She spoke aloud again, “Please just leave me alone, tonight. I can’t take it anymore.” As if the mere sound of her voice could vanquish the restless spirits in the house. She used her magic to shut the window again. “And stay shut!” she said loudly.
Her pacing restlessly across her floorboards, finally roused Alexandra. “Sophie, what is going on? I had the most wonderful dream. Are you ill or just restless?”
“I am fine. I just had my slumber interrupted by ghostly chatter again. Something has disturbed our dead residents.”
“Should I be worried? Because if it is nothing to concern me,” she said yawning loudly, “I am going to go back to sleep. I am so knackered, I don’t even think I could make it to my bedchamber, and besides, Amelia has a tendency to hog the bed.”
“It is nothing to worry you. I just have to tell myself to calm down. I am only making matters worse by allowing their activity to unnerve me. I know the ghosts in Castle Rayne and Rayne House have never hurt me or the rest of the family. They are actually here on guard for us.”
“If you say so, Sophie,” Alexandra said sleepily, before she nodded off again.
Sophie sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to decide if she should attempt to reclaim the sleep they had startled her out of, or investigate why they seemed so rattled. It was midnight, and as they hadn’t attended any social events the previous evening, the entire house was asleep.
Nevertheless, it still spooked the bloody hell out of her when their nightly wanderings startled her awake. Her parents had assured her over and over again when she’d been younger that the ghosts would never harm a hair on her head.
Well, that was well enough and good for them to say…at least they couldn’t actually see them. Being able to see them and hear them and sensing their presence were entirely two different things to Sophie.
Her father had also assured her time and again that the familial ghosts were there to protect the family from evil spirits. He remembered seeing them frequently as a young boy, only to have his second sight disappear when he grew into a young man.
She sighed heavily. Of course she knew they could never hurt her, but when they popped up at the most inconvenient times, and caused her to act like she was going barmy, it didn’t help her image to the other members of the ton. She hated being known as Silly Sophie.
However, with the way that Redding had altered the timeline, she might not have that annoying moniker any longer.
As it was, she had a hard time procuring invites to the most elite balls. The hostesses thought she was one card short of a full playing deck, and in a way she didn’t blame them.
Alas, the Duchess of Devonshire wasn’t like most hostesses. As her godmother, she’d sent out invitations to the entire family for the event of the Season, her Diamond Jubilee Ball held to celebrate Queen Victoria’s long reign. Sophie had sent her apologies to her godmother hoping that the Duchess would not insist she attend.
She couldn’t bear going to such a large gathering of the crème de la crème of British Society. If the ghosts pulled a trick on her, she would be humiliated in front of her peers, and the press. She didn’t fancy having her image splattered across the reputable papers, and the rags that imitated reputable publications.
The window once again opened.
Defeated, she sighed and walked over to the window. This time, she used her own physical power to shut the window. “Whoever is pulling off these tricks needs to stop it at once! I simply won’t put up with it anymore!” she sighed again, staring out into the night sky.
There was a sliver of a moon cresting over Mayfair. The world was asleep, save for a few people and ghosts. Sometimes, this could be the most peaceful time of the day—or the scariest part of the day, depending on what ghosts she saw out in the still of the night.
As a child, she had seen a few of those more frightening kinds of supernatural beings and had been scared beyond belief.
Two powerful ghosts protected Rayne House. Making it impossible for some of the more sinister spirits out in the world to invade their sanctum, and for that reason, they had her deep gratitude. It was these two ghosts that had comforted her in her childhood, telling her that the wicked ghosts that roamed London could never breach the walls of Rayne House.
She just wished they wouldn’t use their formidable talents to frequently make a mockery out of her for their own amusement.
The wicked ghosts could ruin her days completely. One day in particular still haunted her. On that day, one week ago, she had been invited over to Lady Harding’s house for tea. Once there, she had discovered the real reason behind the invitation. The woman had invited her so she could attend the séance where she had been determined to contact her recently deceased husband.
She knew that was why Lady Harding was attempting to contact her through letters, and if she didn’t reply shortly, she would most likely end up calling on her or her mother.
Well, Sophie had quickly discovered that Lady Harding didn’t need to hold a séance as her husband had never left her side. She had quickly found out that nothing short of a black death coach coming for him could drag him away.
The ghastly things the dreadfully horrid man had blurted out to her had turned her face and ears red and some of what he had said had made her shudder with revulsion. His kind of evil always affected her that way. To say she had excused herself from the house with the utmost urgency was putting it mildly!
Apparently, his wife’s numerous infidelities had enraged him to the point of wreaking hell on Earth to get back to his wife’s side.
According to him, his wife had taken several lovers, before and after his untimely demise, and she had been stupid enough to keep one of the lovers in her residence in her boudoir!
He had still been there when Sophie arrived. She had believed the vile man when she’d seen the naked man for herself running through Harding House attempting to get away from Lord Harding.
Lady Harding’s male lover had raised the ire of her husband into such a dreadful state that he’d attempted to throw the offending man out of an open two-story window. He would have succeeded in killing him, had Sophie not intervened with her magical gifts.
After the soul shaking revelations, Sophie had hastily excused herself, and when Lady Harding had begged her to stay she had told the woman what her husband had told her. After which, Lady Harding had laid a threat at her door, making her determined to never cross paths with the offending woman again.
Despite Lady Harding’s sleight against her, she did sympathize with her plight. Regardless, there was little she could do for her. She could only pray that somehow the woman would receive the help she needed to deliver herself and her house from the unspeakable evil that would shortly befall it.
The house was like a ghostly powder keg just waiting to explode and create a hell storm the likes of which Mayfair had never seen. Despite her misgivings, she knew there would be a time when she would be forced to face Lord Harding again, especially as Seraphina had urged her to do so as soon as possible.
She feared how she would deal with such a brute. Let alone, deal with his wife who was so very intent upon protecting her own tainted reputation.
Many in the FitzCharles Family were sensitive to the presence of otherworldly spirits but none retained the gift like she had past childhood. Some said that Princess Sophie had been endowed with the same gift, making many wonder if Sophie was more similar to Princess Sophie than just being her namesake.
While the gift of interacting with spirits ran through the FitzCharleses line, Sophie’s mother, also had a bit of a gift when it came to sensing their ghostly spirits. Even to the point of knowing exactly where they stood in the room. Sophie being able to see them and interact with them fascinated her mother. Sylvie had been able to tap into Sophie’s gift through what they called ‘twin sight’.
Being able to see them and interact with them pulled them to her in an unstoppable way. Unfortunately, they never tired of making themselves kn
own to her, to such an extent that she had told them to be quiet several times in front of guests. She supposed she would never obtain a suitable husband, unless she accepted Redding, and right now, she was loathed to do that.
On the other hand, if she didn’t accept Redding, she would have Beaufort bothering her. She didn’t have to worry about becoming like her aunts. She wouldn’t have to be worry about becoming a spinster who talked to ghosts and collected fine lace, and sat with a needle and thread for hours on end in the drawing room working on her embroidery and needlework, while the gramophone played away to keep her company.
“Oh, Lady Sophie, did you know you have a rather well-dressed intruder in your house? He looks absolutely dashing! Why if I could still draw breath, he would steal my breath away, scoundrel though he may be.” Seraphina was absolutely gleeful. She looked as if she had a plan and everything was coming together for her.
Sophie smiled. Seraphina was a great friend to have. She only wished she was still alive so she could have her as a friend among the living. She would be a great friend to have, if only Lady Seraphina FitzCharles hadn’t died during the reign of Queen Anne. Seraphina called her Lady Sophie in a sarcastic way and it irritated her to no end.
She was usually the mischievous one that came out at public functions held at their house to embarrass her and mortify Sophie almost to death. Or she’d start giggling uncontrollably at an intolerable moment and since laughter was contagious, it ended up making Sophie look like a right thoughtless twit, giggling when she was supposed to be prim and proper.
For that reason, one of the nicknames Sophie had earned amongst the younger set of the haut ton, was Silly Sophie and she hated it.
“Rayne House has many intruders, Seraphina. You happen to be one of them.” Their intimate connection from yesterday had disappeared, and now they were back to their playful banter.
Seraphina gave her a petulant stare and launched herself at Sophie’s canopied bed, causing Alexandra to stir and sit upright with terror shining in her eyes.
“What in heaven’s name is going on here?” she asked, groggily rubbing at her eyes.
“It’s Seraphina, Alexandra. Pay her no mind, my dear.”
The covers rustled. “I don’t care for that particular tone of voice, dearest niece,” Seraphina said irritably, displeasure glimmering in her big luminescent green eyes. When Seraphina was in a foul temper, she was known to wreak havoc with the inanimate objects around her. When the hurricane lamp on her bedside table lit up of its own accord, Sophie wasn’t surprised, she was worried.
Alexandra’s eyes were wide, as she watched the supernatural happenings. “Is this what you deal with every single night?” she asked, in a small whisper.
Sophie nodded her head at her.
“I don’t think I like the way Alexandra is talking. I am not a nuisance. I’m fun to have around.”
“Oh, indeed, Seraphina, you are the life of the party!”
Sophie took a step toward her bed. “Seraphina, please leave. Alexandra and I would like our sleep. As for there being an intruder in the house, Papa will deal with him! I won’t have you interrupting my nightly slumber again. With the lot of you around, I hardly get any sleep as it is. As a result, I sleepwalk through my days.
“Everyone normal in the haut ton, thinks I am completely bonkers, please for once and for all, just leave me alone! I beg of you, give me the grace of living like a person that can’t see people who have died but evidently not yet crossed over!”
Seraphina snorted indelicately. She reached up for a lock of her ebony hair and began twirling it between her thumb and forefinger. For being such a distant ancestor, Seraphina did uncannily resemble Sophie.
“Sophie,” Alexandra whispered. “What’s happening now? It’s awfully chilly in here.”
“Seraphina is caught between behaving herself and having a monumental temper tantrum.”
“I see. Couldn’t she play nice for once?”
The sound of something crashing below them, caused Alexandra to jump, the covers falling off her. “What was that?” she asked, a skittish look in her eyes.
“That was the intruder that Seraphina came in here to tell us about. I wouldn’t worry about it, Alexandra. Papa will deal with them.”
“But if they have found their way into Rayne House that means they’ve broken through the enchantments that guard the house, doesn’t it?” Alexandra asked fearfully. She pulled the covers up to her chin, and looked wildly about her. “I never noticed how spooky this house was at night. Either I sleep through it, or Amelia’s presence comforts me.”
“Don’t worry about it, Alexandra. Seraphina knows who it is, and she knows they are no threat. The ghosts wouldn’t let anyone inside of the house that would hurt us.”
Seraphina giggled. “You are right, I do know who it is.” The happy tone of her voice made Sophie sigh. “Did you know that he’s here to take something from our family? Something you won’t want him getting his grubby little paws on…” Seraphina sighed again, and sprawled out on Sophie’s bed, so she took up one-half of the bed. “That damn Ruby shouldn’t even exist. It has caused our family so much trouble but in this case, I think it might right a few wrongs.”
“Seraphina, are you serious? Who is it that is going to take the Ruby? Please tell me it isn’t Beaufort!” Sophie narrowed her eyes, suddenly catching on to what Seraphina was babbling on about.
“It isn’t the excitable earl. And you are quite right. Lloyd and I do not allow unfamiliar spirits to visit Rayne House. Nor would we allow someone that we didn’t like from the world of the living to break into the house. The lordly thief is in your father’s office. He is already into the safe. I would move your little derriere that looks so much like my own. But if I were you, I would move very slowly. You can’t keep fighting what you feel for Redding forever, my dear.”
“So, so…Lord Redding is in the house seeking out the Ruby? Oh, whatever are you going to do, Sophie?” Alexandra asked. “Do you need my help? I could go and get Amelia, she would know what to do!”
“I think I can handle Lord Redding on my own, Alexandra, but thank you for trying to help.”
“She was going to get the troublemaker Amelia. That wouldn’t help you at all. You need to let Redding do what he did before…”
Sophie had had just about enough of Seraphina’s shenanigans. “Seraphina, what are you going on about? I must stop him!”
“Why fight it, Sophie? You need to embrace your destiny. However, if you really do want to muck up your life, you just might be able to catch him. If you move fast,” Seraphina said dramatically, widening her eyes and grinning madly at her.
Sophie’s heart sank. Her mind raced. She flew from her bedchamber at a breakneck pace, her hair flying out behind her. She should have plaited it or put on the night cap that she always resisted wearing, even though her mother told her she should wear it every night to spare her hair from the dreaded bedhead. She had even forgotten her slippers and her bare feet slapping against the cold floor made her shiver.
Seraphina must have used her supernatural powers to light her way. If he got his wretched hands on that amulet her family would be doomed, simply doomed. She skidded to a halt in the doorway of her father’s richly adorned study, horror freezing her in her tracks.
He had even been brazen enough to turn the lamps on in the room casting him in a shocking light. “Redding, don’t you dare!” she said, ice flooding through her blood. This could not be happening, her throat constricted, and her heart raced erratically in her chest. “Step away from the safe this instant,” she ordered, loud enough so that he would hear her, but hopefully quiet enough so as not to wake the whole house.
Heaven only knew why she wanted him to remain quiet with the way he had lit it up like the streets of London were just this past Tuesday June 22nd celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
“You must see reason, Lord Redding. Please, don’t do something that we shall both later regret. You need to
think sensibly!”
A strong, blood warming sensation washed over her. She reached out and rested her hand on the top of the leather sofa in an effort to catch her balance, as she suddenly felt weak-kneed. His presence was affecting her in a way she had never felt before. Not by his physical presence, but by the way his soul felt.
The strong sensation was nearly turbulent enough to bring her to her knees, had she not had a firm grip on the sofa. Struggling to remain upright, she fixed her eyes on him wishing with all of her might that this hadn’t happened. Why did her life have to be so bloody complicated?
The thief turned slowly around. It was Redding, just as she had already guessed. Dressed richly in men’s black and white evening wear he struck a striking silhouette, and her breath caught in her throat, as she drank in his handsomeness.
Her stomach did a nosedive. He had the magical heart-shaped Dragonwyck Ruby clutched tightly in his hands. And to her unending despair, it glowed brightly, enveloping him in its reddish-pink glow.
“No!” Gasping, she placed her hand over her heart and staggered backward. “Drop it. Now! Before any further damage is done! You wretched, frightful man! You have no right to hold that. You have no right to be in this house! How dare you continue to follow me in this manner, I won’t bear it any longer, sir!”
Turbulent emotions washed over here in almost suffocating waves. She needed to somehow salvage the situation before he drowned her in the bond that could be forged if he held that amulet for too long!
Oh, hell what was she thinking?
Her heart had belonged to Redding since they had first met. This only confirmed what she had always attempted to fight.
He smiled. His catlike green eyes gleamed at her in the darkness. The lamp light started to flicker uncontrollably in the room. She sighed. Her stress had manifested itself and now her powers were going right off the rails.
It wouldn’t be long before everyone in the mansion was awake and clamoring noisily into the room to see what had happened. If she were even unluckier, her mother would come barreling in brandishing her magical staff that was usually disguised as a walking cane, ready to raise hell on Earth.
The Haunting of Lady Sophie Page 9