Garden of the Moon (16 page)

She stared at the structure now completely obliterated by the hungry flames. A flare up shot flames in the air again. Then, inside the flames Sara thought she saw the outline of a woman’s figure.

She blinked several times, certain that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Then the figure vanished as if it had been gobbled up by the flames. It appeared to have just evaporated into thin air. Sara looked around to see if perhaps Julie had gone into the fire to rescue an animal that hadn’t escaped, but Julie was standing beside her. And, although Julie’s gaze was trained on the rubble where the figure had stood, she showed no signs of having seen it.

Sara opened her mouth to ask Julie if she’d seen the figure, but she stopped when a lone sheet of paper shot out the flames and drifted toward her.

Since the entire plantation’s records were kept either in the overseer’s office in his home or the office in the house, both buildings separate from the barn, it was highly unusual for paper of any kind to be inside the barn. And even if it were possible that the paper could have been inside the barn, how had it survived this wall of flame when it appeared that nothing else had?

Sara watched the paper as it floated on the air currents generated by the fire. Finally, it settled to the ground a few feet in front of her. She looked around. As with the ethereal figure of the woman, no one else had noticed the paper.

She hurried to it and snatched it up. The edges were blackened and partially burned, but the writing on it was still visible. In what she immediately recognized as Gran’s elegant hand, it read:
There’s a letter
. Then the paper crumbled into nothing but powder.

***

By the time the fire was out, black soot coated Sara’s and Julie’s clothes and skin. The field hands showed signs of physical exhaustion, and many of them were coughing from inhaling the smoke while they rescued the livestock. The men not being treated for injuries had rounded up the livestock and had them safely inside a makeshift corral near the orchards. A dense cloud of black smoke, a product of the still smoldering remains of what once were a barn and stables, still hung over Harrogate. Both structures were lost, but thankfully the same did not hold true for any lives. In the corner of the yard, Chloe and Raina had set up a first aid area and were busy treating burns and scratches sustained by the field hands. Latisha was handing out food and drinks.

As Sara walked back to the house, in her mind’s eye she could still see the angry flames licking at the structure. Lady Luck had been on their side—this time.

Once again, unanswered questions began to swim through Sara’s mind. Who was that figure she’d seen inside the barn? Could it have been Katherine? But the letter had been in Gran’s handwriting. But did that mean anything? Sara knew what Katherine was capable of and forging Gran’s handwriting would not have surprised Sara. But would Katherine help Sara by telling her about some letter? She would only if it served one of her nefarious purposes. Sara decided that, until she got further proof of the actual existence of this letter and its contents, this was probably nothing more than another attempt by Katherine to lure her into a dangerous situation.

By the time Sara made it to the house, her temples throbbed in protest. Of one thing she was sure. Katherine had set the fire as one more warning for Sara to stay away from Jonathan. More alarming, however, the fire had made her aware that the incidents perpetuated by Katherine were becoming more serious with each event.

On the heels of that revelation came a horrible realization. Because of her obsession with Jonathan, she had put many lives in grave danger. Katherine was no longer content with threatening her. Now she was threatening those around her.

***

For Julie and Sara, dinner that evening was a quiet affair with neither of them saying more than few words. Aside from being too exhausted to talk, guilt was eating at Sara. She couldn’t get it out of her head that she’d put the lives of everyone on the plantation at risk because of her obsession with Jonathan. People could have died today and all because of her. The realization had been one that made her see the foolishness of her total preoccupation with a ghost.

Though she knew she would always love Jonathan, she also had to admit to herself that there was no future for that love. He was a ghost, and she was very much alive. Logically, aside from all else, this not only left them with no hope of a future, but also it made them totally incompatible. And risking lives in the face of Katherine’s vindictive need to wreak revenge on her sister for something that could never be rectified made no sense.

Though her heart felt as if it had been sliced into tiny pieces, she made the decision to lock the diary away and give up on her quest to be with Jonathan.

When she reached her room, Sara took Maddy’s diary, wrapped it in a shawl and tucked it into the very bottom of Gran’s old steamer trunk. Hopefully, if she didn’t see it, Sara could dismiss it and Jonathan from her mind. Exhausted and heartsick, she fell into bed and quickly drifted off into a troubled sleep.

***

The next morning, Sara rose early, determined to take over as mistress of Harrogate, something she should have done long ago instead of leaving it on Julie’s capable shoulders. Donning one of her older dresses, she swept back her hair into a bun and headed downstairs to breakfast.

As she entered the sun-dappled dining room, she had to smile. At the table Julie was digging into a plate loaded with eggs, slices of pink ham and biscuits drenched in white, sausage gravy. Sara wondered if her friend would ever get past the time when she hadn’t had enough food.

“Morning.”

Julie stopped eating, her fork half way to her mouth, and turned toward Sara’s voice. Her eyes widened in shock. “Well, this is a surprise. What got you out of bed so early?”

“I decided that it’s time I became the mistress of this plantation. I’ve left it for you to do for too long.”

“I don’t mind. I like taking care of the place for you, and I feel like I’m earning my keep.”

Sara laid her hand on Julie’s shoulder. “I know, and I thank you for all you’ve done, although, you were never expected to earn your keep. It’s just past time I did my share of the work.”

Julie laid her fork aside. “Does this mean that you’ve stopped trying to find a way to get back to Jonathan?”

Sara’s heart twisted in pain. She swallowed hard. Instead of answering right away, she helped herself to the eggs on the sideboard, added a slice of ham and a gravy-covered biscuit and took the chair at the head of the table. “I never told you, but I found the way back. It was actually very easy. Maddy’s diary is the way it happens. When I read it, it takes me back in time.”

Julie stared at her openmouthed.

“I know. It’s not easy to accept. It wasn’t for me at first either.”

“And you actually saw Jonathan?”

Saw him? Instantly, Sara recalled the feel of his embrace and his kiss and how close they’d come to making love. “Yes, I saw him.”

She could say no more and, bless Julie, she didn’t push for more information. It hurt too much to even think about never seeing him again much less talk about it. Nor could she explain that Katherine was putting everyone in danger because Sara wouldn’t give up on having a man who belonged to the past.

Forcing a smile, she picked up her fork. “So what do you have planned for today?”

Julie didn’t speak. She continued to stare at Sara, her brows furrowed. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Though Julie could have been referring to Sara taking up her duties as plantation mistress, Sara knew it was not what Julie was asking about. Certain that Julie was recalling how Sara had been affected when she’d been unable to go back to Jonathan before, she knew she’d have to give her friend some kind of an explanation that would reassure her that it would not happen this time.

For a moment, Sara considered lying, but decided against it. “No, I’m not, but it’s something that has to be done. The past is the past and should be left to rest in peace.”

“But what about what your grandmother told you?”

Sara opened her mouth to tell Julie that her grandmother wanted her to be happy, and she’d learned over the past weeks that living in the past was not the way to do it.

But the dining room door opened, and a grinning Raina entered accompanied by a tall, distinguished gentleman wearing a dark frock coat and trousers, a snowy shirt, a sparkling twinkle in his eye and a neatly trimmed Vandyke concealing his chin.

There was no need for Raina to announce who he was. Sara would have recognized Preston Wade in her sleep.

“Papa!” Sara bolted from her chair and rushed into her father’s open arms. “I’ve missed you so much.” She hugged him so tight he groaned in protest.

Grinning, he set her at arm’s length. “Well, that’s odd because I haven’t missed you at all.” Then he kissed her cheek soundly and laughed that robust laugh that always made Sara giggled like a little girl.

“What are you doing here?” she finally asked.

“Do I need a reason to visit my only daughter and her friend?”

Reminded of her manners, Sara indicated Julie. “You remember Julie?”

His grin widened. “I certainly do.” He bent and placed a kiss on Julie’s cheek. “How are you, my dear?”

“Fine, Mr. Wade.” Having finished here breakfast, she rose. “Will you be staying for a while?”

“For a day or two, if my daughter will have me.”

“Of course, I’ll have you, silly.” For the first time in weeks, Sara felt giddy. It was wonderful to see her father. “In fact, I just may keep you here permanently.”

“Well, your mother might have something to say about that.”

Some of the shine went off Sara’s happiness. “How is Mother?’

“She’s well. She told me to tell you that she’s sorry she couldn’t accompany me, but she had some prior commitments she couldn’t cancel.”

“I’m sure she did,” Sara said. Her
prior commitments
were no doubt an excuse to keep from having to be in the company of her crazy daughter. “Perhaps next time.”

Oddly, he father frowned. “Yes. Of course. Next time.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to look after. I’ll leave you two to catch up.” Julie slipped from the room.

Sara linked her arm through her father’s and led him to the buffet. “Have you eaten, Papa?”

“No, and I could use some of Chloe’s cooking. Our new cook is good, but her biscuits don’t equal Chloe’s.” He picked up a plate and began loading it with food.

***

When her father had finished eating, he and Sara strolled into the Garden of the Moon and sat in the gazebo in the center. The sweet aroma of the many blossoms filled the air, making Sara feel happy and lazy. Warm rays of morning sun beat down on them and made the dew glisten on the leaves turning them into a garden bedecked with sparkling precious gems.

Despite the beauty of her relaxed surroundings, Sara was uneasy. She could detect tension in her father’s body as he settled beside her on the bench. “What’s bothering you?”

He smiled and patted her knee. “What makes you think there’s anything bothering me, sweetheart?”

“Papa, I know you.” She kissed his cheek.

He frowned and then sighed. “Would it surprise you if I told you that your grandmother paid me a visit?”

Considering that her father shared her gift for seeing dead people, it didn’t surprise her at all. What did surprise her was that Gran had chosen to appear to him and not her. “Gran?”

He nodded. “It was two nights ago.”

‘“Why didn’t she come to me?”

“She did come to you, but you chose to ignore her.”

“What? I would never ignore Gran.”

He took her hand. “Remember the fire and the note?”

Sara’s mouth fell open. “That was Gran. I wasn’t sure. I thought Katherine was just up to another of her tricks.” How foolish of her to dismiss the note without proof that it was Katherine.

High overhead a hawk squawked. For a long time, it circled, gliding on the air currents and gazing down at the earth. Then it suddenly swooped down into the flower bed and instantly rose again, a squirming, tiny gray body clutched in its sharp talons. Sara watched as the bird disappeared into the blinding blue sky. She felt like that poor little mouse, trapped in Katherine’s talons and unable to free herself.

“She told me to tell you that, before she died, Katherine wrote a letter to Maddy—”

Sara started. “You know about Katherine and Maddy?”

He nodded. “Your grandmother told me the whole story.”

“What’s in this letter?”

Shrugging, he turned on the bench to face her. “Gran only said it’s important that you find it and read it.”

“Did she say where it is?”

“No. Just that it’s in the house, and you need to find it. She probably would have said more, but your mother woke up and wanted to know who I was talking to. I told her she must have been dreaming.” He snickered. “I’m not sure she believed me, but she went back to sleep.”

Sara was only half listening. Her mind had centered in on the letter. What could possibly be in it that she needed to know? And what new torture would Katherine devise to punish her if she decided to seek it out? This complicated her decision to let this whole thing rest.

“Papa, I’ve decided that I’m not going to pursue any more of this…this mystery surrounding Maddy, Katherine and Jonathan.”

He stared at her wide-eyed. “Why?”

Dare she tell him that she was sure Katherine was trying to hurt her and to continue with this whole thing would mean putting the rest of the plantation in danger as well as herself?

Chapter 13

Sara’s father took her hand and squeezed it. “I don’t understand. Why aren’t you going to pursue this? Gran indicated that you were very anxious to find out the truth of what happened to Jonathan Bradford.”

“I am…I was.” She stood and walked to the railing of the gazebo. “Things have gotten…complicated.”