Since her…awakening, Sarah felt she was seeing everything in Gracey manor under a new light. As her eyes swept over the elegant garments of the scarlet armoire, she was delighted to find familiarity and fondness in them where before only curiosity had been. She remembered these things and she treasured every memory that each object possessed.
Sarah ran her hand over the silk sash of one of the dresses. Its baby-pink hues were still as brilliant as the day Edward gave them to her. A smile blossomed across her face when she recalled the moment: Running to meet Edward at the door, he had just enough time to remove his hat before taking her into his arms. He had been away to France to vacation at the family's summer estate. Sarah had not been asked to join them, which at the time she completely understood and had been more alright with staying behind than he had. To make up for their absence he returned with a bounty of gifts for his fiancé. Boxes of hats, gloves, jewelry and gowns; she had been far too embarrassed and proper to accept them. But Edward had insisted, and she was never able to disappoint him.
She still recalled the delicate white paper the dress had been wrapped in and how it seemed to glow in the morning light as she unfolded it layer by layer.
Removing the gown from the hanger she stepped back into the open space of her bedroom.
"How about this one?" She asked. Edward turned his gaze from the window and smiled warmly.
"Ah, Paris." His voice was fond with memory. "It's perfect."
"And it doesn't require an attendant to put on." Sarah said with a playful glint in her eye as she stepped behind the dressing screen. "One thing I'll say about modern fashion, you have to love its practicality."
"Oh I don't know, I've always appreciated the tradition and routine of getting dressed. It's relaxing."
"Yes, but your process is much easier than mine, dear. You have one valet put your jacket on and brush off your soldiers. With some of the dresses I used to wear, it required three housemaids just to lace me up and pin me in. If I still had to do that today I'd never get anything done."
Edward chuckled. He supposed he had to admit, when it came to woman's fashion –both traditional and contemporary- he didn't know much.
"Would you mind tying this for me?" her voice called to him, breaking his line of thought. Her tone was sultry and without a word Edward went to her. She had stepped out from behind the screen with her back to him. Holding up her hair, she had begun to twist it into a simple style that she could loosely pin.
Edward was held in awestruck rapture of her beauty; the dark, rich color of her skin, the slender line of her neck, the sculpture of her shoulder blades and that elegant way in which her fingers played with her hair. Edward placed his hands on her hips and standing much too close for decency he ran his lips over her glowing skin. Edward kissed the nape of her neck and traced a line slowly down her spine. He kissed her shoulders and he kissed her ear, all the while his hands were moving carefully over Sarah's body, making their way to places where she longed to feel him touch her.
Sarah had to catch her breath. She stopped him, knowing if he went there, then she would go there, and that was something they hadn't yet discussed.
Turning around in his arms she kissed him instead.
"I don't remember you being so eager before." She whispered against his lips, searching his eyes with an excited flicker of arousal.
"Before we had time to be respectable," Edward said in a husky voice. "Now we only have 24 hours, remember?" His eyes were dark and inviting under the shadow of his heavy brows, making it very difficult for Sarah to resist him. So she stood on her toes and whispered something in his ear. A wide smile broke across Edwards face and he gave a low chuckle. She cupped his cheek and rubbed her nose playfully against his before pulling away with as flirtatious an air as can be.
"Tie me up." She ordered. Her voice was light and breezy. Edward took up the silk sash and tied it tightly around his lover's slender waist, finishing it off with a bow.
"So bossy." He teased, and gave her a light pat.
Edward went again to the window, his eyes checking the sky to be sure the rain hadn't started up again.
"Is it still clear?" She asked, placing a few pins in her hair as she quickly checked her reflection.
"We're still good." Edward said. "But you might want to bring a parasol along just in case."
"Oh god. I had forgotten about those frilly things. Did I really like those back then? They seem so silly now." Sarah couldn't help but squish up her face, the lacey accessory flashing into her mind like a bad memory.
"Yes you did," Edward said with a matter-of-fact tone, "I recall you were very excited about them whenever I bought one for you. They were the height of fashion, and still serve a valuable purpose, Miss 'practicality'."
Sarah laughed, crossing her arms, "Well now they make me think of southern belles and hoop skirts. Tacky as hell."
"Hey, don't bash the hoop skirt. You have several hanging in your closet." His voice was serious but his face was all smiles.
"Don't remind me." Sarah said as she ventured again into the dark and crowded depths of the wardrobe. "Alright, this one seems doable." Her voice called and she emerged with a simple white lace umbrella. No bows, not too much foof. If it rained it would keep her hair dry and that's all that mattered. Hanging the closed parasol on the crook of her arm she closed the closet and made her way to Edward where he stood waiting by the door.
"Your gloves." He said, offering them to her along with his arm.
"Pointless, but pretty." Sarah teased as she slipped her hands inside. They left the Scarlet Lounge together walking arm in arm.
Sarah and Edward were silent as they made their way through the catacombs of the great house. Cool brick and candlelight gradually faded into the warm musk of a summer rain and as they neared the end of the passage the blue light of day yawed brilliantly before them. This was the way to the cemetery, an addition that had been built after both Elizabeth's and Edward's demise. Sarah looked around at the cool moist walls and tried to remember if she had ever been below the mansion before.
"What were these tunnels originally for?" she asked.
"At first, grandfather had only installed a basic cellar beneath the house. The swampy soil was too wet, you see and the builders thought it would be unwise to tunnel into it. When my father inherited the estate he had insisted it be made larger to hold a more adequate wine cellar where our family could age our own casks of rum, whiskey and brandy. The cognac we drank last night, I aged it myself."
Sarah's eyes lit up with vague recognition. "I think I remember you mentioning that from time to time. I just never thought too much into it, about the process or where you might have worked. The liquors were imported, weren't they?"
He smiled, proud that she remembered, "That's right. Some from California, some as far as Italy. That's where father found the architect that he brought in to expand the mansion's lower levels. At the time it was quite the remarkable feat and still was incredibly dangerous. But this chap had experience with these types of conditions, from where I can't say. I think I might have been seven at the time and mother insisted we stay with her sister while the cellar was built." He laughed, his voice light and amused, "I think she feared the house would collapse.
"I added nothing to it during my time here. These renovations came with one of the preceding owners." That caught Sarah's attention and she quickly asked him to elaborate. She realized then how great the gap had been between their deaths and their reunion. What had happened to the estate during all that time? Who stayed and who left? Who had lived in these halls and who else had died here? There was enough of a ghostly presence throughout their home that she had to imagine they weren't the only ones, as sad as that may be. Sarah wanted to know everything, all the way up to where they were now; the mansion abandoned and left to ruin, waiting… she now realized, for her.
Edward, she noticed, seemed hesitant to continue. "I… can't fill in all the blanks. After I took my life," Sarah flinched, horrified as she remembered the terrible act her dearest love had committed. "there was a significant period of time that I spent …drifting."
"What do you mean?" she asked, her grip tightened around his arm. She wanted to protect him from this terrible experience, even now long after it happened. But he answered her question with a question of his own.
"You didn't drift?" her eyes widened. "After you…?" Sarah shook her head silently.
"I don't believe so. I have no memory between my lives."
He was silent for a moment, thinking. But then he placed his hand over hers and rubbed it soothingly. Edward gave her a smile.
"Well, no matter. This is not a day to talk about death. Today we are living." He said and turned his gaze to the light.
They were emerging from the passage now. The stone beneath their feet was wet with rain water. The fog from the forest was thick and sweet, rolling lazily in through the tunnel with curling tendrils. It looked to Sarah like a massive wall that separated one world from the next. She couldn't see through it but she could smell and hear and feel the forest that sat just a few feet beyond. The morning light was blue and clam, while the passage behind them remained black and foreboding. The couple paused before passing through, sharing the same thought about the mysterious divide.
"Was drifting like this?" Sarah asked, her eyes studying the patterns in the swirling mist.
"Not quite as pleasant." Edward said quietly. "It was cold and dim. Like sleeping for a hundred years without the comfort of dreaming; never knowing if you'd ever wake up."
"Oh Edward." Sarah said, her voice heavy with sorrow. He met her shinning eyes with a calm sedated stare.
"Don't worry, Elizabeth." He whispered, stroking her cheek as he touched his forehead to hers. "I'm here now." They shared a brief kiss that was cold and promising. Sarah held her breath as his soft lips pressed against hers, filling her with a quivering sensation that sent chills shooting up and down her body. They broke away and Sarah was glad for the pungent warmth of the fog. They stepped through the wall and entered the forest.
The ground was soft and saturated with rain. All around them, reaching through the heavy mist with gnarly limbs, massive willow trees half grew half sunk in the Louisiana bog. Long ago the forest had been reclaimed by the swamp and the storm only made it worse. But the rain wasn't falling and there had been enough of a break in the weather to let the path dry. The Master walked on through the scattered willows and steadily rising tombstones, his lost love held lovingly on his arm.
"So when did the drifting stop, then?" Sarah asked, still needing to know her lover's story.
"I believe the year I awoke was 1902. Almost a hundred years later."
"Were you aware of the time that had passed?" She asked, shocked by how long it had been.
"Yes, in a way. It's funny. While I was drifting I was never really conscious but I also wasn't unaware of what I was experiencing. To be honest the whole thing is almost impossible to put into words, I don't think I could if I tried."
Sarah nodded. She knew what he meant. It brought to mind the consciousness she experienced before the hallway had appeared in her dream.
"How did you transition, from one state to the other? Did you just 'wake up' one day in 1902?"
He smirked, "Pretty much. The whole thing was rather jarring, to suddenly be thrust into a physical setting after so much nothingness. But it was also the most calming thing I've ever felt. Like I had just woken up from a very long nap; a nap for which I had counted ever second.
"I found myself standing in the library. The sun was shining through the west window. The house was silent and notably different than how I had left it. I could tell that changes had been made, but search as I may I found no one living there. It wasn't long before Ramsley found me."
Sarah stiffened and the change didn't go unnoticed by her fiancé.
"Are you alright?" He asked stopping to cover her hand.
"Yeah, I just tripped on my dress." Sarah lied, "I'm fine. Why… why was he still here?" she tried to sound casual. Edward kept walking.
"I was surprised too, and when I saw him I thought that maybe I had been wrong, maybe the whole thing had been a terrible dream and we were all still alive." He met her gaze, holding it with the command of his beautiful golden eyes. "The first thing I did, my love, was ask for you. I begged him to tell me you were still alive and I searched for you even after he assured me you were gone."
"You left the mansion?" Sarah asked.
"As far as I could. I've never made it more than a mile beyond the gate before I started to fade."
"My god." She whispered, horrified at what that could mean.
"As always Ramsley had all the answers. He hypothesized that my soul was bound to the estate. After investigating the… supernatural as best I could, I came to agree with him.
"Unlike you and I, Ramsley did not take his own life and died of natural causes. He lived on about fifteen years after our passing until whooping cough took him, the poor fellow."
I hope he coughed out a lung! Sarah thought angrily. Coughed 'em both out! Serves him right, the murdering bastard.
"But unlike myself, there was no drifting for Ramsley. He once told me he watched himself dying and had only to stand there as they took his body away, unable to follow.
"That was the curious thing, Elizabeth. I, the Master of the estate, who had taken mine own life, was bound to the land on which my sin was committed. But Ramsley died in Monroe. His body expired in the hospital there, while his soul remained trapped here in the mansion. Until I awoke there were many others who found themselves bound to the property and anyone who's died here since has been unable to leave."
"There are others here?" Sarah had thought she'd felt their presence during her stay but she was still surprised. She hadn't seen a single 'soul', besides her lover and her murderer.
"Sadly yes. But even with so many of us, each is tormented by their own loneliness. And so we are never truly together."
"Is that why I haven't seen them?" Sarah asked, already looking around. Though as she said it, she recalled the ghosts she'd witnessed dancing in the mirror, around the ball room and through this very cemetery. She wasn't sure if it was reassuring or unsettling to know the two of them hadn't always been alone.
"Well no." Edward said. There was a bashful tone to his voice and it brought her attention back to him. "I actually asked them to remain hidden while you were here. Until I could help you remember I didn't want to risk frightening you." She studied his face, feeling a charming mix of flattery and amusement at her fiancé's very odd but sweet gesture. Sarah smirked and gave his arm a little squeeze. They stopped walking. Standing in a clearing marked by a ring of rustling willows, with what seemed like miles of graveyard stretching in every direction around them; this seemed as good a place as any to see some ghosts.
"Are there any here right now?" Sarah asked, a glint in her eye.
"There are." Edward said, the start of a grin pulling up the corners of his mouth.
"Can I see them?" He didn't answer her, but he moved his hand to the curve of her hip and gently pulled her close. Sarah's hand went to his chest as she held him excitedly in a half embrace. Her eyes sparkled, darting from Edward to the landscape.
Like a foreman calling his workers, Edward Gracey addressed the emptiness of the air. His voice, however, was as hushed as the breeze.
"Come on out. Your mistress is here now." And just like that the world was filled with shimmering blue light.
Sarah gasped. Holding tightly to Edward's lapel she stood closer, pressing her body against his and watching in silent fear and amazement as all around her ghosts condensed into being. They were everywhere, a whole crowd of people ranging in era from the time of Elizabeth's death to the present. Sarah's eyes swept over the sea of faces, marveling at their queer appearance. Unlike Edward and Ramsley, these people were cloaked in impermanence. Their bodies merely outlines of their former selves, transparent and glowing with light. To Sarah's dismay most of them bore the marks of their death like a medal won in battle. Sarah saw faces covered in lesions, bullet holes and gashes in the neck so deep you'd think their heads would have fallen off. But despite their perhaps gruesome appearance, there was not a frown amongst them. They all seemed… happy. Or at least, content.
Edward looked down at his beloved, watching her with fascination as she took in the lives and faces of their fellow spirits. During these endless years of waiting, they had become his people. He was the Master of the estate after all and had found it within his power to shelter all who roamed here. He was as lost as they were of course, nonetheless he couldn't help but feel responsible in some way for harboring their souls.
As she looked around, Elizabeth appeared bewildered but enchanted. She accepted them and that pleased him very much. He rubbed her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. They smiled at one another and walked on.
Sarah nodded to people as they passed, returning shy waves and hellos when they were politely given. As the pair moved through the cemetery the thrill of the reveal gradually set and the ghosts resumed their previous activities. Mainly it was a lot of sitting and conversing. Sarah, however, was amused to observe some of the other ways in which they seemed to pass their endless amounts of time. Ladies of refinement swung giddily from an old rope swing hung high on a twisted elm, a cluster of musicians from differing decades joined together in a medley of fine and exciting music and in the distance she could hear the ring of swords sparking in a duel.
"They're all so lively… for the dead." Sarah said, laughing slightly.
"We've found it best to keep their spirits high." He returned, flashing a smart wink.
"I'm glad they're happy but… well, it's still so sad that they're all here. Is there nothing more waiting for us than this?"
Edward took her hand again, holding it tightly. "We mustn't think that way my love. I believe very strongly that there is more to look forward to. We simply haven't found it yet."
"I admire your faith, Edward, I always have. But I'm finding it hard to share in your optimism. What more could you do?"
"I took my life from God, I can only pray that someday he'll take it back." His statement hurt Sarah, deeply. Hearing him say it and seeing the acceptance in his eyes made her want to pull her hand away from his, slap him in the face and berate him for belittling himself. He was the last person in the world to deserve this fate. But then she remembered, remembered her part in his purgatory. It wasn't Edward's fault and it wasn't hers. Ramsley was the reason they were all stuck here. His hatred had placed a curse on this house, though after hearing Edward's words she knew he believed it was his doing. But she had to make him see otherwise.
"Why didn't Ramsley drift?" Sarah asked, rather suddenly. "Why were all these innocent people trapped here even if they died naturally or by accident or…if someone murdered them?" She held his eyes in a steely gaze. "Did they drift too? Or did they awaken like him?"
Edward shook his head and when he answered her he looked miserable and weary, "I'm afraid I don't know. But I believe it to be my fault. This started because of my sin."
"You mean because of mine." Her statement was firm and it concerned him. "I died first. So who's really responsible?" All Edward could do was deny it.
"You are not to blame for this Elizabeth. You can't be."
"Why do you say that? It sounds to me as if you believe it more than anything."
"I do." He held on to her tightly, needing to convince her.
"And I believe more than anything, Edward, that you are guiltless in this crime. In fact I know it to be true. So if I am not to blame, and you are not to blame, then who is?" These last words she spoke slowly and carefully, hoping she was helping him to think, helping him to remember as he had done for her.
Edward's confusion and concern were mixing together in an odd cloud of uncertainty. "What are you saying my love?" He brought his hand to her cheek.
Sarah sighed, "Just that… I want you to keep your mind as open as your heart. You've lived with this guilt for long enough, and it hurts me to see you suffer so." She stepped closer to him, sliding her hands softly around his neck so she could look even deeper into his eyes. "Everything is not what it seems. Sometimes we must question what we think we know to be true."
"What exactly am I questioning here?" He asked. His voice was low as his brow furrowed. Before Sarah could answer she felt an icy chill shoot up her spine. Something was descending upon her, around her, within her. She swallowed and didn't dare look away from her lover's eyes. She could feel Ramsley's presence, she knew he was here with them hidden somewhere from view. The bastard was sticking to his promise and keeping her to her word. Still Sarah felt she couldn't give up. Edward would know the truth, she just had to be a little more clever.
Her eyes darted over Edward's shoulder where the movement of a large crowd had suddenly caught her attention. Couples seemed to be pairing up as the musicians from before tuned their instruments.
Seeing a chance she took it and grabbed Edward by the hand.
"Come dance with me." Was all she said and she pulled him toward the music. Briefly, Sarah dared to glance back. Instantly her stare was met by the deadly gaze of the man with the sunken-in eyes and soulless expression. She caught her breath and quickly turned away, ushering her fiancé in to the center of the dancers where she hoped they would find some privacy.
"Elizabeth?" Edward's voice was as sweet and gentle as a summer breeze. He tried to meet her gaze and when she finally gave it to him Sarah thought her heart would melt at the unvoiced concern she saw there. She smiled and nodded, placing her hand on his shoulder and taking up the other as she assumed the proper stance.
"Stay with me." She whispered, giving him a look. Edward was silent but he placed his strong hand on her waist and pulled their bodies close together. The music started and they began to move.
It was a waltz, not too dissimilar from the one they had danced the night before their wedding. Sarah's body relaxed in his arms as the dancers of swirling blue mist twirled and spun around them, building with the music to form a brilliant sanctuary at the center of the graveyard ball. Despite her need to explain to Edward Sarah suddenly found she couldn't focus on her warning or on any words at all, not now when she was becoming so lost within the deep pools of her lover's eyes. She was carried away by the confident lead of the young Master. He commanded her body with such passion and possession, his hold on her tight with concern, his touch gentle with reassuring. For a moment Sarah almost forgot why she had brought them there, too far gone within the fire that consumed their touching. There was never a sliver of space between them. They shared the same breath, the same heartbeat. As they twirled with the hypnotic rhythm their bodies became one. And all around them the dead were dancing.
How could she have gone so long without him? Would she have died without knowing that face, had he not found her and brought her back to him? The idea was unfathomable, now when all she could see was the cosmos of gold and green that swirled in the endless night of his eyes. What she wouldn't give to stay here, forever perched on the precipice of madness that was her love for him. But something from outside was happening. They were slowing down. The whirlwind of emotion and fever and need was calming. Sarah's feet went one-two-three, one-two-three, but her heart was still beating at the speed of light. They made their final turn and like the figures on the music box they slowly wound down, suspended on that last step in a breathless trance.
Around their ankles the cool mist churned, leaping into the air in the after flow of Sarah's skirts. The other dancers turned to their Master and Mistress and applauded. Edward and Sarah remained locked to one another, breathing heavily, seemingly oblivious to the world around them.
From the distance there came the rolling sound of approaching thunder. As it shook the earth it seemed enough to finally pull their attention back. They looked toward the horizon where a black wall cloud reared ominously, leering up against the sky. The wind picked up and from beneath its shadow the threat of lighting sparked and glowed against the face of the world.
With the first drops of rain the ghosts evaporated, fading one by one into oblivion. Their shimmering trails dissipated into mausoleums and graves until only Edward Gracey and Sarah Evers remained.
Tearing his eyes from the sky, he looked once more to the light of his life.
"Did you want to tell me something?" He asked. Sarah shivered at the low sultry tones of his voice. Her eyes fluttered slightly but she caught her breath and quickly ran her tongue over her lips.
"Let's go somewhere where we can talk in private." She breathed. He nodded quickly and wrapped his arm around her waist. Sarah opened her parasol just as the rain really started coming down. Together they ran for the mansion.
A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! I really enjoyed getting to work on the in between stuff (:
But now, as our lovers go running through the rain, I require YOUR HELP in deciding what will happen next.
Would you like to see a sensual scene between Edward and Sarah?
I'm going to keep the rating on this story T so it wouldn't be anything too graphic, but if I get enough responses that request it, I'll include it as a scene in the next chapter.
It's entirely up to you whether I add this or not. Do you think a sexual encounter between them would be fitting or should I keep their story PG?
Please leave me a review and I'll go with whatever the majority decides ^ ^
Thanks so much guys! Your continued support means the world!