Read Online 2 Spirit of Denial by Kate Danley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kate Danley
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I shall see the spirit. I shall hear the spirit."
"Clara," said Wesley gravely, "I do not trust Mr. Stokeman. I almost feel that if he should learn of the one way to silence this force, he would do his utmost to destroy it, that he will do whatever it takes to keep the spirit here."
"That is absurd," said Clara. "He would be a madman!"
"He does not know this spirit the way that you and I do. He does not see its power. And I fear he underestimates the danger. I shall pose the questions to the spirit tonight. If you can hear the answer, find out its wants without interference from Mr. Stokeman, I feel that we will all rest safer."
Clara thought to herself that perhaps Wesley was underestimating the danger, too.
Chapter Fourteen
"Y ou are sure that I am needed here?" asked Dr. Van Flemming. "That you are unable to handle this matter on your own?"
"Quite," said Wesley as they disembarked the cab in front of Phineas Stokeman's foreboding house. "We are definitely unable to proceed without you."
They walked up the pathway. Clara hooked her hand in the crook of Dr. Van Flemming's arm in case he decided to turn tail and run.
It seemed foolish to even bring him along, but Wesley reminded Clara that they needed someone who could verify the urn was in fact the correct urn, and if so, who better to escort her to Dr. Van Flemming's basement with the heart than Dr. Van Flemming himself?
Wesley posed the invitation as a challenge. He stated the truth, that Phineas wanted to test the scientific foundation of this possession, but used Dr. Van Flemming's desire for flattery to win him over.
"Phineas would like an uninterested party to verify that I am not all smoke and mirrors, that there is truth behind what we do. He knows that you, of all people, are capable of seeing through trickery and would not hesitate to speak up."
Wesley decided not to point out that if everything went to plan, everything would be trickery and absolutely nothing supernatural would be occurring.
They knocked at the door and the silent butler opened the door and ushered them in. Phineas was in his drawing room and turned as if delighted to see them there. "My dear Dr. Van Flemming! So glad you could join us and bring a clear eye to our evening's events. It seems ages. And of course Mrs. O'Hare and Mr. Lowenherz."
Seated in a chair in the far corner of the room was Pauline. Her gown was of gold and fringe and showed her figure off to best advantage. She looked utterly put out to have been there, but rose to put forth the least amount of effort to welcome Mr. Stokeman's guests.
"Pauline!" whispered Dr. Van Flemming. His face paled as he looked upon her, as if all of the air in the room had been sucked away.
There was a momentary flicker of apprehension on Pauline's face, which fled so fast, it could have been mistaken for a shadow of the candlelight, but Clara was not fooled.
"Have we met before?" she asked, extending her hand to Dr. Van Flemming.
He stammered, "Yes! You must...” He stopped himself. “I apologize. I am behaving foolishly. We were acquainted in the past."
She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm so busy. It is hard to remember where I've been after a glass or two of champagne."
But Clara was struck by the hollowness of her words. Pauline remembered everything. Clara was sure of it. So what was her game? Why did she pretend to be a stranger? Surely nothing so pedestrian as estranged lovers? There was something else there, something desperate and primal.
Clara looked closer at Pauline, at this woman she pigeonholed as an enemy to prepare against. Could it be this young woman knew things were amiss and attempted to find the information to set things right?
"Perhaps we should begin," said Wesley.
Phineas gave him a polite nod of the head and then directed everyone into the parlor. A table was set up in the middle and Clara could not help but to think of the séance which had
"Clara," said Wesley gravely, "I do not trust Mr. Stokeman. I almost feel that if he should learn of the one way to silence this force, he would do his utmost to destroy it, that he will do whatever it takes to keep the spirit here."
"That is absurd," said Clara. "He would be a madman!"
"He does not know this spirit the way that you and I do. He does not see its power. And I fear he underestimates the danger. I shall pose the questions to the spirit tonight. If you can hear the answer, find out its wants without interference from Mr. Stokeman, I feel that we will all rest safer."
Clara thought to herself that perhaps Wesley was underestimating the danger, too.
Chapter Fourteen
"Y ou are sure that I am needed here?" asked Dr. Van Flemming. "That you are unable to handle this matter on your own?"
"Quite," said Wesley as they disembarked the cab in front of Phineas Stokeman's foreboding house. "We are definitely unable to proceed without you."
They walked up the pathway. Clara hooked her hand in the crook of Dr. Van Flemming's arm in case he decided to turn tail and run.
It seemed foolish to even bring him along, but Wesley reminded Clara that they needed someone who could verify the urn was in fact the correct urn, and if so, who better to escort her to Dr. Van Flemming's basement with the heart than Dr. Van Flemming himself?
Wesley posed the invitation as a challenge. He stated the truth, that Phineas wanted to test the scientific foundation of this possession, but used Dr. Van Flemming's desire for flattery to win him over.
"Phineas would like an uninterested party to verify that I am not all smoke and mirrors, that there is truth behind what we do. He knows that you, of all people, are capable of seeing through trickery and would not hesitate to speak up."
Wesley decided not to point out that if everything went to plan, everything would be trickery and absolutely nothing supernatural would be occurring.
They knocked at the door and the silent butler opened the door and ushered them in. Phineas was in his drawing room and turned as if delighted to see them there. "My dear Dr. Van Flemming! So glad you could join us and bring a clear eye to our evening's events. It seems ages. And of course Mrs. O'Hare and Mr. Lowenherz."
Seated in a chair in the far corner of the room was Pauline. Her gown was of gold and fringe and showed her figure off to best advantage. She looked utterly put out to have been there, but rose to put forth the least amount of effort to welcome Mr. Stokeman's guests.
"Pauline!" whispered Dr. Van Flemming. His face paled as he looked upon her, as if all of the air in the room had been sucked away.
There was a momentary flicker of apprehension on Pauline's face, which fled so fast, it could have been mistaken for a shadow of the candlelight, but Clara was not fooled.
"Have we met before?" she asked, extending her hand to Dr. Van Flemming.
He stammered, "Yes! You must...” He stopped himself. “I apologize. I am behaving foolishly. We were acquainted in the past."
She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm so busy. It is hard to remember where I've been after a glass or two of champagne."
But Clara was struck by the hollowness of her words. Pauline remembered everything. Clara was sure of it. So what was her game? Why did she pretend to be a stranger? Surely nothing so pedestrian as estranged lovers? There was something else there, something desperate and primal.
Clara looked closer at Pauline, at this woman she pigeonholed as an enemy to prepare against. Could it be this young woman knew things were amiss and attempted to find the information to set things right?
"Perhaps we should begin," said Wesley.
Phineas gave him a polite nod of the head and then directed everyone into the parlor. A table was set up in the middle and Clara could not help but to think of the séance which had
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