by Daye, Elissa
Chapter 8
A sharp knock broke through the haze of dreams, and Malinda opened her eyes to the intrusion. “Hello?” Her voice sounded groggy, even to her own ears.
“I’m sorry, Lady Timberlin, but the little miss, well she—”
The person on the other end of the door could not finish the sentence before Malinda threw back the covers. “I’ll be right there.” Her legs sprung from the bed and carried her swiftly across the room. “Take me to her right away, Hargrove.” Since it was only her second night at the manor, there was no way she was going to find her way to Sophia’s room by herself.
“Right away, my lady.”
Malinda could see the smile that Hargrove was trying to hide. Malinda smoothed her nightgown around her, as it had bunched up around her knees. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair as she followed after him, all the while trying her best not to trip over her feet. She must look a sight. Malinda was thankful that Hargrove’s candle did not give out too much light to show her disheveled appearance, and hoped that they would not run into many other people this late at night.
When they finally reached Sophia’s room, Malinda could hear the whimpers from outside the door. She yanked the door open swiftly, fearing that the little mite had suffered abuse at someone’s hands. When Sophia’s small body launched at her she barely had time to prepare for the barreling child. She sank down to her level and cradled the child in her arms. “Thank you, Hargrove. I think I will take it from here.”
She watched as Hargrove nodded politely to her and bowed away from them both. “Poor Sophia. What is wrong, my love?”
When no words came from Sophia’s mouth, Malinda ruffled her hair and soothed her as best she could. How does one soothe a fear when the cause of the fear itself was unknown? Malinda scooped the child up in her arms and sat down on the bed with her. She rocked her back and forth, humming any song that she remembered from her childhood, until Sophia’s eyelids started to droop down. She placed Sophia back in her bed and covered her up with her tiny blankets. Malinda ran her fingers through Sophia’s hair, humming a melody that came easily to her. When she heard the slight sound of snuffled breathing coming from the little girl, Malinda knew that it was safe to say that Sophia had drifted off to a deep sleep.
Malinda finally took a moment to look around the room. It was a big enough room, but nothing in it reflected that it belonged to Sophia. There were no dolls, no books, and absolutely no toys, just like the nursery. The walls were a dull gray, so lifeless that anyone in the room would look pale if they stood inside the walls too long. There was no window in the room at all, which made the walls seem even smaller. What was wrong with these people? Children deserved to be carefree and young. This room was certainly not appropriate for a child. Children should have rainbows and lollipops, not a pale, stale, understated mausoleum that sucked the life out of you. Why treat a child like a somber adult? There would be plenty of time to act grown up.
Malinda made a decision right then and there, that as soon as she met her husband, she would demand that things be changed right away. She would be more than happy to see to the hiring of an appropriate nursemaid for Sophia. She would even be happy to shop for the things they would need to change Sophia’s world. It was not like the master of this house could not afford these things. There were many extravagant items that occupied the large manor, and some of them were completely useless in her opinion. What good were fine paintings and tapestries, when you could never touch them, never use them for anything but something pretty to look at? Malinda would never understand the purpose of such things. She wondered if she would ever feel at home at Wickford Manor or if she would always feel like the farm girl pretending to be someone her destiny had never intended her to be. The only thing that made her feel at home was the lost little girl who was curled up in the bed next to her.
Malinda waited a few moments before she felt comfortable enough to leave Sophia alone for the night. She had to have been sitting next to her for almost an hour before she was sure the little girl was not going to wake up. After closing the door quietly behind her Malinda started to walk down the long hallway that turned away from her room. When she reached the end of the hall, she saw the stairs that would lead her down to the main floor of the manor. Perhaps she would sneak down to the kitchen for a late snack. Her mind was certainly too active to head back to bed right now.
When she made her way down to the bottom of the stairs, she saw a faint glow underneath a door to the right of her, which she was pretty sure was the dining room. She felt the air around her turn slowly, the energy around her prickling the hair on the back of her neck as she put her hand on the doorknob. Something was not right. She held her hand up to her heart as a rapid pulse started to beat in her chest. She closed her eyes and focused on calming the ideas racing through her head as one thought led swiftly to another, yet for some reason she could not hold on to a single one of them. Fear was wild like that, chasing away sanity like dried dandelions on the wind. The drop of a pin on the floor could echo eerily in a large room until it sounded much like the rush of the crashing waves of an ocean against the rocks.
She opened her eyes and clenched her hands together at her side, doing her best imitation of a brave woman ready to take on the world. Malinda took a deep breath and created a shield of energy around her, ready for whatever assailant might be in the other room. She opened the door ever so slowly and forced her eyes to stay open. “Come on, Malinda. Get a grip. You’re too old to be afraid of the dark.” She steeled herself for whatever sight would meet her, and she swung the door forcefully open.
Standing in front of the tiny fireplace was a glowing light that seemed to absorb the darkness in the room. Malinda watched as the light changed to a specter of a ghostly lady. The ghost turned to her, pointed a long bony finger, and a howl of wind left her lips. Malinda felt a draft of air speed past her as the howling ghost ran at her, but she held her ground. The ghost ran right through her shield and knocked her back onto her bottom. Malinda turned to where the ghost now stood and captured a good look at her face before she faded quickly out of sight. Maria Timberlin.
Malinda heaved herself up off the floor and walked over to the fireplace. Above the mantle, the picture of the former Lady Timberlin hung once again. Somehow, the specter had replaced the painting that had been removed earlier that day. She wondered how long the ghost had been running through the halls of Wickford Manor. For the most part Malinda had assumed that ghosts were harmless, but the energy flowing through the ghostly veins of Maria Timberlin was definitely something harmful and wicked. She would have to find a way to help this ghost move on. If anything, Malinda would be more prepared for the next ghostly attack from Maria Timberlin. She would not be taken advantage of so easily next time.
Malinda extracted a chair from the table and stood up to remove the painting from the wall. If she stood up on her tiptoes she barely managed to achieve the right angle to remove the painting carefully. She could just imagine toppling head first from the chair with the painting tumbling after her, so she steadied her hand on the mantle as she stepped down from the chair. Malinda placed the painting on the ground further away from the fireplace, with the painted woman facing the wall. She would have the maids move it to storage in the attic if she had to. Perhaps this would make it harder for the ghost to return it to its previous place over the mantle.
Malinda had thoroughly lost her appetite, so she left the dining room after closing the doors quietly behind her. She saw another faint glowing light down the hallway. “Again?” She walked purposefully to the door and yanked it open, ready to tell the specter to shove off, but a completely different sight filled the space before her. A handsome young man sat at the desk in front of her. His long blond hair curled in thick strands that wove gently around a face that was set in fierce concentration. She could not tell what color his eyes were, but she could tell they seemed troubled. He sported a small rugged beard that ran from the top of his mou
th, down around his mouth to the bottom of his chin, tracing small pathways up to his ears. The breath seemed to suck out of her lungs when he looked up at her from his perch at his desk.
“And you are?” The deep timber of his voice shattered the silence in the room.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I’m Malinda Grier…I mean Timberlin, I suppose. And you?” Malinda fidgeted in front of his piercing gaze, hoping that he would not see the discomfort his gaze brought to her.
“I see. Well, that would make me your husband.”
He rose from the desk like a panther on the hunt and made his way slowly over to her. Malinda had enough time to see the taut fabric of his white buttoned shirt strain against the muscles hidden underneath. Malinda was not quite prepared for the heat of his golden eyes when his face came close to hers. She looked away nervously as butterflies took off in her stomach and tumbled in several directions at once. When his hand gently crept across her face to pull her face closer to his, she could not fight the tingling warmth that rose through her body. His lips were just inches away from hers and all she could think about was the dream that had haunted her for years. A flash of images raced across her mind. Their bodies moving together, mouths touching, hands reaching, searching for the exhausting ecstasy she had found only in her dreams. It was him. It had always been him.
When his mouth touched hers she struggled not to bolt from the emotions that flared deep inside. His hand crept down her neck and lured her body closer to his. She gasped in surprise when he cupped her bottom in his hands as he deepened his assault on her lips. When his tongue made its way into her mouth, she felt a piercing heat splinter the stillness inside her, as her own moan of desire left her mouth. When he pulled away from her she could not meet his gaze.
***
Grant gazed at Malinda, his eyes taking in the old nightgown that teased his senses, as her womanly curves were outlined underneath when the flickering light of the fireplace behind them lit up the material like the tail of a firefly. He ran a finger down the front and found a nipple that was hiding deliciously underneath.
***
Malinda intended to move away from his touch, but something almost mystical kept her trapped in time. Finally sanity returned and she pushed herself away from him. “I’m sorry. I was just returning to bed. I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening.” She turned around swiftly and walked as fast as her feet would carry her, away from the study, from her husband, from the lover from her dreams. She heard him call after her.
“That’s right. Run while you still can.”
Chapter 9
Malinda’s heart was still racing as she climbed the stairs to the master bedroom. This time, she was especially thankful for the darkness that would hide the red that crept up her throat, all the way to the top of her face. She could feel the heated flush staining her, the same exact flush she had felt many times before when her mystery lover had invaded her dream life. She opened the door to the bedroom, looked behind her to make sure he had not followed her, then entered swiftly before the door closed behind her. She leaned into the door, gathering her courage for the third time this evening to help her through whatever else headed her way.
First, a screaming child required her attention. Then, a spectral ghost of her husband’s former wife attacked her, moments before she was rakishly assaulted by him. Flashes of the future had teased her mind, something that had usually only happened when she was trying to depict events from the past. His aura had left an imprint in her life, long before she had ever met him. She could not turn away from the insights that had divinely presented themselves to her.
Malinda crawled back into bed, watching the shadows of light dance across the blue curtains that separated her vision from the rest of the room. It took her a long time to finally feel exhausted enough to drift back to sleep. Her eyelids started to flutter closed as the last of the flames started to die down in the fireplace.
While she slept she was transported to a place she had never seen before. The walls around her shimmered, like sunlight hitting icicles in the middle of winter. They cast small rainbows all around her. The sound of the wind running through crystal chimes rang through the air. She twirled around to the music they created, along with her light musical laughter, which cast a serene melody all around her. The energy around her made her feel uplifted and carefree in her new surroundings, a peaceful feeling she had not felt in quite some time. Malinda ran a finger against the crystal wall and felt the moisture of dewdrops running in invisible rivulets down it. She should have expected the freezing cold feeling that touched her hand, but it stung her flesh nonetheless.
“Where am I?” Malinda could not hold back the awe she felt inside. This was truly a spectacular place, and it was building up even further before her eyes. A small crystal pit formed in the middle of the room, with bright flames burning safely inside. She walked closer to the flames and found that a few other objects had started to form around her. A red velvet covered chaise, with a silver metal frame, rose from the ground. A small silver framed chair with a red velvet cushion soon followed. Malinda felt drawn to the chaise, as if it were calling her name. She sat down and watched as the flames before her rose even higher. She shielded her face from the heat in reflex, but the flames did not put off any heat at all, just a calming light that filled her with peace.
It was entirely possible that she stared at the flames for hours, for the gentle dancing colors hypnotized her into a calming trance. This place, while she had never seen it in a dream before, felt somewhat familiar, as if her soul beckoned her to it. While she was completely alone in the room she did not feel any loneliness at all. She felt surrounded by a love and light so pure that it wrapped around her soul and cleansed the darkness away from her. There was peace in the soothing tranquility of the walls around her, a peace that rocked her with its lullaby into a healing sleep.
While Malinda had slept restfully, the moment she awoke every nerve in her body screamed in protest, for when she had gone to sleep the night before she was completely alone in bed. At the moment she was anything but. Her husband had decided to come to bed after she had fallen asleep, and she had somehow turned into the curve of his body during the early morning hours. His arms were holding her close to him and her head was resting on his shoulder.
Panic entered her immediately. How did she get out of this without waking him up? Was she prepared for the consequences if he did awaken? He was a man, like any other. He probably expected to consummate their relationship at some point, and the practical part of her mind took over. She had chosen to marry this man, whether she had known him at the time or not. She could not truly judge his character after one encounter, but his reaction to her gave the aura of a cold and calculating man. Malinda expected to feel nothing but contempt for the man who ignored his daughter so heinously, but for some reason she did not sense any coldhearted snake. He felt much more like an animal caught in a trap, an animal that would more than likely gnaw off his foot rather than deal with his capture. Whatever it was that he perceived as a threat was something only he would be able to confess.
Whatever happened between them, Malinda would enter it with a practical mind. This man, her husband, was a means to an end; nothing more, nothing less. His presence in her life had prevented her from being forced into a position that would have made her subservient to the rest of the world around her. At Wickford she had power with her title, the power to change the life of those around her on a basic whim, and there was quite a bit of good she could do in such a position. Malinda would keep her chin up and treat this marriage like a business transaction and perhaps, over time, she would learn to enjoy the companionship he could offer. One thing was for sure, she would never risk losing her heart to him. That would be far too dangerous for a woman of Lena.
Malinda carefully slid his hand from her shoulder and inched slowly away from his body. She exited the bed from the opposite side, shivering as her feet touched the cold floor below. She
shuffled quickly across the floor and went to the next room to find suitable clothes for the day. Malinda planned to take Sophia on an outdoor excursion today. She still did not know where the clothing had come from, but she assumed the ladies of the house had seen the state of her wardrobe and offered up a few of their garments. She would have to thank them for their thoughtfulness. Malinda chose a white dress with sleeves that came up to her elbows. It had a shorter skirt, making it easy to keep off the ground, and since they would be outdoors for the better part of the day it seemed the most practical. Malinda was hoping that Sophia would actually feel brave enough to have Mule come along with them. The large dog would love spending the time running around unrestrained in the outdoors.
When Malinda reached the doorknob Grant’s voice interrupted her hasty departure. “Are those the only clothes you own, Malinda?”
She turned swiftly to face the man who was now sitting at the side of the bed, the sheet covering his lap, barely covering the fact that he had in fact slept in the nude. She was surprised she had not noticed earlier. “Actually, my clothing seems to have disappeared. These few garments are on loan from the lovely women in this household.”
“While I am sure they had the best intentions, that clothing no longer befits your station.”