Lacybourne Manor (Ghosts and Reincarnation #3)(133)
Author: Kristen Ashley

Royce’s mind filled with the golden-haired vision of Beatrice. He heard her words about her lover named Colin, a lover that was him in her time. He saw her passion-filled eyes realising belatedly that somewhere else, they were experiencing the profound beauty of the union he shared earlier with Beatrice. Her Colin had asked her to marry him that very day.

Then he remembered her beautiful smile.

And wherever she was, she was in danger.

“If you don’t do it, I will,” Old Lady Griffin threatened, standing amongst their group and holding her cane menacingly.

He ignored the old woman and realised Sibyl had saved his life and Beatrice’s by warning him. He didn’t wish to believe it but he did.

For that, Royce didn’t hesitate.

He moved forward with deadly intent.

Beatrice didn’t utter a single word in protest.

* * * * *

Before Sibyl could arrive at Mrs. Manning, the vengeful old woman threw back her head in surprise and pain, let out a shrill scream and then she just simply disappeared.

Chapter Thirty-One

Safe

“What is that smell?” Rick asked, sniffing the air with a comical expression of distaste on his face.

In his line of work, he’d seen a lot of crazy things. This, of course, took the cake. He’d never seen anything quite like this. However, he long since learned not to ask questions. He would tuck this experience safely away and never think of it again. It was just another day at the office to him.

“Where’d she go?” Robert Fitzwilliam asked, staring at the place Mrs. Manning had been.

“She’s been dispatched, nearly five hundred years ago,” Marian explained to Robert even though he thought her words didn’t explain anything at all and then she turned to Rick. “And that smell is one of my personal concoctions. It made the spectres, when they were in this house, incarnate, so they could be fought, so they would be vulnerable.”

Sibyl was listening to all this and staring at the wall where Mrs. Manning had disappeared and as she did so she felt the anger drain out of her. She felt like she’d just finished a marathon. She felt like laughing and crying and screaming, all at the same time. She wondered what it all meant. She wondered about Royce and Beatrice and what it meant for them.

Then she remembered Mallory and her eyes flew to Colin.

But he was already striding with purpose to the door.

She ran after him and skidded to a halt outside in the hall, her heart tearing apart at what she saw.

“Mallory,” she whispered, tears clogging her throat.

Colin was already in a crouch by Mallory’s head. Mrs. Griffith was on her knees behind the prone body of the dog and Mallory was lying in a pool of his own blood. The older woman was stroking the animal like he was still alive and whispering soothing words to him. Bran was curled up in the area between Mallory’s still belly and motionless hind legs.

When Colin reached out to touch the dog, the cat agilely gained his feet and hissed. Colin’s hand froze then changed directions and without fear of the hissing cat, he stroked its head. At his touch, the cat stopped hissing and then rubbed its body lovingly against Mallory’s belly.

Sibyl felt the tears drop from her eyes and slide down her face as she stood frozen, watching as Colin felt the dog’s chest then he turned and looked up at Sibyl.

At the queer expression on his face and the muscle leaping in his jaw, all her hope died.

She dropped to her knees beside her fiancé and burst into uncontrollable tears.

She vaguely realised that people were coming from the bedroom and others were coming down the hall. Sibyl put her shaking hands out and gently rested one on her dog’s still-warm flank, the other on his ribcage where his big doggie heart was no longer beating.

She bent her head and whispered to the floor, “He died trying to save us.”

She barely finished the last word when she found herself moving toward Colin as he pulled her into his arms and surged to his feet. He brought her up with him and tucked her close to his warm body. She buried her face in his chest, wrapped her arms around him and gave in completely to the anguish ripping agonisingly through her heart.

There was movement and muttering around her and she lifted her head and saw Colin’s throat working spasmodically. She couldn’t bear the sight of him trying to control his emotion because she was in no state to soothe him. She turned her head and pressed her cheek against Colin’s chest as she watched and listened. She did everything but look at the body of her dog. She couldn’t see Mallory like that again. From now on… she swallowed against the pain the thought caused… she had to remember him as he used to be, goofy, sweet, loyal and loving.

Colin stroked her hair with one hand and held her firmly against him with his other arm.

“Let’s get you up Mrs. Griffith,” Kyle said softly, his voice kind.

“I’m not leaving him,” Mrs. Griffith returned fiercely.

“I’ve got him.” Rick was walking toward the scene, carrying a sheet from some bed. Gently, more gently than Sibyl would have imagined he was capable, he crouched and carefully tucked the sheet around the dog. He then, still utilising the utmost care, lifted the dead, awkward weight of the enormous dog and settled Mallory in his arms.

“Where are you taking him?” Sibyl asked as she tried to break free from Colin but both his arms tightened around her.

“Don’t worry.” Rick smiled at his charge for the first time of their acquaintance. It was not a happy smile, it was a sad, trust me smile. “I’ll take care of him, I promise.”

At his smile, Sibyl let her weight sag against Colin and he took it on without sound or movement. Then she nodded at her bodyguard.

Rick walked down the hall, carrying his burden.

New tears sprang to Sibyl’s eyes and clogged her throat.

“Colin, get her to the library. Get her a relaxing drink, you both could use one.” Phoebe was next to her son, her thoughtful eyes on Sibyl.

Colin did as his mother told him, pausing only to scoop up the cat which he handed to Sibyl and she tucked the feline protectively in her arms. For the first time, Bran seemed quite contented to be where he was.

Colin guided her down to the library and Sibyl heard behind her…

“I’ll get this cleaned up.” That was Mags.

“I’ll help.” That was Jemma.

“No, my dear, you get the kids home. We’ll take care of this.” That was Phoebe.

She stopped listening when Colin turned her toward the stairs and they went to the library. All the while, Sibyl realised absently, unable to process it completely, that she was very lucky to have such wonderful people in her life.