GhostlyPersuasion (13 page)

Katie woke earlier than usual with her head full of
questions. Seeing it was useless to try to fall asleep again, she rolled out of
bed and dressed for the day.

It would probably be another couple of hours before Seamus
showed up. If she intended to talk to Etain, this would be her best chance.

She’d brought up the idea to Seamus of asking Etain about
the curse, but he had shot it down immediately. He said he was never going near
Etain ever again and didn’t want Katie around her either.

While she didn’t blame him, Etain was probably their best
chance for figuring out how to break the curse.

Katie made her way up the stone steps leading to the
battlements. At least the steps were dry, despite it being another cloudy day.
She couldn’t imagine going up and down the narrow stairway during the winter.
Or during an attack on the castle.

The conditions people had to live with five hundred years
ago were mind-boggling. But if they never had regulated heating and cooling or
indoor plumbing, they wouldn’t miss them.

When Katie reached the top of the stairs she sat down to
catch her breath. As she rested she scanned the area, looking for Etain’s
ghost.

Alastar, the spirit she talked to in the library, had
assured her Etain could be found up here. Apparently Etain was hanged directly
below this part of the castle. Guests of the castle and other ghosts had
reported seeing her pacing back and forth, particularly on stormy nights.

Katie was somewhat leery of confronting Etain. Her opinion
of Etain was very low for what she had done to Seamus, and Katie was not sure
she could hide her feelings. But she needed to ask Etain about the curse. It
didn’t help that Alastar said Etain tended to be irrational, if not violent.

At first glance the battlements appeared to be empty. Katie
turned the corner cautiously.

The wind was blowing harder on top of the castle walls.
Katie’s hair whipped around her face, occasionally blocking her vision. From
the corner of her eye she saw a figure floating near the shadows at the other
end of the battlement.

She found a corner she could stand in, out of the wind, and
watched the figure. The apparition was a woman with long dark hair, dressed in
what looked like a crimson gown. She paced back and forth, muttering to
herself. Katie couldn’t hear what the woman was saying but she seemed agitated.

Uncertainty of the ghost’s mental stability—if such a thing
were possible—made Katie rethink her idea of approaching. Seamus was going to
have a fit if he found out she had come up here. Even Alastar had tried to talk
her out of it when he found out why she needed to know about Etain.

What was the harm in talking to her? After all, she was a
ghost. There wasn’t a whole lot Etain could do to her.

With her courage screwed on, Katie left the safety of her
corner and slowly made her way across the battlement. She was only halfway
there when the figure spotted her.

“Who are you? What do you want?” The figure took a step
toward Katie. “This is my place. You don’t belong here!”

“I’m very sorry to disturb you.” Katie kept her voice low
and gentle. The same tone she would use if she were speaking to a frightened
child. “I was wondering if you are the Lady Etain.”

Some of the wildness left the figure’s eyes. “I am. How did
you know?”

“The gentleman in the library told me I might find you
here.”

“Why did you seek me out?” she demanded.

“I, uh… I wanted to meet you.” Katie’s mind raced to find a
plausible answer. “I am… I’m apparently staying in what used to be your room.”
She added, “In the hotel.”

“You must be very important to have been given such a fine
room.”

“Well, no, not really.” When Etain’s eyes narrowed in anger,
Katie quickly said, “I mean, I’m not, but my mother used to work here and she
knew the owner. They were friends.”

“Ah. I see.”

The tension eased a bit when Katie saw her explanation was
acceptable to the crazy apparition.

She continued cautiously. “I read a few things in the
library about the history of the castle and was curious about your life. Would
you mind talking to me about it?”

“There was a man who came many years ago, asking questions
too. I sent him away.” Etain took a step closer to Katie, her ghostly hands
balled into fists. Katie immediately took a step back. “Men are ignorant fools.
They do not understand that which makes us do what we do.” Etain placed her
left fist over the place where her heart would have been then took another step
closer. “But you. You should understand.”

Katie forced herself to remain in place. “Um… Yeah. Okay.”

Once again, some of the wildness left Etain’s eyes. “Your
manner of speech is unusual. You are not from Ireland?”

“No. I’m from America.”

“I have heard of this place. People below,” she waved to the
courtyard and bailey below the battlements, “have spoken of it. It is a long
way away, is it not?”

“Yes.”

“And you are a guest here.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Katie said as she kept one eye on the
exit. She hadn’t realized craziness carried over into death and obviously
Etain’s mood could turn in a split second.

“What is it that you wish to know?”

Katie tried to think of the best way to ask about the curse
put on Seamus, but suspected launching into that topic wouldn’t get her
anywhere. “You were married to a lord, correct?”

“I was.”

“What was that like?”

A peaceful look passed across Etain’s face. “In the
beginning it was nice. I had lovely dresses and he gave me lots of jewels. He
told me I was the most beautiful woman in the land.” Her face fell as she
remembered the past. “But the workers were always coming to ask for help or
they needed him to settle some dispute. The late nights working in his solar
became more frequent. Then he started traveling to check on the other estates.
Leaving me here, alone.”

She looked directly at Katie. Some of the wildness had
returned to her eyes. “I didn’t like to be left alone.”

“Wives have complained about their husbands’ jobs getting
more attention for centuries.” Seemed like a safe response and seemed to
satisfy Etain’s need to be heard, if not understood. Then Katie was inspired
with a way to broach the subject. “Long separations sometimes lead wives to
look elsewhere for affection.” Knowing she might be pushing it, she added, “Did
you ever have someone fill that void for you?”

A dreamy look passed over Etain’s face. “There were others,”
she said enigmatically then floated away from Katie. At least she acted
embarrassed by having taken other lovers.

“Were any of them more special than the others?” Katie’s
pulse skipped and she resisted the impulse to hold her breath.

“One,” Etain said quietly. Her face fell and her eyes
strayed to the edge of the battlements. She floated to the short wall then
stared off in the distance as if remembering something.

Katie asked quietly, “What was his name?” She needed to be
sure who Etain referred to.

“His name was Seamus. He was a lowly woodworker but he was
beautiful and strong. But he…” Her voice dropped and her shoulders slumped a
little. “He didn’t want me.” Etain lifted her head. “I tried to get his
attention by dressing prettily when he was around. I always wore my best jewels
and made sure my hair was perfect. I ordered refreshments for him when he
worked. I even tried to make him jealous with other men.” She turned her head
to look at Katie. “But nothing worked.”

“What did you do then?” Katie urged her to tell more.

“One of my maids told me about a woman who sold love
potions.” Etain turned her gaze to the fields outside the castle walls. “I had
heard of the woman before. She was a very powerful witch. So I went to her for
help. I wanted something to make him fall in love with me.” Etain faced Katie
with wildness in her eyes once again. “But she refused to help me. Me!” Etain’s
chin lifted a notch. “The Lady of Tullamore.”

“Why would she refuse you?” Katie asked.

“She said she couldn’t force anyone’s will. The potion she
created would only enhance feelings that were already there. If he were
attracted to me, it would make him desire me more. But if he didn’t love me, it
might make him hate me.”

“So what did you do?”

“I took the potion.” She smiled a wicked grin. “And her book
of spells.”

“Why?”

“So I could make my own potion,” Etain snapped, as if she
thought Katie should have known the answer already.

“But did you know how—”

“It wasn’t difficult to do. The book had the ingredients and
the way to prepare them. I just mixed a couple of spells together to make sure
I got what I wanted.”

Katie had to hold her anger in check. It was an effort to
keep her voice level. “And did you get what you wanted?”

“No,” Etain said flatly. “He vanished after I cast the
spell. I don’t know where he went.”

“Really?”

“They tried to say that I killed him!”

“Did you not?” Katie asked, knowing she was probably pushing
her luck with Etain’s stability.

“No! I… I just… The potion wasn’t something that would
poison him. I even asked the cook.”

“So where did he go?”

“I. Don’t. Know!” Etain’s hands were fisted at her sides.

“Okay. Okay,” Katie said gently, trying to placate Etain. “I
hear you. Why don’t you tell me about the spell you used?”

Etain collected herself after her outburst. “What I did was
rather clever, actually.”

The urge to choke Etain, even though she didn’t have a
throat or breath, rode Katie hard.

“In the spell book, right after the love potions, there was
a spell for summoning someone to do what you wanted. I combined the two. That
way, if he didn’t love me when he took the love potion, I would still be able
to summon him to me and make him love me.”

“How do you make someone love you?”

“He just needed to see that I was the perfect woman for
him.” Etain became agitated once more. She paced along the walkway, seemingly
talking to herself more than to Katie. “If he would have just made love to me,
he would have known. It would have been clear that I could have made him happy.
But no! He refused me, time and time again.”

Etain stopped and looked at Katie. “He said it was because
of my husband. That he couldn’t betray his lord.” She resumed her pacing. “But
that didn’t stop the others. I don’t know why it mattered to him.” She swung
around. “I think he loved another woman and just didn’t want to admit it.”

Katie made sure she kept her face neutral and bit her tongue
so she wouldn’t say anything.

“But I got the last laugh,” Etain said with a lift of her
chin. “I made it so that he couldn’t love anyone else but me. I made the spell
so that I would be able to summon him until he gave in and made love to me.
Once he figured out I was his one true love he’d declare it and the spell would
be lifted.”

Etain shrugged. “The spell book said the summoning spell was
for people who had died, but I thought it would work just as well on someone
who was alive.”

“It didn’t occur to you that mixing the spells might do
something else entirely? Like turn that person into a spirit?”

“Of course not. I don’t believe in spirits.”

The irony of the situation was almost too much for Katie.
“Even now?” She had to ask.

“No,” she said, as if Katie were a simpleton.

Katie’s jaw hinged open in shock. The woman’s shallowness
was astounding.

“I still don’t understand what happened the day they
murdered me.” She looked over the edge of the wall to the grounds below. “They
set the gallows there, just below us.” She looked up to the sky. “It was a
dreary day. No rain. Just fog and mist.”

She squared her shoulders and continued. “They came for me
not long after the noon bells. I wanted Mary to go with me but they wouldn’t
let her. They wouldn’t let her do my hair that morning either. Not even a
simple braid.

“When I got to the platform, I begged them to let me go. I
tried to tell them I hadn’t killed anyone. That I wouldn’t ever do that. But no
one listened.” She looked off in the distance. “There weren’t many people
there. And no one who cared about me. I was alone even then.”

She touched her throat. “I remember how heavy the rope felt
around my neck.” She laughed. “Strange but that rope was lighter than most of
my jewels.”

Katie shivered in revulsion. “So how did you get here?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a quizzical look. “I remember
praying that God would come and take me away. Up to the clouds, away from
everyone. I keep wondering if the angels dropped me on the way to heaven. So, I
stay up here, waiting for them to come and get me.”

The fact that she thought she should be in heaven was all
that Katie could stand.

“Well, I suppose I should get back downstairs.” Katie forced
a smile onto her face. “Thank you for talking with me.”

Etain didn’t acknowledge Katie had even spoken. Katie turned
and headed to the stairs, thankful for the easy retreat.

As Katie descended the stone steps she replayed everything
Etain had said.

It was kind of sad how crazy Etain had become. Most of her
issues were probably due to loneliness.

Before she reached the first landing, Katie heard a shriek
from the battlements. She paused and listened. Suddenly a burst of air blew
past, pushing her forward and against the stone wall the banister was attached
to. In the wake of the wind, Katie thought she heard a feminine voice that
sounded a lot like Etain’s. If Katie hadn’t been gripping the banister, she
probably would have tumbled down the stairs.

Luckily she simply turned her ankle a bit and broke the nail
on her pinkie.

Katie righted herself and caught her breath. She tested her
ankle then made her way down the remainder of the steps as quickly as she
dared.

When she reached the bottom she returned to the main castle
corridor through the doorway she had used to get out. She hadn’t made it far
when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“Have you taken to exploring the castle on your own now?”
Seamus asked.

“Good Lord, Seamus!” Katie brought her hand up to her
throat. “You need a bell,” she grumbled as she started down the hallway.

“What kind of trouble have you been getting into so early in
the morning?”

She frowned. “I don’t get into trouble.”

“Then why are your trousers soiled at the knee?”

Katie stopped and looked down at her jeans. Sure enough
there was a gray smudge next to her knee. Probably the same color as the stone
on the stairway she’d climbed outside.

“I fell,” she said then resumed her pace.

“What were you doing when you fell?” he pressed.

Katie tried again to minimize the incident. “The wind picked
up while I was coming down the stairs and I lost my footing. No big deal.”

Seamus floated around in front of her and held up his hand
to stop her. “The only stairs outside of the door you just came through lead up
to the battlements.” He crossed his arms over his chest and shot her a stern
look. “You went up to see Etain, didn’t you?”

Part of her brain recognized the danger in provoking Seamus
while he was irritated but the other part didn’t like being told what she could
or couldn’t do. “Yes, I did. I wanted to ask her a few questions.”

Seamus’ chest puffed. “I told you to stay away from her.
She’s too unstable and won’t tell you anything helpful.”

“That’s not entirely true.” She mirrored his stance and
crossed her arms across her chest. “I was able to find out more about the
spells she used.”

He paused, seemingly surprised by her comment. “It doesn’t
matter. You could have been hurt! I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger
trying to get answers to a riddle that may never be solved,” he bellowed.

His concern softened her irritation. “Yeah, well, I didn’t
think it was that big of a risk.”

“It was.” He pointed at her. “And I don’t want you going
near her again. There’s no way of knowing what she might do to you.”

“It was fine. Now calm down before you use up all your
ghost-y energy. You still have to give me a tour.”

He folded his arms across his chest again, but this time it
was more of a sulk than a threat. “I’m not sure you deserve a tour today after
going against my directive.”

Katie wished she could kiss him on the nose. He was adorable
when he was trying to be all alpha with her. “Remind me to tell you later about
how much your directives turn me on.”

A different kind of interest flickered to life in his eyes.
“In my day, it was acceptable for men to take their women across their knee
when they displeased them.”

“Ooooh. And what if they liked it?” Katie teased. She’d
never been spanked but knew some people got off on it. And her question served its
purpose and completely distracted Seamus from being angry with her.

“Then they would have to find some other way to teach a
lesson.”

“Hmmmm.” Heat flared between the two of them and Katie felt
her panties dampen. “So, what did you want to show me today?” She had to
suppress the grin that hovered about her lips as they turned and made their way
down the hallway.

She loved having her own personal tour guide of the castle,
someone with firsthand knowledge of its history. But she was also thoroughly
enjoying the
other
lessons Seamus had been giving her.

“What I’d
like
to show you would only lead to other
activities, as you well know. So I thought I’d take you over to the Chichester
wing.”

“The Chichesters were the previous owners, right?”

“Correct. You saw the portrait of Lady Mary in the gallery.”

Katie thought back to what she had seen in the portrait
gallery earlier in the week. “Was she the woman in the wheelchair?”

“That’s her. Sir Henry Chichester added a new wing to the
castle back in the mid-1800s to accommodate Mary’s injury.”

Seamus led Katie through a twist in the hallway. The small
of her back tingled where he tried to physically guide her in the right
direction. For the tenth time that week, she wished she could feel his touch.

“Henry was quite devoted to Mary and tried to make it as
easy as possible for her to get around the castle.”

“That’s very sweet.” Wouldn’t it be lovely to be so loved by
a husband? It was nice to know that not everyone married for titles or
connections back then.

Seamus shrugged. “As you say.”

Katie smiled.

They turned the corner that took them into the main lobby.
It was still disconcerting to see Seamus pass through part of a wall or
furniture. She wondered how long it would take him to get used to being solid
again and having to navigate around things once they broke the curse.

She was positive they could find a way to reverse the spell.
It just wasn’t right for him to be forced to linger as a spirit because of some
spiteful woman.

They made their way through the lobby without speaking.
After touring half the castle with Seamus, it had become a habit for both of
them.

Katie followed Seamus through the corridor of the newer part
of the castle then into a passage she had not explored. When they were alone
again, Katie asked, “So what happened with the Chichesters?”

“They both lived here until their deaths. Mary passed first.
Henry didn’t even last a year after she died. The family said they thought he
couldn’t bear to be without her.”

“So it was a love match then? Not one of convenience?”

Seamus glanced in her direction, something unreadable in his
eyes. “Apparently so,” he answered slowly.

Unsure why that question would bother Seamus, Katie changed
the course of her questioning. “Did Henry and Mary really pass over or do they still,”
she waved her hand in the air, “linger?”

“I have never encountered their spirits. But as you may have
figured out, not all of the castle spirits choose to reveal themselves to me.”
In a quieter voice he added, “Nor do I visit this part of the castle much.”

“Why not?”

He hesitated before answering. “I’ve heard stories through
the years of unusual happenings in this part.”

Katie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Unusual? What could
possibly be unusual to a man who’s had a curse placed on him and lives with
ghosts, witches and God only knows what else?”

The look Seamus shot her was a combination of
self-deprecation and irritation. Obviously he didn’t like the fact that the
stories bothered him.

“There has been more than one person who worked or stayed in
this wing of the castle, never to be seen or heard from again.”

The hair on the back of Katie’s neck stood on end. “What do
you mean? Like they just vanished?”

He nodded curtly. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

“Oh come on. People don’t just disappear.”

Seamus stopped walking suddenly and turned to face Katie.
His expression was one of passive irony. If he had been solid, Katie would have
plowed into him. She quickly backed up so she could shake the tingles she
always felt whenever they merged, so to speak. Oddly the sensations she felt
when she “touched” him seemed to be getting stronger.

Their eyes met and held. Heat blossomed between them again.
Katie’s nipples tightened beneath the layers of lace and cotton. It felt as if
a thousand little pinpricks ran down the front of her body where he had passed
through her. Not painful. It was electrifying in a very erotic way.

“You feel that too, don’t you?” Katie asked with a whisper.

He didn’t respond at first, just held her gaze.

She saw the muscle in his jaw tense before he replied.
“Yes.”

The raw need in his eyes sent a wave of desire coursing
through her body. For the first time in her life, Katie knew what it felt like
to be truly desired. To be desired fiercely and intensely. She knew without a
doubt that if he could, Seamus would push her up against the wall and take her
right there.

She shivered and tried to suppress the swamping need that
threatened to overwhelm her. It would do neither of them any good to focus on
the things they couldn’t have. It would be better to focus on how to break the
spell and take advantage of what few pleasures they could.

Seamus looked as if he had come to the same conclusion. When
he stepped back, the level of intensity dimmed.

“We had probably best continue our tour,” he suggested with
a gravelly voice.

Katie cleared her throat. “Yes. Of course.” With a forced
smile, she added, “Lead on.”

As they walked, they kept a little more distance between
them in order to avoid any accidental brushes. She doubted either of them could
stand a repeat of the near miss.

At the end of the hallway, Seamus led Katie into a sitting
room Mary had frequented during her time in the castle. He pointed out a few of
the unique collections about the room as well as some of the family
photographs. Katie was fascinated by the history accumulated within the castle
walls. By the time they left the sitting room, the sexual tension had returned
to a manageable level.

Seamus led her farther down the corridor. “Since you liked
Mary’s sitting room so well, I thought I’d show you Sir Henry’s study while
we’re here. Believe it or not, he had quite the collection of butterflies.”

“Butterflies? Really?” Katie had trouble believing a
hard-ass landowner would have a hobby that required such a delicate touch.

“Not many people knew about it.”

“I should think not,” she mumbled.

She was trying to reconcile what she knew of the aristocracy
of that time period and what she’d learned of Sir Henry when they passed an
unusually wide doorway. For some reason Katie was drawn to it. She stopped
walking and stared at the opening.

There were two wood panels that looked as if they slid into
the left side of the doorway. The wood was carved with a Victorian flair like
many of the things she’d seen in this part of the castle. A metal grate at the
top of the door appeared to act as a window, but was too high up for most
people to look through. She could see another metal screen behind the window.

“Is this an old elevator?” Katie asked Seamus when he
stopped to see what she was doing.

“It’s a lift. Henry had it installed after Mary became
confined to the wheelchair so she could access the upper floors without
suffering the indignity of being carried.”

“It’s beautiful. Does it still work?”

“Yes, but only the family and a few of the braver staff use
it now.”

“Why? Is it unreliable?”

“You could say that,” Seamus replied mysteriously.

“Could we use it? Would anyone mind?”

“There’s nothing to say we can’t.” He shrugged. “I’ve heard
people say they get a bad feeling when they get near it. Some have come right
out and said they think it’s haunted, so most people avoid it.”

“Pish posh.” Katie flicked her hand in the air to dismiss
the idea. “Mother could see the future and I see ghosts, for Pete’s sake. If it
were haunted, I think I’d have the creeps, don’t you?”

The doubt on Seamus’ face indicated he didn’t quite agree.

“Oh come on. Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a few ghost
stories. You’re a spirit, for crying out loud! What could possibly hurt you
now?”

“It isn’t me I’m worried about.”

The soft, squishy feeling in Katie’s chest came back.

Seamus stepped closer but kept enough distance to keep the
tingles away. “You, Little Katie, are still mortal. I would be most displeased
if something happened to you while I was powerless to prevent it.”

“It will be fine. Truly. I do not sense anything ill about
it.” She smiled up at him, reveling in the fact that he cared enough about her
to worry. “I just want to ride up a couple of floors. I’ve never been in an old
lift before.”

He looked at the doors to the elevator as if they were a
dragon that needed to be slain. Katie’s palm itched to stroke the side of his
face to soothe away his worries. Then again, she also longed to stroke his
chest and, well, pretty much every part of him.

“Very well.” He grimaced. “A quick ride to the attic can’t
hurt.”

“Oh good!” Katie slid the wooden doors into the pocket of
the doorway. “I’d have hated to leave you here while I rode it by myself.” She
tossed a teasing grin in his direction.

“You would have left me?” He sounded as if the idea were
unthinkable.

“If I felt you were being unreasonable. Yes, I would have.”
She pushed the metal gate aside and stepped into the lift.

“Unreasonable,” he grumbled. “When have I been
unreasonable?”

The floor of the lift was carpeted and, like the outer
doors, the walls were wooden panels. For being almost a hundred years old, it
was in remarkably good shape. There was an intricately carved design along the
top edge of each wall that anyone with an appreciation for woodcraft would
admire.