Addison Lockhart 3

by Cheryl Bradshaw

  He nodded, made a second apology, and hurried out of the room.

  “That man looks like he’s on his way to a punk-rock funeral,” Marjorie said. “I can’t believe they hired him.”

  “Gran, he seems nice. You’re judging him, and you don’t even know him.”

  “You’re quite naïve sometimes, Addison. Now let’s move on. What did you want to tell me?”

  Knowing the house was old and the ease in which voices carried, Addison lowered her voice, tipping her head toward the other end of the room. “Let’s go in the bathroom where there’s an additional degree of privacy, at least.”

  Marjorie shrugged. “Fine.”

  Addison shut the bathroom door behind them and leaned against it. “You’re right. I didn’t fall out of the window—I was pushed.”

  Marjorie folded her arms. “What do you mean pushed? Explain yourself.”

  Addison described what had occurred since she’d arrived at the manor.

  When she finished, Marjorie said, “I suppose the biggest question we need to address now is, who do you think pushed you? Someone living or someone dead?”

  Addison considered the question. “I’m not sure. When I leaned out the window and felt the hand on my back, it felt real. I wanted to turn, see who was behind me, but there wasn’t time. All I could do was grab the window and try to keep from falling. When I realized there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening, I closed my eyes and braced myself. And then the strangest thing happened. Right before I landed, it felt like I’d been wrapped in a protective cloud, like someone was holding me, protecting me from slamming into the porch.”

  Marjorie leaned against the wall. “Spirits, even the most evil ones, can mess with your mind. They can taunt you, make you feel afraid and unsafe, but in my experience, they can’t harm you. Only the living has the power to do that.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Decades of experience, I guess. I’ll explain it to you the way my mother did to me. The abilities we have were given to us for a reason. Our family was chosen. At certain times, we’re protected. I don’t know how or why. We just are. Call it the blessing within the curse.”

  “I see no blessing in any of it. Today is my wedding day. All I wanted was one day—one single, peaceful day—where I could be free from all of it.”

  Marjorie backed against the counter. “What do you know about this place? You said the manor had special meaning to Luke because of his grandparents. Why?”

  “Didn’t you get the letter I sent you a few weeks ago? I explained everything.”

  Marjorie nodded. “I got it. I just ... well ... I was running late for brunch with a friend, so I have to admit I merely skimmed through it. I meant to look it over again later and didn’t. Sorry.”

  “Luke’s grandparents were married here.”

  “I understand the sentimentality, but this place ...” Marjorie scratched a fingernail along the peeling, floral-textured wallpaper on the bathroom wall. “The whole thing—it’s in decay.”

  “So was Grayson Manor when I inherited it,” Addison said. “And look at it now. Luke has restored it to what it was like when you lived there.”

  “I suppose it doesn’t matter either way. We’re here now. We need to make the best of it.”

  “I could have chosen another place to get married,” Addison said. “I almost did.”

  “What stopped you?”

  “I saw this place in a vision a few years ago, and I knew I was supposed to get married here. But now, I can’t help but wonder if ... I mean, it just seems like ...”

  She stopped herself. She didn’t want to say it. Didn’t want to think it. She hadn’t seen a spirit in several months. Why now? Why today?

  “You’re meant to do more here than just get married,” Marjorie said. “I felt it the moment I drove through the gates to this place. It was subtle, but it was there. Who else knows what you just told me?”

  “No one.”

  “Good. It’s just as well. Whether living or dead, someone doesn’t want you here. We need to find out who and why. For now, it will have to wait. It’s still your day, and I’m not about to let anyone or anything ruin it. Let’s get you married.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Addison stepped outside and breathed in a lungful of crisp sea air. The day’s turmoil and stress melted away, replaced with warmth and ardor, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude and adoration for Luke, a man who had always loved her without limitation.

  Nothing more will ruin this day.

  Not one thing.

  Lia joined her, her dark-brown, bob-style hair bouncing as she descended the steps. She inspected Addison’s gown and said, “Wow, Addy, you look beautiful.”

  With Lia’s fondness for dark leggings and simple shirts, Addison had never seen her in a dress before, and based on the way Lia kept yanking the sides down to smooth it out, Addison assumed she probably wouldn’t see her in a dress again anytime soon.

  She squeezed Lia’s hand. “You look gorgeous in your dress.”

  “Really? Because I feel like an enormous pink whale. It took ten minutes to get the zipper all the way up. Last week I was thinking I needed to lose about five pounds, and now I’m thinking it’s more like twenty.”

  “Well, you look amazing, and I’m glad you’re here. Once the wedding is over, we need to find some time to talk later.”

  Lia raised a brow. “Is everything all right?”

  Addison shook her head. “There isn’t time to explain right now, or I’d fill you in.”

  Lia stared at Addison a moment. “Oh no. You’ve seen something, haven’t you? You have the same look on your face that you had the night we first met—the night I arrived at your house to look at the bone you found.”

  Addison grinned, recalling their first encounter. “We didn’t exactly hit it off on day one, did we?”

  “I was in work mode, and you were a suspect. I’m just glad we took the time to get to know each other.”

  “Me too.”

  “So ... have you seen something?”

  Addison nodded. “It’s hard to explain. I haven’t made contact with anyone yet, but something is about to happen. I can feel it. And it’s all tied to the manor somehow.”

  Before Addison could elaborate, her father joined them, his face beaming as he reached for Addison’s hand, entwining her arm around his own. “It’s time. Are you ready?”

  Arm in arm, Addison walked toward Luke, joining him in front of the pastor at the water’s edge. The pastor welcomed those who had gathered and offered his own heartfelt words about marriage. Luke recited his vows, and then it was Addison’s turn.

  “I, Addison, take you, Luke, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, in this life, and in the next.”

  “In the next” was a phrase Addison had added herself, favoring it to the traditional words “till death do us part.” After all she’d seen and experienced over the last few years, she no longer believed life ended when the physical body was put to rest. The soul lived on. People lived on. Couples reunited together. There was a “next.”

  Luke took Addison’s hand, rubbing his thumb across her palm. The minister offered a few final words and then nodded at Luke, indicating his permission for Luke to embrace his new bride. Luke leaned forward and cupped Addison’s chin in his hand, sealing their vows with a kiss.

  As Addison wrapped her arms around Luke’s neck, she noticed an unexpected guest in their midst. Hovering a few feet behind her father was the woman in black. They locked eyes, and Addison clenched her jaw, forcing herself to remain calm. Finally able to see the woman up close, Addison noticed she was young, probably in her mid-twenties. The black dress was dated, but Addison was unable to determine the era. As Addison stared at the woman, absorbing her energy, her emotions changed from light and happy to heavy and forlorn, like the intense, crushing weight of an automobile c
ompactor, flattening her until she was razor thin.

  What had the woman suffered to cause such a grave amount of pain?

  Parting from Luke’s embrace, Addison’s eyes remained on the woman. A single tear rolled down the woman’s cheek. Then another. Addison wanted to reach out, to speak to her, but she couldn’t. Not now, not in front of her guests.

  Addison’s father stepped forward, shaking hands with Luke, offering his congratulations. Marjorie looked at Addison’s face and turned, like she understood what her granddaughter must be experiencing.

  Luke’s mother threw her arms around Addison and said, “Welcome to the family. We’re so happy for you both.”

  Luke’s father thumbed in his wife’s direction and nodded. “What she said. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starved.”

  “The dining room is all set up, and dinner should be ready,” Luke said.

  Luke’s father nodded. “Great. I’ll lead the way.”

  He turned, plowing through the ghostly apparition like she was nothing more than invisible air, and all Addison could do was stand there, watching the woman dissipate into a fine mist.

  CHAPTER 4

  Dinner was served in a small, but elaborate ballroom in the basement level of the manor, which Mrs. Ravencroft explained had been sealed off to most guests over the years, thus allowing its original charm to remain intact. A trio of iron and glass-bead chandeliers graced the center of a pressed-metal ceiling, which had been painted white, giving it the appearance of ornate plaster. And although Addison noticed a few threadlike cobwebs, the overall elegance of the room, combined with the amazing floral arrangements Brad had put together, made her feel like a princess stepping into a ballroom for the first time.

  An antique Victor wind-up phonograph played Frank Sinatra’s “Like Someone in Love,” the perfect song for a first dance together. Luke twirled Addison around the center of the room, and when the song faded to an end and was replaced with another, he handed Addison off to her father, who was patiently standing off to the side, waiting his turn.

  Grabbing his daughter’s hand, her father said, “I wish your mother could have been here to see you get married today. She would have been so proud.”

  “I’ve thought of her many times today,” Addison said, “and what it would have been like if she could have been by my side. A few times I even thought I sensed her presence.”

  “Maybe you did. Wherever she is, I’m sure she’s smiling down upon the woman you’ve become, and the happiness you’ve found in your life. She would have approved of Luke.”

  Addison smiled. “I think so too.”

  Her father clutched her hands a bit tighter. “Is ... umm ... is everything all right?”

  “Of course it is, Dad. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “You’ve been all smiles since the wedding, but earlier I noticed you biting the inside of your cheek. Haven’t seen you do that in a while. You used to do it all the time when you were a child, whenever you were nervous. Do you remember?”

  Of course she did.

  She’d have to be a lot more careful.

  A lot more aware.

  “I’m fine. Truly. I’m sure it was just a few butterflies before the wedding. I feel great now. I’m a lot more relaxed.”

  He leaned back and looked into her eyes, searching. “You sure? Is there anything you want to tell me, because you know you can always talk to me, no matter what’s on your—”

  “I know, Dad. I’m good, okay? You don’t need to worry.”

  He stared at her for a time, and she could tell he was unconvinced, but he let it go and moved on. “This place seems to have a lot of history. I was in the parlor earlier, looking at the old family photos hanging on the wall. I thought to myself, ‘I’ve never seen such somber portraits before.’ No one appears happy.”

  “Most people didn’t smile in old photos. Someone once told me it was because smiling indicated the person was vulgar—lewd or mad, prone to loud outbursts or a drunkard. Hard to believe people read so much into a simple smile back then.”

  “Makes me think this place is crawling with spirits, ancestors of the woman who runs it. Has anything happened since we’ve been here? You know ... have you seen anything out of the ordinary?”

  Addison paused, unsure how to answer the question. She didn’t like lying to her father, but she didn’t want to worry him, either. But it was obvious he had used the family photos as an opening. When she took longer than usual to answer, he pulled back, blinked at her. “You have, haven’t you? You’ve seen someone. I can tell. When? Where?”

  “Earlier today. It’s nothing to worry about. Nothing I can’t handle.”

  Several feet away, Marjorie danced with Luke. Addison glanced in her direction until they locked eyes, and then she tipped her head toward the door. Marjorie nodded.

  “I’m going to take a walk with Gran before it gets too dark,” Addison said. “Thank you for the dance, Dad. I love you.”

  She kissed her father’s cheek and made a beeline for Luke.

  “I’m going for a walk along the beach,” she said. “Not long, just for a few minutes.”

  He grinned. “I was just thinking of how nice it would be to take a walk together.”

  “Actually, Gran asked if she could go with me. I think there’s something she needs to talk to me about. Why don’t we get up early in the morning and watch the sunrise instead?”

  Luke glanced out the window and frowned. “It’s getting dark out. But all right. If that’s what you want to do.”

  Addison wrapped her hands around his neck. “I won’t be long, and then we can spend the rest of the night together.”

  He bent toward her ear, and whispered, “I look forward to it.”

  Addison grabbed her lace shawl off the back of the chair, threw it around herself, and met Marjorie outside. It was dusk, Addison’s favorite time of day, the moment when the sun’s rays cascaded across the ocean’s surface in a glittery display of effulgent light. She stared at the calm stillness of the ocean and breathed it in.

  “Where to?” Marjorie asked.

  “There’s a lookout spot not far from here I’d like to check out,” Addison replied.

  “I imagine your interest has to do with the woman you saw earlier.”

  “She walked there earlier and then stopped, looking out at sea.”

  “You’re lucky, you know.”

  “How so?” Addison asked.

  “Your visions allow you to see a lot farther than I ever have been able to. I’m sure it’s because your spirit animal is an owl, and mine’s a crow, of all things.”

  Addison cupped a hand over her mouth.

  “Go on,” Marjorie said. “Have a good laugh. I did too the first time I shifted.”

  “Crows are considered one of the smartest birds in the world. At least you’re not a vulture.”

  “True, although it’s of little comfort.”

  “What was my mother?”

  “Your mother was one of the most magnificent of birds, an eagle, which would have suited her well had she not refused to become a medium.” Marjorie sighed and placed a hand on her hip. “Not you, though. You’ve welcomed it, and so will your daughter.”

  “My ... daughter?”

  Marjorie turned to Addison and winked. “Would you like to know what spirit animal she is?”

  “How could you know? She hasn’t been born yet. I’m not even pregnant.”

  “Best start preparing for her now, dearest. The sooner the better.”

  Best start preparing for her now?

  Addison and Luke had taken precautions so she wouldn’t become pregnant yet. They wanted some time together as a married couple first. A year or two. Maybe even more.

  “You still have a great deal to learn about the power you possess,” Marjorie said.

  “There’s more? More than I already know?”

  “Oh, yes. Much more.”

  “Why are you only telling me this now?”

>   “You only started using and understanding your abilities a few years ago. You needed time to get used to them, time to learn all the things you’re capable of doing.”

  “You should have just told me,” Addison said. “I could have handled ...”

  Addison’s words trailed off. Several feet in front of her, the woman in black appeared.

  “You were saying?” Marjorie asked.

  Addison tapped Marjorie on the wrist. “It’s her. The woman I saw earlier. The woman in black.”

  Marjorie nodded but said nothing.

  Addison pointed. “She’s there, right in front of us. Don’t you see her?”

  Marjorie nodded, her eyes following Addison’s finger.

  Marjorie’s behavior seemed strange and aloof.

  Why hadn’t she also acknowledged the woman?

  Did she not see what Addison saw?

  The sun had almost been extinguished, leaving only the faintest glimmer of light. Addison stared into the woman’s lifeless, melancholy eyes. “I want to help you. Will you let me? Will you tell me why you’re still here?”

  The woman stared out to sea, refusing to acknowledge Addison’s presence.

  “You obviously summoned me,” Addison said. “You want me to know you’re here. What do you need from me?”

  Looking over the edge of the cliff, the woman watched the waves crash against the rocks like hand grenades, causing one explosion after another.

  Addison shook her head at Marjorie. “She won’t talk to me. I don’t know what to do. I have no idea how to help her.”

  “Perhaps it’s not time yet.”

  “She clearly wants something. How much time could she possibly need?”

  Marjorie squeezed Addison’s shoulder. “She might be afraid to connect with you, but when she’s ready, you’ll know. If you see her, it’s because she wants you to. I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but this one might take a little more time than the others.”

  Gran was right.

  It wasn’t the answer she wanted.

  The wedding was over, and she’d tired of this place.

  Addison turned back toward the woman, who was now teetering on the cliff‘s edge.