Hello again all! I have returned once again with a new chapter! Warning, there is MAJOR FLUFF in this chapter, and also there may be a bit of a delay with the chapter for next week, as I've just started a new job and am unsure of my scheduling just yet. But I shan't bore you with such details any longer – on with the story!

Disclaimer: Regrettably, the Haunted Mansion film and its characters are not mine.

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The house was even more awe-inspiring up close, towering over us in all its majesty as we came to a stop by the front doors. Even as we all climbed out of the car, I was reluctant to let my eyes stray from its ornate, albeit, greatly worn down exterior, and in my chest I became aware of the same strange tugging sensation from before, beckoning me ever forward.

"Wow. Bob Vila would have a field day with this place." Jim remarked as I stepped out onto the soft, marshy ground, inadvertently slamming the door behind me.

The look he gave me made me realize my mistake.

"Hey, Emmy! Don't slam the door like that, it's very sensitive!" He objected.

"It's a car, dad." Megan frowned at him.

"Ah! It's not just a car! It's a very delicate piece of machinery. Shh, she didn't mean what she just said." He spoke to the car, earning a look of exasperation from both Michael and Megan.

"Sorry, Jim." I smirked as Sara came up beside me.

"Come on, let's see what's around back." She suggested.

We all moved to follow her up the front steps and around the balcony, but as we passed by the windows of the conservatory, my feet came to an abrupt halt.

It felt…it felt as though we were being watched.

Slowly, my head turned towards one of the glass panels and I tentatively stepped forward to lean down and peer inside – only to be greeted with an overgrowth of vegetation that further convinced me of the manor's poor state.

What kind of person would live this way?

As I pondered this question, I heard Sara come up beside me and watched from the corner of my eye as she copied my actions, leaning down to peer through the glass.

"It's strange." She said. "The place looks almost deserted."

"Hey, honey?"

Jim's voice made us both look up, and the sight of what lay sprawled out for miles behind him made my blood run cold.

"They've got, uh…dead people in the backyard."

It was an endless sea of gravestones. With my eyes wide in horror and my skin prickled with unnerving goosebumps, I reluctantly followed Sara up to her husband's side and stood gaping in astonishment at the sheer number of monuments that stood before us. There must have been hundreds, maybe even thousands of them.

"Well, some people have pools, some people have private cemeteries. It happens."

Sara said it so simply and casually that for a moment I wondered if we were seeing the same thing.

"You're gonna sell a house…with this?" Megan questioned incredulously.

"You mean this historic sprawling manor with spacious grounds? Yes." Jim answered with the same surprising nonchalance that Sara had.

"Hey, that's good! We'll put that on the listing." Sara grinned.

"And leave out all the dead people?" Megan gaped at them.

"Well, we'll just stick to the bright side." Jim brushed her off.

All I could guess was that they must have seen some weird stuff working in the real estate business. However, as I opened my mouth to express this thought, the loud rumble of thunder from above interrupted me, and a wet drop hit my cheek, followed by another, and then another.

"Aw, no, I've got my good suit on!" Jim bemoaned as the rain began to fall.

We all rushed back to the front of the house to take shelter beneath the mansion's roof, Sara huddling with the kids while Jim and I looked up at the foreboding doorway.

"Do you think it's gonna stop?" I asked him.

"Oh, I hope it's not raining at the lake." Sara voiced all our fears aloud as Jim reached up a hand to bang the knocker on the door.

"Alright," he said turning to us, "you kids know that when you're at work with mommy and daddy you're always on your best behavior, right?"

Megan and Michael both nodded and he gave me an accusatory look.

"It's you I'm worried about." He jested.

I gasped in mock injury and brought a hand dramatically to my chest.

"How dare you imply such a thing, sir." I retorted.

"Case and point." He responded smugly, turning back to the door. "Whew, look at the size of these knockers! You ever see anything like that before?"

"And you're worried about me causing trouble." I mumbled sarcastically.

Jim pointedly ignored me as he knocked on the door again.

"Hello! Evers Real Estate!"

There was no response.

"Evers Real Estate!"

Again, nothing.

"Maybe nobody's…"

My words instantly died in my throat as there was a quiet clank from the other side of the door, and with an ancient creak, it swung open to reveal the wonders inside.

"…home." I finished weakly.

There was no one standing inside to greet us which should have sent the stirrings of unease through me, but the smells that suddenly overcame my senses filled me with a warmth that I had never known before, one that felt as comforting as though someone had just taken me into their embrace. It was as if I could breathe properly for the first time in my life.

While the Evers lingered in the doorway, my feet carried me inside, spinning me around in circles as I took in the elegant tapestries and paintings on the walls, the Persian rugs beneath my feet, and, at last, the two grand staircases, which met at a large clock whose hands were stuck at the stroke of twelve, and appeared to have been so for quite some time. In fact, once my initial amazement began to fade, I realized that there were many signs of time in the room. The sweet scent of spices that had initially drawn me in was stale and musty, as though the door we'd just walked through hadn't been opened for years. All the lamps and the once-glittering chandelier above our heads were covered in layers of dust and cobwebs.

Michael's gonna love that, I thought as the Evers came in behind me.

"Hello?" Jim called out, his voice echoing. "Is anybody home? Hello? We're the Evers from Evers and Evers Real Estate?"

"I think they've figured that out, Jim." I told him, still taking in the sights around me. "This is so beautiful."

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Sara sounded as enthralled as I was.

"Never. Sara this puts us in a whole new league."

Even Jim sounded reverential. Of course, leave it to Megan to take the mysticism out of something.

"It smells like grandma's house." She complained, scrunching her nose.

"Worse. It smells like grandma." Michael added in, for once taking his sister's side.

"It's not that bad!" I defended, the words coming out a little sharper than I had intended them to, which earned me another weird look from the both of them.

"This place is just a little dusty." Jim said. "Get a cleaning crew to come out here and shine it up, this place will be sparkling from top to bottom."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Michael's fearful expression and knew he must have seen the cobwebs decorating the room.

"Mom, this place has spiders!"

It was as if his words had summoning powers, for they were barely out of his mouth when a loud creak came from the dark hallway beneath the clock, signalizing someone's approach.

A cold shiver ran through me.

Nervously, I turned with the others to stare into the darkness and could have sworn that it was staring right back. For in the next moment, a flash of lightning lit up the corridor, and the figure that was illuminated made me nearly bite through my lip to keep from screaming.

Those eyes…those icy, stabbing, cruel, cruel eyes.

A part of my mind insisted I'd never seen them before and that my reaction was completely irrational, but…but there was another voice inside my head – one that sounded like me but…somehow, wasn't me – and this voice was screaming out danger with everything it had.

Suffice to say, as the white-haired figure emerged from the darkness, I promptly shifted to stand behind Sara and the kids. The figure was a man - a very old man by the looks of him – with a gaunt, sunken face that reminded me far too much of a Scooby Doo villain. And to make matters worse, he appeared to be the butler.

"Sara Evers?"

That voice. It was the voice I'd heard on the phone last night.

"Yes, I'm Sara." She spoke up.

"My name is Ramsley." The man rasped.

Even his name made me cringe inwardly. For an awkward pause, no one moved, and I was relieved to see that the others seemed as taken aback as I was. Then Jim glanced at us with an expression I knew far too well. I tried to discreetly shake my head at him, but he had already begun to make his over to our mysterious welcomer with his hand stretched out in front of him.

"Hello, Ramsley. I'm Jim Evers of Evers and Evers Real Estate. At your service." He introduced himself.

Even with his back to us, I knew he had on that corny salesman grin of his. Ramsley didn't accept his hand, but let his eyes wander over to Megan, Michael, and I, much to my dismay.

"We were not expecting…"

His eyes met mine and I couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped me. Every muscle in my body immediately tensed, as though ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice, yet the chill that came over me was paralyzing.

"…others."

"Yes, we were on our way out of town." Sara explained apologetically.

The old man's eyes held me there for a moment longer before finally releasing me, and I was left to try and grasp what on earth had just happened. Jim took no notice.

"Yeah, and then when we realized the enormity and complexity of your unique estate, we wanted to commit the full resources of Evers and Evers Real Estate."

He came around behind me and Sara and pushed all of us forward, and though I leaned back against him as far as I could, I wound up much closer to the butler than I ever would have liked to be.

"Because at Evers and Evers, we want you to be happy for Evers and Evers, and please accept this waterproof calendar as a token of our appreciation."

The deadpan expression on Ramsley's face as Jim handed him the calendar gave away his thinly-veiled annoyance at the gesture. He stared at the "gift", then back at Jim, and for one fleeting moment, I swore I could actually see the cogs turning in his head, as though he were contemplating how best to deal with the situation now laid out before him. But my curious observations were interrupted when he spoke.

"Very well. We shall have to place other settings."

I shared a confused look with Jim as Ramsley started to lead us back down the dark hallway from which he'd come.

"Who are the other settings for?" Jim inquired.

"Master Gracey wishes to discuss his affairs over dinner."

Gracey.

There was that name again. What was it about this place that managed to have such an effect on me?

Sara was concerned for a much different reason.

"Oh, I'm afraid we have plans." She protested, looking at Jim. "Honey, we can't stay for dinner."

"Yes, but we mustn't be rude, darling." Was his stubborn reply.

"What about our family adventure?" Megan pushed him.

"Yeah, dad." added Michael.

He glanced back towards them in irritation.

"Look, we'll just have some soup and then we'll get going, okay? Alright?"

We all knew where this was going, but remained purposely silent as we passed by several imposing, yet oddly mesmerizing suits of armor, who stood as if ready to spring into battle at a moment's notice. But their allure instantly vanished as Ramsley pushed through the doors at the end of the hall.

The room that we stepped into was one I had only pictured in my greatest fantasies – from the magnificent high ceiling and shining marble floor to the roaring fire that danced on the other side of a table laden with food. It was stunning…but as I stepped forward to get a better look, a vision flashed across my mind.

All at once, I became surrounded by dozens upon dozens of masked figures, all dressed in brightly-colored clothing that transformed them into a dizzying kaleidoscope as they twirled in a frantic dance around me, moving so quickly it was impossible to make out their faces.

And then I realized I wasn't alone.

There was a hand firmly grasping onto mine, and another tight around my waist, leading me confidently along in the dance with the others. And just as I looked up into a pair of soft, brown eyes…

"The master will be with you shortly."

The sound of that voice so close to my ear made me nearly jump out of my skin, and I whirled around to find Ramsley practically on top of me, staring down at me in that bizarre and unnerving way of his. Jim, who stood by the table with Sara and the kids, appeared greatly amused.

"Carry on." He spoke as if testing out a new toy.

The butler bowed his head and made his exit, much to my relief and Jim's pleasure.

"I say carry on, he walks off." He grinned at Sara giddily.

With a discreet roll of my eyes, I drew my attention away from the couple and walked over to the fireplace, watching as the flames leapt and jumped about excitedly.

"Have you ever seen a fireplace this amazing?" I breathed. "It just doesn't seem real."

"Wow." Jim walked up beside me, Sara following right behind. "We could have one heck of a weenie roast in that thing, huh?"

"Seriously!" Sara chimed in. "Look at this detail! I've never seen anything like this."

"Haven't you?"

I froze.

Every word, every thought, every breath was stolen from me as I heard the most beautiful sound in the world.

"My grandfather spared no expense when he built this mansion."

His voice was so strong and sure, yet it caressed my ear as softly as if it were velvet. My heart threatened to pound its way out of my chest, it was beating so fast, and everything in me begged the voice to speak again. Slowly, torturously, I turned my head and let my eyes fall upon the man who'd spoken.

And he was handsome. Very, very handsome.

His thick, dark hair was combed perfectly into place, his suit was refined and immaculate, and he held himself with such poise and surety that you'd think he was a prince from a fairytale. But it was his eyes that entranced me. Even from the distance I was standing, I could make out the passion and intelligence within them, and I silently hoped that he would glance my way. Unfortunately, Jim got to him first.

"Well, your grandfather had great taste in tchotchkes! I'm Jim Evers of Evers and Evers Real Estate. Charmed to make your acquaintance!" He gave his typical introduction.

The man looked slightly put off and I didn't blame him.

"Edward. Edward Gracey."

Edward.

The name formed silently on my lips, and the movement was so familiar it was as if I'd spoken it a thousand times before. Now, however, I watched in great anticipation as he ignored Jim's outstretched hand and let his gaze move in my direction – only to latch swiftly onto Sara. The look he gave her sent a strange ache through my heart. Jim also noticed his shift in attention, turning towards us and beckoning Sara forward.

"Uh, this is my wife. Sara? You wanna come meet Mr. Gracey?"

She strode forward eagerly, obviously just as curious about our host as I was.

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Gracey." She greeted him.

But he didn't hear her.

For the minute that she had moved towards him, our gazes suddenly met.

I'd never seen so many emotions appear on one man's face so rapidly. The minute that we looked at each other, his face grew pale and his lips parted in shock, as if he were staring at a ghost. He looked almost lost. His eyes - which seconds ago had been warm and gentle - were overwhelmed with grief, anguish, and confusion as he gaped at me for several long moments, his gaze flickering briefly over to Sara before finally settling back on me in stunned realization. And then his lips parted in a heartbreakingly beautiful smile. The shock on his features faded away and was replaced with what I could only describe as an expression of longing adoration. It surprised me, and I felt my cheeks grow warm as I gave him a shy smile of my own.

"And this is our daughter, Megan, and our son, Michael."

Mr. Gracey's eyes lingered on me a moment longer before he turned back to Sara, who appeared completely oblivious to what had just occurred between us as she ushered Megan and Michael over to stand in front of her.

"You have very beautiful children, Ms. Evers." He said politely.

"I kicked in some chromosomes, too." Jim joked, much to the exasperation of everyone on the room.

But it was far too easy to ignore him as Mr. Gracey's attention returned to me. My breath caught in my throat as he began to make his way across the room, his eyes never leaving mine, and as the distance between us rapidly disappeared, I came to the staggering understanding that the tugging sensation in my chest came not from the mansion…but from him. The discovery sent my stomach fluttering madly as he finally came to stand before me.

"Forgive me, my lady, I didn't see you before." He bowed his head to me. "Might I have the pleasure of your name?"

"Emilia Hartford, Mr. Gracey. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Without even thinking about it, I dropped into a small curtsy and rose back up to see him watching me absorbedly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Hartford." He murmured, taking my hand in his and leaning down to press a lingering kiss to my fingers.

If I could have blushed any harder, I did.

"Yes, uh, Emmy is a student at the University. She's been staying with us for a while." Jim spoke up.

In my daze, I'd almost forgotten about him and the others, and I turned my head to see them watching myself and Mr. Gracey bewilderedly. Suddenly aware of how close I was standing to a man I'd never met before, I swiftly took a step back towards the fireplace, my blush changing to that of embarrassment as I realized I'd been gawking at him like a complete idiot for the past five minutes.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gracey, I don't know what came over me." I apologized. "Thank you so much for allowing us into your home."

For a second, he looked disappointed, but then he quickly smiled and shook his head.

"Not at all, Ms. Hartford. Forgive me if I'm bold, but it's not often I find myself in the company of a lady as lovely as yourself."

I was speechless. My mouth opened wordlessly as I tried to determine what the right response was, but the re-entrance of Ramsley served as both a blessing and a curse.

"Children. Madame. Miss." He spoke, announcing that dinner was prepared.

Mr. Gracey looked down at me once more before moving to take his place at the head of the table, but not before assisting me into the chair beside his own.

"The master was very pleased you could come on such short notice." Ramsley droned as he held out a chair for Sara. "Normally, we would not have called you here so abruptly. But we had no other choice."

"Oh, what do you got termites or something? Big house like this must have a lot of termites." Jim said with his usual tact.

"No, but lately there have been more…disturbances."

I shrank in my seat as he crossed behind me.

"What do you think of the house, Ms. Hartford?" Mr. Gracey turned to me with an eyebrow raised.

"It's…it's almost impossible to describe." I tried to explain. "I know this might sound odd, but…there's something so familiar about it. Almost as if I've been here…"

As I glanced at the woman who'd come up to serve me, my eyes happened to meet hers, and my words immediately trailed off. I…I knew her. Somehow, I knew her. I was certain I'd never met her before, and yet, she was staring at me with the same shocked expression that Mr. Gracey had when he'd first seen me.

"Emma."

Mr. Gracey quietly spoke her name and she immediately broke eye contact with me, hurriedly going about her business with the food.

"You were saying, Ms. Hartford?" Mr. Gracey prompted me.

I turned to see him watching me patiently and swiftly remembered the question he had asked me.

"Just that your home is absolutely beautiful, Mr. Gracey." I smiled. "It's like something from a dream."

The expression on his face made it seem as though I'd just made all of his own dreams come true.

"It's a curious thing, Ms. Hartford, but tonight…I feel quite the same way."

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Ayyyyyyy, they're back together! Kind of! Another chapter is in the works, dear readers!