Free The Spare by Carolyn Jewel Page B

James's determination.
    Miss Willow acted as their guide to Far Caister, stopping, of course, at every shop that caught Diana's eye. Sebastian found himself toting up receipts for her purchases, beginning with a chapeau Diana swore was naval in its inspiration. He was obliged to suppress the opinion that he'd never allow such a contraption aboard any ship of his. Besides the hat, he doled out money for ribbons, lace, gloves and chocolate. James failed to coax Miss Willow into making any selection for herself or accepting what he purchased, with
the sole exception of a single praline. Which she promptly gave to one of the children drooling at the window. Boys in fustian and homespun woolens followed as they walked past a cobbler's. Fitzalan dug into a pocket and threw out a handful of coins. One boy caught a shilling and displayed it triumphantly. His eyes sparkled as he cupped his hands around his mouth.
    "Oi! Miss Olivia. Seen the Black Earl, yet?"
    She stopped, standing with hands folded and face quite serious. "Oh, indeed I have." Sebastian ended up standing behind her, tall enough to see over her head, and close enough to smell her hair and see the bare nape of her neck. Copper tendrils wound over her ears and trailed down the side of her throat. If he wanted to, he could touch her waist or caress that pale nape.
    "Aye, Miss? For true?"
    "Just last night he breathed upon the very sheets where I lay trying to sleep." The boys went wide-eyed, riveted by her encounter with the infamous spirit of Pennhyll Castle. "He waved a great sword in his hands, sharp enough to take my head in one fell strike. The blood froze in my veins, I was that sure he would murder me in my bed."
    "But he didn't, Miss Olivia," said another boy, who must have been all of six or seven.
    "My hair frightened him away."
    The boys hooted with laughter, and Sebastian heard a snort of amusement from James. He wanted to smile himself, for that matter.
    "No," said the first boy, frowning like he'd eaten a green apple. "The Black Earl wouldn't be afraid of you, Miss."
    "I don't see why not." She touched her head. "I assure you, with this hair, I'm frightful, indeed."
    "He's a ghost, Miss. He'd not be frightened by the color of your hair." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I reckon a ghost don't see color."
    "We know what it means, don't we?" asked another. "When a woman sees the Black Earl." The boys nodded to each other.
    "What does it mean?" Diana asked.
    Jesus. Diana was as bad as those ragamuffin boys, worse because she ought to know better.
    "Nonsense," said Miss Willow.
    The eldest boy's eyes glazed with admiration when he looked at Diana. "Why, my Lady, when a woman sees the Black Earl, it means she's to marry the master, that's what."
    James dissolved into laughter.
    "You are bold as brass." A laughing Miss Willow shook a finger at the lad. "As brass. Go on, all of you. Lord Fitzalan hasn't any more coins for you today."
    "Did you really see the Black Earl?" Diana studied Olivia, waiting, it seemed, with baited breath. Sebastian, doing the same, saw James watching as well.
    Miss Willow sighed, sounding for all the world like a governess whose patience has just been stretched past its limit. "Miss Royce, there's no such thing as ghosts." She put her hands on her hips, which brought the fabric of her cloak in tight. Small woman, she was, but curved where a man liked to hold on. Another salacious thought entered his head, which was what a damn shame it was for any woman to have a figure like hers and no man to enjoy it.
    Diana's mouth turned down. "Then why did you say you'd seen the Black Earl?"
    "Because they wanted me to," she said, rolling her eyes. "Boys live for such terror."
    James laughed. "I'm sure they're disappointed the ghost didn't lop off your head."
    "Undoubtedly, my Lord." She smiled, an enchanting, uninhibited grin. "Shall we visit the churchyard?" With a glance at the sky, she said, "We've time, I think, before it snows."
    The church