Free The Ghost of Christmas Past by Sally Quilford

head should not be filled with such ideas of sensuality.
    And
yet … though only fourteen when her mother died, had she not been aware of such
a relationship between her mother and father? Nothing overt or crass. The
Reverend and his wife were far too discreet and well-mannered for that. But
occasionally Elizabeth had burst into the parlour to find them in an embrace
that could only be described as passionate. Sometimes she witnessed a glance
passing between them at bedtime. She blushed as, with her own sensual
awakening, the implications of those embraces and glances became clear to her.
She had a brief fantasy of her and Liam at the end of a long day, walking up
the stairs hand in hand to a cosy bedroom where they ... She put her cool hands
to her face, which burned crimson. How could she be having such thoughts about
a man she barely knew? Yet every inch of her body ached for such moments with
him. Had he seen the longing in her eyes? She blushed even more. She would have
to be more circumspect with him in future.
    Samuel
was sleeping when she went back to the parlour. She sat in the rocking chair,
watching him, and wondering about poor Johnny Fletcher. But her thoughts kept
returning to Liam Doubleday and the tingling in her fingers where he had kissed
them. He disturbed her in a way no man ever had. How she had ever found Mr.
Hardacre attractive, she did not know. Almost as if she had summoned him by
thinking of it, Mr. Hardacre arrived at the vicarage door.
    “I
heard the news about poor Samuel, and have come to offer my help,” he said.
    “Thank
you, Mr. Hardacre,” said Elizabeth. She led him through to the parlour. “He's
sleeping now,” she said in a low voice. “I can hardly bare to imagine what
might have happened had Doctor Doubleday not found him.”
    “Yes...”
There was something in Hardacre's tone that made Elizabeth look at him sharply.
    “What
is it?”
    “It
is only … Dear Miss Dearheart, I do not want to cause you anymore distress than
I know you have already suffered. But what do we know about this Doubleday? He
arrives from nowhere, and has a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong
time. Was he not there when you found Mr. Sanderson's body? And now, when young
Samuel is in danger?”
    Elizabeth
felt her knees weaken. “What are you suggesting? That he did this to Samuel?”
    Hardacre
smiled. “No, no of course not. I do not know what made me think of it. Jealousy
perhaps.”
    “Jealousy?”
    “Miss
Dearheart … Elizabeth, darling. You must know how I feel about you.” Mr.
Hardacre caught her by the shoulders and pulled her nearer to him.
    “Mr.
Hardacre, please. It is inappropriate with my father out of the house.” It was
strange how she had not felt that when Liam suggested she embrace him. Then she
had only felt regret at being too shy to do so.
    “Darling
Elizabeth, I have to leave Midchester, but I want you to come with me. I have
known more happiness in your company than at any other time. Dora knows of my
feelings. She teases me about it, but I know that she would be most happy to
have you in our family.”
    Elizabeth
stood back. Something felt wrong, and not just that Hardacre's proposal brought
home to her that she had no such feelings for him. There was something
desperate about the way Hardacre spoke, and she had a strong feeling that it
was not due to love or passion.
    “I am
very grateful for you kind offer...”
    “No,
don't say no, not yet darling. Think about it. We leave on Boxing Day. Say
you'll come with me.” He pulled her to him again and pressed his lips against
hers.
    Elizabeth
was too shocked to stop him, and by the time she had regained her equilibrium
and started to push him away she heard a polite cough.
    “We
have found Johnny,” said the Reverend. He stood at the parlour door with Liam
Doubleday.
    “Oh,”
said Elizabeth, stepping back and almost falling over. “Is he well?”
    “He
is in a serious condition,” said Liam, grimly. He was