arms and trying not to cry. When she didn’t get an answer she began to speak anyway.
“You don’t scare me you know. I would however, like to respect your wishes. You have to respect mine too though, and we have to lay some ground rules. I won’t go upstairs and you stay out of my bedroom and bathroom whenever I am indecent. I imagine that you came from a very proper time and so I would appreciate it if you would respect the fact that I am a woman and need my privacy.”
Still no answer.
“Well, I am going to bed. We can talk some more in the morning if you want.” She started to walk to the room when he spoke to her again only much quieter and only slightly annoyed this time.
“I said that you are not welcome here girl. We have nothing more to talk about.”
“I heard you clearly eno ugh, sir, and I am not going anywhere.” She said, staring at the empty room before her then turned back towards the hallway, lifted her chin and went to her room. She shut the door quietly and leaned against the door as if it would keep him out. She wanted to cry for the first time in a very, very long time. She wouldn’t let it out though. She couldn’t.
It seemed that the tarot cards were coming true after all. The wheel of fortune had brought her to this place and though the house was everything she could have ever imagined she knew she was a fool for ever thinking that it could be hers and hers alone. As she listened to his footsteps pace over and over again on the floor just above her, she drifted off to dream again about the ballroom and the same handsome stranger with the strong hands and the enchanting green eyes.
Chapter 3 The Hermit
What he wouldn’t give just to sleep as she did so peacefully, so at ease with the world. He had hurt her. Probably emotionally just as much as physically and had only meant to scare her. What he didn’t get was how he knew that he hurt her pride more than anything.
She was a very strange girl. She wasn’t afraid of him at least not of his touch or his voice he found out. In fact he thought that he felt her ease when he spoke. Was he going to have to show himself for the first time in order to get rid of her? Did he even know how to do that?
Why had she wanted to talk to him again? What was wrong with her? She should have been screaming and running. She should have been terrified by the fact that she had a hostile ghost in her existence. The truth was that he wouldn’t hurt a fly unless it had it coming. Maybe she was able to sense that.
As he stood over her bed watching her he noticed again how angelic, how innocent she looked. He imagined that she was of at least twenty-five years yet she looked like a sweet child as she slept. Maybe she had been telling him the truth. Maybe she really had nowhere else to go. He didn’t know how the people were in this time. He had only met a few over the years but something told him that she would mean him no harm. A part of him wanted to let this one stay yet, another part of him wanted to spend his eternity alone. He had nothing to offer anyone after all.
Drew woke the next morning with a terrible sinus headache and sneezing that wouldn’t stop. She decided that it was time to get rid of the dust clothes and start doing some cleaning. First thing first though and the market place was calling her name. She was starving for some real food and needed to buy some other supplies.
She was up and ready in no time. As much as she loved the house it was time to get out of it for a little while and visit the living. As she started to head for the front door she heard footsteps on the stairs. It was kind of nice that he was making himself known for her now instead of creeping up on her in silence as he had done before.
“I’m going into town. Do you need anything?”
Of course there was no answer.
“Alright, suit yourself. I will be coming back in a little while. Maybe we can