Possessed
Belle
BELLE SAT IN THE CHAIR in the bay window in Jack’s study as Jack sat behind his desk.
She had her sketch pad in front of her but her eyes were trained on the view.
She wasn’t seeing the view though. She was thinking of the last four days, through all of which nothing had happened.
Not one thing.
Well, not exactly.
She woke up with Jack, she went to bed by Jack and she loved doing both. Jack also made love to her and, sometimes, he was adventurous in a gentle way and she loved that too (maybe even more). She always had breakfast with Jack, and usually, due to the hour, they were alone and she also loved that. If he was at home, she usually had dinner with him, though they were never alone but were surrounded by family so she loved that as well. And Jack always came home in time for both of them to take Baron and Gretl for a walk and she loved that too.
She also went to work but spent half her time working, half her time trying to convince Belinda that Dirk was not her prince charming come to St. Ives to sweep her off her feet except he didn’t know it and had to be convinced. Belle was failing in this endeavor just as Dirk was failing in that same endeavor. This made work interesting and sometimes amusing if it didn’t help to get it done.
Her father was still there, which meant anything could happen, but luckily he was behaving himself and mostly spending his time sightseeing, sometimes alone, sometimes with Rachel. This meant if he was (or they were) causing mayhem it was luckily somewhere else.
But although she’d seen and spoken to Myrtle and Lewis several times since Sunday, it was only to get to know them. And the more she got to know them, the more she liked them and the more determined she was to get them “home.”
Other than that, nothing had happened. No great stroke of genius hit her as to how to release the children to the next plane. Lewis hadn’t come up with anything. And neither did any of the Ghost Helpers.
“Calm before the storm, love, enjoy it,” Jack had muttered when she’d shared her impatience with him.
And he was right. Something was coming.
She just wished it would get there so they could deal with it, she could take care of those children and everyone could move on.
But she currently had something else on her mind and that was the fact that Joy had finally talked Miles into having a chat. She, Cassandra and Lorna were with him at Yasmin’s as Belle sat in Jack’s study at The Point not seeing the view.
So she was also worried.
“Belle,” Jack called.
“Yes?” Belle answered the view.
“Love, look at me,” he ordered gently, her head turned to him and her eyes caught his green ones. “It will all be fine.”
As ever, he knew her thoughts and he knew when she needed his reassurance.
That said, she wasn’t exactly reassured.
“You keep saying that, Jack, but nothing’s happening,” she reminded him, not remembering you should be careful what you wish for because just as she said it, she heard the door fly open.
Jack’s head whipped to it as he swiftly rose from his chair and Belle leaned and twisted to look around the back of her own.
Angus was advancing, looking agitated.
“Laddie, we got a—” he started to tell Jack but didn’t finish.
This was because Miles stormed in after Angus, his face red and his expression murderous.
With just one look at his face, not even fully taking in his threatening gait, Belle’s body froze solid.
“I cannot fucking believe you!” he shouted, stalking straight toward the desk and thus Jack.
Angus moved in front of him and Belle gasped and jumped from her chair, tossing down her sketch pad and pencil as Miles put his hands on Angus, threw him bodily to the side and Angus went flying, kilt awhirl, arms wheeling.
At that, the room became a bustle of action.
Jack quickly rounded his desk, growling, “Belle, do not move,” just as Lachlan, Cassandra, Joy and Lorna came flying into the room, in that order.
“Miles, calm down,” Jack ordered and Miles stopped in front of Jack, lifted a hand, planted it in Jack’s chest and pushed off.
But Jack stood solid and didn’t even sway. However, he did lift an arm to shove his brother’s hand from his chest.
“Jesus, I cannot believe you. I cannot . . .” Miles leaned in, his face getting redder, “fucking . . . believe you!”
“Miles, I will repeat, calm down,” Jack said in a low, even voice.
“Did you tell Belle that shit?” Miles bit out. “Did you tell Belle like you told Mum that I fucking pushed your woman down the stairs?” he bellowed the last words in fury.
Oh goodness gracious!
Suddenly the room again filled with action as Miles didn’t pause for an answer but aimed a punch at Jack.
Belle gasped and took two steps forward but stopped when she saw Jack duck and Miles missed him. At the same time, Angus and Lachlan sprang forward and Lila, Rachel and Jensen raced into the room, Lila shouting, “What on earth is going on?”
Miles recovered, aimed another punch, Lila and Rachel gasped loudly and Dad ran toward the brothers as Lachlan latched on to both of Miles’s arms and yanked them hard behind his back.
“Please, don’t hurt him!” Joy cried, throwing a beseeching arm toward Lachlan and Miles while her other hand went to her chest.
Miles ignored his mother, struggled against Lachlan’s hold, his eyes locked on Jack and he shouted, “I did not push Belle down the fucking stairs!”
Angus got close and said in his soft burr, “You didn’t, laddie, the spirit inside you did.”
Still jerking against his captor, Mile’s enraged eyes sliced to Angus and he spat, “That’s what that brunette bitch told me, old man, and that’s fucked up.” His eyes then cut to Belle. “I did not push you.”
“Miles—” Belle whispered.
“Look at me,” Jack ordered before Belle could say any more.
Miles ignored Jack too, his eyes riveted to Belle. “I swear to Christ, Belle, I did not fucking push you.”
Jack got close. “Eyes to me, Miles.”
Miles stopped struggling against Lachlan and glared at Jack. “I did not push her.”
“You didn’t,” Jack said quietly. “I know that.”
“Then why did you tell Mum I did?” Miles fired back. “She—”
“You didn’t push Belle and I know it sounds insane, but although you didn’t push her, you still did.”
“I did not!”
“You were there, Miles,” Jack told him. “You were seen.”
“That isn’t fucking true,” Miles hissed, his eyes narrowing.
“You were seen,” Jack repeated.
“Yes, by a ghost,” Miles spat. “They told me. Jesus, Jack, seriously? You believe that shit? All these years, now you believe that shit? That is fucked up!”
“Okay, so where were you that night?” Jack asked.
“Not here,” Miles immediately answered.
“Where were you?” Jack pressed.
Miles again jerked against Lachlan’s hold but Lachlan held true.
He stopped just as suddenly and clipped loudly, “Tell the ginger to let me go!”
“I’ll let you go, mate, you don’t throw another punch,” Lachlan said from behind him.
“I won’t throw another punch,” Miles bit out.
“Right, then I’ll let you go you don’t call me ‘ginger’ again,” Lachlan went on.
“Lach, let the lad go,” Angus said low.
Lachlan looked to his uncle then pushed Miles off and stepped back.
Miles immediately twisted around to glare at Lachlan then he turned back to Jack when Jack pressed on, “Miles, the night Belle was hurt, where were you?”
“I wasn’t fucking here,” he shot back.
“All right. Then where were you?” Jack kept at it.
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
“Not . . . fucking . . . here!”
“Miles, if you weren’t here, where were you?”
“Not fucking here!” Miles roared, stepped swiftly to a table that was close, grabbed a vase and threw it across the room.
It sailed safely between Jack and Lachlan but exploded against the wall.
Belle jumped as did others, and Joy cried, “Miles!”
The men closed in on Miles but he was now staring at the floor, body mostly motionless except he was breathing heavily. Jack correctly sensed he was no threat and lifted his hand to the other men to stop their advance, so they did.
He gave his brother a moment then, quietly, he said, “Miles, if you weren’t here, tell us where you were so we can—”
Before he could finish, Miles’s head snapped up and his eyes locked on Belle.
“I dream you.”
The air in the room went still and Belle figured this was because everyone had stopped breathing. She figured this because she had.
Therefore, she had to force her question through stiff lips.
“What?”
“Since then. Since it happened. I wasn’t there. But I dream it. I dream of pushing you.”
“Oh my God,” Joy whispered and Belle felt tears sting her nose.
“I didn’t do it.” Miles’s voice was now raw. “In my dreams, I feel my hand on you, I see you going down the stairs. But I didn’t do it. It’s been torture but I swear to fucking Christ, Belle, I didn’t do it.”
“You dream it?” Angus asked quietly and Miles tore his eyes from Belle and looked to Angus.
“Yes,” he bit off.
“Do you dream of anything else?” Angus questioned, and Belle watched in horror and distress as Miles’s face became ravaged.
“I lose time,” he whispered his admission.
“Bloody hell,” Jack muttered.
Miles closed his eyes tight, opened them and looked at Jack. “Since I met her. Since I met Belle, I’ve lost time.”
Jack held his brother’s gaze even as he ordered, “Lila, Rachel, take Mum out.”
“Jack, I—”
Miles and Jack both looked to Joy but it was Miles who spoke. “Mum, please.”
Her teeth worried her lip as she studied her youngest son. Then she looked at her oldest but she nodded to the floor before she went out, Rachel and Lila following her.
Rachel closed the door.
Belle’s attention went back to Miles to see he was addressing Angus when he said, “I dream of a woman. A woman and a man. I’m watching them. They’re not from this time.”
“Joshua and Brenna Bennett,” Cassandra murmured and Miles looked to her.
“I don’t know who the fuck they are but I wake up pissed off.”
“He’s got hold of you, laddie,” Angus said gently and Miles’s eyes swung to him.
“That’s insane,” he whispered.
Cassandra moved cautiously closer. “We can help.”
Miles stared at her for long moments as everyone was silent.
His eyes moved slowly to Belle.
“I didn’t push you, gorgeous,” he whispered, his voice an ache, his eyes filled with pain and it was the first time she didn’t mind Miles calling her “gorgeous.”
“I know, Miles,” Belle said softly and moved to the side of the desk but when she sensed Jack’s eyes on her and glanced briefly at him to see his face hard and his head shake once, she stopped. She looked back to Miles. “Let them help.”
She watched Miles pull in a ragged breath.
Cassandra sensed capitulation and pushed, “We have a potion.”
Miles turned to her. “It’ll stop this?”
She nodded.
“It’s safe, mate,” Lorna put in.
Miles moved his gaze to hers when she spoke before he lifted a hand and tore it through his hair with no small amount of agitation. When his hand dropped it seemed as if it took every effort for his eyes to move to his brother.
“I killed your child.” The words were tortured.
“Miles,” Jack murmured.
“Yasmin was right. It’s like I’m possessed. All my life—”
“Don’t,” Jack interrupted, his voice a low rumble. “Just let them help.”
For long, tense moments the two brothers held each other’s eyes.
Then Miles nodded.
Jack looked to Belle. “Go to Mum, poppet. We need to talk with Miles.”
She took one look at his beautiful, desolate face, nodded and moved swiftly to the door.
“Gorgeous.”
She stopped at the door and turned at Miles’s call. His eyes were wet with tears and she felt her stomach clutch.
“Like Jack said, Miles, don’t. It’ll all be all right,” Belle whispered.
“I—” he started but Belle cut him off.
“Get help, Miles, and it’ll all be all right.”
He looked away, lifted a hand to the back of his neck and she saw him squeeze before he dropped it, again caught her eyes and nodded.
Belle nodded back.
Then her eyes swept through the occupants of the room and ended their journey resting on Jack.
She gave him a trembling smile, opened the door and ducked through, closing it behind her.
The wind was high, there were clouds hiding the moon so the cliff path was dark before them. The dogs, usually happy to wander away and roam afield during their evening walks with Jack and Belle, sensed the mood and stayed close.
Jack held Belle’s hand and Belle walked close beside him. So close their arms brushed as they moved and Jack held a torch to the path in front of them as they strode through the dark night.
“Talk to me,” she whispered.
An hour after Belle left the room, Jack had come into the drawing room to guide Joy to Miles.
Five minutes after that, he came back to ask Belle to get her coat so they could walk the dogs.
Now they were on the path and it was Jack who had lapsed into a heavy silence.
“He’s volunteered for the ceremony.”
The words were harsh with concern and disquiet, as they should be.
Belle was instantly concerned and disquieted too. So much so, she stopped dead on the path.
Jack stopped with her, turned and looked down at her.
“I’ve advised against it,” he shared. “He won’t hear of it. He wants Caldwell out of him.”
“So he believes that Caldwell is in him?”
“He admitted he’s felt not himself often in his life. In fact, since he could remember. He also shared he often was driven to behavior that, later, he didn’t understand but couldn’t control. He never understood it. It even, at times, frightened him. He thought it was an unhealthy compulsion. Now he believes it’s Caldwell. Because of this, it didn’t take a lot of convincing.”
“So he should take the potion. The potion works,” Belle replied. “Cassandra promised.”
“Yes, love, and he’s already taken it as a preventative measure in the short run. But he’s adamant. He wants Cassandra to perform the ceremony.”
She moved into him, putting her hand on his chest even as her other hand still in his squeezed tight.
She leaned in and whispered, “Let me talk to him.”
“You won’t sway him,” Jack stated.
“Let me try,” Belle pushed.
“My love, he’s wracked with guilt. He killed our child. He could have killed you. He’s come to understand that and he can’t live with it. Not like this. He’s determined to pay a penance.”
“He has to take that potion the rest of his life, Jack. That’s penance enough.”
“I’ve shared this with him. He disagrees.”
“So let me share it with him.”
“Belle,” Jack whispered, letting her hand go but lifting his to cup her jaw as he dipped his face close to hers, “put yourself in his shoes. He pushed you down the stairs and took away our child. He didn’t do it but he did. This knowledge is new and it’s destroying him. I understand why he wants this. This . . .” he hesitated, clearly searching for a word before finding one, “thing inside him has controlled him. It’s made him lose time where he has no idea what he’s done. It’s beleaguering his dreams and it caused him to commit a despicable act. He wants it gone. And I don’t like it but, my love, I also don’t blame him.”
Belle hated to admit it but this made sense.
She leaned deeper into him and tried something else. “Okay then, when is this going to happen? Perhaps, given time, he can come to terms with it. He can see the potion is working. We can show him we’re good with him and maybe he’ll change his mind.”
“Fortunately, he has no choice but to wait. The moon is waxing. Cassandra said it must wane before she can perform the ceremony.”
Such was her relief, Belle relaxed all her weight into him and his arm stole around her as she did.
“Well, at least that’s something.”
“Indeed,” Jack muttered his agreement.
Belle got up on her toes to kiss his jaw then she moved away. Jack caught her hand again, trained the torch to the path and they resumed their walk.
After several long moments of walking in silence, Belle remarked, “I should tell Lewis what happened. It may make him feel better about the bad man.”
“Not necessary. After we were done speaking with Miles, Lorna and Lachlan left to call to him in order to share that information.”
“Oh,” Belle whispered then asked, “Does Joy know all that’s happened and going to happen?”
“By the time we get back, she will. Miles, Angus and Cassandra are telling her.”
“Oh,” she repeated on a whisper, her worried thoughts turning to Joy and her reaction to all this and Jack’s hand gave hers a squeeze.
They walked on for some time in silence.
Belle broke it, saying, “The bright side is, that’s one thing down.”
Through a low, soft chuckle Jack replied, “Yes, poppet, it’s one thing down.”
“Now we just have to free Myrtle and Lewis.”
“Right,” Jack’s voice was still trembling with humor, “that’s all we have to do.”
“Someone will think of something,” Belle declared with more hope than certainty.
“I bloody hope so,” Jack muttered, the humor gone from his voice.
They walked on, neither speakin, the beam of the torch bouncing on the path in front of them, the dogs loping and circling the pair as they moved through the night.
Finally, Belle called, “Jack?”
“Yes, love.”
“What are we going to do when there’s no more drama?”
“Bloody enjoy it,” he muttered but she stopped, tugging on his hand as she did so therefore he did too.
When he turned into her again, she looked up at him and asked, “Do you think it’ll be boring?”
“Are you asking if I think life will be boring or if I’ll become bored of you?”
When did he come to know her so well?
She didn’t ask this out loud. She didn’t have the chance.
This was because Jack ordered, “Wrap your arms around me, Belle.”
She did as she was told and he returned the gesture.
She watched his shadowed face get close and only when it was an inch away did he speak.
“I thought we agreed you had me wrapped around your finger.”
“Jack—”
“Belle, after a still-remains-to-be-seen clairvoyant white witch, a mad Scotsman and his twin niece and nephew who have supernatural gifts dispatch the spirit that is controlling my brother. And after we figure out whatever bloody thing we need to figure out to send two child ghosts, who have apparently been haunting my ancestral home for over two hundred years, to some other plane though we have no idea what that plane is nor how to do it nor did I even believe any of this existed mere weeks ago. And after your father, mother and grandmother drift to their next location where they can amuse and frustrate new people who are both lucky and unfortunate enough to be their next victims. And after I hopefully convince Yasmin not to break her husband’s heart but also not her own . . . again. Then we can concentrate on three things. First, getting married. Second, being married. And, finally, third, creating a family.”
Belle stopped breathing.
Jack did not. He kept talking.
“So, as you can see, I’ll have no chance in the future to be bored, not, poppet, that you would ever,” his arms gave her a fierce squeeze, “bore me because you won’t. I can only imagine what Lila and Rachel have in their heads about their only grandchild and child’s wedding, not to mention my mother. And then we might, might have a brief respite before I hope to God we fill that house with children. Then, we’ll have decades of God knows what before we retire on an island, perhaps in Greece. By that time we’ll be old and decrepit but, my guess is, you’ll still be beautiful and definitely you’ll be well dressed.”
After his spectacular, amazing and beautiful speech, Belle blurted, “I love you, James Bennett,” and his face dipped even closer.
“I know, Belle Abbot,” he whispered.
“And, in future, when you ask me to marry you as in officially, just for your information, the answer is yes,” she told him.
“Good to know,” he muttered, his lips a breath from hers.
“And thank you,” she whispered, and she felt his eyes look deep into hers through the dark.
“For what, poppet?”
“For being all that’s you.”
Belle barely finished the word “you” before her mouth was taken in a deep kiss while two strong arms closed tight around her.
She returned the kiss, her arms closing tight around Jack’s shoulders.
And after Jack broke their kiss, he turned them toward home.
Their walk with the dogs was done.
And they walked back to The Point a lot faster.