Forbidden Secrets

  Lucy stood on tiptoe. “The flames were so beautiful. Red. Orange. And blue. They swirled around. And when the woman screamed, they swirled faster and faster.”

  Lucy began to spin around, laughing and laughing. “The flames got brighter and hotter until they were everywhere. Dancing around my mother and father.”

  Savannah stared in stunned horror at Lucy. Why is she laughing? Why does she sound so excited? She’s describing the fire that killed her parents!

  Chapter

  23

  Savannah climbed off the bed. “Lucy, you don’t have to tell me any more.”

  Lucy stumbled to a halt, breathing hard, her cheeks bright red, a frightening, wild-eyed look on her face. “The flames got hotter. My mother screamed!”

  Savannah wrapped her arms around Lucy. “It’s all right, Lucy,” Savannah said quietly. “It was long ago and it’s over now.”

  Lucy wrenched free. “They kept dancing. They kept dancing without me!”

  Lucy ran from the room. Savannah started to go after her.

  “Leave her alone,” Mrs. Mooreland said harshly.

  Startled, Savannah spun around. She had forgotten that Mrs. Mooreland was in the room.

  “She’s upset,” Savannah protested. “She needs—”

  “She needs to be left alone,” Mrs. Mooreland snapped. “Lucy is right about the prophesy. But she didn’t tell you everything. Lucy—”

  Mrs. Mooreland stopped speaking and stiffened, her eyes focused on something behind Savannah.

  Savannah turned and saw Tyler standing in the doorway. “I forgot to ask if you would like to change rooms,” he said. “Will the smell of the smoke bother you?”

  “No,” Savannah assured him, “I opened the window. I think most of the smoke is gone now.”

  Tyler gave her a short nod. Then his gaze slid past Savannah and settled on Mrs. Mooreland. “Savannah and I are moving up the wedding date.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Two mornings later, Savannah unpacked the wedding gown she had brought all the way from Whispering Oaks. Her mother’s wedding gown.

  She showed it to Hattie so the young maid could find matching lace for a veil. When Hattie left, Savannah ran her hand over the white silk and sighed.

  Maybe Tyler is right. Maybe things will change once we are married. Victoria will realize that no matter what she says or does, we will not return to Whispering Oaks. And Mrs. Mooreland and Lucy will have to accept the fact that I never plan to leave Blackrose Manor.

  Savannah lifted her gaze to the charred window frame. After hearing the excitement in Lucy’s voice when she described the fire that killed her parents, Savannah suspected the girl had set fire to the drapes.

  A horse screamed in terror.

  Savannah ran to the open window. “Whisper!” she cried. The big black horse bucked and reared

  “No,” Savannah whispered. Hattie was in the saddle, clinging to Whisper’s mane.

  She can’t control him, Savannah thought. She’s going to fall.

  Savannah started for the door. She heard Whisper scream again. Then she heard a dull thud.

  Chapter

  24

  “No! No! No!” Savannah cried as she ran down the stairs. She dashed out the front door.

  Hattie lay on the ground, her right leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Savannah could hear her moaning.

  Whisper pranced around her, tossing his head.

  I have to get him away from Hattie. “Easy, Whisper,” Savannah crooned as she edged toward the horse.

  She could see the whites of his eyes. He’s terrified, she thought.

  Savannah took a step closer. Whisper reared up. His hooves above Hattie’s head.

  “I can’t move,” Hattie screamed.

  Whisper plunged down. Savannah heard a horrible crunching sound when his hooves met the bones in Hattie’s skull.

  “Hattie,” Savannah shrieked. She rushed over to the girl. Whisper bolted.

  “Oh, Hattie.” Savannah knelt down beside the girl. Her forehead was smashed in. Savannah could see pieces of brain tissue mixed with the blood.

  Savannah heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She twisted around. Mrs. Mooreland strode up to her. The housekeeper pressed her lips tightly together at the sight of Hattie’s broken body.

  “This is my fault,” Mrs. Mooreland whispered hoarsely. “Hattie told me she had to go into town. I told her to take a horse. I never dreamed she would take yours.”

  Savannah shook her head. “It’s not your fault,” she said. “May I have your apron?” she asked quietly.

  Mrs. Mooreland didn’t hesitate. She untied her black apron and handed it to Savannah. Savannah gently covered Hattie’s youthful face.

  Victoria ran up to them, her cheeks burning a bright red. She gazed around wildly. Then she reached down and grabbed Savannah’s arm, dragging her to her feet.

  “The evil forces are growing stronger,” Victoria cried. “I can no longer hold them back. We must leave. We must leave now!”

  Savannah put a comforting arm around Victoria’s shoulder, trying to calm her. “This was an accident. A horrible accident—”

  “No! This happened because of the curse! The curse did this! I told you bad luck followed Tyler’s family.” Victoria grabbed Savannah’s arms and shook her. “We must leave.”

  Savannah felt sick with sorrow. Victoria is insane, she realized. She truly is.

  Victoria shook Savannah again.

  “Yes, Victoria,” Savannah said quietly. “We’ll leave tonight. You should go back to bed now and take a nap so you will be rested for our journey.”

  Savannah hated to lie to her sister. But it was the only way to calm her, and Savannah needed time to decide what to do.

  “Come with me,” Victoria begged.

  “I can’t—”

  “I’ll see to Hattie,” Mrs. Mooreland interrupted.

  Savannah never expected such understanding from the housekeeper. “Thank you,” she said.

  Mrs. Mooreland nodded. “Your sister is right. You must break your engagement to Tyler and leave Blackrose Manor—before it is too late.”

  I can’t deal with Mrs. Mooreland now, Savannah thought. I’ll have a long talk with her later—after Victoria is asleep.

  “Please find Tyler and tell him what happened,” Savannah instructed Mrs. Mooreland. Then she led Victoria to her room.

  “The evil is near,” Victoria whispered as she crawled into bed.

  Savannah drew the blankets over her sister. “You’ll be safe here,” Savannah assured her.

  Victoria handed Savannah her black pouch. “Sprinkle the dirt from Mother’s and Father’s graves around the bed,” Victoria said. “It will keep the evil away while I sleep.”

  Savannah reached into the pouch. Victoria grabbed her hand. “Be sure and save some for yourself. You’ll need to be rested for our journey tonight.”

  Savannah fought back her tears. I can’t let Victoria see how upset I am, she thought. “I’ll save some,” she promised.

  She sprinkled the dirt around the bed and quietly left the room.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Savannah wandered over the grounds of Blackrose Manor, her mind crowded with thoughts of Hattie and Victoria. She wanted to talk with Tyler, but he was taking care of Hattie’s body.

  As hard as Savannah tried, she could not convince herself that Hattie’s death was an accident.

  I am certain that I was the one who was supposed to die this morning. A cold shiver traveled through her body. Whisper is my horse.

  Savannah rubbed her hands up and down her arms, but she didn’t feel any warmer.

  In her mind Savannah could still hear the horse’s terrified screams, see it rearing up in fear.

  She knew there were herbs that could make an animal go mad. Even something as simple as a burr under Whisper’s saddle could have made him act so wild.

  What about the dark arts? Could Victoria have done something to Whisper?

  Sava
nnah believed Victoria would do almost anything to leave Blackrose Manor. Perhaps she thought she could frighten me into running away. She can’t have planned to kill me, Savannah thought.

  She pressed her hands against her throbbing temples. I don’t want to think about the horrible things that have happened. I don’t want to think about anything.

  She began walking faster and faster. She walked until her legs and feet ached. She walked until she was exhausted, too tired to think.

  When the sun began to set, Savannah returned to the manor. It was cold and dark inside. And so quiet.

  I should look in on Calico, Savannah thought. Hattie would want me to take care of him. She hurried into the kitchen and checked the wood box. Empty.

  “Calico!” she called softly. She glanced around the dark kitchen, but could see no sign of the cat.

  As she turned to leave, she heard a noise. Holding her breath, Savannah listened intently.

  The sound was from close by—a cat’s contented purring.

  “Calico?” she called again. She lit a candle and knelt on the floor. In the dim light she could see dark red liquid in a large puddle on the floor. It must have dripped from the oven, Savannah realized. She leaned closer.

  Blood, she thought. It’s blood. Calico crouched next to the puddle—greedily lapping up every drop.

  Chapter

  25

  Savannah stifled a cry and covered her nose with her hand. She could smell it now. She could smell the rusty odor of blood.

  Why did blood drip out of the oven? she wondered with increasing dread. Why?

  Her heart thudded painfully against her chest. Savannah reached out and wrapped her quaking fingers around the cold iron handle of the oven door. She jerked the door open.

  “Mrs. Mooreland!” Savannah shrieked, fear knotting her throat.

  The housekeeper had been stuffed inside the large oven. Her eyes were dry and staring. Her pale face frozen in a horrified grimace.

  Her right hand was holding her throat. Her left arm was dangling over her head, the blood covering her wrist.

  Someone cut off her hand! Savannah realized. She could see the white bone. See the veins and clumps of muscle.

  Savannah scrambled to her feet and stumbled back. Her candle wavered.

  Then she noticed the strange markings drawn on the floor. Drawn with blood.

  What do they mean? Savannah wondered. And then she shuddered as she remembered Victoria using chicken feet to scrawl messages in blood.

  Did she use Mrs. Mooreland’s hand to make these marks?

  “Dark magic!” Savannah whispered hoarsely. “Dark magic was involved in Mrs. Mooreland’s death!”

  I must find Victoria. I must find Victoria now!

  She ran out of the kitchen and headed for the stairs. She stopped when she heard voices. Harsh, angry voices.

  She stopped and listened.

  The shouting grew louder.

  She followed the sounds until she reached the music room. Then she opened the door and peered inside.

  Tyler was laughing, laughing even though Victoria held a knife on him.

  “What do you think Savannah would say if she knew you put the poison in her sausage, and set her curtains on fire, and fed jimsonweed to her horse? Do you think she would still be so loyal to you then?” Tyler said.

  Victoria took a menacing step forward. “She would understand. I would make her understand that I was trying to protect her, trying to get her away from this place. And I will make her understand why you must die!”

  Victoria raised the large knife. The steel glinted in the candlelight.

  “No!” Savannah cried. She dropped her candle onto the stone floor and charged into the room. She hurled herself at Victoria.

  Savannah and Victoria hit the hard stone floor with an echoing thud. Savannah tried to wrench the knife away from her sister.

  Victoria shrieked and rolled over until she was on top of Savannah. Her eyes were bulging, her face contorted with rage. “Do not try to stop me!” she screamed. “I must end the curse!”

  Victoria rolled to the side, trying to break away from Savannah.

  Savannah fought to hold on to her sister. She grabbed Victoria’s hair with both hands.

  With all her strength, Savannah jerked Victoria back.

  Victoria cried out. She collapsed next to Savannah.

  Savannah released her hold on Victoria’s hair. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Victoria, but I couldn’t let you murder Tyler.”

  Victoria opened her mouth to speak, but only a guttural sound escaped her throat. Tears welled in her brown eyes and spilled onto her cheeks.

  Then Savannah saw the pool of blood spreading across the stone floor. “You’re hurt!” she cried.

  Savannah pulled her sister close and cradled Victoria in her arms. She could feel Victoria’s warm blood soaking through her dress.

  “What happened?” Savannah murmured. Then she saw the knife sticking out of Victoria’s side. Victoria rolled onto her own knife.

  Victoria fought to draw air into her lungs. She wrapped her cold, trembling fingers around Savannah’s hand. “You don’t know what you have done,” Victoria said in a weak voice.

  Tears filled Savannah’s eyes. “I have killed you,” she whispered. “Oh, Victoria. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to kill you.”

  “Worse,” Victoria rasped. “You have let the evil live. Be careful. You must be very careful. I . . . I love you, Sissy.”

  Victoria gave a choking sound. Then bright red blood bubbled between her lips.

  Chapter

  26

  Victoria took one last rattled breath. Her eyes fluttered closed.

  “Nooooooo!” Savannah wailed in anguish. “Not my sister. Not my dear sister. Please!” She shook Victoria. “Victoria, wake up. Wake up! I will take you home to Whispering Oaks. You don’t have to stay at Blackrose Manor. I will take you back to Whispering Oaks!”

  Savannah touched Victoria’s pale cheek. Already her skin was growing cold. And it would grow colder.

  “Oh, Victoria! I have killed you!” Savannah cried through her sobs.

  Savannah stiffened when strong hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to her feet. Away from Victoria’s body.

  Tyler. Savannah looked up into his blue eyes. “Oh, Tyler,” she whispered in a voice thick with grief. “What have I done?”

  He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. “You have saved my life,” he said quietly. “She was determined to kill me—one way or another. You had no choice.”

  “But it hurts. It hurts so much.”

  He ran his hand along her back soothingly. “I know, love, but it is for the best. The woman you killed was not your sister.”

  Savannah jerked her head back.

  “This girl was not the Victoria I met at Whispering Oaks,” he said softly. “This girl was quite mad. You heard what she said, Savannah. She tried to kill you too. She would never have done that if she were sane.”

  Savannah squeezed her eyes tightly shut. He’s right, she thought. She felt so sad. So empty.

  I have to tell Tyler what happened to the housekeeper, Savannah suddenly thought. “I think Victoria killed Mrs. Mooreland—” she began.

  “Mrs. Mooreland?” Tyler interrupted.

  Savannah opened her eyes. “I found her body stuffed in the oven—mutilated.”

  “Mutilated?” he repeated in a shocked voice.

  “Victoria practiced the dark arts,” Savannah admitted reluctantly.

  She felt Tyler shudder as he held her. “Poor Mrs. Mooreland,” Tyler said. “I can’t believe she is dead.”

  Savannah began to shake uncontrollably. So much sadness surrounds us, she thought. Sadness and death. “Oh, Tyler, whatever will we do now?” she asked.

  She heard him swallow hard. Then he took a deep breath. “As harsh as it sounds, we must go on with our lives.”

  He cradled her face between his
strong hands. “I know you will mourn your sister’s death—but I want you to marry me now.”

  Savannah stared at him. “Now?”

  He hesitated, gazing at her intently. “After Victoria has been laid to rest.”

  I am so tired of being unhappy, Savannah thought. I want this. I want to be happy. I think I could be happy with Tyler.

  Savannah nodded.

  Tyler kissed her hands. “You won’t regret it.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  The cold wind whipped Savannah’s cloak around her as she stood beside her sister’s coffin. Savannah wore Victoria’s black pouch pinned to her skirt. It had not protected Victoria from the evil, but it was all Savannah had left of her sister.

  Savannah stared down at the deep hole the men had dug. She shuddered at the thought of Victoria spending eternity in that hole.

  “I wish I could have buried you at Whispering Oaks, Victoria,” she whispered. “I wish I could have buried you beside Mother and Father. But the road is too long, the plantation too far away. You will be happy here. I shall bring flowers to your grave every day. I promise.”

  Savannah felt Tyler slip his arm around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

  Maybe the bad times are behind us, she thought. The war is over. My sister has found release from the insanity that gripped her—and I will never have to worry about Victoria taking another life.

  Tyler and I will be together forever.

  The men lifted the ropes attached to Victoria’s casket. They swung the casket out over the dark hole.

  Only happiness awaits me now, Savannah told herself. She tried to will herself to believe it. Only happiness. My wedding is tomorrow. Tomorrow I will become Mrs. Tyler Fier.

  Snap!

  Savannah jumped.

  One of the ropes supporting the casket broke.

  The casket fell into the grave.

  The lid sprang open.

  Savannah saw her sister’s corpse.

  Victoria’s dark eyes were open. Staring accusingly at Savannah.

  And the wind howled Victoria’s words of warning—If we go to Blackrose Manor, one of us will be buried there before the year is out!