Voices of Shadows Past: Secrets of Scarlett Hall Book 3

by Jennifer Monroe

  Annabel nodded, her blond curls so much like Isabel’s bobbing. A year younger than Juliet, her resemblance to Isabel was almost uncanny with her elegant face and pretty blue eyes. “Your mother purchased it for me. My parents were upset, especially Mother.”

  Juliet nodded as her cousin lay on the bed beside her.

  “Mother does spoil you,” Juliet said. “And for good reason. Your parents do not realize what a wonderful daughter they have.”

  Annabel turned a bright pink. “Thank you,” she whispered, although the pain in her eyes was evident. “I hope you do not mind the company. I may be here for a few weeks.”

  Juliet turned her head to stare at her cousin. “Your parents are leaving again?” she asked in shock. It was true Juliet’s mother always spoiled Annabel, but Juliet understood why. Annabel’s parents were often away traveling the world. They preferred to leave their only child either with a governess or with the family of her father’s brother. She was in attendance at Scarlett Hall so often that she was considered more a sister than a cousin most of the time.

  “Well, I do not mind,” Juliet said. “You will be able to assist me in the coming months. In exchange for your help, we shall adventure.”

  “An adventure?” Annabel asked. “What sort of adventure?”

  Juliet grinned as she reached under her pillow and produced a bottle of wine. “My innocent cousin,” she said, “we will not have just one adventure, but many.” She removed the cork and took a sip directly from the bottle before passing it to Annabel.

  The girl hesitated only a moment before taking a drink and passing the bottle back to Juliet. “I cannot wait! I think my life is due some excitement.”

  Juliet sigh. “So is mine,” she said, her mind drifting. “Although, I must admit, after Daniel carried me to my room…” She allowed the words to hang in the air, and her cousin gave an expected gasp.

  “Carried you to your room?” she asked as she sat up in the bed and stared wide-eyed at Juliet.

  “Oh, yes. Did I not tell you?” Juliet asked, and Annabel shook her head. “It was at his insistence. And I was shocked when Mother allowed it. Although I am thankful for what the man did, it was humiliating the way he stared at me.” She felt that all too familiar mischievous bone take over as Annabel’s face filled with shock.

  “How did he stare at you?”

  Juliet glanced around the room conspiratorially. “With lust,” she whispered. “Drool dripped from his mouth, and he was breathing heavily. Thankfully, Forbes was able to compel the boy to leave.”

  For some time, Juliet elaborated her tale of Daniel and his rescue of her, and when she spoke his name, it did not escape her notice that her cheeks burned hotter each time.

  ***

  The following morning, Juliet, with the help of Annabel and her mother, rose from the bed and stood on her uninjured foot. She accepted the crutches, which had been delivered the night before, and placed one under each arm. It took her several attempts, but soon she was moving around the room with relative ease.

  “Very good,” her mother said as Juliet showed off her new skill. “You seem to have little issue with them.”

  “It is simple, really,” Juliet said. “Now I can be free once again to explore the grounds and not be confined to my room.”

  Her mother gave her a reproachful look. “I am uncertain you should…”

  Juliet sighed. “I promise I will take the best of care, and Annabel will be with me. If I find traversing the grounds too difficult, or if I feel it will be overly dangerous, I promise I will ask Annabel to bring me out with the convalescence chair.”

  “Oh, very well,” her mother conceded. “By the way, I will be going into the village today. I shall not be back until dinner, so do spend your time wisely.” Her raised brow told Juliet exactly the meaning of her words, which was to keep out of trouble.

  “I will mind Annabel,” Juliet said with a grin. “Do not worry about her behavior.”

  Her mother’s smile had a strange sadness to it, and the woman placed a hand on Juliet’s shoulder. “You were once a tiny spark, but now you are a raging fire.” She shook her head. “I will see you this evening.”

  As soon as she was gone, Juliet turned to her cousin. “Whatever did she mean by that?” she demanded. “I would expect such words from Hannah but most certainly not from her.”

  Annabel shrugged as she picked up one of Juliet’s bottles of perfume. “I believe she means to say that you are wild.”

  Juliet snorted. “I may not be as tame as other women, but I am by no means wild.” She paused. “Am I?”

  “I do not think she meant it as an offense,” her cousin replied. “In fact, I am certain of it. What she means is that you are a wild fire lighting up the rooms in which you walk. Perhaps in that way you are untamable.

  Juliet considered this for a moment. “Yes, that makes sense. It is my spirit combined with my beauty that was once a spark that has now turned into a raging fire.” This made her smile all the broader. “I do feel bad for being so beautiful…and for the men who will fail in their attempts to tame me.”

  “But what of a proper gentleman?” Annabel asked as she returned the perfume bottle to the vanity table. “Will he not be able to tame you?”

  Juliet could not help but laugh. “Men are fools,” she replied. “Although I do not wish to do so at this moment, I will tell you every secret there is to know about them later.”

  “I would like that,” Annabel said with a smile. “I will need to know as much as I can before my first season next year.”

  “There is plenty of time to prepare for that.” Juliet repositioned the crutches and made her way to the door, her legs reminding her of the pendulum on the large wall clock downstairs. Although—and she would never admit this aloud to a single soul—she did not move as elegantly as the pendulum.

  She stopped at the door. “If you would please,” she said to Annabel, who jumped forward and opened the door with a quick apology. Juliet stepped through the door and took a deep breath. “It is nice to be free again. Now, let us go straight outside for some air.”

  They made their way down the long hallway, the paintings on their right depicting several generations of Lamberts, all looking at Juliet with clear admiration for her courage despite her current predicament. In all honesty, that was always how they viewed her, and she could not have felt prouder. Convalescent chair indeed!

  When she reached the top of the main staircase, however, her heart skipped a beat. The stairs looked far more imposing than they had since she was a young child. One slip and she would surely break more bones.

  “How do you propose going down?” Annabel asked. She glanced over the railing. “Do you suppose I should ask Forbes to help?”

  “I can do it,” Juliet said defiantly, although her heart was pounding in her chest. “Stand in front of me so that if I do fall, you will be able to help.”

  Annabel nodded and went to the step second from the top.

  Juliet placed one of the crutches, the one on the same side as her uninjured foot, on the next step down. “Do not let me fall, or mother will blame you for my death.” Annabel’s jaw dropped, and Juliet laughed. “I am only teasing.” She returned her concentration to moving the other crutch beside the first and swinging her body down.

  “You did it!” Annabel exclaimed with a clap of her hands. “One more!”

  Juliet nodded, a bead of sweat forming on her brow as she repeated the same motions with success. Glancing down at the bottom of the staircase, she saw Forbes waiting.

  “Miss Juliet,” the man said, a look of concern on his face, “may I be of assistance?”

  “No, thank you, Forbes,” Juliet replied regally. “The doctor advised me to do what I can to regain the strength I lost from so long in bed. I must do this lest I become lame.”

  The man gave a nod but did not leave. Although each step was difficult to maneuver, and Juliet grew weary with each movement, she managed to make it to the mai
n floor without incident.

  “Well done,” Annabel said with a tight hug. “I was unsure if you would be able to do it.”

  Juliet smiled and turned to the butler. “And what do you think, Forbes?”

  “In all my years I have never seen such bravery,” he replied. “Miss Juliet, your desire to do as you wish amazes me daily.”

  Annabel snickered, and Juliet frowned. What did he mean by that?

  Before she could respond, however, Forbes added, “Would you care to eat? I will bring it to wherever you wish.”

  Juliet’s stomach rumbled in reply, overriding her desire to go outside. “Please,” she said. “I suppose we can eat in the drawing room. It will be much more comfortable there.”

  With a nod, Forbes turned and walked away as the two women made their way to the drawing room. Once there, Juliet tottered to the couch, leaning her crutches on one of the side tables and plopping herself into the cushions with a sigh.

  “What shall we do today?” Annabel asked. “Mother has been after me to complete some pieces of embroidery; although, I must admit I find it a bore.”

  “Embroidery?” Juliet asked with a laugh. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “We are close, would you not say so?”

  “Oh, yes,” Annabel replied emphatically. “In truth, I must admit that I feel closer to you than your sisters. However, do not tell them so; I would not wish to hurt them.”

  “I would never do such a thing,” Juliet said, and she meant it. It was no surprise she was the favorite, but there was no sense in hurting others by stating the obvious. “As I was saying, embroidery is for old maids and spinsters. We are meant for adventure.”

  Annabel giggled. “And will we adventure today?”

  Juliet smiled. “Oh yes. And you will also learn a bit about men at the same time.”

  Chapter Four

  After a small meal of a selection of fruit and cheese, Juliet donned her favorite coat and made her way down the two steps at the front of the house. With Annabel at her side, she looked around the large property and breathed in the clean air. Numerous trees bereft of leaves lined the drive, and behind them sat rolling hills, the summer green now dormant.

  Annabel shivered. “It is cold,” she said, her breath creating tiny clouds. “Have you ever wondered how the servants stay warm?”

  Juliet paused. “No, I cannot say that I have.” She moved the crutches forward. “I suppose they have fires like we do.”

  Her cousin jumped in front of her, almost making her fall. “I have a secret!” she whispered as her eyes darted around them. “But you must not tell a soul. Please, swear this to me.”

  Juliet sighed. Such theatrics! “We have already made a pact, or have you forgotten?” She and her sisters, including Annabel, had promised to always love and protect one another for the entirety of their lives. “A bond formed between sisters can never be broken.”

  “No, I have not forgotten. However, please, swear, for I am all aflutter at speaking about what I must tell you.”

  Juliet smiled. Although she loved her sisters, Annabel she loved the most. They were beyond cousins; they were true sisters, and Juliet considered the younger girl her closest friend and confidante. “I swear that if I were to tell a single soul what you reveal to me, my foot will rot off and be taken away by a ghost.”

  Annabel’s eyes grew wide, and then both women laughed.

  “Now, tell me this secret before we freeze.”

  Annabel glanced around once more. “I overheard a man speaking in the village not five days ago,” she whispered. “It was outside of one of the shops.”

  “Which shop?” Juliet asked, her curiosity piqued. She was not one for gossip, but a tale or two never hurt anyone.

  “There is a new cobbler beside the jeweler’s,” Annabel replied. “It is not yet open, but that does not matter. What matters is that one of the men said that on cold days like this one, servants…” her voice trailed off and her cheeks became so red, Juliet reached out and confirmed they were burning.

  “What?” she demanded, barely able to contain herself. “Do tell me!”

  “They get into the same bed and hold one another! Can you imagine?”

  Juliet shook her head in disgust. What rubbish! Everyone knew that men and women did not share a bed. Ever.

  “Do you think our servants do the same?”

  Juliet went to reply no, but she paused. Would Daniel do such a thing? No, of course not. Although the man was a fool at times, he certainly would not participate in such debauchery. “I say absolutely not. Our servants are the most upstanding of their kind. Now, let us continue, for I have much to tell you.”

  They made their way to the stables, Annabel shivering despite her warm wrap and Juliet keeping warm with the effort of managing the crutches.

  “There are two things a woman must understand about me,” Juliet said as they traversed the drive, taking care not to misplace one of her crutches and send herself crashing to the ground. “If she understands both of these rules, her life will be filled with jewels, dresses, and invitations to the most important of parties.”

  “What rules are these?” Annabel asked with clear interest.

  “The first is that men must be jealous of any man who wishes to speak to you,” Juliet said. “The second is that it is your obligation to make them feel guilty.”

  “Guilty? Guilty for what?”

  Juliet sighed. The poor girl knew nothing about men! It was lucky that she had someone like Juliet to guide her. “Guilty for not adhering to the first rule, which is jealousy. Once they become jealous, you make them feel guilty for feeling so.”

  Annabel frowned. “But if they are jealous because you want it, is it not wrong to make them feel shame for doing what you want?”

  “My dear child, rather than explain this simple notion all day, I shall demonstrate for you. Would that help?”

  “Yes, I believe that would,” Annabel replied.

  Juliet motioned to the smaller of the two doors that led into the stables, and her cousin gasped as if just realizing her error of not opening the door for her. Once inside, the animal stench almost overwhelmed Juliet.

  “Now, keep your voice down,” Juliet whispered. “The stable boy is often sleeping instead of working, and I do not wish to alert him of my presence.”

  As they made their way down the central corridor, Juliet was indeed shocked to find Daniel wrapped in his coat and sleeping on a pile of straw in one of the stalls. She could not help but stand gazing at him. He really was a handsome man, especially when he was asleep.

  “You were right,” Annabel whispered. “He does sleep when he is supposed to be working. What will your punishment be for his idleness?”

  “Mother has allowed me to whip his backside,” she said, which drew a gasp from Annabel. “However, I will show him mercy just this once. He did carry me to the house when I fell, after all.”

  When they moved to turn away, Daniel smacked his lips, causing both women to stop in their tracks. Then he turned onto his back and produced a snore loud enough to rattle the floorboards.

  Juliet could not cover her mouth fast enough to keep the laugh from erupting from her lips, and she dropped one of her crutches in the process.

  Daniel bolted up and swiveled his head back and forth muttering, “What?”

  This, of course, sent Juliet into a fit of laughter that caused her side to ache as she leaned against Annabel for support. “That is the funniest sight I have ever seen!” she said through titters. “You snored so loudly, we thought thunder was trapped inside the stables.”

  The man’s face turned a deep crimson and he scrambled to his feet. “I’m sorry, Miss Juliet,” he said, keeping his eyes downcast. “I worked late into the night and needed a short rest.”

  “Do not worry,” Juliet said with a wave of her hand before taking her dropped crutch from Annabel. “I am in a good mood today and therefore will be kind.”

  He nodded with clear relief, and Annabel
smiled. Juliet could see the admiration in the girl’s eyes.

  “Do you like my crutches?” she asked Daniel.

  “I do,” he said, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. They stood staring at one another for several moments before he looked at Annabel. “Miss Annabel, it’s good to see you.”

  “Thank you,” Annabel said, her voice as timid and kind as always.

  For a moment, a bolt of resentment coursed through Juliet. Why was Annabel smiling like that at Daniel? She went to say something but stopped. No, this was silly. She had no reason to be jealous of Annabel and Daniel! However, as she looked at one and then the other, she could not stop herself, even when he returned his gaze to Juliet.

  “Lord Parsons sent me another letter,” she said haughtily. “This time he has increased his offer. I must admit the sum would be sufficient to buy me enough dresses for five seasons, but I am not to be bought.”

  “I didn’t think you could be either,” Daniel replied as he walked over to his worktable. “I should get back to my duties for today.”

  Juliet glanced at Annabel. The girl did not seem all that impressed. What was wrong with her? Well, she would change that immediately. “My foot,” she said as she looked down at her wrapped appendage with sadness. “I still cannot fathom you not catching me.”

  The man remained quiet for a moment and then turned to face them once again. “I have only one regret in life,” he said. “That I’ve failed you.” He then gave her a deep bow.

  Juliet had always been prone to tales and games such as these, and although they typically brought her joy, she found she did not enjoy it as much in this instance. The man genuinely appeared to be bothered by her words, and it somehow saddened her to see it.

  She cleared her throat in an attempt to regain her composure. “I have already forgiven you. Please, return to your duties.”

  He thanked her and turned back to face the table. He did not even bother to bow one last time as a farewell! The ingrate!

  “He does seem upset by what he did,” Annabel whispered as they left the stables. “You could see it on his face. I understand what you mean now about guilt.”