Wanted: Ghost-Busting Bride

  An hour later, Spencer took the stairs two at a time. At last free to concentrate on his future, he turned toward Kailyn’s room. Just a quick glance, to ease his mind. He’d check Kailyn’s recovery and remind her to be careful.

  However, just as he stepped past his Aunt Sophie’s open parlor door, she summoned him. The impatience of her tone warned him she wouldn’t wait.

  He entered and dropped into the nearest armchair beside Nell.

  “Take that glower off your face, young man.” Aunt Sophie waggled a finger at him. “We’ve waited for hours to find out about the results of your meeting with Ginnette’s solicitor.”

  In her eagerness, Nell scooted to the front of the settee. “Have you saved my business?”

  He took his time before answering, stretching his feet out in front of him. “Relax, Sis. All the paperwork is done. Your loan is paid off, and the Ryne horses are safe.”

  His sister flopped back against the cushions and closed her eyes. “Thank goodness. I never knew the witch would be so dangerous.”

  “Next time you need help, come to me.” When Nell opened her eyes, he scowled at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

  Laughing, he reached to tousle her hair. “A simple thank you would suffice.”

  “Now that you two are speaking to each other again,” Aunt Sophie said brusquely, “we need to face the prospect that some of the participants might sue us for endangering them.”

  Her tone jarred him. The Ryne estate couldn’t stand the expense of a lawsuit. He raised his eyes to meet his aunt’s worried gaze.

  “The disclaimer all participants sign at the beginning of the festivities should cover the problem,” he replied reasonably. “Kailyn would be the exception because she didn’t sign one. However, based on her determination to defeat Desdemona, I don’t think she intends to engage in a legal battle against Ryne. We have a more complicated problem, I’m afraid.”

  He stared at his boots. “To quash Desdemona’s power, I need Kailyn hopelessly in love with me, and I’m not sure she even likes me. Her resolve to stay only means she’s challenged by the evil ghost. She’s out to destroy it.”

  Nell poked him in the ribs. “Then you’d best get cracking. Chasing her isn’t enough. You need to open your heart to her.”

  For a minute, Spencer simply stared at his sister. She was right. He was in love with Kailyn. He loved her sassy mouth. He loved her spunk. He loved the way she questioned every order he gave her. He definitely loved kissing her, touching her and igniting the sparks between them.

  For the first time since Ginnette’s attack on Kailyn, his spirits lifted. Starting tomorrow, he’d show Kailyn Baker he was the partner, friend and lover she wanted.

  Chapter 18

  Spencer dropped his guests off in the village and headed home, leaving his aunt and sister to mind the chattering shoppers. He had more important things to do. Number one on his list—make Kailyn fall in love with him before Desdemona attacked again.

  Of course, his injured spitfire wasn’t resting in the Countess’ Suite. Allison’s yelps pulled him toward the music room where he found her and Kailyn attempting to waltz. They bounced around with more enthusiasm than grace while Emily played the piano.

  Suddenly, Allison hopped on one foot. “Kailyn, you’ve stomped on my toes for the hundredth time. How about a break?”

  Chuckling, Spencer stepped inside. The situation was tailor-made for his seduction attempt. He could suffer through a few mishaps to hold Kailyn in his arms. “Perhaps I can help. I’m considered an expert dancer.”

  The pink blush that rushed up Kailyn’s cheeks enchanted him. “I’m not good at this. You won’t enjoy your toes being crushed.”

  “Is your shoulder the problem?”

  She carefully rotated the injured area. “My shoulder is a bit stiff, but that’s not the problem. It’s my feet that can’t master this dang waltz.”

  Behind Kailyn, Allison and Emily giggled.

  “Let me help you untangle your steps.” Spencer held out a hand, and Kailyn placed hers in it.

  Her fingertips barely touched his. Worse, she stood three feet away. “Be warned, your toes are in danger.”

  He pulled her in close to his chest. “Very gallant of you, but not practical. You’ll feel the rhythm better if I hold you tightly.” He laughed as she scowled up at him. “Don’t fret. You don’t weigh enough to hurt my feet.”

  At his nod, Emily began to play the waltz.

  As soon as the music started, he took a step, but Kailyn didn’t. Their legs tangled, and he found himself sitting on the floor.

  Kailyn’s mouth fell open. Her face went from pink to brick red. She looked adorable.

  Allison rushed up. “I told you, Kailyn, count One . . . Two . . . Three—start.”

  He stood and dusted off his pants. “You should have warned me to cue her to move her feet.”

  Again he took Kailyn’s limp hand and pulled her snuggly against him. “Ready?”

  She shook her head. “No. Can’t we simply skip the opening dance of the ball?”

  “What? Neglect to show off my beautiful fiancée? Not a chance.” He gave her an encouraging peck on the cheek. “After Emily starts the music, I’ll tell you when to take the first step.”

  Kailyn’s brows furrowed in concentration. “I promise to do better.”

  Instead of relaxing in his arms, though, she stiffened as if she was a racehorse ready to break from the starting gate.

  He racked his brain. What would take her mind off the dance? “Tell me about your meeting with Lady Anne.”

  Her blue eyes widened. “Who told you?”

  “Chadwick saw you in the picture gallery with your camera and computer.”

  She held up her hand and twisted the emerald. “Lady Anne appears when I rub the ring.”

  “Interesting. What did you find out?”

  “Well, Lady Anne and Desdemona were ladies-in-waiting together at the English court. More importantly, they both thought they might be chosen as the next Queen.”

  “That tallies with my family’s account of her early years.” He nodded at Emily to start the music. “Anything else?”

  “I showed her my computer. She really got a kick out of seeing the pictures Allison shot of our adventure at the west tower. She thought her picture was superb but that Desdemona looked downright ugly.”

  “Nothing like jealousy among ghosts.” He chose that moment to start her in motion.

  This time, she followed his lead without difficulty. They made three circuits around the room while she explained how she had enhanced Allison’s pictures to reveal the ghosts’ features. She described how she had isolated and enlarged each ghost’s image.

  In his enthusiasm over her success with Lady Anne, Spencer twirled her. The result landed both of them in a heap on the floor, laughing.

  She swatted his arm. “Why did you remind me we were dancing? I can’t perform that fancy stuff.”

  “You just did.” He brushed his lips across her cheek. “Suddenly I have a strong craving for dessert.”

  At his teasing, Kailyn turned brick red again.

  While she was still staring at him in astonishment, Emily jumped off the piano bench. “I can ask Mrs. Chadwick for some refreshments.”

  “No need to bother.” He winked at Kailyn. “The dessert I want isn’t available right now.”

  He stood and helped Kailyn to her feet. “Let’s try this dance once more.”

  This time, he didn’t have to talk to her at all. He’d so flustered her that she followed his lead without a misstep through the entire waltz. When the last note ended, he bowed and kissed her hand, to Allison and Emily’s applause. “You danced superbly, luv.”

  Dressed in her sapphire-blue gown, Kailyn opened her door to see whether Markham was there to escort her to the ball.

  The hallway was empty. Where was the blasted man? For days, she’d tripped over him every time she turned around. Now, when a little propping up for this hi
ghfalutin’ ordeal would be nice, the man failed to show. Stalling, she paced in front of her door, undecided about descending alone to the receiving line.

  After five minutes of wearing out the soles of her slippers, her patience snapped. She didn’t need a man to walk her downstairs. Lifting her skirts she stalked toward the staircase.

  The sound of laughter from an open door at the top of the stairs gave her pause. Was that Markham’s laugh? Slowing, she drifted toward the sitting room. Should she join the party or not? Her degree in engineering hadn’t covered the etiquette of when to interrupt and when to leave well enough alone.

  But when she heard John Martin’s voice, she stopped.

  . . . “So Spencer, everything is working out exactly as Crystal planned. You’ll be back to work in no time.”

  A little eavesdropping never hurt when dealing with schemers like Crystal and John. Pressing against the wall, Kailyn strained to hear Markham’s answer. She didn’t want any more nasty surprises.

  “Yes, Crystal was right. Kailyn is the woman Lady Anne needed to battle against Desdemona.”

  John chuckled. “I bet you really had to turn on the charm to get her to fall into this crazy war against an evil ghost.”

  “A few sweet words coupled with a lot of ghostly meddling and she was hooked.”

  Kailyn swallowed. Markham’s words sounded so callous, so calculating. She was a business proposition he and John had negotiated. The man saw her only as a means to crush Desdemona’s threat. Why did she bother to help him? She’d begun to think that. . . What had she thought? Or expected? From the beginning, he’d been up front with what he wanted. She just hadn’t believed him.

  A feminine voice chimed in, “I’ll be so glad when this is over, and you return to London. I’ve missed you at the office.”

  A hot surge of jealousy knocked the breath out of Kailyn’s lungs. Her chest tightened each second Markham remained quiet. True, they’d never talked about where they’d live in the future, but the woman’s tone suggested only Markham would be living in London.

  “At least the renovations at Ryne will be directed by a competent professional. Kailyn’s expertise will free you up to oversee the Dubai project.”

  John’s obvious pride in their trickery infuriated her.

  She inhaled sharply. Markham had trapped her. The scoundrel might think he’d abandon her at Ryne. He was wrong. She wouldn’t slave to return his precious castle to mint condition while he picked up his old life in London.

  If by any chance she went through with this marriage—which looked more unlikely with every passing second—she’d be sure to clarify this little misconception of his. She’d also make it clear that being faithful was part of the deal. He was a fool if he thought she’d sit in the middle of nowhere twiddling her thumbs while he flitted off on exciting projects with his “ex-girlfriend.”

  “John, after this ordeal is finished, there will be a few changes to the company. We’ll discuss them later.”

  Markham’s claim didn’t melt her anger.

  She had things to discuss with him before he and John finalized their restructuring. She swept by the open door, not caring whether he noticed her or not.

  Chapter 19

  What in the bloody hell had put Kailyn in a snit?

  Spencer wished he could kiss away his fiancée’s dark mood. It wasn’t like her to be so stiff. Ever since his aunt’s rather nitpicking correction about greeting the guests, she hadn’t cracked a smile. Where was her spunk, her enthusiasm to take on every challenge without hesitation?

  She stood rigid at his side, gazing straight ahead. How did he coax her back into her usual sassy good humor?

  “Kailyn, it’s time for us to lead off the first waltz. Are you ready to step on my toes?”

  “I don’t intend to get that close.” Marching toward the dance floor with her chin lifted, she acted as if he was steering her to the executioner’s block.

  Well teasing hadn’t worked, perhaps flattery would. “Did I mention you look particularly ravishing in that gown?”

  She shrugged and kept walking.

  Uh-oh. Something was very wrong.

  Determined to shake her out of her bad mood, he stopped in the center of the ballroom and turned her to face him. “Follow my lead, and we’ll do fine.”

  “Your lead has caused me enough trouble already,” she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

  Ahh. Desdemona might be the root of the problem. No doubt the evil ghost had spurred a jealous guest into telling Kailyn lies about him.

  “Have you heard disturbing rumors?” he asked solemnly.

  If possible, she stiffened even more. “Now is not the time to go into it. We’ll hash it out later.”

  Bull’s-eye. He swallowed his panic. If he could sweep her off the floor, he could settle this now. Unfortunately, with two hundred guests watching, he’d create more wagging tongues for Desdemona to twist. Squelching the damaging rumors would have to wait until after the ball.

  In the meantime, he had more pressing trouble, like a very annoyed fiancée. He pulled Kailyn into the formal position for the waltz, holding her tightly. Although she didn’t protest, her blue eyes blazed accusingly at him and for an instant he wondered if she’d refuse to move.

  He had to deal with this now. Brushing his lips against the top of her head, he murmured, “Don’t let Desdemona ruin tonight.”

  Her expression instantly lost its contempt, and she softened against him.

  His breath caught in his throat. Hang it all, it was worse than he thought. Because of his failure to put her before visiting with his business partner and CFO, he’d blown it. If he’d told John and Mari he desired Lady Anne’s choice, the evil ghost wouldn’t have been able to possess Kailyn. Glancing down, he watched a red haze slither away from her.

  Relieved his kiss had released Kailyn from the ghost’s clutches, he twirled her across the floor. But when she deliberately stomped on his foot, he knew she hadn’t forgiven him for being so thoughtless.

  Halfway through the dance, Kailyn finally spoke. “You lied to me. You planned all along to trap me into staying here.” She tilted her head and defiantly jutted her chin at him.

  He brushed his lips across her hair again, but she didn’t melt in his arms. Proving Desdemona wasn’t the only cause of her anger.

  “I fell under your spell as soon as you walked into my office.”

  “Yeah, right.” Kailyn stomped on his other foot. “Don’t tell me such a whopping lie with a straight face.”

  “It’s the truth.” He tried another kiss to dispel any of Desdemona’s lingering influence. It didn’t work.

  Kailyn simply scowled at him, but she didn’t bruise any more of his toes.

  If he hadn’t witnessed her sudden mood shift, he wouldn’t have believed Desdemona could control her. Lady Anne’s ring should have protected her. He was in big trouble if it took physical contact and a kiss to keep Kailyn safe. He couldn’t keep her glued to his side all night.

  He bent close. “Desdemona draws energy from a crowd like this. Did you feel her evil fury flooding through you some time before our dance?”

  Kailyn jerked to a stop even though the music hadn’t ended. Gazing up at him with troubled eyes, she frowned. “Possibly. I feel different now.”

  Ever since the shooting, he’d feared Desdemona would defeat him by brainwashing Kailyn. “Be on your guard. I think Desdemona may have filled you with her hatred.”

  “Perhaps, but don’t blame Desdemona for your underhanded scheming.”

  He had to try one more time to show her his love. Duty prevented him from carting her off, and he couldn’t lock her in his room. He kissed her fully on the lips, directing every bit of his love and strength into her.

  Kailyn’s head spun. Something inside her fought to remain ticked off by Markham’s deceit, but their kiss slowly chased away the remnants of jealousy that fogged her mind, and her logic returned.

  The man had lied to her. But
she had to give the devil his due. He’d admitted from the beginning that Lady Anne had chosen her to help him defeat Desdemona. He’d never promised to love her. Somehow she’d allowed the flirting game he’d played to become real. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  Energized and determined, she was ready to fight the sneaky ghost. But where was Lady Anne? Why hadn’t the emerald ring kept Desdemona away?

  Kailyn rubbed the green stone. “Lady Anne, I need you.”

  Nothing happened. No pint-sized image appeared above the emerald. Something was wrong.

  The abrupt sound of applause made her pull back and glance around. Without her realizing it, the dance floor had filled with Markham’s guests. They surged forward, some smiling, others scowling. Desdemona certainly had plenty of ill-will to feed her power. Kailyn closed her eyes and allowed the warmth of Spencer’s arms to block the nasty ghost’s poison. Desdemona wouldn’t control her again.

  “My kiss should protect you while I do my duty dances,” Markham whispered in her ear.

  “Think of a better strategy to stamp out Desdemona than a cold-blooded engagement,” Kailyn hissed. “Nothing seems to be slowing her down.”

  He kissed her cheek and led her off the floor, smiling for his guests as he murmured, “Be on guard. Be pleasant. Try to keep everyone happy when you socialize. Maybe the bloody ghost won’t be able to absorb their negative vibes.”

  The delusional man asked the impossible. Half the women in the room hated her simply because she was engaged to him. The other half coveted the position of countess. Although the men looked friendlier, lingering with them would fan the women’s cattiness. Her best bet was to turn into a wallflower and fade into the woodwork.

  She drifted, smiling and nodding to the guests, but not pausing to chat with any group. Her strategy would have worked if Markham hadn’t decided to flaunt his flawless dancing technique. Suddenly squished behind John Martin and his date, she fought to banish an outburst of jealousy as Markham and an elegant brunette dipped and swayed in perfect harmony.