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  ’Twas the ‘ands’ that he wished to discover and the realization that he wouldnae be here long enough, created a tangible ache in his chest.

  He swallowed hard. ’Twas but another quest he would fail. Though he knew he couldnae stay with Tess and Emily, he wouldna leave them vulnerable to the whims of a wayward spirit.

  Darach needed more than a mere glimpse to ken the nature of this spirit and what it would take to send him on his way. How long had the ghost inhabited this house, and why?

  Emily pressed closer to Darach, apprehension clouding her pretty, brown eyes. “If it’s not Jack, is it a…ghost?”

  “Sweetheart…” Tess began in one of those overly-patient tones adults tended to use with children. Darach recognized it from his own childhood as well as from tourists interacting with their children on the moor. “What you saw was definitely not a ghost. There are no such things as ghosts, remember? And you know very well Jack Frost is just a fairy—”

  “ ’Twas Jack! I saw him, too,” Darach interrupted before Tess could continue. “Slippin’ right through that door, just like Emily said.” He gave Tess a bear-with-me look. “Mayhap I’ll just go inside and have a talk wi’ him. See if I can coax him outside.”

  “Good idea,” Emily nodded rapidly, staring at him with a mixture of relief and adoration.

  The impact of the trust he saw in her eyes hit his gut with a blow harder than any opponent had ever wielded, and he knew he’d gladly fight dragons for this bairn. She’d pierced his heart, curled up inside, and settled in to stay. The sensation was terrifying. And marvelous.

  When he looked at Tess, she tilted her head and pressed her lips into a tight line. But to her credit, she dinnae say anything more about Jack no’ bein’ real.

  Chapter Seven

  Darach watched Tess’ green eyes darken with displeasure. Clearly, her opinion of him supporting Emily’s claim of seeing a ghost was far less than flattering. While Darach attempted to banish the ghost from Tess’ house, she likely planned the same, for him.

  He tried to tell himself ’twould be for the best if he left now. He’d be free of his growing attraction to her. Free of his growing attachment to Emily.

  The thought put a hollow, empty ache in his belly.

  But regardless of his personal fate, he bloody well dinnae intend to face eternity wondering what had become of these two lassies or what terrors they’d endured because he’d abandoned them in the face of potential danger! ’Twas already beyond bearing to carry the responsibility for leaving both his, and his friends’ mithers to face their fates alone.

  By the saints, he wouldnae make that mistake again!

  He needed to banish the intruder before Soncerae appeared and took the timing of Darach’s leavin’ out of his hands.

  “Why don’t we finish exploring, Em, while Darach speaks to Jack?”

  Irritation edged Tess’ words, but Darach kenned it a necessary price to pay. “Aye,” he patted Em’s shoulder. “See what ye can find while I try tae come tae an understanding wi’ Jack about where he belongs.”

  “Yes,” Tess gave Darach a hard look. “A clear understanding of our rightful places would be good for all of us.”

  “Come on, Aunt Tess.” Emily tugged on Tess’ hand, pulling her down the gallery to their left. “Let’s find the bedrooms. I want to choose mine.”

  “Don’t start picking paint colors quite yet, Em. As much as I want this place to work for us, there’s still a lot to consider.”

  “Well, I’m voting to stay,” Emily announced. “And then I can have the puppy you promised.”

  “I said you could have one, once we were settled. We’re still a long way from…” Tess’s voice faded as they entered one of the rooms.

  Smiling at the mental image of Emily playing in the restored garden with a bouncing, adoring puppy, Darach turned right and stepped up to the door the ghost had disappeared through. He drew a determined breath and tried the handle.

  Locked.

  Had he really expected less? He glanced down the corridor to be sure Tess and Emily were out of earshot and leaned close to the door. “Listen up, laddie, I dinnae ken what brought ye here, but ye cannae stay. As one ghost tae another, I’m tellin’ ye true. Ye’ve no place here. Ye must take yer leave.”

  A chilling blast of cold air swept beneath the door, prompting a surprising shiver to course through Darach. “Och! Ye’re daft if ye ken yer wee tricks will scare me off! A ghost cannae frighten a ghost.”

  Silence and another blast of cold air.

  He allowed his mounting impatience to color his words. “Give over, man, and open the door before I break it down around yer stubborn, shadowy arse!”

  His answer was a stronger burst of air accompanied by a faint, creaky rattle.

  “That’s the best ye can do?” Darach grumbled. “Ye’re no’ verra good at this are ye?” He gave a derisive snort. “So, ’tis only wee lassies ye’ve the courage tae challenge, then?”

  A moment of silence then a soft click and the door opened a couple of inches, enough for Darach to see a narrow slice of the light-filled room. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

  The room wasn’t large, but the sun shining through the wide, bare window bathed the yellow walls, creating a golden glow. A stark contrast to the dim, shadowed areas of the house he’d seen, thus far.

  Near the far corner, the ethereal shape of a fellow highlander stood with arms folded and shoulders bunched. Mayhap his surly expression was meant to intimidate, but ’twas easy for Darach to recognize the mixture of anger and anguish after living with them himself and observing them for centuries in the majority of The 79.

  He nodded toward the man’s familiar plaid. “Clan Macpherson. I fought wi’ some o’em at Culloden. Braw lads, they were.”

  “Aye!” The man’s expression turned indignant. “Tae a man!” He stood straighter and gave Darach a thorough inspection before he snorted. “Bah! A liar, is what ye are! What can a mortal possibly ken o’ Culloden? Stories and hearsay. Ye couldnae truly ken the caliber of men, nor the carnage at Drumossie Moor unless ye were there.”

  He turned his head and shoulder away in disgust, then slowly turned back. “By what sorcery do ye, a worldly human, see and hear me?”

  “I’m a ghost, the same as ye. I’ve been given this mortal state for a short time only, due tae the sorcery of a wee witch.” Darach challenged. “I died on Culloden’s battlefield. Are ye sayin’ ye did the same?”

  “Aye,” the ghost grumbled, eying Darach warily.

  “Och!” Darach exclaimed, beginning to understand. “Are ye stuck here, then, as I was on Culloden? Mayhap the wee witch that sent me here can help ye move on tae…wherever ye wish tae go.” But something dinnae fit with that theory. “Ye were obviously able tae leave the moor, so why dinnae ye cross over tae yer eternity, at the time?”

  The ghost waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m no’ stuck in the way ye’re suggestin’.” He studied Darach a moment as if deciding whether to say more. “ ’Tis a broken promise I’m trying tae mend that binds me.”

  “A promise? I dinnae ken how—”

  “I refused tae cross!” He spat the words like a whiplash. “I’d promised tae come back to my wife, and so I did, even though I was like…this.” He sneered at his ghostly personage and seemed to wilt with pain “But ’twas too late. She’d died, and our unborn babe with her.”

  He shook his head as if still in denial after all this time. “She must have crossed, though. I couldnae find her, and I dinnae ken where tae look for her. So, I wait, here in this house where I left her, until she comes back for me.”

  “ ’Tis been centuries, with naught tae suggest it won’t be centuries more.” Darach observed. “So, I ken ye’ve found a way tae live wi’ the living. The mortals who’ve occupied this house over the years?”

  “Nae!” The ghost’s outrage was instant and profound. “There cannae be mortals here. She’ll no’ come if there are. I ken it with a certainty
.” His expression turned dark. “So ye and yers must go! Mark me, I’ll continue tae drive away any who try tae stay. Or interfere,” he added. “Many have tried over the years. All have failed. Some left quickly. Some a bit more…uncomfortably.”

  Darach fought to replace his temper with compassion. “I ken what ’tis like tae wait centuries for something ye’ve ached for. Tae burn with the need tae pay back the debts ye owe. But ye cannae mean tae punish the living for wantin’ tae make the best lives they can,” he reasoned. “Those two lassies ye’ve been pesterin’ have a right tae be here. Their family ties tae this house go back more than the three centuries ye speak of. Ye cannae deny them their chance tae find happiness in the home that rightfully belongs tae ’em.”

  The ghost crossed his arms again and tried to look down his nose at Darach, despite being of equal height. “There’s naught ye can say or do tae change my mind.” His sneer distorted his craggy features. “Ye came in here, thinkin’ ye’d just sweep me out wi’ the dust. But ye cannae. So ye’d best go pack up yer lassies and their daft plans and cart the bunch of ye off, somewhere else. Ye’re no welcome here! If ye dinnae go willingly, the unfortunate outcome will be on yer head.”

  Darach’s blood pounded in his ears until all he heard was the roar. “Dinnae threaten me, or mine.” He felt a tug at the word mine, but set it aside to consider later. For now, all he cared about was letting this apparition ken the peril he’d be facing if he carried out his threat.

  He advanced on the intruder until they were nose to nose. “ ’Tis ye that isna welcome here.” He fought to keep the quiver from his chin. “ ’Tis a huge thing, a promise. No one kens that more than I. I made a huge one, and because I couldnae keep it, lives were destroyed. I’ll spend the rest of eternity paying for that mistake.”

  He took a steadying breath. “But ye kept yer promise. Ye came back. What I cannae ken is how ye think stayin’ here and destroying the lives of those still struggling through theirs, will bring ye closer tae findin’ yer wife and child. But, whatever yer twisted reasoning, I dinnae care. What I do care about is that wee lassie out there. Ye frighten so much as a freckle on her nose and ye’ll think Culloden was a May Day picnic. The same goes for the other lass. She’s lost far too much, already. Ye challenge either of them, or their right tae be here, and ye challenge me.”

  He wiggled his fingers in the ghost’s face. “Dinnae mistake this mortal guise as a disadvantage. ’Tis as temporary as yer presence here and it brings no limitations wi’ it. If ye doubt me, I’ve all of eternity tae prove it tae ye. Even if ye find yer wife and child and think ye’ve put this behind ye, I’ll still find ye. Ye’ve my oath on it.”

  The ghost hunched his shoulders and stood his ground. “And ye’ve mine. I’ve no’ endured these centuries tae have the likes of ye, boot me out.”

  Darach growled. “Ye’ll no leave?”

  “I cannae.”

  Regardless of his compassion for the highlander’s plight, Darach had to put Tessa and Emily’s safety first. But mayhap there was a compromise. “If ye’ll give yer word tae stay hidden and no’ interfere with—”

  “Darach?” Emily’s call came from somewhere outside the room. “Where are you? Did you talk to Jack?”

  “She thinks ye’re Jack Frost—Old Man Winter.” Darach explained, lowering his voice to a whisper. “I told her ye’d be moving outside, so there’ll be no more of yer senseless tricks and ye’ll no’ let her see ye again. Nor hear ye. Am I clear?”

  “Ye’ll no’ tell me what I—” The ghost’s face morphed from anger to puzzlement. “Ye said the child is mortal. By what magic does she see me?”

  “The magic of youth, I ken. She’s yet tae learn tae disbelieve.”

  “And the older lass?”

  “Och. She’s learned well enough. I overheard her tell the child she doesnae believe in ghosts. Therefore they dinnae exist. Ye dinnae exist. And soon, neither will I. But before that happens, ye and I will come tae an understandin’.”

  The ghost snorted. “I’ve made my intentions clear enough. I’ll make no’ other promise.”

  Darach leaned even closer. “But I make mine tae ye. Leave off makin’ yer presence known tae these lassies, or ye’ll have more than the passage of time tae regret. I am sent here for a purpose, and yer presence is interfering with that. Those are my terms. Heed them or leave.”

  “Nae.” The ghost crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I willnae. ’Tis the lot of ye that will be takin’ yer leave.”

  “Darach?” Emily called again, just as she entered the room. “Are you in here?”

  He whirled and tried to hide the ghost behind him. “I’ll be right out, lass.”

  “Was that Jack?” she asked leaning to one side to peer around Darach as Tessa entered behind her.

  Darach glanced over his shoulder, sighing with relief that the apparition had gone. “He said he had much tae take care of, outside.”

  “So, do you,” Tessa added.

  He felt the blood drain from his face. Apparently, she did intend tae send him away. “I…dinnae ken.”

  “Earlier, you asked for a job. I’ll hire you to take the boards off all the windows. On the ground floor, at least.” She glanced at the sunlit window. “It’s so light in here without the coverings. I can’t believe how much the sun has warmed this room, just since I entered.” She turned back to Darach. “I’m tired of using flashlights and not being able to get a clear picture of what’s here. If Emily and I are going to make a decision about staying, we need a better understanding of what we have to work with.”

  She gave him an odd look when he dinnae answer. “You did say you wanted work, right?”

  “Oh, aye!” he said when he got his voice back. “I do, indeed.”

  She wasnae angry with him, then?

  Tess took another glance around the room. “If we like what we find downstairs, maybe we’ll even take the covers off all the windows on this floor, as well.” She shrugged and gave him a small smile. “Assuming we can conjure up a ladder, of course.”

  His relief at no’ being sent away was so great he could barely contain the urge to pull Tess into his arms. Instead, he bowed before Emily, took her hand and twirled her in a pirouette. “My lady. The work on your castle, begins.”

  Emily giggled and curled her finger to signal him to lean down. “If we stay,” she whispered, “I get to have a puppy.”

  “Och!” he replied in a most serious tone. “Then we must do everything we can tae make that possible!”

  He glanced over his shoulder to scour the room again, as he followed Tessa and Emily through the door. “Everything!”

  Chapter Eight

  “Come with us, Darach.” Emily grabbed his hand and tugged him along the shadowed gallery corridor. “We haven’t explored this side yet.”

  “I’d love tae, lass,” he shot a quick glance at Tess, “but yer aunt has asked me tae remove the window boards.”

  He was desperate to stay with them since he had no idea where the resident ghost had disappeared to, nor what the scoundrel might try. But Tess had just given him a second chance and he dinnae wish to press his luck and be booted out for good.

  “Pleeease?” Emily begged, tugging harder on his hand.

  “I think the boards can wait until we’re through looking around up here,” Tess added, surprising him.

  “Yay! I’ll be the leader,” Emily announced, skipping ahead, her flashlight beam bouncing with every hop.

  “Remember what I said about staying away from the bannister until we’re sure it’s safe,” Tessa warned.

  Darach followed as they explored the rooms off the right side of the U-shaped balcony, ending with a surprisingly large room at the front of the house.

  “This is an exact replica of the room on the other side,” Tess commented, studying the fireplace and the angled ceiling. “Perfect for a honeymoon suite.”

  A what? Darach’s gaze flew to her, but she was transfixed with what he assumed were
visions and ideas for the place. At least he hoped that soft, faraway look was for the house and no’ someone she intended to bring to it.

  Was the lass promised to someone? He glanced at her hands. The only ring she wore was on the little finger of her right hand.

  The depth of his relief was so jarring, he turned away. Why would he expect a woman as lovely as Tessa to no’ be involved with someone? ’Twas daft to think she wouldnae be. And he was daft to think her availability mattered one whit in his situation. He should be happy if she had someone to love and care for her. And for Emily.

  He’d been in such a hurry to get to Hell and begin paying for his transgressions, that the two days Soncerae asked him to spend in mortality had seemed an enormous burden. A waste of time and energy. Now he dinnae want to leave here, leave them. At the most he only had one more day. One day to convince their ghostly inhabitant to leave and go…anywhere else.

  Darach shifted, uncomfortable with the thought of the ghost wandering through eternity looking for his family. But, it couldnae be helped. Tessa and Emily’s safety had to come first.

  Mayhap there was a way to help him. Mayhap Soncerae kenned something of the process, and she, or the elderly twins who’d attended his own leaving—if they were indeed, witches as well—would ken a spell that could guide the poor lost soul home.

  But, Soni wasnae due for another day and the apparition must leave immediately. The stubborn wretch had made it clear he wouldnae quietly bide his time with Tessa and Emily in the house.

  Nae. He couldnae wait for Soncerae. He had to take matters into his own hands before something grievous happened. Destroying the ghost’s chance of a happy eternity with his family to ensure that Tessa and Emily had a chance at theirs, was the only choice he had. ’Twould be another grievous sin against his soul, but he couldnae do otherwise.

  The pain and heartache he’d brought to both his, and his friend’s mithers, was shameful and wrong, but ’twas never intentional. The harm he planned to bring to the ghost, however, was deliberate. Calculated. The consequences would last for eternity. How did one atone for that?