The Ghost Who Loved Me (24 page)

“He isn’t your enemy in my opinion, Elizabeth,” James informed her later as she excused the gentlemen and retired to the salon. “He appears rather obvious in trying to get on your good side.”

“We both know what side of me he wishes to get on, James,” Elizabeth snapped under her breath, making James chuckle in amusement. “I’m hardly taking the bait.”

“What do you make of Edward’s behavior tonight? He appears rather ill.”

Elizabeth frowned as she sat upon the settee while the men played billiards down the hall. “I saw him just a few months ago and I have to agree with you there. He isn’t at all well.”

“See to your guests,” James replied and floated towards the door. “I’m going to see what Edward is doing upstairs.”

“Don’t you dare hurt him,” Elizabeth said warningly under her breath. “That won’t help me now.”

“It appears I don’t have to. Life’s ironies already have,” James told her tightly and left the room.

~ ~ ~

James stared down at the man he longed to hate for his abuse of Elizabeth. He felt only pity for him. Edward was curled in a fetal ball in the master suite, his breathing even and deep from the sleeping aid.

Now that he knew who sired all of these imposters, he could see Edmund Sheffield in this man, his pale hair and eyes now seemed unmistakable.

James tried to feel anger for what was done to him but couldn’t anymore. It was pointless to blame this sad creature for anything. He smiled without humor to know Elizabeth was good for him in that respect. His rage was now gone, and in its place only the persistent longing for rest.

He said nothing to her of that, but of late, he felt a certain pull, to where he didn’t know. He could only attribute it to his desire to find peace. After three hundred years, he was at last willing to put the past behind him.

James left the west wing and noticed Annie at the end of the hall. She was appearing rather covert in her manner as she snuck into Elizabeth’s room. He didn’t follow her, going down below to join the others.

It was well after nine when Elizabeth sent Daniel and Arthur warning glances. They had to make ready to go to the clearing. Simon claimed he was retiring and left them.

James eyed Elizabeth grimly, wondering over what they did and whether it would work, fighting the longing to stay with Elizabeth and to leave this place at last.

“We may have a problem,” James began and Elizabeth eyed him curiously. “The gunpowder scattered as I thought. Isabelle is out of the catacombs. I didn’t want to alarm any of you at dinner. I heard her prowling about in the tower. She evades me but she is loose.”

“Where is she?” She regarded him with a stark look of fear.

“I don’t know. We wait to see what she wants. She knows what tonight is.”

“Very well, I’m going up to my room to change,” she added and hurriedly left the three of them.

Elizabeth drew up short in her room to see Simon sitting before the fire in wait for her. She opened her mouth to upbraid him. He held up a hand to silence her, gesturing to a chair opposite him.

“We must talk, Elizabeth. Please do sit and listen to all I have to say. I’m not here to harm you in any way.”

Elizabeth glared at his impertinent use of her first name and dutifully sat, curious to what he wanted. “What do you want, Mr. Ives?”

Simon smiled sadly at her curt tone. “The same things as you. I only came here to tell you I want no part of Edward’s plan. I sought to put you at ease. Our arrival has no doubt upset you. I will tell you that I have tried to talk him out of this for months.”

“Apparently not hard enough, sir.”

Simon saw her flushed angry face and sighed. “I don’t blame you if you despise me, M’lady, but I’ve been trying to handle matters on my end for both of our sakes. Why do you think you were sent here in the first place? It was no coincidence, I assure you.”

“Getting me banished was your idea?” Elizabeth fumed as she noted his smug grin.

“I had no way of knowing whether Wakefield was at Lady Grifford’s that weekend, but it worked. I took a chance.”

“That was you who sent the note to Edward?” She glared at him. “Why?”

“I needed you out of London for a time until I figured all out. I knew of the other incidences and used it to my advantage.”

“What do you propose to do, Mr. Ives? Edward is determined to get an heir to keep William and Lavinia from taking all that he has.”

Simon regarded her in surprise. “You knew of that?”

Elizabeth nodded shortly and gave a bitter laugh. “Edward informed me of it after we were married, and his plan to see to it when the time came. I fail to find his methods to my liking.”

“You cannot want to see William and Lavinia succeed in this?” Simon appeared aghast at her considerate expression.

Elizabeth sighed reluctantly after a time. “No, I find them both revolting, but Edward’s father was quite specific in his will. He must have an heir by his thirty-fifth birthday or all goes to William.”

“Edward is not well, Elizabeth. You saw that for yourself at dinner,” Simon began softly and explained her husband’s condition at length. “So you see there is no time to consider what he planned? This illness has grown much worse. It’s all happening very quickly. Already he forgets where he is.”

Elizabeth was surprised to feel a bit of sadness to hear her husband was dying, despite how poorly Edward treated her over the years. “How long does he have left?”

“A few months? A year? The doctor isn’t sure. All patients are different depending upon their youth and health. What is sure is that he will die, and soon. I wanted to prepare you for that and to alleviate any anxiety you might feel towards me. I mean you no ill, M’lady. I merely wish to care for Edward until that time comes. I’ll not have him cared for by strangers.”

Elizabeth saw the sincere pain in the man’s face, emotion glimmering in his eyes. “No, of course not, you are right. I have no issue with that, Mr. Ives. I think Edward lucky to have found you. Forgive me if I was unkind to you when you first arrived.”

“You need not apologize. There are many things I must tell you, M’lady, and some of them won’t make you feel fondly towards me. I can only say that things have changed for me. But we can save it for another time,” Simon remarked as he stood up, eyeing her with sincere warmth in his hazel eyes. “I would very much like to try to be friends, Elizabeth, if we can. I know you have little love for Edward, but he means all to me. All I ask is that you let me see to him until the end.”

“Thank you for explaining some of this to me, Simon,” Elizabeth said softly and watched as he left her room, passing through James who stood listening there the whole time.

“Do you believe him?” James regarded her with a frown as he watched Simon leave.

She shrugged. “Simon has no desire to further this plan of Edward’s. It’s quite sad, really. He practically begged me permission to care for Edward when the time came.”

“It is good news for you,” James added quietly, watching her face closely. “You will be free of him, Elizabeth, and sooner than you thought.”

“I don’t know how to feel about it,” Elizabeth said and stood indecisively, hugging herself about her waist. “I don’t want to think about it right now. I only wish to concentrate on seeing you on your way.”

“You are free to be with Wakefield if that is what you want. Why do you not rejoice?”

Elizabeth’s head snapped up and she glared at his tactless observation. “I don’t love Anthony! I thought I did once but I don’t. I realized that after I arrived here. I think I was just chasing after some bit of happiness and latching onto whatever I could. The fact I refused him back in London makes me see all clearly now. I would have never done what he asked of me to be with him. Had it been you, I would have done whatever it took.”

James smiled in relief at her words. “I am glad to hear you say it, my love.”

“Anthony isn’t a bad man at all despite what you must think,” Elizabeth reminded him softly, her blue eyes filled with love. “He just isn’t you. I don’t know where that leaves me. Should Edward die, I’m without a home and means, hardly a good catch for any man.”

James frowned darkly at her words, his pity for Edward vanishing in an instant. “He provided you with nothing in the event of his death?”

“The money is all gone, James! He spent lavishly for years! Without the trust entailed for an heir, the estate revenues were all that was left. Edward has nothing in which to leave me but Mr. Ives’ excessive tailor bills. I seriously doubt William and Lavinia will feel generous towards me when the time comes. They will likely blame both Edward and I for the state of the financial affairs. No, I shall probably wind up living with my grandmother in Yorkshire when all is over. She and I get on quite well.” Elizabeth shrugged and paced. “At any rate, I shall be free to lead my own life. I can assure you I will be fine.”

“That is not acceptable to me! You deserve far more than that!” James was incensed, his silver eyes glowing in frustrated anger.

“That is the way it is, James,” Elizabeth replied tightly and shook her head. “Why do you think Edward stooped to such to keep it from happening? He has no choice or he loses everything. As much as his methods disgust me, I can understand his motive. If you have little fondness for Edward just wait until you meet his cousin and his wife. They are quite horrid people.”

“Have you considered selling the riches of Westerleigh once the curse is—?”

“It wouldn’t bring enough and they would likely sue me later for the theft.”

James smiled tenderly as he came near, reaching out to caress her cheek, making her shiver in response. “It would be my last and only wish that I got you with child, my love. Then you would be cared for and need never worry.”

“I don’t want to think of it, James,” Elizabeth whispered, fighting tears at his heart-felt words. “I only wish you could stay with me. That is what I would wish for.”

“Is everyone ready below to leave for the clearing?” James turned away, overwhelmed with his own emotions, not wanting her to see it. “Does your maid join us?

“My maid is of the opinion I’m as crazed as the others once did. I don’t think we should involve her in this. The others believe in you. She does not.”

“We have much to do and only a few hours before midnight,” James said quietly and turned back to face her. “I wish there was more time. After three hundred years, you would think I would be eager to see this done. I don’t leave you so easily, Elizabeth.”

“I don’t let you go so easily, James.”

~ ~ ~

Isabelle listened to them from her hiding place in the sitting room, smiling in an ugly manner, her corpse-like countenance hardening to learn of James’ feelings for the woman. She tasted her blood, her own questions resolved.

Elizabeth would be useful to reverse the spell. She died before she could master the means to reverse what she did years ago.

It was stupid keeping James’ heart. It pleased her to have it so close at hand so she could revel in her success. Even knowing the spell failed, she was able to survive it and none challenged her or Edmund.

Those who lived after that terrible night were too scared to do anything but her bidding. Only Father Creaton became a problem. She blamed him thinking he broke the spell with his lack of belief in its power. It was the only reason she could find until she recalled keeping James’ heart sealed in that box under the floor of her solar.

Her followers barred the door outside Father Creaton’s church and burned him alive within. She was sure he was confessing all to the church in a means to absolve himself. She was pleased when another man was sent to build a new church many months later. The man was unaware Edmund was not the real duke.

Many others came over the years to discover what happened to James and why he never returned to Court in London. It was quite easy to lure them inside the castle. They would never leave.

They joined the bones of all those before them in the catacombs, unable to tell the tale. It was easy to deny these persons never arrived when someone came looking.

They too were dealt with.

It wasn’t until Edmund grew ill and she began to age, she realized the horrible truth at last. She was not immortal as she thought, watching her handsome husband die before her eyes.

Her master rewarded her with nothing for her sacrifice. Now the only thing to be done to reverse this curse was to use the blood of an innocent to free her to once more to walk in the flesh.

For centuries she waited for someone to knock down the bricks that imprisoned her below. She remembered the day it happened she came to be trapped down there. She was quite old and ailing, still trying to reverse her spell.

Robert Carlisle, her grandson, came into the tunnels and saw her, her mouth bloodied from eating the heart of a serving girl. He forced her onto the slab and chained her there. He left her there to die, sealing her inside, very much alive. She died there, pounding upon the rock, cursing them all with vile threats. She wrote all in her last entry before hiding her diary under a loose floor stone.

Isabelle cringed to think of how horribly she died centuries before, denied water and food until her body finally gave out, lying in her own filth and waste. To the very last moment, she cursed them all.

She chuckled when she recalled how Robert screamed in horror and denial when he saw the room that she used for worshipping her master. To think he thought her some daft old woman made her smirk with remembrance.

He must have realized where all the servants disappeared to over the years when he saw their rotting heads adorning the walls of the chamber.

Robert had the foresight to seek the church to use blessed water to mix the mud for the bricks, keeping her locked away and bound by the sacrament. She seethed as she listened to all around her for years, unable to do more than wait until someone dared venture below.

The secret in the woman’s blood would satisfy her master as nothing else would. James was a fool sending the woman below. While she would once more walk this earth, he was doomed to remain at Westerleigh forever.

~ ~ ~

Simon arrived to the stables warily, opening the wooden door and calling out to the man who waited for him within. He saw Wesley Renstadt’s outline in the moonlight, standing several yards ahead of him. He knew what this meeting meant. They were forcing his hand. Annabelle no doubt sent for him when she learned they were arriving soon.

“What are you thinking of doing, Simon?” Wesley walked towards him and shook his dark head, his lips twisting in disgust. “Annabelle tells me you think to betray us. I would hear all from you first. It was left to me to decide what is to be done.”

Simon glared at his partner. “You had to involve that conniving little tart in this! All has gone awry from the moment she went in with us! She just wants more than her share! She lies to you! I just arrived today. Edward has fallen ill. Ask Annabelle to verify it for you.”

“We needed someone close to Elizabeth. Annabelle was only too happy to leave her life of service one day. She has been useful to us.”

Simon made a noise of disgust. “She has failed at her end of it! Now she seeks to turn you against me! I seem to recall she was to encourage her mistress to go to Wakefield’s bed. I don’t see you questioning her loyalty as you do mine!”