I bent down to peer through it and thought I saw a flutter of fabric. I blinked and looked again. Nothing. Must have been mistaken. I tried the knob and didn’t have any better luck. “Who has a key now?”
“Dinah should. Where has she been? I haven’t seen her lately.”
“We had kind of a falling out the first night I was here since I thought she was pranking me. I don’t think she cares for me too much. I haven’t seen her often, but I haven’t really missed her. Robin is a big help. So she has the only key?”
“She has one of them. Miss Anne used to keep another one in her office. Your office, I should say. In the cedar box on the third shelf. Wait right here, and I’ll go grab it.”
“Okay,” I said as she walked quickly down the hall toward my study. I waited outside the Mirror Room door, waving at the two young ladies who passed by. They’d come up the right staircase instead of taking the left. I didn’t care. It was a family house, and I wasn’t about to rope it off and forbid people to use what belonged to them. A third girl passed right by me, and I watched her stride down the long hallway and open the door to my room. My room was off-limits, and it bothered me to see her walk in there without a care.
“Hey! That’s my room. I think you’ve got the wrong room!” I called in a friendly voice. She acted like she didn’t hear me and sailed right into my room like she was the Queen of England.
“Excuse me,” I said, aggravated now. Summer had said there were no criminals in our family, but she appeared to be wrong. “Hey!” I heard the clicking of the door as it closed behind her.
I walked to the door of the Green Room and went inside. I didn’t see anyone, but the smell of jasmine was overwhelming. It filled the room as if there were piles of the flowers somewhere. “Hey! Whoever you are, you are in my room,” I called, but nobody responded. I walked around, opening closets, but found no one. Like a fool, I looked under the bed, too. Nope, no one there either. I sat on the bed and stared at myself in the mirror across from me. This was ridiculous. I was seeing ghosts everywhere now.
Then I saw her in the mirror. She stood behind me, a girl with dark hair and pale skin, wearing a cream-colored dress. I turned around quickly, but there was no one there. I shot off the bed and looked back in the mirror. She was gone, but the smell of flowers lingered. There was nothing and no one behind me now. I spun around again, but the space was empty. Empty of warmth, too, and I noticed that once again, all my shutters and blinds were open. I stepped backward like the fools in the horror movies do and kept going until I felt the door handle behind me. I eased out of the room and stood in the hallway. Summer was outside the Mirror Room, and she called to me.
“Hey, I have the key. What’s the matter, Avery?”
I leaned against the wall and stood there trying to catch my breath. I shook my head as she walked toward me.
“What is it?” she said as she came closer.
“Someone was in my room, but she’s disappeared.”
“Probably one of the guests. We’ve got a ton of people here now.”
“Wearing a dress from the nineteenth century? I don’t think so. Disappearing into thin air?”
“So, are you saying you saw another ghost?”
“I don’t know what I saw, but if this doesn’t stop, I’m going to lose my mind. Why is this happening, Summer? I’ve never had this happen to me before. I’ve never seen anything supernatural.”
She bit her lip and stared at me. “Well, you’ve never died before, either.”
“What?”
“It makes sense, doesn’t it? Maybe the combination of this old house and your experience is causing this. You just said you’ve never seen anything before. Maybe it’s not just the house, but you. You died, and now you’re connected to that world in some way that the rest of us are not. Does that make sense?”
“I guess. It’s as good an explanation as any I’ve come up with. What do they want? Why can I see them?”
“I’m not sure about that, but you’re not crazy. We all know they are here. Some folks in the family do see them, and quite often, in fact. Reed’s brother Pryce, Dolly Jane’s mom, Patty, and some of the older folks too. Maybe you should talk to them after the party. No need to get them all excited right now. You still want to go into the Mirror Room?”
“Yes, I think so. As long as you stay with me.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She laughed and handed me the key. “You can do the honors.”
I slid the key into the cast-iron lock, and it turned more easily than I expected. I opened the door and stood gawking at the sight. The windows were wide open, which couldn’t have been good for the air conditioning bill, but despite that, it was very cold. A massive chandelier hung in the middle of the circular room, and someone had left the lights on. On every wall were dozens of mirrors that caught the light and bounced it all around. The room was painted white, and the mirrors all had gold frames. At the center of the room was a circular couch with blue velvet cushions. It was the only seating in the room. On the floor was a round blue rug, the same color as the carpet in the hallway.
“Summer, is that Dinah?” I could see feet on the floor on the other side of the couch. “Oh, God, I hope she’s not dead!” We scrambled around the couch and found the woman lying on her back. She had a bloody wound on her forehead as if someone had smacked her hard with the candlestick that lay next to her. It was like a morbid real-life game of Clue.
I squatted next to her and could see that she was breathing, but it was shallow. “Go call an ambulance, Summer! I’ll stay here.” Without a word, she ran out of the room and left me alone with the injured housekeeper. “Dinah! Dinah, can you hear me?” I patted her hand but didn’t move her head. She’d had quite a smack. The wound was purple and swollen. If she didn’t have a concussion, I’d be very surprised.
She moaned and tried to move. “No, don’t move. You’ve had an accident. You need to stay still until the paramedics get here. I’m right here.” The room temperature dropped, and it felt like winter instead of July. I had the feeling that someone was watching me, and I glanced around the room, but I was alone. It was just the simpleminded housekeeper and me. There was nowhere to hide in this room, even if you were a ghost.
I turned my attention back to Dinah and almost screamed. She was sitting up with her eyes open just a few inches from my face.
“Find her. Help me find her.” Her hands gripped mine so tightly I thought they would bruise. The words escaped her lips, but I knew they weren’t hers. Somebody was trying to get a message to me. I shook my hands loose, and watched in horror as her eyes rolled back and she crumpled back on the floor. I leaped to my feet and stared down at her.
The heavyset woman was breathing normally now, but her head injury looked horrible. I didn’t try to talk to her again but sat on the settee as far from her as possible. When Summer returned, I was crying, and a few minutes later, the EMTs were taking Dinah to get the help she needed.
All I wanted to do was hide somewhere, but where could I go that was free from ghosts?
“Are you sure you’re okay? That had to be upsetting, but she’s going to be all right. The paramedics said she just knocked herself out.”
“Yes, I’m fine. I just need to go for a walk. Raincheck on the rest of the tour, okay?”
“What about your friends from Atlanta?”
“She’s not my friend, but don’t worry about her. I’ll be back in a bit. I promise I’ll go see her then. I just need to clear my head.”
Summer didn’t hide the concern on her face. I didn’t blame her. I was concerned too. Now some entity wanted me to find someone. But who?
I wasn’t sure where I was going when I began my walk, but once I made it to the end of the shell path, I knew.
I was going to the pond. There were a few folks milling about the grounds, but no one approached me. Children played with a shaggy white dog while adults strolled and pointed at the old trees and broken landmarks. I stood on the shore of
the pond and stared at the empty island. The gazebo wasn’t exactly the same as I remembered it, but it was still there.
Wait, what? How can I remember something I’ve never seen?
For the first time in my life, I hoped to see a ghost. I hoped to see something that would explain all this. I had no luck. It figured that when I was ready to see a ghost, there were none to be found. I could hardly believe ace reporter Avery Dufresne was looking for ghosts in the ancestral home, but I had to know what had happened to Susanna.
I’m sure she was the one who tried to speak to me through Dinah. She wants me to find someone, but who?
After a few minutes in the blazing heat, I made my way back to the house. Back to the only source of information I had. Mad Grandmother Margaret.
Maybe she would have answers.
Chapter Nineteen
Susanna Serene Dufresne
I waited until the sun went down before I left the shelter of the gazebo. My stomach hurt, bugs had bitten my legs and arms, and I was very thirsty. Occasionally, someone called my name, but they were no longer near the pond. However, it wouldn’t be long until they returned. I had made no secret as to where I had been going. Ambrose would not return for me or help me in any way, I knew that for certain now. He had not been mysteriously stolen away by water sprites, nor had he left to obtain an evening meal for us. He had deliberately and skillfully betrayed me. And if his intention was to ruin me, he would likely succeed.
Wrapping the dirty blanket tighter around me, I tied it like a toga over my left shoulder. With the last of my tears, I stuffed everything in the picnic basket. The empty bottle of cursed wine, the leftover food, and even the remnants of Ambrose’s beloved cigarettes. I walked to the water’s edge behind the gazebo, found a heavy stone, and put it in the basket. Wading into the water, I sank the basket, the evidence of our time together. Let it never be found. Let it stay there forever as a testament to my foolish heart.
I circled the water’s edge and faced Sugar Hill. The only way home was this way, and I had to swim. I could stay here in the gazebo and wait until someone found me, or I could go back and face the consequences. If I were to survive what was sure to come my way, I would not be able to rely on anyone’s help but my own. I would either fight to live or drown in the lake. I did not swim well, but it wasn’t a long distance, and I felt sure I could make it. Sliding into the cold water, I began to swim, the soiled blanket tangling around my waist as I kicked my legs. After a minute, I felt more confident, and with every stroke, I reflected upon my actions that day.
How stupid I had been to believe Ambrose’s words. “We are soulmates.” I thought of his smile, the smile that had betrayed the deepest recesses of my heart. How easily he had beguiled me, like the snake in the Garden had beguiled Eve. My garden would likely be ruined forever. What had he told Chase? For what reason would he do such a thing, if not to peck the heart of his cousin?
Suddenly, as if my own rage manifested above me, lightning popped across the sky, thunder rolled deep and heavy, and rain fell like arrows into the water. The stinging droplets struck the back of my legs and my bare back, but I deserved them. I had betrayed my husband, and I deserved whatever punishment God chose to give me. I would not fight Him. I felt the blanket slip off me as I swam, and I didn’t bother reaching for it. With every stroke of my hands and feet, I felt my old self washing away. My heart hardened until there was nothing kind or good in it anymore. I did not cry, and I did not whimper. I pressed on, feeling my heart harden with every inch I gained toward the shore.
I was only a few feet away now. Someone was running toward me.
I crawled onto the shore, and a stick poked at my nude body. Somebody pulled me from the ground and into a blanket. “Thank the Lord! She’s here! She’s alive! We found Miss Susanna!” Iona held me tight. “We have you now, Miss Susanna.”
I didn’t thank her or speak to her. I focused on taking the steps in front of me.
One step at a time. One step at a time. One step at a time.
Step, step, step.
Iona kept me close as she led me into the house. I was a mess. I smelled like my deceitful lover and brackish pond water. My hair was plastered to my head, and my teeth were chattering despite the heat. Iona led me through the open door of the study. There were three people in the room: Etienne, Chase, and Arthur. None of them spoke to me but merely stared as if I were some strange creature that had come up from the pond, the likes of which they had never seen before. Chase tossed back his whiskey and set the glass down heavily on the wooden table.
He knew. My agony was complete. He knew everything.
Iona patted my back, but she did not stop or speak to the somber trio. “That’s it, miss. Up the stairs, and Iona will get your bath ready.” I did as instructed, sitting in the wooden chair and waiting for the tub to be prepared. Then I sank into the warm water and let Iona scrub me. I didn’t try to help her but merely stared out the window, watching the moon rise over the trees.
I didn’t think. I didn’t plan. I didn’t scheme.
I let the water flow over my head as she dumped the bucket over me. When my bath was done, I didn’t fuss as she combed my hair. I obediently stepped into the dress she provided me and then sat on the edge of the bed as she left me alone.
Nobody came for a long while, then Etienne came in with her candle. She lit the lamp on the dresser and stood in front of me. After staring at me for a moment, she slapped me across the face as hard as she could and nearly knocked me off the bed. I tasted blood in my mouth, and instinctively raised my arm to shield myself from any more of her blows.
“What have you done? Haven’t I always treated you like a queen? You had the world in your hands, but you threw it away like it meant nothing to you! Nothing at all! After all our work! He will put you aside now. That’s what he wants to do. Can you blame him? Say something!”
“What should I say?” I said, still holding my arm up. Slowly I put it down and leaned back, out from her reach.
“Say you were raped or abused! Tell your husband a pleasant lie, something to soothe him, or by God, I will beat you until you can’t breathe.”
“I was not raped. I was not abused. I was a fool. Is that what you want to hear?”
“Yes, indeed! I want to hear that and so much more. You have behaved like a shanty woman, and your husband has every legal right to cast you off, except for the deal I made with him. The only reason you are still here in this house is because of me! Show some gratitude! He cannot put you aside yet or have you committed. He cannot put you away or have you arrested because I was promised a daughter. That was my price, and you will not fail me.”
“Stop, please,” I said, collapsing on the bed. Finally, the tears fell. “I never agreed to that. That is too high a price.”
She leaned over me, her hands on my throat. I groped at her hands, but she had the advantage. She was strong. “I want what was promised. I want that girl-child. He will come to you, and you will not refuse him. After you give me what I want, you can die for all I care.” With one last push on my throat, she stepped back and stared at me as I wept.
“I don’t expect to come back here again unless it is to haul away your dead body or to take my child. Either way, I will return expecting something.” Her low, gravelly voice rang in my ears as the door closed noisily behind her.
Sometime later, Iona came in with a tray of food, but I didn’t eat it. I didn’t eat for days. I barely moved off the bed until the night he came to me.
He had been drinking. I could tell by the way he wavered in the doorway.
“Chase? Is that you?”
He set the bottle down on the table and silently peeled off his clothes except for his breeches. His long hair had fallen out of its ribbon, and his eyes were empty and distant. He climbed into the bed beside me and immediately began to paw at me.
“Please, Chase. Say something,” I begged. I did not stop him from taking his liberty with me, for it was his right as my hu
sband. “Please, say something.” He did not speak, but merely grunted for a few minutes until he had completed his task and then staggered out of the room again. This happened several nights in a row. Then he would be gone again for days. No one came to speak to me. No one came to console me. He never spoke a word or looked me in the eyes.
My only visitor was the spirit that hated me, the one who called me placée and told me to leave. I’d managed to steal some salt from one of the supper trays Iona faithfully brought me and had scattered it around my bed to keep the spirit away from me. I no longer prayed or believed in anything, but I did not fail to toss the salt whenever I could. Strange that the spirit would come to the Green Room now. I had thought this was a sanctuary. I no longer shared my husband’s bed.
Weeks went by, and soon the truth became clear. I was pregnant. I had no way of knowing whether it was a girl or a boy, but Etienne did not waste any time. She broke her own promise not to return unless I was dead. She brought Sulli and a doctor with her. The doctor examined me and declared me pregnant, and Sulli predicted that I would have a girl-child. Etienne seemed extremely pleased as if she herself had endured the nightly visits from a husband who hated her.
“Pack her things, Iona. We will go now.”
“What? Where am I to go?” I asked anxiously.
“Back to the Ramparts, of course. Back where you belong. You’ll deliver the child, and then we’ll decide what to do with you.”
“No, I can’t leave. This is my home. Where is Chase? I want my husband!”
“He’s left Sugar Hill,” Etienne said matter-of-factly, pulling my clothes out of drawers and armoires and tossing them on the bed. “No sense in leaving these behind. He is getting married this weekend to Athena Pelham. It will be the wedding of the season, they say.” She shook her head at me, and Sulli clucked her tongue. Then they went about their business. I collapsed on the bed and clutched the wooden post. I leaned my head against it and again stared out the window as Etienne pillaged my jewelry, hats, and gowns. I wouldn’t need such fine things anymore, she announced with a sneer.
The Hauntings Of Sugar Hill: The Complete Series Page 17
