Belmary House 5 Page 22

  Her heart went out to him, having to live that way. And to have to be ashamed of something that wasn’t his fault. It was the same way she felt about Owen thinking he had to lie about what he was to impress her friends. She felt tears rising in her eyes once again, wanting to change things for both of them.

  “Then come with me,” she said, certain this was why she was so compelled to find him. It wasn’t just because she wanted company on her new adventure. It was to help him. Owen was lost to her but she still had Nick. “I came specifically to ask you that. Not just to flit about this time. I can’t stay here too long anyway as I’ll be born next year.”

  His eyes widened and he looked around. As if anyone would understand what she meant.

  “How brazen of you.” He leaned closer and she could smell the warm tobacco scent of him along with the brisk sea air that clung to his golden hair. Her heart sped up and she put her hand on his chest to steady herself. “Are you saying you came back to ask me to travel with you? And not just somewhere so mundane as Italy?” he asked.

  She grinned up at him. “Did you forget so soon all the plans we made?”

  “Ah, I do confess I was rather in my cups that night.”

  “Well, I’m proposing we go a much greater distance than you could dream of, and yet never leave London.”

  Her face grew hot as she said the words. Her entire body felt heated. But she liked it. At the same time she felt jittery and uncertain around him, she also felt completely comfortable.

  She didn’t know why she questioned fate when so many unbelievable things had happened to her in her lifetime. All the unimaginable things she had done. Perhaps it was time to believe in fate as well. Nick was meant to be hers.

  He looked her up and down, making her heart downright race. “It’s certainly tempting,” he said, looking back at the ship he was supposed to board. “But—”

  “You’ve fallen on hard times, yes,” she said. “But so what? What will it matter in…” she paused to count the years. “More than eighty years? And I have a wonderful house. Everything would be taken care of.”

  He stepped back and frowned. “I won’t accept charity,” he said, sounding deeply affronted. “Not from you.”

  She stamped her foot. “It’s not charity.”

  She was so sick of having these conversations. A few of her new magical friends had balked at staying at her house, accepting free meals and new clothes. But it wasn’t charity, it was only what she wanted.

  It was the only reason she went to the trouble of setting up her investment scheme in the first place. She wanted to enjoy their company in a setting she could also enjoy. What was wrong with that? Once they understood her, they always accepted. Now she only had to make Nick accept.

  He shook his head. “I couldn’t. I simply couldn’t go with you if I thought it was out of pity or for any other reason except perhaps … something personal?” He looked positively devilish as his blue eyes searched her face. “Do you have any such reasons, Ariana?”

  Heart pounding almost into her throat, she threw caution to the wind. She knew what she wanted. Standing on her tiptoes, she planted her hands on his broad shoulders and kissed him. His lips were soft and inviting and she wanted to lose herself in the embrace he started to give her. But not here, on the docks. In her own home, her own time.

  “How’s that for a personal reason, Nicholas Kerr?”

  He looked stunned, then his face softened into a gentle smile. “I’d say it’s quite convincing. But my things have all been loaded on the ship already.”

  She grinned up at him and clasped his hand in hers, warm and strong and just where it belonged.

  “I’ll take care of everything.”

  ***

  Nick stared at the lush mansion in wonder. Everything she said was true. He should have believed it because he learned about Ashford from his brother. It wasn’t as if Jeremy was in the habit of gossiping about his friends, but Nick was in the habit of paying attention.

  He was open to the knowledge. After all, his brother had his own goings on that couldn’t be explained by any natural laws. He was used to things not always making sense. But he never really believed it. Jeremy’s troubles were one thing, but time travel? Even when he came face to face with a lookalike girl claiming to be Ashford and Tilly’s daughter, he didn’t really believe. Just knocked back some whisky and went with the flow, enjoying the young thing’s company.

  She hired a carriage near the docks and after a rather tedious journey to the countryside they finally pulled up in front of a vacant stretch of land. She couldn’t stop giggling while she tossed some dried plants on the ground and said some words he didn’t recognize. She forced him to sing, which embarrassed him to no end.

  A few dizzying moments later he opened his eyes to find himself staring at a property that put his brother’s estate to shame. It made Belmary House look like a cottage. She tugged at his hand to hurry him up the long, winding drive.

  “It was silly to want to show it to you like that, wasn’t it?” she asked, anxiously looking back at him as she raced ahead.

  “Impressive as hell is what it was,” he said with honest admiration. “Did you have this built from the ground up?”

  Were her abilities that strong? Was she that rich?

  She shook her head, still grinning proudly. “No, it was built about forty years ago, so it wasn’t here in my time, either. It needed a fair bit of restoration so I got it for a song.”

  “It looks like you’ve done a wonderful job of it,” he said, pleased that his compliment made her look so happy.

  He couldn’t figure Ariana Alexander out. One moment she was as confident and brash as her virago of a mother and the next, she was as sweet and eager as a colt, prancing around and enjoying its new life. If he wasn’t careful he’d fall for the girl.

  He faltered in his steps for a moment. Why shouldn’t he allow himself to have feelings for her? Some strange man came up to him out of the blue and filled his head with mad notions about untold riches and power. It was supposedly his chance for vengeance. But if he followed what Milo said, something might happen to lead to all of their memories being erased. Which would ostensibly plunk him back down in the middle of all his troubles again.

  And for what? The notion that he had to have revenge against Tilly for embarrassing him in front of society? He laughed out loud at that thought. What did any of them matter now? They were all long dead. He had a chance to make something of himself in a time where his ruined reputation wasn’t able to follow. He felt invincible, almost immortal. All because of Ariana.

  Before they made it to the door, he grabbed her up into an embrace. Her pretty face turned bright pink and he gazed down at her, feeling free of a great weight.

  It might have been the fact that he no longer had to run from angry creditors or it might have been his own burden of anger being lifted from his shoulders. This sweet girl wasn’t her mother or father. She was a lifeline and he needed to hang on with all his might. At that moment he felt filled with gratitude toward her.

  “What is it?” she asked breathlessly, blinking up at him.

  “I just thought you were too beautiful with the sun hitting your hair. I was overwhelmed. Shall I let you go?”

  Turning even pinker, she shook her head. “No. I mean, don’t you want to meet everyone?”

  He made a face. “I suppose it’s too much to have you all to myself.”

  “It’s much too much. How scandalous.” She flounced ahead again and he followed.

  The inside revealed there was still a lot of work to do, but it was a sight better than the grubby boarding house he’d been reduced to living at. He felt a twinge that he couldn’t contribute and vowed to find a way to be helpful.

  “You must let me oversee this huge project you’ve undertaken.”

  She sighed deeply. “It does seem to be taking forever. Every time something gets fixed, something else comes up broken. Drummond’s often at his wit’s end so
he’ll welcome the help.” She waved her hand over a smudge on the entryway wall and it faded away. “It’s simple enough to do things like that, but Drummond insists we do all the building the natural way, with skill and muscle.”

  “I can’t say I know anything about it but I agree with this Drummond of yours. I feel much more secure knowing this place is held up with stone and mortar and not just a wave of your lovely fingers.”

  At that moment an older man with a long grizzled beard came from a room off to the side.

  “Speak of the devil,” Ariana said delightedly. “Here’s Drummond now. He’s in charge of everything here.” She must have seen his look of discontent and hurried to add, “Only when I’m not here, that is.”

  Drummond seemed to look straight through him, giving Ariana a questioning look. He was friendly enough though, and excused himself to do some errand after the introductions.

  “He knows I’m not like you,” Nick said, once again feeling inferior. “That I have none of your abilities.”

  She shrugged, screwing up her forehead in concern. “He doesn’t care about that. Nor do I. But shall I try and teach you?”

  “Can it be learned?” he asked, fascinated.

  How wonderful. And useful, especially should he ever want to go back. The way she looked at him made any such thoughts of leaving fly from his mind. She tapped her chin, deep in thought.

  “Ah, now I regret leaving that damned book behind.”

  “Which book is that, love?”

  Her eyes widened at the casually dropped endearment but she tried to hide her surprise, trying to seem worldly and used to such things. He found it endearing. If only he didn’t have the useless knowledge Milo gave him, feel he was somehow coerced into being there. Was he really fated to meet Ariana or was he being twisted somehow?

  “What does it matter, anyway?” he demanded out loud, much to his dismay.

  She smiled nervously. “You’re right, the book doesn’t matter. I’m sure I can teach you something on my own.”

  “You have my undivided attention,” he told her, relieved his little outburst hadn’t given her pause.

  “Come here, then. May as well learn to clean. It’s useful in this place.” She walked along the wide hall until she found a smudge on a door frame. “All you need to do is concentrate on this handprint. And at the same time, muster up a feeling of cleanliness and freedom, but only about the thing you want to be freed from. You must be as specific as possible or you’ll remove the finish from the wood.” She stopped and laughed. “I’ve done that before. There was some dust on a little painting at home and I accidentally stripped the entire canvas. I’m rather good at painting so I copied it as best I could from my memory and then had my cousin hex it so people wouldn’t look at it too thoroughly.” She paused and cleared her throat, looking sad for a moment. “He was always better at those deceptive type spells.”

  “All I do is concentrate? No incantations?”

  “It’s really one of the easiest things,” she said with a shrug. “If you can dig deep enough and get the feeling just right.”

  “Easy for your lot,” he said. “But I’ll give it a go.”

  He mimicked the wave of her hand near the smudge and tried to imagine it fading away to cleanliness. Of course it was madness, but he never wanted something so badly as he wanted that hand print to disappear. And within seconds it did. He gasped and turned to see her still focused on the door frame.

  “There,” she said with a smile. “Easy as can be, wasn’t it?”

  “You did it,” he said.

  At first a rush of disappointment made his fingers curl inward but the coquettish twinkle in her eyes swept the sour feeling away.

  “I’m sure you’ll get it eventually,” she said, wrinkling her pert nose.

  What if he didn’t, though? It wasn’t exactly like picking out a tune on the pianoforte. He had a feeling one had to be born with the gift. Would she still find him so charming if he turned out to be completely useless? After all, he always seemed to wear out his welcome eventually. He very much didn’t want that to happen here. With a quick glance to make sure no prying eyes were watching them, he pulled her into his arms.

  “I don’t mind you coddling me as long as I think there’s something I can do for you in return,” he said, gazing deep into her eyes.

  There was no deception there, no tricks or traps. He needed to relax and enjoy this. Milo’s mad speeches were nothing but that. Insane ramblings. They had fortunately led him to this place with this beauty who seemed to like him so much, but he could forget about them now.

  He was in charge of how things turned out. He would see to a happy ending. She shivered in his arms and he felt nearly overwhelmed with tenderness.

  “Do something for me in return?” she repeated coyly. “I wonder what that could be?” She leaned close and came up on her toes. He didn’t need an engraved invitation and leaned down to kiss her. Her lips were soft and tender. With a sigh, she leaned back and smiled. “I’m so happy, Nick.”

  He kissed her once more, quickly. “Good. Let’s keep it up then.”

  He stroked her hair, feeling wistful. But also hopeful. And something else he couldn’t yet identify, but wanted to explore. It was something good. Giving up his old life had been the right thing to do, hadn’t it?

  “Ariana, don’t go back to your time. Stay here with me. I want to learn, live this life of yours with you.”

  She gave him a sunny, determined smile. “I have no intention of going back. Not now. Now we must get down to business.”

  The end.

  Epilogue

  Tilly sat staring at the fire in her bedroom, exhausted after all the arguing. She knew how heartbroken Ariana must be now that Owen had run away. Chased off by their inability to properly explain. She could see how frightened Kostya was that Owen knew what that damned book was about, but relieved in the end that he was going to Moldavia. He nearly broke down, certain he’d failed the boy, but Ashford convinced him Sorin was the best man for the job.

  “It’s not all evil,” Ashford had said, clapping his oldest friend on the shoulder. “Not even most. You had a bad lot of it, so did Camilla and I. It’s certain that things will be different with Owen if he’s taught by Sorin.”

  Kostya seemed to be mollified but Serena was sick with fear. Tilly knew it wasn’t only the magic but the long journey he had ahead of him. Owen was too angry and hurt to accept help. Certainly not money or a carriage, let alone a horse. He was determined to see it through on his own.

  Tilly knew Owen had every right to be upset. What must he have thought when he saw their names in there? How frightened must he have been when the dreadful thing sought him out, made him find it.

  She shivered and moved closer to the fire, feeling restless. It wasn’t only Owen’s betrayed face that kept flashing in her mind, but Ariana’s. She had all but begged them with her despondent eyes to tell her the truth.

  Tilly stood up abruptly, the shawl covering her lap nearly flying into the flames. She tossed it back on the chair and stormed out of her room. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She admitted now that she’d made the wrong decisions. Time and again she kept the truth from her daughter, from the boys as well, but she never had to lie to the boys’ faces as she’d done to Ariana. As she recalled the way Ariana had been acting the last few weeks, her strange, beseeching looks and pointed questions, Tilly’s heart filled with fear.

  Could she possibly know?

  Regret flooded her, slamming into her with such force she had to grab her middle and lean over. Why did she ever think she could get away with a lifetime of deception? Her own children didn’t know the first thing about her. Not really.

  Besides the fact that she was truthful about being from America, they thought she was born in the eighteenth century like their father. All the bits of history pertaining to the curse on the house had been whisked under an invisible carpet. Every truth about what their father did before they were born, all
the things they’d both seen. And now the carpet had such a huge lump from all they brushed under it, there was no way they couldn’t be tripped up.

  But it wasn’t only the fact that it had grown hard to keep up. She hated the fact that all her daughter knew of her were lies. It seemed right in the beginning. After all, they were trying to save Ariana from being murdered. But what if telling her the truth had been the better option?

  “You’ll never know now,” she hissed to herself.

  She knew she should discuss it with Ashford before she stormed ahead without thinking, but she couldn’t bear it any longer. She had to find Ariana and confess. At least the part about the book. Perhaps about the portal and how she really met Ashford. It was time to admit she screwed up, admit she was driven by fear all those years. She’d beg for forgiveness. Her sweet Ariana would understand.

  She huffed when Ariana’s room was empty. Had her daughter ever been sweet? She was headstrong and unruly a good lot of the time. She loved animals, her friends, her brothers for the most part. But when something didn’t go the way she wanted, it was like a volcano erupting. A volcano that could take out an entire island.

  Tilly prayed she could stopper the blast that her confession would release. They would make it up to her, go after Owen in their finest carriage, take him to his family. It would be lovely to see Sorin again and perhaps she could convince herself that the future she had seen would never happen. Perhaps she’d done enough to change it.

  Cook hadn’t seen Ariana since morning and when Tilly hunted down the boys, they only shrugged and said they hadn’t seen her since the day before when she was still sulking up in her room. Farrah gave her a worried look, but Tilly only shook her head.

  “I’m sure she probably went out to one of her friends’ houses,” she said. “Farrah, could you be a dear and help me send messages off to them?”