Haunted Hearts

Chapter 8: The Schoolroom

"You may have this room for tonight, miss," said the housekeeper, her first words since they left the hall. The woman flung open the door to one of the castle's newer wings and stood by as Raeliana stepped inside, with Isabella behind her.

Tea was set on a table between two leather club chairs. The mattress had a puffy, buoyant appearance, making Raeliana think it was freshly aired.

The room smelled like oil soap and beeswax. It was clear that the place had just been prepared in anticipation of the illustrious Dr. Ackerman's arrival.

"I will be sending supper at eight, Miss Ackerman," the woman said, pausing as if her throat were caught with fear. "You understand that his lordship is expected to arrive at the castle any moment-"

"Oh, really?" Raeliana spun on her heels and stared at her. "I hadn't realized Lord Wainwright's arrival could be so imminent."

"There's an evening train up from London. He could be on that one, or tomorrow's ten-fifteen."

During this exchange, the housekeeper seemed to gather her courage and take a long, hard look at Raeliana's face. The woman's entire expression seemed to say, "What has happened?"

She wished Lord Wainwright had been at the castle when she arrived. She could have been done with it by now.

Her gaze wandered down to the trunk at her feet. It was a curious old piece; the black leather straps were cracking, and even the padlock was rusted shut with age. The name 'Cross' was embossed in tarnished gilt along the front of the lid.

"I wonder why they keep this here-?"

"What's that noise?" Isabella interrupted, her voice a sudden whisper, her hands locked on the door to the massive mahogany wardrobe where she was just hanging dresses on the pegs.

The hair prickled on Raeliana's nape. In the dimming light from the window, she thought she saw a shadow pass beneath the door that led to the castle's old schoolroom.

"I think there's someone in there," Isabella whispered. "But Mrs. No Name said it wasn't in use."

Raeliana felt her heart beat an unnatural staccato against her ribs. "Perhaps she has gone in there to check on things, or such." She looked at Isabella. "It's none of our business what goes on in this castle outside this room. They have every right to-" A great loud thud sounded from the schoolroom beyond. Raeliana swallowed her words.

"Oh lord, what could that be?" Isabella gripped her arm with such force Raeliana was sure she would have no feelings in it the rest of the night.

"Perhaps someone knocked over a chair," Raeliana said, extricating herself from Isabella's terrified grip.

"No kidding," Her bestfriend said, still looking frightened.

"Let me see if I can check on it. Perhaps someone has fallen... or such." She reached for the doorknob, but when her knuckles met with the wood, the door swung open wide, releasing a long, painful screech.

She nearly jumped at Isabella's grasp.

"I thought she said it was kept locked?" her friend whispered behind her.

Raeliana shook her head, unable to explain it. She took an old Argand lamp from the mantel and lit it in the fire. With a light hand, she stepped into the abandoned schoolroom.

"Stay here," she snapped when she saw Isabella following behind her. Peering into the shuttered dimness, she whispered, "I don't want you screaming if you see a chambermaid. That's not the way to win a welcome. I'll be right back."

Raeliana held the lamp high and studied the beautiful schoolroom. There were two slanted desks with little chairs to match and a larger desk at the front, one with a delicate pierced skirting of mahogany. A woman's desk.

"Why, there's no one in here," she whispered to herself, shivering with a sudden chill. She could understand the reason they'd abandoned the blasted room. It was downright drafty.

"We didn't imagine that noise." Raeliana looked behind her and found Isabella at her elbow.

The dear, as usual, was pale with fright yet determined to be at her side.

"Look. The dust hasn't been touched by feet." Isabella pointed to a second door that obviously connected to the corridor. The dust on the floor going towards it was as unmarred as virgin snowfall.

Raeliana thought of the darkness she believed had passed on the other side of the door to her room. The schoolroom was dim, but there was still enough late-afternoon light leaking through the closed shutters to create a shadow. She was convinced something or someone had moved on the other side of her door.

A sudden, irrational thought made her veins turn to ice. If whoever was in the schoolroom was not in front of them, then perhaps... In a rush of primeval fear, she whipped around to look behind her.

No one stood there. The door from her bedroom was only half open, and it was impossible to hide behind it. The room was empty, save for a cold wind or two.

Isabella was nearly choking from shock. "Now you actually look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's just that... well, I thought I saw a shadow before we came in here. I just can't understand what could have caused it since the room is empty and clearly has been for years." Frustrated, Raeliana stared at the path of scattered dust in their wake.

"Look, Rae. I finally found the answer to this mystery." Isabella pointed to a book that lay on the floor.

Raeliana looked down. The book had obviously fallen from its shelf above, for it was one of the matched sets.

"I see I must resign the shadow to my imagination." Raeliana stepped over it. With all the shift and decay in the abandoned room, it was surprising more of the books hadn't fallen.

Thinking of the mysterious Lord Wainwright's reaction to their trespass, Raeliana absentmindedly picked up the book that fell. She looked down at the novel in her hands. She felt an unnatural cold run through her that seemed to lay a frost even to her bones. The novel she held was Ivanhoe.

"You don't look alright, Rae... What is it?" Isabella whispered with a worried expression.

"I'm—I'm fine..." She hastily placed the novel in the empty slot where it belonged. The bookshelf was covered with tomes—atlases, novels, books about science, history, and mathematics lined the entire wall. It was a mere chance that Ivanhoe had been the one to tumble from the crowd.

"You don't look alright..." Her friend repeated.

"No, really, I'm fine." Raeliana's thoughts pressed down on her. Sean and Ivanhoe. They were inextricably intertwined. She wanted nothing more to do with either of them.

She tightened her mouth. Without offering any more explanation, she turned to Isabella and said, "Come along. Let's leave this room. It's cold here."

Isabella followed her out and resumed unpacking. Raeliana went twice to the schoolroom door just to make sure it was firmly closed.