Penmort Castle

Chapter Twenty-Eight Showdown Part Two

Cash’s mouth broke from Abby’s, both their heads jerked to the side and they saw Vivianna only feet away and hovering before she shot forward.

Abby’s body tensed for flight but they had no time, Vivianna was almost upon them.

Cash’s arm came up to fend Vivianna off, something Abby knew wouldn’t work because, well, she was a ghost.

Then it did.

Worked that was.

Vivianna slammed into Cash’s upturned hand as if her body was corporeal, the scream stilled and she flew back.

Abby heard gasps around her but all she could do was stare.

“What on –” she breathed but she heard a whisper in her ear.

“Draw her to the circle,” Angus ordered and belatedly Abby’s brain kicked in.

She pulled out of Cash’s arm and took a step back. His eyes sliced to her, she gave him a short jerk of the head and watched his jaw grow tight.

She started edging toward the corner of the gallery where she knew the circle had been drawn, according to Cassandra not only magical but also invisible.

Unfortunately the room was huge and the circle was far away, a distance to Abby at that exact time that felt like a million miles.

Regardless Abby kept creeping and saw that Vivianna’s eyes were on Cash, not filled with malice but instead with pain and longing.

This was a problem considering she wasn’t paying a lick of attention to Abby.

Normally that would be a good thing. At that moment it was not.

Abby kept backing toward the corner, giving Vivianna’s floating form a wide berth and trying to be obvious but not too obvious.

Cash, eyes on Vivianna, started to move slowly toward Abby.

Vivianna’s head, just as slowly, turned to Abby.

When Vivianna’s malice-filled eyes hit her, Abby’s mind disengaged, fear shot through her and she stopped moving.

“Abby, come here,” Cash commanded, lifting his hand to her.

Abby’s gaze darted between Cash and Vivianna and she whispered, “Cash.”

“Darling, you’ll be all right. Come here,” Cash said softly, still advancing and Abby started backing up again.

Abby had no idea what he was on about because the only way she’d be all right was to get the damned ghost in the circle. He knew that. Hell, practically everyone in the room knew that.

“Cash, I have to –”

“Come here.”

“Cash –”

Then it happened.

Vivianna twirled toward Abby and advanced at the same time Cash bolted forward.

Abby started running to the circle. She chanced a glance over her shoulder to see if Vivianna was following and saw the spirit collide with Cash. Cash’s arm went around her waist and he hurled her bodily toward Abby then tore in their direction.

Abby stopped and ducked, Vivianna sailing over her as Cash caught Abby at the hips, whirled and threw Abby back from whence she came. She reeled and would have landed right on her ass if Kieran hadn’t caught her in his arms.

Cash wasted no time and shot forward in Vivianna’s direction.

Abby watched in shock as Cash caught Vivianna’s skirts in a fist and pulled her down into his arms. Subduing her wild struggles quickly, he carried her kicking and punching to where the circle was supposed to be. Once there, he let go and jogged out toward Abby, Vivianna zooming after him so fast she was nearly a blur.

When it looked like Vivianna would make it to Cash, Abby heard Fenella scream right before Vivianna slammed against an invisible barrier.

Bright sparks of white lights like sparkler dust exploded up and down, in and out, in a wide circle, so thick and riotous you could barely see through them.

Vivianna flew back into the circle.

Cash made it to Abby’s side and with an arm hooked around her waist, he pulled her out of Kieran’s arms and against his body.

Vivianna came tearing toward them again.

And she again slammed into the circle, more blazing lights burst and she sailed back.

They watched, everyone inching slightly nearer to the circle as she did this again.

And again.

And again.

Then she stopped, suspended in the air in the middle of the circle.

Eyes on Cash then on Abby, she opened her mouth and screamed.

This scream was different, still eerie but filled with frustration.

“That’s it, wee ghosty. Scream all you want. We’ve got you now,” Angus’s voice came from a now visible body. He was standing at the edge of the circle, in full kilt, hands on hips, grinning like the lunatic he was at Vivianna.

Vivianna stopped screaming and glared at Angus.

“Angus!” they heard shouted and everyone turned to see Cassandra at the door. She was in top-to-toe, full-on, Rock ‘n’ Roll Gypsy gear, wearing enough silver and scarves to outfit a five member rock band. She had a big, battered, brown leather case with her. She put it on the floor and gave it a hefty shove with the bottom of her booted foot. It went sailing across the room and Angus, also with his foot, stopped it.

Angus’s head turned to Vivianna. “You’re going on a road trip, lass.”

Vivianna’s eyes went from the case to Angus, her body still hovering.

Instead of looking worried however, she crossed her arms as if this all was a mild annoyance.

Abby had the feeling this was not a good sign.

Cassandra came to stand beside Angus. She now had what looked like a long, gnarled, stout twig in her hand about a foot long, maybe longer. She was pointing it at Vivianna and muttering under her breath. Abby couldn’t catch all that she was saying but she could tell that it rhymed.

“Who’s she?” Nicola breathed from the other side of Kieran.

“A witch,” Jenny answered.

With effort Nicola took in this new utterly inconceivable nugget of information and then asked, “What’s she doing?”

“Folding her up,” Honor, at her mother’s side, replied.

At that a stream of bright pink glitter dust poured forth from Cassandra’s wand and Nicola, eyes huge and trained on the wand, wisely decided to stop asking questions.

They watched as Vivianna did indeed look like she was folding in on herself from the bottom up.

Feet, skirts, knees and up.

Thighs, hips, waist and up.

Regardless of what would seem dire circumstances for the ghosty she-bitch, she kept her eyes on Angus, her arms crossed on her chest.

Her face, Abby saw with a queer curl of fear starting in her belly, now looked bored.

“Something’s wrong,” Abby whispered but Cash saw it too.

“Angus,” Cash’s voice cut through Cassandra’s muttering.

“Not long now, lad,” Angus replied, still grinning.

Cash pushed Abby behind him and demanded, “Angus, look at her.”

Peering around his body, Abby watched Vivianna’s arms uncross and lift toward the ceiling as her ribcage was folded up.

Then Abby watched as Vivianna’s eyes moved toward Cash and Abby.

Then she grinned.

Cash tensed, Abby took several steps back and then Cash shouted, “Angus!”

Before anyone could move Vivianna’s arms shot straight down. She hurtled herself toward the ceiling, her body coming out of the fold as she did. A firework of every colour purple you could imagine, from the palest lilac to the brightest violet to the deepest aubergine, detonated, bursting forth, filling the space and bouncing (thankfully harmlessly) off everyone standing at the circle.

Then the circle itself exploded yet again in a burst of white.

Abby heard cries and shouts but all she saw was Cash whirling.

The instant his eyes hit Abby, he barked, “Run!”

Abby, heart in her throat, ran and this time she didn’t look back.

But six feet from the door she was lifted clean off her feet.

Not by Cash.

Instead by Vivianna.

All of a sudden Abby found herself floating close to the ceiling, Vivianna’s bitch-from-hell arm locked around her waist and Abby was hanging in mid-air like a ragdoll.

Fenella, again, screamed.

Abby struggled.

Vivianna shot toward the door.

Suzanne, luckily, got there before her and slammed it closed, whirling and throwing her back against it, arms wide.

Vivianna halted, Abby’s body still moving forward, she let out a whoosh of air and Vivianna turned and shot toward the hall, taking Abby with her.

Fenella was running to the double doors that led to the hall and Abby saw Angus again with his whip. His arm came up and out sharply, the whip whistling through the air. Abby’s body jerked reflexively as the whip came toward her but its end passed straight through Abby and curled around Vivianna.

Vivianna knew it was coming, she made another turn against the direction of the whip’s tip and it fell useless to the floor.

Abby kept struggling as Vivianna moved them in another direction, always away from Cash but, Abby noted with no small amount of alarm, toward a window. Abby saw (intermittently) that Cash had his eyes on them and was circling slowly, his face like thunder, body both taut but strangely loose, looking like a big cat waiting for its opportunity, ready to strike.

Then they stopped on another jarring halt, this time something strong and vital had wrapped around Abby’s ankle preventing their progress.

Abby looked down to see Jenny had a hold of her. Vivianna tugged at Abby’s body, Abby shoved at Vivianna’s arm and Jenny held on tight, lifting her other hand to hold on too, her feet slipping across the floorboards in her effort to hold on.

Mrs. Truman dashed behind Jenny and wrapped her arms around Jenny’s waist.

“Let go of Abigail!” Mrs. Truman shrieked, angry, affronted eyes on Vivianna as if she could not believe this phantom would have the audacity to put her vile ghost hands on Mrs. Truman’s precious Abigail Butler.

Mrs. Truman was leaning all of her weight back, holding onto Jenny for all she was worth but Abby felt Jenny’s hands slipping.

“Don’t let go, Jenny!” Abby shouted desperately just as Jenny lost her grip and both she and Mrs. Truman flew backwards, arms wind-milling.

Vivianna only managed to move inches away when Kieran was there, his fingers closing around the ankle Jenny let go and Abby felt another set of fingers on her other ankle. Her head turned and she saw Nicola had a hold of her there.

“Angus,” Cash’s voice was close, it was a low, angry growl but Abby couldn’t see him.

“Hang on,” Angus replied.

“Hang on!” Nicola cried, putting all her weight into holding Abby safe. “What do you mean ‘hang on’? Abby’s suspended in mid-air! Do something!”

“We’re resurrecting the circle,” Cassandra called calmly.

“The circle is out. We’re moving to Plan B,” Cash declared.

“We don’t have a Plan B!” Jenny yelled, running back toward Abby, jumping up and grabbing onto Abby’s hand.

“Plan B is getting the fuck out of here,” Cash announced.

“I’m good with that,” Abby noted quickly. “Plan B sounds good to me. Let’s do Plan B, like, now,” Abby ended on a screech just as Honor arrived, made a leap and grabbed Abby’s other hand.

Abby heard Cassandra say, “Let him in, Fenella.”

“But, Abby doesn’t want –” Fenella replied.

“Let him in!” Cassandra returned impatiently.

Abby heard a door open and all of a sudden Vivianna’s body shook. It felt to Abby like Vivianna was fighting something even as she was holding onto Abby. As this happened, Abby heard the unmistakable noise of a feline’s low growl. Abby kept shoving against Vivianna’s arm but twisted to see that Vivianna was trying to push off Abby’s cat, Zee, who was attached to Vivianna, growling, hissing, spitting and scratching.

Abby’s stomach did a nosedive.

“Who brought my cat?” Abby shouted, glaring down at her friends.

“We did, Mrs. Truman and me,” Jenny answered.

Vivianna jerked this way and that, still keeping firm hold on Abby’s waist and all of Abby’s limbs were pulled to the breaking point.

“I thought I said no Zee!” Abby snapped.

“We figured we could use all the help we could get!” Jenny snapped back. “And it looks like we weren’t wrong!”

Abby thought, somewhat hysterically, even though she wanted to she really couldn’t argue with that.

Vivianna’s struggles were fierce and Abby’s body was wrenched painfully with Vivianna’s fight against Abby’s cat as everyone kept hold on her limbs.

“Hold her steady,” Angus encouraged from somewhere behind Abby.

“You hold her steady! This ghosty she-bitch is strong and she’s freaking out!” Jenny cried as Vivianna gave a mighty tug at Abby’s waist and all of Abby’s friends went skidding several inches along the floor boards.

“Angus, goddamn it!” Cash shouted from somewhere close but also somewhere Abby could not see. She didn’t have time to look as she was still shoving against Vivianna’s arm and praying she nor Zee would be torn limb-from-limb.

Abby, however, didn’t have to see Cash. She knew by the tone of his voice that his patience was depleted and she knew exactly how he felt.

Then suddenly Angus shouted, “Now!”

Abby saw something golden and glistening fall around them. It settled at Abby’s waist then passed through, as if it was a mirage. Vivianna was yanked back viciously, Zee leapt away and at the same time all Abby’s protectors jerked her forward.

Vivianna’s arm came loose from Abby’s waist and Abby was falling.

She twisted automatically, not wanting to fall flat on her face but before she hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her, one at her back, one at her thighs.

Abby looked up to see Cash had hold of her and he didn’t waste any time. He started sprinting, Abby in his arms, toward the door.

Abby saw Suzanne open it for them then Abby looked back, watching Angus struggling wildly with what looked like a golden rope which was lassoed around a mad-as-hell Vivianna’s waist.

Then she saw no more, they were out of the room and heading down the hall.

Halfway down the hall Cash stopped and put her on her feet. He grabbed her hand and started running again, dragging her on her high heels toward the stairs.

Abby noted absently that Zee was right there with them.

They rounded the stairs and both of them (as well as Zee) came skidding to a halt.

There was a ghost on the stairs.

And it was not the ghost of Cash’s father.

Abby took one look at him and her chest expanded painfully at the same time her heart stopped beating.

Then, heart restarted, hammering in her chest, she whispered, “Ben?”

Ben’s ghostly eyes took in Abby for a moment, roaming lovingly over her face and down her body then they moved to Cash.

The minute her dead husband’s eyes hit her lover, Abby’s heart stopped beating again.

“Take her to the north parapet,” Ben told Cash, his beautiful, deep, sweetly familiar voice disembodied and hanging weirdly in the air.

“I’m not taking her to the parapet,” Cash ground out and Abby looked up at him.

His face was pale and tight, his eyes scorching and locked on Ben. One look at him and Abby knew that Cash knew to whom he was speaking.

“Trust me. Take her to the parapet,” Ben repeated and Cash ignored him, making to move forward.

Ben’s gaze swung to Abby. “Honey,” his beloved voice whispered the casual endearment, Cash’s body stilled and Abby felt her mouth fill with saliva as her eyes pricked with tears. Ben continued gently. “Get him to take you to the parapet.” Abby’s head shook jerkily both with fear and the all-consuming desire not to be seeing her dead husband’s ghost, not now, not ever, and Ben went on. “Please, Abby, trust me. We don’t have much time.”

Then he looked behind him, down the stairs, then back at Cash and Abby.

In an instant, he shimmered to nothing.

Immediately Cash pulled on Abby’s arm and moved forward saying, “Let’s go.”

Abby pulled back, Cash stopped two steps down and looked up at her, his hand still clasping hers.

“Darling, let’s go,” he demanded softly.

“Take me to the parapet,” Abby whispered.

Cash shook his head but his voice was still soft when he replied, “No fucking way.”

“Cash.”

“Abby, no fucking way.”

“Cash,” Abby said, “Ben would never hurt me. They have something planned. You have to take me to the parapet.”

“Abby, I’m certain you’ve already noticed that none of their plans are working. I’m not taking you to the parapet.”

She tightened her hand in his and walked down one step all the while looking into his eyes. “Please Cash. You can trust Ben, I promise. Take me to the parapet. Let’s finish this.” She stopped, noted he looked unyielding, so she begged, “Please.”

“You were flying through the air,” Cash returned.

“I know that.”

“She’s not sending you over the fucking parapet.”

“No, she’s not. You won’t let her,” Abby told him and finished on a whisper, “Neither will Ben.”

“Goddamn it Abby,” he gritted through his teeth and she felt a thrill of renewed fear mingled with elation because she knew he was relenting. She didn’t think she wanted him to at the same time she was glad that he was.

“We don’t have much time,” Abby urged on a tug of his hand, like she knew what she was talking about, which she did not.

He sucked air in through his nose, looked to the side then his eyes came back and locked on hers.

He walked up the steps.

Abby let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Swiftly Cash guided her, hand still gripping hers, to the parapet. Zee raced along with them.

The whole time Abby did everything she could not to think about Ben on the staircase and what that meant.

Had he not gone on to the next plane like the rest of her family?

Had he been hanging about their house for the last four years, watching her mope around for three of them, then alone with the new owners for the last one?

How did he get to the castle?

Did Cassandra do this?

Did Jenny and Mrs. Truman know about this?

What did Cash think of seeing Ben?

What did Ben think of seeing Cash?

(Clearly, Abby failed at not thinking about Ben.)

They walked quickly up flight after flight of stone stairs, each one edging the side of the square parapet until Cash pushed up a wooden door in the ceiling. Zee darted forward and Cash led her through. When he had Abby on the roof, the cold air biting into her skin and through the thin satin of her dress, he shut the door.

“Cash,” Abby whispered.

Cash’s eyes sliced to her.

“Later,” he returned sharply.

“We have to –” Abby started.

Cash cut her off. “We have to keep you alive. That’s the primary focus. We’ll deal with the rest of it later.”

Abby started to move closer, saying “Cash –”

He opened his mouth to interrupt when they heard his name, his real name, Conner, said in a musical voice that shimmered through the air around them.

Cash and Abby turned toward the side of the parapet that faced the tor.

Yet another ghost was hovering there only a few inches off the ground. This one was a woman, older, pretty, dainty. She reminded Abby of Nicola but she had several years on her and a sadness about her that hadn’t yet fully blossomed in Nicola and, hopefully, with tonight’s events, never would.

“Gran?” Cash asked, his voice sounding stunned.

“Conner,” she replied on a charming smile that wiped all sadness from her expression.

“Holy crap. You’re Lorna,” Abby thought these words were in her head but when Lorna’s eyes came to her she realised she’d breathed them out loud.

“And you’re Abby.” Her smile deepened and her gaze moved back to her grandson. “The Beaumaris men always had good taste.”

“Wow,” Abby whispered, delighted at the compliment even in their highly unusual, very scary circumstances.

“Gran, what’s happening?” Cash clearly wasn’t feeling into family reunions of the spirit world. He had an objective, he was focused on that objective and even his grandmother’s phantasmic return from the grave wasn’t going to divert him from that objective.

Before Lorna could answer, they heard Mrs. Truman shriek from far away, “What are you doing up there!”

Abby moved to the edge but only caught a glimpse of Mrs. Truman, Jenny, Kieran and the rest of them standing in the courtyard outside, everyone illuminated by the blazing lights that customarily lit the castle. Abby saw all of them were looking up at the tower before Cash yanked Abby away.

“Don’t go near the edge,” he warned, his voice sounding a wee bit irritable.

“Cash Fraser!” Mrs. Truman shouted. “You get Abigail off that parapet this instant!”

“Who’s that?” Lorna asked and Abby jumped when she saw Cash’s ghostly grandmother floating at her side close to the edge looking down at the assemblage.

“Who’s that?” Mrs. Truman screeched, obviously catching sight of Lorna.

“That’s my friend,” Abby told Lorna then shouted as loud as she could, “It’s okay Mrs. Truman! Everything’s under control! This is Cash’s grandma!” Lorna turned amused eyes to Abby and Abby continued in a normal voice. “Um, sorry for shouting.”

Cash’s arm still around her ribcage, grew tighter. She didn’t know if this was amusement or something else. She reckoned it was something else so she decided not to look at him. She was already freaked out enough.

“That’s quite all right,” Lorna said on another sweet smile.

“Well!” Mrs. Truman shrieked. “She should know better! Cash’s Nan! You get Abigail and Cash off that parapet! Right now!” When no one immediately acquiesced to her demand, she finished on a bellow. “Don’t make me come up there!”

Cash let Abby go, leaned over the edge and yelled, “Kieran, I don’t care if you have to stake her to the turf, do not let her come up here.”

“You got it, gov,” Kieran shouted back.

At Kieran’s response, Abby glanced at Cash and saw his eyes roll to the heavens.

“And who’s that?” Lorna asked, peering over the edge again.

“Kieran, my best friend’s husband,” Abby replied. “My best friend is the redhead. Her name is Jenny.”

“Her gown is lovely,” Lorna commented, narrowing her eyes to look closer.

“I’ll tell her you said that,” Abby promised on a smile.

Lorna looked at Abby. “Your gown is lovely too.”

Abby put her hands out at her sides, tilted her chin down, her eyes skimming her dress then she glanced back at Lorna. “It’s my great-grandmother’s.”

“It’s extraordinary,” Lorna remarked.

“If I can interrupt your little chat,” Cash bit out and Abby and Lorna looked at him as he continued, “perhaps, Gran, you can tell us what the fuck is going on?”

That’s when they heard another ghostly voice say, “Conner, don’t speak to your grandmother that way.”

They all turned to see Cash’s father not hovering but standing on the roof like he had real feet even though he was see-through.

“Holy crap,” Abby breathed again, eyes staring at Anthony Beaumaris, “you just told Cash what to do.”

Anthony looked at Abby and replied, “He’s my son.”

Abby kept staring, her night so bizarre, her mouth somewhere along the line became disconnected from her brain so she blathered on, “I know but still, he’s a big guy and he’s scary. I’d never tell him what to do.”

Anthony gave her a look that stated, quite clearly, even in its supernatural weirdness, that he thought maybe she was a little touched.

Then his gaze moved to his son. “Bodes well for your future, son.”

“As pleased as I am to see you both,” Cash clipped, sounding anything but pleased, shrugging off his dinner jacket and settling its voluminous warmth on Abby’s shoulders before he continued, “on the top of a tower in the freezing, fucking cold at midnight when Abby doesn’t have a coat and her life hangs in the balance, I’d prefer it if someone would tell me what in the fuck is going on,” Cash clipped.

Abby leaned toward Lorna and muttered, “He has a short fuse.”

Lorna’s disembodied voice muttered back, “They all do, dear.”

Abby decided to explain Cash’s behaviour. “He says the f-word a lot when he’s angry.” Lorna looked at her. “And other times besides,” Abby finished, feeling the need to be truthful (it was Cash’s grandma).

At that, Cash lost what little patience he had left and snapped, “We’re going.”

“You’re not going,” Anthony returned.

“We’re going,” Cash shot back.

“You can’t go,” Lorna put in.

“Why the hell not?” Cash retorted.

“You have to save Abby and you’re the only one who can do it.”

They all turned at the new voice drifting through the air.

Ben’s voice.

Abby saw he stood in the opposite corner, also see-through, his phantom feet on the roof’s floor. Zee was sitting by Ben’s feet, his tail sweeping casually from side-to-side as if he stood beside his dead master a thousand times.

“Ben,” Abby whispered, her heart leaping into her throat making her voice sound suffocated.

“Not now, Abby,” Ben returned tersely, his eyes on the door in the floor and at that moment, it flew open.

Abby jumped, Cash positioned himself in front of her and took two steps back, guiding Abby to the middle of the tower, his hands behind him, fingers curled into Abby’s sides.

Angus emerged from the door, grunting and straining, pulling the golden rope.

He came fully into view and kept tugging. Vivianna came after him, still fighting frantically against the rope at her waist. Cassandra was last through, her wand pointed at Vivianna, a pale, slim thread of gossamer gold coming from the wand and hitting Vivianna in the back, its purpose, Abby suspected, aiding in binding the ghost.

“Jesus,” Cash murmured.

“We got her, laddie,” Angus proclaimed stoutly.

“Jesus,” Cash repeated.

Abby wasn’t paying attention.

She was watching Ben, Anthony and Lorna position themselves in a circle around Angus, Cassandra and Vivianna. Zee had started prowling the edges of the roof, his yellow cat eyes turned to the restrained ghost.

“Not gon’ get away now, are you beastie?” Angus taunted.

Abby examined Vivianna who had stopped fighting against the rope and her head was whipping this way and that taking in her fellow phantoms, Cash and Zee.

It dawned on Abby that the spectre actually looked scared.

“If you’d paid attention this morning, son, not only would Abby not have wrecked your car but I would have guided you to Vivianna’s Book of Shadows,” Anthony noted mysteriously, his words causing Cash’s body to grow still, his eyes never leaving Vivianna.

“It’s hidden behind a secret panel in one of the bookshelves of the library,” Lorna put in. She, too, didn’t take her eyes from Vivianna and stayed close to the bound ghost.

“Vivianna’s invincible… almost,” Anthony noted. “Only her Book of Shadows holds the secret to her demise.”

“And that would be?” Cash, his eyes also locked on Vivianna, asked.

“Her death has to be re-enacted,” Ben answered.

Cash replied instantly, “She committed suicide.”

Cash and Abby were moving round in a slow half-circle watching as Angus and Cassandra positioned Vivianna to the edge of the tower closest to the tor. Once there the three other ghosts and Zee moved in.

“She didn’t commit suicide,” Lorna said quietly.

“She didn’t?” Abby whispered.

“She poisoned her ex-lover’s wife. Killed her,” Anthony picked up the story. “In order to commence her plan to rain terror on Penmort throughout eternity, she drew him up here and confessed to the crime. In a rage, he threw her over the side,” Anthony told them and Abby gasped.

Then Abby gasped again as Angus whipped the lasso over Vivianna’s head, freeing her, and Cassandra dropped her wand, the gossamer thread disappearing.

They both stepped away.

“Cash!” Abby cried even as she felt and saw Cash’s body get tense.

But Vivianna was going nowhere. She was pinned to the spot, hovering several feet off the ground with Ben, Anthony and Lorna’s hands extended to her somehow, though Abby had no clue how, they were imprisoning her.

“You’re safe, love,” Anthony’s voice was gentle and it reminded her exactly of Cash’s (except, of course, with an English accent rather than a Scottish one) as it slid through the air all around her. Anthony went on. “There’s a reason Vivianna didn’t appear before any of the masters of this castle.”

“Because they can touch her,” Abby guessed.

“Yes, dear,” Lorna affirmed, “they can touch her. She’s only vulnerable to a master of Penmort.”

“You have to push her over the side,” Ben informed Cash and Abby’s hands came up to clutch Cash’s waist.

Ben’s eyes dropped to her hands and she pulled them quickly away.

Then Abby heard, “She doesn’t love you.”

Abby’s head shot up and she stared at Vivianna. The spirit’s eyes were pained and afraid and they were staring beseechingly at Cash.

“She’ll never love you,” Vivianna’s voice, strangely pleasant and warm, filled the air. Even so, Abby felt a cold chill slide across her skin that had nothing to do with the frosty night. “She’ll always love him.” Her head moved to motion to Ben and Abby felt her chest grow tight.

“Push her,” Ben urged.

“I love you. I’ve always loved you,” Vivianna told Cash and Abby bit her lip, feeling her body tremble, knowing this reaction too had nothing to do with the bitter night. “I’ll always love you.”

“Damn it, man, push her!” Ben demanded, eyes on Abby.

Cash took a step forward and Vivianna quailed.

“You deserve better!” she cried desperately and Cash stopped.

Abby’s eyes slid to Cash’s face and she saw he was listening, he didn’t like what he was hearing and worst of all, it was penetrating.

Abby felt her pulse start beating wildly in her throat and blood started rushing to her ears because of course this would penetrate. Cash knew how she felt about Ben. He’d thrown it in her face during their first, colossal fight.

He just didn’t know how she felt now.

Vivianna carried on. “You deserve someone who loves you, who’ll take care of you, who wants no one but you, who longs for no one but you!”

“Shut it, ghosty,” Angus growled but Vivianna ignored him.

“Her heart belongs to another man. It always will. She’ll never feel that way for you, my love, my dearest heart. Never!” Vivianna wailed.

Abby could take no more, putting her hands over her ears and stomping her foot, she shouted, “Stop it!”

Vivianna’s eyes moved to Abby and she spat, “You’ll never be good enough for him!”

Abby took her hands from her ears, planted them on her hips, stepped clear of Cash and leaned forward, shouting, “I know! That doesn’t mean I don’t love him!”

The air and all of the beings on the roof went deathly still.

Abby, beside herself and definitely not in control of her own actions (most specifically her mouth), turned to Cash. “I love you, all right?” She was still shouting, not the least bit romantically, not that it mattered. She was in the iron jaws of the freak out to end all freak outs and she didn’t notice Cash’s body jolt at her words but instead jabbered on, “I know it sounds stupid, we’ve only known each other a short time and blah, blah, blah.” Abby circled her hand in the air like an idiot and kept rattling away. “Doesn’t matter, I know what I feel. I knew it with Ben the minute I saw him, I knew it with you.” Abby turned to Vivianna. “So, you can go straight to hell, okay? You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re just mean and nasty and a poor loser! Haunting a castle for centuries and killing people because your boyfriend broke up with you. Who does that?”

“Abby,” Cash called, interrupting Abby’s rant and her eyes cut to him.

“What?” she snapped.

“Come here, darling,” he demanded quietly.

“I don’t want to. I’m freaking out. All right? And I’m cold. And I need a drink. Tequila. Stat.” she turned back to Vivianna and threatened, “And if one, single bugle bead on these shoes is missing after tonight’s fiasco I’m holding you responsible.” She finished while jabbing her finger in Vivianna’s direction.

“Abby,” Cash called again and Abby’s eyes sliced back to him.

“What?” she shrieked.

“I said, come here.”

Abby rolled her eyes heavenward, sighed heavily and stomped the two feet to Cash.

His hand came up and his fingers curled around her neck as his chin tipped down to look at her.

“You’re in love with me?” he asked softly.

“Yes, like, no duh,” she retorted sharply then she called as if he was a block away, “Hello! Cash! I totally freaked out when I thought you were in an accident.” Abby turned her head to Anthony. “Your son is very clever but it would seem he can be a bit –”

She didn’t finish, Cash’s fingers tightened at her neck and jerked her forward, making her body slam into his.

She tilted her head back and her breath caught at the intensity in his eyes right before his nose touched hers.

“You love me,” he stated in that low, deep, rough voice which was one of the many things she loved most about him.

Abby realised what she was about at the same time she realised that in all her many years of stupid, stupid, stupid behaviour, this was, by far and away, the stupidest.

Still, she couldn’t stop herself from whispering, “Yes.”

Close up, Abby watched Cash’s eyes smile and her heart leapt at the sight.

“Well, this is going to make eternity interesting,” Ben remarked drolly from his place at Vivianna’s side.

Cash’s head came up and Abby’s turned to the side.

She wasn’t sure but she thought she could actually feel her heart breaking.

And it hurt.

A lot.

“Ben,” she murmured.

“Abby,” Ben replied, his mouth twitching.

“I’m sorry,” Abby whispered.

“Honey, why? Because you’re alive and happy?” Ben asked and Cash’s hand dropped from Abby’s neck as Abby turned fully to face Ben but she felt Cash’s other arm slide around her waist and he pulled her gently into his side.

“Um,” Abby answered Ben hesitantly, “yes?”

Ben laughed.

No joke.

He laughed out loud like she was hilarious, his laughter curling through the air around them.

When he stopped, his gaze was on Cash and he informed him, “She’s a little nutty.”

“I’ve noticed that,” Cash murmured.

“It’s cute,” Ben went on.

Cash’s fingers at her waist flexed as he said, “I’ve noticed that too.”

Abby looked between Cash and Ben, her heart had stopped breaking but her blood pressure had started rising before she demanded to know, “What’s going on?”

“I know what’s no’ going on,” Angus cut in impatiently, “and that’s the fact that no ghosty she-bitch is being hurtled over the side of the tower straight to the depths of hell. That’s what’s no’ going on.”

“Yes, Conner, do you think we can get on with this? Abby’s cold,” Anthony added.

“And, I hate to bring this up, but Cassandra told us we don’t have much time,” Lorna noted.

Abby looked at Cassandra and muttered in a threatening tone, “You have a bit of explaining to do.”

Cassandra shrugged. Then she grinned.

Abby decided she’d deal with Cassandra later and looked to Cash.

Cash was looking at Vivianna.

It then occurred to Abby that even though she was a ghost, and a murderess six times over, not to mention not very nice, it still couldn’t be a fun to be the person who had to send her plunging to the depths of hell.

Abby looked at Vivianna and asked, “Do you think you can play nice? You know, not murder anyone else and maybe not scare people?”

Vivianna’s eyes narrowed, her face twisted with hatred and she hissed, “I’ll see your broken body at the bottom of the tor before I –”

She didn’t finish.

Without hesitation Cash strode forward, put a hand to her chest and thrust her over the side.

Abby’s blood ran cold as Vivianna’s chilling scream split the air.

Abby ran after Cash, put one of her hands to his back, one to his stomach and plastered her front to his side.

Then she, Cash, his father and grandmother, Abby’s dead husband, her ghost hunter, her clairvoyant witch and her cat peered over the edge and watched as Vivianna’s body plummeted down, her skirts billowing, her hair wafting, her arms reeling, until they could see no more through the dark.

Mere moments later the scream died and a burst of violet and lilac sparks shot straight up the tor, the side of the castle and they all stepped back to watch them fly into the air over the parapet.

Abby stared up as the sparks glimmered then faded away.

Cash’s arm curled around her body, holding her close to his warmth.

She felt weird, thinking she should be happy that Vivianna was gone but instead she was somehow sad.

“Well, that’s done then,” Cassandra mumbled.

They heard scuffling then Mrs. Truman shoved through the door in the floor, Kieran on her heels, hand reaching toward Mrs. Truman as if to detain her, Jenny right behind Kieran.

Once she gained the roof, Mrs. Truman whirled on them, planted her hands on her hips, her breath coming in huffs, her eyes cutting amongst the humans and ghosts and she shouted, “What’s the meaning of this!”

But Abby’s eyes were on Kieran and Jenny, both of whom also were on the roof and both were staring at Ben.

“My God,” Kieran breathed.

Abby, nor Ben, had any chance to explain.

Cassandra moved forward and said urgently, “We don’t have much time. We have to get them back home.”

Before anything could be said Lorna moved in front of Cash and Abby. Her eyes were on her grandson.

“You’ll be happy?” she asked, her voice soft but fervent, her face intent.

Abby looked up at Cash and saw his jaw clenched.

Then he replied, “Yes, Gran.”

Lorna smiled and looked at Abby.

Quietly she murmured, “You remind me of…” she hesitated and then the sad look came back into her face, “well, me… a long time ago.”

Abby’s heart went out to her and she asked, “Is ‘home’ a happy place for you?”

Lorna nodded. “Yes, my dear. Very happy,” her face went soft and the sadness again disappeared, “now it will be even happier.”

Her eyes moved back to Cash, roamed his face fondly then they turned to Cassandra and she nodded.

Cassandra lifted her wand, muttered some rhyming words, ended it with “so mote it be” and a spark of bright, silver light shot from her wand and hit Lorna.

Lorna’s gaze turned to Cash, she smiled, her entire body started glimmering then she faded away.

Abby’s arm slid around Cash’s waist and she held on tight.

Without delay, Anthony moved in front of them.

“You’ve taken care of Alistair?” he queried, eyes on Cash.

Cash nodded and Anthony nodded in return.

Quietly Anthony stated, “She’s different, you know, where she is now.”

Abby felt Cash’s body grow rigid at her side and she knew Anthony was talking about Cash’s mother.

“Healthy?” Cash asked.

Anthony nodded again. “And happy.”

Abby swallowed the tears crawling up her throat and pressed deeper into Cash.

“I don’t want you taking the Beaumaris name,” Anthony announced. “I want you to usher in the era of the Frasers. Your grandfather deserves that, as does your mother.”

Cash jerked his head in agreement and Anthony looked at Abby for a moment before training his eyes back on his son.

“This one’s going to be a handful,” he declared and Abby didn’t know what to make of that.

She heard amusement in his voice when Cash replied, “I’ve already figured that out.”

Anthony grinned and Abby caught her breath.

His grin melted the forbidding, somewhat scary look of his face and morphed him into an almost exact heart-stoppingly handsome replica of his son.

Anthony’s eyes went back to Abby and he noted roguishly, “The Beaumaris men have always had good taste.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Abby muttered.

He threw back his head and laughed, the same, rich, deep, beautiful laugh as Cash.

When he was done, he turned to Cassandra and gave her a sharp nod.

She lifted her wand and spoke again, the silver beam shot from her wand and hit Anthony.

His eyes went to Cash, his body glimmering and then fading away.

Before he was gone, Abby saw his mouth move, his body disappeared but the words shimmered in the air around them.

“I’m proud of you, son.”

Abby tried hard not to emit the hiccoughing sound of her sob but she didn’t quite achieve this feat. Cash turned to her, both his arms moving around her and he kissed her forehead.

Then Ben appeared before them and Cash pulled slightly, but only very slightly, away.

Abby held her breath then let it go to say, “Ben.”

“He’s freaking tall,” Ben commented, eyes shifting to Cash.

“Oh Ben,” Abby whispered, torn asunder, wanting to laugh and wanting to scream and lastly, but most especially, wanting to cry.

She also wanted to touch him, having lived for that opportunity for four years. But oddly, even as she wanted it with a desperation that was the definition of longing, at the same time she did not want it, but instead wanted to move on.

“And kind of bossy,” Ben continued, breaking into her confused thoughts.

“He is that,” Abby murmured and Ben grinned.

Cash showed no reaction at all.

Ben’s eyes came to Abby and he told her gently, “You gotta let yourself be happy, honey.”

“I –” she started but he shook his head, lifted his hand as if to touch her and Cash tensed.

Ben’s hand dropped away not because of Cash but because Ben couldn’t touch her and Abby saw the frustration slide through his expression before he hid it.

Then his face assumed the look she’d seen a million times. It was the look he got when he was being serious and trying to cut through her stupid, stupid, stupid stupidity.

“You gotta let yourself be happy.” His voice was fierce and demanding and it was at that moment that Abby realised she’d forgotten Ben could be pretty bossy too.

“Ben –” Abby started again only to be interrupted again.

“I don’t want to hear it, beautiful. This can’t go on, the way you’ve been.”

“But I –” Abby began again only to be interrupted again.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he leaned in, “let yourself be happy.”

Abby stared at him.

“Promise me, Abby,” Ben insisted.

As his gaze held hers, Abby felt the tears burning in her eyes.

Finally she whispered, “I promise.”

He watched her a moment then pulled back. He turned to Kieran and Jenny who were both standing in each other’s arms.

Jenny was silently crying.

Kieran’s face was white and his throat was moving convulsively.

Ben lifted his hand to them, a sob broke from Jenny and Kieran’s arms tightened around her.

Then Ben looked at Cassandra and nodded.

Cassandra lifted her wand and started speaking and Abby felt sudden, fierce anguish rip through her.

She pulled from Cash’s arms and got as close as she could to Ben’s glimmering form. She lifted her hands as if she could press them against his fading chest and tilted her head back.

“I love you,” she choked, tears clogging her throat.

Ben’s hand came toward her face but it was melting away as his voice floated through the air, “I know, baby, I love you too.”

Then he was gone.

A whimper of sorrow slid from Abby’s throat and she was turned into Cash’s arms. She wrapped her own arms around him and buried her face in his chest, the sobs tearing through her, her body trembling uncontrollably. Cash’s arm at her back tightened, his fingers digging into her side, his other hand slid up, fingers curled warmly around the back of her neck and through this, Abby sobbed.

Suddenly, fear sliced through her, she pulled back and her eyes cut to Cassandra.

“Tell me he went to a better place!” she demanded loudly.

Cassandra’s face was gentle when she replied, “He went to a better place, mate. I promise you, he went to a better place.”

Abby stared at her a moment, assessing her honesty then she turned away and pressed her forehead to Cash’s chest and took a deep breath to control her tears.

Then another emotion, this one anger, took hold of her, her head tipped back and she shouted at Cash, “I hate Vivianna! She’s a bitch!”

Cash’s hand moved from the back of her neck, his arm coming around so his fingers could curl at her neck at the side.

“She’s gone, darling.”

“Good!” Abby snapped. “She’s pissed me off. All this drama! For what? Seriously! What a bitch!”

Cash stared at her a moment with the look on his face that he got when he was openly wondering about Abby’s sanity when Jenny called out knowledgeably, “Don’t worry, Cash. Anger is good. You only have to worry when Abby gets quiet. If she’s blabbing and pissed, all’s well.”

Abby twisted to look at her friend and demanded, “Shut up, Jenny.”

“I’m just saying –” Jenny started.

“Shut up!” Abby shot back.

“All righty then,” Jenny mumbled and Kieran’s mouth twitched.

“People!” Mrs. Truman cut in sharply, she was peering over the side of the parapet. “We’ve got company.”

Everyone moved to the edge and looked down to see the flashing lights of police cars. Something was happening with four policemen, the Fitzhugh women, Alistair and a man who Abby could swear, even from that distance, was Cash’s friend James.

“What on –” she breathed but Cash was on the move.

He grabbed her hand and she and Cash led the way. Everyone clattered down the stairs from the turret (this made dangerous by Zee darting between Abby’s legs on more than one occasion), down the hall, descending more stairs and then swiftly out the front door.

Abby hustled to match Cash’s long strides as he guided them across the courtyard to the police.

“What’s happening?” he asked when they’d stopped and Abby noted that Alistair’s face was red and he’d been in mid-bluster when they arrived.

“We’ve had a reported disturbance,” a policeman answered Cash’s question.

“What sort of disturbance?” Mrs. Truman demanded to know as if the last hour of disturbance upon disturbance hadn’t happened.

“We’ve got thirty-seven people at the station claiming they’ve seen a ghost and an extra seventeen people reported the same via the phone,” another policeman responded.

“A ghost!” Mrs. Truman shouted then lied through her teeth, “Codswallop.”

Jenny giggled

Abby turned wide eyes to Cash.

But Cash wasn’t listening. He was looking at James.

His eyes moved to the policemen who looked like they were both talking to, and positioning themselves to detain, Alistair.

“And why are you here?” Cash asked the second set of policemen.

One of the policemen’s eyes flicked to Cash but then went back to Alistair as he answered, “I’m sorry to tell you this, sir, but we have a man being questioned at the station. He’s alleging that he was paid by your uncle to tamper with your car. We need to take Mr. Beaumaris in for an interview.”

“He did it,” Mrs. Truman announced baldly and both the police positioned around Alistair looked at her.

“How do you know that?” one of them asked.

“I’m seventy years old,” Mrs. Truman explained on a humph as if his question was beyond ridiculous and beneath her notice but she was forced to reply, if only to demonstrate good manners. “At my age, you learn to read people. Just look at him,” she gestured to Alistair as if that was all it took to try and fry him.

“I didn’t attempt to kill my nephew,” Alistair lied.

“You did and there’s proof,” James cut in, everyone looked at him and he carried on, “Mick Johnstone recorded your conversation.” Alistair’s face blanched and James’s eyes moved to the policemen. “He records all of his conversations for insurance and future extortion. Ask him about the tapes.”

“And you came across this information how?” one of the policemen queried.

James shrugged. “He told his girlfriend then cheated on her. She kicked him out but he owed her money and never paid. She was willing to talk and she did.”

“Did you offer her money to talk?” a policeman enquired and James shook his head.

“No, she was happy to talk.” His eyes moved to an Alistair who no longer looked pompous but was having difficulty hiding his fear. “She’s pretty annoyed.”

“You men,” Suzanne remarked, “I hope you’ve learned from tonight’s events that it’s best never to cross a woman.”

“Amen to that,” Honor muttered.

One of the policemen approached Alistair saying, “You need to come with us.”

“I will not leave my home!” Alistair declared, pulling his arrogance around him like a shield and stepping back.

The other policeman moved forward. “You come willing, or we’ll be forced to arrest you and you’ll come in cuffs, your choice.”

Alistair stared, the police braced and everyone watched.

Tense moments slid by.

Finally Alistair’s shoulders straightened and his chin tilted back.

“I’ll want to call my attorneys immediately,” he demanded.

The policemen moved forward, one of them took Alistair’s arm.

“Of course,” he muttered.

Abby waited and watched Cash’s uncle, hoping he’d turn, say something to Cash, maybe apologise for being such a jerk or say something to Nicola, again something like apologising for being a jerk.

But he didn’t look back as the police led him away.

James glanced at Cash then followed the police.

Everyone stood silent as the police car drove Alistair Beaumaris from Penmort Castle hopefully, Abby thought, for the final time.

“Well, it appears all’s well at Penmort,” one of the other set of policemen commented.

To which Suzanne muttered, eyes still at the gate where they last saw Alistair, “You can say that again.”

Again everyone stood quiet and watchful as the second set of police took their leave.

Abby’s mind was so blank, all thoughts forced out likely in an effort at self-preservation so she could keep her sanity, that when Nicola spoke, she jumped.

“Honor, my dearest, I think now we could all use some champagne.”