“Shh,” she answered. “We’re getting to the ghost part, I think.”
“Those candles burned all night and the following day, until they were nothing more than little knobs of wax. But still they burned. On into the next night, then the next. They burned for three days, as long as Kathryn and Harris had been married, and then they went out. The following year, on Harris and Kathryn’s anniversary, Kathryn’s unused room mysteriously caught fire, but the house was saved. More bad luck followed for the Purdy family—the hotel was lost in a flood and the logging mill was taken to pay debts. In financial ruin, Kathryn’s parents moved away, abandoning the house. But...”
Miss Harkins leaned forward, a look of mischief in her eyes. Her voice sank to a whisper.
“Every now and then, people would swear that they could see two candles burning in the window above. Others would swear there was only one... but that another was burning in another abandoned building down the street. And even now, over a hundred years later, people still claim to see candles burning in the windows of some of the abandoned houses down here. And it’s strange—the only people who see them are young couples in love. Whether or not you two will see them depends on your feelings for each other.”
Miss Harkins closed her eyes, as if telling the story had drained her. For a minute she didn’t move, and Sarah and Miles sat frozen in place, afraid to break the spell. Then she finally opened her eyes again and reached for her tea.
After saying good-bye, Miles and Sarah descended the porch steps and returned to the gravel path. Miles took Sarah’s hand again as they approached the street. As if still under the spell of Miss Harkins’s story, neither Miles nor Sarah said anything for a long while.
“I’m glad we went there,” Sarah finally offered.
“So you liked it?”
“All women love romantic stories.”
They rounded the corner and neared Front Street; ahead, they could make out the river between the homes, gliding silently, shining black.
“Are you ready for something to eat?”
“In a minute,” he said, slowing down, then finally stopping.
She looked at him. Over his shoulder, she could see moths fluttering around the glowing street lamp. Miles was staring into the distance, toward the river, and Sarah followed his eyes but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“What is it?” she asked.
Miles shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He wanted to start walking again but found he couldn’t. Instead he took a step toward Sarah, pulling her gently toward him. Sarah followed his lead, her stomach tightening. As Miles leaned toward her, she closed her eyes, and when their faces drew near, it was as if nothing else mattered in the world.
The kiss went on and on, and when they finally pulled apart, Miles embraced her. He buried his face in her neck, then kissed the hollow of her shoulder. The moisture of his tongue made her shiver, and she leaned into him, savoring the safe harbor of his arms as the rest of the world went on around them.
A few minutes later they walked back to her apartment, talking softly, his thumb moving gently over the back of her hand.
Once inside, Miles draped his jacket over the back of the chair as Sarah made her way to the kitchen. He wondered if she knew he was watching her.
“So what’s for dinner?” he asked.
Sarah opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a large pan covered in tinfoil. “Lasagna, French bread, and a salad. Is that okay?”
“Sounds great. Can I give you a hand with anything?”
“It’s pretty much done,” Sarah answered as she put the pan in the oven. “All I have to do is heat this for a half hour or so. But if you want, you can start the fire. And open the wine—it’s on the counter.”
“No problem,” he said.
“I’ll join you in the living room in a few minutes,” Sarah called out as she headed for the bedroom.
In the bedroom, Sarah picked up a hairbrush and began to pull it through her hair.
Much as she wanted to deny it, their kiss had left her feeling a bit shaky. She sensed that tonight was a turning point in their relationship, and she was scared. She knew that she had to tell Miles the real reason for the collapse of her marriage, but it wasn’t easy to talk about. Especially to someone she cared about.