also wished she had insisted that Molly remain with her, but Mrs. Ackerman had been adamant that the servant’s quarters were below. Hannah had a hunch that the housekeeper had done so with the notion that Hannah would expect time to be with her husband, but the man couldn’t even bring himself to have supper with her.
Hannah was more than aware that he hadn’t wanted to be married. But this seemed to be quite beyond what she had anticipated.
Her room was cold, despite the fire that was burning in the stone fireplace on the far wall. There was simply no decoration and no life to it beyond the panels on the walls, although they only further reminded her of the many people who had lived and died here over the centuries. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she told herself to take this one day at a time. For if she began to remind herself that this was her entire future stretching out in front of her, panic began to build in her chest that she didn’t know how to tamp down.
After what seemed like hours, her eyes finally began to drift closed, until a soft keening from down the hall reached her ears, and her eyes snapped open as she burrowed deeper within the blankets.
It must be the wind rustling over the roof of the house, she told herself. Except that she was currently on the first floor, and there was still a story above her. Hannah swallowed hard as the keening turned into a moaning, until an agonized cry rang out.
Chills rushed through her anew, but Hannah told herself that the only explanation was that the sound was coming from a human – although what could be befalling him or her, she had no idea.
But clearly the person was in pain. She wondered if there was anyone here besides Edmund and the servants. She hadn’t seen any sign of them, but then, she wouldn’t have believed Edmund lived here either had she not seen him enter the house.
She took a breath, steeling all of her nerves to go and see what she could do to help the poor soul.
Finding her wrapper within her as-of-yet unpacked bags, for Molly hadn’t had time to put anything away once the room was prepared, Hannah threw it around her shoulders, took up a candlestick, and pushed open the door.
Her bedroom led out to a small balcony which overlooked the great hall. To her left was a staircase; to her right, a closed doorway. She had no idea where it led.
“Hello?” she called out softly, hearing the noises continue from within. She knocked hesitantly on the door, staying back from the railing, the great hall below her a dark abyss.
There was no answer, however, and she placed a hand on the doorknob, unsure of whether she should risk opening it.
But a loud thrashing and shout solved the problem for her, and she threw open the door but stepped back, with thoughts of protecting herself from the unknown entity within.
Her small candle cast just enough light into the room that she could see a shape underneath the bedcovers, tossing and turning with great agitation.
“Edmund?” she called out, but he still didn’t respond. She took hesitant steps toward the bed, finally stopping when she was beside him. His brow was covered in sweat, his hair now unbound, long upon his pillow.
“Edmund?” she repeated, this time reaching out a hand and placing it upon his brow. He stilled at her touch, and she expected him to fling open his eyes and ask her what she was doing there. But he didn’t. Instead, it seemed that she had stilled something within him, for his body went slack, and his head lulled to sleep once more. As his features softened and the noises ceased, Hannah became aware of the feeling of his rough skin beneath her fingertips. It intrigued her, and yet she could tell he had no wish to speak of what had happened to him.
She gazed down upon this stranger that was now her husband, wondering at the nightmares that haunted him. She could only imagine the horrors of war he had faced, and wondered if he would ever get over them, or if he would ever share what it was that tortured him so.
Did she even want him to? If she could ease his pain, she decided, then it would be worth it. It would have to be.