The Ghost and Miss Demure (24 page)
Read The Ghost and Miss Demure Online
Authors: Melanie Jackson
“California. It seems that we’re finally going to open up the Youngbird Mansion in Humboldt County. DeWitt Youngbird has decided that it’s time to share his Native American art collection with the world.”
“Oh, my!” Karo’s eyes began to shine. “That’s a great house.”
“We should have just enough time to pop over to the isle and see Mum and Jeremy. They are dying to meet you.”
“They are? Why? I mean…why would they be?” she asked, surprised into partial incoherence.
“I told them days ago that I had finally met the girl of my dreams.” He rubbed at a small streak of dust on her nose with delicate fingers.
“Really?” Karo could feel an idiot grin spreading over her face.
“Really.” Tristam was also smiling. “They had some doubts as did I that there existed any woman with the right blend of intelligence, beauty and sense of adventure.”
“What is your mom like?” Karo asked, nervously picturing a woman with a bust like the prow of a ship and a tiara perched in her iron gray hair.
“She collects stray animals, knits endless jumpers I refuse to wear, skis Saint Moritz in January and likes Farrelley Brothers films.”
Karo blinked. “My parents will love her for her work with animals.” She added hurriedly: “I will, too.”
Tristam grinned. “So, when do I get to meet your parents? I’ve been absolutely dying to ask your father for a ride in his biplane.”
“Ah-ha!” Karo shook her head in mock annoyance. “I knew you had ulterior motives for seducing me.”
“You get to play with the Vellacourt family china, I get to ride in your father’s plane.” Tristam
laughed even as he rolled her under him and distracted her with a long kiss. “I have to admit, you’re the best-tasting dust bunny I’ve ever met. The loveliest, too.”
“I wonder if my hands will be gray forever.”
“It adds distinction,” he assured her and kissed her again.
“Actually,” she told him some blissful minutes later, panting in pleasure. “You might get your wish. Dad will probably fly one of his death traps out for the wedding, if Mom can’t talk her way out of it.”
“Excellent. Then we needn’t wait for them to book a commercial flight. Let’s call Reverend Tibbetts in the morning and see how quickly we can get this matter in hand. Now that we’ve made up our minds, I’m ready to drop into the depths and swim for the beautiful shore.”
She was surprised but not displeased. “Fine. But I get to use the Limoges for the wedding brunch.”
“Brunch? You’re thinking of a morning wedding? How about Saturday after next, then? Is that too soon? What about
this
Saturday? I think we could be ready by then. I’ve talked to my uncle at the embassy and there are no legal difficulties. Actually, I’m ready now. Are you? Are you ready to—as you Yanks say—put your money where your mouth is?” His eyes glowed with cheerful lust. Karo knew that all time for rational discussion was running out.
“Saturday morning, week after next,” she decided. “Our parents need time to get here. There’ll be fewer mosquitoes. And…damn. I hope it
doesn’t rain. This red mud would never come out of a dress and veil. And I have to get one…”
“How long does it take to get a dress and fripperies?” His tone was uneasy as he considered this potential new bar to his happiness.
“Not very,” she assured him. “Mom will scare up something. She’s big on planning my social life, and right now, I have to say I don’t mind. She probably has had a wedding dress all put away for me since I graduated college. If not, I’ll do without.”
“Good. I want you to have your heart’s every desire, of course, and to have a wedding befitting my greatest treasure. But I also want to do this deed as soon as possible. Now, the reverend is an early riser. We can make an
early
morning of it.”
Karo informed him, more or less politely, that he was again mistaken. She had plans for a late night and then sleeping in. Since it wouldn’t exactly be a white wedding, no matter her dress. She had
lots
of plans for them.
“I won’t change my mind,” she promised. “There are lots of things I have yet to try. And I wonder if you don’t, too.” It was the last thing she said before their lips reconnected and her brain went temporarily blank. She would climb the tree and call her parents later. Right now she had an agenda that was much more important.
Hence, babbling dreams! you threaten here in vain!
—Colley Cibber from
Richard III
The afternoon sun was glinting off the third-floor windows way up in the trees. Neither Karo nor Tristam could see the house from the shelter of their bower, even if they had been inclined to look up at it, but it was probably best for their peace of mind. They didn’t see the slight movement of the shutter in the garret, or hear the soft laughter of Hugh Vellacourt and Eustacie La Belle who looked down and watched the lovers in the garden. It was also doubtful that Tristam or Karo would have shared the spirits’ amusement at the recent reburial of Old Father Basco’s bones under the bush in the graveyard.
“Should we let it rain on them,
ma cher
?” Eustacie asked, looking at the bank of clouds gathering in the east. She cherished Hugh as much now as the day they met, though she had to admit his ever-changing appearance remained a bit of an oddity.
“
Non.
We shall make this storm pass away. They have, after all, done us a great service by removing that hateful book from the house. And it is sweet that she wished to bury our bones together.” The two specters smiled at each other. Centuries
had not dimmed their love, and their bones
were
buried together—in the armoire that Tristam had complained about moving to the garret. Reuniting them had been a herculean effort by a different Vellacourt, another attempt to expel Hugh’s ghost.
“It will be wonderful to have guests at Belle Ange again,” Eustacie said. “Shall we attend this nuptial feast? We shall have to keep our distance if we do. You make Karo so very hot, and I chill her to the bone.” Eustacie went over to the bookshelf and selected a volume of Japanese erotica. The illustrations were beautiful. “Hm…This is new to the collection and very interesting. I am glad they discovered it and brought it up here. Such thoughtful children. Maybe we can show them some for their honeymoon.”
Hugh looked back at his lover and chuckled. “
Bien entendu
. But of course we shall attend the feast! It is to
our
credit that they wed. Without a gentle nudge, they would still be circling and scratching at one another like wary cats.”
“
Bien
. Then come away,
cher
, and let them make their plans and love in peace. It is only for a few days more. And we should also decide if we wish to see this home in California.”
“Very well.” The shutter closed slowly, and Hugh Vellacourt waved a lackadaisical hand at the two bodies twisted pleas urably in the garden. “
Adieu, mes enfants
. Until Saturday.”
THE NIGHT SIDE
“
The Night Side
delivers in spades…A seasoned storyteller, Jackson delivers another entertaining story.”
—Fresh Fiction
Jackson “has a wonderful way with descriptive language. There are some great connections with previous books and a surprise at the end.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“For a very different type of murder mystery and some very quirky characters and a twist at the end you won’t see coming, pick up
A Curious Affair
, because in this tale, curiosity does not kill the cat!”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Not to be read quickly, Jackson’s latest is closely connected to the two previous Divine stories…This is an excellent addition to this series.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“An intriguing mix of mystery and romance, with shadings of the paranormal, this is a story that pulls you in.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“This tale isn’t your everyday, lighthearted romance…Melanie Jackson takes an interesting approach to this tale, using historical figures with mysterious lives.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Jackson pens a sumptuous modern gothic…Fans of solid love stories like those of Laurell K. Hamilton will enjoy Jackson’s tale, which readers will devour in one sitting, then wait hungrily for the next installment.”
—
Booklist
“This visit to the ‘Wildside’ is wonderfully imaginative and action-packed…[A] fascinating tale.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Readers…will not be disappointed. Her ability to create a complicated world is astounding with this installment, which includes heartwarming moments, suspense and mystery sprinkled with humor. An excellent read.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“The latest walk on the ‘Wildside’ is a wonderful romantic fantasy that adds new elements that brilliantly fit and enhance the existing Jackson mythos…Action-packed.”
—
Midwest Book Review
“The author’s imagination and untouchable world building continue to shine…[An] outstanding and involved novel.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Melanie Jackson is a talent to watch. She deftly combines romance with fantasy and paranormal elements to create a spellbinding adventure.”
—WritersWrite.com
“Jackson often pushes the boundaries of paranormal romance, and this…is no exception.”
—Booklist
“Part fantasy, part dream and wholly bewitching,
The Selkie…
[blends] whimsy and folklore into a sensual tale of love and magic.”
—
RT Book Reviews
THE SELKIE BRIDE
THE NIGHT SIDE
DIVINE FANTASY
A CURIOUS AFFAIR
DIVINE NIGHT
WRIT ON WATER
DIVINE MADNESS
THE SAINT
THE MASTER
DIVINE FIRE
STILL LIFE
THE COURIER
OUTSIDERS
TRAVELER
THE SELKIE
DOMINION
BELLE
AMARANTHA
NIGHT VISITOR
MANON
IONA
In fond memory of Becky and Max and Goldie, Gone over the Rainbow Bridge—Rest In Peace
LOVE SPELL
®
July 2010
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2010 by Melanie Jackson
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0900-9
The name “Love Spell” and its logo are trademarks of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Visit us online at www.dorchesterpub.com.
