A/N: Final chapter! No new characters! ;)
"The Haunting at Noble House"
Marie Noble at Rest
After witnessing Ella's end, at Marie's possessing 'hand,' along with the warning of the impending revelation, no one dared to move. They stared at the pale image of the dead girl, to each other, no one knowing what to do. The maids remained, quietly fretting side by side, and Bradley remained by Marie's side, almost perpetually bowed forward with respect to his mistress. Henry had stood back from Ella's body and now on one of the chairs, staring at his hands. Across from him, there was Genevieve Noble, almost afraid to look at the form of her daughter while at the same time she had to wonder about the fact that, according to her, there was a killer amongst them. Geoffrey seemed to have the same thought on his mind, though he was facing it with much less fear…
Finally, after a beat of suspense, Marie had taken a step forward, bringing everyone to attention at once, afraid that they might be next to suffer poor Ella's fate. And after a very short walk forward, the ghostly finger came to be pointed at the quietly avoiding 'double-widower-without-a-wedding.' Henry looked up when he realized she'd stopped in front of him. He didn't seem to want to stand, like he knew what would happen to him if he did.
"Marie, I didn't…" he started, but with one move she had him quiet again.
"I know it was you. I didn't want to believe it at first, but…"
"It wasn't me," he finally stood. "Mr. & Mrs. Noble, you have to believe me, I…"
"Stop!" Marie raised her voice, which did surprise those people present, though in no way because of the game itself. "It was always a mystery, but then I remembered, I was with you. And now today… You've never been so quiet… because you knew you shouldn't have been here, that… someone would figure it out…" Henry couldn't meet anyone's eye… especially Marie's… or Geoffrey's. "Of all people, how could you do this to me? I loved you; I always did. We shared… so much…"
"Stop…" he now shook his head, begging.
"But we did. Didn't you love me, too?" she took a step, pleading. "Didn't you?"
"Yes… N… Yes, I…" he frowned, like he was trying to keep something in.
"Then why did you? How could you?" Her need to know coupled with her anger as she advanced, and that did it.
"Because you're my sister!" Henry exploded, bringing the room to a stop.
"What?" Marie blinked, confused.
"What?" Geoffrey and Genevieve looked to one another – who did he mean?
"What?" the maids briefly looked primed for good gossip.
"What?" Bradley chimed in last, for good measure. Henry didn't have a choice now; he'd said too much not to say the rest. So he stood.
"I didn't know, at the beginning, you have to believe me, I didn't know!" he showed the fears he'd been holding. "I didn't know, but then when I went looking for this book in our library, I found these letters… I asked my mother, and she told me… John Eddison wasn't my father…" He looked to Geoffrey, who sat up.
"I didn't…" he looked to his wife.
"My mother is Jane Wells," Henry spoke up, and Geoffrey looked back.
"Jane…" he blinked, all but confirming.
"She married soon enough that no one knew… Not even me. I thought… She would have said something, when we began to see each other, but…" There was a pause. "We don't speak anymore."
"My son…" Geoffrey gasped, catching up, as he looked to his daughter's ghost… He knew just as well as anyone what they'd been up to.
"I tried to break it off, but you wouldn't listen. And then that day, up there… It all happened so fast…" he almost looked like he was going to cry. "Go on and do what you have to do, you'll do us both a favor." There was a pause, and the ghost looked to her friend the butler for guidance.
"Let him live with his torment," he pointed his finger one more time, and then… the game was done.
"I should have fallen on a carpet," Mercedes stretched as she sat up, still clutching the 'knife.'
"You were excellent," Rachel went up to Finn with a smile. He almost reddened.
"Thanks… So were you," he nodded.
"What about her?" Santana went up to Brittany. "Best ghost, Casper's got nothing on her," she looked to her friend. The blonde laughed, beaming with pride.
"I would have tripped on the sheet," she nodded. They had no idea what that meant, except for Kurt, of course.
"Will you do another?" Tina asked, a question which seemed to interest all those present. Kurt gave a smile.
"In a little while," he confirmed. "I think I already know which one…" They waited, but… "You'll have to wait and see."
THE END
