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“Agenuine spirit mirror?Ididn’t know you had one of those here!”Samanthawas instantly interested.Shecame over to examine the tarnished mirror but if she saw anything—or anyone—in it, she didn’t say.
R’ronrubbed his eyes.Atrick of the light—that was what had happened.Theroom was already filled with shadows—it was lit only by a small lamp on the bedside table and the flickering flames of the fire.Itwas natural to think he saw something under such circumstances.
Butthen, why did he still feel the heat of the other male’s hand on his shoulder?Andwhy did he get the feeling that the male had wanted something of him—wanted it desperately, with an urgency that seemed to burn along his nerve endings like fire?
Stopit!he told himself uneasily.You’rebeing fucking ridiculous.You’rejumping at shadows—get hold of yourself!
“Pleasego on with the story,”Samanthasaid to theInnkeeperas she started recording again. “Whathappened toCarolineandBeau?”
“Ah, well tragedy struck, as it so often does here atTheBelgraveMansion.”TheInnkeepersighed and shook her head sorrowfully. “Yousee, they didn’t know thatCaroline’sfather,TerranceAbernathy, had followed their trail.Hehad learned all about their elopement fromCaroline’smaid, you see.Andhe had already promised his daughter’s hand in marriage to a good friend of his—aMr.AldenSmytheof theNewHampshireSmythes, don’t you know?”
“Sohe was twice as angry, both because she was marrying against his will and because she had married a man who was from a rival family instead of the one he had picked for her.”Samantha’slovely dark blue eyes had grown wide again.Theylooked like dark jewels in the firelight,R’ornthought. “Please, go on,” she said to theInnkeeperin a low, breathless voice.
“Well, soCaroline’sfather found out where they were and he came creeping up the stairs that night,” theInnkeepersaid. “Hefound them in bed, but when he questioned them, he was assured that they had not yet consummated their marriage.”
R’ornsaw a flicker in the corner of his eye and glanced again at the mirror.Fora moment, he almost seemed to see the same male he’d seen before.Butthis time instead of leaning overR’orn’sshoulder, he was in the large, four-poster bed.Hehad his arms wrapped protectively around a slim, blonde girl who had tears in her eyes.Andstanding over both of them was an older human male with gray hair and a face twisted with anger.Inhis hands he held a shotgun which he was aiming at the couple.
R’ornwhirled around again but again there was nothing to see.Thebed was empty except for dancing shadows and flickering firelight.Couldit be his eyes playing tricks on him again?Hefrowned and scrubbed at them with the heels of his hands.Whatin theSevenHellswas going on around here?
Thenhe sawSamanthaglancing at him with a look on her face that was half worried/half irritated.
“Areyou okay?”she mouthed at him.
R’ornshrugged as though nothing was wrong—though to be honest, this fucking room was beginning to get to him!
“Anyway,Caroline’sfather caught them in bed and he had a shotgun in his hand,” theInnkeeperwent on, continuing the story and obviously oblivious to the strange thingsR’ornhad been seeing. “Shebegged him not to shoot—said they were in love!Andthen she promised him that she was still a virgin!”
“Oh—what did he say to that?”Samanthaasked in a low voice.
“Hesaid, ‘then you’ll die a virgin!’Andhe shot them both.Rightthere in that bed—if you look, you can still see where the wood of the frame has been repaired.Itwas partially shattered by the shotgun blasts,” theInnkeeperadded, pointing.
“Howawful!”Samanthaput a hand to her mouth.
“Howdo they know all this?”R’orndemanded. “Imean, if the, uh, lovers were both killed, how do they know what they said?”
“Why, becauseCaroline’sfather,TerranceAbernathy, testified to the whole thing at his murder trial!” theInnkeeperexclaimed. “Folkssaid he wasn’t abitsorry—they hanged him for the double murder but he went to his grave claiming thatCarolineandBeaudeserved to die for ‘dishonoring’ theAbernathyfamily name.”
“Whatan asshole!”Samanthasaid, frowning. “Imean, excuse me, but that’s exactly what he was!”
“Yes—he’s buried in the family plot at the oldAbernathyestate, so we don’t have his ghost with us here atTheBelgraveMansion,” theInnkeepersaid and heaved a regretful sigh. “Butthe spirits ofCarolineand her husband,Beaulinger on.It’ssaid that they’re still longing for each other, because they never got to consummate their marriage.Youknow they were married less than twenty-four hours before her father shot them both?Sosad…”Sheshook her head, looking sad.
“Idofeel a lingering sense of loss here.”Samanthaspoke in hushed tones. “Asense of missed opportunity and longing for love…”Shesighed and shook her head. “Sucha tragic end.”
“Sadly, that’s the way it is with many of the stories here atTheBelgraveMansion,” theInnkeepersaid. “Atleast withCarolineandBeau, they had a little time to love each other before they were discovered.”
R’ornwondered how it would be, knowing that the one you loved was forbidden to you but stealing her away anyway, even though you knew you might be killed for it.Tobrave such danger, a male would truly have to be in love—a state he had never personally experienced.Andnever hoped to, since he had no wish to subject any female to hisBeast.But—
Suddenlyhe felt that warmth on his shoulder again—as though an invisible hand was gripping him.Andthen, with no warning, an acute sense of possessive protectiveness swept through him.Helooked atSamanthaand a growl rose in his throat at the thought of anyone hurting her or trying to take her from him.Hewanted to keep her safe, to love her, to worship her body with his own—she was his, damn it!Shebelonged tohim!
Steppingover to her in a single stride, he took her in his arms and leaned down to look into her face.
Samantha, who had been about to ask theInnkeeperanother question, looked up at him with wide, surprised eyes.Herphone dropped from her hand and clattered in the hardwood floor but she seemed too shocked to notice—or to resist him.
R’ornwasn’t taking any chances though—she washisand he was damn well going to show her that!Threadinghis fingers through her long, silky black hair he held her in place and bent her over his arm.
5
R’ORN
