combination of candles and incense. A small, thin woman who couldn’t have been more than five feet tall came out of a back room.

  “Hello, I’m Lily Dewitt,” she said, offering me her hand.

  I slid my hand into hers. “It’s nice to meet you, Lily. I’m Olivia Lockwood.”

  “I know who you are.” The way she said it made me think she meant it in a way other than because I had an appointment with her.

  “Jax tells me you’ve been experiencing some past life memories.” For some reason I got the impression she knew Jaxon and that he hadn’t just found her at random.

  “I’m not sure what they are. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Of course, my dear. I can help you with that. These memories can be quite startling when they first appear. Come with me.” She walked toward the back room.

  I hesitated a moment before following, wishing Jax would hurry up and get here.

  “There’s no need to be nervous,” she said, opening the door and stepping inside the room.

  I went in too, my gaze quickly taking in my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the plush white leather recliner. Beside it was a small wooden table and chair. On the table were two candles and an MP3 player.

  “Make yourself comfortable,” she said, pointing to the leather recliner.

  Once I was lying back in the chair, she sat at the table and turned on the player. Soft, soothing music filled the room. “What I’d like you to do is close your eyes and relax. I’m going to take you to a higher level of consciousness, and once you’re there, you’re going to go back to the origin or root cause of your problem.” She paused for a moment so the only sound was that of the music. “I want you to take a couple of deep breaths, Livvy, concentrating solely on the rhythm of your breath, then imagine a beautiful white light encompassing your entire body, beginning at your feet and moving up all the way to the top of your head. You’re in another dimension now, another time. Can you tell me where you are?”

  Images whirred past me—women in long dresses, men in waistcoats, Federal-style rowhouses, and gas streetlamps. “Yes, I’m in Boston.” My voice sounded small and far away.

  “Do you know what year it is?”

  “It’s 1851.”

  “Tell me what you see and hear.”

  “It’s noisy. There are lots of carriages. I need to cross the street, but I don’t want to get run down, so I’m waitin’ for a break.”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Jane, and I’m a seamstress.”

  “Do you have a husband and children?”

  A tear ran down my cheek, and it took a moment for me to answer. “No. I’m alone.”

  “Why is that?”

  “The only man I’ve ever loved is in Louisiana. I haven’t seen him in twenty years. I don’t even know if he remembers me. He was a man of wealth and privilege, and I was just a slave, though my father was the master of a fine plantation.”

  “And you’ve carried that pain with you all these years?”

  “Yes.”

  “You have to release it, Jane. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  I stirred uneasily in the chair. “I don’t know. But I think I see him. He’s walkin’ toward me.” A gamut of emotions raged through me. “No, it can’t be him. Here in Boston? What will I say to him? Do I look all right?”

  “You look fine, Jane. You can’t run away. You have to speak to him. You realize that, don’t you?”

  “Yes.” I bit my lip nervously.

  “Good. Take a deep breath, and meet him halfway.”

  Chapter Ten

  Boston, Massachusetts, 1851

  AS I STOOD at the edge of the brick sidewalk, I couldn’t believe my eyes. A tall, muscular man with golden hair was crossing the street and headed in my direction. About halfway across, he spotted me and froze.

  I let out a little scream as a carriage just missed him. My heart was thundering so fast, I felt sure its pounding had to be visible through my dress. When he reached me, I thought I might actually stop breathing.

  Up close, his hair had streaks of gray peppered throughout, and there were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth, but he was as handsome as I remembered.

  “Jane, is that really you? I can’t believe it.” His gaze scanned me from head to toe.
r />   “You’re in Boston?”

  “On business. I leave in the mornin’.” He pointed to the hotel to the right of us. “I’m stayin’ there.”

  A cold November wind blew, and he took hold of my arm and led me into the lobby.

  “Do you have a few minutes to catch up?”

  I was only going home to my tiny, dank apartment. I had all the time he wanted. “How’s Sarah?” I asked, taking a seat in one of the wing-backed chairs.

  He sat next to me, not answering right away. “She died twenty years ago, shortly after you left.”

  I swallowed hard, trying to fathom Sarah being gone. “And my ma?” My mouth trembled, fearing the worst for her as well.

  A little smile lit his face. “She’s fine. Still tough and strong as an ox.”

  I leaned back in the chair and let out a small sigh of relief, although that was short-lived.

  “I wish I could say the same for your father, though,” he added. “He’s quite ill, Jane.”

  Sorrow ripped at my heart, but I fought hard to keep my emotions at bay. There would be time to mourn later, when I was alone. My gaze shifted from his face to his left hand and the gold band he wore.

  “You’re married?” I asked, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.

  “Yes,” he replied softly, his gaze traveling over my hand and the lack of jewelry on it.

  “Any children?” I asked.

  “One son.”

  “You must be happy.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

  Uncertainty crept into his expression. “I guess that depends how you define happy.” There was no mistaking the clenching of his jaw. “Are you?”

  I plucked at my skirt, not quite sure how to answer. “I no longer live in fear. And I have a job I like.” We both knew I was evading the question.

  My eyes opened wide when he reached into the pocket of his overcoat and pulled out my spinel pendant. “I’ve carried this with me all these years,” he said, almost to himself. “Somehow, havin’ it with me made me feel close to you.” His eyes locked with mine, his gaze penetrating so deep, it was as if he wanted to look into my soul. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, Jane.” He held the necklace out to me, and it shimmered with a magnificent fire beneath the lights of the chandelier above us.

  My fingers touched the cold, smooth stone and then the warmth of his hand, and I felt like my body was on fire. “Keep it,” I said, tucking my hands back into the folds of my gown. “I don’t need it now.”

  He looked at me questioningly and then nodded as he placed the necklace back into his pocket. “Jane, I wish there was some way…” His voice trailed off as he struggled for the words to express his feelings.

  I reached over and caressed his cheek with the back of my hand. “We’ll be together again, someday…somewhere. I promise.” I recited the pledge he’d said to me that day so long ago before I made my escape to freedom.

  One tear rolled from his eye onto my hand, and I didn’t need anything else from him. The knowledge that our love had survived was enough. I turned and left the hotel without looking back. A peacefulness had settled over me, and I would carry it with me until my death.

  Chapter Eleven

  Present Day – Louisiana

  THE WHITE LIGHT that had surrounded me was growing smaller and dimmer, until it was completely gone.

  “Olivia, can you hear me?” a woman asked.

  I nodded, not quite sure where I was.

  “I need you to come back to the present now. You’re at peace, and you can live this lifetime with the issues of your past resolved. Take a deep breath, and let it out slowly.”

  I did as she said.

  “Another,” she advised. “Now open your eyes.”

  When I opened them, it took a minute to bring the room into focus and for me to remember the woman talking to me was Lily Dewitt.

  She turned off the MP3 player and smiled at me. “How do you feel?”

  I blinked with bafflement. “At ease.”

  Her smile broadened in approval. “Good.”

  “So those really were past life memories?”

  “Most definitely.”

  “Will I have more of them?”

  “Probably not, since you were able to work through your problem.”

  A part of me was sad that I might not get to visit my life as Jane again. And then a thought dawned on me, and my pulse began to thrum. “Since I’ve lived other lifetimes, does that mean Ellis might have too? Could he be here now as someone else?”

  Her eyes shone with understanding. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  “I’ve never had a serious relationship. Not one that I could commit to. I’ve always felt like I was waiting for that special guy to walk into my life. I know now that I’ve been waiting for Ellis.”

  Lily got up and came over to me, taking my hand in hers. “There’s a high probability that you’ll have several lifetimes with the people you’re closest to, but this may not be one of them.”

  A dull ache formed in my chest, and an acute sense of loss spread over me. But I was unwilling to give up hope. “How will I know if he’s here?”

  “One way or another, you’ll find each other.”

  I thought about that for a moment before asking, “Will I know him right away?”

  “It might take time. You’ll feel drawn to him for no apparent reason. But if you want proof, look for a scar or birthmark that Ellis had. They carry over from lifetime to lifetime. When you see it, a picture should form in your mind, and you’ll know it’s him.” Lily got up and went over to the window, staring out into a pretty little courtyard, then she turned to face me. “The same is true for your spinel pendant.”

  I reached for my necklace, rubbing my finger over the stone. “How do you mean?”

  “Ellis will recognize it and know that you’re Jane.”

  “My mother said it would protect me from danger. Is that true?”

  “An amulet is a very powerful object. It’s used to protect and repel negative energy. However, it will only work for the person who wears it, and it’s charged with a specific act of protection.”

  “Like a centuries-old curse?” I asked, thinking of how even today evil Tucker Sheldon had a hold on those living in Turnberry.

  “Precisely.” She looked at her watch and then walked over to the door. “I’m so glad I could help you today, my dear.”

  “Me too. Thank you.” When I left the room, I found Jaxon out front, flipping through a magazine.

  “All set?” he asked when he saw me.

  “Yes.” I thanked Lily again before leaving, and we both waved to her on the way out.

  “How about we get something to eat before we head home?” Jaxon flashed me his fabulous smile.

  That little spike of jealousy returned when I thought of how he had dinner here in the city last night with Jess. I knew it was ridiculous to feel that way. After all, there was nothing going on between us. Our kiss was just a kiss, nothing more. He’d made that perfectly clear. Besides, I didn’t want to spend any more time developing feelings for a man who wasn’t right for me. If Ellis was here somewhere, I needed to find him.

  ~*~

  I WAS QUITE impressed with Jaxon’s choice of restaurants. Antoine’s opened in 1840 and was still owned and operated by relatives of the original founder. Sitting there in one of its charming and beautiful dining rooms took me back in time, quite appropriate considering the events that led up to us coming there.

  We ordered the Chateaubriand for two and a bottle of red wine. While we waited for dinner, Jaxon gave me a brief history lesson on New Orleans—a place of second chances.

  “So I hope you understand a little better now why the people here believe as they do,” he said before taking a sip of his wine.

  “Indeed.”

  “And what about you? Did your visit with Lily Dewitt make you a believer?”

  “I have to admit that I do believe that what I’ve been e
xperiencing were events from another lifetime. There’s just no other explanation. But as far as believing in ghosts and a curse, I’m not sure I’ve come that far.”

  He took another sip of wine. The dancing candlelight from the table’s centerpiece, cast a warm glow over him, making him even more attractive. “That’s okay. You’re making progress. In time, you’ll come around.”

  Those words were similar to what Kelly had said, and I suddenly felt homesick. “A good friend of mine said something very much like that to me before I left Boston.”

  “Must be a wise friend.”

  “She is.”

  “Do you miss home?”

  “With everything that’s been going on here, I’ve hardly had a chance to think about it until now, and I must say, thinking about Kelly does make me miss my life there, as dull as it might have been.” My voice wavered with the brilliance of his look.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

  “That’s okay. It was bound to happen at some point.”

  “But not tonight. Tonight we’re celebrating.” He raised his glass to me.

  “We are?” I said, lifting mine. “What are we celebrating?”

  “You…becoming one of us.”

  The rest of the evening was spent discussing the bed-and-breakfast and how close we were coming to the grand opening.

  When we left the restaurant, Jaxon placed his arm across my shoulders as we walked toward the car. Once we were seated inside it, he leaned toward me.

  “I had a really nice time tonight,” he said, his breath warm on my cheek.

  “I did too.”

  I don’t know if it was the wine or the fact that we had this undeniable connection, despite us both not wanting to admit it, but somehow I wound up in his arms, and once again his firm lips were on mine. His kiss was demanding and urgent, and I was shocked at how I responded to him. His lips seared a path down my neck and shoulders, setting my body aflame with desire, and then back up to my eagerly awaiting mouth.