Brenda Joyce - The Promise

“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. And perhaps that was even worse.

Something moved behind her. She cried out, leaping in fright, only to realize that one of the grazing horses had bumped into her. An owl hooted, the sound ominous. She hated adventure! She liked parties and pretty things! But being outside alone was worse than going inside with everyone else. Elysse rushed after the other children.

It was almost pitch-black inside and she could not see. She could hear their whispers, somewhere ahead, and she ran, trying to follow them. But the interior of the ruins was a stone maze. She hit a wall, panicked and turned, found a corner, and turned that, too. Her foot caught, and she tripped and fell.

She started to call out to Alexi, to tell him to wait, when she saw a flash of bright light in the darkness on the other side of the castle where the tower was. She froze, crouching by the wall, afraid to cry out. Had she just seen the light of the ghost’s torch?

Afraid to move or make a sound, afraid the ghost would find her, she became utterly still. She realized she couldn’t hear her friends anymore. Where were they?

Panic overcame her. She saw the light again! Elysse rushed from the corner where she had been crouching, intent on fleeing the castle and the ghost. Instead, she found herself turning corner after corner, tripping and falling as she ran. She bumped her knees, skinned her hands. Why hadn’t she left the ruins already? Where was the entrance? She realized she had reached a dead end. What might have been the huge wall of a fireplace blocked her. She fell against the rough stone, panting harshly, and that was when she heard the galloping horses.

They were leaving her?

She choked on a sob of fearful disbelief. She turned her back to the wall, and saw the ghost with his torch coming toward her. Fear paralyzed her.

“Elysse!” Alexi cried, hurrying forward.

She felt her knees buckle in absolute relief. It was Alexi, carrying the candle, not the ghost with his torch. She cried out, weeping. “Alexi! I thought you left me. I thought I’d be lost forever!”

He put the candle down and swept her into his arms. “It’s all right. You’re not lost. I’d never leave you. Didn’t I say I would always protect you?”

She held on to him, hard. “I didn’t think you’d find me—I heard the horses leaving!”

“Don’t cry. I’m here now. You heard my father, the earl and your father pursuing us. They are outside—and they are furious.” His gaze was searching. “How could you think that I wouldn’t find you?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, trembling, her face wet with tears. But she had stopped crying.

“If you are lost, I will find you. If you are in danger, I will protect you,” he said seriously. “It’s what a gentleman does, Elysse.”

She inhaled. “Promise?”

He slowly smiled and brushed a tear from her face. “I promise.”

She finally smiled back at him. “I’m sorry I am not brave.”

“You are very brave, Elysse. You just don’t know it.” Clearly, he believed his every word.

Askeaton, Ireland

March 23, 1833

ALEXI HADN’T BEEN HOME in more than two years, but it felt like an eternity. Elysse O’Neill smiled at herself in the gilded mirror hanging over the handsome rosewood bureau in her pink, mauve and white bedroom. She had just finished dressing for the occasion. She knew that her excitement was obvious—she was flushed, her eyes bright. She was thrilled that Alexi de Warenne had come home, at last. She couldn’t wait to hear all about his adventures!

She couldn’t help wondering if he would notice that she was a grown woman now; she’d had a dozen suitors in the past two years, not to mention five offers of marriage.