the catalyst was, it set something in motion that isn’t going to stop until the whole story unravels.”
“Unfortunately, I have to agree with you, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait it out and just allow these nightmares to terrorize you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that if Rochelle Beaumont worked here as a maid, then she had to have lived here too. A hundred years ago that town would have been nothing more than a small village, so it would have been difficult to find work there. Chances are she was a French immigrant with no family in the States, so she would have needed employment that offered her room and board.”
“True, but wouldn’t the Covelli’s want to destroy Rochelle’s things after they’d murdered her?”
“Not necessarily. If they were smart they would have left everything just as it was so they could claim her disappearance was just as much a mystery to them as it was to everyone else. And if my great grandfather loved her as much as Grandfather believes, then maybe he kept some of her things too.”
“It might help us in learning more about what happened to her when she was alive, but finding old love letters or keepsakes won’t tell us where they took her to die.”
“No, you’re right about that. Ultimately, I think the secret to where Rochelle is entombed will be reveled in your nightmare. What I had in mind was more like speeding up the process. I have this unsettling feeling that the nightmare will keep going in reverse, but in only small segments like the one you had during your nap today.”
“You mean it will backtrack a little each time I dream, and then play out the whole gruesome ending over and over until it finally gets to the beginning?”
“It’s just a theory, Rachel. I could be totally off the mark.”
Rachel tilted her head back. “It makes sense…well, as much as anything about this whole situation
could
make sense. Besides, I trust you. If you think we should have a look around, then I’m in.”
“You trust me, huh?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Enough to do a little scouting around tonight?”
“Only if you promise not to let me out of your sight.”
“I swear I won’t even blink the entire time.”
“I don’t think you need to go that far,” Rachel laughed. “Just blink sparingly, that’ll be good enough.”
“Shall we have that coffee first or jump right into our roles as Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew?”
“A shot of caffeine sounds good.”
Rachel’s eyes followed him as he crossed the kitchen and poured the coffee, a giddy sense of happiness crowding out the dark shadows that had been hovering over her since they left the restaurant. Her gaze swept over his muscular body with longing, starting at his broad shoulders and moving down to his narrow hips. Her eyes paused for a moment to admire his fantastic ass before traveling the length of his impossibly long legs. Rachel was practically drooling when Nic turned to ask if she wanted cream or sugar and caught her in the act.
Nic carried the cups back to the table but didn’t dare chancing even a glance at her again until after his shaky hands had safely set the cups down. Jade green eyes peered up at him, shamelessly lustful and every bit as beguiling as the wicked grin on Rachel’s face.
“Keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it past the first bedroom,” he said huskily.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she feigned innocence. “I was just thinking about how exciting it was going to be to…explore new places. A thorough,
hands on
examination could be very stimulating, don’t you think?”
Nic’s eyes narrowed. “You’re pushing your luck, sweetheart.”
Rachel smiled at him over the rim of her cup. “Oh, I think my luck will hold out for quite some time tonight.”
“Not if you keep tossing innuendos at me,” he
“Unfortunately, I have to agree with you, but that doesn’t mean we have to wait it out and just allow these nightmares to terrorize you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that if Rochelle Beaumont worked here as a maid, then she had to have lived here too. A hundred years ago that town would have been nothing more than a small village, so it would have been difficult to find work there. Chances are she was a French immigrant with no family in the States, so she would have needed employment that offered her room and board.”
“True, but wouldn’t the Covelli’s want to destroy Rochelle’s things after they’d murdered her?”
“Not necessarily. If they were smart they would have left everything just as it was so they could claim her disappearance was just as much a mystery to them as it was to everyone else. And if my great grandfather loved her as much as Grandfather believes, then maybe he kept some of her things too.”
“It might help us in learning more about what happened to her when she was alive, but finding old love letters or keepsakes won’t tell us where they took her to die.”
“No, you’re right about that. Ultimately, I think the secret to where Rochelle is entombed will be reveled in your nightmare. What I had in mind was more like speeding up the process. I have this unsettling feeling that the nightmare will keep going in reverse, but in only small segments like the one you had during your nap today.”
“You mean it will backtrack a little each time I dream, and then play out the whole gruesome ending over and over until it finally gets to the beginning?”
“It’s just a theory, Rachel. I could be totally off the mark.”
Rachel tilted her head back. “It makes sense…well, as much as anything about this whole situation
could
make sense. Besides, I trust you. If you think we should have a look around, then I’m in.”
“You trust me, huh?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Enough to do a little scouting around tonight?”
“Only if you promise not to let me out of your sight.”
“I swear I won’t even blink the entire time.”
“I don’t think you need to go that far,” Rachel laughed. “Just blink sparingly, that’ll be good enough.”
“Shall we have that coffee first or jump right into our roles as Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew?”
“A shot of caffeine sounds good.”
Rachel’s eyes followed him as he crossed the kitchen and poured the coffee, a giddy sense of happiness crowding out the dark shadows that had been hovering over her since they left the restaurant. Her gaze swept over his muscular body with longing, starting at his broad shoulders and moving down to his narrow hips. Her eyes paused for a moment to admire his fantastic ass before traveling the length of his impossibly long legs. Rachel was practically drooling when Nic turned to ask if she wanted cream or sugar and caught her in the act.
Nic carried the cups back to the table but didn’t dare chancing even a glance at her again until after his shaky hands had safely set the cups down. Jade green eyes peered up at him, shamelessly lustful and every bit as beguiling as the wicked grin on Rachel’s face.
“Keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it past the first bedroom,” he said huskily.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she feigned innocence. “I was just thinking about how exciting it was going to be to…explore new places. A thorough,
hands on
examination could be very stimulating, don’t you think?”
Nic’s eyes narrowed. “You’re pushing your luck, sweetheart.”
Rachel smiled at him over the rim of her cup. “Oh, I think my luck will hold out for quite some time tonight.”
“Not if you keep tossing innuendos at me,” he
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