Their movements echoed in the high-ceilinged entryway that led to a massive room. The long-empty house was shadowy and strangely cold, as if it was a world of its own, untouched by the whims of outside weather. Jade startled when Gage spoke.
“I recognize this place now; I read an article about it in the news not long ago. There’s a story behind this property. Back in the early 1800’s or so, a man named Louis St. John built this house for his bride. Once it was finished, he sent for her and she made the arduous journey from Paris to America.” He tapped his chin for a minute, thinking. “If I remember right, her name was Collete.”
“Something tells me this story won’t have a happy ending.” Jade held her camera in her hand, ready to take pictures as Gage continued with the tale.
“No. Seems she could never adjust to the move, was homesick all the time. She begged St. John to release her from her vows, let her return to France. He was smitten with her and would deny her nothing. Except that. He couldn’t let her go. She began wasting away. It seemed that no matter what delicacies were placed before her, she couldn’t take more than a few spoonfuls before her throat would close up and she could eat no more.”
“She starved to death?”
“No. She vanished. They found her shoes at the edge of the swamp not far from here and assumed she had drowned. Her body was never recovered. It’s said that her spirit is trapped here. She supposedly wanders the halls of this house, whispering, and crying to go home.”
“Oh.” Jade’s hand went to her throat in shock. “That’s terrible.”
“Yes, it is. After her disappearance, St. John grieved like a madman. He changed the estate’s name to The Lonely Heart. Started drinking. He grew careless with his money and involved himself in questionable activities. After a time, he remarried and had offspring, but it’s said he never fully recovered from the loss of his true love. Each successive generation has encountered hard financial circumstances. Folks began to speculate he had cursed his bloodline by what he’d done to Collette, keeping her a virtual prisoner in her own home. Eventually, the estate fell into disrepair and the money wasn’t there to keep it up. So, here it sits. Deteriorating.” He stopped suddenly, as if realizing he was rambling. He finished with, “Anyway, that’s the story I heard. Let’s look around. Maybe Ms. Collette will make an appearance.”
Jade shivered involuntarily, and turned toward the stairway.
“Back in the days when this plantation was in its full grace, men would have to look away as a woman climbed the stairs. If a gentleman saw the woman’s ankle, he was expected to marry her.”
“Well, then, you’d better go first.” She laughed and trailed behind him as her gaze drifted to the ceiling. Grabbing Gage by the arm, Jade pointed upward. “Look. The chandelier is still here. I wonder why thieves haven’t taken it.” She snapped several shots of the magnificent fixture and checked to see how they came out. They were a little dark but she thought she could lighten them up once on her computer.
“It would probably be next to impossible to steal that,” Gage pronounced, glancing up. “It’s sure a beaut, though! It even looks like it still has most of the light bulbs. Wish you could see it lit up.”
“Me? What about you?”
“Oh, of course me, too. I figured that was a given.” He smiled and started climbing to the second level.
Jade followed Gage up the wide, dusty stairs to the floor above. They hesitated in the upper hallway and Jade took another picture of the chandelier. Wind sighed through the trees outside the broken windows of the landing; the tossing of the branches caused an eerie dance of shadows across the worn carpeting. Turning, she noticed the hallway was divided into three wings, one straight ahead, and one to each side.
“Let’s go this way.” Gage motioned toward the right. They entered the first doorway they found, which appeared to have been a sitting room at one time. Under a filthy sheet, they found a long divan with a tapering back. “Fainting couch,” Gage said. “Genteel ladies of the time apparently got lightheaded quite often.”
Jade took a picture before Gage covered the old furniture again. “What’s this?” He bent down and retrieved a yellowed paper that had fluttered out.
“Let’s see.” Jade took the paper Gage offered and moved to the window where she could see better. She opened the delicate page and turned it over in her fingers. “It’s a poem. And look at the date! May 14, 1810.”
“Really? Read it to me.” Gage watched her intently.
“Well, it’s really faded…let’s see if I can make it out. The handwriting is so fancy it’s hard to decipher.” She squinted. “It’s titled My Beloved. My precious flower, why hast thou bloom faded? My tears are thy…um, water. My smile…something…sunshine. My torment…I can’t quite make it out…abated.” Her eyes shone when she looked at Gage. “Do you think Louis St. John wrote this for Collette?”
“Couldn’t say. Maybe.”
“We should see if we can find out who owns this place and give it to them. They might want it.”
“Or you could keep it for a souvenir.”
“No, it should go to the owners.” Jade decided she’d ruin the paper if she put it in a pocket and asked Gage to carry it for her. He frowned slightly but took the page.
As they continued exploring the house, they found more pieces of cloth-draped furniture. After lifting the edges of the sheets, they discovered all of it was outdated. One room appeared to have been used as a nursery. An old baby carriage lay on its side, collecting dust. A couple of forgotten toys lay forlornly on a shelf. Another room was obviously a boudoir, an antique four-poster still in residence, though the mattress had long since rotted away. A roll-top desk was revealed under a dusty sheet in what had to have been the office of the master of the house.
“Do you think we could open it?” Jade asked.
“Go ahead,” Gage encouraged.
It made a dry sound when Jade rolled up the lid. She squealed in excitement. “There’s a book in here! Wait, it’s a journal. And, it’s so old!”
“Can you read it?”
“Not here. Should I take it home with me? Keep it with the poem?”
“I don’t see why not,” Gage agreed.
Jade handed Gage the journal to carry and closed the desktop once more. She covered it and they proceeded on.
The remainder of the rooms on the second level appeared to be bedrooms, except for one with floor to ceiling shelves, which certainly had been a library at one time. Jade took more photos. Near a blackened fireplace, Gage noted a large tear in the wallpaper. “Something’s sticking out of the plaster here; there’s a hole. Look.”
Jade watched as he tugged and a handful of cash fell to the floor, while a few remained in his hand. She gasped. “That must be a small fortune.”
He flipped through the money he held. “Not really,” he said, bending to retrieve the rest of the bills. “This is all Confederate money. Back when plantations were up and running, and heck, probably even today, people sometimes secreted their valuables inside of walls, behind wallpaper, and inside mattresses. They were quite creative at finding hiding spots. You might as well add these to your collection.”
“You’re sure it’s okay?”
“I’m positive. If you really want, a trip to the courthouse would tell us the property owner’s name and we could return all of this. But, if we do, we’d have to admit we were trespassing.” He held up his hand that was filled with their findings. “What do you say? Keep them or try to turn them over?
“I don’t know.” She stared at the items in question for a moment, battling with her conscience. Finally she said, “Let’s play it by ear.”
“That sounds good to me. Let’s head downstairs now.”
At the rear of the home, a magnificent built-in spiral staircase led down to the lower level. When they reached the first floor, Jade looked up and gasped. “Oh, Gage. Look at this. You can see all the way up.”
The stairway weaved its way up, centered
far above by another ornate chandelier on the third floor ceiling.
“Nice.” Gage nodded.
Jade laughed. “It’s better than nice, it’s fabulous.”
Gage stared into Jade’s uplifted face. “Yes,” he agreed, “it is fabulous.”
Hearing a change in his voice, Jade turned to look at him. She was surprised to find his eyes on her, not the chandelier.
“You look beautiful, Jade.” He took a step closer, laying their booty on a small nearby table.
Holding her breath, she didn’t move. Her heart pounded in her chest. He folded her in his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. “So beautiful,” he murmured right before his lips met hers.
She melted into his embrace and returned his soft, searching kiss. His lips were hot against hers. Her arm dropped to her side, camera dangling from her wrist. She thought she might need the fainting couch, so intense were the feelings rushing through her. She was almost lightheaded when they stopped. “Shall we continue our exploration?” he asked, voice husky.
Jade nodded, thrilling at his closeness. She looked up into those whiskey eyes and perceived his desire mirroring her own. But this was not the place for satisfying their passion. Reluctantly, they parted and Gage retrieved their findings.
Just as Jade turned away, they heard a sound from the front of the plantation. The creak of the massive front doors. Echoing footsteps. Jade froze and shot a wide-eyed look at Gage.
“Mr. Pichot?” a voice called, causing Jade to turn inquiring eyes on Gage.
A sheepish look crossed Gage’s features. “Party’s over, I guess. This way.” He led her down the hall to the entryway.
Puzzled, Jade walked beside him to where a tall, thin man in a gray security uniform stood and looked at them expectantly. “I just wondered if you’re done yet, Mr. Pichot. I need to lock up the gates and set the alarm.”
“Sure, Charley. I think we’re finished.”
Charley tipped his hat at Jade and stood aside to allow them to pass. “Ma’am.”
Jade’s face felt stiff, unnatural. She held her silence, though, until they reached Gage’s car.
“That man called you by name,” she said in an accusatory tone as she settled into the front seat. She made Gage wait while she put her camera back in its case and placed it on the dashboard, then she accepted their treasures from him, setting them in her lap.
“I know the owner,” Gage admitted. He started the car, circled the drive, and headed down the long lane to the gates. “This house, it was the surprise. Not the river.”
“You let me think this was all spontaneous. Dangerous. Risky. When you had the whole thing planned. You tricked me.”
“Guilty as charged,” Gage said, “but I had the best of intentions. I wanted it to be an adventure for you. I figured it would be more interesting if you thought we weren’t supposed to be here.”
“It’s so contrived. So…” She paused, searching for a word. “Devious.”
“You’re angry.” He passed through the gates, and stopped the car.
“Damn right I am.” She refused to look at him, stared instead at the journal and Confederate cash in her lap. Running her fingers lightly over the found items, a thought occurred to her. “These things, then. Are they genuine?”
“Of course.” He sounded surprised.
“You planted them, didn’t you?”
He sighed. “You think too much, Jade.”
“Well, did you?”
His silence was all the answer she needed.
“I wondered why there didn’t seem to be any vandalism. No graffiti or trash. Only a couple of broken windows.”
“Could be because the place is so remote,” Gage offered.
“Or it could be that it’s guarded by a security firm.”
“Yeah. Could be that,” Gage conceded. “Look, Jade. There are plans in the works to completely renovate the plantation and grounds. I wanted you to see it before that happens. I thought it would spice things up if you found a few old keepsakes to take away with you. So, yes, all the things we found today are authentic and it’s okay if you keep them.”
“You stashed these things here and then acted as surprised as I was when we found them.” She crossed her arms, embarrassment warming her cheeks. “You let me ooh and ah over all of our findings like an idiot? You set me up. Humiliated me.”
“No. I was thinking of it more as a scavenger hunt. An adventure.”
“So pulling a trick on someone is your idea of adventure?”
“Look at me, Jade.” He reached over and took her chin in a gentle hand, but she pulled away, refused to turn her head.
“Just take me back to Maylene’s.” She stared stiffly out the window.
“I’m sorry,” Gage said quietly as he pulled back onto the road. “I really screwed up.”
Tears stung her eyes as she stared out at the passing trees and shrubs. “You made a fool of me. Maybe that’s what you wanted all along.”
“No. Never. What I wanted was to give you an experience to remember. You told me how much you used to love going through abandoned buildings. I just wanted to recreate some of that youthful excitement for you. That’s the honest truth, Jade.”
They rode in silence for a ways. Her anger slowly faded, but the sting of his deception stayed with her. “Are you one of those men who likes to manipulate people?”
“I wouldn’t describe myself that way, no. Darn it, Jade. You’re blowing this out of proportion. Can’t you just accept that my intentions were good, even if the result wasn’t the best?”
“I feel stupid.”
“Probably not as stupid as I feel right now.” He rubbed his forehead before returning his hand to the wheel.
A short time later, they reentered the city. Gage parked in front of Maylene’s house and turned to look at her. “Can we start over? I mean, how long can you hold this against me?”
Jade flushed under his scrutiny. “I don’t know,” she muttered, already sorry for both of them. His ill-advised outing had started with such promise but now was ending in awkwardness. “Probably not long.”
“That’s pretty vague. What can I do? I’ve already apologized. Should I grovel? I’m not very good at it, but I guess I could try.”
A grin teased her lips. “I can’t see you groveling.”
“Whew,” he said with exaggerated relief. “I’m glad of that. I didn’t think I’d be able to pull it off.” His confident air had returned. “Besides, we did have fun, didn’t we?”
“Yes,” she admitted grudgingly. “At first.”
He got out, walked around the car, and opened the door for her. “Don’t be mad at me too long. Please.”
“It’s going to be hard to get over. I don’t like being deceived.”
“I don’t blame you; neither do I. But who hasn’t used a little mild deception when trying to plan a special surprise for someone?”
She paused for a few seconds. “I see your point, but this feels different somehow.”
“Maybe not so different. Give it some thought.” He kissed her lightly on the cheek and walked beside her as she carried her purse, camera, and the things they’d found at the old plantation into the house. He declined Maylene’s invitation to stay, said he had some work to catch up on. Before leaving, he gave Jade a long, steamy look, one she would replay in her mind throughout the afternoon and evening.
Chapter 7
The night had been filled with half-remembered dreams of passion that brought her to the verge of waking more than once. In spite of her restless sleep, Jade felt energized when the soft morning light shone through the pale blush-colored curtains. She stretched luxuriously before swinging her legs to the floor and padding to the bathroom for a shower.
As she soaped her body under the spray of warm water, she found herself imagining Gage’s hands on her skin. The thought made her flush with anticipation. She hardly knew the man and had never before had such a rocky start to a relationship, nor, for that matter, the kind
of thrill she felt in his arms.
She took special care when choosing her clothes for the day and applied a little more makeup than usual. Happiness bubbled up inside her as she bounced down the stairs. It was going to be a beautiful, exciting day.
Jade had just sat down for breakfast and had gotten no further than taking a sip of orange juice when Maylene entered with a stormy look. “I have bad news, Jade. Gage will be out of town for a couple of days straightening out some matters Ty left unattended. It’ll just be us girls today, dear.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Jade added a crepe and bacon to her plate along with some cantaloupe, concealing the fact she was terribly disappointed she wouldn’t be seeing Gage. She couldn’t believe how much the thought of not seeing him bothered her; it wasn’t as if they were dating. She shrugged her regret aside and smiled. “After all, I didn’t even know Gage until I arrived. It was you I came to visit, right?” Still, she couldn’t quite push Gage from her thoughts; she’d so been looking forward to the afternoon. Gage had suggested they go out on an airboat. But such was business and she did understand.
“That’s sweet of you to say, dear. It’s just so unexpected.”
“What happened?” Jade dabbed at her mouth with the napkin.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I just got off the phone with Ty. He insisted that he had everything under control. But that simply wasn’t true. Those contracts need to be signed before Monday. Sometimes that young man drives me to distraction,” Maylene grumbled and filled her own breakfast plate, nibbling a sausage link as she spoke. “Luckily, Gage has come to the rescue, once again.”
Knowing Maylene felt let down over Ty’s disregard of his work duties, Jade determined she’d make the day enjoyable. “Don’t you have photo albums here as well as at the homestead?” she asked, nonchalantly, trying to divert Maylene from her worries.
“Why, of course I do. Actually, we should bring the trunk down from the attic that has all kinds of memorabilia. This will be so much fun.”
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