Roses & Haunts Read online

  “Because my tastes run towards the tall, blond, and emotionally irritating,” she settled with instead, the dictionary definition of Iowin Tintreach. “I get the feeling Captain Fuckface only hits two of those on your scale.”

  “Fuckface,” Linnet repeated, tasting the word. “Is that a French title?”

  Dear god in heaven, she was going to have to say it, wasn’t she? “Yes, but not a good one. Don’t repeat that. Ever. If you would… wouldn’t mind pardoning my French?”

  A hint of the innocent light returned in Linnet’s dark eyes. Impulsively, the younger woman threw her arms around Alynia, hugging her close. “I know we are going to be the best of friends, lady Aloisia. It’s amazing to have someone I can speak to, someone I can be fully honest with about everything. Say we will be heart’s friends forever.”

  Wow. If there ever was a reminder at how much she took her family for granted, it was that. She couldn’t imagine going through the Caprice curse without the support system of her cousins. How had Linnet made it this far without it?

  Oh, right. She hadn’t. At least, not safely. They had the rabbit hole through time and a Headless Hessian ghost as proof.

  “Tell you what,” Alynia managed to extract herself from the hug without tearing either Linnet’s gown or her own. More complicated than it sounded. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you with this. In exchange, no more magic or wishing upon stars or whatever voodoo you did to save Captain Fu—Jerk’s life out there on the battlefield, okay? At least not unless we are together.”

  Linnet thought about that a moment. “I won’t undo what I’ve already done,” she said slowly, meeting Alynia’s eyes. “I love him. I won’t lose him. But I promise not to do anything more unless we are together.”

  “One other thing. That protection spell you cast on Captain Jerrick? Do you have it written down anywhere?”

  “I do,” Linnet rushed to a chest in the far corner of her room, her skirts floating around her like the exotic wings of a bird. She fished out an old book, the cover and back nothing more than unfinished bark, the whole thing bound together with three strips of leather at the spine. Carved into the center of the cover, however, was the Caprice Family crest. “This was my mother’s. She gave it to me before she passed away. She said it was her mother’s and her mother’s mother’s and so on. If you promise not to harm it, I’ll lend it to you.”

  Alynia clutched the book to her chest, felt the power thrumming through it. Her amulet picked up the echo, a second heartbeat above her skin. Whoever had made this book was powerful, indeed. And perhaps older than the Caprice Curse, itself. She prayed with all her heart that it was.

  It might be the only way to get her and Iowin home.

  Chapter 6

  “Linnet, may I come in?”

  Alynia and Linnet jumped at the sound of the voice filtering through the wooden door, both women’s hands reaching frantically for anything to toss over the bits and bobbles strewn across the dressing table. Normally the polished wood surface hosted a dozen or so glass bottles and pots of creams, artfully mixed here and there with intricately carves little wooden boxes containing Linnet’s jewelry. Enough so that Alynia no longer had to wonder what prompted the perfume displays at the Macy’s counter. Apparently, it was an old school setup women had been fawning over for centuries.

  Most women, that is. Alynia normally ran from any form of clutter like it was a rare and deadly disease.

  All that had been shoved aside, however, to make way for dip pens and ink, paper, and sand. The sand was to help dry the ink, not that she truly understood the concept. But considering fountain pens weren’t really the rage in upstate little villages, Alynia had to make due with what she had. The dip pen it was, along with the sand and the parchment paper, and that thrice-damned spellbook. They’d spent the better portion of the day and into the night pouring over the spells in the old book. Locating the spell Linnet used on Captain Jerk had been the easy part.

  Assigning it blame for the curse of the Headless Horseman? That was the impossible task. From what Alynia gathered in her limited studies, the spell should have only deflected bullets that caused deadly harm. It explained how she was able to break Jerk’s nose and crack a rib or two. But that sort of spell shouldn’t grant immortality in the form of ghostly apparitions.

  Neither did it have the juice to freeze time around the location of its initial casting, nor to throw off echoes of its power nearly three hundred years after the fact. Conclusion: these weren’t the droids she was looking for.

  “Linnet, my dove, are you decent?”

  “No, sir,” Linnet called out quickly, eyes wide. “One moment. Cousin Aloisia is not decent.”

  Linnet swept an arm across the top of her vanity, a move Alynia rather approved of, papers slipping into the open drawer with proficiency. The inks in their colored pots indistinguishable from all other make-up pots on the surface.

  “Not the first time someone’s interrupted your work, eh?” Alynia whispered.

  “It’s my father,” she whispered back fiercely. “You have no idea what I had to go through to get him to announce himself in the first place.”

  And with that, she reached out and grabbed one of the ribbons on Alynia’s chest, one of the very ribbons Linnet had warned her against touching or snagging on anything for the sake of modesty, yanking hard. The bow unraveled itself, the center v-shaped frilly insert of her dress (called a stomacher of all things!), flopping open on one side and revealing a rather generous portion of stay and bosom. Alynia never got to protest the action, the other woman instantly grasped the untidy article of clothing and yanked it back into place, nearly yanking Alynia around in the process.

  The door opened, revealing a rather thin man in his mid to late forties. His appearance set her cop senses tingling, searching for defects before she knew she was doing it. Long gangly arms and legs seemed out of proportion with the rest of him. Thinning gray hair made his face narrower, his nose more prominent. It was the coat that bothered her. His coat had to contain padding, attempting to make him more robust than he actually was. Reed-thin, spidery fingers and wrists did not belong to a man with the shoulder span he was trying to pull off.

  God, he was the living embodiment of Ichabod Crane.

  “Papa!” Linnet managed to shriek in a fair amount of startled surprise, tying up the ribbon with quick and deft fingers. “I did not say we were finished dressing.”

  ‘Papa’ Caprice let his watery eyes wander the room, searching for all signs of mischief, Alynia was certain, before settling his gaze on his daughter. A smile cracked the stern countenance of his features, making him seem warm for a moment.

  “Apologies, dear daughter,” he intoned, gaze sweeping over Alynia before flicking back to Linnet. “I wanted to make sure you were joining us for dinner. Captain Jerrick has ordered a welcome meal for our dear lost cousin.”

  “You shouldn’t have gone through all the trouble,” Alynia put in. “I don’t think I’m staying long enough to make it worth it, Mr. Caprice.”

  “Mayor Caprice is how the rest of the village addresses me,” he replied, enough cool indifference in his tone to make her believe he wished she’d do the same. “You may call me uncle, or Uncle Henry, if you feel so bold. And what is this nonsense of you traveling on so soon? You’ve just got your feet under you,” he tisked. “No, I will have a talk with Captain Jerrick. There is a war going on, Miss Aloisia, if you haven’t noticed. For your safety, I’ll see to it that you spend the winter here, as our beloved guest. After an extended stay, you may just change your mind and decide to stay here forever.”

  Linnet clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh, Papa, that would be most wonderful!”

  Alynia forced a smile, flexing her knees in a tiny curtsey. Yeah, that tone stated he wanted her to stay as much as she did. “You are too kind, but I must decline. I have family out looking for me. It won’t be long until he finds me.”

  “And we will welcome your family with every bit o
f courtesy as we have welcomed you,” Uncle Henry replied, his eyes once more wandering the room, settling on the single dip pen resting on the vanity.

  Currently dropping tiny little black tears onto the pale wooden surface. Inwardly, she cursed.

  “I will not take a refusal on this,” Uncle Henry continued, crossing over to that pen.

  Behind his back, Linnet wrung her hands together, going pale.

  “Letter writing?” Uncle Douchetool asked, too innocently. “Is that not an activity saved for the morning, when the light is best?” He tsked again. “We are in a war, darling daughter, and candles are best saved for emergencies. We never know when the traitors will cut off our supply lines again.”

  “Captain Jerrick would never allow that,” Linnet replied a touch breathy, glancing at the stub as her father blew it out. Or rather, the drawer with their research notes right beneath it. “He found a way to keep us supplied the last time the traitors tried that.”

  “Yes,” Uncle mused, a somewhat disapproving frown touching his lips. “Against all odds, he survived the traps and the minutemen that killed everyone else. Some would call his blockade running miraculous, almost magical.”

  Alynia lifted a mental eyebrow at that. Oh, goodie, Daddy Caprice didn’t care for his daughter’s choice in suitors. She filed that away for later use.

  “I would—and have—called it God’s own will that Captain Jerrick survived. He’s too good for us, Papa, and you know it,” Linnet said firmly, plucking two cloaks from the wardrobe. “You said dinner was ready and waiting? Best to not let it get cold. We should go.”

  She handed one to Alynia, draping the other over her left arm. With that, she headed for the door. Alynia moved to follow, making a show of fussing with her dress. Out of the corner of her eye, she witnessed Uncle Henry staring right at the drawer containing their notes and the spellbook. More than that, she witnessed the tight, wolfish smile that spread across that too-thin face.

  She didn’t bother to look away when his eyes met hers. No more than he bothered to wipe away that smile.

  “I do hope you reconsider my offer,” he said quietly, resting his hand on the drawer’s little ivory handle. “I believe there is much you can do for us, Aloisia Caprice. My wife passed away many years ago, and my daughter is without a teacher. I’m strong in my power, nearly as strong as you are in yours. Strange, that. I didn’t believe women of our family could host your strength. Regardless, it’s easier for a woman to teach a woman, is it not? There is much we can offer one another.”

  Was that a proposal? Stars above, she hoped not.

  “Sorry,” Alynia tried to cross her arms over her chest, found her own cleavage in the way due to the stay, and settled with a cop stare. “I’ve already got plans for my future. And I’ll appreciate you never doing again whatever it was that let you test my power.”

  “A minor spell while you slept,” he waved a hand dismissively. “Similar to the spell Linnet used to heal you and Captain Jerrick. It allows me to sense a person’s magical potential.”

  “That’s how you knew I really was a relation of yours.”

  He smiled. It was like watching a skull smile. “Very perceptive, my cousin. It’s within my rights to deny Captain Jerrick’s claim. However, as I said before, I believe we can be of mutual use to one another.”

  Again, she didn’t miss the way his lips curved when he said Jerrick’s name, like they didn’t want to speak it at all.

  “Again, I’m declining. In case you missed my meaning, I’ll spell it out for you. No. I’m leaving as soon as my… family comes for me. I have my own plans for my future, and they don’t involve playing Magical Mary Poppins to your kid.”

  “Cancel those plans,” he ordered flatly, the snap in his tone making her want to tell him off on principal. “We’ve need for you in this village. You’ll find life here as pleasant as a dream.”

  “What is it with every man in this village?” she nearly growled. “Ever heard of ‘no means no’? I’m not suggesting I rethink the offer. I’m telling you no.”

  His smile never decreased. If anything, her refusal pumped more fire into it.

  “I will make you change your mind. You’ll agree to my terms, and you’ll do it on your own. You’ll see my way is the right way, just like every other dutiful patron of this village.”

  “Oh, just like Captain Jerrick does?”

  The smile gained fire, all right. But so did the candle. Hell, she was certain his very clothing started to smolder with his outrage.

  Good. If she could piss him off in one conversation, maybe, when the time was right, she’d blind him with his own anger issues. It wasn’t the most useful tool in her arsenal. But considering she didn’t have very many at the moment, she’d take what she could get.

  And speaking of tools…

  “Listen, you condescending chauvinistic little worm, I’m not going to bow to you just because you’re the mayor. And I’m not about to—”

  “Papa. Aloisia,” Linnet’s voice drifted down the hall. “Are you coming?”

  Instantly the candle snuffed itself, the heat wafting off the man likewise vanishing. His head turned in Linnet’s direction, hints of tenderness transforming his face from anger to doting father. As if someone flipped a switch. Creepy, that.

  “Think on it,” he hissed at her, brushing past and heading down the hall.

  Alynia took a deep breath, uncurling her fingers from the fists in her skirts. Iowin, where are you, dammit? I need you so much. I love you.

  And then went down to play Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: The Colonial Edition.

  Chapter 7

  The delighted look crossing Captain Jerrick von Kynphausen’s unbroken face as she and Linnet crested the curved staircase, arm in arm, was almost enough to make her want to break his nose all over again. Linnet practically preened under that bejeweled stare, taking her skirts delicately in one hand and gently urging Alynia to do the same. With a sigh that wasn’t anywhere near as lovely or perfect as Linnet’s, she obliged, throwing a menacing glare at Captain Jerk as his smile became a smirk in her direction. She made a mental note to go hug every woman voter she ever found again. This oppression crap was intolerable.

  Linnet made it look easy, and perhaps it was for her. Every eye in the room fixated on her copper hair, the pearl-like paleness of her shoulders and bosom under the flickering candlelight. She’d chosen a gown of the softest rose silk for the evening, a simple gold chain around her slender neck. One single ruby hung from it, the Caprice sigil cut deep into its depths. All the colors played gorgeously under the light, and even Alynia was caught up in the spectacle. Cinderella floating towards the ball to meet her handsome prince.

  Only this time she had an ugly older stepsister on her arm, one she drug down with her no matter how much Alynia hesitated. And her prince happened to be a Hessian warlord.

  Look out Disney, this wasn’t your mama’s traditional fairytale.

  Captain Jerrick crossed the large common room in quick strong strides, his boot heels ringing out sharply on the polished floor, calling all eyes to witness their entrance. He took Linnet’s hand for the last two stairs, kissing it gently, before turning his eyes on Alynia and offering his hand in turn.

  She took it, grinding her teeth behind her fake smile. His eyes danced with quiet amusement.

  “I hate you,” she whispered behind gritted teeth. “Thought you’d like to know that.”

  His smile brightened a couple of watts. “You will change your mind, Lady Aloisia.”

  “When Hell freezes,” she smiled, alighting the final two steps and managing a mockery of a smooth curtsy. “And my name is Alynia. Say it with me, now.”

  He planted a lingering kiss on her gloved knuckles. “Spoiled girl you are. That should be your name.”

  That earned him two lifted eyebrows. Okay, okay, it honestly earned him a punch in the dick. But in a room full of witnesses, most being his heavily armed comrades, that wasn’t the most prudent of
replies. She ratcheted up her fake smile. “Whatever do you mean, good sir?”

  “I bring you safe to your family. I give you story to make sense of your clothing and lack of goods or money. I keep your reputation intact. You are safe. You are clean. You are clothed and fed, and yet you seek more from me?”

  “Funny, I don’t recall asking you for any of that.”

  “You didn’t have to ask,” Linnet chimed in, smiling up at the Captain. “Captain Jerrick is an honorable man who will protect anyone in need, even if they don’t know they need it.”

  He smiled down at her in return, his profile softening. His face would never be open and honest, never as expressive as Iowin’s with his emotions overtaking every inch of his features. But there was tenderness in that gaze, Alynia noted. The good Captain hadn’t planned on finding the most precious jewel in the world while fighting the savages of America.

  Shit. He loved her, perhaps as much as she loved him.

  Yet Uncle Henry didn’t love him, and the daggers glaring out of his eyes and into the Hessian warrior’s throat was more than enough proof of that. Perhaps not everyone in the village was as Crown loyal as Linnet made them out to be. Perhaps the whole village was truly the prisoners Captain Jerrick claimed they were from the beginning.

  She wasn’t the only one that caught that glare, Linnet staring right back at her father just as balefully. Her slender fingers wrapped around the Captain’s forearm, and to Alynia’s eyes they looked like claws digging into what she claimed as hers.Tension replaced the joviality in the common room, the staring war going on far too long to be considered polite. Someone was going to have to act rather swiftly. And by someone, it usually meant her.

  “Why, thank you, Captain,” Alynia smiled, pretending to hide sudden laughter behind her hand. Hoping she didn’t sound like someone trying to strangle a rooster. “I would be delighted to stroll about the place with you. And with my dear cousin as escort, of course. Why, what would society think otherwise?”