Chapter 3

A half hour later found Willie seated in one of the plush red chairs that was turned toward a roaring fire. His clothes were changed and a thick afghan was draped over his shoulders. His ankle was bandaged with proficiency and in his hands was a steaming mug of hot coffee. He took a sip and sighed.

Julia inspected her bandage work again before she stepped back and seated herself in the other red chair. "I think you can walk on that in a day or two."

He smiled at her. "Thanks. Really."

Barnabas stood behind Julia's chair like a lurking shadow. "What made you go that way, Willie?"

"I saw someone snooping around the house and chased them that way. I was using the mound to get a better look around when I fell through," he explained.

"Did you recognize them?" Julia asked him.

He shook his head. "No, they were wearing a cloak with a hood." He took another sip before his eyes flickered between the pair. "But how'd you guys find me?"

"The sound of Sarah's flute led us to you," Julia told him as she studied the young man's face. "You didn't happen to see her, did you?"

He nodded. "Yeah, a couple of times."

Barnabas stiffened at Willie's words and grasped the top of Julia's chair. "You saw Sarah?"

"Yeah, she stayed down there with me for a while."

"But why did she appear to you?" Barnabas questioned him.

Willie shrugged and winced when his body complained. "She said she was there because I needed her."

Barnabas pursed his lips and turned his face away. Julia set her hand on Willie's shoulder. "Perhaps she'll come back again, but for the next few days I want you to rest as much as possible. That means no running off into the woods looking for people in cloaks."

Willie stiffened and whipped his head up to her. "But I did see someone!"

"Whatever you saw nearly got you killed, so I recommend you alert Barnabas or me before you go sprinting off looking for more trouble," she advised him. "Now-" she took the empty cup of coffee from him and tugged on his arm, "-let's get you to bed. The wood can wait until morning."

"I did see someone. . ." Willie muttered as he was led limping to his room.

Willie occupied a small servant's room on the third floor of the Old House. There was no source of heat except for the wall made up of a brick chimney that climbed up from the second floor of the house. That room was Josette's, and since it was unoccupied at the moment that meant there was no heat in the dark room they entered.

Julia paused and shivered. "On second thought, I'm not so sure being in here will be beneficial to you."

"I'll be fine," Willie assured her. He drew out of her grasp and limped over to the bed where he sat down on the edge. "I'm used to it."

"Used to it or not, this is a very cold room," she argued as she lit a candle on the short cupboard to her left.

"There's some extra blankets in the cupboard," Willie told her as he eased his bad leg onto the bed. He lay himself down with his head on the pillow and sighed.

Julia removed a few wool blankets from the cupboard and tucked him tightly beneath him. She slipped the afghan out from under him and draped the blanket over his body, giving him a triple layer of protection against the chill.

She pressed a hand lightly against his chest and checked his face. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," he whispered.

"Then rest. I'll check on you in an hour."

Willie closed his eyes and soon had drifted off to sleep. Julia stood and blew out the candle before she exited the room. Outside the window the few scattered snowflakes had changed to a real flurry, and the world like Willie was draped under a thick blanket.

Barnabas stood in the same place when Julia returned to the sitting room, though his eyes now looked into the crackling fire. "What do you think about what Willie said?" she asked him as she slipped into the chair formerly occupied by Willie. Barnabas continued his gazing into the flames. Julia pursed her lips and leaned toward him. "Barnabas?"

Barnabas shook himself and turned to her. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was saying I think we should worry about the person Willie saw," she repeated.

Barnabas slipped into the other chair and shook his head. "I'm sure Willie only imagined seeing someone. His mind does play tricks on him."

"Tricks or not, someone snooping around the Old House is bound to have a reason to be here, and I doubt we'll be pleasantly surprised," she mused.

He arched an eyebrow. "Why do you imply their intentions are evil?"

"Are they ever good?" she pointed out.

Barnabas stared ahead and leaned his chin on his clasped hands. A faraway look slipped into his eyes. "I suppose not."

Julia tilted her head to one side as she studied her companion with an expression of pity. "You're still thinking about what Willie said about Sarah, aren't you?"

"How can I think of anything else?" he countered.

Julia leaned back and folded her hands in her lap. "How long has it been since we last saw her?"

"Four years and two months."

"You remember that quite vividly, don't you?" she commented.

Barnabas turned his face away from her and his tone was etched with sorrow. "How can an older brother forget the day his little sister rejected him? I. . .I thought she had vanished completely."

"So how does it make you feel that Willie is the one she appears to?" Julia asked him.

Barnabas tensed. "Perhaps not as glad as I would feel if she had appeared to me."

"That's understandable, but it is very curious that she should appear now, of all times," Julia mused.

Barnabas raised his eyes to her. "Why do you say that?"

She shrugged. "Well, it is the season for families to come together."

"Perhaps, but why then would she show herself to Willie?" he wondered.

"Perhaps she sees in him a child-like mentality close to her own," Julia suggested. "Or perhaps a sibling-substitute in place of yourself."

Barnabas leapt to his feet and scoffed at her suggestion. "Sarah would never choose Willie over me."

"It was only a suggestion," Julia reminded him.

Barnabas stalked over to the window seat and watched the thick snowflakes cover the world. His face was reflected in the glass and showed his expression soften. "Why, Sarah? Why?"

Upstairs Willie shifted and winced as his bruised body complained of every little fidget. A slight movement on the bed made him open his eyes. The small form of Sarah sat on the bed beside him with her facing him. In her lap was her favorite toy, the small, crude ball he'd once found by Barnabas' coffin. He could clearly see her form even in the darkness, though she cast no shadow across the bed.

"Sarah?" he whispered.

She smiled at him. "Hello, Willie."

He carefully eased himself up and propped his back against the headboard. "What are you doing here?"

Her face fell. "Don't you want me to be here?"

The pain in her voice tugged at his heartstrings. "I didn't mean it that way. I was just wondering why you're here. I mean, I'm not in any trouble anymore."

She set her hands in her lap and shrugged. "I just get the feeling you still need me, that's all."

Willie smiled at her. "Well, I'm glad you're here. I wanna thank you for saving me back there. You did me a big favor."

Sarah perked up and her face beamed with pride. "Do you really mean that?"

He gave a nod. "Really."

Sarah bounced on the bed and kicked her feet in front of her. "I'm so glad! So we can be friends, right?"

"Sure thing, but you know, your brother wants to be your friend, too," he told her.

His comment threw a bucket of cold water on her excitement. Her shoulders drooped and she hung her head. "I know. . ."

"Maybe you can see him later?" Willie suggested.

"Maybe. . ." she replied as she slid off the covers to stand beside the bed. She past the window, her small form outlined by the pale color of the falling snow outside, her wide eyes sweeping over the room with innocent curiosity. "I was never allowed up here. Father said it wasn't proper for me to be around the servants' rooms." She bowed her head and bit her lower lip. "It's been ever so long since I saw him. . ."

There was a deep sorrow in her voice that touched the tired young man. "Well, ya know, I don't mind you coming around here."

Sarah spun around to face him with a bright smile. "Do you really mean that?"

Willie nodded. "Sure do."

She held up her toy. "Do you want to play ball with me?"

Willie shifted and winced. "Maybe tomorrow night. I'm not feeling well still."

She skipped over to the bed and grasped his hand in hers. "Then I shall come again and see you."

A knock on the door startled them and Willie turned his head to face it. He didn't notice the tiny hands slip away. "Willie?" came Julia's voice through the wood.

"Come in, Julia," he called before he returned his attention to Sarah. She was gone.

Julia opened the door and stepped inside, but paused just beyond the threshold. "Did I hear you talking with someone?"

"Yeah, Julia, Sarah was just here," he told her.

She studied the room and pursed her lips. "I see. Listen, Willie-" she shut the door behind her and walked over to the bed, "-perhaps you shouldn't mention Sarah to Barnabas, at least for the time being. You know how it affects him."

Willie nodded. "Yeah, I know, and I promise I won't say anything, but Sarah said she might see him soon."

"We should all stop seeing her because you need to get some rest," she insisted as she gently pushed him back down on the pillows.

"All right, Julia," Willie murmured as he drew the blankets around himself.

Julia left him alone as Willie closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. The snow outside had nearly stopped and on the clearing horizon a new day dawned.