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

by Charles, Jane

  “I suppose you are correct,” said the second man. “Let’s return to the estate to see if anyone else has found Miss Pritchard.”

  Anton stood still and waited for them to return to the front of the house before he took the servants stairs back up to his chamber. From a slit in the curtains he watched the two men ride away. Only then did he truly breathe a sigh of relief. The sun would set soon, but he needed to plan for tomorrow, in the event they returned again.

  12

  His blood ran cold at the sound, but silence returning, and continuing unbroken,

  he attributed his alarm to the illusion of a fancy, which terror had impregnated.

  A Sicilian Romance

  Ann Radcliffe

  “Do be quiet,” Sophia hissed over her shoulder. If Eliza and Rosemary kept whispering back and forth they would all be caught, and they were supposed to be in their room. The three girls tiptoed down the stairs and came to a stop outside of Lord Atwood’s library. The entire school of girls, and their teachers, had taken up residence on his estate again. Atwood, and the other gentlemen in the community, felt it was too dangerous for them to remain at the school without men to protect them. At least until Miss Pritchard was found and they knew what kind of man they were dealing with. Atwood’s estate had two dozen male servants, all of whom were on alert to protect the occupants of the house.

  “Are you sure there is someone in Creighton Manor?” The sound of Mrs. Wiggons’ voice floated through the crack at the door. “I don’t recall anyone ever living there.”

  “I can’t be certain, but the place isn’t as abandoned as the residents believe,” said Atwood.

  “How can you be so sure? You didn’t see anyone,” Mrs. Wiggons questioned.

  “I saw a number of things that make me believe there is someone inside the house.

  When we rode up, I had the eerie feeling we were being watched and when I glanced at the house, curtains in one of rooms on the second floor moved,” Atwood explained.

  Sophia shared a looked with Eliza, both of their mouths popped open in surprise.

  “The girls did see lights there the other evening,” Miss Morris added.

  “We can’t make decisions on what those three may or may not have seen,” Mrs. Wiggons scoffed.

  “Natalie saw them as well,” Miss Morris said quietly.

  “Someone has been living there,” Atwood continued. “All of the furniture in the library, toward the back of the manor, was uncovered.”

  “Maybe the previous family simply left,” Mrs. Wiggons offered weakly.

  “True, but the windows were also clean, and the room lacked dust and cobwebs from what I could see.”

  “Well, that would make one wonder, I suppose,” Lady Atwood muttered barely loud enough for the girls to hear.

  “Which is why we continued to look. When we approached the door leading to the back of the house, I could swear I heard a bolt slide into place.”

  The hairs stood up on the back of her neck. She braced herself against the wall.

  “There was also water dripped on the porch and the trail of drops lead back to the garden and well. We have had no rain so where else could the water come from?”

  “I wish you would have just tried to get in. Who knows what may have already happened to Natalie,” Lady Atwood reprimanded.

  “We don’t know who is in there, or his intentions, or even if he has Miss Pritchard. I determined it was safer to return now that it is dark. We only left there a short while ago, and I want this person to assume we have moved on,” Lord Atwood explained.

  “How do you know he didn’t leave after you?”

  “A stable boy and footman are watching the place. If anyone leaves, one of them is to come get me while the other follows.”

  “What of Mr. Michalovic?” Miss Morris questioned.

  “Who is Mr. Michalovic?” Eliza asked.

  Sophia shrugged her shoulders. She hadn’t heard the name before.

  “I located the man and questioned him too,” Atwood answered. “He arrived in town a few days ago and decided to stay for the celebration.”

  “Could he have taken her?” Miss Morris asked.

  “No, he didn’t leave the gathering last night until he returned to town with others. I questioned those who were with him and they can account for his presence. Besides, he was still dancing when Miss Pritchard was taken.”

  “Someone said he was Russian,” Lady Atwood said quietly.

  The girls shared a look. “What does being Russian have to do with anything?” Eliza whispered.

  Sophia shrugged again.

  “I am sure it is a coincidence,” Miss Morris insisted, though there was little conviction in her voice.

  “I wish you would take someone with you when you go to the manor.” Lady Atwood’s voice softened as she pleaded with her husband.

  “My men will be of assistance. Don’t worry and with any luck, I’ll be back shortly with Miss Pritchard.”

  “What of the Ghost, if that is who has her?” Miss Morris questioned.

  “I will deal with the Ghost as I see fit.” Lord Atwood’s cold tone sent shivers down Sophia’s spine. Footsteps approached the door and the girls scrambled to hide around the corner. “Goodnight, girls,” Lord Atwood called as he marched toward the front door.

  “How did he know we were here?” Eliza demanded in a hushed tone.

  “Because,” Lady Atwood said as she came around the corner, “you aren’t as quiet as you think you are. Now, back to bed with all three of you.”

  “But we want to wait for Lord Atwood to return with Miss Pritchard,” Rosemary whined.

  “You can see her tomorrow. I’m sure the last thing Miss Pritchard wants is to be questioned by you three the moment she sets foot in the house. I’m sure she will want nothing but a hot meal and a soft bed.”

  Sophia turned for the stairs, knowing Lady Atwood was correct. However, her friends remained rooted in their spot, still hopeful.

  “Go to bed.” Lady Atwood pointed to the stairs.

  Slowly they turned and walked toward Sophia. Lady Atwood followed them all the way to their room to make sure they arrived at her chosen destination.

  Once the door clicked at her exit, Eliza wheeled around. “We have got to go help Lord Atwood and Miss Pritchard. What is the best way out of the house?”

  “The door,” Sophia answered in a dry tone, eyebrow raised. She could already guess her friend’s plans. “I am sure Lord Atwood can handle this on his own.” She pulled her nightgown out of a drawer.

  “But you heard him; even they acknowledged a ghost has her.”

  Sophia sighed and turned back to her friend. “They think the Ghost has her, the man who has been riding around the countryside, not a ghost.”

  “I am not sure I agree.” Eliza crossed her arms over her chest.

  Rosemary came to stand next to her. “Nor I.”

  “And how are you to save Miss Pritchard from a ghost?” Sophia countered “With a man you can knock him over the head, a ghost is air.”

  Eliza chewed her bottom lip for a moment “We will think of something.” She dismissed with a wave of her hand and turned toward the window. She opened it wide and looked down.

  Sophia joined her. It was a straight drop two stories down. There was no way she was going to try and climb out that window. “It appears we are stuck.”

  “I refuse to believe that.” Eliza strode across the room, cracked the door open, and peeked out. “It is clear.”

  “I am sure one of the teachers will be waiting for us to do just that.”

  “Which is why we must be especially quiet and careful.” She stepped into the corridor and Rosemary followed.

  Sophia remained rooted in her spot, not sure what to do. She certainly could not allow those two to go off on their own, but she didn’t want to get into trouble either. Both girls stared at her, waiting. She heaved a sigh. She knew it was a very bad idea even before her foot crossed the threshold.
>
  Natalie blinked and looked about the room. How had she come to be in bed? The last thing she remembered was touring the house before she returned to the school. Did they go back? Why couldn’t she remember what happened today? Surely she didn’t drink more dandelion wine.

  She rose, walked across the thick carpet then pushed back the curtains. The moon was almost full in a cloudless, star-filled sky. She tried to open the window to let some air into the room, but it would not budge. She looked to see if there was a way to loosen it and noted nails keeping it shut. Why would someone do such a thing?

  A memory trickled at the back of her brain. The cell, in the cellar. Anton had locked her in there, with only a small light for comfort. The day was black after that.

  Panic seized her and she drew in deep breaths to calm her pulse and racing heart. She was no longer locked in a cage, but in the house. The man who had imprisoned her was not her husband. The Anton she married would have never been so cruel.

  She needed to get out of here. Natalie marched across the room and grabbed her dress. The neckline was damp, but she didn’t pause to try and figure out why, and drew it over her head. She needed to get out of here and back to the school. Better yet, perhaps she should return to Atwood’s estate. She would be safer there.

  She found her boots under a chair and grabbed them. She would put them on when she was away from this place. She needed to leave before Anton returned. He had to be in the house somewhere. He wouldn’t have left her unattended.

  Natalie opened the door. Anton stood on the other side. A smile creased his face. He looked almost relieved.

  “You have come around.” He reached for her.

  She took a step back. “Do not come near me.”

  His expression changed to concern and he continued to approach. She backed away until her legs came in contact with the bed. Visions of the night before came back to her. How could he have been so loving then lock her away this morning?

  “Let me explain.”

  “No.” She pivoted so she wasn’t trapped between him and the bed.

  Anton returned to stand guard by the door. “I cannot let you leave.”

  “You cannot keep me here.” She hated the screech in her voice. She needed to rule the panic before it overtook her.

  “I am your husband.”

  “That was two years ago. You’ve changed. You are not the man I married.”

  A bitter laugh resounded from him. “A year in the Czar’s prison will change anyone.”

  “And you think I put you there.” His accusations came back to her. He thought she betrayed him. 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. “How dare you accuse me and Dimitri of betrayal? You are the one who betrayed me, last night and today.”

  Memories of the last few weeks flooded her mind. The carriage being stopped; her shooting the bandit; being followed in the woods. “You have been watching me.” It was as if was hunting her. What little contents that remained in her stomach churned. What had become of the man she married?

  He shrugged but made no comment. He didn’t even try to defend himself.

  Natalie glanced at the arm she’d shot. “Have you healed?”

  “Not completely, but in time it will.” Anton rubbed an area not far beneath his shoulder.

  “Why did you follow and watch?” She demanded as anger began to replace the earlier disgust.

  Did his reason really matter anymore? She push him out of the way. She would not stay in this house a moment longer.

  He grabbed her wrist.

  “Unhand me. I never want you to touch me again.” She practically spit the words at him.

  He did not let go, yet his grip was not painful. “For over a year I’ve thought of nothing else but getting even with my wife and her brother.”

  She stared into his eyes. “Is your trust in me so little? Were your words of love false? How long did it take them to convince you? An hour? A day? A week?”

  He frowned and his eyes clouded in what she could only assume was fear or perhaps pain. “It took much longer. I wanted to deny their evidence.”

  Natalie jerked her arm away and wheeled from him. “What evidence?”

  “You wanted no record of our marriage. Was that because you didn’t want your good name tainted by having married a traitor?”

  “No!” She let the boots drop and threw up her hands. “It was because we were fleeing the country. If they thought you were on your own it would be safer for you, instead of soldiers searching for the two of us together.”

  “That had been your reason then, but I began to question it later.” Anton stood facing her, arms crossed over his chest, feet braced apart and studied her. “The window.”

  “What about the window?” Natalie tapped her right foot in irritation.

  “You moved the lamp from the table beside the bed and put it in the window.”

  “I didn’t want it too close to the bed.” Her face warmed at the memory.

  “Why?” His questioned in a much softer tone.

  “You refused to turn it down completely. I was not comfortable and wished our intimacy to be in the dark.” Her face was on fire. She had been so embarrassed, afraid of what he would think when he saw her unclothed. She’d wanted a completely dark room when she made love the first time, but he’d refused.

  “I thought you moved it there to signal the soldiers.”

  Her back went rigid once again and anger flared. “I cannot believe you would think I betrayed you. That Dimitri would betray you. You were his best friend and I loved you more than anything in my life.”

  “Loved?”

  “Yes, loved.” She turned toward the door. “I am not certain how I feel about you any longer.”

  A shadow fell across the threshold. “Who else is in this house?” she demanded.

  Anton reached into his pocket and pulled a gun before he pushed Natalie behind him. “Show yourself.”

  13

  …you engage me in a task too severe, not only for your peace, but for mine; since in

  giving you the information you require, I must retrace scenes of my own life,

  which I wish for ever obliterated.

  A Sicilian Romance

  Ann Radcliffe

  They would be in grave trouble if caught, but when Eliza insisted they search for Miss Pritchard, Sophia could not let the two of them go off on their own. Who knew what kind of mischief they would get into without her? Not that she had ever been overly successful in deterring them. She still felt she must be present in the event they planned on doing something very stupid.

  She turned onto the path and followed it toward the cliffs, staying far enough away from the other two to avoid further ridiculous conversations. She stopped at the top and looked down the narrow stairs leading to the sand. This was not a good idea. “Why can’t we just try one of the doors?”

  Eliza moved past her and started down the steps, Rosemary following. Halfway down she turned, her lantern held high above her head. “Because he will see us. And, he will see Lord Atwood too. There are too many windows to hide and we won’t know which one he is looking from.”

  Sophia had not been in the cave since the day they had gone on a treasure hunt. There was an old storage room at the back where smugglers used to hide their loot, and she and her friends had been hopeful of finding riches. Anything of real worth was long gone, except Lady Atwood did find a jewel. It had fallen between an old crate and the wall, but that was the extent of anything of value. They had not been back since and had been forbidden to return without an adult. It was too dangerous because of the tide. As it was, they needed to hurry or they would be trapped and Sophia had no desire for a late swim.

  “The cellar is perfect,” Eliza continued. “We can take the cave to the abandoned ro
om. That door must lead to the manor. This way we can sneak in and rescue Miss Pritchard, and possibly Lord Atwood if necessary.”

  “We don’t know where that door leads,” Sophia argued. “It could be just another room.”

  “It has to lead into the house.” Eliza was adamant this was their way into the old manor.

  “If it doesn’t?”

  A grinned pulled at Eliza’s lips. “Maybe that is where the treasure is. We never did look.”

  “If I recall, there was a lock on the door.”

  Eliza dismissed her and turned. “We will figure something out.”

  “But the tide,” Sophia called after her.

  “If we hurry, we won’t have to worry about it,” Eliza yelled back and continued down the steps. When she reached the sand of the beach she turned to look up at Sophia, who reluctantly followed.

  Rosemary skipped down the steps then tripped. Sophia thought her heart lodged in her throat. Luckily Rosemary grabbed the wall of the cliff to keep from falling over the side.

  “Do be careful.” Sophia stepped down to go after her friends before one of them did serious injury to their person.

  “I ripped my dress,” Rosemary whined.

  Sure enough, a strip of blue muslin hung off of a jagged rock.

  “Oh well. It was an old dress.” Rosemary shrugged and continued down to the beach, though walking slower and taking more careful in her steps.

  “This is a very bad idea,” Sophia muttered to herself when Eliza and Rosemary turned and headed toward the cave.

  “Lord Atwood?” Surprise lit Natasha’s eyes.

  Atwood leveled the pistol on Anton. “Who are you and why do you have Miss Pritchard?”

  “Natasha Kazakov, you mean.” Anton corrected. He shouldn’t have sent Vanko into town. He was currently outnumbered. He shifted his gaze back to the earl. “What are you doing in my house, Lord Atwood?”

  “This young woman has been missing since last night. I demand to know who you are.”