Ireland
Summer 1824
THE ANIMATED SOUND OF adult conversation drifted from the mansion’s formal dining room, where the Earl of Adare was having a supper party in celebration of his wife’s birthday. The children had gathered in an intimate salon across the great, vaulted entry hall from the dining room, and Elysse O’Neill, who was eleven years old, sat on the gold brocade sofa in her most formal supper dress, wishing she had been allowed to join the adults. Her best friend, Ariella de Warenne, also dressed up for the party, was beside her, engrossed in a book. Elysse could not understand her friend—she hated reading. She would have been bored, if not for the boys.
They stood in a huddle on the other side of the salon, excitedly whispering to one another. Elysse stared at them, trying to eavesdrop, knowing they meant to cause trouble. Her eyes were riveted on Alexi de Warenne, Ariella’s brother, as he was always the leader of the pack.
She had met him four years ago, when he had first arrived in London with his father and Ariella, from Jamaica Island where he had been raised. Upon being introduced, she had snubbed him instantly, although his dark, bronzed looks and swaggering air of confidence had instantly fascinated her. After all, he was a bastard, even if his mother was a Russian noblewoman, and she was a lady, so she meant to put him down. But he hadn’t been affected by the rejection; instead, he had proceeded to regale her with his stories of his life. Elysse had expected him to be backward and gauche, but he was neither of those things. She quickly realized that she had never met any boy before who had lived through as much as he had. He had sailed across the world with his father, weathering hurricanes and monsoons, avoiding naval blockades and pirates, while carrying the world’s most precious cargoes! He had swum with dolphins, climbed the Himalayan Mountains, trekked jungles in Brazil. He had even sailed a raft up a river in China without his father! In fact, he had bragged that he could sail anything, anywhere—and she had believed him. Within an hour, she had decided that he was the most interesting boy she had ever met—not that she would ever let him know!
She knew him well now. Alexi was an adventurer, like his seafaring father, and he could not stay on land for very long, or sit still, either. What were the boys up to? They hurried across the salon, and she realized that they were about to leave, their goal the terrace doors.
Pushing her golden hair behind her ears and smoothing down her blue satin dress, Elysse slid to her feet. “Wait,” she cried. She rushed over to them. “Where are you going?”
Alexi grinned at her. “Errol Castle.”
Her heart lurched. Everyone knew the castle ruins were haunted! “Are you mad?”
His blue eyes danced. “Don’t you want to come, Elysse? Don’t you want to see the old ghost who wanders the north tower in the light of the full moon?” Alexi leaned close. “They say he pines for his lady love. I know how you adore romance! She left him, you know, on a full moon—for another man. And so he killed himself, forever to walk the tower when the moon is full.”
“Of course I know the story.” Her heart beat with alarm and fear. She wasn’t brave like Alexi or her younger brother, Jack, or Ned, the earl’s heir, who stood with them. She had no desire to rush off into the night and meet the ghost.
“Coward,” Alexi said softly. He touched her chin. “I’ll protect you, you know.”
She jerked away. “And how will you do that? You are only a boy—and a mad boy, at that!”
His smile faded. “If I say I will protect you, I will.”
She believed he would do just that—even from a ghost. She hesitated, not wanting to go with them. “Ladies don’t have to be brave, Alexi. They must only be graceful, politic, polite and beautiful.”
“Of course they do! My stepmother has sailed the world with my father and even fought pirates at his side. She is brave and beautiful.” His eyes gleamed.
Ned stepped forward. “Leave her be, Alexi. She doesn’t want to come with us.”
Her younger brother, Jack, snickered at her.
Ariella walked up to them, having actually put down her history book. “I’ll go.” Her blue eyes were wide and bright. “I would love to see the ghost!”
Alexi gave Elysse a daring look.
“Fine!” she cried, furious that he had taunted her into agreeing. “But how will we get there?”
“It won’t take more than twenty minutes if we ride,” Ned said. “The girls can ride double, behind us. Jack can ride by himself.”
This was a horrible idea—Elysse simply knew it—but everyone else was wide-eyed with excitement. Within moments, she was following the boys and Ariella across the terrace to a paddock where they would steal their mounts. The boys often rode bareback, with just a bridle or even a halter. Now, she wished they were horrid horsemen—but they were not. The night was so dark and so quiet! As she followed them across Adare’s great gardens, she glanced up at the gleaming moon. It was full and bright. She prayed they would not encounter any ghost that night.
A few minutes later everyone was astride, and they were trotting away from the house. Elysse held on hard to Alexi, angrier with him by the minute. He was an excellent horseman, but she was a terrible rider, and she was afraid she would fall off.
“You are breaking my ribs,” he said, with laughter in his tone.
“I hate you,” she exclaimed.
“No, you don’t.”
They rode in silence the rest of the way. Ahead, in the moon’s odd yellow light, she saw the dark shadows of Errol Castle. It was huge.
It was so quiet now. All she could hear was the rhythmic clip-clop of their horses’ hooves and her own thundering heartbeat. Beneath her hands, she could feel Alexi’s breath come more rapidly and thought she could feel his heart, racing more swiftly than it should. They passed through the piles of eerily white stones that had once been the outer walls of the barbican. She wanted to turn around and go home! Suddenly a wolf howled.
Alexi’s slim body stiffened. Elysse whispered nervously, “There are never wolves this close to Adare.”
“It isn’t close.” They halted their horses by the gaping entrance in the stone walls of the castle, which had once been the front door. Through the shadows of the maze of stone walls inside, she could see the lone standing tower at the other end of the ruins. She swallowed dryly. Her heart thundered.
Alexi whispered, “They say he carries a torch—the same torch he carried for his lost love.” He gave her his hand, twisting a bit to do so. “Slide down.”
Elysse did so, keeping her balance by holding his hand. Everyone dismounted. Ariella whispered, “We didn’t bring candles.”
“Yes, we did,” Alexi said proudly. He produced a candle from a breeches pocket, and lit it with flint. “C’mon.” He swiftly started inside, clearly intent on leading the way.
Everyone followed. Her stomach churning with dread, Elysse balked. She did not want to go inside.
The group of children vanished into the darkness inside the ruined castle. Elysse bit her lip, breathing hard. She became aware of being absolutely alone in the dark night, outside of the ruins.
