Chapter 4

By the time she entered her bedroom, Shae had regained control over her temper. She raised a hand to her brow, gently massaged her forehead, and blew out a sigh. The evening had not gone quite the way she hoped it would. Then again, she supposed the situation could have been worse.

The ringing of her cell phone silenced her thoughts, and she hurried to answer it. She activated the answer button as she lifted the phone to her ear and said, “Hello, Shae Montgomery speaking.”

“Shae! It’s Todd Andersen.”

“Oh, hello, Professor.” She glanced down at the clock and made a quick calculation. The man should still be asleep for heaven’s sake. “Are you all right? I mean, it’s just so early there—”

“No. Everything is fine,” he cut in. “I just happened to arise early this morning and thought I would see how you were doing before you went to bed.”

“Everything is good. I met everyone I needed to meet and I have already settled into my home here in Tennessee. Did you know they planned on letting me stay at Starling Plantation?”

“Yes, Reuben mentioned something along those lines. I knew you’d be pleased,” he replied. “Tell me, have you had the chance to look over the documents yet?”

The question made her smile. Of all he might want to know, Todd Andersen would be most intrigued with the documents she came to translate.

“I have them in my possession, but I haven’t taken them out of the boxes yet. I’m going to start work on that come morning.”

“Of course. Such is expected. After all, it is just your first full day in Tennessee,” he said. Despite his words, she could detect just a bit of disappointment in his tone.

“Don’t worry, I’ll call you the minute I have them spread out on my worktable,” she replied.

“You better.” Todd hesitated for a moment and then cleared his throat. “Um, Shae—”

“Yes?”

“Simon flew in today,” he said, leaving a deliberate pause.

Shae felt her heart sink somewhere into the pit of her stomach. She did not want to discuss Simon with him or anyone else. Yet, she could tell by the professor’s tone, Simon wasted no time in discussing their situation with him.

“Please, Professor,” Shae began. “I don’t really want to talk about Simon. Everything he needs to know, I said in the letter I left him. Can we just leave it at that?”

“Of course. I’m sorry, Shae. I didn’t mean to pry, it’s just that—”

“I know, you have the best of intentions and I appreciate your concern,” she interrupted. “But everything is fine. Really, it is.”

“All right then.” He changed his tone to one of cheerful anticipation. “Please call me the minute you see the condition of those documents. Most especially, let me know if you find any records written by my famous grandfather.”

Shae laughed. “Don’t worry, you know I will. Good-bye, Professor. Tell everyone I said hi.”

She released a sigh as she ended the call and placed her phone atop the table. Right now, she needed nothing more than a hot shower and a good night’s sleep, because all of a sudden, an overwhelming weariness overtook her.

Despite the relaxing shower and her exhaustion, Shae found it difficult to sleep once she got into bed. She tossed and turned, and then tossed some more as myriad thoughts whirled chaotically inside her head. Each one willfully omitted Simon Hollander and instead, centered on the ghosts of Starling. Just what made her think she could win the spirits over so easily? Norman Lamont gave her full disclosure and fair warning. Didn’t he tell her the spirits of Starling didn’t tolerate the presence of mortals about the place? What part of that didn’t she understand? And how in the world did she manage to tangle herself up inside her covers, anyway? She kicked her legs loose of the blankets as she sought a solution to her dilemma, which inevitably, stirred memories of her first ghostly experience.

In the beginning, Aulric treated her far worse. At least no one threw dangerous objects at her today as Aulric had during their first meeting. These spirits only threw her things out. Perhaps that meant she could eventually win the battle. Especially once they concluded, that no matter what they did, they couldn’t force her to leave. She could be stubborn too.

The faint sounds of a fife ebbed into her mind then, thus halting all further consideration on the matter. She tossed back the covers and left her bedroom to find the source of the music. The mournful tune didn’t come from upstairs, as she first believed. In fact, out here in the hallway she could barely hear it. She walked back into her bedroom, stood still for a moment, and listened again. Her gaze wandered toward the French doors, which led to the garden patio outside. The music originated somewhere out there. Not bothering with shoes or even a pair of slippers, she opened both doors and followed the haunting melody toward the gazebo. As she turned in the direction of the sound, a faint glow appeared near the railing. As she drew closer, the dim glow evolved into the solid figure of a young boy.

Once she approached him, he took the fife away from his mouth and gave her a timid smile. Shae returned it in kind. He looked no more than ten or eleven years of age, fair of hair and complexion. He appeared wearing a Confederate gray shirt with matching trousers and suspenders, all showing at least a couple seasons of wear. How did one so young come to be in this place? What reasons did he harbor for remaining earthbound? Her heart went out to him in the instant.

“Well, hello there! What is the name of that lovely song you just played?” Shae eased herself into a seated position next to him on the railing and placed her folded hands in her lap.

He scrunched his shoulders together as he toyed with his fife. “I’m not real sure. My mama always called it ‘Hush-a-bye.’ She used to sing it to me when I was a little boy.”

Didn’t he know? He was still just a little boy who needed an endless supply of hugs and lullabies from his mother. She cleared away the lump forming in her throat. “My name is Shae Lynn Montgomery. What’s yours?”

“Timothy Laurens,” he replied, as he looked her over with curiosity. “And I don’t mind if you want to stay around for awhile.”

“Really? Are you the only one around here who doesn’t mind if I stay?” she asked. She hoped by asking the question, she would learn exactly how many spirits lived here and how many of them opposed her presence.

Timothy merely shrugged and once again began playing his fife. She overstepped her bounds with the question. At least he didn’t choose to disappear because of it. She listened attentively as he continued to play, and after he finished several more of his enchanting songs, she tried again.

“You know, I have really enjoyed listening to you play your fife. You do it so well, I find myself hoping you will play it for me often.” She smiled as he nodded his consent. “Do you mind if I ask how you came to be at this house? You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to, though.”

He sat still for a moment as he considered her request, and then said, “Me and Pa signed up with the Thirteenth Tennessee Regiment in June of ’63. They made me a fife ’cause I could play a tune all right, and they made Pa an ordinary foot soldier. Seemed like we marched all over the place durin’ the months that followed. I remember it bein’ hot and sticky. Then one day I got sick. I’m not real sure just when it started. I just recall this most awful feelin’ inside my belly, and it lasted for the longest time. Then one day, I made a turn for the worse, and it didn’t seem they could do anythin’ for me in camp anymore. That’s the day my Pa, and some of the other soldiers, took me here. Pa carried me most of the way, his self.”

Timothy paused for a moment, and then said, “Pa stayed right by my bed the whole time. He kept tellin’ me that I needed to get better, but not long after that, I guess I died. Miss Amy took care of me all the while, and after she joined us, she told me I breathed my last about the middle of December. I remember feeling scared at first—the moment I left my body behind—but Captain stood right by my side to help me through it. He made it so I didn’t feel scared anymore. But then again, I guess I can always count on him to look after me like that. He’s a pretty good fellow, you know.

“Anyway, Pa took it real hard—my dyin’, that is. He cried, and just kept sayin’ that my mama didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. Pa didn’t know how she was gonna be able to handle that. And I told him, over and over again, that I would wait right here for him to fetch her so she could.”

Shae found it difficult to hide her tears as he related his sad little story. But at least he fixed his gaze on something in front of him, rather than on her, as he told it. She dabbed her eyes and sniffed as she lifted a hand to the corner of her eye. Did he still wait for his mother to arrive so they could have their farewell?

Aulric told her once, that a spirit never considered the passing of time. They didn’t need to sleep or eat, and they never took much notice of the setting or rising of the sun. At least he didn’t. In fact, Aulric seemed truly astonished to discover his death occurred over eight centuries earlier.

“Thank you for sharing your story with me.” The words, though sincerely spoken, were inadequate. She wished she could take him in her arms and hold him. Maybe even sing that lullaby he used to hear from his mother.

He simply nodded in return. After looking into his eyes and wishing somehow to banish away the sadness, Shae sought for a change of subject.

“So, tell me, does anyone around here play with that lovely chess set upstairs?” she asked.

At once Timothy’s smile returned. “We all do on occasion, except I play the game most of all. I always win though. Every once in a while, I will let the others win a game just so they will keep on playin’ with me,” he whispered secretively.

Shae smiled inwardly over the trusted revelation. “Well then, perhaps you’ll allow me to play a game or two with you sometime soon? I think I would really like that.”

His eyes lit up over the prospect. “Oh, I will. We’ll have loads of fun, Miss Shaelynn. Wait and see.”

“I’m sure we will. You must promise me one thing, though,” she said as she gave him a sideways glance.

“Anythin’,” he vowed, as he crossed his heart.

“You can’t intentionally let me win, not even once,” she said. “I need to earn all of my wins on my own merit. Are we agreed?”

Timothy threw back his head and giggled. “You got yourself a deal on that one, Miss Shaelynn.”

With a bit of reluctance, Shae stood then, smothered a yawn, and said, “I am very pleased to meet you, Timothy Laurens. I think we’re going to be great friends. Unlike you though, I need to get a little sleep before morning comes. I have to start my work then and need to feel rested. Do you mind?”

“Nope, that’ll be fine,” he replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Shae could feel his eyes watching her as she returned to her bedroom. She made some progress tonight, at least enough progress to quiet her mind. After climbing into bed, she switched off the light. She drew the soft eider down quilt up to her chin and quite easily fell into blissful sleep.

She awoke early the next morning, feeling surprisingly refreshed. Hunger drew her into the kitchen in search of breakfast. She opened each cupboard door in succession in order to familiarize herself with the contents of each one. Nothing mysterious there. She found the cupboards holding the dishes over the dishwasher and the food cupboards near to the stove. Simple genius.

As she came across a box of blueberry muffin mix, she resolved to bake them. That way she could have something to nibble on throughout the week without having to stop and fix herself a meal. She selected milk and eggs from the refrigerator, retrieved a mixing bowl from the cupboard, and got out the mixer. Yet, her thoughts were far from the simple task. They centered on her conversation with Timothy the night before.

He mentioned two other names while relating his story, Miss Amy and Captain. He spoke fondly of each one, and more importantly, he spoke of them in the present tense. That meant they were still here. The captain preceded him in death, and Amy died some time after. Perhaps Timothy could convince them both to be on her side, and that would give her at least three allies in this house.

Just after she placed the muffins inside the oven, the doorbell rang. She put the potholder down and hurried out of the kitchen to answer it. As she opened the door, George and Perry greeted her with an apologetic smile.

“Good morning! I didn’t expect to see either of you again so soon,” she said as she looked from one face to the other. “What can I do for you?”

George bobbed his head in greeting. “Well, it seems that Reuben, uh, forgot to bring in the scanner and the rest of your office supplies before we left yesterday. We put all of the electronic equipment in his trunk. So, out of sight, out of mind, I suppose. Anyway, we have them in the truck now, but we wanted to make sure you were awake before we loaded everything up on the dolly and barged in on you.”

“Oh, I see.” Shae bit back the laugh threatening to surface. In all likelihood, “forgetting” had nothing to do with it. “Do you need some help?”

“No, we can handle the task just fine. Just give us a minute, and we’ll be right back with the rest of your stuff,” he said as he turned toward his vehicle. In short order, they loaded the hand truck well beyond its intended capacity.

Shae laughed inwardly over the sight they made. George, who stood only about five and a half feet tall, kept peeking around from side to side in an ongoing effort to keep himself on course. Perry, at about six feet, still needed to stand on tiptoes so he could hold the top box in place and keep the cargo from tumbling over.

While they maneuvered toward the house, George’s shoulders suddenly slumped forward while his chest caved backward. He then let out a yelp of surprise. Perry pitched sideways, then forward and tumbled end over end. The hand truck and boxes went flying hither and yon. Both men ended all tangled up in the mix. Shae rushed out of the door to give assistance.

“Are you all right?” She drew in a breath as she stooped down beside them.

George attempted to shrug off the accident. As he rose to his feet and brushed himself off, he said, “Yes, just a little embarrassed is all. I guess I must have lost my footing under the weight. Come on, Perry. Let’s try this again.”

“Well here, let me help,” Shae set about retrieving the scattered folders. George didn’t lose his footing at all. Someone shoved him, and he could have been seriously hurt because of it. The whole thing made her furious. On top of that, the poor man looked terrified.

“You know what? Let’s just stack this stuff on the porch. I’m not ready for you to bring it into my office right now anyway, and I’ll just retrieve it later when I am,” she said.

Both men looked at her with a mixture of relief and gratitude. In just a few minutes time, they had everything stacked on the porch, jumped inside their truck, and drove away. Shae waited outside until the vehicle disappeared down the lane before she stormed back inside the house. She made it as far as the foyer before she unleashed her temper on the offending spirit responsible for the mayhem.

“Look, whoever you are! If you want to take your infuriating wrath out on someone, then take it out on me. Those men have nothing to do with my decision to stay here, nor should you punish them for doing their job. They can’t change my mind or alter the course of the coming year no matter what you do. Do you hear me? And just to make it perfectly clear to everyone inside this house, I’m not leaving until I finish the job I agreed to do. There is nothing anyone can do that will make me change my mind. I’m staying put and that’s the end of that! And just so you know, I am not afraid of you or anything you can do to me personally. So if it’s a battle you want over territory, then I’ll be happy to accommodate you.”

The now familiar slamming of a door somewhere upstairs sounded in response to her tirade. She shook her head in frustration. At that moment, the strong smell of blueberry muffins wafted out of the kitchen and permeated all around her. A gasp escaped her lips as she suddenly remembered she had them in the oven. She ran into the kitchen to rescue them from burning. The muffins, baked to perfection and arranged neatly in a basket, sat on top of the stove. She blew out a sigh of relief. Without thinking she simply said, “Thank you.”

“Oh, you’re welcome, dear. What with all the fuss going on this morning, I knew you would forget you had them baking.”

Startled over the unexpected voice, Shae whirled toward the point of origin. A very attractive middle-aged woman, wearing a long blue dress and a white three-quarter length bib apron, stood near the table. She had her hands clasped in front of her. Streaks of gleaming silver weaved beautifully through her chestnut hair. Her light brown eyes appeared soft and pleasant looking. The smell of lilacs surrounded her being. If Shae had to hazard a guess, she would say the woman belonged to the nineteenth century.

“Why don’t you sit down now, and have some breakfast before you get started with your day.” The ghostly woman smiled sweetly as she “transported” the muffins to the table.

Shae smiled her thanks as she sat down, took one out of the basket, and sunk her teeth into it. The muffin all but melted in her mouth. “I wished I could offer you one. They’re pretty good, if I do say so myself.”

The spirit laughed. “That’s quite all right, Miss Shaelynn. My name is Amy Stoddard, and I am very pleased you’re here. I think we’ll get along just fine. You know, it’s been awhile since I’ve had another female to chat with, and I must confess it is something I have missed.”

“Well, thank you. That makes two of you who don’t mind if I stay around for awhile,” she said as she chewed another bite and swallowed it down. “I met Timothy last night, but then I’m sure you must already know that. He also said he didn’t have a problem if I remained. Unlike someone else around the premises,” she muttered under her breath.

Amy merely shook her head as if the situation warranted no further thought and smiled. “Don’t you worry about the captain. Your opinion of him will change in time, I daresay. It’s just that—well, he has his reasons for behaving the way he does. Don’t judge him too harshly, dear. Right now he’s just not too keen on mortals.”

Aha! The captain didn’t want her here. So much for Timothy running interference.

“Could you tell me why that is? Perhaps I can help change his mind,” Shae said as she rose from the table to get herself a glass of orange juice.

A long, drawn out silence greeted the inquiry, she whirled away from the refrigerator, intending on making a quick apology. However, Amy conveniently disappeared from the kitchen. The spirits in this house minded no one’s business but their own. One needed to respect them for that.

After cleaning up the kitchen, she dried her hands and headed for the porch. Despite what she said to George, she really needed to set up the office before she could begin her work. Just as she entered the foyer, she spied the supplies George and Perry delivered already inside the house. The neatly stacked boxes stood against the wall, just outside her office doors.

Once again and to no one in particular, she said, “Thank you for the help. I really appreciate it.”

“That’s quite all right, mum. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Shae smiled broadly. In fact, she almost laughed out loud. The man who suddenly appeared in front of her reminded her in every way of Alfred the butler on the Batman series, right down to the rigid stance and subtle bob of his head. “No, I think I can manage from here.”

“Would you like some assistance in bringing your supplies into the room, perhaps?” he asked.

“No, really, I can do it myself. I need to do a bit of rearranging before I bring this stuff in, so—” She allowed her shrug to fill in the rest of her sentence.

“Should you find it otherwise, Miss Montgomery, please don’t hesitate to ask me. My name is Horace Worthington, and I am at your service should you need me. All you need do is call.” Once again, he bobbed his head and disappeared.

Just as Horace vanished, the sound of a deep, exasperated sigh filled the foyer.