Ghosts from the Past (Wiggons' School for Elegant Young Ladies)

by Charles, Jane

  The arm slipped beneath the covers and snaked across her stomach. It was warm and solid and he pulled her closer. She still didn’t understand how he had come to be here. With everything that happened last night, not once did he explain how he survived being shot. Hadn’t he also mentioned prison?

  “Good morning.” He leaned forward to kiss her.

  Natalie jumped from the bed and took the blanket with her to cover her nakedness.

  He chuckled and pulled the sheet up to cover his lower body. “Do I need to remind you we are married, and have been for some time now?” He patted the place on the bed she had vacated.

  Of course he was right, and last night wasn’t the first time they had been intimate. It was the second. The first time they hadn’t remained together beyond a few hours. Not to mention, it had been two years between the events. She couldn’t just be comfortable being in bed with a man with no clothing on, even if he were her husband.

  Besides, she needed to think. She was overjoyed that Anton hadn’t died, but his return was sudden and left so many unanswered questions. Where had he come from, other than emerging from the forest at midnight? Why hadn’t he come to the school? Had he just arrived in the town? For the last two years she believed herself a widow, but he had been in prison. How was it possible? Natalie massaged her temple. Her head ached from the unanswered questions. She needed to think and it couldn’t be done while she was standing naked in her husband’s chamber.

  “I’ve got to get back to the school,” she blurted.

  “School?” Anton frowned.

  “Yes, I teach. I was supposed to make sure a few of the students didn’t get into trouble last night, but I ended up here, with you. They will be frantic when they realize I have not returned.”

  He sat up and pulled the sheet tight around his body. “Relax, Natasha. The students are fine. Once we have dressed and eaten, I will escort you back to the school and explain.”

  Her pulse calmed. Of course all would be well. Surely Mrs. Wiggons would understand how she had become distracted from her duties, though the longer she was away, the more likely they would note her absence. She didn’t wish for anyone to be worried when there was no need. She took a deep breath and relaxed. “You are right, but I would rather not dawdle, if you don’t mind.” It was all too unreal.

  Goodness, her husband was back. She wasn’t alone anymore.

  His grin reassured her and he stood. Without hesitation or a note of embarrassment, Anton let the sheet drop and began to dress for the day. She should turn around and offer him some form of privacy, but she could not take her eyes off of his physique.

  Jagged scars marred his back. Had he been whipped? Not all of the marks were straight lines, but appeared to be from gouges to his skin. What had he endured? Did it happen in the prison? None of those scars had been there on their wedding night. How many times had he been tortured?

  The pain and horror he must have endured pulled at her heart and she could no longer stand to look at the old wounds. Her eyes drifted lower, to his backside where a few of the raised, white slashes continued.

  Anton straightened and turned around. His smile spread further when he noted where her focus had been. Her face heated once more. He sauntered forward and pulled her to his chest. “There is no need to hurry.” He kissed her neck. “We can return to the warm bed and go to the school later.”

  Heat flushed her body. She wanted to scream ‘yes’, but she could not allow her friends to worry longer than necessary. They were all to rise with the sun so the students could wash their faces in the morning dew. Surely they had noticed her absence by now. “I need to return.” There were also too many unanswered questions but her head hurt too bad to form any though long enough to voice it. That she blamed on the amount of wine she had consumed the night before.

  Why hadn’t he come to the school upon arriving in England? Did she even know she’d be there? Why had he been in the woods and taken her? Unless he hadn’t intended on taking her anywhere, but when she fainted he wasn’t sure what to do.

  Not only did her head pound but her thoughts were coming at her one after the other and she couldn’t just settle on one question. She couldn’t think straight, especially when Anton touched her.

  He pulled away. “Just so you realize this is only temporary.”

  “What do you mean?” Natalie hadn’t really considered how her life would change now that Anton was alive. She would need to give up her position at the school, as had Tess. But then what?

  “I will see that everything is taken care of, the way it should have been a long time ago.”

  Though his words should offer comfort, there was something cold in his tone. Natalie shook away the unease and turned to pick up her dress. She was not used to being around him, the inflections in his voice or mannerisms. Would she need to get to know him all over again? Two years was a very long time and certainly could change a person.

  It had her.

  Anton left Natasha alone to dress. Last night he was willing to accept that she was innocent in his arrest and intended to speak with her more fully this morning. That was, until she jumped from the bed and couldn’t wait to be rid of him. That should not be the reaction of a loving wife reunited with her husband.

  If she had truly believed what she had said, that he had been killed in the streets of Sankt Peterburg, she should be overjoyed. She may have been passionate last night, but how much of that was due to the shock of seeing him and unable to determine a way for a quick escape?

  In the light of day she was anxious to return to the school and her students. If she truly loved him and had missed him, she should cleave to him, not pull away.

  If he allowed her to step outside of the manor she would run again and who knew how long it would take to find her. Perhaps if she would have returned to bed and they continued to reacquaint themselves, her innocence would be confirmed. Her anxiety and wanting to leave only established her guilt.

  In the kitchen Anton found bread, butter and jam and set those on the table. He then put a pot of porridge on the stove. What she would think of the meager meal? He shrugged. It didn’t really matter. She would still eat better than he did during his confinement.

  He placed the filled bowls on the table when she entered the room. “I am glad you found the kitchen.” He pulled a chair out for her to sit.

  “I followed the smell.” She leaned forward and sniffed. “I love porridge.”

  Maybe after she has eaten it for weeks on end she will have a change of heart, Anton thought as he seated himself.

  Anton toyed with his breakfast. He did not have much of an appetite and preferred to watch at his wife. Last night, after she had fallen asleep, he had gazed upon her. She looked as peaceful and loving as the night he left her two years ago. His stomach clenched. He would not soften toward her. He already knew how deceptive her appearance could be and he would not be fooled a second time. The love he once felt for her kept trying to push forward in his heart. He shoved it back into the darkness where it belonged. He could not afford to weaken. His love for her had nearly killed him once and he would not become susceptible to her charms a second time.

  “I can’t believe how famished I was,” Natasha announced and laid her spoon on the table. “The breakfast was delicious. Thank you for preparing it.”

  He leaned back when she took the dirty dishes from the table and carried them to the sink. Water boiled and she washed the dishes while he lingered over a cup of tea. He needed to get about his business, his plan, but why not let her clean up first?

  “I don’t understand,” she finally said. “Where did you come from? How did you come to be here?”

  “After I was shot and imprisoned it took me a long time to find a means to escape.”

  Natasha paused in drying the dishes.

  What was she thinking? Did she fear how much he knew?

  “Why didn’t you come to the school? How long have you been in England?”

  “You wer
e difficult to find.” He wasn’t about to tell her that he had been watching and waiting. She was skittish enough this morning and he needed her to trust him so he could do what was necessary.

  “All done.” She dried her hands on a towel and turned. Her features were set with concern instead of happiness as one should be with their husband. What was going on in her mind?

  He stood. “Let me show you the house.”

  She seemed to hesitate and glanced toward the back door. Did she suspect something? He was certain he hadn’t given anything away. Or, was she beginning to panic, afraid that if left with him too long, she might let the truth slip? “I really should be getting back. I would hate for the students or teachers to be worried about me when this is supposed to be a day of celebration. Today they decorate the Maypole and select the May Queen. The students are very excited.”

  “With so much going on, I am sure they’ll hardly miss your presence,” he assured her.

  Natasha bit her bottom lip.

  “It will only take a moment.”

  Her eyes met his. Soon she offered a small smile and he knew that he had won.

  “I looked all over England for you.” He grasped her hand. “I first went to your mother’s family and they did not know where you were. I traveled the length of England and finally decided to settle here before I continued my search.” With a tug of her hand he drew her closer. “I had no idea you were near until our chance meeting last night.” He smiled and kissed her lips. “I was on my way to the bonfire when you stepped into my path.” Lying did not set well with him, but the woman in his arms had done much worse.

  She tilted her head and studied him. “Did you call to me?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I feared you had not heard me.”

  Natasha gave a quick nod and pulled away. If he did not act quickly she might begin to suspect that he was the one who stopped her carriage.

  Anton grasped her elbow and escorted her to the door at the end of the room.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To the cellar.” He approached the door and opened it.

  She wrinkled her nose. “Aren’t most cellars the same?”

  His palms began to sweat. Once he had her in the cellar there was no turning back. Could he really punish her as he planned for the last year? Or, was she as innocent as she claimed. Of course, she hadn’t claimed innocence because he hadn’t made any accusations yet. However, the story she told was far different from the one he had become to believe. His gut tightened, Yuri would have had no reason to lie to him and it was time to get this over with. “This one has odd addition. It was already built into the room. I’d like to show it to you.” He motioned for her to precede him down the stairs and held a lamp to light the way. Once they were at the bottom of the stairs he set the lamp down and escorted her to the far wall. He could barely make out the structure and hoped she didn’t realize where he was leading her before it was too late.

  “It is very dark here.”

  “Let me get the light. Don’t move.”

  He stepped away, pulled the door closed and turned the key in the lock.

  “Anton, what was that sound?”

  “Just one moment,” he announced as he moved toward the lamp. One by one he lit the lamps around the room.

  Natasha’s eyes grew wider and wider as she took in the scene. All color left her face. She yanked on the secured cell door, but he was confident it would not give. “Why?” Her voice trembled with fear and confusion.

  “You condemned me to hell in a place worse than this. I want you to know what it feels like to be locked away, with no chance of escape. I want you to know the pain of knowing the person closest to you, the one you loved more than anything, betrayed you without a single thought.” He finally had her exactly as he had envisioned, but the thrill of triumph lacked. He should be elated, but his gut churned with anxiety, taking him by surprise.

  “What are you talking about?” Her voice rose with her panic.

  Anton pushed all doubts of her guilt away. “Don’t lie to me, Natasha. I know it was you and Dimitri. You turned me in. You arranged for my death and when I did not die, they imprisoned me. You testified at the trial I was not allowed to attend.” He approached the door and grabbed the bars. “How did it feel, Natasha, when you thought I was rotting in prison? Did you think of me at all?”

  10

  She grew faint with fear and disappointment. Her mind, which for two hours

  had been kept upon the stretch of expectation now resigned itself to despair.

  A Sicilian Romance

  Ann Radcliffe

  What was Anton talking about? Natalie had no more to do with his imprisonment than Dimitri. She certainly hadn’t arranged for him to be shot. He was her husband. Why would she have married him if she planned to hurt him?

  “You are wrong.” She pulled on the bars.

  “Am I?” He arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think so. I was told over and over I would never have been apprehended without yours and Dimitri’s help.”

  “I didn’t even know you were the Ghost until Dimitri told me. How could you believe I would betray that to you?” She had to make him see reason. She had to get out of this cell. Already the room was closing in on her. It was getting difficult to breathe. Sweat broke out on her brow and her chest tightened. She couldn’t remain locked in here.

  “Save your lies,” he ground out.

  “What of last night?” How could he have been so tender and loving while he planned to do this to her? Darkness began to invade and she concentrated on breathing.

  “Despite everything, my desire for you has never died.” He looked deeply into her eyes. “I will not make the same mistake again.”

  “Whoever told you such stories lied.” Natalie screamed and didn’t care. She had to get out of this cell. Ever since she had been accidentally locked in a closet as a child she had not been able to stand to be confined. It had been the same on the ship, when they locked her in the cabin. At least that night she was too overcome with grief that succumb to the terror. Such was not the case now. Her body grew cold and she grasped the bars tight to keep Anton from seeing how badly she was shaking.

  “Why would they? They had me imprisoned by then. Why not give the true names of those who betrayed me?”

  “But we didn’t.”

  “Save your words.” He blew out a lamp.

  “Please, leave the lights.” She hated the whine in her voice, but she couldn’t survive being in here in the darkness.

  “Why? I had no light.”

  She bit her lip and blinked several times. “I will not cry. I will not cry,” she whispered to herself and tried to breathe normally. She would not show him any weakness. “I do not like the dark. Please leave a light.”

  A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “As you ask so nicely I will leave one lamp.” He extinguished all but the one furthest away.

  “Anton,” she called when he walked toward the stairs. “Please, listen to me. I did not betray you. I loved you. If Dimitri betrayed you, why did they kill him?”

  He acted as if he had not heard and continued up the stairs.

  “At least think on it,” she cried out. “You know the truth. In your heart, you know the truth.”

  The door shut above, leaving her alone in the dank cell.

  Sophia glanced over to Rosemary and Eliza. Worry churned in her stomach. Perhaps what they saw last night between Miss Pritchard and the stranger was not a tryst after all. “Mrs. Wiggons has not stopped wringing her hands since this morning,” she whispered.

  “We should not have stayed out as long as we did,” Rosemary complained. “I am so tired.”

  “We were only out until one in the morning. I don’t see what is so exciting about staying out all night,” Eliza grumbled.

  “But Miss Wiggons woke us at five so that we could wash our faces in the morning dew to preserve our youth,” Rosemary mimicked the head of their school.

  Sophia turned
on her friends. “Did either of you notice Miss Pritchard is absent today?”

  The two girls shrugged and looked at each other. “Perhaps she is sleeping in,” Rosemary suggested before covering a yawn with the back of her hand.

  “Or, she hasn’t returned,” Eliza giggled.

  “Look at Miss Morris,” Sophia nudged Rosemary. “Something is wrong.”

  “She doesn’t look like she has slept either, nor is she enjoying the morning festivities,” her friend acknowledged.

  Sophia studied her teacher as she crossed the lawn and approached Lady Atwood. The smile disappeared from their former teacher’s face and she moved toward her husband. Lord Atwood stood under a shade tree not far from the entrance to the greenhouse. A moment later his face became serious and the three turned and strolled the sheltered path toward the greenhouse. To anyone else, they appeared to behave normally, but she could tell by the stiffness of their shoulders and the rigid set of their mouths something was very wrong.

  “We should follow them.” Eliza pulled on her arm. The three girls stopped just outside the doors.

  Sophia strained to listen.

  “Natalie was to return to the bonfire and I was to wait outside the house,” Miss Morris explained. “I waited for an hour and never did see the girls leave, so I went to find Natalie.”

  “And?” Lady Atwood prompted when Miss Morris said nothing further.

  “Nobody saw her return and nobody has seen her since she left me.” The anguish in her voice urged Sophia to move toward the entry. Eliza grabbed her arm to hold her back.

  “We have to tell them,” Sophia insisted.

  “But we will get into trouble,” Rosemary whined.

  “Miss Pritchard could be in greater trouble.” Sophia yanked her arm free from Eliza’s grasp and entered the humid building. The three adults stopped their conversation and looked at her.

  “We saw Miss Pritchard last night,” Sophia announced.

  “How could you? You never left the house,” Miss Morris insisted.