Whisper (3 page)

FIVE

Undeniable

In the morning the sun shines through the open curtains, the room filled with golden light. I stared at the ceiling. Two carved angels hovered above the bed.

The knock at my door came unexpectedly. I had showered already and rummaged through clothes for an outfit to wear today. I was in the middle of getting dressed when Bethanne and a maid I hadn’t seen yesterday barged into the room.

Bethanne and the other girl were dressed like twins. Both wore dark gray long sleeved dresses with bright white aprons.

The other maid must be more rebellious. Her uniform was more conformed to modern times. Her auburn hair is pinned back in a tight ponytail. This maid also spoke with a maid’s English. I wondered if they thought I might be suspicious that they aren’t reenacting their accents. Unlike Bethanne, this new maid wasn’t wearing a bonnet.

“Oh forgive me miss. I did not mean to disturb you.” I lightly smile yanking my jeans up the rest of the way.

“I told you call me Avaya and it is okay. Did you need something?” Bethanne nodded. Her cheeks turned a bright raspberry shade.

“Breakfast is ready. I came to show you the way to the dining hall from here. Also how to get to the kitchen, I think Miss Clary might want your help soon. There is a special meal happening in a couple days.” Right, I almost forgot they were going to use me as part of the labor force. “I would have shown you last night, but when I came back, you were asleep.” I wasn’t asleep when she returned, I don’t think.

Strange noises right outside my door, prevented me from staying asleep. Like a little kid I pulled the covers over my head too scared to check on the source.

“Were you walking around in the hallway last night?”

Bethanne’s honey eyes widen. Fear gripped her eyes. The other maid busy making my bed slowed her pace. She stared at the sheets frozen not making eye contact.
What is with this place?
I couldn’t help wonder, if some organized secret had been set in place to keep from me.

“No…miss, there must have been wallowing in the wind.” She expects me to believe her. The two maids eyed each other trying to be discreet. Even with the light of the sun I was still like a little kid and only my parents can bring me comfort. If only they were here with me.

“Forgive my manners miss…Avaya this is Livia. She is typically in the kitchen. Today Miss Brantshire asked her to help out with the upstairs rooms.”

We turned right out of the room. A few doors down was a door leading to a hallway lost in the past. This would be a paranormal investigators dream. It led to a mahogany staircase. It curved around until we stood on the main floor. There were different levels of hallways all preserved in history. We walked out a door and into another hallway. Bethanne and Livia looked at my nervous expression.

“Hidden stairs for maids to go unseen when there are guests.”

“Perhaps a maid was coming and going in the hall last night.” Livia suggested.

“I guess.”
But I heard more than a maid
, I wanted to add.

They led me through a side door opening into the west wing. I could smell fresh baked cinnamon bread and berry pastries wafting from the kitchen. The scent of sausage hit my nostrils, maple flooded my senses.

This dining room was different from the ones Miss Brantshire showed me. I sat down at a long table. With several chairs spanning the sides, one at each end. Cinnamon and sugar hit me like an intoxication I could not deny myself. I sat alone for several long minutes.

Miss Brantshire walked into the room taking the seat directly across from me, sizing me up. She looked at me over the tip of her small pointed nose. I waited expecting to see my uncle. Miss Brantshire saw me glancing at the door.

“He is not coming today. Though, we are waiting for a few others.” I thought a smirk twitched at the corner of her thin lips. “Master Caulder asked me to sit in on this breakfast today.”

I started to reply, when the door leading into the dining room burst open. It was in slow motion a gorgeous guy with golden blond hair and blue eyes deeper than I have ever seen entered. There is a girl with him…she is lightly tanned with dark hair.

“Well…it is about time you show yourself.” Miss Brantshire surmised.

He sat down next me. A cocky smile pulled at the sides of his lips, he said to Miss Brantshire, “This was not to be missed.” There was that glare again.

Miss Brantshire eyed him, displeased at his being present. It was strange how he has showed up out of nowhere. “Who is this lovely lady?” He asked.

“This is Miss Avaya Emerson, Master Caulder’s niece. Her parents are dead so she moved here. Master Caulder has taken her in out of the kindness of his heart.” His disposition changed. He eyed Miss Brantshire suspiciously before turning toward me. “I am Nate, this here is Celia.” He points at the girl, she waves unimpressed with my presence.

Nate’s leg brushed against mine. My eyes scan in his direction. Nate didn’t even acknowledge the soft touch or my nonchalant gaze.

A side door opened up…a stocky man with a white cooking uniform and chef’s hat came in holding two trays. He set them down on a cart before formally leaving the room. Soon to follow a woman wearing a basic cream dress set down a pitcher.

“That was master chef Javier and his protégé Miss Kelly.”

The hunger consumed me, I was anxious to fill my plate. Picking up my plate I proceeded toward the cart of food. Fingers lingered over a berry pastry. “What are you doing?” The sternness of Miss Brantshire’s voice halted my attempt to fill my plate.

Her long black dress came up to her neck, did she ever dress in anything more modern, I wondered? But I dared not ask her. Her fading hair color is pulled back in a tight bun with a few loose tendrils.

“Sit back down and wait for Mr. Myrtle to come and serve the food. This is not a,” she paused, “buffet. You are no longer a commoner. Here the title given through relation is Mistress Avaya Emerson. You shall conduct yourself as such, understand?” I stare at her.

Nobody has spoken to me with such venom in my life. It boils inside of me. “I understand,” she nods, but I am not finished. “If I am what you say you will not speak to me so forwardly, understand?” I try to contain the laughter pressing to come out, throwing Miss Brantshire’s venom back at her.

Laughter erupts from next me. I forgot Nate and Celia were in the room with us, they both were so quiet. Nate I had to guess was enjoying the show. At least I think that was it. “Lighten up clearly Miss Emerson has been offended.” My cheeks turned a rosy pink.

I picked up my fork slowly eating. Nate watched me I could see out of the corner of my eyes. It amused him. He makes me nervous, not because he is so gorgeous, because he looks so much like Luken.

* * *

After breakfast Bethanne suggested I go outside. She handed me a coat to wear and sent me out the door. I wanted to explore the grounds. Miss Brantshire had received a phone call…my Uncle James had extended his time away for another week. I wasn’t sure where Nate and Celia went maybe they were off spending time together. That was none of my business.

Standing atop the highest hill overlooking the green surroundings, I noticed the same older boy sitting on a stone bench located between two trees staring out at the breathtaking view. His back to me, he wore the same black overcoat with dark slacks. This boy has golden blond hair, if only he’d turn around.

I slowly started toward him. The weather outside started to shift from warm and summery to a chill breaking over the hills. I have been out for hours. There was an area hidden away in the woods, ivy covered an abandoned enclosed area. I thought maybe the boy is the son of a staff member, only he is dressed similar to…I couldn’t remember.

Bethanne calls out to me, “Miss…hurry it is time to come inside.”

He was gone by the time I caught up to Bethanne without losing my breath. “Did you see him?”

She searches around, shaking her head, not a stray hair falling out of place. “See who?”

Gazing at the empty spot I said “it was…nobody, never mind.”

S
IX

Research

A couple days later I was outside, droplets started to hit against my skin.

Inside, Bethanne led me to a set of wooden double doors. I stepped into a massive library. She handed me a package small and heavy. Books from my uncle, he thought I would enjoy reading. I was thankful for the literary escape. I kept thinking about Miss Brantshire speaking so bluntly about my parents. I’m still not used to it the idea of them being gone.

I feel lost and out of place here. It is hard to wrap my mind around butlers and maids serving me. I thought about Luken, his haunted eyes burned into my memory. He grew up with servants I wonder how he handled himself with them. My uncle’s study was located next to the library.

Entering deeper into the library, my breath caught at the size. Two stories of books shelved up the walls with two levels of ladders. I had the sudden image of a man falling off the second story ladder. I forced the image out of my head.

“Master Caulder recommended we show you the library, he thought you might like it here.” Livia spoke effortlessly in her old maid’s English. Bethanne and Livia both smiled, “we thought this would be a more comforting place to spend your time. Bethanne finished.

If I didn’t like it here in the library, I’d be lying. My thoughts wandered back to Luken Vandersen. “My guess is your thinking about a boy.” A voice spoke softly.

I spun around bumping heads with Nate. Ouch. “How would you know?” I ask him.

He wore jeans and a t-shirt, his muscles pressing lightly against the sleeve of the shirt. “It is in your eyes.” Something about his elegant voice was too familiar.

Nate plopped down on the chair next to me dangling his legs over the side. How impressive I thought dismally. Looking around I wondered where the two maids had gone. Nate smiled. What was he so amused about anyway? “They had some chores to finish up. Besides it is not wise to become comfortable with the staff. Especially not with,” he leaned so close I had trouble thinking straight, “Miss Brantshire constantly keeping tabs on everyone.”

I turned around expecting to find her lurking over my shoulder. Instead Nate’s cocky laughter is all I heard. “Come on…have a little fun.” I shook my head returning my eyes to my book.

“So will you be attending this special dinner tomorrow night?” I asked without glancing up from my book. He didn’t respond.

Moving my eyes to where he sat the seat was empty. What was it with people here disappearing and reappearing without making noise? Placing the book back on the shelf I headed to a catalogue drawer I had seen.

Searching through L I thought maybe there would be a book here on Luken. Maybe useful information would be in a book. A special dust free cabinet held books over a hundred years old. Was something in there about the Vandersen family? Nothing…I could not find any information. I sat down reeling. Thick dust collected on some of the books, nobody bothered to take care of them.

I tried searching for the town history. Nothing came up. If only there were computers with internet access I might find something. A card called Vandersen Family History crossed my line of vision.

The book is leather bound with a strange family crest. It sits on the cover of the book a shield of armor with a sword the hilt facing up. It pierces through the middle of a black broken heart. A black rose wraps around the blade of the sword.

I hadn’t seen anything like this, not even in history books.

Hundreds of pages fill the book. The first page is a massive family tree. The births and deaths listed below the names of each family member. I scroll to the bottom. Three names were the last entries.

Jonathan William Vandersen III born 1860 death 1931

The next name I saw made my heart stop, skipping several beats.

Luken Nathaniel Vandersen born 1865 death unknown

Odd, I thought to myself. I glanced at the middle name. My first thought went to Nate he must be a distant relative of the Vandersen family. Why else would he resemble Luken so clearly?

I read the final entry.

Lizabeth Anna Vandersen born 1870 death 1963

I stared at Luken’s name. When did he die? I needed to know. It crossed my mind there must be something mysterious surrounding him. If only I can understand what that was?

So engrossed in reading about the Vandersen family, I shrieked when Livia placed her hand on my shoulder. I could have been reading a ghost story for all she knew. Livia leans over my shoulder.

“Reading about the Vandersen family I see, there aren’t any juicy details in there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Here let me show you.” Livia is wearing jeans and a regular t-shirt. She tried to speak modern day lingo, with her old English accent it sounded…interesting.

She flips to a page near the end of the book, “see look there.” Livia points to a photograph of Luken. In the whole book it only mentions his accomplishments and his engagement to Miss Anabelle Woodson.

Disappointed somewhat, I walk up to the second floor to see the sunset beyond the mountains. A long rock sticks out in between the pond and edge of the woods. The same older boy stands on the rock staring toward the sunset. His back is to me still wearing the same clothes. I still wanted him to turn to me.

“Livia come here, who is that boy over there?”

Livia joined me, looking over at the spot I pointed to, “what boy?”

It was empty, the sun had already set. “A guy was right there watching the sunset. I’m not seeing things. I saw him earlier too. He sat on the bench near the footbridge between those two trees.”

“Calm down, if someone was there he is gone now.” Staring at the emptiness a moment longer, I nod accepting nobody stood there. I followed Livia out of the library.