Chisholm Page 6

  Tessa’s muttering broke into his thoughts and he turned to see her strolling the perimeter of the room, eyebrows scrunched and frown lines creasing the edges of her pretty mouth. Lost in concentration, she tapped a finger against her chin.

  “…and if I moved some walls to make extra bathrooms, I would maybe end up with six guest rooms. But Emily and I still need rooms. Perhaps downstairs there’d be...”

  Darach smiled at her complete concentration as she continued to mutter her thoughts and calculations to no one in particular. Her lips, animated one moment, puckered in thought, another, captured his attention. The palpable yearning to feel them beneath his own was becoming more and more difficult to ignore.

  ’Twas another unfulfilled desire, he’d take wi’ him. He’d no’ do anything to destroy his chance of staying here as long as the fates, Tessa, and Soncerae, would allow.

  “Aunt Tess, come see what I found,” Emily entered from another of her forays into some of the other rooms. “That little room you peeked into, that you said was maybe for storage? Wait ’till you see what’s inside.”

  Tess, Darach noted, still paced, still oblivious to anything outside her head. With a frustrated sigh, she shoved her fingers through her long, raven hair, lifted it away from her lovely face and let it fall in an ebony cascade down her back.

  “Aunt Tess—” Emily repeated, impatiently.

  “Mmm?” Tess muttered, distractedly. “What is it, Em?”

  “I want to show you what I found.”

  “Okay, but unless it’s a pot of gold, it probably can’t help us much.” Her shoulders drooped with discouragement. “There’s just so much to fix. I don’t know if we’re going to be able to make this place work, honey. I don’t know what made me think I could take on something like this!”

  Emily’s face fell and Darach felt her disappointment pierce his chest.

  “But…I’ll help,” Emily coaxed.

  “So will I,” Darach quickly offered, before remembering he wasnae free to make such a promise. The reality of how painfully temporary his mortality was, felt far worse than the musket ball he’d taken on Culloden’s battlefield. “For…as long as I can,” he added. The words scraped like glass on his tongue.

  “I know you would, and I appreciate your willingness to help—both of you, but it’s not just the labor. I’m not sure we have enough money to cover such a huge renovation.” She turned to Darach. “So, I guess the next step is uncovering the windows. No sense making plans until we get a better idea of everything that needs to be done. And we still haven’t finished exploring downstairs.”

  Emily crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her aunt. “We’ll be all right. Don’t worry, okay, Aunt Tess?” She looked up and gave Tess a wobbly smile. “I don’t need my own room. You can have it for guests, and I…I don’t need a puppy. We can save some money on those things, can’t we?”

  Tess dropped to her knees and hugged Emily. “Oh, sweetie.”

  Darach had to step out of the room. He couldnae breathe past the lump in his throat and he dinnae want them to misinterpret the moisture in his eyes. Something must have gotten in them. Dust particles, likely stirred up from Tess circling the room while she plotted and planned.

  Somehow, something had gotten twisted in his head and heart. Something as unreal as the mortal cloak he wore. Mayhap some kind of spell on this house, or something resulting from his swift departure from the moor? He dinnae recognize himself anymore. How had he become so emotional? So…attached?

  For the first time in either of his lives, he dinnae ken what to do with his fear. He couldnae charge the enemy, yelling in the face of his terror. He dinnae even ken who the enemy was. Was it the ghost who threatened the welfare of these two innocent lassies? Or, was it Tessa and Emily, themselves, who’d conjured strange, wondrous and frightening feelings in him?

  They came out of the room, hand in hand. “It’s down here, in the corner,” Emily said, releasing Tessa’s hand to bound ahead.

  “I thought that room was empty,”

  “Sort of,” Emily shrugged.

  “Coming, Darach?” Tess raised an eyebrow, as if challenging him. “Looks like we’re treasure hunting again.”

  He followed them as Emily opened the door to a room near the curve of the balcony and disappeared inside. He’d seen no reason to look inside earlier, when Tess declared it a small storage room.

  “Come see,” Em called from inside the room.

  Tess shot Darach a puzzled look and followed Emily into the room. Darach crowded in behind them. The room was indeed empty. And dark.

  “Back there!” Emily’s voice rang with excitement as she fixed her flashlight beam on the back wall. “It’s another door. And look what’s inside!”

  “Let me.” Wary of what tricks their resident ghost might try, Darach squeezed past them to grasp the doorknob. He waited a few seconds for the ghost to try his pathetic parlor tricks but felt and heard naught but the two lassies breathing behind him. He eased the door open and stood back.

  Another set of stairs. Narrow wooden treads, scuffed bare in the centers from centuries of use, climbed steeply out of sight.

  “See?” Emily exclaimed. “Cool, huh? It’s like secret stairs to a secret place where maybe they kept their…secret stuff? Like, treasures, or something!”

  “It’s very cool,” Tess said, clearly trying to disguise the amusement in her voice. “And you’re very clever, Em. I believe what you’ve discovered, is the entrance to the attic. And even though I doubt there are any treasures after all these years, despite our ancestor’s hurried escape, it might be worth exploring. But another day. We still have a lot of work to do, downstairs.”

  “Escape?” Em’s eyes widened. “Were they in trouble? Was this a prison?”

  “No,” Tess shook her head. “Not this house, anyway. But the whole country was kind of becoming one after the Battle of Culloden. Remember that place we visited, with the clan stones? Remember the guides telling us about a huge battle that was fought there? Between the English and the Jacobites?”

  “I remember. The Jacobites were the ones who didn’t want the English to be their bosses, right?”

  “Right. But they lost that fight and then England was the boss. And they made it really hard on all the people who’d fought against them.”

  “And their families,” Darach added, no’ bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice. “And anyone else who’d tried tae aid ’em.”

  “Exactly,” Tess nodded. “They became so fearful for their lives and the safety of their families, many of them escaped England’s punishment by abandoning their homes and going someplace else, to try for a better life.”

  “So…that’s why our lots-of-greats grandpa came to America? To make his family safe?” Emily asked.

  “Yes. That, and a new start.” Tess smiled and tapped the tip of Emily’s nose. “You just aced today’s history lesson. And now, you and I are back here to reclaim our heritage. If we can,” she added.

  A sudden, chilling draft swirled down the stairway, lifting fine strands of hair around Tessa’s and Emily’s faces. Darach hurried to close the door, silently damning the ghostly intruder. Apparently, he hadna made himself clear enough.

  “There must be a broken window up there. Let’s go back and warm up by the fire.” Tessa rubbed her arms. “My goodness, this is the draftiest house I’ve ever been in. That’s something else we’ll need to address if we plan to stay.”

  “Aye,” Darach agreed. “And the sooner the better.”

  Chapter Nine

  Tess had already begun to think of the library as a sanctuary. The cozy warmth of the fire seeped soothingly into her bones as she watched a final few wispy flakes of snow drift lazily from the sky. Bright beams of light pierced through the parting clouds, creating a glistening sparkle on the fresh snow.

  “It’s so beautiful here,” she murmured to no one in particular.

  Darach glanced up from adding more wood to the fire.
“Aye. Most beautiful.” His gaze lingered on her long enough to bring a rush of heat to her cheeks.

  After a moment he turned his attention to the room itself, studying the corners and ceiling with a slight scowl before adjusting his plaid around his shoulders. “Ye and the lass stay in here and get warmed through. Rest a while. Ye’ve had a busy morning. I’ll start uncoverin’ those kitchen windows.”

  “We have work to do, too,” Tess replied, “but…I’ll walk you out, first.”

  She’d been trying to find the right time, right way, to talk to him about Emily, but she just needed to get it over with. “Stay here and keep warm, Em. I’ll be right back. I have to talk to Darach about the…uh…work we need done.”

  “I’ll help him,” Emily offered, looking hopeful. “It’s stopped snowing.”

  “Maybe later, if it warms up a little. Besides, we still have the other half of this floor to explore.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Emily looked torn. “I’ll come help you in a little while, Darach.”

  “I’d like that, lass,” he smiled to soften her disappointment, before shifting a look of concern toward Tess. “Mayhap, if ye’re going explorin’, I should stay and help ye.”

  Tess laughed. “Whatever for? It’s just a bunch of empty, dusty rooms. Besides, I’m anxious to get a good look at the kitchen and to do that, I need to have those windows opened up.”

  He seemed troubled by her response but ultimately nodded his agreement.

  She struggled with her own discomfort as she followed him through the foyer to the front door, looking back twice to make sure the library door remained closed so Emily couldn’t hear what she was about to say.

  “Darach…” Unsure how to start, she tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. No, that didn’t feel right. She crossed her arms, instead, and tried to stand taller. Yes. Tall and firm. That’s what she needed.

  “What is it ye wish tae say?” he asked cautiously. “Ye seem tae be havin’ a bit ’o trouble spittin’ it out.”

  She swallowed. “All right. It’s about Emily.”

  His brow creased, deepening the worry lines in his distractingly handsome face.

  She needed to look away before she lost her nerve. “Look… um, it’s clear you care about her. And I love that you do. But…I don’t think you realize how impressionable she is. Due to her situation—the losses she’s gone through recently—she tends to become easily attached. Abandonment issues, I suppose the shrinks would call it. So, since you’ll be leaving too, it’s important that she doesn’t become too attached to you.” She winced and looked up at him, wishing she could explain it better. “You’re amazing with her, but that also makes it harder on her when you leave. Does that make sense?”

  “Aye,” he whispered, so quietly she barely heard him. “I ken yer meaning.”

  He stared first at his feet, then at the library door, but never once looked at her. Tess fought the guilt slithering through her belly. He seemed to be everything Emily needed, but she also needed that person to be a permanent part of her life. Darach wasn’t, and never would be.

  Heaving a shaky sigh, she prepared to land the final blow. “I need you to remember your place with Emily. Agreeing with her, giving in to her every whim and fostering her fantasies like you did upstairs, may seem like the right thing to do at the time, but in the long run it harms her. Surely you can see that?”

  He shifted uncomfortably.

  “Obviously, parenthood is new to me,” she continued despite the emotion thickening her throat. “I have zero experience and tons of doubt about my ability. I imagine I’ll mess up repeatedly along the way. Regardless, I’m Emily’s parent now, and it’s my responsibility to guide her. Besides, you’re leaving, remember? So I’m asking for the remainder of your time here, that you stick to the tasks you’ve been hired to do and stop…interfering.”

  She stared at him while he stared at the library door as if he’d already said goodbye.

  “Agreed?” she pressed, feeling a little nauseous.

  When he lifted his pain-filled gaze to hers, her heart sank even further, and she realized she may have underestimated how much he truly cared. But, despite her desire to take it all back, Tess held fast. She had to put Em’s welfare above this stranger’s, no matter how much it hurt him. He’d been such a tremendous help to them, they’d already begun to rely on him. Probably too much. Perhaps that was the real problem. Maybe they…she…had begun to care about him, too much.

  “Agreed,” he stated flatly. “I’ll tend tae my work and try no’ tae interfere with ye, nor influence the lass in any way.”

  His eyes suddenly widened. “Ye ken I’d never intentionally harm the lass, do ye no’?”

  She couldn’t stand the pained look on his face and rested her hand on his arm, hoping to reassure him. “I know, Darach. I see how much you care about her.”

  Before she could pull away, he covered her hand with his. His strength and warmth seeped into her fingers, reminding her he’d unfailingly offered both of those things to them from the moment he’d…appeared.

  “ ’Tis both of ye, that I wish tae see safe.”

  Both?

  Unprepared for the jolt of surprise and…pleasure…his words evoked, she pulled her hand free and took a step back.

  Then came the heat of embarrassment. She’d probably misinterpreted his meaning. He’d only meant the comment in general. Of course he’d want her to be safe. But that didn’t necessarily imply anything more.

  The surge of disappointment was nothing more than fatigue. She’d merely confused gratitude with caring. Besides, he’d made his intent to leave very clear. And whether she and Em stayed here, or went their own way, she knew Darach would never be a permanent part of their lives.

  “That’s…all I had to say,” she muttered, turning away to head back to the library, but the empty ache in the pit of her stomach called out her lie. Clearly, Emily wasn’t the only one who’d become too attached.

  Disgusted with her self-indulgence, Tess threw herself into the task of determining if this old relic would make a suitable home for Emily and herself. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else could matter! She wouldn’t let it.

  So far, they’d discovered a few small, cramped rooms at the back of the house that might have once belonged to a housekeeper or cook. They also found two decent sized rooms they could claim as bedrooms, along with a couple of antiquated bathrooms.

  All in all, it seemed to come down to her available funds versus the cost of renovations. Though the structure of the house appeared sound beneath her small flashlight beam, she’d need the opinion of an inspector before making a final call. Toss in a contractor, landscaper and furnishings and the bottom line looked big. Perhaps too big.

  The crash of more boards coming down outside, echoed in the dark hallway they’d entered. “Sounds like Darach is making progress. Do you think this hall connects to the kitchen from this side?” she asked Emily. “It would be nice not to have to go clear around. I’m kind of anxious to see the kitchen in daylight.”

  “Me too,” Em replied, reaching toward yet another door that opened off the hall. “What do you think this is?”

  “I don’t know,” Tess laughed. “I’m so lost now, I have no idea what backs up to what, or what to expect next.”

  “Let’s play a game,” Em urged with a grin. “I’ll peek around the door, and you guess what’s inside.”

  “Okay, you’re on.” Tess stood back wondering what kind of room would be logical in this spot.

  Emily turned the knob, pulled, and peeked around the edge of the door. Her flashlight crashed to the floor and rolled in a half-circle. “Oh. Hi.” She giggled. “You surprised me.”

  Tessa bolted forward, heart in her throat, and yanked Emily behind her. If Darach was trying to scare them, it was in very poor taste. “What the—”

  Another crash from falling boards echoed from outside, as the bottom of Tessa’s stomach pitched and rolled.

  Emily
leaned around her. “Where’d he go?”

  “W…who?” Tessa breathed, staring at the single candle on the floor of an empty storage room, it’s flickering flame casting eerie shadows in the tiny enclosure.

  “Jack. He was hiding, I guess. Maybe he thinks Darach will be mad that he came back inside.”

  “That’s not funny, Em.” Tessa swallowed and stepped inside the cramped space, scanning every nook and cranny, looking for a trick door, or any kind of escape route. She wished it really had been Darach playing a dirty trick, but she could hear him outside, hammering and noisily prying on the boards.

  However, knowing they were exploring all the rooms, he could have slipped inside and set up this candle to scare them. But why? Retaliation for telling him to back off with Emily? No, he wouldn’t do such a thing, especially if it might frighten Emily.

  She studied the dusty floor. The only visible footprints were her own. She swallowed. There had to be a reasonable explanation.

  Luckily, Emily’s fantasies went directly to the fictitious Jack as an excuse for the candle. But such a thoughtless prank could easily have gone the other way. It could have terrified her!

  And what of a fire? The candle was small, but what if it had been left there, unchecked, until it burned down to the wooden floor? All this ancient wood would have gone up in a flash, possibly trapping them inside.

  Tessa’s anger pulsed in her ears, overriding her initial shock. She blew out the candle with all the force of her fury. If Darach did this, he’d be gone so fast he’d think he’d warped through time. If it wasn’t him…? The options playing through her mind sent a chill up her spine.

  It made total sense that someone, some vagrant, could have been camping out here, perhaps trying to shelter from the storm, and was now hiding. This old place was certainly big enough to make them difficult to discover. Actually, anyone could be hiding in the house for any number of reasons. None of them good.