Chapter One

"Audra, let's go!" Nick's voice boomed throughout the house as he stood on the bottom of the steps.

"Nick, you know your mother hates for you to shout in the house."

Nick turned to see Tom Barkley standing in the door to the study. "Sorry, Father."

He smiled at his younger son, stepping out to look up the stairs with him. "Are you worried that the ghouls and goblins will have been chased away by the time you get there?"

Nick chuckled. "Nah, but we're supposed to ride into town and pick up Melanie and Lucy."

Tom smiled at his son. "You've been seeing a lot of Melanie Waters lately."

Nick pulled his eyes from the top of the stairs and returned his father's smile. "Yes, sir. I have."

"She's a lovely girl, Nick. You know your mother and I approve, although you're getting to an age where you don't really need our approval. Do you?"

Nick cleared his throat. "No, sir. But it's nice to know I have it."

Tom considered his son carefully. "You know, Son, I expect you have more . . . life experience than Melanie."

Nick looked at his father out of the corner of his eye, his expression a mixture of pride and sheepishness. "I sure hope so."

Tom suppressed a chuckle. "Yes, well, I assume that when you're with Melanie, you behave accordingly. You're both rather young still, Nick, and even if you don't need your mother's and my approval, don't forget that you'll still need the Waters' approval."

"Yes, sir." Nick hesitated. "Father . . . is there any reason . . ."

"No, Nick. Rest assured I have had similar conversations with Jarrod. I don't expect either of my sons to be perfect, but I do expect you to realize there's more to chivalry than some nice manners and fancy clothes," he finished with a flourish, reaching out to finger the Musketeer's cape Nick was wearing around his neck.

A grin stole across Nick's face. "I'll keep that in mind, Father. And since we agreed to take Audra and Lucy with us, you shouldn't have anything to worry about tonight. Tonight, our biggest concern should be the ghosts." He let his voice grow loud once again. "And if we don't get a move on, we'll miss all the really good ghosts. Maybe I'll just have to go alone." He smiled at his father as they heard the ready reply of the high pitched voice.

"Don't you dare. You promised to take me, Nick." The two men chuckled as the young girl came running out of her room.

"Audra. Stop right there." Victoria Barkley rushed out to the landing, hair pins in hand. "Nicholas, really, must you tease your little sister? Audra, he's not going without you." Looking down the steps, she shook her head at Nick, putting another hair pin in her daughter's hair to secure the crown on her head. Pulling a hair pin from her own black hair, the gray just now beginning to make its presence known, she studied her daughter carefully as she put in one last pin, amazed at how regal she was able to look for a nine year old. Nodding softly, she said, "All right, go on down." As the tomboy princess began to race down the steps, the crown precariously perched on the upswept hair, Victoria found herself crying out, "Audra, honestly!" as she swept down the stairs, not one of her own hairs falling out of place as she glided to a stop at the bottom.

"My goodness, My Fair Princess, you will be the loveliest young maiden in all the land," Tom decreed dramatically, bowing low to his only daughter. His son, smiling broadly, stood over them, his feet planted far apart, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah, well, we have two other young maidens waiting for us in town. You ready, Audra?"

"Mother, are you sure you and Father don't want to come with us? You're not worried about being in the house all alone tonight of all nights?"

"Yes, we're sure, Audra," Tom answered, looking over his daughter at his wife, the two of them eager for a quiet evening alone. "Nick, take your time getting into town. It's still plenty early."

"Yes, sir." Smiling at the look in his father's eye, Nick turned to pick up the small valise that contained Audra's things for the night, feigning insufficient strength as he picked it up. "You figuring on staying a month, Audra?"

"Just enough things for tonight and tomorrow. And a doll to sleep with, and my brush, and – "

"All right, all right. As long as you're ready."

"Nick, here are the treats I promised the church."

"Are the popcorn balls in there?" Audra asked, her eyes beaming at the thought that she had helped make the treats for the night.

"Yes, Audra and the caramel apples." Victoria watched as Nick began to look into the basket. "Nick, I kept a couple of popcorn balls in the kitchen. Please see that those get to the party."

Nick tried to suppress the grin threatening to surface. "Yes, Mother."

Nick stepped over to the chair near the door and picked up his Union Officer's sword and scabbard, completing his Musketeer costume. Tom watched as his son tied on the sash, remnants from Nick's days as an officer in the Union Army and a chill passed through the father that one so young had seen so much. But now as he stood there in the ridiculous costume, eager to ride into town and pick up his girl, Tom had to smile at the thought that Nick had come through it all relatively unscathed. He watched the interaction of his younger son and his daughter, the swashbuckling hero and the princess and he took in an easy breath as he heard his Princess arguing with his Queen.

"But Mother, I don't want to wear a coat! My dress will get all wrinkled!"

"Now Audra – "

"Oh, come now, Victoria. It isn't terribly cold out tonight." Nick raised his eyebrow at the notion that his father would question his mother in one of those matters that was normally her domain. Tom gave him a smile, saying pointedly, "Victoria, you and your daughter can argue about what she wears and risk these two being late in leaving or she can learn a lesson about listening when you tell her to put on some more clothes."

Nick cringed slightly, something telling him that his father was not as concerned about his sister and himself being late for the party as his father was concerned about his time together with his wife being limited. "Uh, father, as much as I like to see Audra learn a lesson, I'm going to be the one within earshot when she starts to complain about being cold. Squirt, how about if you run up and grab your rabbit muff? But you better hurry if you expect to go with me." He grinned as he saw her eyes light up at the idea of her muff and he felt a twinge of amusement, remembering the previous Christmas he and Jarrod spent together in Washington during the war and the afternoon they found the muff to send home to their little sister.

"And get a shawl to put over your shoulders," Victoria called up to her daughter, watching the little blond head bounce up the stairs. "Nick, you will try to make sure she stays warm?"

"Mother, I make no promises. And it's like Father says, maybe she'll learn a lesson about listening to you."

"Victoria, if it will get these two to their party that much sooner, I think Nick's idea is a good compromise."

They all looked back to the top of the stairs as Audra ran back down the hall in a flurry of activity, her muff in one hand, the crocheted shawl in the other flying behind her. Quickly, Nick and his sister were in the Barkley surrey, headed into town for the party. As Tom and Victoria stood on the porch and watched them leave, Tom's arm snaked around his wife's waist, pulling her to him and he rubbed her arms briskly as they stood in the cool night air. "How cold do you think it will get tonight, Tom?"

"Victoria, Nick will take care of Audra and if you're cold, I can go build us a roaring fire in our bedroom. Although if you'll allow me, I can think of a few ways for us to keep each other warm."

The softness of his voice stirred something deep inside Victoria and she sighed in response to Tom's veiled suggestions. Looking up at him out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but smile as the two of them turned to go back in the house. "You'll keep me safe from the gremlins and goblins, Tom?"

"My darling, the gremlins and goblins, yes. Although I make no promises about my own behavior."