The Sweetest Secret

by Marie Higgins

  She gaped for a few awkward moments. “Mildred? You wish to see her?”

  “Yes, of course. Is something wrong with that?”

  “Of course not, Mr. Woodland. In fact, I’m very happy that you would want to see my sister. However, she’s not here right now, and that upsets me greatly.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “You’re upset that she’s not here? Why, may I ask?”

  She chuckled. “Because after all these years a man comes calling on her, and she’s not here to receive him.”

  Oh, for goodness sake! She thought Nic—or the clergyman—wanted to court the spinster? Well, he supposed miracles did happen, but it was still quite humorous. Unfortunately, now was not the time to laugh. “By chance, do you know where she’s at?”

  “I do not. My sister enjoys walking along the beach and finding seashells. Other than that, I cannot possibly imagine where else she’d be.”

  “I thank you, Mrs. Smythe. I shall go down by the beach to look for her.” He turned to leave, but the older woman grabbed his arm, stopping him. He peered into her mischief eyes.

  “Mr. Woodland, if I might suggest something.” She grinned. “I think you should find some daisies to take with you. She loves daisies.”

  He gritted his teeth and counted to ten under his breath. It wasn’t wise for Dominic Lawrence’s true nature to come out right now, but Nic’s impatience was having a hard time staying hidden. “Indeed, that’s a good suggestion. Thank you.”

  When Mrs. Smythe released his arm, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurried away from the house. He turned in the direction that would lead him toward the beach, but something halted his progress. It was almost like an invisible force moved in front of him, keeping from going any further. How strange…

  Closing his eyes, he rubbed his forehead and took deep breaths. The afternoon sun shown warm upon him, and he realized summer would be here soon. The birds squawked as they flew by. In the distance, the splashing of waves hitting the rocks was heard. Closer to town, children played and laughed. But there was another sound…something that he didn’t normally hear, and it was coming from behind Mrs. Smythe’s house.

  He turned his head and peeked in that direction. There was nothing behind the house except for the yard. And the only building behind that was up on a hill. It was the old abandoned house where he’d met Tabitha that one afternoon. That was the first time he’d heard her jovial laugh. The musical sound was still in his memory, and he could hear it now.

  But that wasn’t the sound he heard a moment ago. It was more like a loud…cry. Almost as if someone were pleading for help. How odd.

  Shrugging off the feeling, he turned back toward the ocean and took another step, but once again, the same sensation washed over him, holding him from going any farther. What in the blazes was wrong?

  Once more, something tugged on his conscience and made him look toward the abandoned house up on the hill. An eerie sense of remembrance came over him, and for some reason, he pictured him and Tabitha exploring the inside of that house. It was empty, which he had found strange at the time, but there were unexplained footsteps in the corner of the room that had disturbed him more.

  Usually, he allowed his feelings to guide him in the direction he needed to go, and right now, his feelings told him to look inside the house again. The more he studied the place, the stronger the urge became. He couldn’t ignore it, yet he wanted to because searching for Miss Talbot was top priority—and finding Tabitha.

  Oh, bugger! He grumbled and sprinted toward the house on the hill, praying that he’d find something important. He didn’t want to waste any time on something useless. And right now, he feared going to the abandoned house would indeed take him on a goose-chase.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “Miss Paget? Are you all right?”

  Miss Johnson’s panicked voice rang through the stillness. Before answering, Tabitha wanted to wait until the room stopped spinning, but it wasn’t happening any time soon. The tips of her fingers dug into something hard and the pain was almost unbearable, but she refused to let go. At least she hadn’t fallen. That was a good thing.

  She breathed deeply, praying her mind would become clear again. Slowly, she opened her eyes and gathered her wits. She was still on the steps, thank goodness. Her limbs shook, but she couldn’t tell if she was losing her strength or if it was her nerves causing the problem. Either way, she must ignore it. She must keep moving.

  “Miss Paget,” Miss Johnson’s voice strained with panic. “Please answer me!”

  “I’m all right. I’m just a little dizzy.”

  “Whatever it is that Miss Talbot adds to her tea, it has a lingering affect. It’s just awful, I tell you.”

  “Be that as it may, I cannot allow it to stop me.”

  Tabitha pushed herself until she teetered on the top step. She didn’t want to give into her sigh of victory—not yet. Things were definitely not over. This was just one small obstacle she had to hurtle over, she was certain.

  Moving her hands up the wall, she felt for the door opening. The large piece of wood jiggled slightly, but it was obvious that there was a hooked lock on the other side. Straining her eyes, she followed the seam between the trap door and the wall until she saw the exact point where the hook was located. If she had something thin enough to slide between in the seam in order to unhook the latch, perhaps she could open this door after all. But what could she use?

  Immediately, her fuzzy mind knew. For the luncheon that her aunt had, Tabitha had tried to make herself lovely by fixing her hair differently. She’d used several pins to hold the coil together.

  Excitement rushed through her as she fished through her hair to locate the pins. One by one, she pulled them out until her hair tumbled down her shoulders. She clutched the hair-pins tightly and looked back at the seam again. Now, she had to stand. Oh, heavens. This would be difficult, only because she was still very dizzy.

  Using all of her strength, she leaned against the wall as her legs pushed her up. While one hand clutched the hair-pins, the other assisted in balancing her against the wall as she made an upward climb. When she was finally standing, her legs shook terribly. Staying against the wall, she slid one of the pins through the seam. Her hand trembled, making it hard to focus. When the pin reached the hook located on the other side of the wall, she pushed with all her might to get the object to move.

  Tension from the other side resisted her efforts, which made it difficult to wiggle the hair-pin. She gripped harder, hoping it would steady her hand better. But the pin slipped from her fingers and fell to the other room. Groaning softly, she took another hair-pin and tried again. Just as she connected with the hook, the pin slid from her fingers and fell just like the one before it had.

  Frustration filled her, but she couldn’t give up. She still had two more hair-pins left. She must keep trying!

  Taking a deep breath and repeating in her mind I can do this, she took hold of another pin and pushed it through the seam. Trying to keep her hand steady, she wiggled the pin against the hook. Something moved on the other side, but yet the door remained locked.

  Hope sprang inside her. Maybe, just maybe she was getting closer to removing the obstacle. She tried it again, but the pin bumped against something hard and flipped out of her fingers. As she tried to grab it, the last pin fell from her hand as well.

  Her hopes fell to the ground along with the hair-pins, and her heart shattered.

  “No!” Tears burned beneath her eyelids. She knocked her forehead against the door as she pounded her fists against the wood. How could she have lost all of the pins? If she had only tried harder… Things would have worked. Why couldn’t her hands be steadier?

  “What’s wrong, Miss Paget?”

  Defeat overwhelmed Tabitha and she sank to her knees. “I cannot open the door,” she told the other woman in a choked-up voice.

  Miss Johnson’s heartfelt sobs rang through the room. The tears Tabitha had been holding back slid from her eyes
and streamed down her cheeks.

  Their future looked grim.

  * * * *

  The closer Nic walked to the abandoned house, the more anxious he became. Something told him this was where he’d find answers.

  What could he say to Miss Talbot when he finally found her? He could demand she tell him where she was keeping Tabitha, but then if Miss Talbot were truly innocent, she would be put off by his rude behavior. But making small talk with her was out of the question. Tabitha needed to be found, and quickly. Yet, if Miss Talbot was responsible, then he needed to somehow get on that topic.

  As he neared the front door, he scanned the perimeter and slowed his steps. If this place was supposed to be abandoned, then why did he feel as if eyes were watching him? The chills running up and down his spine testified to the fact that something was sinister about this place. Surprisingly, he hadn’t felt that way when he met Tabitha here for lunch. So perhaps it was only lately that this house had turned very disturbing.

  Just as he placed his foot on the front porch step, the rustling of bushes sounded from the corner of the house. He froze, keeping his gaze fastened to that spot. Miss Talbot bustled from around the corner, brushing off her gardening gloves. Her focus was on her gloves and she didn’t see him. Quickly, he stepped away from the porch and stood still, waiting for her to notice his presence. When she finally looked up and saw him, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her mouth dropped open.

  “Mr. Woodland? What….are you doing here?”

  He could ask her the same question, which he would after he figured out a reason for being here. “Well, you see, I was at home studying the Bible, and I had a strong impression that I needed to come to this house.” Not bad, if he had to say so himself, especially since a little of it was true. “What are you doing here?” He glanced from her dirt-smudged gown, down to her mud-crusted shoes, then up to her gardening gloves.

  “Oh, well…I have been tidying up the yard lately.” She shrugged. “It gives me something to do, and I’m helping Mr. Lancaster take care of his property while he’s away.”

  “I haven’t seen Mr. Lancaster around for several months. Do you know where he went?”

  “I believe he’s living with his brother now. Mr. Lancaster was getting on in years and could not afford to take care of the house, nor did he have the strength to care for himself.”

  “Yes, I suppose, but…” Nic scratched his chin and narrowed his gaze toward the house. “I’m still wondering why I received such a strong impression to come here. It was if the Lord was trying to tell me something.”

  “Oh, dear.”

  Miss Talbot had said it so softly, he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “What did you say?”

  “Uh, well…I just don’t know why you were prompted to come here.” She shook her head. “It’s just me, and I’m fine. Unless—“ She batted her eyes as if she were a young flirtatious girl once again, and moved closer. “Perhaps you came to help me.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “Help you do what? Tidy up the yard?”

  She chuckled and flipped her hand in the air. “Heavens, no. I’m doing well enough by myself. However, I would love some company. If you’d come inside,” she motioned her head toward the house, “I will fix you some tea.”

  He was about ready to ask her where they’d sit since the last time he was here, there was not a stitch of furniture in the house, but then he quickly decided against saying that. He didn’t need her asking questions to why he was in the house. “Well, I suppose. But I cannot stay long. I’m preparing Sunday’s sermon.”

  “Oh, how nice. Perhaps you can tell me all about it over tea.”

  She walked past him and up the porch steps. When she turned the knob and opened the front door, he wondered how she was able to accomplish that since the door had been locked a few weeks ago. Unless, she had taken over the inside of the house as well as the outside.

  Hesitantly, he followed her in…and halted in shock. Two couches and one small table stood in the room. Curtains even hung on the windows. Where had all of this come from?

  “Mr. Woodland, please come in the kitchen with me. It’s cozier in here. I haven’t been able to keep the sitting room clean.”

  Cautiously, he stepped into the kitchen, and once again, surprise washed over him. There was a table and two chairs, and even some pots and a kettle on the stove. A scent of roast beef hinted the air. Food? She was cooking food? Here instead of her own house? Definitely, something was afoot here.

  She went to the cupboard and withdrew two teacups before moving to the stove. Suspicious, Nic narrowed his gaze. What was going on? None of this was in the house when he and Tabitha had walked through a few weeks ago.

  “So, Miss Talbot,” he began, hoping he’d know the right words to say to get her talking about Tabitha. “I noticed you with Miss Paget yesterday afternoon down by the beach.”

  Her body stiffened as she stood in front of the stove. “You did?”

  “Yes. She’s a lovely woman, don’t you agree? So kind and caring. Did you know she and her maid have been assisting Mr. Jacobs and his daughter?”

  “Uh, no…I wasn’t aware of that. She hadn’t told me.” Miss Talbot glanced at him over her shoulder. “Do you think Miss Paget is seeking Mr. Jacobs out for marriage purposes?”

  He could see by her hopeful expression that this was what she’d wanted. Instead of going along with the idea, he decided to shake things around. Frederick might hate him, but it’s something Nic felt he had to do in order to get answers.

  “Actually, I think she was just helping him out of the kindness of her heart. Not only that, but the other day, I noticed the way Mr. Jacobs was eyeing Miss Paget’s maid, so I think there might be a marriage soon between the blacksmith and the maid.” He wagged his eyebrows. “That being said, I must confess that since Mrs. Burls’ birthday party, and since the song Miss Paget and I sang together, I have been thinking of her more and more. And then when I rescued her from drowning, I felt differently about her. Something special warmed my heart.” He sighed heavily for dramatic purposes, and smiled. “I’m thinking of seeking her out for marriage, myself.”

  Slowly, Miss Talbot turned toward him. Her expression changed from light-hearted to sour in the course of a few seconds. Lines of anger creased her forehead, around her eyes, and mouth. Even the color of her eyes had changed, growing a darker brown.

  Good heavens, if he wasn’t mistaken, he had finally found the words that brought out the devil in her. Literally!

  “You don’t say,” she spat.

  The tone of her voice grated on his nerves. He watched her closely, wondering if her fingernails would turn into claws and horns would sprout from her head, but so far they hadn’t. But her whole countenance had shifted. No longer did she appear the kind older woman he’d been visiting with these past few months. Instead, she looked like a beast; evil and menacing.

  “Is something wrong, Miss Talbot?” Of course, he acted as if he didn’t notice her sudden change.

  “Wrong? Of course not, Mr. Woodland. What could possibly be wrong? After all these years, you are finally thinking of marriage once again. How lovely for you.”

  The tone of her voice didn’t match the sweetness of her words. But he still acted as if he didn’t notice. “Indeed, it is. And Miss Paget is a very stunning woman. I have talked to her a few times, and she has been very perceptive to the subtle hints I’ve been dropping her about wanting to court her.”

  “I’m sure she is aware of your interest, and returns your feelings. What woman in their right mind wouldn’t find you attractive and charming?”

  He forced a laugh, shaking his head. “Miss Talbot, you are too kind. But I’ve heard that about you. Miss McFadden mentioned to me how very generous and helpful you’ve been toward her. I’m so grateful there are women in the world like you, Miss Talbot.”

  “Uh…yes, Miss McFadden is a most unfortunate girl. My heart goes out to her. But I must say, I’m very glad she never got the
chance to wed that horrible Mr. Griffin’s son, David.” She turned back to the stove to prepare the tea.

  “Really? And why not? David seemed like a fine man, and would have made Miss McFadden a good husband.”

  “Then you didn’t see the man I knew him to be.” She lifted her chin, stubbornly, bringing their cups of tea over to the table. She placed his in front of him before taking hers to the other side of the table and sitting. She continued, “David Griffin was a chameleon. He lied to our dear Sarah, leading her to believe he loved her when in fact, his eye was turned by another stunning female.” She gave a sharp nod. “Indeed, that man deserved his fate.”

  “I’m sorry to hear you say that. In fact, I’m rather shocked to hear those words come from your mouth. It’s not very Christian of you to think in such a way.”

  “Then forgive me for this sin, but I cannot forgive men like David. They care about no one but themselves.”

  “Is it because the same thing happened to you?”

  Her jaw tightened as she fisted her hands on the table. Yet her gaze wasn’t laced with malice. Instead, he saw sadness coating her eyes.

  “Yes, the same thing happened to me. Kent’s actions ripped out my heart. The experience left me a broken woman, and I have truly never recovered.”

  “I’m sure the experience was troubling, Miss Talbot.” He took a sip of the tea, but it was still too hot to drink. “Tell me, what did you do when you discovered the man you loved being unfaithful?”

  Her eyes watered, and he almost kicked himself for being so mean and pushing the issue. Yet instinct told him this was the only way he was going to get answers.

  “I made things right,” she said, staring at her teacup. “I will always make things right.” The tone of her voice had started out in a whisper but was growing louder the more she talked. “Men like David and Kent do not deserve happiness. I won’t allow it.”

  She pushed away from the table and moved to the cupboards behind him. Once she was in back of him, he didn’t turn to see what she was doing. Obviously, he made her uncomfortable, but he’d keep on pushing for answers.