in his arms letting me cry against his chest. “Sweetheart, don’t cry. Everything is fine. We will become better acquainted and I promise you we will have a good life together.”
I looked up into his eyes, so tender and sweet.
“I want to believe that…” I said wiping the tears from my eyes. “I do.”
“Good,” he said.
He brushed his lips against mine, then with a soft groan he drew me closer, kissing me passionately. When he pulled away I felt his reluctance to do so. I knew he didn’t want to go— one word from me and he would stay. But I knew he was right. We would let it progress slowly and naturally.
“Well,” he said finally, his voice rough with emotion. “I’ll let you rest. I know you have a headache.”
I nodded, not moving farther into the room until he went through the adjoining door and closed it behind him. Then I was alone in my beautiful wedding gown, in a strange house and strange bedroom. There was a man I hardly knew just beyond the doorway. I could still feel the touch of his mouth against mine and I’d wanted him to stay. Despite my terrible headache, I felt almost giddy with hope.
I desperately needed to lie down and to feel the coolness of the pillows beneath my head, to have complete quiet. I couldn’t even bother to undress, but wrapped the train of the dress around me and lay down on the bed. I thought I’d only lie there for a few moments. Only a few candles were lit and I could hear the wind howling around the windows. The storm had moved on, leaving only the wind and the pattering of rain against the glass panes. Itlulled and soothed me into sleep.
I wasn’t sure what woke me and I had no idea what time it was. The candles had burned out and the room was completely dark.
I felt frightened waking in a dark unfamiliar, place alone. I could feel something was wrong. Someone was in my room, watching me. Filled with terror, I must have gasped.
Then I heard the sound of breathing, a horrible, frightening sound in the still darkness. Like an animal hidden in the marsh. Watching…waiting .
“Ian?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Is that you?” But I knew it couldn’t be.
When I heard rustling by the door, I screamed and sat up in bed. I reached blindly to the table beside the bed, hoping to find a candle or a lamp. Instead I knocked over objects that thudded to the floor.
“Answer me!” I cried. “I know someone is in here.”
“Leave this place. Leave now before it’s too late.” The whisper came from across the room near the hallway door.
“I won’t let you scare me away.” I hoped my voice sounded more confident than I felt. My body trembled and my heart pounded furiously.
Completely forgetting I still wore my wedding dress, I swung my legs over the bed. The train was still wrapped around me and as I tried to stand my legs entangled in the material and I fell to the floor.
Ian’s door openedand I could see him in the light he carried.
I saw a dim light at my door leading into the hallway. I could also see the person who’d been in my room ease out the hall door. Then I heardfootsteps running down the hall.
“Isabella,” Ian said. “Where are you?”
“Here by the bed,” I said. “I tripped over my skirt.”
He came to me quickly and sat the light on the bedside table. He went down on one knee and reached for me. When his hands drew me to him, I marveled at how strong and reassuring they felt. His hands touched my face and I felt his kiss against my forehead.
“Are you hurt? Can you stand?”
“I’m fine, just a little stunned.”
“Here, let me help you up. What happened? Did you have a bad dream?”
“There was someone in my room,” I said.
Feeling as though my legs might not hold me up, I sat on the edge of the bed, watching him retrieve his candle from the nightstand and begin lighting lamps around the room. He didn’t seem alarmed at what I’d said, as if it wasnormal at Marshbay for people to wander around the house
I looked up into his eyes, so tender and sweet.
“I want to believe that…” I said wiping the tears from my eyes. “I do.”
“Good,” he said.
He brushed his lips against mine, then with a soft groan he drew me closer, kissing me passionately. When he pulled away I felt his reluctance to do so. I knew he didn’t want to go— one word from me and he would stay. But I knew he was right. We would let it progress slowly and naturally.
“Well,” he said finally, his voice rough with emotion. “I’ll let you rest. I know you have a headache.”
I nodded, not moving farther into the room until he went through the adjoining door and closed it behind him. Then I was alone in my beautiful wedding gown, in a strange house and strange bedroom. There was a man I hardly knew just beyond the doorway. I could still feel the touch of his mouth against mine and I’d wanted him to stay. Despite my terrible headache, I felt almost giddy with hope.
I desperately needed to lie down and to feel the coolness of the pillows beneath my head, to have complete quiet. I couldn’t even bother to undress, but wrapped the train of the dress around me and lay down on the bed. I thought I’d only lie there for a few moments. Only a few candles were lit and I could hear the wind howling around the windows. The storm had moved on, leaving only the wind and the pattering of rain against the glass panes. Itlulled and soothed me into sleep.
I wasn’t sure what woke me and I had no idea what time it was. The candles had burned out and the room was completely dark.
I felt frightened waking in a dark unfamiliar, place alone. I could feel something was wrong. Someone was in my room, watching me. Filled with terror, I must have gasped.
Then I heard the sound of breathing, a horrible, frightening sound in the still darkness. Like an animal hidden in the marsh. Watching…waiting .
“Ian?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Is that you?” But I knew it couldn’t be.
When I heard rustling by the door, I screamed and sat up in bed. I reached blindly to the table beside the bed, hoping to find a candle or a lamp. Instead I knocked over objects that thudded to the floor.
“Answer me!” I cried. “I know someone is in here.”
“Leave this place. Leave now before it’s too late.” The whisper came from across the room near the hallway door.
“I won’t let you scare me away.” I hoped my voice sounded more confident than I felt. My body trembled and my heart pounded furiously.
Completely forgetting I still wore my wedding dress, I swung my legs over the bed. The train was still wrapped around me and as I tried to stand my legs entangled in the material and I fell to the floor.
Ian’s door openedand I could see him in the light he carried.
I saw a dim light at my door leading into the hallway. I could also see the person who’d been in my room ease out the hall door. Then I heardfootsteps running down the hall.
“Isabella,” Ian said. “Where are you?”
“Here by the bed,” I said. “I tripped over my skirt.”
He came to me quickly and sat the light on the bedside table. He went down on one knee and reached for me. When his hands drew me to him, I marveled at how strong and reassuring they felt. His hands touched my face and I felt his kiss against my forehead.
“Are you hurt? Can you stand?”
“I’m fine, just a little stunned.”
“Here, let me help you up. What happened? Did you have a bad dream?”
“There was someone in my room,” I said.
Feeling as though my legs might not hold me up, I sat on the edge of the bed, watching him retrieve his candle from the nightstand and begin lighting lamps around the room. He didn’t seem alarmed at what I’d said, as if it wasnormal at Marshbay for people to wander around the house
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