06

*The second part of the novellette.

*

Chapter 04

I woke up feeling refreshed again. Strangely enough I had both a warm and cool, firm yet supple comfortable sensation against my body. And then it moved.

I opened my eyes to find her snuggled up to me, her head on my shoulder, and I was holding her in my arm as well! My heart raced while I tried to look at the situation rationally. She must have felt cold while she slept and crawled up to me for warmth. Except she said she didn't sleep and she likely didn't feel really cold or warm as a ghost!

I stared up at the ceiling. What made her fall asleep in the first place? Was she actually asleep and not just lying still? Her chest heaved and pressed against mine slow and gentle as if she was breathing shallow. She was asleep indeed. How could I wake her up without making things worse?

The answer came on its own when she stirred, stretched her body and legs, snuggled closer, then seemed to realise what had happened when she suddenly sat upright.

'Sorry.' I said and sat back up myself. 'I must have lost control in my sleep and pulled you against me.'

She fiddled with the front of her gown and, judging from the neck and shoulders, glanced back at me and shook her head. She stepped out of bed, picked up her uniform, curtsied at me and hurried out of the room.

I sighed and leaned back against the headboard. 'It might have been better if I hadn't slept all night after all.'

I freshened up and put on my normal clothes. I wouldn't need my working clothes while searching for Lord Blackfire's diary. I was about to leave when I heard gentle knocking at my door. I opened it and saw her standing outside with a breakfast tray. She looked a little away.

'For me?' I asked and she answered with a quick nod.

I stepped back to let her in and see where I could make room for her to put the tray but she already put it on the bed. I sat on the side while she poured tea for me.

'Sit, please?' I said as she stood next to the bed. She sat down at the other side of the tray. 'I, wanted to say I had no impure motives as I held-' I said but she held up her hands and shook her head.

She gestured to herself and with some effort that it was her fault for getting us in that embarrassing position.

I smiled gently at her as she looked down and gripped her skirt between her fingers. 'Don't worry about it. I'll keep it in mind as a unique and wonderful experience and our little secret, shall I?'

She nodded a little and relaxed.

I ate breakfast and complimented her on it, something that made her forget about her worries and returned her to her cheerful self. I hadn't expected it but there was fresh food here at the manor. I'd have to find out where it came from.

After I was done she took the tray away and returned later. 'I'd like to see if we can find the diary somewhere.' I said. 'You didn't happen to remember anything else about it?'

She shook her head.

'All right. Let's start at his private chambers then.'

Outside the manor it was still gloomy and rain hit the windows. Even the weather here was haunted. But as long as there was no storm to scare her it was fine with me.

She led me to the master bedroom, a large and more luxurious chamber than many a house I'd seen. Tapestries, ivory accessories on finest oak furniture, a bed twice the size of what we slept in, large fireplace, wide desk, wardrobes with many fine clothing made from the finest foreign materials. Kings would feel at home here.

'I'll start with the desk.' I said and went through the drawers while she searched the wardrobes. 'Knock on panels. If something sounds different there might be a hidden compartment.' She gave me a nod and we knocked on every bit of wood we saw.

After knocking and examining every wood panel we could find, checked the bed and behind and under every tapestry, we gave up.

'Where else?' I said while we both sat on the edge of the bed. 'Does he have a study?'

She nodded.

'Let's go then.' I said and on we went.

The result was the same in the large study, sore knuckles and no secret places. I sat pondering while flipping through the pages of a book that lay open on the desk.

'He liked to learn and read foreign languages?' I asked when I noticed it was a dictionary.

She nodded. Then she pulled excitedly on my arm.

'You thought of something?' I asked while she led me by the hand through another part of the manor. She nodded quickly.

We arrived at a double door. She opened them and I gasped. A two storey library! There must have been thousands of books in the rows of cases.

I smiled while she stood satisfied with her arms crossed. 'Clever.'

We went inside towards the fireplace and reading chairs. Until we heard growling.

It only took a moment to locate the wildly floating black collar with silver spikes coming at us and us running for the doors.

Panting hard and with a heart beating faster than a woodpecker pecks I leaned back against the wall opposite of the quickly closed doors. 'Bloody hell! Who invited that monster in!?' I looked at her while she caught her breath, ignoring the question how that worked for her as a ghost long enough to forget being curious for now. 'You had a large dog living inside the manor?'

She nodded.

'I'd hate to think that was the answer to where the missing people ended up.' I said and took a few deep breaths. 'I saw a gallery. Can we get up there?'

Several minutes later I carefully opened the door she had led me to. I checked left and right, listened, moved inside, and confirmed the gallery could only be reached by the upper door. When I moved further inside to the railing, the dog growled again from below. I prayed he had not gained the ability to fly when he became a ghost.

But when I peered over the railing the dog, or rather the collar, was below me but didn't move. I looked back to see the maid plucking nervously at her skirt at the doorway and I gestured things were fine.

'I'll look up here. Why don't you wait outside if you don't like being here?'

She nodded but only took two steps back so she could keep an eye on me.

It took a long time before I had searched every shelf on the gallery. By the time I was done I found a tray with a warm meal of chicken, potatoes, and cabbage waiting for me in her hands.

'Bless you.' I said as I sat down in a chair with it and smiled at her. 'You're an angel. I had completely forgotten about eating.'

She went away with a cheerful spring in her step and returned with wine.

'Did you make this?' I asked, already willing to overeat on this. She nodded. 'It's good.' She sat down on the floor and seemingly enjoyed watching me eat.

I was more than satiated after the meal and a little envious of Lord Blackfire for having lived this good life. But I couldn't enjoy this for too long. I had a diary to find.

I looked down at the dog and he still sat in the same place he'd been all this time. Looking closely it seemed he was staring up at the bookcase he was facing. Curious to see what he was looking at I rounded the gallery. He growled and kept an eye on me, but stayed where he was. The bookcase was like the others, full of books with one shelf containing figurines, etches, and even a stuffed bunny. My eyes went wide. There was a black book behind the bunny!

I waved at the maid. 'I think I found it. It must be why he's guarding the library.'

She came over to me, keeping away from the railing, and looked at the place I pointed out. She took my hand a squeezed it as she saw it and nodded.

'You think so too, right?'

She nodded firmly.

I smiled. 'Then we need to figure out how to get it without the dog getting me.'

I had some doubt if it would work on a ghost dog but I had to try anyway, a piece of meat the maid fetched for me. I threw the small piece down. The dog sniffed at it, and just sat there. I sighed and paced the gallery, pondering a possible way to distract him. So far he only reacted when we entered the library through the doors below. But that would only be useful if I could get behind the dog while it was at the doors, and there were no other entrances below. I might be able to go down when I lowered myself from the railing and on top of a bookcase, then jump down it, but I wouldn't be able to get back up the bookcase. I'd need a ladder just like the one standing at the bookcase in the corner.

I blinked.

I turned to my dear maid and took her by the shoulders. 'I need your help.'

She laid her hands on the door handles of the library doors downstairs and took a deep breath.

I had pressed on her to only stand there long enough for the dog to leave his spot at the case. I didn't want her to take any risk of getting attacked. She gave me a firm nod when I asked if she was sure she could do it and I put my trust in her.

With a quick push she opened the doors and stomped her foot on the floor.

As I expected, the dog growled loud and bolted towards her. At the same time I jumped over the railing onto the the bookcase below me, rushed down the ladder in front of it, pulled it in front of the case with the diary, climbed up to grab the book behind the stuffed bunny, and tripped when the wooden step below me broke in two.

I twisted and fell down, taking the ladder with me. The dog, which halted at the first sound of me moving the ladder, growled low as he charged at me. In a split second I saw the maid rushing forward towards me. I couldn't let her get into danger.

'No! Stay back!' I shouted, grabbed the first thing close to my hand, and threw it at the dog.

It caught the bunny and rolled over, growling playfully as it seemed to hug the stuffed animal between its front legs.

The maid must have looked as baffled as me at the scene. I freed myself from the ladder and checked myself for any injuries. She rushed over and made a fuss over the tear in my trousers and the scrapes on my arm.

I chuckled. 'I'm all right.' I said. 'No major damage.' She hugged me tight for a moment, then pulled back quickly looking away. I smiled. 'Thank you for your concern.'

She nodded once quickly and I watched the dog moving the bunny across the floor as he played with it. 'I guess that was the reason for your foul mood then. They took away your toy.'

The dog picked up the bunny and came to me to sit in front of me. I held out my hand to him and received a lick after he sniffed it. 'Looks like I made a second ghostly friend now.' I chuckled as I stroked the dog's head.

Chapter 05

We had indeed gotten our hands on the diary now and I settled into one of the chairs at the fireplace to read the diary. The maid had set a fire, brought me wine, and cuddled the dog while they occupied the other seat and I read the contents out loud.

'To the damned soul reading these pages, know that you are intruding upon perilous grounds and I only record the events of my life because it's the price I need to pay to gain the powers promised to me by the dark ones.'

I shifted in my seat. 'No doubt anymore that this is what I was looking for.' The maid nodded and the dog laid his head on her lap.

'My fortune was dwindling due to heavy losses of cargo at sea in the storms of late and the depletion of the iron and coal mines in my possession. Through the knowledge of dark arts I knew of the possibility to gain power and wealth beyond what I already had. I just needed to find the correct rituals and perform them.

And I did indeed find them. I travelled to the most obscure book shops and visited the most secluded alchemists to collect all pieces of the ritual. I performed it meticulously and met one of the dark servants. He granted me my desire of power and wealth as long as I pour my life into this book.

I agreed to the terms and after I finish this first entry I will see the results soon.'

I took a drink of wine. 'It's a pity he didn't describe the ritual, nor the dark servant. It's a loss to the occult science if that knowledge is gone.' I rubbed my chin. 'But with a little luck it's still somewhere around here. I'll have to see to that later.'

I continued reading the next page. 'They made good on the agreement. The coal mine reported a new rich vein and the iron mine found a copper vein. And the shipping company repaid me the loss of cargo from their insurance, including offering me a reduced fare for the next trip.

I opened my best vintage to celebrate.'

The next entries were all recounts of increased yield in the mines, favourable trading of goods and the purchase of a sawmill making a loss for some time and then suddenly receiving large orders. But then something changed.

'I forgot to write in this damned book yesterday. The dark servant made it clear I wasn't allowed to skip anything by giving me a warning. Beatrice, my faithful housekeeper was found at the grounds this morning. Her body was badly mutilated by what they suspected were wild dogs.'

The maid sank a bit further into her seat. I poured myself another glass of wine. 'Meddling with dark forces only leads to misery.'

I flipped the page. 'Production at the sawmill is up again, looking to purchase or build another one.

The new housekeeper arrived today, her name is Theresa and I was assured that despite her young age of 21 years, she's very capable.'

I looked up from the book to her and smiled. 'A pleasure to meet you, Theresa. They're right, you're very capable indeed.'

She rubbed her eyes and I thought I saw a sparkle of light on her cheek for a moment. I stood up from my seat and offered her my handkerchief. She took it with a nod and wiped her eyes while I returned to my seat to read again.

'I feel a change in me.' I read after skipping more pages describing the business affairs. 'This agreement is costing me more than I bargained for. They're sucking the life force out of me.' More pages about profits followed. 'It's obvious looking in the mirror, age is creeping upon me. I should have made that accursed agreement more specific.' And later, 'I've been reading all the works that I have collected again and I believe I have found a way out.'.

Theresa looked anxious while petting the dog, but I thought the dog didn't mind about whole story and just enjoyed the attention after all these years without any company. I went through the pages to search for the next relevant entry.

'I am ready. Tonight I will attempt to place the curse on this manor to make me immortal, in exchange for the lives of my servants. To make sure no one will know the nature of the curse and how to undo it I will hide the pages it's written on, since these can't be destroyed by normal means, where beauty hurts.'

I closed the book. 'And that was the last he wrote in here.' I said and put it aside. 'From that last bit I gather something went wrong with the curse.'

Theresa nodded slowly.

I stood up again and placed my hand on hers. 'We will find those pages and lift the curse from you. You can finally rest in peace.' The dog whined and I chuckled. 'And you too, of course.' Theresa placed her other hand on mine and I squeezed hers lightly once. 'Things will be set right.'

During the walk back to my room my eye fell on a portrait of a national Mastiff standing in grass. I stopped to take a closer look. The same collar. I looked at the dog next to Theresa and gestured at the painting. 'Is that you?'

A gentle bark was the answer. I looked at the picture again and the name written underneath on the frame. 'Then we know your name as well now, Warrick.' Theresa stroked his head and he looked up at her. I guessed she liked his strong name.

The weather was calm this evening with only light rain. At my room I turned to Theresa. 'I guess you can go around without fear now.' I said with a light chuckle. 'Looks like Warrick will be by your side to keep you safe.'

She looked down at him, stroked his head and nodded.

'Then all that is left for me is to wish the both of you a good night.'

She gave me a quick nod and curtsy, and I smiled as they walked down the hallway. Just before going around the corner she gave me a little wave. I sighed a little and stepped into my room. While I got ready for bed I pondered the last words from the final entry, where beauty hurts. What could it mean? How could beauty hurt?

I barely lay in bed when a soft knocking rang at my door. Was it Theresa again? But why would she come now? And then I heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance. My mind must have blocked out what was happening while I puzzled over the hiding place of the curse.

I opened the door to the sight of a nightgown and Warrick's collar. Theresa's curves showed a little as she pulled shyly down on her gown. 'The thunder still worried you?'

She nodded quickly.

I stepped back to let her in. 'Come in then. I just got into bed myself.'

Warrick lay down in front of the fireplace and Theresa and I crawled into the warm bed. I blew out the candle, settled under the blankets, then she held my arm when the thunder sounded closer. The poor thing was scared and I felt sorry for her being all alone these years.

'Do you want to get closer?' I asked and lifted my arm a little.

I could sense her shy nod and she moved against me, laying her head down on my shoulder. I put my arm around her and found her cool body strangely comfortable to me again. She fell asleep quickly and it made me wonder once more how it was possible that she actually slept while she never had done that before since she became a ghost.

She stirred a little and I got reminded of her small but firm chest again by the gentle pressure against me. Here I lay in bed for the second time with that young woman, but she was still a ghost. If my late mother would have known that, she'd faint. My father, he'd probably grin and take me to the pub for a round of beers.

Chapter 06

The sensation at waking up this morning was different. There was the wonderful one at my side belonging to Theresa, but also a heavy one on my stomach. I opened my eyes and saw in my sleepy sight Warrick's collar. A gentle low woof and a large lick across my face got me wide awake.

'Warrick! Down!'

Theresa's body shook against me as she was laughing. I let my head drop back into my pillow and muttered. 'I'll go mad from the haunted manor. Just not in the same manner like the rest of the victims.'.

Theresa gave me a tight hug and stepped out of bed, taking Warrick with her as she left the room. I smiled softly at the fantasy of living here with the real life Theresa and Warrick at my side. Would she still do this if I were the master of the estate?

I shook my head. It was no use dreaming about things that wouldn't come true. And she was a ghost. A spiritual being. And I was still a living human being. Even like this, would we have a life together? It didn't matter anyway. When the curse is lifted she'd move on to the afterlife.

I stepped out of bed, splashed my face with cold water and dressed. By the time I was ready she had returned with Warrick and a breakfast tray. She put it on the bed, stared at me for a moment, and put her hand gently against my cheek.

I realised I must have looked worried and smiled gently at her as I held my hand against hers. 'Don't worry. I was just lost in my thoughts about the curse.' She nodded once and pulled me to the bed for me to sit down and eat.

To my surprise the weather was fine outside. I could see it through the open door from my room and it gave me an idea. 'Could you show me around the manor today?' I asked her. 'Maybe we'll get a clue about that beauty that hurts while looking around.'

She nodded enthusiastically and it made me smile and forget my earlier worries.

Theresa showed me a couple of common rooms with heavy, rich furniture, where the lord would have spent the evenings and entertained guests, a smaller and a larger dining room, a game room with enough seating to hold a small bridge or chess tournament, the cards and expensive pieces set up to start a game at once, and a ballroom with a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.