The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight

by Christina Courtenay

  ‘Hmm? Oh, yes.’ Tess was having trouble tearing her gaze away from Rhys’s mesmerising moss-green eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together. ‘Yes, we definitely need to find out more. Let’s leave these here for now, but turn them towards the wall. They’re obviously in need of some serious restoration which is probably why they’re not hanging downstairs, but we don’t want the light to ruin them even more.’

  Both canvases were in a bad way and Tess guessed there hadn’t been any money for restoration. Nor would anyone have wanted to buy them in this state. Thank God for that! If they had, she’d never have seen them and she was very glad she had. At least it proved the man had existed somewhere other than in her imagination, even if she still didn’t understand how she could possibly have talked to him or why she saw him in her visions.

  The very idea was crazy.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Merrick Court, 21st June 2016

  ‘Hello? Anyone in?’

  The knock on the stable door made Tess’s hand shake and a blob of paint dropped off the tip of her brush and onto the floor as Josh came into her workshop. ‘Jeez! You scared me. I didn’t think anyone would be around today, in this weather.’ It was pouring with rain and she hadn’t heard anything other than the pounding of water on the roof. She frowned over at Vince, who jumped up to greet their visitor. ‘Some guard dog you are.’

  ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to make you jump. Hey there, Vince. You okay, mate?’ He made a fuss of the dog, then closed the door and leaned back against it, crossing his arms over his chest. For once he was wearing a proper shirt in a green check, although the sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, displaying his powerful forearms. His black hair was damp and even messier than usual, but that just made it look sexy as hell. ‘Are you okay? Haven’t seen you for a few days.’ Josh’s laconic Kiwi accent had a slight edge to it.

  ‘Why wouldn’t I be? Louis and I have been busy. We found these old paintings in the attic and we think they might be of the first earl and countess of Merrick, but we can’t find out their names. You’d think there would be a family tree or something, wouldn’t you? But there’s nothing which goes that far back. So we’ve been doing some research ourselves, but we probably need to go to a record office or something.’ She didn’t want to tell Josh she was sure the earl was called Rhys as she couldn’t explain how she knew that.

  ‘I see.’ Josh didn’t look very interested in the earl or his countess. He pushed away from the door and came to sit on a stool next to Tess. He stared into her eyes, his eyebrows raised, and she could see that he wasn’t going to leave without answers this time. ‘Enough with the family tree stuff. Talk to me, Tess, please. I need to know what happened the other day. You didn’t just faint, did you?’

  She sighed. ‘No, but I can’t explain it. Not really.’

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘But you’re going to think I’m nuts. Seriously!’ He just raised his eyebrows a fraction higher. ‘Okay, fine. So I’ve been having these strange dreams, or maybe hallucinations or visions is a better description, I don’t know. I … experience things, which I think might be someone else’s memories. Someone who lived in this area a long time ago.’ She glanced at Josh, but he wasn’t showing any signs of surprise or looking at her like she was crazy. ‘It’s like I’m reliving things that happened here. Nothing’s clear. I see images, hear snatches of conversation, feel someone else’s emotions. Honestly, I can’t explain it.’

  ‘And when I found you by the fountain?’ Josh prompted.

  ‘I’d just seen a lot of events that happened to the woman I’m channelling.’ Tess almost laughed as that sounded ludicrous, but that was what she was doing, wasn’t it?

  ‘You’re seeing things through a woman’s eyes, not being shown them by a man?’ Josh was staring at her intently, as if her reply was important.

  Tess shrugged. ‘No, why would I be a man?’

  ‘No reason.’ Josh was silent for a while, then he just said, ‘There are lots of things we don’t understand. That doesn’t mean they can’t happen. I believe you’re telling the truth.’

  ‘You do? Thank you!’ His words brought a sense of relief. Tess hadn’t realised how much it would mean to her for him not to think she was making all this up. ‘You seem to be remarkably chilled about this. I have to say, it’s been freaking me out.’

  He shrugged. ‘My gran was a bit psychic and I’ve experienced a thing or two myself in the past.’

  ‘Well, I’m glad it’s not just me then.’ She tried to smile but it was probably a wobbly effort because Josh leaned forward and pulled her in for a hug. Without thinking she put her arms round his middle and leaned into him. Her body fit perfectly and she didn’t want to let go.

  ‘I’m scared,’ she murmured into his shirt and his arms tightened around her.

  ‘Maybe there’s a way to stop it happening?’ he suggested.

  ‘Well, it sounds silly, but it seems to have something to do with water and certain items, old ones from that time. They make me feel drawn towards them, like they’re sucking me into the past, and that’s when the visions come.’

  ‘What sort of items?’

  ‘An old earring, mainly. I’ll show you later. I think it’s probably yours anyway as it has to do with your ancestors. Even if it’s part of the house’s contents, it wouldn’t feel right for me to keep it.’

  ‘I’d love to see it, but maybe you should try to avoid old things then?’

  ‘I’ll do my best.’ And she would. No more baths or washing up in the sink. Showers and the dishwashing machine might be safer. The earring could be locked in a drawer.

  They sat close together for a while but eventually Tess let go. ‘Thanks for your support. Makes me feel a bit better.’

  ‘Any time.’ He stood up. ‘I’d better go. Do you fancy a drink or another meal some time?’

  Tess appreciated his effort to change the subject. ‘Uhm, sure.’

  ‘How about tonight?’

  ‘Yes, why not. I think Louis said he was meeting up with some friends.’

  It would be nice to spend an evening not thinking about anything to do with Merrick Court or its inhabitants, dead or otherwise.

  ‘So let me get this straight – you sold your sheep farm in New Zealand …’

  ‘Sheep station. We don’t call them farms.’

  ‘… whatever, because it wasn’t very profitable, but now you’re considering trying over here instead? Isn’t it even harder in Wales? I thought New Zealand was the place for sheep.’

  Tess was trying to talk about normal things, nothing to do with the past or the house she lived in. Tonight she wanted to be a normal woman, out on a date with a man who made her feel very alive.

  Josh smiled and took a sip of his beer. ‘Maybe. It’s hard anywhere, but if you love it, what does it matter? As I told you, it’s a very satisfying job, despite the crazy hours.’ He hesitated, then added, ‘And I didn’t quite tell you the truth. The reason I sold my property was mainly because I hated my father and he so wanted me to keep it on. Revenge, pure and simple.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ Tess was intrigued and remembered he’d said something about knowing a thing or two about family feuds. ‘May I ask why? Although don’t answer if I’m being too nosy.’

  ‘It’s not a secret. My father, Robert, was a bastard, that’s all there is to it. He drank, he was a bully and he was violent.’

  ‘That sounds awful.’ Tess reached out and covered his hand with hers. He turned his palm up and twined their fingers together. She loved the sensation of that.

  ‘Yeah, it wasn’t exactly a great environment for a little kid to grow up in. Robert – I can’t even make myself call him Dad – drove my mum almost insane with his abuse. As soon as I was old enough, I managed to get her away from him and we went to live in the city, she and I, but she never quite recovered. At least, not mentally. And then she died …’

  ‘Oh, no! From … from what he did to her?’
<
br />   Josh made a face. ‘No, I can’t blame that on him. It was cancer. Just bad luck.’

  ‘How dreadful!’

  ‘For sure.’ He gave her a lopsided smile. ‘But it’s in the past and now I’m determined to only look forward. You know, when I sold that station it was as though I’d been let out of prison after years of darkness and misery. I was free. Free to travel the world. Free to forget about Robert, because he didn’t deserve anyone remembering him. And I swore I wouldn’t settle again until I found a place that really felt like home. Then I got that letter …’

  ‘And now you think this is it?’ Tess tried not to infuse her question with too much hope. She was beginning to realise how much it would mean to her if he stuck around.

  His fingers tightened on hers. ‘It just might be, yes.’ He hesitated, then asked, ‘What about you? Are you coming to terms with what happened? I’m sure you must still be grieving.’

  Tess nodded. ‘Yes, of course, but perhaps not in the way you think. What happened was desperately sad, but Giles’s death didn’t really affect my future. We were about to get a divorce when … when he had the accident. So I would have been leaving Merrick Court either way.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’ Josh looked thoughtful. ‘I didn’t know.’

  ‘I thought maybe Bryn would have told you. It wasn’t a secret that we’d been having problems. Giles could be very stubborn and he liked to have things his way. He was older than me, ten years almost exactly, and I guess he was used to deciding everything before he married me. He’d been a confirmed bachelor for years, apparently. Anyway, things weren’t working out between us so we’d agreed to call our lawyers, but the very next day…’ She shook her head. ‘No point thinking about it now. It’s in the past too and you’re right, it’s time to look forward.’

  And for the first time in ages, Tess actually felt positive about the future.

  They took a walk around Merrick Court’s gardens when they got back, since it was still fairly light. Josh was happy that Tess had agreed to extend the evening a bit longer as he didn’t want to leave her just yet. He was enjoying spending time with her, holding her hand, inhaling the scent of her beautiful hair which was hanging loose down her back. Everything about her appealed to him. She was special. Just like this place.

  ‘What’s your favourite part of this garden?’ he asked.

  ‘I think you can guess – the knot garden, of course.’ She smiled up at him. ‘And not just because we’ve worked so hard on it. The whole symmetry of the planting appeals to me, it’s so orderly.’

  ‘I know what you mean.’ Josh had loved that part of the garden right from the start too, but he had a feeling it might have more to do with the time spent there with Tess. ‘Let’s go and look at it in the moonlight. Not that you can see the moon much as it’s still so light.’

  They walked in silence along the gravel paths, past the walled gardens and over to the secluded corner tucked away behind everything else.

  ‘It’s so beautiful.’ Tess stopped and regarded the neatly trimmed little hedges spread out before them.

  Josh stood by her side and admired the view too. It was a peaceful scene, the tiny leaves on the box glinting silver in the half-light. He scanned the edges, checking for shadows that didn’t belong, but couldn’t see any this evening. Hopefully the spirits wouldn’t bother them and if they tried, he’d do his utmost not to give them entrance to his mind.

  He figured the best way of shutting them out would be to concentrate on the here and now; on the lovely woman whose fingers felt so right twined with his. He looked down at Tess. ‘We’ve done a great job, even if I say so myself.’ He chuckled. ‘Mind you, cutting hedges isn’t rocket science.’

  ‘Hey, it’s not that easy.’ She punched him playfully on the arm and he captured her fist, then brought it up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. She stilled and tilted her head up to stare at him.

  ‘It is when you have a beautiful helper,’ he murmured, looking down into her eyes. They were huge pools of deep sapphire in the semi-darkness and Josh could have drowned in them. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming and he gave in to it, lowering his mouth to hers slowly so as to give her time to pull away if it wasn’t what she wanted. She stayed right where she was.

  He kept the kiss light and playful. He figured she might not be ready for anything full on just yet as she was so recently widowed. Although she had said she’d been on the brink of divorce – that must mean she’d been about to move on. He wasn’t sure though as there was a slight hesitation in the way she reciprocated, as if she wasn’t convinced she ought to be doing this. He ended the kiss and put his arms around her, drawing her into a soft embrace instead.

  ‘You are very beautiful,’ he whispered, ‘but then I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that.’

  She burrowed closer and he tightened his hold. He thought he heard her say, ‘Oh, but I do.’ But she didn’t elaborate, so he kissed her cheek and stood still, savouring the moment.

  After a while she was the one to withdraw, taking his hand to pull him in the direction they’d come. ‘I think I’d better get back. Vince will wonder where everyone’s gone.’

  They’d left the dog at home guarding the house and Josh agreed he should probably be rescued now. But it was a wrench to leave the knot garden. Josh had wanted to stand there forever with Tess in his arms.

  Raglan Castle, 25th June 1646

  ‘Can you meet me down in the stables after supper?’ Rhys managed to whisper the question to Arabella as they filed out of the chapel.

  She nodded without looking at him and he breathed a sigh of relief. He had to see her today or it might be too late.

  After the meal he made his way into the stables which were temporarily located in a large cellar underneath the marquis’s private apartments. The poor horses had to go down a set of stairs and it was probably a far cry from what they were used to. Cold and damp, even on a balmy June evening, with hard earth floors, the horses stood crowded into three rooms – about twenty or thirty of them in the largest area, another ten to fifteen in another and a final one with room for only two or three steeds. It wasn’t completely dark though as there were apertures set high up which let in the daylight and fresh air.

  The animals moved restlessly as he came down, probably hoping for something to eat as they weren’t being fed much with rations short at the moment. There was no one else there, however, which was exactly why Rhys had chosen it as a meeting place.

  He waited by the stairs and when Arabella arrived, he took her hand and pulled her into the smallest room, out of sight. It was empty right now, the occupants outside being groomed perhaps. ‘I’m sorry to bring you down here,’ Rhys whispered, ‘but I wanted to talk to you without being seen.’ He was very aware of the overpowering equine smells and tried not to step in any manure.

  ‘I don’t mind. What is it?’ Her eyes were anxious and the way she was looking at him made him wish he could just gather her close and never let go. Never have to leave her. But it wasn’t his choice.

  ‘Two pieces of bad news, I’m afraid. First of all, a messenger arrived from Oxford – Prince Rupert couldn’t hold the town any longer. The man said the prince and about two thousand men left the town in orderly fashion yesterday. I’m guessing a lot of them will simply go home, while the rest will head overseas to try and find work as mercenaries. I’m sure Prince Rupert will anyway. He’s a brilliant soldier.’

  ‘And the second thing?’ He heard Arabella’s voice quiver ever so slightly, but she didn’t comment on the disastrous news from Oxford. What was there to say, after all?

  ‘I have to leave for a few days. We are running out of supplies so I’ll need to go with some of Lord Charles’s men to gather more.’

  ‘Isn’t that dangerous?’ Her eyes grew even bigger and his heart squeezed tight.

  ‘No, we’ll be fine,’ he lied. Of course there was a chance they would be seen and apprehended, but they had to take that risk or everyone in the
castle would starve soon. And they had accomplices on the outside, men loyal to the marquis who’d been gathering supplies for them.

  ‘How long will you be gone?’

  He was still holding her hand and he noticed her fingers tightening on his as she spoke. ‘Two days, three at most. I’ll be careful, I promise.’ He gave her what he thought was a reassuring smile, but he had a feeling she wasn’t fooled.

  She threw her arms around his neck and burrowed close. ‘See that you are,’ she whispered. ‘Godspeed.’ She lifted her face and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the mouth.

  ‘Arabella, cariad …’ He shouldn’t kiss her, but Rhys was afraid that it might be his last chance to do it properly, so he gave in to the urge he’d been suppressing for so long. There was no resisting her and as she had taken the first step, he was sure she wouldn’t be frightened.

  He tried to be gentle at first, caressing her lips with his own so as not to scare her with the desire that was welling up inside him. She followed his lead and appeared to accept his kisses without fear, so he deepened them, until finally his tongue sought entry. She gave a little gasp and he almost stopped, but then she tugged him closer and he understood that she wanted this as much as he did. After that, he didn’t hold back. Their tongues stroked and sparred, caressing, tasting, while their hands learned the contours of each other’s bodies until they were both trembling uncontrollably.

  It was time to stop. Rhys could have taken her there and then, but what honourable man would do that to a woman when he might not be coming back from his mission? He couldn’t. Biting his teeth together hard, he drew in several harsh breaths and just held her close. Their heartbeats slowed as one and then he looked down on her.

  ‘I will do everything in my power to come back, I swear,’ he whispered.

  ‘You had better. I’m counting on it.’ Her voice was soft, shy, but determined. ‘Now I must go. I’ll look for you in three days’ time.’ She gave him one last kiss and a tremulous smile, then she was gone.