The Ruby Locket (9 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Dauphine

I
awakened drowsily and rose up on my elbows. Where was I? For a second I’d forgotten. Oh, yes, having a catnap under a pretty river birch tree. I doubted I’d been asleep long, but oddly, those forty winks had felt like hours or even days. As if time had slowed to a stop. That was the funny thing about sleep. And the dream I’d had—something about a room full of beautiful toys. A child’s dream world. But in the darkened corner of the room, there was one lone doll with eyes that gleamed a little too brightly and a smile that curled into a sinister grin. The other details of the nightmare were gone, but that one image left me with a foreboding kind of uneasiness.

              The weeds rustled and sighed in the breeze, coming to life with sound. I jerked to attention, popping my head up above the grasses like a prairie dog.
But it’s only dragonflies, Dauphine, remember?
I chuckled at my jitters.

              But there it was again, and this time it was harder to dismiss the noise as the drone of insects. The sound was longer in duration, and deeper. Could it be the guttural snarl of a dog?

              In an instant, I scooted up off the ground and dusted myself off, all the while studying the landscape for any kind of animal that might be lurking about. Were there bears or mountain lions in this part of the country? Perhaps if there were, the animals lived in the nearby hills and canyons, but fed on the animals in the meadow. I shivered. Surely Ivan would have told us if there were any dangers on the estate. Wouldn’t he?

              With all my scanning, I saw nothing but beauty and serenity. I’d learned from my decades on this earth, though, that sometimes tranquility could be deceptive. Bad things had a way of masquerading. However, in this case, my imagination was simply working overtime.
Calm yourself, Dauphine.
But my body persisted without my permission as my skin prickled and the hair rose on my arms.

              My mother had always told me that too much imagination could be dangerous, and it wouldn’t put food on the table. She’d been so pragmatic when it came to childrearing, I intentionally raised Anne differently, encouraging her creativity to soar and her dreams to find no tethers. And to know all the delight-filled and freeing things I never knew growing up.

              I wiped the sweat from my forehead and started down one of the footpaths that led to the abbey. Best to get back in case there really was some animal on the loose. I plucked a few poppies along the way to make a bouquet for Anne. Wonder what she was up to right this minute. Probably tucked cozily away in the abbey’s vast library and getting lost in a story.

              I sped up my pace, going faster and faster, until I was jogging. Guess I’d gotten more frightened than I thought. Feeling winded, I stopped and studied the trail, which now broke off in three more directions. Suddenly, nothing looked familiar. Not the trees or boulders or patches of wildflowers. I walked one way and then another. All the paths looked the same and none of them looked like the way I’d come. How odd.

              The dark clouds had mostly passed on by, but a new kind of storm rumbled inside me.

              The house is nowhere in sight. I’ve gone too far. I’m utterly lost.

              And, dear God, I thought I heard that funny sound again. A growl. Only a real one. Behind me. Now.

              I spun around.

              The poppies fell out of my hand as I stared through the grass into the eyes of a creature I’d never seen before. The huge dog-like animal was hairless and yellow-eyed. It slowly advanced toward me with an unhinged kind of gait. One bold step. Then two.

              Every cell of my body screamed one word—run.

              But I held steady.

              The beast snarled at me, baring its teeth. This was no ordinary dog. More like a monster. In fact, as I stared into its sickly, sallow eyes, I felt that the creature had surely risen from the farthest corners of hell.

God, help me.

Chapter Sixteen

Dauphine

W
hat to do. Run. Now. No. Back away slowly. Or should I raise my arms in a threatening way?

              The animal crept closer.

              My eyes stayed locked onto his. Probably not the right thing to do, but those eyes. Those hideous eyes mesmerized me. Took me in. All but possessed me.

              I took a slow step back without looking down. Then another. And another.

              The vile creature flinched, as if preparing to lunge in my direction.

              A shriek spilled out of me, the sound of it echoing through the surrounding hills.

              The animal didn’t budge. No scream was going to frighten him off. Running might be my only hope. If only I had a weapon. Even a stick. But I saw nothing to defend myself.

              I scanned the area for refuge. Nothing. No, wait. I suddenly spotted a small white building peeking out from the trees. A steeple. It must be the chapel Miss Easton had spoken of. The beast walked in such a disjointed way, maybe I could outrun him.

              If he caught up with me and attacked, one slash with his claws and I’d surely bleed to death before I could get help. Why had I wandered so far?

              Still unafraid, the creature took one more step toward me. He was getting too close.

             
Run. Now!

              I took off, racing toward the chapel, tearing through the grasses.

              The beast chased after me, his guttural panting just behind me. I sped up, but almost stumbled on a stone. Catching myself, I kept sprinting toward the sanctuary.

              My chest heaved. I gasped for more air. The chapel’s doors. I could see them. If only I could make it.
              I glanced back.

The animal whipped through the thicket, still just a few paces behind me.

              Fifty steps. Twenty. Ten. Almost there. Up the steps. Almost there. What if the doors were locked? Please. No! I reached for the handle, pressed the lever, and the door swung open. I was almost pulled inside as if I’d been drawn inward by an unseen hand. I slammed the door shut, the tomb-like sound of it echoing through the building.

              I held my aching sides as I rested against the doors. Inside. Safe. My heart drummed, nearly beating itself right out of my body.

              Outside, the beast lunged against the chapel doors, growling and panting and barking out his fury. 

              The thrashing continued against the wood as I absorbed the battering on the other side. I stepped away. The creature would surely injure himself, bashing and beating itself against the doors.

              I covered my ears at the infernal pounding. Did Ivan know such a monster roamed his estate? Surely he did. But why would he allow it, and why didn’t he warn me that taking a stroll could be so dangerous?

              Just outside the chapel door, all went quiet. Eerily so. I lowered my hands from my ears.

              No way was I going to open that door.

              I peered through a window.

              The beast had given up, plodding away through the grass. Almost as if he’d been called off, relieved of his duties. Okay, that was strange.

              Now what? How would I ever leave this place? Would the beast try to follow me home? Could there be a whole pack of them out there, waiting for me?

              Once I’d slowed my breathing, I lowered myself onto a nearby chair in the chapel’s vestibule. I leaned back to rest and took in my surroundings. The walls of the chapel—ornate and gilded in gold—were adorned with statues and carved wooden plaques. I recognized some of it. The Lord’s Prayer. My eyes landed on the words, “Deliver us from evil.” Yes, those words rang true—frighteningly so.

              For Anne’s sake I’d tried to keep any unsettling thoughts at bay since we’d arrived, convincing myself that they were only silly notions on my part. I wouldn’t want to worry her unnecessarily. But now. Well, something had changed in my feelings about the estate. Maybe even about Ivan. And it wasn’t only about the dog-like creature I’d just encountered. It was in the glances of the servants who always seemed to be lurking in the shadows, watching me. The darkened passageways. The locked doors. All the things that were left unsaid. This estate and abbey almost had a personality of its own—and that character could be described as what? Malevolent? Yes, that was it.

              I loved Ivan, but could I make his mansion and his estate into a real home? Or would the combination of isolation and the lack of freedom drive me mad? Were those the things that drove his first wife to take her own life? I shuddered.

              And what about my Anne? Even though her every need would be taken care of now, was it really a place where she could thrive?

              I fingered my engagement ring, the marquee-shaped emerald ever reminding me of Ivan’s commitment and love. But was it enough? Perhaps all three of us should sit down and talk. Really talk. About us and how we would live our daily lives as a new family. Maybe he would be willing to make some changes. I would need a car so Anne and I could drive into town. And he would have to catch that awful beast in the meadow and take it to an animal shelter where it wouldn’t be able to harm anyone. Ivan and I loved each other, but a new level of honest communication before our wedding day was now imperative.

              Yes, that was the answer. I slapped my palms against my knees and rose, a weight now lifting from my shoulders. Well, I might as well see all of the chapel, since Miss Easton thought it would be a good place for the nuptials. It was a kind gesture and, since there had been so few of those from her, I would gladly accept her thoughtful suggestion.

              Pulling on one of the heavy oak doors that led into the sanctuary, I imagined lots of polished wood, wrought iron chandeliers, and stained glass windows depicting various pastoral scenes.

              But as I looked up the aisle, envisioning a simple, pretty wedding, I was met with something far different. In fact, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw sitting in one of the pews.

Chapter Seventeen

Dauphine

A
woman—dressed in her bridal regalia—sat in the front pew, reverently still. The fabric of her pristine gown spilled out into the aisle, and the long cathedral veil flowed from her hair.

              Who was she? Why was that woman here all by herself and dressed like that?

              “Hellooo?” My voice echoed through the chapel.

              The woman didn’t reply or even turn around to acknowledge me.

              I took a few steps up the aisle in her direction. I even hummed a few bars of the wedding march to shoo off the willies. Or maybe to make her turn around and smile.

              “Who are you?” I called out, my voice fading on the last word. Odd question, but I didn’t know what else to say.

              I took a few more steps. Suddenly I realized what was at play. Miss Easton had insisted on this visitation to the chapel today. She wanted me to come, to see this. Had she set it all up? Had she planned this theatre of the absurd? Did she pay one of the servant girls to dress up like a bride to spook me? Or embarrass me?

              The woman still made no movement of any kind, so my thoughts flashed over to other concerns. “Are you okay?” Holding onto the tops of the pews for support, I took a few more wary steps.

              The woman still didn’t respond. Her silence now seemed rude. And well, scary.

              Was the woman ill? Or worse?
Oh, God help me.
Was she dead?

              Before I could talk myself out of any kind of bold action, I hurried the rest of the way to the woman’s side. A strange sickly sweet odor tickled my nostrils. I reached out my hand and touched the gossamer fabric of her gown. She didn’t move, so I gently shook her. “Miss? Are you all right?”

              The woman’s head swayed back and forth in an unnatural way—and then in one ghastly moment—it tumbled off her shoulders and rolled over to my shoe. Eyes glared up at me from the severed head of a mannequin. The gleaming eyes and garish grin on its face was just like that of the doll in my nightmare. Unspeakable revulsion and panic besieged me.

              My head swam. My vision narrowed as if I were inside a tunnel. A ringing sound reverberated in my head.

              I’m going to pass out.

              No, I had to get out of here. Now.

              I shook off the icy terror long enough to run out of the sanctuary. I didn’t care where I was headed. Didn’t even care about the beast that still might be stalking me. I had to escape this living nightmare.

              I hurried down the steps of the chapel. There waiting for me was Ivan! I tumbled into his arms and buried my face in his shoulder.

              “My darling. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He gently pulled me away and said, “What’s wrong? Why are you so frightened?”

              “Oh, Ivan. Something terrible has happened.”

              “Are you injured? Are you bleeding?” He looked me over and then held me close.

              “No. I don’t think so. But some awful things have happened out here.” Trying not to sound childish and frantic, I explained it all to Ivan. The dreadful beast. The corpse-like bride. The grisly and fiendish trick someone had obviously played on me. All of it. He comforted me by letting me weep out my fright.

              After my sobs had calmed to sniffles and sighs, he wiped my tears with his handkerchief and said, “First of all, let me address the problem of the dog. About a year ago there was a wild dog on the estate, but I had my staff run him off. I had no idea he’d come back. I should have been more diligent in having the staff watch for it. I will have my foreman hunt it down today and kill it.”

              I wanted to tell him that it was no wild dog. That it was a beast of another kind, but instead I quickly said, “Oh, I don’t want you to kill it. Please. But could you capture it and put it in a place where it won’t hurt anyone?”

              Ivan studied me as if to see how serious I was then nodded. “Of course. If that is what you really want.”

              “It is. I mean the creature was indeed savage, and he meant to harm me, but now that I think about it, he looked miserable too. Like he couldn’t help it. Maybe the animal was vicious because it had been injured. Perhaps from abuse. That can cause any animal to act ferocious.” Even humans could suffer from the same malady, but I kept that last thought to myself.

              Ivan stroked my hair as if I were a little girl. “Of course. I understand. We’ll do this as you wish, my love.” He set me away from him again. “Now about the mannequin. Let me check something in the chapel.” When Ivan returned, he had an odd sadness in his eyes.

              “What is it?” I tugged on his sleeve.

              “That was the work of Miss Easton I’m afraid. It’s her mannequin…the one she uses for dressmaking.”

              “I wondered if this was her doing.”

              “How did you know?”

              “Miss Easton told me about the chapel this morning. She must have set up the mannequin right after that, hoping I would come here.” But why would she do such a thing? I couldn’t quite voice the question. Maybe I was too afraid to hear the answer.

              Ivan sat down on the chapel steps and pulled me down close to him. “Of course, this means I will have to fire Miss Easton. In fact, I will do it the moment we get back.”

              Oh dear. I circled my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder. “But didn’t you tell me that she’d always been in the family? That she helped raise you?”

              “Doesn’t matter. This was a truly cruel thing to do. I can’t have her acting like this anymore.”

              Did I hear Ivan right? “Anymore? You mean she’s been this way before?”

              “Yes, I think she’s been suffering from some kind of mental illness for several years, but we paid no attention to it. I wanted her to stay on, so I overlooked things. She’s too old now to find more work like this. But what she’s done this time can’t be ignored. Who knows when Miss Easton might become, well, dangerous? She might even try to harm you.”

              “I know she dislikes me, but I doubt she’d try to injure me.” But I didn’t know that at all. In fact, I had no idea what Miss Easton was capable of. Perhaps she disliked Anne too. Maybe she saw us both as a threat. “I’d hate for her to lose her job, but well, maybe you should decide what is best.”

              Ivan kissed my cheek and gave me a hug, but for some reason this time, his embrace held little warmth. I just hoped that Miss Easton’s dismissal didn’t come between us as a couple. I rubbed circles on his back. “I’m sorry this happened. That you’ve been forced to do this.”

              “You’re not to worry. None of this is your fault. I’m just sorry this incident has brought you so much distress right before the wedding.” He rose from the chapel steps, helped me up, and took my hands in his. “Let’s head back.”

              I glanced back at the chapel, with its simple white wooden steeple. “Despite all of this, I would still like to have the wedding in this chapel. As long as the mannequin is cleared away of course.”

              “Whatever you want, darling.”

              A bird let out a cry above us, and we looked up and paused to watch it soar across the sky. Such beauty and freedom. Then I remembered the promise I made to myself about honest communication. I’d almost forgotten. Ivan had a way of doing that. “By the way, I think we need to talk…about some things before the wedding.”

              “Talk about what things, my love?” Ivan twirled me around. “Why talk when we can dance?”

              I let him lead me in a brief tango move, but then I stopped to give him a playful poke. “Maybe we can talk first and then dance.”

              “All right. What do you need to talk about?” Ivan finally asked.

              “Oh, lots of topics. Like how things will be after the wedding. The three of us as a family. What our future will look like here. Everything. I just think we need to sit in the library…the three of us…and talk.”

              Ivan shook his finger. “Interesting that you should bring this up. I had a feeling you would have some questions after you arrived. Which is one of the reasons I was looking for you.” He brought out some neatly folded papers from his back pocket. “I have this for you, my love. These documents will change everything. They will calm your fears and give you all the answers you need.”

              I stared into his somber eyes and with equal seriousness, I took the documents into my hands and unfolded them. Confused as to what the papers were, I asked, “What is this?”

              “To show you how much I love you.” Ivan placed his hand over his heart and bowed low. “And to show you how much I trust our love, our future together. So, I’ve had my attorney draw up these papers.”

              “What papers? I don’t understand.”

              Ivan lifted my free hand to his lips. “It’s about the abbey and the whole estate. It’s all yours now, my darling…even before we’re wed. These papers make you owner and mistress of Belrose Abbey.”