The Ghost and Jacob Moorhead Read Online Free PDF Page B

showing a few age spots, the other a shadowy, not quite solid but stronger-looking and longer-fingered, a more masculine hand. They each sighed and then looked at each other. “I do wish I could feel you as well as see and talk to you. I miss…our loving,” said Honey Jennings. The name had been given her at birth but no one still living knew it. His lordship did but of course he didn’t exactly live . Not as in live and breathe…
    So do I wish it , Honey . Oh , my love … He sighed. But it isn ’ t your time . And I ’ ve an eternity of time now . Waiting for you … Well , I am glad we can at least discuss our problems .
    “I’ve a new one, you know. Your granddaughter must be chaperoned if he is to live here.”
    Mel chuckled, a rather hollow sound but very pleasant. “My grandnephew agrees. He has sent for Mary.”
    Honey Jennings relaxed. She moved her hand just a trifle nearer his, felt the ghostly chill they’d discovered she could not tolerate and edged it back again. “Will it be long before I come to you?” she asked after a moment and with a touch of longing.
    I don ’ t know , my dear . I only know it is not yet , that there are things you must do . But I want you to listen to Jacob when he suggests you retire , which he means to do and then you are to help chaperon Verity . Verity needs you — but you do not need the work and worry and , now I ’ m dead , I ’ m going to insist , as I should have done after my wife died , that you give up this nonsense of being merely the housekeeper .
    “Your neighbors will have a fit.” There was a pettish note in that. It was an old argument, after all. “Worse, they may ostracize my niece Verity when they won’t your granddaughter Verity.”
    Mary and Jacob will see that doesn ’ t happen . You ’ ve been very ill , Honey . I want you to do whatever is necessary to recover your old health — and not squander it in worrying about running this household . He grinned a rather sly grin. Instead , you can squander it worrying about Verity and Jacob .
    She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. “Verity…and Jacob,” she repeated, her tone flat.
    I want them married .
    “I…don’t think that’s a good idea.” Again her voice had that flat note it got when she knew she was going to disagree with him.
    He ’ ll change , Honey . Lose any rakish tendencies he may have and he ’ ll stop drinking . Don ’ t worry about all that . They ’ ll fall in love and they ’ ll wed and they ’ ll live here and fill the nursery with children , with laughter and love and … and all those things that have been missing at High Moor for so long .
    I didn ’ t mean that , she thought. “You know I didn’t mean his character ,” she said and followed it immediately with, “Besides, just whose fault was it that no one used the nurseries?”
    Mine . All mine . Me and my temper . He shook his head sadly. Even when his older brother died and I reinstated him , my younger son wouldn ’ t come home . Except the occasional short visit . He resented my attitude toward his wife …
    “Mine too,” she said quickly and reached her fingers to touch the back of his hand and then, the cold spilling into her, jerking away. “Oh, Mel, it was so bad of us to disapprove that marriage. They loved each other and neither of us was willing to admit it, saw only the misalliance of it.” She sighed, a sad sound.
    It was a misalliance , love , but it was also , from everything I could discover , a very happy marriage . We must remember that .
    “But if your son and my sister hadn’t…” She paused, drew in a breath, tried again. “If they hadn’t resented our attitude, they’d have come home when your elder son died, they’d have been here and not romping around in those blasted Swiss mountains and…” Tears welled and spilled down Honey’s faintly lined cheeks.
    And they ’ d be alive , he finished for her, speaking softly. He started to reach a comforting hand for hers