by Jenni James
“Why do you miss her?”
“Because I cannot see her or speak with her anymore.”
“Like the princess in the story?” Rosie’s eyes went round.
“Yes.”
“Are you a princess?” Rosie regarded Bella with wonder.
Furniture scraped across the room, and Bella wondered how long Celia would throw her fit. If Celia could reach them past the salt, she surely would have by then. That gave Bella confidence in their plan. Did ghosts fatigue? At the same time, she knew that the other servants were spreading the mixture about the house. When they were finished, Celia would be locked in this room. “Heavens, no!”
“You’re as pretty as princess!” Rosie squeezed her tightly.
“I do not think so, but thank you.” Bella took a deep breath to consider how to explain death to her charge. “Normally, when a person dies, their soul leaves this world.” Rosie looked at her in confusion. “Have you seen a bouquet of flowers wilt?”
Rosie nodded, and Bella continued. “Everyone must die, Rosie. Some may die young and some die old, but like the flowers, they do not suddenly bloom again. They cannot persist in living. Only an unfinished soul will stay on the earth.”
“Why did Mother not vanish?”
“She greatly disliked His Grace and wanted to hurt him. She does not mind using you to do so.” After Bella’s speech, there was a flurry of crashes about the room. Bella could see that Rosie felt conflicted by the information, but was also afraid of her mother’s actions.
“Doesn’t she love me?” Rosie whispered.
“My dearest, I do not know if she can love anyone. Some people are deficient in loving others. It means there is something wrong with them, not the others in their life. You are perfectly loveable.”
“No one loves me!” Rosie wailed.
Bella rubbed her back through her sobs. “I love you, and everyone in the castle loves you.”
“His Grace does not.” Rosie sniffled.
“Did you know he has a magic mirror?” Rosie shook her head. “And it only shows what a person most loves. He sees you in it.”
“He does?” The look of fragile hope in Rosie’s eyes, made bluer from the tears, made Bella’s heart weep.
“He does. Would you like to see it?” Rosie slowly nodded her head. “You are not afraid of him?”
“He is big and scary like a monster. He has fangs. There are big ugly marks all over his face.”
If Rosie had said such things to Bella mere days ago, she would have scolded the child for meanness. Now Bella assumed Rosie saw the curse on him, and yet, it sounded like Leo saw the same image when he looked in the enchanted mirror. Leo and Rosie described Bella as beautiful, and she had seen herself as such in the mirror. What had Leo said? It reflected one’s true self? She refused to believe that of Leo. When she looked in the mirror, she saw him a man fit to be Adonis. If it reflected a person’s understanding of themselves, she would not have been so pretty. She began to conclude that the mirror operated with more complexity than Leo had thought.
“When I am afraid, I like to learn more about the thing that scares me,” Bella said. “What if you learn more about His Grace?”
“You will be with me?”
“Yes, of course,” Bella said.
Rosie nodded, but still trembled. “She won’t like it.”
“She will simply have no choice. Hold on to me,” Bella said and slipped a necklace over the child’s head. A small vial containing the enchanted mixture hung from the chain.
Confidently, Bella stood and Rosie jumped into her arms. “We are leaving, Celia. Enjoy the prison you have made for yourself. You will never hurt Rosie again.”
Bella forced herself to walk calmly through the room and remain unflinching even when objects flew around her. They could not touch her or Rosie. As she came to the door, a figure appeared before her. The woman was dressed in black. Her face looked like fruit rotting from the inside, and Bella was sure it reflected the woman’s heart. Startled by the sudden and horrifying apparition, Bella jumped and contained a yelp. She refused to come this far only to give in to fear.
Boldly, Bella meet the ghost’s eyes and raised her chin. At her act of defiance, Celia shrieked, and Rosie tightened her hold around Bella’s neck. Then, reaching forward, Bella turned the door handle and walked out of the room, allowing the door to slam behind her. Heart pounding and trembling, she stepped forward and into Leo’s waiting arms.
* * *
“You were magnificent!”
Leo sighed with relief when Bella collapsed into his arms. He almost missed how Rosie pulled away from him in fright. It caused him to loosen his hold earlier than he would have liked. He had watched the entire scene through the mirror, heard every word, saw every broken glass. It took all his restraint not to storm into the room to defend his ladies.
Collecting herself, Bella stood straighter and put Rosie on her feet. “Your Grace, Lady Rosalyn would enjoy a visit with you, if you would suggest a room.”
“Certainly,” he said after a civil bow to the child. “I think you might prefer the library.”
They walked in silence, and he did not miss Rosie’s reticence. She tightly gripped Bella’s hand. When they reached the library, he asked the ladies to be seated. “I brought out some of my favorite books from when I was a child. I didn’t know what you liked,” he told Rosie. “I will read anything you choose.”
Obviously tempted, she released Bella’s hand to look through the covers. Selecting one with a princess in a tower, she nearly tossed the book at him and rushed back to Bella’s side. He supposed it was an improvement from being kicked. Overall, not a bad reaction to a man who looked as beastly as he.
Bella smiled encouragingly at him, and he was lost. Leo read, and as he did so, he saw Rosie soften. She nearly transformed and looked at him with interest instead of disgust. “What is it, poppet?” he asked when he was finished.
“What did you do to your teeth?”
Leo briefly covered his mouth. For years now, what he saw in the mirror affected his sensibilities, even if he knew most others still saw him as a man. “What do you mean?”
“Your fangs are gone. And your scars aren’t big and angry anymore.”
How interesting! Rosie had seen the same beastly image without aid of the mirror.
“You look nicer since meeting Miss Beauley,” Rosie said matter-of-factly.
“I am very grateful to have met Miss Beauley. Now, do you think I shall become too beautiful?” he teased, and felt his heart lift when she giggled.
“Your Grace is very silly,” Rosie said, but beamed.
“Have you changed, Rosie? You no longer scream when you see me.”
Rosie tilted her head. “I do not know. Do I look different too?”
Bella cleared her throat, saving him from having to answer or explain magical happenings he scarcely understood. “Lady Rosalyn spoke of asking to see your magic mirror.”
“May I see your mirror …?” Rosie trailed off, and Leo awkwardly realized this was his first real conversation with the child who clearly had no idea how to address him. He really had been quite cruel and insensitive to her feelings. Bella looked at him anxiously.
“What kind of papa would I be if I refused such a polite request?”
Bella smiled so widely, Leo felt like the sun had suddenly come bursting into the room. Rosie looked relieved.
“You must sit here,” he said, and patted the seat next to him.
He felt a twinge of guilt. With any luck, Celia would be banished forever from influencing Rosie again, but in other ways, nothing had changed. Leo still accepted his imminent demise. It was hardly fair to claim parentage just to die weeks later. By the same token, she deserved at least one loving parent at some time in her life. He could not forget, however, his plans involving Morgan.
Leo pulled the mirror from his pocket and learned close to Rosie, curious to see what she would see. “Look, Papa! Your face is almost all bet
ter!” she cried.
To Leo’s amazement, he saw it as well. He ran a hand over his jaw, stretched up past his cheeks and along one temple. His skin looked—and felt—flawless. “What else do you see?”
“I’m happy!” she cried gaily. “I see my teeth when I smile!”
Again, Leo was ashamed to admit that he did not know Rosie’s usual smile, but assumed she, like him, usually had a different reflection in a mirror before.
The clock struck three, and Bella stood. “Rosie, it is time for us to return to the nursery for our biscuits. His Grace is expecting visitors this afternoon, and if you are good for Miss Jenny and Miss Maria, perhaps you can see them before bed.”
Rosie happily agreed. Just before jumping down from the sofa, she gave Leo a kiss on the cheek. If Leo had not thought it before, he was certain now. His heart had been made of ice, but a large chunk just thawed.
Like the ladies, he went upstairs to change. An hour later, he awaited his guests in the downstairs drawing room. Bella arrived moments later, looking refreshed and as pretty as ever. If he was not destined to die on Rosie’s sixth birthday, his impending plans for Bella would surely kill him anyway. They chatted and focused on small talk. Neither mentioned Celia by unspoken agreement—they would not mention her while guests were in the castle.
An hour later, his heir, Lord Morgan, and his sister arrived. Morgan was in his mid-thirties, tall and athletic with just a touch of gray around the temples. He seemed everything gentlemanly and proper. As a young man, Leo had watched that sort of personality from a distance with loathing. Flattery and wit did not come easily to Leo. He had never mastered the art of putting others at ease because he often felt so uncomfortable himself. Today, he told himself that Bella deserved nothing less.
Morgan’s sister, Mrs. Margaret Hammond, was the older of the two siblings. She paid no special attention to Leo, and with the age difference, he grew ashamed of his earlier prejudice. Mrs. Hammond was restrained, but friendly.
“You must be tired after your journey,” Leo said after the usual topics of small talk were exhausted. “Dinner will be served at six. If you would like to refresh yourselves before then, please allow Miss Beauley to show you to your rooms.”
His guests agreed, and as they were leaving, he called out with a request he hoped appeared impromptu. Morgan agreed to join him for drinks in the study before dinner in three quarters of an hour.
At the appointed time, Morgan returned, and Leo delved into his plans. After asking questions to learn the man was financially solvent and upstanding, if relatively boring, he admitted the truth.
“I confess I was happy to hear that your father had already passed and you are the heir.”
“Indeed?”
“You must be thinking of marriage soon.”
Morgan took a sip of his port. “Few ladies seem interested in an aging baron.”
“The right sort of lady would not mind,” Leo said while thinking of Bella’s kind heart. “I will be direct. I have an illness and am assured I shall not live many weeks hence.”
His guest’s face paled. “Is it certain?”
“As certain as we can be. You will be the fourth duke of Erroll by the end of the year.”
“I am sorry to hear it,” Morgan said, and he seemed genuine in his feelings. Leo cursed him for being so perfect.
“You must know that only the title goes to you. I have made arrangements, however, for a large piece of my personal estate to go to you on a few conditions.”
“That is unnecessary…”
Leo interrupted. “Hear my conditions before you accept or refuse.” He waited for Morgan’s agreement. When it was gained, he continued. “I will choose your bride, and you will be guardian to Lady Rosalyn. Half my fortune and the estates will go to you, but you must never allow Lady Rosalyn to return to the castle.”
Morgan’s eyes grew round with wonder, and then he crossed his legs and assumed a businesslike mien. “It is an excellent offer, but I would be a fool to accept unless I knew the value of what you’re talking about.”
“Your share is valued at three million pounds, and the annual income would be ten thousand pounds. My solicitor has already sent documents to yours. You should receive confirmation of the legitimacy of my claim in a few days.”
“And the bride?” Morgan appeared disinterested, but Leo knew the man would not turn down such a sum.
“Miss Arabella Beauley.”
Morgan suddenly sat up erect. “The governess? I can hardly make a servant my duchess!”
Leo leaned forward. “For three million pounds, you can. She is the daughter of a Scottish baron. Beautiful, collected, calm—”
“A favorite of yours, then? I will not suffer to raise another man’s child. Marry her yourself or pay her off.”
Annoyed at the assumption, Leo feigned indifference and shrugged. “Are you certain you wish to risk that? I could legitimize a male heir.”
Morgan furrowed his brow. Clearly, he had not considered that before. There would be time later to set the record straight. For now, Leo just needed the man’s agreement.
“Very well,” Morgan said.
“And you shall court her properly.”
“Of course,” Morgan said.
“We are hosting a small ball next week. It is the first time the castle has hosted one in half a decade. We will introduce you as betrothed. You will wed in three weeks, before my passing.”
“Is that all?” Morgan stood and sneered, revealing his true personality after all.
“I have nothing else to say to you. You are excused.”
After the man left, Leo wondered why it felt like he had just made a bargain with the devil.
Chapter Eight
Bella looked in the mirror in her dressing room and smoothed the gown. It had been a rush order for the dressmaker in the local village, and it was the most ornate gown she had ever worn. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
This night was to be a dinner and small ball with neighbors. Leo had asked her to act as hostess, and she had spent many hours in the past week, when not hunting for magical artifacts or reading the books for clues on how to end the curse, planning the evening with Mrs. Potter. Even more so, she would be blind not to notice Lord Morgan’s interest in her. It flattered her, and she could hardly believe that she had gained the notice of a peer and future duke. The mirror in front of her was not Leo’s enchanted one, but when Bella looked in it, she now saw a lady who had faced dangers and peril and came out stronger. She saw a woman who had the love of several friends instead of the mere necessity of her family. No, her physical features had not changed in the least, but Bella finally felt confident and knew her worth. If she lost the affection of her friends, it would not alter this new understanding of herself.
“Oh, Miss Beauley,” Jenny sighed as she put the final touches on Bella’s hair.
“My brother will not be able to keep his eyes off you.” Mrs. Hammond had joined her and offered assistance.
Bella blushed. “Lord Morgan is very kind and civil.”
“Civil? I have never seen a man more smitten!” Mrs. Hammond gave the maid a conspiratorial look. “I think he may have selected his future duchess.”
“Me?” Bella’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Impossible!”
“He would be a fool not to see your worth.”
“Margaret,” Bella said, as Mrs. Hammond had asked her to call her last night after dinner. “I am nervous enough this evening.”
Margaret nodded and allowed the subject to drop. “You are lovely, everything perfectly in place. You certainly look like you could be the real mistress of this estate. Surely that gives you some confidence?”
Bella smiled. It was nice to have an older woman to discuss matters with again. Margaret was nearly old enough to be her mother, but was more like an older sister. “It does.”
“And you could never claim to be ignorant. You will do splendidly!”
Toying with a necklace from Leo’s
vault, Bella blew out a deep breath. She had managed her father’s household and her siblings. She had survived confrontations with a vengeful ghost and a trap intended to kill her. A dinner party and dancing, she could navigate with her eyes closed. “I should check on matters again. You are certain you do not need my help, Margaret?”
“Jenny will be perfect. I will see you soon.”
The lady left, with the maid following after her. Bella turned from the mirror, intending to exit the room, when the door connecting to Rosie’s nursery squeaked open. “You’re so pretty!” Rosie said in awe.
“Thank you.” Bella stooped down to speak with her on eye level.
Rosie shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Papa asked me to give this to you.” She held out a small box.
Bella took it and looked at it in wonder. Leo had already given her so much. His selflessness seemed unending.
“Lady Rosalyn?” Maria called from the nursery.
“Go now, love. Mrs. Potter has promised to send you up some of the sweets. Tomorrow I will tell you all about the ball.”
Rosie scampered off, and Bella opened the box from Leo. A note rested atop.
A diamond does not compare to the sparkle of your eyes. The finest jewels in the kingdom do not compare to the beauty of your soul. An enchanted ring for an enchanted beauty. Turn this ring, and it will take you to your heart’s desire.
Bella held the note close to her heart for a moment. How did others see a beast? Leo was the kindest, gentlest man she had ever known. Looking in the box again, her eyes beheld the most beautiful ring she could have imagined. The diamond was a pale pink color and set as a rose. Bella slid it on over her gloves. It perfectly complimented her gown, complexion, and other jewelry.
Smiling radiantly, Bella left her chamber and descended the stairs. Guests would be arriving any moment, and she finally felt ready for the task. With the ring on her right hand, she felt as though she wore a special shield.
Unfortunately, she never had a moment alone with Leo to thank him for the gift. Lord Morgan monopolized most of her time. Leo had seemed to avoid her since Morgan’s arrival. At the moment, he was circled by several female guests, each prettier and richer than the next.
