by Dena Garson
Katie had to hold her anger in check. It was an effort to keep her voice level. “And did you get what you wanted?”
“No,” Etain said flatly. “He vanished after I cast the spell. I don’t know where he went.”
“Really?”
“They tried to say that I killed him!”
“Did you not?” Katie asked, knowing she was probably pushing her luck with Etain’s stability.
“No! I… I just… The potion wasn’t something that would poison him. I even asked the cook.”
“So where did he go?”
“I. Don’t. Know!” Etain’s hands were fisted at her sides.
“Okay. Okay,” Katie said gently, trying to placate Etain. “I hear you. Why don’t you tell me about the spell you used?”
Etain collected herself after her outburst. “What I did was rather clever, actually.”
The urge to choke Etain, even though she didn’t have a throat or breath, rode Katie hard.
“In the spell book, right after the love potions, there was a spell for summoning someone to do what you wanted. I combined the two. That way, if he didn’t love me when he took the love potion, I would still be able to summon him to me and make him love me.”
“How do you make someone love you?”
“He just needed to see that I was the perfect woman for him.” Etain became agitated once more. She paced along the walkway, seemingly talking to herself more than to Katie. “If he would have just made love to me, he would have known. It would have been clear that I could have made him happy. But no! He refused me, time and time again.”
Etain stopped and looked at Katie. “He said it was because of my husband. That he couldn’t betray his lord.” She resumed her pacing. “But that didn’t stop the others. I don’t know why it mattered to him.” She swung around. “I think he loved another woman and just didn’t want to admit it.”
Katie made sure she kept her face neutral and bit her tongue so she wouldn’t say anything.
“But I got the last laugh,” Etain said with a lift of her chin. “I made it so that he couldn’t love anyone else but me. I made the spell so that I would be able to summon him until he gave in and made love to me. Once he figured out I was his one true love he’d declare it and the spell would be lifted.”
Etain shrugged. “The spell book said the summoning spell was for people who had died, but I thought it would work just as well on someone who was alive.”
“It didn’t occur to you that mixing the spells might do something else entirely? Like turn that person into a spirit?”
“Of course not. I don’t believe in spirits.”
The irony of the situation was almost too much for Katie. “Even now?” She had to ask.
“No,” she said, as if Katie were a simpleton.
Katie’s jaw hinged open in shock. The woman’s shallowness was astounding.
“I still don’t understand what happened the day they murdered me.” She looked over the edge of the wall to the grounds below. “They set the gallows there, just below us.” She looked up to the sky. “It was a dreary day. No rain. Just fog and mist.”
She squared her shoulders and continued. “They came for me not long after the noon bells. I wanted Mary to go with me but they wouldn’t let her. They wouldn’t let her do my hair that morning either. Not even a simple braid.
“When I got to the platform, I begged them to let me go. I tried to tell them I hadn’t killed anyone. That I wouldn’t ever do that. But no one listened.” She looked off in the distance. “There weren’t many people there. And no one who cared about me. I was alone even then.”
She touched her throat. “I remember how heavy the rope felt around my neck.” She laughed. “Strange but that rope was lighter than most of my jewels.”
Katie shivered in revulsion. “So how did you get here?”
“I don’t know,” she said with a quizzical look. “I remember praying that God would come and take me away. Up to the clouds, away from everyone. I keep wondering if the angels dropped me on the way to heaven. So, I stay up here, waiting for them to come and get me.”
The fact that she thought she should be in heaven was all that Katie could stand.
“Well, I suppose I should get back downstairs.” Katie forced a smile onto her face. “Thank you for talking with me.”
Etain didn’t acknowledge Katie had even spoken. Katie turned and headed to the stairs, thankful for the easy retreat.
Chapter Fifteen
As Katie descended the stone steps she replayed everything Etain had said.
It was kind of sad how crazy Etain had become. Most of her issues were probably due to loneliness.
Before she reached the first landing, Katie heard a shriek from the battlements. She paused and listened. Suddenly a burst of air blew past, pushing her forward and against the stone wall the banister was attached to. In the wake of the wind, Katie thought she heard a feminine voice that sounded a lot like Etain’s. If Katie hadn’t been gripping the banister, she probably would have tumbled down the stairs.
Luckily she simply turned her ankle a bit and broke the nail on her pinkie.
Katie righted herself and caught her breath. She tested her ankle then made her way down the remainder of the steps as quickly as she dared.
When she reached the bottom she returned to the main castle corridor through the doorway she had used to get out. She hadn’t made it far when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
“Have you taken to exploring the castle on your own now?” Seamus asked.
“Good Lord, Seamus!” Katie brought her hand up to her throat. “You need a bell,” she grumbled as she started down the hallway.
“What kind of trouble have you been getting into so early in the morning?”
She frowned. “I don’t get into trouble.”
“Then why are your trousers soiled at the knee?”
Katie stopped and looked down at her jeans. Sure enough there was a gray smudge next to her knee. Probably the same color as the stone on the stairway she’d climbed outside.
“I fell,” she said then resumed her pace.
“What were you doing when you fell?” he pressed.
Katie tried again to minimize the incident. “The wind picked up while I was coming down the stairs and I lost my footing. No big deal.”
Seamus floated around in front of her and held up his hand to stop her. “The only stairs outside of the door you just came through lead up to the battlements.” He crossed his arms over his chest and shot her a stern look. “You went up to see Etain, didn’t you?”
Part of her brain recognized the danger in provoking Seamus while he was irritated but the other part didn’t like being told what she could or couldn’t do. “Yes, I did. I wanted to ask her a few questions.”
Seamus’ chest puffed. “I told you to stay away from her. She’s too unstable and won’t tell you anything helpful.”
“That’s not entirely true.” She mirrored his stance and crossed her arms across her chest. “I was able to find out more about the spells she used.”
He paused, seemingly surprised by her comment. “It doesn’t matter. You could have been hurt! I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger trying to get answers to a riddle that may never be solved,” he bellowed.
His concern softened her irritation. “Yeah, well, I didn’t think it was that big of a risk.”
“It was.” He pointed at her. “And I don’t want you going near her again. There’s no way of knowing what she might do to you.”
“It was fine. Now calm down before you use up all your ghost-y energy. You still have to give me a tour.”
He folded his arms across his chest again, but this time it was more of a sulk than a threat. “I’m not sure you deserve a tour today after going against my directive.”
Katie wished she could kiss him on the nose. He was adorable when he was trying to be all alpha with her. “Remind me to tell you later about how much your directives turn
me on.”
A different kind of interest flickered to life in his eyes. “In my day, it was acceptable for men to take their women across their knee when they displeased them.”
“Ooooh. And what if they liked it?” Katie teased. She’d never been spanked but knew some people got off on it. And her question served its purpose and completely distracted Seamus from being angry with her.
“Then they would have to find some other way to teach a lesson.”
“Hmmmm.” Heat flared between the two of them and Katie felt her panties dampen. “So, what did you want to show me today?” She had to suppress the grin that hovered about her lips as they turned and made their way down the hallway.
She loved having her own personal tour guide of the castle, someone with firsthand knowledge of its history. But she was also thoroughly enjoying the other lessons Seamus had been giving her.
“What I’d like to show you would only lead to other activities, as you well know. So I thought I’d take you over to the Chichester wing.”
“The Chichesters were the previous owners, right?”
“Correct. You saw the portrait of Lady Mary in the gallery.”
Katie thought back to what she had seen in the portrait gallery earlier in the week. “Was she the woman in the wheelchair?”
“That’s her. Sir Henry Chichester added a new wing to the castle back in the mid-1800s to accommodate Mary’s injury.”
Seamus led Katie through a twist in the hallway. The small of her back tingled where he tried to physically guide her in the right direction. For the tenth time that week, she wished she could feel his touch.
“Henry was quite devoted to Mary and tried to make it as easy as possible for her to get around the castle.”
“That’s very sweet.” Wouldn’t it be lovely to be so loved by a husband? It was nice to know that not everyone married for titles or connections back then.
Seamus shrugged. “As you say.”
Katie smiled.
They turned the corner that took them into the main lobby. It was still disconcerting to see Seamus pass through part of a wall or furniture. She wondered how long it would take him to get used to being solid again and having to navigate around things once they broke the curse.
She was positive they could find a way to reverse the spell. It just wasn’t right for him to be forced to linger as a spirit because of some spiteful woman.
They made their way through the lobby without speaking. After touring half the castle with Seamus, it had become a habit for both of them.
Katie followed Seamus through the corridor of the newer part of the castle then into a passage she had not explored. When they were alone again, Katie asked, “So what happened with the Chichesters?”
“They both lived here until their deaths. Mary passed first. Henry didn’t even last a year after she died. The family said they thought he couldn’t bear to be without her.”
“So it was a love match then? Not one of convenience?”
Seamus glanced in her direction, something unreadable in his eyes. “Apparently so,” he answered slowly.
Unsure why that question would bother Seamus, Katie changed the course of her questioning. “Did Henry and Mary really pass over or do they still,” she waved her hand in the air, “linger?”
“I have never encountered their spirits. But as you may have figured out, not all of the castle spirits choose to reveal themselves to me.” In a quieter voice he added, “Nor do I visit this part of the castle much.”
“Why not?”
He hesitated before answering. “I’ve heard stories through the years of unusual happenings in this part.”
Katie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Unusual? What could possibly be unusual to a man who’s had a curse placed on him and lives with ghosts, witches and God only knows what else?”
The look Seamus shot her was a combination of self-deprecation and irritation. Obviously he didn’t like the fact that the stories bothered him.
“There has been more than one person who worked or stayed in this wing of the castle, never to be seen or heard from again.”
The hair on the back of Katie’s neck stood on end. “What do you mean? Like they just vanished?”
He nodded curtly. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
“Oh come on. People don’t just disappear.”
Seamus stopped walking suddenly and turned to face Katie. His expression was one of passive irony. If he had been solid, Katie would have plowed into him. She quickly backed up so she could shake the tingles she always felt whenever they merged, so to speak. Oddly the sensations she felt when she “touched” him seemed to be getting stronger.
Their eyes met and held. Heat blossomed between them again. Katie’s nipples tightened beneath the layers of lace and cotton. It felt as if a thousand little pinpricks ran down the front of her body where he had passed through her. Not painful. It was electrifying in a very erotic way.
“You feel that too, don’t you?” Katie asked with a whisper.
He didn’t respond at first, just held her gaze.
She saw the muscle in his jaw tense before he replied. “Yes.”
The raw need in his eyes sent a wave of desire coursing through her body. For the first time in her life, Katie knew what it felt like to be truly desired. To be desired fiercely and intensely. She knew without a doubt that if he could, Seamus would push her up against the wall and take her right there.
She shivered and tried to suppress the swamping need that threatened to overwhelm her. It would do neither of them any good to focus on the things they couldn’t have. It would be better to focus on how to break the spell and take advantage of what few pleasures they could.
Seamus looked as if he had come to the same conclusion. When he stepped back, the level of intensity dimmed.
“We had probably best continue our tour,” he suggested with a gravelly voice.
Katie cleared her throat. “Yes. Of course.” With a forced smile, she added, “Lead on.”
As they walked, they kept a little more distance between them in order to avoid any accidental brushes. She doubted either of them could stand a repeat of the near miss.
At the end of the hallway, Seamus led Katie into a sitting room Mary had frequented during her time in the castle. He pointed out a few of the unique collections about the room as well as some of the family photographs. Katie was fascinated by the history accumulated within the castle walls. By the time they left the sitting room, the sexual tension had returned to a manageable level.
Seamus led her farther down the corridor. “Since you liked Mary’s sitting room so well, I thought I’d show you Sir Henry’s study while we’re here. Believe it or not, he had quite the collection of butterflies.”
“Butterflies? Really?” Katie had trouble believing a hard-ass landowner would have a hobby that required such a delicate touch.
“Not many people knew about it.”
“I should think not,” she mumbled.
She was trying to reconcile what she knew of the aristocracy of that time period and what she’d learned of Sir Henry when they passed an unusually wide doorway. For some reason Katie was drawn to it. She stopped walking and stared at the opening.
There were two wood panels that looked as if they slid into the left side of the doorway. The wood was carved with a Victorian flair like many of the things she’d seen in this part of the castle. A metal grate at the top of the door appeared to act as a window, but was too high up for most people to look through. She could see another metal screen behind the window.
“Is this an old elevator?” Katie asked Seamus when he stopped to see what she was doing.
“It’s a lift. Henry had it installed after Mary became confined to the wheelchair so she could access the upper floors without suffering the indignity of being carried.”
“It’s beautiful. Does it still work?”
“Yes, but only the family and a few of the braver staff use it now.”
>
“Why? Is it unreliable?”
“You could say that,” Seamus replied mysteriously.
“Could we use it? Would anyone mind?”
“There’s nothing to say we can’t.” He shrugged. “I’ve heard people say they get a bad feeling when they get near it. Some have come right out and said they think it’s haunted, so most people avoid it.”
“Pish posh.” Katie flicked her hand in the air to dismiss the idea. “Mother could see the future and I see ghosts, for Pete’s sake. If it were haunted, I think I’d have the creeps, don’t you?”
The doubt on Seamus’ face indicated he didn’t quite agree.
“Oh come on. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a few ghost stories. You’re a spirit, for crying out loud! What could possibly hurt you now?”
“It isn’t me I’m worried about.”
The soft, squishy feeling in Katie’s chest came back.
Seamus stepped closer but kept enough distance to keep the tingles away. “You, Little Katie, are still mortal. I would be most displeased if something happened to you while I was powerless to prevent it.”
“It will be fine. Truly. I do not sense anything ill about it.” She smiled up at him, reveling in the fact that he cared enough about her to worry. “I just want to ride up a couple of floors. I’ve never been in an old lift before.”
He looked at the doors to the elevator as if they were a dragon that needed to be slain. Katie’s palm itched to stroke the side of his face to soothe away his worries. Then again, she also longed to stroke his chest and, well, pretty much every part of him.
“Very well.” He grimaced. “A quick ride to the attic can’t hurt.”
“Oh good!” Katie slid the wooden doors into the pocket of the doorway. “I’d have hated to leave you here while I rode it by myself.” She tossed a teasing grin in his direction.
“You would have left me?” He sounded as if the idea were unthinkable.
“If I felt you were being unreasonable. Yes, I would have.” She pushed the metal gate aside and stepped into the lift.