"sense."
"You should be in your bed, dear," said Chat. "You and Antoinette both look thoroughly exhausted."
Cassie let herself be led away along the shore; her feet felt like lead in her boots. It had been a long, eventful, tiring evening.
Before they turned away to climb the steps up the cliff, she looked back over her shoulder at the gathering of ghosts. Louisa caught her eye and gave her a cheerful little wave.
Cassie waved back. At least someone seemed happy about the proceedings.
Chapter 15
"So you know nothing of what happens when we leave here?" Louisa asked Lady Lettice. "Nothing at all?"
Lady Lettice shook her head. "Only what I have told you. Angelo and I were in a sort of sitting room the entire time. It was rather pleasant. There were always people to play cards with, especially that nice Roman gentleman, Didius."
"There was ale and cakes!" Angelo cried. "And roast beef and peacock..."
Lady Lettice tugged impatiently at his hand, and he lapsed into quiet mutters. "And sugared almonds and stewed quail and puddings..." he whispered, kicking at the pebbles with the upturned toe of his shoe.
"There was plenty of food," Lady Lettice said. "Sometimes a man would come and ask us very impertinent questions, and write things down. But I do not know why I was there, or why I returned, except that you summoned me."
"And you did not see—well, anyone interesting there?" Louisa asked haltingly.
Lady Lettice gave her a knowing look. "Someone like your William, perhaps?"
"He was not my William," Louisa cried indignantly. "Not even when he was alive."
Lady Lettice nodded. "Be that as it may, I did not see him. Or indeed anyone I knew except Angelo. It was sometimes rather dull, despite the food and cards and Didius, so I cannot say I am completely sorry to be back at Royce Castle. Especially with such interesting people in residence. Who is the dark-skinned female who summoned me here? Does she live in the castle?"
Louisa looked over to where the humans had disappeared over the crest of the cliffs. Their figures could be seen faintly, moving up the path to the castle. "That is Miss Antoinette Duvall, from Jamaica. She is visiting here with Miss Cassandra Richards and Lady Willowby, Miss Richards' aunt. Miss Richards is also from Jamaica; we have had interesting discussions about it. I wish that ghosts could choose where they travel, so I could see it for myself. They believe in ghosts there!"
"Does anyone really live in such a wild place as that?" Lady Lettice asked coolly, lifting up a small feathered fan from where it dangled on her belt and waving it languidly. "I heard in my lifetime that there was nothing but savages there. I would rather still be in the sitting room of the afterlife than go to Jamaica."
As Louisa looked at her, she remembered what a snobbish wench Lady Lettice could be at times. She wondered why she had ever wanted her summoned back.
"Angelo would like to see Jamaica," Lady Lettice's dwarf piped up. "There is fruit there as big as your head! And fish to be cooked in spices and rum..."
Lady Lettice smiled down at him fondly and patted the top of his head. "Angelo, my chuck, you think far too much about food. Ghosts cannot even eat here on earth!"
"Angelo can remember eating," he mumbled. "We could eat in the sitting room of the afterlife."
"Well, we are here now, and it is impossible to eat in our present form. Now, Louisa, Sir Belvedere," Lady Lettice said decisively, dropping her fan and turning to face them. "It appears I have arrived just in time. Things at Royce Castle seem to be getting completely unruly. Let us go up to my chamber, which I hope has been aired and cleaned properly, and you may tell me all about what has been going on here." Then her voice changed from its usual strident tones to a soft purr. "Especially about that handsome gentleman with the long, dark hair..."
* * *
Phillip locked the door to the library behind him and hurried over to the table,
"You should be in your bed, dear," said Chat. "You and Antoinette both look thoroughly exhausted."
Cassie let herself be led away along the shore; her feet felt like lead in her boots. It had been a long, eventful, tiring evening.
Before they turned away to climb the steps up the cliff, she looked back over her shoulder at the gathering of ghosts. Louisa caught her eye and gave her a cheerful little wave.
Cassie waved back. At least someone seemed happy about the proceedings.
Chapter 15
"So you know nothing of what happens when we leave here?" Louisa asked Lady Lettice. "Nothing at all?"
Lady Lettice shook her head. "Only what I have told you. Angelo and I were in a sort of sitting room the entire time. It was rather pleasant. There were always people to play cards with, especially that nice Roman gentleman, Didius."
"There was ale and cakes!" Angelo cried. "And roast beef and peacock..."
Lady Lettice tugged impatiently at his hand, and he lapsed into quiet mutters. "And sugared almonds and stewed quail and puddings..." he whispered, kicking at the pebbles with the upturned toe of his shoe.
"There was plenty of food," Lady Lettice said. "Sometimes a man would come and ask us very impertinent questions, and write things down. But I do not know why I was there, or why I returned, except that you summoned me."
"And you did not see—well, anyone interesting there?" Louisa asked haltingly.
Lady Lettice gave her a knowing look. "Someone like your William, perhaps?"
"He was not my William," Louisa cried indignantly. "Not even when he was alive."
Lady Lettice nodded. "Be that as it may, I did not see him. Or indeed anyone I knew except Angelo. It was sometimes rather dull, despite the food and cards and Didius, so I cannot say I am completely sorry to be back at Royce Castle. Especially with such interesting people in residence. Who is the dark-skinned female who summoned me here? Does she live in the castle?"
Louisa looked over to where the humans had disappeared over the crest of the cliffs. Their figures could be seen faintly, moving up the path to the castle. "That is Miss Antoinette Duvall, from Jamaica. She is visiting here with Miss Cassandra Richards and Lady Willowby, Miss Richards' aunt. Miss Richards is also from Jamaica; we have had interesting discussions about it. I wish that ghosts could choose where they travel, so I could see it for myself. They believe in ghosts there!"
"Does anyone really live in such a wild place as that?" Lady Lettice asked coolly, lifting up a small feathered fan from where it dangled on her belt and waving it languidly. "I heard in my lifetime that there was nothing but savages there. I would rather still be in the sitting room of the afterlife than go to Jamaica."
As Louisa looked at her, she remembered what a snobbish wench Lady Lettice could be at times. She wondered why she had ever wanted her summoned back.
"Angelo would like to see Jamaica," Lady Lettice's dwarf piped up. "There is fruit there as big as your head! And fish to be cooked in spices and rum..."
Lady Lettice smiled down at him fondly and patted the top of his head. "Angelo, my chuck, you think far too much about food. Ghosts cannot even eat here on earth!"
"Angelo can remember eating," he mumbled. "We could eat in the sitting room of the afterlife."
"Well, we are here now, and it is impossible to eat in our present form. Now, Louisa, Sir Belvedere," Lady Lettice said decisively, dropping her fan and turning to face them. "It appears I have arrived just in time. Things at Royce Castle seem to be getting completely unruly. Let us go up to my chamber, which I hope has been aired and cleaned properly, and you may tell me all about what has been going on here." Then her voice changed from its usual strident tones to a soft purr. "Especially about that handsome gentleman with the long, dark hair..."
* * *
Phillip locked the door to the library behind him and hurried over to the table,
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