The Everdon Series- the Complete Set

by L C Kincaide

  She wandered around the ballroom saying hello to people she knew and those she had just met. The evening had arrived in that special phase when strangers were more acquaintances and the room no longer an unfamiliar space, but a place to relax and enjoy themselves. Rachel and Matthew were speaking with Graham Morrow and his wife, Gray on his own for the moment had his eyes on Carrie at the piano, her head nodding to the rhythm. Laughter and conversations flowed around her. Maybe mum would have been proud. She wove her way through the crowd and the music changed; the band falling silent and only Carrie played. The four notes of the Gershwin song stopped her, and her heart skipped a beat.

  A brush against her arm made her turn toward a masked, dark-haired Musketeer wearing a wide-brimmed hat with an ostrich feather. As her pulse raced, he reached for her hand and she followed him to the dance floor on weak legs. Her eyes searched his. “Adam?”

  The half smile grew. “Did you think I’d be able to stay away?” He murmured in her ear his hand holding hers against his chest.

  She leaned against him as his other arm held her close.

  “Matt! Look! It’s him!” Rachel gushed tugging at Matthew’s arm.

  “Who?”

  “Adam! Can you believe it? He came all that way to be with her tonight! It’s so romantic, I’m going to cry!”

  “Don’t do that, your eyeliner will run.”

  “You’re right. Hold my hand.”

  Smiling at his sentimental wife, he draped his arm around her and dropped a kiss on her head.

  Inspired by the emotional display on the dance floor, Carrie signalled the band to play, Our Love is Here to Stay.

  “When did you get here?”

  “About six hours ago, give or take.”

  “But I talked to you only yesterday, and you didn’t say a word!”

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  Emma smiled at him, delighting in his embrace. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “I have to admit, I’m here just as much for myself.“

  “Did you get any sleep? You must be exhausted.”

  “A bit light-headed, but that could be from being with you.”

  “Then come with me.” She led him from the dance floor when the song ended. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet before you keel over.”

  “Smart thinking. That would not leave a good impression.” He removed his mask, and they stopped in front of Rachel and Matthew.

  “Adam, this is my brother Matthew and his wife and my best friend Rachel. This is Adam Kinsley.”

  He removed his hat, and they shook hands.

  “I’m so glad to finally meet you.” Rachel beamed. “You came all the way from England and in costume too, I mean, you didn’t wear it on the airplane.”

  “That would have caused a stir.” He laughed good-naturedly.

  Rachel giggled and Matthew gave her a look. “I can imagine. So, how long are you staying?”

  “As long as she’ll have me.”

  Rachel arched her brows. “Hmmm… we’ll have to get together soon and get better acquainted.”

  “I’ll look forward to that. Emma’s spoken very highly of you.”

  “Of you too. Come Matt, I see a tray of mini quiches over there. See you later.” She waggled her fingers and led Matthew away.

  “Not exactly subtle, was she?” Emma grinned and shook her head.

  “Rather endearing. They care about you very much.”

  “Yeah. They’re all the family I’ve got, and the baby. Where are you staying?” Emma asked.

  “I have a room upstairs.”

  “You should stay with me at the condo.”

  Adam gave Emma an affectionate smile. “I’ll try not to be a nuisance.”

  “There’s always my apartment if that happens, but I doubt it will come to that.”

  “I am much relieved to hear it. I’m not keen on being separated from you.” He stepped back to appraise her. “How is it that every time I see you, you look more beautiful?”

  “It could be the costume.” She suggested.

  “As alluring as it is, that’s not it.”

  “You look very alluring yourself.”

  “Thank you. It’s the jaunty-feathered hat.”

  Emma shook her head. “Nope.”

  “The frilled shirt?”

  Another head shake.

  “The high leather boots. It must be those.”

  “As sexy as they are, that’s not it either.” She grinned. “I’ll give you a hint. It’s not your costume.”

  His eyes danced as he regarded her. “I have missed you terribly.”

  “I’ve missed you too. If I hadn’t been so busy with the arrangements for the Ball, I don’t know what I would have done.”

  “Same with me. Everything looks marvellous. I’m impressed.”

  “Thanks. It will be over soon and we can go home.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “You look tired.”

  “True, but I meant the sound of home.”

  ~*~

  Adam glanced around taking in the art and quality antique furniture.

  “It was my mum’s condo.” She explained. “There were papers I needed to sort through, so I live here some of the time. I still haven’t decided where home is.”

  “It seems homey enough. I see the roses came with you.” He indicated the blooming shrub in the cottage planter.

  “It’s kind of my roommate. Can I get you anything?”

  “No thanks, love. Just point me toward the nearest bed, the one you’ll also be in.”

  She led him to her bedroom. “This was my room when I lived here with mum after we moved out of the house. Rachel and Matthew live there now.” She pecked him on the cheek. “I won’t be long.”

  By the time Emma was out of her costume and ready for bed, Adam was out cold. She slid beneath the covers and curled against him. Even asleep, his arm wrapped around her, and soon her eyes closed, the Gershwin song echoing from a dreamy distance.

  CHAPTER 25

  ~*~

  It was still dark when she awakened and slowly pulled away to not disturb him. Loath to get out of bed and hating to leave him, she gave herself the luxury of a few minutes to watch him sleep. She had imagined their night together differently, but they were both exhausted, difficult to say which one more and to be honest, she had been a little nervous that he would detect the change in her shape though it was only a slight difference. That is not how she wanted him to learn that she was carrying his child.

  Her hand touched his cheek and her heart swelled. How she would have loved to wake up with him and enjoy breakfast together, finally trying that tea he had left with her, but she couldn’t — not while the past threatened their future. “I love you.” She whispered in the dark and slipped out of bed. At Elinor’s desk, she wrote him a note so he wouldn’t worry needlessly when he found her gone.

  The drive was easy with no traffic in either direction, neither on the freeway nor the country roads. Having everything ready to go in her apartment saved time, and if all went well, she’d be back in the early afternoon like she promised in the note. She had not given a reason for her absence — the situation was beyond what a rational person was expected to believe. He may be an Everdon by birthright, but not having lived as one, she couldn’t expect him to understand what was happening, nor accept it.

  Emma replayed Mabel’s instructions in her mind and prepared herself for the task ahead. The carnelian amulet warmed against her skin, and she drew strength from her love for Adam and their unborn child. The outcome had to be a success. There was no other option, it was them or Mason, and he’d already had his chance. She wasn’t about to hand over their future without a fight. If lu
ck was on her side, he would not sense her intentions, believing instead that she had succumbed to his will once again. Boy, was he in for a surprise.

  ~*~

  Adam stirred, and his hand swept the coverlet beside him. Instead of Emma, his fingers grazed against a piece of paper and he opened his eyes to a darkened room. He switched on the lamp and squinted in the sudden light. According to the clock, it was just passed seven, but for him it was closer to afternoon. The note said she had gone out to run an errand. What sort of an errand could she be running at this time on a Sunday morning? His hand brushed the length of her side of the bed and found it still warm, so she couldn’t have left that long ago. Had she expected him to sleep in much later? The time difference must have slipped her mind. Wide awake, he headed for the shower.

  ~*~

  The radio became more a nuisance than a distraction and she switched it off early into the trip and watched the road in silence. Her heartbeat quickened as she passed through Fairmont, her memories of their visit still fresh in her mind. Had she known then… but they never did, all of them hoping year after year it was their last drive in that direction. This could be it, she concluded. What reason would she have to return after today? Maybe to witness the manor’s demolition? There could be satisfaction in that.

  Parched weeds bordered the sides of the narrowing road as she turned onto the winding drive. The manor was nothing more than a hulking shape against a morning horizon with bare-limbed trees and withered grass bristling around it. With a dry mouth and a tight grip on her bag, she stepped out of the car and mounted the two steps then twisted the key in the padlock. As before, the chain unspooled with a clatter, and the door creaked open to a cold, dark, musty hall. Emma took a last breath of the crisp fall air and entered.

  She jumped as the door slammed shut behind her; the impact resounding throughout the central hall. Sensing her presence, the gaslights flickered to life in the portrait gallery in welcome, but Emma had no intention of leaving the main floor to see a gallery devoid of portraits. There would be no fooling her anymore.

  When the clouds parted, a faint light entered through the skylight and illuminated her surroundings. Whatever waited beyond the granite pillars lay hidden in shadow. Emma set down her bag and opened it. Her preparations involved starting a fire and she considered the rug. She could move the hated carpet aside or leave it there to burn, but it may catch too quickly and blaze out of control before she was finished. Loath to touch it, she grasped a corner and pulled it away from the center careful to avoid stepping underneath the skylight. She tugged at it as she backed away and screamed out loud when her butt made contact with a pillar. Her voice echoed around the barren hall.

  “God!” She dropped the rug and clamped a hand to her thumping heart. She was the official scream queen in her very own horror movie! Okay, get a grip, she admonished herself, and the rug out of the way, she retrieved both salt cartons and walked around in a circle pouring salt to create a ring. She did this twice building up the thickness since Mabel said this was part of her protection along with the black candles set out in a pentagram arrangement just within the ring. A cloud passed over the skylight and the shadows quivered around her. Fear tried to take hold of her and she pushed herself to continue, expecting resistance once he realized she was not a sucker come for him to have his way with her.

  She struck a match and touched it to the first wick. The flames struggled in a breeze she had not noticed before, and she made sure it caught before moving to the next candle. When they were lit, she stepped back. A golden glow skimmed the curves of the pillars and glanced off the edges of the of the newel posts. The veined marble floor warmed in the circle, but the ancient bloodstain remained a black reminder of their collective past and all their miseries. Lingering wisps of smoke drifted lazily upward amid the acrid smell of sulfur from the matches. At first, Emma dreaded his appearance and now wished he would make his move so she could get this over with.

  Mabel had made it sound simple — lure him out and banish him. The reality was a little different, and her nerves strained. She took a deep breath and made the final preparations of arranging the wormwood into separate bundles to set aflame. That, Mabel assured her, would draw any spirits out and hasten their departure.

  Snippets of memories from last year rushed forward when she had stood beneath the skylight and fought for her life. No one was here this time. “It’s just you and me.” She touched a hand to her belly and waited for courage to deal with the lingering spirits and the one she had come to face.

  ~*~

  A deep sense of unease gnawed at Rachel’s nerves as soon as her eyes opened, and she hurried to her daughter’s room to make sure she was all right. Ella kicked her legs and reached for her mother when Rachel appeared at the crib, and she lifted her out.

  “Good morning, sweet girl. Are you hungry?” She rocked the baby in her arms for the first feeding of the day unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong.

  ~*~

  The matchbox in hand, Emma struck a match to its side and set fire to the dried herbs and blew out the flame. Pungent smoke mingled with sulfur, and holding her breath, she quickly repeated the steps with the rest then stepped back to watch the strange scene. Her hand came up to touch the carnelian. “I hope you work.” She muttered under her breath, but so far, there seemed no need for it. Candle flames flickered and the piles of wormwood smoldered in white wisps. If not for the high ceilings and vastness of the space, she’d be gasping for air soon.

  Where was he? The temptation to call him out grew with her impatience. Come on. I haven’t got all day for this. If not already, Adam would be up and wondering where she was. Then she remembered the most vital part of the ceremony and dug out the watch. She took it out of the pouch and opened it. Under different circumstances, the sentimental timepiece with the sweet engraving would have produced a smile, but she glanced at it coolly.

  She yelped when the grandfather clock — the clock that wasn’t really there began its laborious ticking from behind, and her grasp tightened, the metal edge scratching her skin. The second hand was moving around the face.

  Oh God!

  It was starting.

  ~*~

  “It’s Emma!” Rachel pronounced.

  “Why would you think anything is wrong with her? She’s with Adam and unless he’s a serial killer, she’s perfectly safe with him.” Matthew tried to reason with his wife, but she was having none of his logic.

  “I feel it.”

  “Oh.“

  “You know what this reminds me of? The time she was at the manor and we couldn’t get to her because all the cars kept dying on us.”

  “You don’t think she went there?”

  “I don’t know what to think.” She paced the carpet while Matthew held Ella.

  “I’m calling her.” She lunged for the phone.

  “Rachel, it’s still early. Let her sleep in.”

  “Damn! Voicemail.”

  “See, she turned it off so nobody would bother them. You’re worrying about nothing.”

  Rachel glared at him. ”It isn’t nothing! It’s something and just because I don’t know what it is, doesn’t mean it isn’t anything.”

  “Sorry.” He gave up. Sometimes, he had to. “Leave a message for her and she’ll get back to you.”

  Rachel’s mind turned. “I’m calling the condo. Maybe she went there.”

  He was about to voice another protest about disturbing them, but wisely reconsidered.

  “Oh, hullo Rachel. No, Emma isn’t here. I thought she was with you.”

  “With me? Why would you think that?” This was getting weirder by the minute.

  Adam told her about the note and the length of time she’d been away.

  Rachel’s mind raced. “She may have gone to her apartment to finish up something. I�
�ll stop by and call you.” It sounded improbable, but what else was there?

  “Thanks, Rachel. I’d appreciate that.”

  CHAPTER 26

  ~*~

  Emma’s eyes darted to the staircase expecting him to come down, but only shadows danced there and all around her, if they even were shadows. Mabel explained the circle of protection would act as a barrier between the dimensions, and if it stayed strong enough, he would be unable to cross it, but be trapped as if in a shaft with transparent walls allowing both to see into each other’s realm, yet remain separate. The pocket watch, his physical link to her once returned to his side, would close the portal leaving him there. Emma prayed the medium was right and the timepiece could pass through. Mabel had also advised strongly for her to keep at a safe distance of the circle while luring him into it. She drew him to her; the watch strengthening her pull.

  A flash drew Emma’s attention upward. The light outside had changed becoming brighter and the glass itself became opaque where moments earlier she had glimpsed the movement of a cloud. It had begun, and a tendril curled slowly downward. She stepped back aware that if it were to touch her, it would be too late for her unborn son. Would a lead apron have helped? She mused while terror threatened to claw through her determination to see this through. The watch snapped shut in her closing hand and she gripped it waiting and watching the coil form.