Read Online A Loving Spirit by Amanda Mccabe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Amanda Mccabe
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practice, too, Antoinette," said Cassie. "We did nothing but play cards all those weeks on the ship from Jamaica. Now, tell me, is Sir Belvedere coming here to meet us?"
"Oh, no," answered Louisa. "He still thinks it is improper to come to a living lady's chamber. We will go to the East Tower."
"When? Now?"
"Of course, if you are ready." Louisa pulled her hood up over her head, and glided toward the door. "Just follow me!"
Then she disappeared through the solid door, leaving only a faint shimmer behind her.
"We can scarcely follow you that way, now, can we?" Antoinette called, standing up and reaching with her stockinged feet for the slippers she had discarded.
A merry laugh echoed, and Louisa stuck her head back through the door. "So sorry, my dears! Just a bit of ghost humor. Sometimes I simply cannot help myself."
* * *
The East Tower was dark and chilly, since the maids did not go there to light fires or adjust the draperies. Only Antoinette's and Cassie's candles cast light into the shadows of the corners.
Louisa settled herself in a chair next to the window and called out, "Sir Belvedere! Where are you? You have callers. I hope you have polished your armor up for them."
There was a faint clattering noise, which grew louder and louder as they listened. Cassie could not tell where the sound was coming from, even though she twisted her head this way and that, peering into the gloom. Then there was one last, deafening clank, and a tall figure in armor appeared next to Louisa's chair.
He pushed the visor back on his helmet, and Cassie saw that he was a rather handsome, if very pale, gentleman.
"Fair ladies!" he cried, giving them a noisy, stiff little bow. "I am honored you came all this way to make my humble acquaintance."
Cassie glanced at Antoinette, but her friend appeared to be as much at a loss as she was. What did one do with a ghost knight? Curtsy? Shake hands?
She was every bit as puzzled as she had been when she first met Louisa.
She ended up giving a small bob and saying, "How do you do? I am Miss Cassandra Richards, and this is Miss Antoinette Duvall."
"Miss Duvall is going to find Lady Lettice for us," Louisa said.
"Indeed! I have heard you have great powers, Miss Duvall," said Sir Belvedere, holding up his slipping visor to look at Antoinette. "Very great."
Antoinette demurred. "Not very great. Not at all like my mother. But I will help you in any way I can. And I know that we would very much like to hear your story, Sir Belvedere."
"Ah, my tale. 'Tis a sad one." Sir Belvedere sighed and lowered himself into the chair next to Louisa's. His legs stuck out stiffly in front of him.
Louisa twisted one of her ringlets around her finger. "It is not as sad as all that. Not nearly as sad as my story."
Sir Belvedere gave an indignant huff. "Getting drunk and falling down the cliff is not sad."
"Neither is tripping on a loose stone and falling off the tower into the moat," Louisa retorted.
Cassie watched them bickering, and wondered if there was something in the air of Royce Castle that caused silly arguments, like the one she and Lord Royce had had over the music.
Then again, did ghosts even breathe air? She had no idea.
And it appeared that this was a long-standing conversation between Louisa and Sir Belvedere. They just shook their heads and looked away from each other to smile at Cassie and Antoinette.
Antoinette perched herself on the edge of the high bed. "I don't remember seeing a moat here," she said.
"It was filled in after Louisa's time," Sir Belvedere explained.
"My husband's brother's wife, who was Lady Royce after me, thought it smelled too foul," Louisa sniffed. "I rather miss it, though."
Cassie sat down on the bed next to Antoinette, listening as Sir Belvedere went on to tell some tales of life at Royce Castle in the Middle Ages, and marveling at the entire strange scene. She had grown up surrounded by tales of spells and spirits, and had never doubted the existence of an
"Oh, no," answered Louisa. "He still thinks it is improper to come to a living lady's chamber. We will go to the East Tower."
"When? Now?"
"Of course, if you are ready." Louisa pulled her hood up over her head, and glided toward the door. "Just follow me!"
Then she disappeared through the solid door, leaving only a faint shimmer behind her.
"We can scarcely follow you that way, now, can we?" Antoinette called, standing up and reaching with her stockinged feet for the slippers she had discarded.
A merry laugh echoed, and Louisa stuck her head back through the door. "So sorry, my dears! Just a bit of ghost humor. Sometimes I simply cannot help myself."
* * *
The East Tower was dark and chilly, since the maids did not go there to light fires or adjust the draperies. Only Antoinette's and Cassie's candles cast light into the shadows of the corners.
Louisa settled herself in a chair next to the window and called out, "Sir Belvedere! Where are you? You have callers. I hope you have polished your armor up for them."
There was a faint clattering noise, which grew louder and louder as they listened. Cassie could not tell where the sound was coming from, even though she twisted her head this way and that, peering into the gloom. Then there was one last, deafening clank, and a tall figure in armor appeared next to Louisa's chair.
He pushed the visor back on his helmet, and Cassie saw that he was a rather handsome, if very pale, gentleman.
"Fair ladies!" he cried, giving them a noisy, stiff little bow. "I am honored you came all this way to make my humble acquaintance."
Cassie glanced at Antoinette, but her friend appeared to be as much at a loss as she was. What did one do with a ghost knight? Curtsy? Shake hands?
She was every bit as puzzled as she had been when she first met Louisa.
She ended up giving a small bob and saying, "How do you do? I am Miss Cassandra Richards, and this is Miss Antoinette Duvall."
"Miss Duvall is going to find Lady Lettice for us," Louisa said.
"Indeed! I have heard you have great powers, Miss Duvall," said Sir Belvedere, holding up his slipping visor to look at Antoinette. "Very great."
Antoinette demurred. "Not very great. Not at all like my mother. But I will help you in any way I can. And I know that we would very much like to hear your story, Sir Belvedere."
"Ah, my tale. 'Tis a sad one." Sir Belvedere sighed and lowered himself into the chair next to Louisa's. His legs stuck out stiffly in front of him.
Louisa twisted one of her ringlets around her finger. "It is not as sad as all that. Not nearly as sad as my story."
Sir Belvedere gave an indignant huff. "Getting drunk and falling down the cliff is not sad."
"Neither is tripping on a loose stone and falling off the tower into the moat," Louisa retorted.
Cassie watched them bickering, and wondered if there was something in the air of Royce Castle that caused silly arguments, like the one she and Lord Royce had had over the music.
Then again, did ghosts even breathe air? She had no idea.
And it appeared that this was a long-standing conversation between Louisa and Sir Belvedere. They just shook their heads and looked away from each other to smile at Cassie and Antoinette.
Antoinette perched herself on the edge of the high bed. "I don't remember seeing a moat here," she said.
"It was filled in after Louisa's time," Sir Belvedere explained.
"My husband's brother's wife, who was Lady Royce after me, thought it smelled too foul," Louisa sniffed. "I rather miss it, though."
Cassie sat down on the bed next to Antoinette, listening as Sir Belvedere went on to tell some tales of life at Royce Castle in the Middle Ages, and marveling at the entire strange scene. She had grown up surrounded by tales of spells and spirits, and had never doubted the existence of an
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