Darkest Dreams (15 page)

Determined to forget, I set my mind on the Killdaren household. After last night's unraveling, I knew everyone within the household would be on edge. I was. The fact that Lady Helen and Mary's deaths were connected stripped away any semblance of normalcy. I wondered what would happen now with Stuart Frye's mother.

Before leaving my room, I hid the Dragon's Curse book in my armoire to read later and went in search of the others. I found that Gemini, Bridget, Prudence and Rebecca had all left their rooms, and I went downstairs to the kitchens. Tiptoes and whispers were somehow what I expected. Instead, I found the fires were ablaze, and everyone was rushing around as if their life depended on finishing their tasks within the next minute. With all of the scrubbing and polishing going on everywhere I passed, it surely seemed to me that the Queen herself was expected.

“What is it?” I asked one of the passing maids. She gave a furtive glance about, making sure no one could see her pause, then she whispered. “It's The Killdaren. The missus is going to have a baby, and while she's resting today, he's ordered that the entire castle be scrubbed and put to rights so that when she's feeling better, there won't be a thing that needs doing.” The maid then dashed off, scurrying like a squirrel with but a moment to prepare for a life-long winter.

I located Gemini, Prudence, Bridget and Rebecca in the dining room.

“Has anyone spoken to Cassie this morning?” I asked as I moved to the sideboard to for toast and tea.

“Only to Sean, a few minutes ago,” Gemini said. “Cassie is fine, but Sean is a mess. He's quite beside himself on how to keep Cassie in bed. She keeps remembering something that needs to be taken care of, and he keeps assuring her that it is being done. Then he wanted to know what Cassie did for leisure, and I couldn't tell him a thing.”

“Why not? Why she…” My mind drew a blank. “She always—”

Bridget nodded her fiery head. “See, I was right about it. She's always doing everything for everyone else and doesn't do anything for herself. Been that way ever since coming to the castle.”

“She reads,” I said, sitting down to the table slowly, somewhat stunned that I couldn't list a few things Cassie did for enjoyment.

“She's teaching others to read, but she doesn't take the time to do it for fun anymore,” Gemini said.

“M-miss Cass, p-play…p-piano,” Rebecca said, her pale cheeks turning bright red. This was the first time she'd involved herself in a conversation since her nightmare at the beginning of the week.

“Rebecca's right,” I said. “Cassie loves music, and she plays the piano so well. She used to play for hours before she began ‘Cassiopeia's Corner'.”

Gemini sighed. “I remember. After that she was so busy giving advice and taking care of us that she rarely played anymore. Never really did anything for fun anymore.”

“Then we're all just going to have to take charge of Cassie and help her have fun. We have to get her to stop doing for others and to do for herself,” Prudence added.

We all stared at each other, and I knew what they were thinking, for I had the same feeling. It would be easier to clean Killdaren's Castle from top to bottom
alone
than it would be to stop Cassie from being Cassie.

“She might not enjoy playing the piano here because the music room is so blimey spooky,” Bridget said and visibly shivered.

“What do you mean? We've a ghost in Killdaren's Castle?” Gemini's eyes lit up as they had with Mr. Drayson's mention of the haunted mansion. I wondered at her sudden interests in specters and why she would ever find things of that nature appealing. Given my recent dreams, anything related to the dead speaking beyond the grave made me shudder.

“We might as well. Dozens of them. Have you not read about the instruments in the glass cases? The last time I dusted them off was more than enough for me.”

“No,” I said. “I've never been to the music room, but then this place is so big I've only seen just a part of it and haven't done any exploring.”

“I've never been to the music room either, ladies,” said Gemini. “Why don't we go there after breakfast and see what we can do to make it sunnier for Cassie. Fresh flowers always help.”

“Not if you're decorating a tomb,” Bridget added.

I thought she was grossly exaggerating until a short while after breakfast when we all ventured to the music room, which had an eerie, tomb-like feel to it. The sensation was different from the eeriness of the nearby archeological sites like the Circle of Stone Virgins, and of course, the Merry Maids, the ancient Druid ceremony place that Alexander, Lord Ashton and Mr. Drayson had taken Gemini and me to earlier this summer. In those places a sense of magical history filled the air. Here in the music room, something darker hovered, despite the abundance of white and gold décor.

Surprisingly, Rebecca exhibited more independence than I had seen before. She used her cane to help guide her down the center aisle and up the stage stairs. She went immediately to the white-and-gold grand piano on the left side of the stage and sat down. After placing her rag doll on the bench next to her, she pressed upon the keys, playing random notes. The music tinkled life into the silence. It was as if she knew exactly how many steps to take and in which direction to move. She was obviously very familiar with the room, and I must have shown my surprise.

“That is pretty,” I said to her. “Can you play the piano?”

“No.”

“Then you should learn,” I said.

Rebecca played the notes over again and smiled as if she liked the idea.

Prudence moved closer to me and whispered, “Cassie discovered Rebecca didn't stutter when she sang, and so your sister brought her here, played for her and taught her songs. It was the biggest help in healing Rebecca. Mary used to bring Rebecca here too when she gave Bridget's sister, Flora, singing lessons.”

At the mention of Flora's name, goose bumps marched over my skin. I hadn't examined my dream from last night too closely because I didn't want to think about who the two women behind Mary were. Deep inside, I suspected the women were Lady Helen and Flora.

“I've never really thought about this place being like a cemetery, but I guess it is,” Prudence said quietly.

“Because of the musty air and the quietness?”

“It's been rarely used since Sean's mother died over thirty years ago. She entertained frequently, had performers from all over the world come, and Sir Warwick's wife would perform every month. She had an angelic voice that Queen Victoria praised and often requested to hear.” Prudence lowered her voice. “It's why Queen Victoria knighted Sir Warwick. The earl told me one…uh…evening.”

“Blimey, I didn't know that,” Bridget said, moving closer. Her eyes were wide with wonder. “You mean if Flora is in London and if the Queen were to hear Flora sing and liked it, she could make Flora a real Lady?”

“I don't know how it works, just that Sir Warwick was knighted,” Prudence said.

“I wasn't even aware he'd ever been married,” I said. “Nobody's mentioned her.”

“She died on the stage,” Prudence added.

I gasped, looking to where Rebecca experimented with the piano.

“Not here,” Prudence said waving her hand. “It was in London.”

“Good heavens!” Gemini cried out. She turned from a glass case, looking stunned.

“What is it?” I asked moving toward her.

“Forgive me for saying, but she must have read the bloody card,” Bridget said.

“It's horrible.” Gemini shivered. “Are they all like that?”

“Yes.” Prudence and Bridget answered together.

“Like what?” I asked, moving over to the glass display.

“Read for yourself,” Gemini said, stepping aside. “You'll fast lose your appetite for history and artifacts.”

In the glass case I found a beautiful gold flute decorated with fiery rubies, giving it a rich flair, much as I imagined the Crown Jewels would have. My gaze reluctantly moved to the accompanying card. The flute had belonged to Katherine Petrovanich, a Russian Princess who'd played her seductive music for one too many Russian Princess. She died when one of them poisoned her flute.

“Goodness!”

“Nothing good about any of the instruments in the cases,” Bridget said. “Every card tells what part the instruments played in the deaths of the women who used them.”

Having spent a great deal of my life immersed in artifacts, it wasn't the first thing I'd seen that had been “instrumental” in someone's death, but it was the first time I'd ever encountered a collection of such things that weren't war weapons. This was very disturbing. “Why ever would someone do this?” How could anyone enjoy hearing music when surrounded by reminders of death? The very thought turned my stomach.

Lady Helen. Mary. Now this! There was entirely too much death about!

Prudence frowned. “It's been this way since I came here to work eleven years ago. I assumed it was Sean's mother. She and the earl were avid collectors of art and novelties from all over the world.”

Gemini wrapped her arms around herself. “Well, I can see why Cassie hasn't developed an affinity for playing music here. It's a wonder she hasn't snitched and either hidden or burned the cards.”

“Why don't we?” I whispered.

No one said anything for a full minute, then Bridget laughed. “If we did, I don't think The Killdaren would demand that we all leave the castle.”

“And if we are able to get Cassie to come here and play then he'll be sure to forgive us.”

Not another word was said, but twenty minutes later, every display cabinet now only held the beautiful musical instruments, and all references to death had been removed.

“Were should we put the cards?” Prudence asked as we'd gathered around the pile.

“I'll not have the bloody things in my room,” said Bridget, stepping back. Prudence and Gemini moved back as well. “They're almost like ghosts,” whispered Gemini.

I glared at the cards. “They're just words. They can't hurt you.” I scooped them all into my arms and went toward the door. “I'll be right back. I'll put them in my armoire.”

“Don't go that way,” Prudence said. “There're stairs from the stage that go directly to the quarters I share with Rebecca.”

“A secret passage?” asked Gemini.

Prudence shook her head. “No, not secret. Just never used now. My quarters were for honored guests who'd come to perform, and the stairs were for their convenience, enabling them to rest and have privacy until their performance. Come, I'll show you.” She gathered Rebecca and her doll and led us up to the second floor. I shivered. Whether it was from stairs I didn't know about or the death cards, I couldn't say, but I felt decidedly cold.

 

 

Monday morning came faster than I imagined possible. We didn't get the chance to take Cassie to the music room until Sunday evening when Sean either finally gave up trying to keep her in bed resting, or having all of us women constantly intruding into his quarters put him over the edge. He'd muttered something about having to go sleep with his telescope, whereupon Cassie sweetly told him
that
was unnecessary. All he had to do was let her rest somewhere else besides bed. That we'd all come at her explicit request told me she'd deliberately driven Sean to this point. Cassie was not one to sit idle and confided that she
had
to get out of the bed. It was the only way either she or Sean were going to survive until the next day. He wouldn't even let her fluff a pillow by herself.

Bridget also informed us that Dr. Luden's revelation in regards to the similarity between Lady Helen's and Mary's deaths didn't change Constable Poole's opinion about Mrs. Frye and Jamie Frye's guilt. He knew all along Mrs. Frye hadn't killed Mary by accident. That she confessed to it proved she'd helped her son Jamie hide the fact that he'd committed the crime, which made her just as culpable.

I rose early Monday morning and tried on three dresses before finding one alluring enough to assure I'd catch Alexander's eye. Not that I'd allow him any further freedoms with my person after the way he'd left me last, but I did want him to desire me and regret he'd left me in such a state on purpose.

Much to my dismay, I discovered my wardrobe rather dismal when it came to flattering attire. I'd given such things little attention, for my main thoughts had always centered on history instead of fashion. The deep blue tea dress I'd settled on made my eyes intensely blue and flattered my figure well with an embroidered bodice and a graceful, flowing skirt.

I left my room with a knot of trepidation inside me that had nothing to do with anything that it should have, like what I'd read from Rebecca about Mary or its possible implications in Flora's continued silence. Nor did it have anything to do with the connection between Mary and Lady Helen's deaths. It had everything to do with Lord Alexander and what had happened Friday night in Sean's study.

I slipped on my lace gloves and ring as I hurried down the stairs, determined that I wouldn't quit my post because of the incident. In fact, I was more of the mind to pour wine on him or something just as outrageous. What exactly did one say to a man who'd done what Alexander had done?

The next time you seduce me, I won't stop, Andromeda. So make very sure you want everything, all the way. I can't marry you either. I'll leave no legitimate heirs. When I die, my title will go to Sean and his heirs. It is the least I can do for crippling him for life.

My attraction to Alexander when I'd first met him at the beginning of the summer had been instant and strong, a situation that had intensified ever since, and now loomed larger because my feelings for him had grown even greater.

I'd never truly been attracted to a man before. Not like this. A man's smile might have been interesting but never had the power to capture my desire. A man's gaze might have made me search his eyes a moment longer, looking to satisfy my curiosity about his spirit, but never had one set me afire as did Alexander's. And I might have wondered on occasion what a kiss might be like, but I had never wanted, allowed or sought intimacy with a man. Now I couldn't escape thoughts of us together as man and woman, and the things he alone seemed to have the power to make me feel. He was there with me, inside my mind.