I drained my glass and stood to leave when a cacophony of sound filled the kitchen as the appliances suddenly began to go haywire. The kettle on the stove rattled and blue flames licked its sides, the turntable in the microwave spun out of control and the toaster kept popping up even though I could see that the cord was unplugged. At the same time the overhead lights started swinging, filling the room with strange, elongated shadows. My nails instinctively dug into my palms and my ears started to ring. The noise seemed magnified, assaulting me from all angles. Even the crockery on the table was clattering as though we were in the middle of an earthquake. I desperately racked my brains for a plausible explanation, but deep down I knew there wasn’t one. So I sat back down with bated breath, gripping the sides of the table and hoping the noise would rouse Gran or Miss Grimes or anyone really so I wouldn’t have to ride it out alone. But no one came.
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the clamor stopped. The silence that replaced it felt even stranger.
I knew I needed to get out of there. I couldn’t waste another second. But when I tried the swinging door that led from the kitchen to the hall, it wouldn’t budge. Not even when I threw all my weight against it. A shiver snaked down my spine, and I knew intuitively that someone was behind me. My body felt glued to the spot. I turned slowly to see Isobel’s ghost sitting at the head of the table.
She was more vaporous than Alex and gave off some sort of electrical charge, like she might literally shock me if I got too close. She sat completely motionless, watching me with a mixture of curiosity and scorn. The Isobel of the afterlife was different than the woman I’d seen in the library. She was still beautiful, although death had ravaged her. I really wished her head wasn’t cocked at such an odd angle. It was unsettling, as if all the bones in her neck had been removed, making her as pliant as rubber. Her hair was long enough for coils of it to spool on the table like yarn. Her lips were bloodred, like a wound in her face, revealing small white teeth and overly sharp incisors.
“Hello, Chloe.” She enunciated my name slowly, breaking it into syllables as if it was a foreign word she needed to grow accustomed to. Static filled the room when she spoke, and her voice sounded mechanical from lack of use.
There was something almost coquettish about her manner, but there was nothing playful about her eyes, which looked like two bottomless dark wells. There was no misreading the enmity in them. She hadn’t exactly been subtle about her objective: Isobel wanted me gone. For whatever reason, I posed a threat and my arrival had upset a delicate balance.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, sure my voice betrayed the panic I felt. I hoped she couldn’t see how hard my back was pushed up against the door, to put as much distance between us as possible. Then I remembered my mother’s advice. It was important to stand my ground and not to show fear. That was easier said than done when the apparition looked as fierce as this one.
“Stay away.” The words were hissed at me rather than spoken, and her head jerked rapidly back and forth like a snake. I didn’t know what else to do, so I nodded weakly. I wasn’t about to ask for clarification. Hey, maybe we can sit down and talk this out?
Isobel’s ivory skin was glowing an almost extraterrestrial blue. She interpreted my silence as agreement, but she wasn’t quite finished with me yet.
“Do you find him beautiful?” That was a loaded question if I’d ever heard one; no answer was going to be acceptable, so I stayed silent. Despite her arresting beauty, there was something untamed about her, and I couldn’t predict what she might do next.
“P-please open the door,” I stammered. The sound of my voice reignited her wrath.
“You shouldn’t be here.” It was a low growl, emitted from the back of her throat.
Those words seemed to strike a chord with me, and I was seized by an unexpected bravado. I lifted my chin and straightened my shoulders. This was my world she was encroaching on. It was an incontrovertible fact; my right to be there outweighed hers. That was how it worked. There were universal laws that couldn’t be overturned; the dead couldn’t command the living.
“Actually, if anyone shouldn’t be here, it’s you,” I said.
At first she looked taken aback by my words, then a tinkling laugh slipped from her mouth.
“Foolish, foolish girl.” The way she said it sounded like an incantation, spelling out my doom. But it was too late to take it back now.
“Grange Hall belongs to my grandmother,” I said. “She owns it, and I have every right to be here.”
“You shall do my bidding,” Isobel snarled.
“I wouldn’t bet on that.”
Maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to say under the circumstances. Isobel wasn’t expecting to be challenged and I watched as rage contorted her features. Her lips curled and the shadows under her eyes became more pronounced, turning them into cavities. The hairs on my arms stood on end as a creeping chill permeated the room.
I’d always held firm to the belief that ghosts, no matter how diabolical they might appear, were powerless to harm. That had gotten me thorough what would otherwise have been some terrifying experiences. But suddenly I wasn’t so sure. The ghost of Isobel frightened me in a way no other had before.
The overhead light shook violently as she rose from her position, upending the chair she’d been sitting on. She was taller than I’d realized, and her presence filled the space. She looked like an animal waiting to pounce, and before I knew what was happening, she walked straight through the length of the table, removing the barrier between us. Confident that her prey was cornered, Isobel allowed herself time to savor the moment.
The only other way out of the kitchen was on the opposite side that led out into the back garden of Grange Hall. It must have once been a service entrance for the help, but nobody used it these days. I decided to make a break for it. Without looking back, I sprinted over the overturned chair and fumbled clumsily with the barrel bolt that held the door shut. I managed to slide it free and bolted into the damp night, jamming my shoulder painfully against the frame in the process.
Outside, I had no idea what my next move should be. I thought of running back to the front steps and alerting everyone by frantically ringing the doorbell. But then I thought of Gran and Rory, asleep upstairs. I didn’t want to draw them into danger, so that plan was quickly abandoned. Being in the open air felt safer than the confined space of the kitchen. I couldn’t bring myself to look back or even watch where I was putting my feet. I almost lost my footing several times on the damp grass. When I hit the driveway, the stones stabbed painfully into my bare soles but I didn’t give it more than a passing thought.
I glanced over my shoulder to see the wraithlike figure of Isobel in slow pursuit. The farther I got from the house, the more I began to think I’d done something seriously stupid. Why had I chosen to isolate myself like this? I could scream blue murder out here and not a single soul would hear me. Good one, Chloe, a voice in my head reprimanded. What are you going to do now?
So I did the only thing I could think of. I screamed into the night, perhaps the very words that might spell my doom.
“Alex, I need you!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I waited for a moment but nothing happened. Isobel was still drifting toward me, hair streaming like a shawl, her eyes bright with anticipation. Her feet barely grazed the ground. Blind panic stopped me from seeing the rock that sent me crashing headlong into a garden bed. I hauled myself up, ready to bolt again, even though I knew I would run out of steam before Isobel did. I figured she had to be toying with me for her own amusement. She could have easily caught me by now, but she was playing her own little game of cat and mouse.
As if reading my thoughts, I felt her glacial hands grip my shoulders from behind. Her fingers created a sensation like a thousand spiders burrowing under my skin. She spun me around so fast I felt my
insides lurch. I stared up at the ghoulish woman before me, her gown billowing, her nails digging into my flesh like needles. Her hot breath formed a suffocating fog between us. She was like a leech, draining me of energy. Already, my strength was beginning to wane. I didn’t stand a chance against such a formidable opponent.
My feet were lifted clean off the ground as her fingers tightened their grip around my throat. I kicked and flailed but felt my legs pass straight through her. She didn’t have a physical body, so how was she able to choke the life out of me? I knew I was in trouble when my chest started to seize up. The world dimmed as my burning lungs struggled for air.
Then she let out a shriek and loosened her grip.
“Isobel!” Alex’s commanding voice cut through the night. “What madness is this?” Isobel’s face reflected her surprise as she found herself being hauled off me. I stumbled onto the grass where I knelt, spluttering, desperately trying to suck down air. Isobel lunged for me again, but Alex was too fast for her and blocked her path, pinning her against a tree. I watched them move in a blur of entwined, translucent limbs.
“Chloe?” He looked for me wildly over his shoulder. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay,” I said, my voice still husky from the assault. I could tell Alex wanted to come to my aid, but he couldn’t risk letting Isobel go in her current state. Having her plans unexpectedly thwarted spurred another burst of violence. She gnashed her teeth and thrashed from side to side. I almost felt uncomfortable bearing witness to this madness.
“The girl has nothing to do with us,” Alex said. His hair had fallen over his eyes and his shirt came loose from the struggle. “Leave her out it.”
“I’m not the one who dragged her into it!”
“Promise me,” he insisted. “Promise you won’t harm her.”
A defiant look came over Isobel. “Why? So you can keep her all to yourself?” she said, eyes blazing.
Alex ignored the taunt. “If she comes to harm, you will never see me again. Do you understand?” He spoke in an even voice, and it was the threat that worked to subdue her. She looked stunned, and it took her a moment to recover. But once she did she was ready to bargain.
“I will do as you ask if you answer me one thing,” she said. Her eyes were now wide and pleading, all former virtue seemingly restored. It was disconcerting to watch. Alex held her gaze, and the pause that followed seemed to last forever. “Do you still love me?”
Alex stiffened before giving an almost imperceptible nod. I couldn’t ignore the sensation of being stabbed in the chest with a shard of ice. I could hardly bear to look at them. I got to my feet and began to back away from them.
“What about the girl?” she persisted, not yet satisfied.
Alex made a shushing sound as he reached across and put a finger to her lips. “She means nothing.”
His touch was enough to change her whole demeanor. Her rage vanished, the panting stopped and she was once again the composed, commanding beauty I’d recently admired in the library portrait.
As for me, I’d heard enough. I ran back toward the house with Alex’s words ringing in my ears. She means nothing. It stung more than I cared to admit, whether or not he was telling the truth. What did I really mean to him? Our friendship seemed real to me, but perhaps I was nothing more than a passing distraction. After all, I would leave Grange Hall in the near future. Isobel and Alexander would remain here forever. On a rational level, I knew I shouldn’t have any feelings for him. What could the future possibly hold for us? I reminded myself once again that he was dead. As in deceased, gone, expired. His heart didn’t beat anymore, and blood didn’t pump through his veins. What would it take for that fact to sink in?
I looked back at the misty figures on the lawn. Alex had released his hold, and Isobel seemed oblivious to any presence other than his. She held out her hand, and I watched him take it. Together they walked away toward the cover of trees. My last image of them was of her transparent gown trailing on the ground before they became two milky wisps in the night sky. Even then I stood waiting pathetically for some kind of sign from Alex. I half hoped he would turn around just to make sure I was safe or give some indication that I was still on his mind. But he didn’t, and I hated myself for wanting it so much.
Back inside I made my way to the sitting room and collapsed into the nearest armchair. My hands instinctively traveled to my neck. It was hard to forget Isobel’s fingers obstructing my breathing. No matter what promises she had made, how would I ever feel comfortable here again?
It made sense now why Alex had been so on edge whenever we’d been together, why he’d overreacted to the slightest sound. He must have known something like this might happen. But if that were true, he could at least have given me a heads-up. If I’d known what Isobel was capable of, I might have handled things differently. Maybe instead of winding her up, like an idiot, I’d have promised her the world just to get away from her.
But something about this still didn’t sit right. Ghosts existed; I’d wrapped my head around that a long time ago. But they weren’t supposed to be able to hurt you. That was the one rule I’d always lived by. That was what my mom had taught me. And yet, Isobel could and would have killed me. What was the point of psychic abilities if you didn’t have a manual to tell you how to use them? As I saw it, I had two choices here. I could find some excuse to pack up and leave, ignore everything that was happening to me, resume my old life and try to find peace in whatever way I could. Much as that idea appealed right now, something in me rejected it. I’d never been one to run from a challenge. Besides, I had a feeling that whatever was unfolding here was no accident. I was meant to witness it. I felt inextricably linked to the story of Grange Hall, even if I didn’t quite understand my part in it.
A wave of exhaustion overcame me. It felt as if a lifetime has passed since my arrival instead of mere days. I’d learned an important lesson, though, about the living and the dead. Trying to bridge the two worlds was only going to end in disaster. Every fleeting moment I shared with Alex, Isobel would make me suffer for. You couldn’t hide from the dead, and you couldn’t keep secrets from them. They saw everything.
I closed my stinging eyes for a moment, and when I opened them Alex was sitting on the ottoman in front of me. He moved closer, his pale yet vivid eyes studying me the way they always did.
“Chloe,” he began, “please allow me to express my deepest regret…”
I shook my head and interrupted him. “It’s okay. I get it. It’s not your fault.”
“It is entirely,” he said. “I should never have put you in a position that might allow you to get hurt. But you showed great courage tonight, defying Isobel that way.”
“I wouldn’t call it courage so much as stupidity,” I replied.
Before he could answer, his attention was drawn to my battered feet.
“You’re hurt,” he said, almost accusatory, although I knew it wasn’t directed at me. I lifted an ankle, to see angry lacerations where the rocks had broken the skin.
To my surprise, Alex reached out and trailed a finger tenderly along the sole. His touch produced a cool sensation that reminded me of being at the shoreline with waves lapping at my feet. The burning subsided at his touch.
“That feels better.” I sighed.
“Good,” he murmured, without moving his hand. The moment was charged. It felt like anything could happen. Then he broke the spell.
“You should probably soak them in warm salt water.”
“Why would I do that?”
“It’s a natural antiseptic, of course.”
I gave him a dubious look. “I might have to ask Siri about that.”
“Siri being some kind of medical manual?”
“Um…not exactly. She’s a voice…on my phone… Never mind. You’ll learn.”
He smiled sheepishly for a moment
until his expression clouded again. “I want you to know that my behavior earlier with Isobel…I thought it was for the best.”
I waved my hands dismissively. “I get it. It’s fine.”
“It’s anything but fine. You almost died tonight. Everything that’s happened is my fault. It seems I’m still paying the price for the poor judgment shown a long time ago.”
“Don’t you think it’s time you stopped punishing yourself over the past? Look, I’m not saying what you did was right, but this hold Isobel has over you…it’s not healthy. You need to let it go…let her go.”
“I’ve tried. It’s no use.”
“Why?”
“Because it wasn’t just an affair.” He turned away so I couldn’t see his face as he dropped his bombshell. “Carter, her husband, was my own brother.” I didn’t reply right away. What could I say? “So, you see,” Alex continued, “you have misjudged me. I am neither decent nor good.”
“I don’t know,” I said eventually. “You did just save my life back there.”
He raised his head, and I saw the spark was back in his translucent blue eyes. “Why do you refuse to think ill of me, Miss Kennedy?”
“Maybe I see who you are rather than what you did.”
“So you think there’s hope for me yet?”