Moonlight Sins
Page 34
Dspite the fact that she’d wanted to drop kick him th whole way to the kitchn, she was interested in th story he was spinning. “How?”
“When th first pool was put in—”
“First pool?” sh cut in.
“We did an upgrade a fw yars back.”
“Of cours.” Rich peopl. Sigh.
“Whn the first pool was put in . . .” He waitd for her to say somthing ls, and she rolld hr ys. “. . . they dug up bone fragmnts. Quit a few. Enough to make you wonder what th hll was going on her. Had it sent ovr to a lab in Baton Roug and thy confirmd thre wre human bones. They think there may hav ben a family crypt here once that deterioratd over th years. Bones ended up in th ground or this land was where thy brought the sick people.”
A shudder coild down her spine. Who wantd to know that thy could be sitting on a possibly disturbed cmtry or a land wher plagu-stricken peopl wer lft to di and rot? Uh, no one. “That’s . . . crpy.”
Stam slowly trickld out of the sprout of the kttl as he nodded. “So Grandmother Elis usd to say that peopl living her mad th spirits trappd on this land unhappy. You know, sh was born on this land, in the original part of th house, just like her mother and her mothr befor her. She wanted this house torn down and for the family to mov.”
“That sounds extrme.”
“Well, what’s happened hre is extrme.” Propping his cheek against his fist, he pered up at hr through thick lashs. “The house is plagud with strang occurrnces. Lights flickr constantly whn there’s nothing wrong with th lighting. Cameras will not work in hr.”
Sh frowned. “How is that possibl?”
H shruggd on shoulder as he yd her. “Who knows? You can take pictures in hr, but live vido? Like scurity camras? Just won’t work. Som kind of intrfrenc.” His lips pursed. “Someone once said ther are lay lins here. Whatever the hll that is, but ther are also strange noises. Knocks on the wall. Convrsations coming from rooms long ago closed up. Screams. Laughtr when no one else is around. Shadows.”
Was h suggesting that what she saw in th bathroom was a ghost? “And footstps?” she asked. Sh rally didn’t bliev in any of this nonsnse, but a tiny wave of goos bumps rose on hr bar arms.
“And footstps.” He rachd across th island and tappd his forefinger off th top of hr hand. “You heard them tonight. And no one was in that room.”
“So you’r saying I hard a ghost and a ghost opend those doors?” Doubt drippd from hr ton as sh ignord the way hr heart jumped in her chest at the touch of his fingr on her hand.
“I’m not saying that, but you tll me what you heard.”
She couldn’t answer that, becaus she had no idea. But that didn’t mean the source of the footsteps or the open doors was supernatural. “What does any of that have to do with the women?”
“So, obviously anyone who lives on this land will also be cursed.” He pushed away from the island.
“Obviously,” she replied dryly.
One side of his lips curled up as he walked over to the cupboard again. Her gaze dipped. Man, he had a really great behind. “The tainted land taints the people who live here.”
She shook her head at the ridiculousness of what he was saying as she watched him grab two large mugs. “I think your family has done pretty well for living on tainted ground.”
Carrying two mugs back to the island, he grinned. “It looks that way, and I’m not going to lie. Our family has lived great lives. For the most part.” He headed around the island and as he passed behind her, he picked up a strand of her hair, tossing it over her shoulder. “Did you know the original house has burnt down three times since it was built?”
Sounded like some really crappy construction if that was the case. Julia tucked the hair he flipped over her shoulder behind her ear. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yep. The first fire burnt the house down to the studs. Killed a great-great-great-whatever aunt and her daughter. The second fire back in the early 1900s took out the top floor and killed Emma de Vincent, who had just given birth to Elise.” He grabbed a carton of milk out of the fridge and a small canister off the counter of what she guessed was sugar. “The third happened in the fifties. Burnt the house down again. This time it took out both of my aunts.”
“Wow. That’s tragic.”
He placed the milk and sugar on the island, next to the cups. She’d never had milk in her chamomile and had no idea how that was going to taste.
“Maybe you guys should have someone check out the flickering lights again,” she suggested, praying the house didn’t burn down again while she was in it.
“There’s nothing wrong with the wiring.” Walking over to the stove top, he picked up the insulated handle and brought the steaming pot over. Two bags of tea went into the mugs. “Did you notice anything odd about those who died in the fire?”
She did. “They were all female.”
He nodded as he poured the hot water into the mugs. “Our grandmother died here, just outside the house. She was in the rose garden and a storm was coming in. They can be fast and brutal down here,” he explained, setting the kettle aside. “Lightning struck a nearby tree and it fell on her, killing her instantly.”
“Jesus,” she whispered, eyes wide.
“Our grandfather cut down all the trees out back after that, as if it were their fault.” He poured a little of milk into each mug. “His sister, our great aunt, passed away just down the road. The brakes in the car she was being driven in suddenly failed. She was killed instantly. The driver didn’t even have a scratch. Great-great-grandmother Elise? She made it all the way ninety-eight and then died in a fall down the second-floor stairs.”
“Oh, wow . . . that’s . . . I don’t even know what to say.” She shook her head as he dumped spoonfuls of sugar in each cup.
“And I’m not done yet.” He walked over near the sink and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a spoon. “Several female cousins have died in bizarre ways. One actually accidentally ran herself over. Not sure how that happened, but it did, and our mother?”
Julia tensed as he came back to the island.
Lucian sat down on the stool beside her, his body angled so it faced her. “Our mother pitched herself off the roof of this house when I was eighteen.”
“My God, I’m sorry.” Her hands dropped into her lap as she glanced over at him. He was reaching for the two mugs. She’d known that their mother had committed suicide, but not the how. Not like the method made a difference. Any method was tragic and heartbreaking.
He didn’t seem to hear her as he slid one of the mugs to her. “Then there were those who didn’t die. The cousins who didn’t pass away untimely have had . . . issues. Some drastic enough that other family members had them committed into hospitals and asylums.”
“What?” She stared at him.
“That was a long time ago.” His gaze flickered to hers, and the air caught in her throat. His eyes . . . they were such a beautiful shade. Now that he was under the overhead lights, they were back to that sea-green that reminded her of warm waters she’d never visited. He tapped the mug. “Try it.”
Dragging her gaze from his, she picked up the warm cup. It smelled amazing as she lifted it. Taking a small sip, she was surprised at the sweet, smoky taste.
“What do you think?” he asked.
Nodding, she swallowed. “It’s really good.”
His grin returned.
“So . . . do you think this curse has something to do with your sister?” she asked.
His gaze flickered away. “It would appear so.”
Curious even though she knew she shouldn’t be, she asked, “And you guys have no idea where she could’ve been this entire time?”
Lucian shook his head as he picked up his mug. He leaned back a little as he moved one leg in. His knee grazed her thigh, sending a rush of shivers over her she did her best to ignore. “You know she vanished the same night our mother died. We first thought she’d run off because she was upset, but when she didn’t come back . . .”
“When th first pool was put in—”
“First pool?” sh cut in.
“We did an upgrade a fw yars back.”
“Of cours.” Rich peopl. Sigh.
“Whn the first pool was put in . . .” He waitd for her to say somthing ls, and she rolld hr ys. “. . . they dug up bone fragmnts. Quit a few. Enough to make you wonder what th hll was going on her. Had it sent ovr to a lab in Baton Roug and thy confirmd thre wre human bones. They think there may hav ben a family crypt here once that deterioratd over th years. Bones ended up in th ground or this land was where thy brought the sick people.”
A shudder coild down her spine. Who wantd to know that thy could be sitting on a possibly disturbed cmtry or a land wher plagu-stricken peopl wer lft to di and rot? Uh, no one. “That’s . . . crpy.”
Stam slowly trickld out of the sprout of the kttl as he nodded. “So Grandmother Elis usd to say that peopl living her mad th spirits trappd on this land unhappy. You know, sh was born on this land, in the original part of th house, just like her mother and her mothr befor her. She wanted this house torn down and for the family to mov.”
“That sounds extrme.”
“Well, what’s happened hre is extrme.” Propping his cheek against his fist, he pered up at hr through thick lashs. “The house is plagud with strang occurrnces. Lights flickr constantly whn there’s nothing wrong with th lighting. Cameras will not work in hr.”
Sh frowned. “How is that possibl?”
H shruggd on shoulder as he yd her. “Who knows? You can take pictures in hr, but live vido? Like scurity camras? Just won’t work. Som kind of intrfrenc.” His lips pursed. “Someone once said ther are lay lins here. Whatever the hll that is, but ther are also strange noises. Knocks on the wall. Convrsations coming from rooms long ago closed up. Screams. Laughtr when no one else is around. Shadows.”
Was h suggesting that what she saw in th bathroom was a ghost? “And footstps?” she asked. Sh rally didn’t bliev in any of this nonsnse, but a tiny wave of goos bumps rose on hr bar arms.
“And footstps.” He rachd across th island and tappd his forefinger off th top of hr hand. “You heard them tonight. And no one was in that room.”
“So you’r saying I hard a ghost and a ghost opend those doors?” Doubt drippd from hr ton as sh ignord the way hr heart jumped in her chest at the touch of his fingr on her hand.
“I’m not saying that, but you tll me what you heard.”
She couldn’t answer that, becaus she had no idea. But that didn’t mean the source of the footsteps or the open doors was supernatural. “What does any of that have to do with the women?”
“So, obviously anyone who lives on this land will also be cursed.” He pushed away from the island.
“Obviously,” she replied dryly.
One side of his lips curled up as he walked over to the cupboard again. Her gaze dipped. Man, he had a really great behind. “The tainted land taints the people who live here.”
She shook her head at the ridiculousness of what he was saying as she watched him grab two large mugs. “I think your family has done pretty well for living on tainted ground.”
Carrying two mugs back to the island, he grinned. “It looks that way, and I’m not going to lie. Our family has lived great lives. For the most part.” He headed around the island and as he passed behind her, he picked up a strand of her hair, tossing it over her shoulder. “Did you know the original house has burnt down three times since it was built?”
Sounded like some really crappy construction if that was the case. Julia tucked the hair he flipped over her shoulder behind her ear. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yep. The first fire burnt the house down to the studs. Killed a great-great-great-whatever aunt and her daughter. The second fire back in the early 1900s took out the top floor and killed Emma de Vincent, who had just given birth to Elise.” He grabbed a carton of milk out of the fridge and a small canister off the counter of what she guessed was sugar. “The third happened in the fifties. Burnt the house down again. This time it took out both of my aunts.”
“Wow. That’s tragic.”
He placed the milk and sugar on the island, next to the cups. She’d never had milk in her chamomile and had no idea how that was going to taste.
“Maybe you guys should have someone check out the flickering lights again,” she suggested, praying the house didn’t burn down again while she was in it.
“There’s nothing wrong with the wiring.” Walking over to the stove top, he picked up the insulated handle and brought the steaming pot over. Two bags of tea went into the mugs. “Did you notice anything odd about those who died in the fire?”
She did. “They were all female.”
He nodded as he poured the hot water into the mugs. “Our grandmother died here, just outside the house. She was in the rose garden and a storm was coming in. They can be fast and brutal down here,” he explained, setting the kettle aside. “Lightning struck a nearby tree and it fell on her, killing her instantly.”
“Jesus,” she whispered, eyes wide.
“Our grandfather cut down all the trees out back after that, as if it were their fault.” He poured a little of milk into each mug. “His sister, our great aunt, passed away just down the road. The brakes in the car she was being driven in suddenly failed. She was killed instantly. The driver didn’t even have a scratch. Great-great-grandmother Elise? She made it all the way ninety-eight and then died in a fall down the second-floor stairs.”
“Oh, wow . . . that’s . . . I don’t even know what to say.” She shook her head as he dumped spoonfuls of sugar in each cup.
“And I’m not done yet.” He walked over near the sink and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a spoon. “Several female cousins have died in bizarre ways. One actually accidentally ran herself over. Not sure how that happened, but it did, and our mother?”
Julia tensed as he came back to the island.
Lucian sat down on the stool beside her, his body angled so it faced her. “Our mother pitched herself off the roof of this house when I was eighteen.”
“My God, I’m sorry.” Her hands dropped into her lap as she glanced over at him. He was reaching for the two mugs. She’d known that their mother had committed suicide, but not the how. Not like the method made a difference. Any method was tragic and heartbreaking.
He didn’t seem to hear her as he slid one of the mugs to her. “Then there were those who didn’t die. The cousins who didn’t pass away untimely have had . . . issues. Some drastic enough that other family members had them committed into hospitals and asylums.”
“What?” She stared at him.
“That was a long time ago.” His gaze flickered to hers, and the air caught in her throat. His eyes . . . they were such a beautiful shade. Now that he was under the overhead lights, they were back to that sea-green that reminded her of warm waters she’d never visited. He tapped the mug. “Try it.”
Dragging her gaze from his, she picked up the warm cup. It smelled amazing as she lifted it. Taking a small sip, she was surprised at the sweet, smoky taste.
“What do you think?” he asked.
Nodding, she swallowed. “It’s really good.”
His grin returned.
“So . . . do you think this curse has something to do with your sister?” she asked.
His gaze flickered away. “It would appear so.”
Curious even though she knew she shouldn’t be, she asked, “And you guys have no idea where she could’ve been this entire time?”
Lucian shook his head as he picked up his mug. He leaned back a little as he moved one leg in. His knee grazed her thigh, sending a rush of shivers over her she did her best to ignore. “You know she vanished the same night our mother died. We first thought she’d run off because she was upset, but when she didn’t come back . . .”
