by Daye, Elissa
When Grant withdrew from her body he ran tiny kisses up her neck until his lips fastened on hers. His hands reached up to release the ties that bound her and he massaged them gently. When he had released her legs, he reached up to remove the scarf from her head. She expected his face to be lit up with the prowess of his masculinity, but his features were soft and thoughtful. His hands splayed across her tummy one last time before rising up to her breasts. Malinda bit her lip in anticipation, but he dropped his hands and gathered her into a warm embrace.
“Malinda?” Grant murmured into her neck.
“Hmm?”
“Is there something you should tell me?”
Malinda had no idea what he was talking about, so she answered with the first thing that popped into her head. “That was delicious.”
“Exquisite.” Grant nuzzled against her neck, a slight foreboding filling him. There was something different about his wife. Her tears earlier had been entirely unlike her. That was not the only change that Grant had noticed. She was rounder than she had been when he first met her. When he had returned from his last battles last week he had thought she had just put on a little weight from eating Gertie’s amazing food, but now when he looked at her the firmness of a slightly extended belly looked back at him. Her breasts were also larger, something he had also noticed in the way her dresses were fitting her. He speculated that Malinda could be with child, but he really did not want to believe it. He waved away his fears, for he was sure Malinda would tell him if she were expecting. And if she was, she was nothing like Maria, right? Thoughts of his past raced through his head before exhaustion took over.
It was dark when they both awoke to a loud crash outside in the hallway. The smashing of glass was followed by a loud haunting shriek. Grant jumped from the bed and hastily put on his breeches. “Stay here, Malinda.”
“No, don’t go, Grant.”
“I’ll be fine, Malinda.” His bare feet smacked the wooden floors as he almost ran to the door.
Her heart almost stopped as Malinda waited for the hammer to fall. She was pretty sure that Grant was unaware of the specter that haunted the manor, and why that was, Malinda had no idea. Surely he should be aware of everything that happened here, but for some reason she doubted that he knew. Malinda closed her eyes when she heard a loud exclamation from the door.
“What the hell?”
Malinda bolted from the bed and slipped into her robe. She heard more glass shattering in the hall and dashed to the hallway. She wrapped her arms around Grant and created a shield of light to protect them. The ghost of Maria opened her mouth and sent a blast of hollow blackness toward them. This time it ricocheted off the shield and launched itself right back at the ghost, who faded long before it could reach her. “She’s gone for now.”
“I know what I saw, but I don’t believe it. What the hell was that? Was that a ghost?”
“Yes. Maria’s to be exact.” Malinda tried to still the beating of her heart, but then realized the loud beating she felt was not her own heart, but that the heavy thud had come from Grant’s chest.
“When did this happen?”
“I’m not certain when this started, Grant. But from what I understand, it has been going on for quite some time.” When Grant turned to face her she met his gaze. She would not be surprised if he thought that she had brought the spirit forward. Many people believed that the women of Lena used their magic to conjure things. It would not be unexpected, but it would break her heart if he thought she was capable of doing something so malicious.
“I’m sorry, Malinda. I should have known she would haunt me even in death.” Grant turned and walked away from sight before she could even utter another word. While part of her was thrilled that he did not find her at fault for this situation, the rest of her felt the sadness that trailed after his steps. His energy was not in a good place right now and, while she wanted to follow him and make sure he was all right, she knew he would need his space. She walked back to the room that had been surrounded with such wonderful energy moments before, to an emptiness that left her feeling hollow. She lay down on the bed and let her tears loll her to sleep.
Chapter 28
Over the next few days Malinda could sense Grant’s need to flee from the walls of Wickford, but he had holed up in his den instead. She could not blame him, for she had experienced similar feelings over the past few months. Had it not been for the child who needed her and the friendly staff that seemed more like family than part of the help, she would have fled a long time ago. However, running away from your problems never solved them, only lengthened the amount of time you had to deal with them in the end. Maria had not shown her face to Grant before and Malinda was trying to figure out why she had chosen now to reveal herself. It did not make sense to her. What was the motivation behind the hauntings? It made sense that Maria would want to oust her replacement, so whenever Malinda found herself to be the brunt of her attacks she chalked it up to jealousy. The fact that she had never appeared before Grant, that was hard to decipher.
How does a ghost remain on the earthly plain? She had always assumed this happened when a spirit had unfinished business, but perhaps she had romanticized her concepts about spirits. Before Wickford Manor the only encounter she had experienced was with the spirit of her dearly departed grandmother. The calm, loving energy that had surrounded her grandmother was not threatening in the least. The aura that shone around Maria was a different story. While white light normally reflected an innocence and purity to the world around it, that was far from what this spirit cast onto the world around it. A cold emanated from the ghost, like icy tendrils reaching out to ensnare the world around with its shallow energy. Darkness spewed from her mouth in an effort to corrode the layers of purity in its surroundings. There were no happy feelings whenever Maria was around.
Malinda was annoyed that Grant had not come to bed, so she decided to put an end to the distance that had been crawling between them. She opened the door to the den so quietly that Grant never noticed her entrance. She saw his shoulders slumping in defeat, his head held despairingly in his hands, and the glass of brandy that sat in front of him. Her heart ached to see him in such a state. She saw that Maria’s portrait now hung over the mantle and she was enraged. “I’ve had it with you, she-devil!”
Grant’s head jerked up at her loud curse and his bleary eyes sought hers. “What are you doing, Malinda?”
Malinda pulled a stool over to the fireplace and climbed on top of it. “I’m making sure this never comes back again.” She yanked the painting down from the wall and threw it on the floor. She stepped down from the stool and reached for a penknife from Grant’s desk. She pounced on the painting and almost laughed with the first sound of ripping canvas. Malinda lashed out over and over on the fabric, slicing every inch of it away from the wooden frame. When it lay in tattered pieces Malinda was still not content. She picked up the tiny swatches that used to be Maria’s beautiful face and then she threw every last inch of them into the fire. She heard the flames hiss as they devoured the portrait that had haunted the world from the mantles of Wickford. She heard a wail somewhere in the distance, but she ignored the sound. When she looked up at Grant she expected to see anger, for he had loved his first wife. It had always been clear that he had, for he continued to stalk the man who had turned her into a monster. However when her eyes met his, he saw relief, as if one little action had set him free from the turmoil that had controlled his every movement for the past two years.
She walked over to him and cradled his head to her chest, hoping to bring a small amount of comfort to the soul that was hurting within. She felt the guilt running through his skin and flashes of moments that were trapped in time surfaced to the forefront of her mind. She saw Maria with her hand to her swollen belly, cursing at Grant with pure loathing dripping in her words. Maria’s face then turned sweet within moments, as if she realized that her behavior was erasing her control over her husband. She blamed it on the emotions that raced
through her from her pregnancy and attempted to sidle up next to him. It flashed forward to the nursemaid telling Grant that Maria had been standing over the crib, her hand covering the child’s mouth and nose as if to suffocate her, and Malinda saw the pained panic that rose across his face.
With every memory that flashed she saw Maria groveling at his feet, declaring her love for Grant and trying her best to manipulate the strings that held him tied closely to her. Malinda finally tore her hands away, for she was not sure she could take on any more of the grief that Grant was feeling. She yearned to lift it away from him, toss it into the winds and let it drift away from here, but it was not her place. It was something he would have to be able to do himself, and as long as he held all of those feeling bottled up inside him he would never be able to love her.
“Grant?”
“Hmm?” He had not bothered to look in her direction.
“Come to bed. You can’t go on punishing yourself like this. We need you.” Malinda reached out a hand to beckon him closer and was relieved to see him rise to meet her. She led him upstairs to their room and helped him get ready for bed. She knew he had more ale than he should have and was not surprised when he climbed into bed and fell asleep. She curled up next to him, put her head on his shoulder, and curled an arm up to stroke his hair. Her heart ached for him, for all the dreams he must have held for his future with Maria, for all the moments that had been tarnished with the corrupted clutches of an embittered woman. She wished that Grant had never been cursed with these memories of Maria. Maria had ripped his innocent heart from his chest, thrown it on the ground, and stomped on it repeatedly. Malinda was actually surprised that he had even considered marrying another woman, but it was probably more of a necessity to have a mother for Sophia than it was to have a woman to fulfill the duties of the marriage bed. Not that Malinda was complaining. She was actually quite happy things were working out the way that they had. One day, sometime in the distant future, she hoped to repair the heart that had been mutilated by the malicious nature of Maria Timberlin.
The next morning Grant seemed to be a completely different man. He rose with a smile on his face that had literally brightened the room. Malinda melted before him when his playful hands had roamed over her body, and her heart was lighter than it had been in days. They made love, their bodies moving in a hurried frenzy beneath the sheets. She luxuriated in the feel of the sheets on her naked body, satiated from their lovemaking as she curled her toes in the aftermath, long after Grant had risen for the day.
Gretchen assisted her with her dressing, much as she had every morning. Malinda could have hired another maid to assist her, but she had grown fond of the tiny redhead. Gretchen helped her into the stays that were tied almost too tightly and Malinda found her breathing almost too difficult. A vivid green gown trimmed with tiny white lace with intricately sewn black beading was pulled over her head and quickly covered her body. The dress molded firmly against her body. Malinda had not remembered the dress fitting her so provocatively before, but she pushed the thought farther from her mind. Perhaps she needed a little more exercise or to make her walks farther each day. She used to do a lot more of the work around the house when she lived in Tinley Faire, so to her it made sense that she had gained a little weight from her lack of activity.
Malinda went down to breakfast with a smile still plastered on her face. After the shadows that had passed between them last night, the darkness had seemed to lift for at least a small reprieve. Malinda would seize any moment of happiness she could, for she had spent far too many years anchoring any hope for a happy future to the ground. She knew what it felt like to be calm and collected. She wanted to be open and free, to run down the hills and let herself roll in the flowers that grew at the bottom. She wanted to proclaim her love to the rest of the world and, while it was so close to the surface, she held it down as tightly as she could. One day soon she would expunge all her feelings to her husband and hope that he had some inkling of regard for her in return, but the one thing she would not do was deny herself the love that had grown so deep inside her. She would not repeat her mother’s mistakes. Malinda would not fear how she felt, but would take each day a step at a time.
When she reached the table Grant was opening a message that had been delivered just moments before and she suddenly worried that he was being called back to Marshal’s side. She glanced nervously at him, trying to figure out what the letter said by the look on his face. “Is something wrong?”
“Actually, not at all. It looks like we’re going to have company in a few days. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve invited Aiden Quinn and his wife to come for a visit. It looks like they’re bringing the whole herd.” A large grin lit up his face.
“Herd?” Were they farmers? Malinda remembered meeting Aiden Quinn, but that day had been a blur to her, for that was the day she had met Marshal Madigan. She was still not prepared to talk to the man who was her father even though she knew it was her mother who had pushed him away.
“They have five children. A set of triplets and a set of twins.”
“Oh my! That’s quite a large family.” Malinda was so relieved to hear that Grant had not received a summons that a loud breath left her mouth before she could contain it. “Well, I suppose we need to get ready for our visitors. Did you hear that, Sophia? It sounds like you’ll have some friends to play with.”
Sophia beamed up at her and started to sing a merry tune at the table, all about making new friends and playing new games. When Desiree came to collect her for her morning’s activities the four year old was still going on about all the things she planned to do with her new friends. Malinda was glad that she had asked Desiree to remain as her nursemaid. Desiree was well-suited to caring for her and finding another maid for the manor had been easy to do. Plenty of young girls in Wickford had clamored for the position.
Malinda spent the next few days making sure the manor was prepared for the arrival of their visitors. She met with Gertie to make detailed menus of food that would appease both adult and child alike. She tried to assist Sara and Gretchen with preparing the rooms for their guests, but they had shooed her away mentioning something about a woman in her condition should not be doing so much work. Malinda had absolutely no idea what condition they were talking about, but she let them do their work and went to attend to her garden. No one ever fussed over her in the garden. She did her daily rituals to thank the gods above, her animal sisters and brothers, and fate for planning her path in life. Sometimes small animals would come keep her company when Mule was not around to scare them off. She loved the extra company and enjoyed the easy silence of the world around her.
Chapter 29
The Quinns arrived early the next morning and the manor was soon overflowing with the sounds of children playing. Malinda had extended her hand in warm greeting to Aiden’s wife, Lysandra, only to be pulled into a warm embrace. A slight flush marked her cheeks, for she was not used to such open acceptance. Five children and two maids stood behind Lysandra. The first three, the six-year-old triplets, were evenly matched in size and stature, and while they all had dark brown hair and light brown eyes each one looked different. Keegan, Keiran, and Kayla were not afraid of strangers and had instantly started asking all kinds of questions about the large dogs that lay asleep at the hearth. Behind those three were the tiny four-year-old twins with blond hair that reminded Malinda of her husband. Ethan and Eva looked almost identical, from their downy hair to their blue eyes, except for the fact that one was a boy and the other obviously a girl. They were equally attracted to the animals in front of the fire. Malinda was not surprised. Mule had always been adored by children and Laurel was a beautiful dog as well.
They had all gone outside to watch the children play when Lysandra turned to Malinda. “So, when are you expecting?”
“I’m sorry, expecting what?” Malinda’s eyebrows rose in confusion and the men coughed discreetly into their hands.
“Well, I’d say you’re at lea
st three months by the way your aura is glowing.” Lysandra smiled pleasantly at her.
“Excuse me?” Malinda felt utterly lost in the conversation. What was Lysandra trying to say to her? She let the comment ferment in her mind, and then other comments started to make sense. The women’s careful eyes and their comments about her ‘condition’ now started to make sense. Malinda felt her face go white and the ground suddenly seemed so far away when she looked down. She quickly tallied the time since her last menses and looked up at Grant’s face, which was suddenly shadowed with concern. Malinda felt the world sway around her, closed her eyes, and felt weightless as she started to fall fast toward the ground.
Grant caught her swiftly in his arms and cradled her against him. He smiled down at his wife and shook his head. He had suspected his wife’s condition, but had thought that perhaps she was waiting to tell him. He had never considered that she had not known she was carrying his child. His chest rumbled with a slight chuckle as he carried her body effortlessly back to the manor, for once thankful that Sophia was too distracted to notice that Malinda was not feeling well. His child had such a strong connection with Malinda. He knew Sophia would be thrilled to be a big sister, and while the prospect of this pregnancy did frighten him he kept reminding himself that Malinda was not Maria.
“I’m sorry, Grant. I thought she knew.” Lysandra was following him inside to make sure Malinda was all right.
“She would have figured it out sooner or later. I had thought perhaps she was, but I had just noticed myself. I’ve experienced the symptoms of pregnancy with my former wife.”