“Thank you. And please, enjoy your meal.”
After he left the room, they returned to their seats. They had finished the first course when the Marquis returned, holding something behind his back. “Please, be seated.” He waved at them. “I just have a small piece of business with my daughter.” Turning to Celine, he said in French, “Celine, I had this made for your birthday. I am so very sorry that I will not be here to give it to you on your birthday. I wanted you to have it and I wanted to make sure you liked it.” He brought the object from behind his back. Damien kicked Michael under the table as he handed Celine the gold music box that they were now well acquainted with.
Celine exclaimed with glee upon seeing it. “Oh, Papa! It is lovely,” she said in French, jumping from her chair and throwing her arms around him. He hugged her back, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
“Open it,” he said.
Celine opened it and music filled the room. “Oh, Papa! It is the music from my first ball! How lovely. Thank you, Papa!”
After another hug, he then bid her adieu and left the room. Celine set the music box down on the table next to her, admiring it several times through dinner.
Celine explained to them as they ate that the journey to Celeste’s house would take them about half a day by carriage. She informed them if they left by midmorning, they would be there in time to rest and change before dinner. They would eat a light picnic along the way. Celine was sure that her father would be pleased to have the Carlyle’s traveling with her given that her nanny was quite aged and was not the most capable traveling companion for the journey.
They made light conversation for the rest of dinner before Celine excused herself to make her own preparations for the trip. Before she went upstairs, Michael took a chance in asking her if she had ever seen or heard of The Book of the Dead, but Celine shook her head, telling them she had never heard of such a book. Defeated, the two also retired to their rooms, hoping that their travels would bring them closer to the book.
The quartet set off the following morning around 10 a.m. in a horse drawn carriage. Michael and Damien were not prepared for the ride offered by the antiquated mode of transportation. The carriage was bumpy, and they were knocked about on the less-than-smooth roads continuously, both of them wishing they were still in the time of modern suspension.
They were grateful for the stop at midday to eat their picnic lunch and allow the horses to rest. As they approached 3 p.m., signs of life in the form of a small town appeared through the carriage window. They had reached civilization again so Celeste’s house could not be far.
The carriage slowed to a stop outside a grand looking house on the edge of town. Celeste, it seemed, had done rather well for herself when she married. Michael and Damien saw several people waiting outside the home.
As they exited the carriage, they were met by a couple who looked identical to the Theodore and Celeste they had met in their time. This couldn’t be a coincidence. They must be the same people. They must also have the strange gift of immortality that Celine seemed to possess. Yet, Damien still didn’t quite understand how she possessed it since he had grown up with her. He had known her as a child, yet in this time, she was a teenager already. Was she reborn every so often?
When Celine emerged from the carriage, her sister ran to her, throwing her arms around her and greeting her warmly in French with a hug and several kisses. The two talked excitedly for a few moments before they all entered the house. Theodore welcomed them all, seeming pleased to have more guests to entertain. As luck would have it, the couple was entertaining Duke Marcus Northcott for a fortnight and they hoped the additional guests would make for more lively dinner conversations. Theodore was sure that the Duke would appreciate having additional people to regale with his tales of world travels. He left the staff to show Michael and Damien to their rooms while he returned to finish some business before preparing for the evening meal. Celine, along with Celeste, withdrew to her room to get settled in, the two sisters disappearing down the hall in a cloud of giggles.
That evening for dinner, Theodore had lent some clothes to Michael and Damien since they told him their trunks had been lost in an unexplained accident and they’d had no time to track them down with the unexpected travel. The two found the new clothes equally uncomfortable, but arrived for cocktails before dinner. The day held one final surprise for them. They were astounded to meet Duke Northcott, who they had known as the Duke in their time, the source of all the problems for the Buckley family and townspeople of Bucksville.
The two sisters, Celeste and Celine, joined them in short order. Celine wore a beautiful sapphire blue dinner dress that brought out the blue in her eyes. Celeste introduced her to Duke Northcott. “Duke Northcott, please allow me to introduce my sister, Celine Devereaux.”
He took her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. “Why, Mrs. VanWoodsen, I thought you to be a rare beauty, but I think your sister may have you beaten.”
“Oh, please, you’ll make us blush,” Celeste said, batting her eyelashes. She always excelled at flirting with men.
The ladies moved away to sit on the couch with Damien and Michael joining them in two nearby armchairs. Duke Northcott and Theodore remained removed from the group, having a more private conversation. Marcus never removed his eyes from Celine.
“She is exquisite, Theodore,” he said, sipping his brandy.
“Yes, well the Devereaux women are both quite beautiful, it runs in the family.”
“And you said she has talent?”
“Yes, oh yes, she does. Perhaps even more than Celeste. Of course, it’s raw, and she is not aware of what she is capable of but I think under my tutelage she will be quite a force.”
“Absolutely not!” Marcus asserted.
Theodore looked at him, confused. “You don’t want her trained?”
“I will train her. She will be under no one’s guidance but mine.”
“As you wish,” Theodore answered.
“We will perform the ceremony on her sixteenth birthday.”
“Of course, as we planned.”
“What do you know of the other two, the Carlyles?”
“Nothing. I was not aware they were accompanying her until late last evening. They arrived on Marquis Devereaux’s doorstep, unexpected, but with a glowing reference from Lord Blackburn. I believe the Marquis hired the eldest to tutor Celine in English with the possibility that she might accept him as a suitor.”
Marcus snorted in response. “She deserves far better than an ill-mannered and ill-bred American. And doesn’t she speak English? She seemed to do a fine job of it a few minutes ago.”
“Ah, yes, Celine is fluent in English, however, she doesn’t let on to her father. She fears he would find it a bit too modern for his daughter to have taught herself English.”
Marcus smirked, turning his gaze back to Celine. “Clever girl. Learn what you can about the other two. They may be of use to us. Our group for the upcoming ceremony is rather small, the addition of two others would be preferable.”
“Yes, of course. They seem like good chaps, I’m sure they could be brought around to it.”
“See that they are.”
They ended the conversation and moved to dinner where the group was, as Theodore had promised, entertained by tales of Duke Northcott’s world travels. He paid specific attention to Celine, whom Celeste had seated to his right. Mrs. VanWoodsen apologized for the lack of female companionship but without notice, she was unable to orchestrate a fuller party.
Everyone assured her the party was acceptable, and they found no fault with her proficiencies as a hostess. Michael and Damien paid careful attention to the relationship between Celine and the others. In private, they discussed that it seemed that the sisters were quite close; that she had not yet developed the animosity she seemed to exhibit later. It also explained the deep bond that existed between them despite whatever had caused the rift. Celine’s demeanor with the Duke was congenial and polite, but
nothing more. She did not exhibit the hostility and loathing that they had seen in their time.
They discussed their plan for the following day. Celine’s birthday was in three days; they were to deliver the letter to her the next day. Michael would have felt more comfortable had they known the contents of the letter, but it had a seal. They could not break the seal without making it obvious that the letter had been opened. They determined to find the library the following day to try to locate the book.
Chapter 26
The following morning, they asked Celine about her plans for the day. She remarked she planned on taking a walk after breakfast. Michael said he would like to join her, and she graciously accepted the invitation. They used the time to ask her about a library in the house. While she told them where to find it, she was inquisitive about their interest in the library and the book they sought.
They had little explanation for her other than to say it was a passing interest. They had learned of the book before embarking on their journey here and they were curious to find out if the book existed. Celine did not appear as though she believed them, but she didn’t question them any further.
As they entered the house after the walk, they found Duke Northcott descending the staircase. “Ah, Celine,” he said, making his way down the staircase, “what good fortune that I have come across you this morning.”
“Good morning, Duke,” she answered, giving a small curtsy.
“I see you have been out for a walk,” he responded. “I was hoping to have had the pleasure to take in the views with you, but alas, it seems I have lost my opportunity. Perhaps though, we could engage in a mid-morning chat.”
“Oh.” Celine stammered a bit. “We were just heading to the library together. I’m sorry.”
Displeasure was apparent on Duke Northcott’s face, this was not the answer he had wanted. “Surely these fine gentleman can enjoy the library without your help,” he said, glaring between the two of them.
Michael opened his mouth to answer but Celine spoke before he uttered a word. “Oh, but they can’t. They aren’t very good at French and several of Teddy’s volumes are in French. I have promised to help them translate the passages of interest, so you see, they can’t possibly go without me.”
His patience was wearing thin; however, there was not much he could do without seeming impolite and risking Celine’s approval. “I see,” he grumbled, “well, perhaps I can fit into your rather busy social schedule for an afternoon cup of tea.”
Celine was growing tired of his requests but wasn’t sure she could refuse him any further. “Yes, that would be lovely.”
“Wonderful. Until then, my beautiful Celine,” he said, kissing her hand. “Enjoy the library,” he said to Michael and Damien before turning to leave.
The trio made their way to the library, Celine shut the door behind them. She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as she leaned against the door. Opening her eyes, she looked toward Michael and Damien and said, “Thank you and please do not leave me alone with him.”
Michael raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, sure, is everything okay?”
“All right,” Damien said, correcting Michael’s modern English. “He means is everything all right?”
“It’s nothing. I just…” She paused as she searched for the words. “How can I say it, ah…”
“He gives you a bad feeling,” Damien finished for her.
“Yes, a bad feeling. Like ice going through my veins.”
“How much do you know about him, Celine?” Michael asked.
“Nothing, I’ve only just met him, but I get feelings. My Aunt Genevieve used to have them, too, and my sister. Something is amiss with him. There is something wicked, as you say, bad.”
“We’ll make sure you’re safe,” Michael said.
“Now, what is this book you’re searching for? It doesn’t sound like a normal book.”
“Just a silly prank, most likely,” Michael said.
“A what?” Celine asked, confused by the word she was unfamiliar with.
“Prank, like a joke,” he answered.
“It isn’t a joke. You two are far too interested for it to be ah, what was it you said? Prank?”
“Yes, prank, and believe me, it is no doubt just that,” Michael said, dismissing it with a wave in the air.
“You aren’t telling me the truth,” Celine began.
Damien hit Michael in the arm. “I think this is when we’re supposed to give her the letter.”
“Letter?” she asked.
Michael held a finger up as he gave Damien a hard stare. “Can you give us a second in private?” Taking Damien aside, he said, “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Didn’t you listen to what Josie said before we left? She said give her the letter in the library two days before her birthday, that has to be now. Maybe that’s what will get her to give us the book. Maybe she’s telling us she doesn’t know about it because she doesn’t trust us.”
“Okay, okay, right, yeah I remember her saying that. Okay, well, here goes nothing,” Michael said, removing the letter from his jacket. “Celine, this letter is for you.”
“For me? From whom?”
“The same friend who informed us about the book. She insisted you would be the one to give it to us, so we thought you would know about it.” He handed her the letter.
Celine opened it, breaking the wax seal and unfolding it, reading with interest. It was penned in handwriting that looked similar to hers and in her native French. Her eyes grew wide as she read.
Dear Celine,
You should be receiving this letter two days before your sixteenth birthday. Events have already been set into motion that cannot be undone; they must run their course. Unfortunately, this means that your life will be drastically and fundamentally changed. I realize that this may sound insane but I cannot explain it any further, you must accept this as the truth and trust me.
You will witness things that you shouldn’t at your tender age and be asked to do things no one should be asked to do. It is vital, Celine, that you do NOT give in to Duke Northcott. You must resist him with every fiber in your being. Do not trust him, or Teddy or even your sister, Celeste. You can trust Michael and Damien. It is also crucial that you retrieve the Book of the Dead from Duke Northcott and give it to Michael and Damien. After this, you must help them return to their own time. They are not from your time, Celine, which I’m sure you already suspect. Once they have the book, you must open a time portal for them to return. While this may sound impossible, you will have the strength to do it, you have learned much from Aunt Genevieve, use what she has taught you and what is told to you below.
Be safe, Celine, take care, and know that you will survive.
What followed was a set of instructions to open the time portal. The letter was unsigned. She set her jaw and looked at the both of them. “Is this some kind of joke? Prank?”
“No,” Michael said, peering over the top of the letter. “What does it say?”
Celine pulled the letter close to her, folding it and slipping it into a pocket in the folds of her dress. “Things that shouldn’t be said, that shouldn’t be known, that couldn’t be known. How do you come to be here?”
“We came in the carriage with you,” Michael answered.
“Enough pranks,” she said, using her newfound word, “you must answer some questions and you must be honest with your answers. How did you come to be at my father’s house?”
Michael and Damien exchanged a glance. Michael gave Damien a questioning glance. “Time to lay it on the table,” Damien said, then turned to Celine and began, “as unbelievable as this may seem, we’re from another time, the future. We know someone there who told us she knew a lot about you. She said that you’d be able to give us a book she needs, The Book of the Dead, she said she needs it to get rid of that Duke guy. He’s in our time, too, and he’s being a really, really bad guy there and hurting many people. We need your help. I realize it sounds crazy, bu
t it’s the truth.”
Celine stood pondering for a moment, then said, “I believe you. But I know nothing of this book. From the letter, it looks as though it may belong to Duke Northcott. Perhaps his room would be the best place to search?”
“Oh, okay, that makes perfect sense, but there is no way we can search for it in there, if he catches us I don’t want to find out what he’ll do to us. From what I gather, this book is extremely important, and undoubtedly important to him,” Michael said.
“Yeah, I agree, sorry, I’m just excited that everything is out in the open and we can at least be normal with you,” Damien said, breathing a sigh of relief.
“You’re right, if my feelings are correct, he is not a good man. But perhaps I can help you search there. I can distract him. He seems intent on speaking with me alone. I can arrange it so you can have some time to search. Perhaps tomorrow morning? I can suggest that we take a walk together.”
“No,” Michael said shaking his head. “No way, he’s dangerous, at least where we’re from and you got a bad feeling from him, there’s no way we will let you do that.”
“I’m not sure I can avoid it, and besides, I will control the situation as much as I can, make sure we are outside where other people can see so I cannot be in any danger.”
“We’re not sacrificing you,” Michael insisted.
“You are not, I am sacrificing myself. As I said, I am not sure I can avoid his advances entirely. Perhaps when I’ve made myself clear that I am uninterested he will leave me alone and hopefully by then you will have retrieved the book. You can not change my mind. When we leave the house after breakfast, you will search for the book.”
“You are as stubborn as our friend told us,” Damien said.
Celine smiled, standing straighter and pushing her shoulders back, wearing the statement as a badge of honor. “Then it is decided. Now, I am going to my room before afternoon tea. Please make sure you are there, I don’t want to be alone with him this afternoon.”
Shadows of the Past: A Supernatural Suspense Mystery (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 1) Page 24
