Felicia's Spirits

by Marie Higgins

  TWO DAYS LATER, SEBASTIAN stood in front of Felicia’s home with a bouquet of roses in his hand. The plan had been set. Officer Rossi and his close men were made aware of what was about to transpire, and they were all at their assigned posts.

  His heartbeat hammered frantically. Doubts crept in his mind, but he wouldn’t let them control his thoughts. Their plan must work. This was the only way to stop Mortimer.

  Yesterday, Felicia had gone out to the marketplace dressed as the old beggar woman, and was approached by one of Mortimer’s agents, just as she knew would happen. Felicia had told the agent to relay a message to Mortimer – she would take care of Sebastian no matter what it took. She’d do anything to save her mother’s life.

  Sebastian walked up to the front door and knocked. Felicia opened the door wearing her green riding habit and matching bonnet. At first her face was sad, but the longer she looked at him, the more anger replaced the sadness. She bunched her hands by her sides.

  “What do you want?” she snapped.

  “My dear Lady Adler,” he held out the flowers. “I’m here to apologize.” Sebastian made sure his voice was louder than normal. By now, he and Felicia had realized she had a spy in her household. “Please forgive me.”

  “It’s too late for that.” Felicia pushed past him on the way out of the house, closing the door behind her. “Mr. Harrington, I no longer want you in my life. Please leave.”

  She marched toward the stables. One of the servants had a horse ready for her.

  “But you must allow me to explain.”

  She stopped by her horse and threw a glare at Sebastian. “What’s there to explain? I saw you with another woman. She was in your arms. Her mouth was against yours, and you weren’t doing anything to stop the passionate kiss.”

  “I know you think you saw—”

  “Do you believe I’m blind, Mr. Harrington? Because I assure you, I have perfect vision.” The servant assisted her in mounting the horse. “Please leave my estate. I don’t want to see your face ever again.” She pushed her heels into the horse’s side, urging the steed into an urgent run.

  Sebastian grumbled and threw the flowers down on the ground. “Does she have another horse?” he snapped at the servant.

  The young lad’s face paled and he shook his head. “She doesn’t want you going with her...”

  “Fine, I’ll get a horse myself.” Sebastian rushed into the stable and grabbed the nearest horse, which they’d already prepared for today’s events. Thankfully, he knew how to ride without a saddle. He grabbed the animal’s mane, and effortlessly, pulled himself up to sit on the animal.

  “Please, sir, I must protest.” The servant ran after him, waving his arms.

  “Protest all you like, because I’m going after Lady Adler. I’m not the kind of man who takes no for an answer.”

  He urged his horse faster to catch up with Felicia, knowing the exact route she’d take. They zig-zagged down each street as she neared one of the cliffs. Many people turned and looked their way as they passed them on their speeding horses.

  Felicia made it to the cliff first and dismounted. When Sebastian reached her, his heart pounded nearly as fast as the horse’s feet had been going. He jumped off his horse and ran toward her. The worried expression on her face made his heart twist. She’d voiced all along that they needed to plan for if something went wrong, but he was positive their plan would work. Nothing could go wrong.

  “Please, Mr. Harrington,” she said loudly. “I don’t wish to talk anymore.”

  A few people stood off in the distance, but he couldn’t see anyone close enough to really hear what they were saying. Regardless, they needed to perform as though they were on the stage and had viewers watching their act.

  “Felicia, my dear...” He reached for her, but she slapped his hand away. “I don’t have any feelings for that woman. I love only you.”

  Through the fear written on her face, he detected a slight smile, which made him smile. No, he mustn’t. He needed to stay in character.

  She shook her head and walked toward the cliff. “It doesn’t matter anymore. My heart is broken, and you will never be able to mend it.” She stopped near the edge and looked down into the water way below.

  His breath stilled. She was too close. That was not the plan. “My dear, please come away from the edge. You’re frightening me.”

  She glanced at him over her shoulder. “I will not. You do not own me or my actions.”

  “Felicia,” he said in a lower tone moving toward her slowly. “Really, step away from the ledge. You’re too close.”

  “Mr. Harrington? Do you know how to swim?”

  “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  “Because if you want me badly enough, you’ll have to come after me.” She turned toward the cliff’s edge.

  This was his cue to dive for her, but he hesitated. If he bumped her even in the slightest way, he’d tip her over the edge, as well. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

  “Felicia,” he said softly, “please step away from the side or this won’t work.”

  This time, she obeyed his command and took small steps away from the edge. Just as they’d planned, she motioned her body as though she was going to jump. Sebastian sprang into action. He needed a running start, which gave him the speed he needed to fly off the cliff. But somehow, he miscalculated his steps, and he tripped seconds before he leapt.

  In midair on the way off the cliff, Felicia’s panicked shriek pierced the air, going right through his heart. It was too late to stop. He physically prepared himself for hitting the water. Seconds later, the ocean swallowed him. Holding his breath, he tried to relax, but something was wrong. He’d been going too fast and he continued to sink.

  He flayed his hands, trying to grasp at something to stop him. Suddenly, he bumped into rocks which were deep underneath the water’s surface. His head smacked into the rigid object. Pain exploded inside his skull as dizziness assailed him. As his mind sank into the dark abyss, one thought occurred to him.

  This was definitely not in his plans...

  SIXTEEN

  Felicia’s tears were real, as well as the panic rushing through her. At first, she’d thought Sebastian was still acting, but the frightened look on his face as he plunged head first over the cliff was branded in her memory. He had not been acting. Something had indeed gone wrong, just as she feared.

  She’d screamed and rushed back to her horse. Other people had gathered and started asking questions, but she ignored them. She needed to get down to the water. She needed to make sure that Sebastian was all right.

  Her limbs shook as she pushed the horse faster. Two men on horses rushed up to her. One was Officer Rossi. The man didn’t know that something had gone wrong, but he was supposed to act as if this was real. Because now... it was.

  Tears blurred her eyes, but she pushed her horse faster. It seemed like forever before she reached the ocean, only because terrified thoughts filled her head. She couldn’t believe any of them. She must have faith that Sebastian was all right.

  The officers reached the edge of the water when she did. She grasped Officer Rossi’s arm. “Find him. He tripped before he fell. I’m scared something horrid has happened.”

  The man’s eyes widened and he nodded. He issued a command to the other officer in their native language. Immediately, the two were ripping off their uniforms and boots, leaving only their trousers on. Then they dove into the water.

  Minutes ticked by slowly. Too slowly. She cried in her handkerchief. A crowd had now gathered, along with more police. One of them tried to ask her questions, but she couldn’t think of how to reply, even though she and Bash had gone over this several times yesterday.

  More swimmers had gone out into the water to help find Sebastian. She skimmed the edge of the water all around the rocks, but she couldn’t see him. As the minutes passed, her heart crumbled. Was he really dead?

  No! She wouldn’t accept that answer. Sebastian had promised her that he wa
s a good swimmer. He’d promised her that he’d gone cliff diving before.

  Minutes turned into hours. Her legs wouldn’t hold her, so she sat on a rock. Someone had offered her a blanket to wrap around her to ward off the chill. Tears continued to fall down her face, but her sobbing had stopped. Her mind was numb. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t feel. But mostly, she couldn’t accept the evidence before her.

  Officer Rossi walked up to her, also with a blanket wrapped around him. The sadness on his face confirmed her fears. He knelt beside her, looking up into her eyes.

  “What happened?” he whispered. “Why didn’t the plan work?”

  “I-I... I don’t know.” She shook her head. “He cannot be dead. Please, Rossi, tell me he’s not dead.”

  “The men I had assigned by the ocean to dive in after him, could not locate him. I’m so sorry for your loss. Please, let me know what I can do to help you.”

  As her mind gradually accepted this, she crumbled against him, sobbing hysterically. She hadn’t even told Sebastian she loved him. Why? She had so many chances, but she held back. Now she realized she should have told him this. She should have expressed her feelings for him every time they were together.

  Weariness crept upon her, and she couldn’t move out of Rossi’s comforting embrace. The next thing she realized was that she was home in bed. Her head pounded as she peeled her swollen eyes open. When had she come home? Had all of this been a dream?

  She sat up in bed and glanced around the room. Silence was her companion as she gradually remembered everything that had happened. Sadness encompassed her again as agony wrenched her heart. How could she live without Sebastian? It was utterly impossible. Four years ago when she knew she’d broken his heart, she went through life feeling numb. She’d vowed not to ever get involved with a suspect. But Bash had been on her mind, especially late at night while she was in bed thinking over the mistakes she’d made.

  It had been a huge mistake to let Bash plan out his death. They should have figured out another way.

  Crying all day sounded like a good thing to do, but she couldn’t stay cooped up in her room. She must join civilization and appear like the grieving woman she really was.

  She dressed in one of her black gowns and went downstairs. As soon as she reached the hall, a knock came upon the door. Was it someone coming to tell her they’d found Sebastian alive? Oh, Lord... please!

  She hurried to the door and opened it. The man she’d spotted as Mortimer the other day stood before her. He grinned, displaying his crooked teeth, and the chipped one on top. Inwardly, she boiled with hatred.

  “Ah, Lady Adler. You’re wearing black.”

  She scowled. “That’s because I’m grieving.”

  “Rumor has it that you caught Mr. Harrington kissing another woman.” He shrugged. “Am I wrong to wonder why you are grieving when the man broke your heart and you never wanted to see him again?”

  She was grateful that Mortimer had heard about that, which was exactly what Sebastian had planned. “Because I loved him. I didn’t want him to die, I only wanted him out of my life.” Her voice shook as tears swam in her eyes.

  “Well, I commend you for getting rid of him, as you’d promised... even if it was an accident.”

  She took in a shaky breath as she rubbed her throbbing forehead. “What about my mother?”

  “She is well. But alas, I’m still waiting for you to find that ring. As I’d mentioned before, I’m not going to return her until I have that ring in my hand.”

  “Forgive me, Mortimer, but I cannot think when I’m in such a condition.”

  “Very true. I’ll give you a few more days to snap back to your normal self and become the agent I know you can be.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, how very kind of you to think of my nerves at a time like this.”

  “I mean it, Felicia,” he leaned closer. “You will find that ring or your mother’s life will end.”

  Tears stung her eyes again. “Mortimer, I told you I don’t know where it is.”

  “Then I want you to rethink every little step you took when you were on the case before. You were getting close to finding it. We both knew it.”

  “And then the trail ended, which was why I stopped looking for it.”

  “Where had the trail ended? I want you to really think about what happened during that time. You were once my best agent, just like your mother. I know you can find this ring for me.”

  The tears leaked from her eyes and she wiped them away. “I shall try my hardest.”

  “I know you will, Felicia, especially if you want to see your mother alive.”

  Gritting her teeth, she held back the words she wanted to shout at him. Her hands itched to wrap around his neck and choke the life right out of him, but she knew he’d overpower her.

  She kept silent as he turned and walked away from her house. There was a little bounce in his step as he lifted his chin a notch higher. The insipid man was actually gloating over Bash’s death. That made her want to choke him that much more. But ending his life wasn’t good right now. He was the only one who knew where her mother was.

  She slammed the door and moved back into her house, walking into the sitting room to her favorite chair. A small fire had been started in the hearth, making the room cozy. She stared at the low flames reaching upward. It was hard for her to focus on anything but Bash or her mother, but she closed her eyes and forced herself back before she met Edwin Adler... back when she had been working on trying to find the missing topaz diamond ring.

  That had been her last case. When all of her leads took her to a dead-end, she knew her spy days were numbered. She was weary of doing things for Mortimer, and he’d been paying her very little lately, making her want to not give him her best work. But working for Mortimer had drained her. She wanted to live a normal life. She wanted men to court her and to fall in love like normal women.

  As she searched for the man she could love and marry, she compared them to Sebastian. None of them could measure up. Then she realized she would never find anyone like Sebastian. He was one of a kind. That’s when she had met Edwin. She let him take her to parties only the wealthy people had, and she enjoyed feeling special. She wasn’t in love with Edwin, but she loved him like a friend. When he offered marriage, she confessed her feelings to him. He told her he wanted to marry her because she looked good beside him and he enjoyed her company. There was nothing romantic about their relationship.

  She shook herself awake, coming out of her memories with Edwin. She needed to focus on the ring!

  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes again. Let’s see... The last thing she’d done while on the case of the missing ring was attend a ball while in London. She was supposed to be looking for a man named Sir George Wendt. She’d been told by a reliable source that George was a strikingly handsome man, tall with bushy brown hair. This man wasn’t considered wealthy by society’s standards, but he enjoyed hobnobbing with the elite of London. She’d wondered why high society would want to include him in their gatherings if he wasn’t very wealthy. She knew how society worked, which was why she’d found this information confusing.

  Unfortunately, while at this function, she’d asked around about Sir George Wendt, and nobody had heard of him. The next day when she tried to find her informant, the man had suspiciously disappeared. She asked other people, and suddenly, it was as if the man never existed.

  Disappointed, she had told Mortimer she quit. She never wanted to be an agent again. Why couldn’t that man leave her alone? She couldn’t have been his best agent. He trained all of his agents, so why couldn’t he get another one to find that silly ring.

  The knock on the front door, jarred her from her thoughts, but this time she wouldn’t hurry to the door. She was tired of being disappointed in her life.

  Alberto answered the door this time. She heard voices, but she didn’t quite recognize them. Then again, she wasn’t paying close attention, either.

  The door
closed, and seconds later, Alberto came in carrying some flowers.

  “These were delivered for you.”

  Her throat tightened as she gazed upon the beautiful arrangement of Dahlia, Cosmos bipinnatus, sprinkled with a few lavender Columbine, which were her favorites. “Who brought them?”

  “They came from the police station. One of the officers brought them.”

  Tears spiked her eyes again. “Thank you, Alberto. Will you find a vase to put them in?”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  He turned and left the room.

  Indeed, they were lovely flowers, and the police made a sweet gesture by bringing them to her but seeing them reminded her of when Sebastian had brought her flowers that started their playacting.

  She wrapped her arms around her middle and sat, bending in her chair as pain twisted her heart. Why did you have to die? “Oh, Bash,” she closed her eyes and cried. “We should have had a backup plan.”

  “There, there, my dear.”

  Felicia didn’t look up at her mother’s best friend, Louisa, but her soothing voice had always calmed her. “Oh, Louisa. Why did this happen?”

  “It’s all part of the Lord’s great plan, I suppose. We live, we die, we—”

  “But he wasn’t supposed to die!” She snapped her head up and glared at Louisa standing by the fire, wringing her hands against her belly. “It would be different if he were sick with some deadly disease, or if he died of old age, but he died because of me!”

  “If he died, then it was his time to go.”

  Felicia took in a ragged breath. “How did you die, Louisa?”

  Louisa frowned. “I was betrothed to a wonderful man, but a woman who wanted him more paid my maid to smother me in bed with a pillow.” She shrugged. “I suppose it worked.”

  “Tell me truthfully. Why are you here? Why are you here whenever I need you? You’ve always calmed me when I was worried. Just like my grandmother has always been by my side to warn me of danger. And Aunt Abigail never fails to show up just when I lose my confidence. And... that other spirit – the man. He’s always comes whenever I meet a man who isn’t right for me.” She paused as her mind replayed the times he’d been with her. “In fact, he had warned me to stay away from Sebastian when I first met him.”