Dev wavered, torn between his desire to be honest and his concern for Lucy’s peace of mind. He wanted her to feel comfortable sleeping in the Oak Room. Though he hated admitting that Mabel was right, itwasconvenient to have his wife in the next room.
On the other hand, one need not be superstitious to think a door opening by itself was alarming. He’d better explain.
“May I sit down?” he asked.
“Of course. You may—” She fell silent when he sat at the foot of the bed.
Belatedly, Dev realized she might have expected him to take a chair. Sitting on her bed felt far more intimate. But it was too late now—changing his seat would merely call attention to his blunder.
He cleared his throat and launched into what he hoped would be a short explanation. “The first thing you should know is that my mother loved this room. I am told my grandmother did too. Neither of them ever complained about any... disturbances.” At least, not anymaliciousdisturbances.
“But?” she prompted.
Now came the hard part. “My stepmother, however, did not care for this bedchamber. She eventually had her things moved to an empty room down the hall. No one has slept here for years.”
“She disliked it that much?”
Dev shrugged. “She felt there was something unsettling about the Oak Room. Said she had trouble sleeping here.”
“Really?” Lucy had gone from surprise to incredulity. “It seems like such a comfortable room. The colors are a bit dark, I suppose, but the room feels snug rather than oppressive.”
“That is what I have always thought,” Dev agreed.
In fact, he’d sometimes wondered if Mabel had changed bedrooms merely to put more distance between herself and her husband. It was not a particularly charitable speculation, but perhaps a young woman could be forgiven for trying to avoid the older man she’d married for pragmatic reasons.
“Naturally, you are welcome to make changes if you wish,” he told Lucy. “It is your room now. Assuming you wish to keep it, rather than moving down the hall.” Assuming the Veiled Lady did not harass Lucy the way she was said to have harassed Mabel.
“I am quite content with this room.” Lucy punctuated the statement with another yawn. “I believe I will sleep soundly here.”
Dev took the hint. “I will bid you good night, then. But if you should need anything, I am only a door away.” He stood up to go, but her next words stopped him in his tracks.
“Doyoubelieve in the Veiled Lady?”
Chapter Nine
Lucy asked thequestion out of pure curiosity, of course. It wasn’t as if she wasafraidof the ghost. Not really. One couldn’t be afraid of something that didn’t exist!
Even so, she held her breath as she waited for her husband to answer. And waited. She finally expelled her breath in a huff. Was he going to answer her at all?
Devlin turned back to face her. “This is a conversation that might best be saved for the light of day. I think we ought to get some rest tonight. We will have plenty of time to discuss it tomorrow.”
Her heart beat faster. “Youdobelieve in it.” She should’ve guessed, given that he’d tried to lay her to rest when they first met. “Have you seen the ghost yourself?”
He shook his head. “I have not seen the ghost.” She relaxed, until he added, “But yes, I do believe in it, for a variety of reasons. I’m willing to answer all your questions about the Veiled Lady, but as I said, I believe that conversation should wait until morning.”
She gaped at him. “Do you think I’m going to fall back asleep after hearing that? In a haunted room?”
“Technically, the whole house is haunted,” he pointed out. “Not just this specific room. If that’s any comfort.”
Lucy bit her lip to hold back a bitter laugh. How was that supposed to comfort her? “Perhaps I ought to sleep in the dower house. Unless it is haunted too?”
He sighed. Then he sat down again—this time, much closer to her. She felt the heat of his body even through the heavy blankets. Strange how cold the room had gotten. Hadn’t it been warmer five minutes ago?
“So far as I know, the dower house has never been visited by any ghost,” he told her. “But it is currently being cleaned and refurbished for my stepmother’s use. I doubt there would be a bedchamber ready for you tonight. If you are really frightened, though, I can sleep in your room.”
Lucy gasped. Surely, he didn’t mean—
“On the floor,” he clarified. “The carpet ought to make it comfortable enough.”
