The Captain of the Manor - Chapter 6

The Captain of the Manor

Chapter 6

"Well, I'm touching you right now. It feels weird," Aiden said as he moved his fingers around.

"What do I feel like in this form?"

"Not as solid, cold, and something feels a little swirly, like mist, under my fingers," Aiden said. "I want to try something else."

"Please do so, I wish to figure out how this is happening."

Aiden leaned forward, paused, and looked at the man. "You do prefer male lovers, correct?"

"I do and I know it's a known lifestyle, if not completely accepted by some small minded people. Things were a little different during my time, we stayed in the shadows."

"What about the ship?"

"As Captain, I could do what I wish, but there were a few young men similar to me and didn't mind warming my bed. Why do you ask?"

"I don't want to be slugged or have you disappear." Aiden grinned and leaned in before he could change his mind. He pressed his lips against the captain's mouth, feeling the odd wispy sensation, and cool skin. His fingers moved until they touched the man's jaw.

Under his touch, Edmund opened his mouth to accept the kiss, moving his hands to place them on Aiden's hips. He tugged on the man until Aiden widened his stance and knelt on either side of Edmund's lap. He moved his hands over Aiden's ass, pressing their bodies together. Again, Aiden didn't move through his ghostly form, but pressed against him.

Aiden pulled back and stared at Edmund. "Damn, you're one helluva kisser," he said, nipping at the captain's lips.

"I could say the same about you. You've done this before," Edmund said.

"I have, but not recently."

"I'm pleased you chose me to kiss."

"Could you umm…return?"

"To my corporeal form."

"Please. It feels a bit strange to kiss you like this or do more."

"More?"

"It's what you desire, right?"

"Yes, but only if you feel the same."

"I do." Aiden pushed off the chair and found his feet again. He held out his hands to the captain. "Stay with me tonight."

"Would you like to come to my home? It's next to yours."

"Do this on purpose for your nefarious gain?"

Edmund laughed as he rose, flowing into his corporeal solid form. "No, it was only to keep an eye out for your well-being. I've been worried about you."

"A difficult time at the moment, but I'm grateful and pleased to be here with you," Aiden said and looked around. "I'll leave all this here. For now."

"For now. Yes," Edmund said as he took Aiden's hand in his and tugged him toward the door.

Hand in hand, they left and secured Aiden's room before moving to the grand master suite of the manor, left off limits to all customers. Edmund stepped through the solid door, his form shifting.

"Edmund… Edmund! Solid here. I'm solid," Aiden called out before he thunked against the door. "Ow…"

"Oh blast it all and damn! I'm so sorry," Edmund said as his head appeared in the middle of the door. "I'm so sorry, I completely forgot. You were touching me fine and…" He stepped and disappeared.

Rubbing his nose, Aiden grinned as he heard the locks click and the door opened with a chagrined captain standing in the doorway. "Keep it lock from the inside, huh?"

"I never need a key," Edmund said. "Are you all right?"

"Bumped my nose, but I'm quite all right." Aiden fixed his glasses which were lopsided.

"Come inside my room, please." Edmund blushed and looked behind him.

"What is it?" Aiden stepped forward and placed a hand on Edmund's arm.

"You're the first man, other than staff, to step inside my suite. If I met with another guest, it was always within their suite. Never mine."

"Do you want to return to mine?"

"No. No. This feels right. You can touch me in either form. Perhaps… There is something more to this curse," Edmund said, rubbing his fingers over Aiden's hand.

Stepping across the threshold, Aiden stopped as something flew through his body and mind. His hair blew back with the internal wind. The lights flickered several times and Edmund cried out and dropped into a crouch.

"What the hell was that?"

TO BE CONTINUED

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The Captain of the Manor - Chapter 5

The Captain of the Manor

Chapter 5

After writing the various pros and cons of true ghosts, paranormal activities, and researching everything possible about the manor and the Carslyle family, Aiden paced through the suite. He knew what he saw, but how could he believe it. A ghost. An actual ghost.

There was a knock on the door.

Turning to face the door, not sure he wanted to answer it this time, Aiden moved across the room and opened it. The man or ghost in question stood in the hallway, hands behind his back, a quiet expression upon his handsome face. No matter what, the man was still damn gorgeous.

"I wasn't sure if you wish to speak with me after what happened. I can leave you alone, if you desire," Edmund said in the unusual accent and way of speech which caught Aiden's ear.

"I think we need to talk. If you can," Aiden said, stepping out of the way.

"I hope to answer what questions you seek."

When Edmund moved past him, Aiden reached out to touch him. His fingers found solid muscles under the soft fabric of the black shirt. He moved his fingers and noticed Edmund stopped.

"Are you trying to figure out how I am standing before you and solid in form?"

"How can this be? How can you be standing before me in solid form but disappeared in front of me last night?"

Edmund closed the door and waved Aiden back to the table where they dined last night. "Please, have a seat. My twisted tale is long."

Dropping in the seat, Aiden watched Edmund pour them two fresh cups of tea from the sterling silver pot a server brought earlier to the room. Edmund lifted the small tongs over the sugar bowl and glanced at Aiden.

"Oh, two please," Aiden said.

With a nod, Edmund dropped two cubes of sugar in the cup, carried the delicate porcelain saucer and cup to the table, and set it down. He returned a moment later with his own cup, some milk added to the liquid which he stirred. He settled in a chair, crossed his long legs at the ankle.

"Where do you wish me to begin my tale?"

"Wherever it is relevant," Aiden said.

"My name is Edmund Darcy Carslyle. I was the Captain of the Hope's Adventure, a dragoon I sailed under a privateer license by the King of England, but I gathered the profits for the young American colonies," Edmund said.

"American Colonies?"

"I was born in the spring of 1688 here in this manor. When I was thirteen, I traveled north to learn at the brilliant shipyards and sail with the captains. Over the years, I rose in rank and became captain of a ship, the Hope. I sailed her with my crew under the ruse of a privateer license by the King, but really we all sailed to plunder all enemy ships for the good of the colonies. I was a true patriot."

"1688. Which means you're…" Aiden thought about the years.

"As of this past spring, I've seen 325 years," Edmund said.

"No way…"

"As much as I regret saying it, it is the truth. I've seen wars come and go, countries torn apart and pulled back together, loved ones born, grown, and died, and the landscape and culture changed around me. Yet I remain the same. Cursed."

"Cursed…"

"By a voodoo priestess whose lover died after I ordered his ship captured and plundered. He was caught in the crossfire and I thought he would survive, but he died on the way to his Caribbean hideaway. His lover, a powerful voodoo priestess, placed a curse upon my soul and body."

Aiden set the cup on the saucer. He licked his lips and dragged a hand through his hair. "You're a privateer who's been alive since 1688 and was cursed by a voodoo priestess."

"In the fall of 1720, the curse took effect over me. I disappeared from my ship and reappeared in the manor several months later. I can travel throughout the manor and shift to the lighthouse, but I can't go beyond. I can walk the widow's walk and balconies, but I can't walk around the exterior grounds. The beach is always within my sights, but I'm never able to step foot upon it, the water, or a ship."

"How does this all work?"

"Even after three centuries, I don't understand all the differences in this life. From the time of the autumn equinox to All Saint's Day, I'm able to take a corporeal mortal form whenever I wish. It costs me energy though and when I'm exhausted, I revert back to my ghost form."

"This is what happened last night."

"Yes, I was in this form for a good portion of the day dealing with several situations and didn't take time to rest and recharge before locating you."

"Why are you able to take form this time of the year?"

"The veil between the shadow world and this one is the thinnest. It's also when the curse happened, her lover died, and she cursed me to live without life and love until I learned the same. Or something to the effect."

"You never asked how to reverse this?"

"I tried throughout the first century to find other priestesses or houngans, but none wanted to help me. The priestess who cursed me was very popular and strong, in life and in death. No one wanted to touch her magic upon my body and soul for fear of her lashing out from the grave."

"So… You're stuck then."

"I'm forever trapped this half life. For a few weeks, I can taste, touch, and enjoy sex. Other than those weeks, I'm a watcher of this world, unable to take part."

"How does the manor work?"

"For the weeks I'm able, I run things. When I'm not, I have a capable manager who oversees everything and looks forward to these few weeks of vacation time. It's a mutually favorable compromise for a unique situation."

Aiden scratched his jaw, feeling the scruff he didn't shave this morning. "I could do some research for you. I've been… looking into the story of the manor and your family."

"What did you locate?"

"You were assumed missing in October of 1720 when your ship came aground after a late hurricane."

"You found that much about me, I'm impressed."

"It's what I do. Do you want me to find a way out of this curse?"

"I doubt one exists."

"Do you remember the words of the curse?"

"Never forgot them," Edmund said as his gaze settled on Aiden.

Aiden rose, scrambled in his bag, and returned with a pad and pen. "Write them down. It could be the clues to free you."

"Why would you wish to free me?"

"So you can return to your life and home."

"When? In 1720 or here?"

"Wherever the curse lets you return."

Edmund rapped his fingers along the table as if considering the options. He picked up the pen and scribbled down several lines and pushed it across the table. "This is what I heard above the winds and waves, but I do not know how much it will help."

"Nothing will happen until we know what we're up against."

"We? Why are you willing to help me? Everyone else screams 'ghost' and flee the manor."

"What your lovers? The one you indulge at this time of the year."

"Last man in my bed was over a decade ago. Not too many want to fall in bed with a cursed man."

"A decade ago, but you're…" Aiden waved a hand over Edmund's form.

"There is a bad habit of doing this to my lover…" Edmund said in a dry tone before he faded to his ghost form.

"Damn… You're even more gorgeous," Aiden said as he rose and walked around to study Edmund.

"Can you see me in this form?"

"See and hear you." Aiden studied him. "Could you stand?"

"No one but one of my family line can see me in this form. Even during this time of the year, how can you see me?" Edmund said as he rose.

Dressed as a privateer in the 1700s, Edmund's tailored outfit reverted back to knee high black boots, tight black pants, and a flowing white shirt and vest. His hair was longer and pulled back with a leather tie.

Aiden itched to reach out and touch this man. He wondered what a ghost would feel like. Taking a chance, he stepped closer and reached out with both hands. Instead of misting through like he believed would happen, his hands rested on Edmund's chest. The man was cool to the touch, but still there under his fingers.

Edmund stared down, his gaze widened. "This is… impossible. No one can touch me."

TO BE CONTINUED

The Captain of the Manor - Chapter 4

The Captain of the Manor

Chapter 4

As one night passed and another began to darken outside of his rather spacious suite, Aiden blinked and looked away from his laptop screen. Lifting the reading glasses, he rubbed his fingers against his aching eyes. After searching almost every available job listing throughout the country for the last twenty plus hours, he couldn’t find anything which required his particular set of skills. There wasn’t a teacher’s position, a researcher, nothing.

“Damn this economy,” he said with a grumble.

There was a knock on the door.

Dropping the glasses on the desk, Aiden pushed the chair back and strode to the door. He opened it and saw Edmund standing outside, dressed in stunning perfection of a dark suit, crisp shirt opened at his neck, and a swatch of hair falling across his forehead.

“Good evening, Aiden. How was your evening and day spent with the suite? Is everything to your liking?”

“Umm.” Aiden looked around the suite which he barely explored after finding the desk and opening his laptop. He didn’t even get a chance to have a bath or sleep under the thick flowing comforter in the four-poster bed. “It’s great.”

“You appear tired. Have you slept at all since your arrival? My staff mentioned no one saw you leave this room, not even for meals. Is everything all right?”

“Umm. No, things aren’t well.” Aiden shoved a hand through his hair.

“What is happening? Can I help?”

“No, I doubt even you can help.”

“Perhaps. What is the issue?”

“I’ve been searching for a new position.”

“Position?”

“Job. I need a new job. A car too. Or a rental car so I can go home.”

“You wish to leave the manor.”

“I don’t have the money to stay beyond this night. I checked my accounts. I don’t want to take advantage of your hospitality.” Aiden shoved a hand through his hair when Edmund waved away with his concerns.

“Relax, dear Aiden, the money doesn’t concern me. I can comp a suite whenever I wish. I’m part of the family in charge of this old place.”

“I couldn’t possibly…”

“You will accept and say nothing more. You can stay until things are sorted out.” Edmund motioned with his hand. “May I enter?”

“Of course, please, and thank you for the suite.” Aiden stepped aside to let the other man enter the room.

“No need, please.”

After entering the room, Edmund waved his hand once more. Aiden looked outside and saw a server pushing a silver cart into the room, covered with silver dishes and white cloth. He watched the server nod to Edmund before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

“I suspected something was wrong when you weren’t seen downstairs for dinner. Forgive my impertinence, but I ordered a pair of meals to be sent here. Would you like to join me at the table and enjoy our evening meal?” Edmund placed his hands on the cart and pushed it to the small round table near the French doors which led to a small balcony overlooking the ocean.

“I lost track of time,” Aiden said and placed a hand to his belly when it rumbled in agreement.

“I have a tendency to do the same when I’m involved in a project,” Edmund said as he settled the placemats, dishes, rolled napkins with silverware, glasses, and a pitcher of iced tea on the table. He wheeled the cart to a corner, moved to the French doors, and opened them to let in the soft evening breeze. Standing in the opening, he lifted his head and breathed in the fresh air. “Isn’t the night ocean breeze wonderful? I enjoy this time of the year.”

A little stunned at the handsome male standing in his suite, paying him attention, Aiden swallowed and dragged a hand through his hair. He stepped over to stand with him. Looking across the balcony, he saw the dark ocean with the soft white caps of the breaking waves rolling and crashing on the beach. The cries of seagulls added to the sound of waves. The old cypress trees and oaks surrounding the manor waved, leaves brushing one another, as another wind curled around them.

He leaned one shoulder against the frame, ready to fall asleep at this perfect moment, but the soft rustle of clothes distracted him. Glancing to the side, Aiden stared at the taller man. He tilted his head to study him.

“Is something wrong? Do I have a smudge on my face?” Edmund raised a hand to his face and smoothed his fingers over his open collar.

“You’re perfect…” Aiden blushed at the words.

“You like my appearance.”

Aiden lowered his gaze.

“Though rumpled and tired, I enjoy looking at your form.”

“Me? Nah. I’m a skinny, geeky nerd who has no fashion sense for a gay guy.”

“Hmm. It adds to the appeal and unique quality you bear.”

“Why are you here with me? You have other guests, paying ones, who need your attention.”

“You’re the guest who is troubled. My attention is on a guest, an important one in my mind.” Edmund waved a hand toward the table. “Please, come and eat before the food chills and is ruin. The chef would never forgive me if I share cold food to a guest.”

“What did you chose for us?” Aiden sat down, copied Edmund by unrolling and laying the napkin across his lap.

Edmund opened the small dish. “We start with crab stuffed baby portabella mushroom caps as our appetizers. For our entrees we have a Roasted Black Sea Bass with Chile sea salt and a tomato, kalamata olive, and orzo salad. I requested a light chocolate mousse dessert to finish off the meal.”

“This looks wonderful.”

“I hope you’re not allergic to fish.”

“No, I’m not allergic to anything with food.”

“Excellent,” Edmund said and scooped several mushroom caps onto Aiden’s plate. “Enjoy, please.”

Cutting the cap in half, Aiden slid a piece into his mouth and moaned in appreciation at the burst of flavors. Throughout dinner, Edmund carried the conversation, drawing answers out of Aiden with ease along with laughter.

There was a connection growing between them.

Finishing dinner, Aiden leaned back, placed a hand on his full belly. “Everything was delicious. You have a fantastic chef.”

“Hmm. He helps to make the visit to our manor complete,” Edmund said, pressing the napkin to his lips before laying it across the dish, hiding half of his meal.

“You didn’t eat much.”

“No, my appetite wasn’t all there this evening.”

“Not do to something I said,” Aiden asked, worried he ruined things.

“No. No. It is my problem,” Edmund said. “Now. You said you’re in some difficulty in finding a new position.”

“Economy sucks.”

“Yet you have several Master degrees and a doctoral one as well in several fields,” Edmund said.

“I have a doctorate in physics and Masters in the other fields. I sent a few requests to various universities for a position within their physics and quantum mechanics.”

“What will happen until you hear from these universities?”

“Figure out how to survive.”

“Perhaps I could help…” Edmund swallowed and stared out the window.

Aiden stared at the handsome figure sitting across from him flickered. He completely flickered from transparency to solidify. Even the clothes altered during the change. His eyes widened and he pushed back from the table. Rising to his feet, he backed away until he hit the nearest wall.

“What the…” Aiden swallowed. “What…”

Edmund dropped his gaze to the table. He placed his hands, a little translucent, upon the table. “I hoped it wouldn’t happen yet, but I have no control.”

“You…” Aiden shoved a hand through his hair.

Rising from the table, Edmund placed his hands behind his back. “I will take my leave. Do not worry about the dishes, I will call a server.”

“Don’t. Not one move.” Aiden pointed a hand at the man. “I want an explanation.”

“Would you be in the right position to listen?”

“I don’t…” Aiden swallowed.

“I will answer all your questions tomorrow, if I can,” Edmund said with a nod and disappeared completely from Aiden’s view. He didn’t leave through the door.

Shocked by the disappearance, Aiden felt and found a chair. He sat hard and stared at the spot Edmund disappeared. He didn’t move for hours.

Ghost… How… Not possible…

TO BE CONTINUED

The Captain of the Manor - Chapter 3

The Captain of the Manor

Chapter 3

Aiden looked around while he tried to figure out an answer. Did he see what he thought he saw? What did it mean? There’s no way a physical ghost/spectre/paranormal whatever is possible.

The handsome male turned, crossed arms over his chest, and gazed upon him. Ever patient and watchful as Aiden tried to figure out what to say that wouldn’t make him sound like a total idiot.

“I don’t know what I saw. It’s been a long day.”

“Perhaps you should take a nap and relax. Your room has a soothing garden tub to stretch out in or you can leave out the back door, over the bridge, and lay out on the beach. There are several lounge chairs and awnings around the area.”

“It’s the last week of October. Who would want to lie out or go in the water? I’m sure it’s freezing out there.”

“The waters run a little warmer down here than up north, not as much as Florida, but I’m amazed the amount of out-of-state guests who enjoy the water and beach.”

Aiden shuddered. “No thanks. I’m not a beach goer.”

“Perhaps the bath, nap, and visit to the library are in order. Dinner is served promptly at six for those guests who wish to join. The dining room is down the stairs, turn around the short hallway behind the counter, and it will take you to the double doors. Brunch is also served there, buffet style, from eight am to eleven am. Lunch is on your own, there are several decent places to visit within a walk.”

“Thank you for the options. I’m sure I’ll figure something out.”

“Very well, enjoy your stay, Aiden,” Edmund said. Since Aiden didn’t take the folder from the counter, he held it and the card to him.

“Oh, thank you, I forgot to take this.” Aiden shuffled his bags until he had a hand free. He took the card, looked at it, and swiped it through the lock. The light turned green on his first time.

“You’re lucky, most people fight with those cards. I prefer keys myself, but security insisted on the change,” Edmund said with a shrug. He stepped away as if to head downstairs.

“Will I be seeing you around?”

Edmund turned at Aiden’s question. “I’ll be around the rest of the week. All Saints’ Day is when another family member will take over as manager.”

“Oh, you’re not here full time.”

“No. This is one of my rare visits to the manor. I don’t prefer staying here at Trident’s Rest, you know the ghosts and haunting and all that nonsense,” he said with a flap of his fingers.

Aiden chuckled at the quiet joke. “Perhaps we’ll meet again at dinner.”

“Perhaps.”

With a grin, Aiden fixed his glasses, and entered the room. He dropped down the bags. “Crap… Forgot to ask about a car.” He opened the door and stepped into the opening. “Excuse me, Mr…”

The hallway was empty.

“He’s fast,” Aiden said as he went back to the room.

* * * *

Having to relinquish his corporeal form and returning to ghost form, Edmund leaned against the wall to hide the wavering shadow he sometimes left behind which people said was the Carslyle pirate ghost.

He never was a damn pirate. He was a privateer with rights to plunder under the care of the newly formed Americas. With a scroll as proof, he could attack all ships sailing under different flags and plunder their goods for the benefit of the Americas, him, and his crew. Pirates were a bloodthirsty lot who made their berths in the Caribbean. Edmund preferred berthing around his family’s home and lighthouse as he patrolled the waters.

After watching the bewitching young man, Edmund disappeared through the walls until he stood within the master suite which hadn’t changed since his last voyage. The voyage he didn’t return from, at least not in the normal fashion.

Lacing fingers behind his back, Edmund paced across the thick Turkish rug he plundered from a ship. His knee-high polished black boots didn’t make a sound. Neither did his tight pants, loose silk shirt, and long black coat with polished silver buttons. These were the clothes he disappeared off his ship centuries ago. Every time he returned to this insignificant cursed form, these clothes appeared upon his body.

Not quite a ghost, not quite immortal, he was something completely utterly different. He was cursed. He was forced to take this ghost form throughout the year except from the night of the Autumnal Equinox to the evening of All Saints’ Day. Those few weeks he could partake a more corporeal form with various clothing and interact with humans, eat, enjoy sex, but unable to step into direct sunlight. Sunlight would shine right through his form and reveal his secret. Taking this form was taxing and he couldn’t hold it for long hours before returning to his ghost form.

All of his troubles started after crossing the eerie ship, Calypso’s Mystery, and her pirate captain, Bartolomeo de Soto, in the waters of the upper Lesser Antilles. While the captain flew under an unknown flag, sailing deep on his keel, and Edmund knew his ship could attack and plunder this under his written proclamation.

Though he tried to prevent the deaths of the captain, this time it didn’t happen. The captain was severely injured, bleeding on the deck when he boarded to oversee the situation after the quick, fierce battle. The rest of the crew was tied to the masts before his crew began to plunder the cargo holds. It was later, when he released the second mate, who rushed to his captain’s side. He learned who the Portuguese man was and his protect. De Soto was under the protection of his mistress, a powerful voodoo priestess. This lady was a wise and powerful priestess well known throughout the Caribbean. Her name was Marie Gedeon. Anyone who attacked her lover would be found and cursed by her protective spirits.

Sailing throughout these waters and visiting the ports, Edmund knew all about this ancient African practice which came here with the slave market. Many believed in the magic and mysticism of voodoo and their houngan and priestesses. He didn’t return the plunder for it would make him appear weak in front of his crew. When this priestess learned of her lover’s death at his orders, Edmund knew he would face her wrath and spirits. He sailed away, headed toward home before the Calypso could reach the priestess.

He wasn’t lucky. Problems soon began amassing during this fateful voyage home. Several barrels of fresh water became contaminated. More containers of food were decimated. Multiple crew members died with unknown factors and causes. The voyage lasted three times as long once the full moon of the Autumnal Equinox rose and fell in the dark sky.

The week of All Hallows’ Eve, he watched the skies darken with a rush of deep black-gray clouds rolling across the sky. The wind whipped around them, tugging and pulling at the sails until three ripped. He ordered the crew to the rigging to take down the rest. They would be at the mercy of the current and waves, but there wasn’t another choice. He stayed at the wheel, issuing orders, and watching the skies.

In a flash of lightning, a dark-skinned woman in colorful fabrics, a scarf around her neck, and items in her hand which she waved in his direction, her mouth forming words, as she danced around him. The final curse came through the darkness along with dust and power:

Ashes to Ashes, dust to dust Twist and bend the bones to dust I scatter these bones, these bones full of my rage Take them as an offering to bring thy enemy pain I see thy enemy before me now I bind him, crush him, and knock him down With these bones I now do crush Grind thy enemies into dust With the eternal fires out of control With this curse I take thy soul Take the form as a ghost for eternity Betwixt the time of the autumnal equinox and all hallows’ eve thy will become corporeal Learn the will of thy heart This is my will let it be done

As she finished the curse, Edmund lost feeling in all his limbs. He stared at his feet as they faded to invisibility and gradually climb up his body. As he screamed against her, the spirits, and into the wind, he disappeared completely from life.

After All Saints’ Day, he reappeared in this suite in his current form and figured out what the priestess did to him. The following autumn, he learned about the corporeal state, disguising his appearance from family and friends. He couldn’t leave the manor except to reappear at the lighthouse. He was connected forever to this manor, it recharged his energy and held him in this life between worlds.

Adjusting to this ghost form and half-life, Edmund accepted his fate. He integrated the changes of the manor to a B&B after the last of his family passed and he adjusted the name on the deed to whatever current one he chose. He took a lover, preferably a male, when his body craved the sensation during this short reprieve and entrance into the physical world. Over the last few years, he didn’t bother, hardening his mind to his empty fate.

For those reasons, he was intrigued by the temptation of the gorgeous young man inside his home. This man saw both of his forms and didn’t flee. He recognized Aiden’s mind was troubled, the loss of his job, no ride home, and little available funds. With this last week available to him, Edmund wondered how he could connect to Aiden before he lost his chance this year.

TO BE CONTINUED

Halloween Story - Captain of the Manor - Chapter 2

The Captain of the Manor

Chapter 2

“Ghost? What ghost on what ledge?” Morris demanded in a hot voice. “You said it was a damn bird up there. Boys, get out the blasted gear. We’re going hunting.”

The rest of the crew cried out, dropped the containers, and started to unlock them.

“Like hell you are.”

“You can’t stop us,” Morris said.

“Try me, Mr Jarrett. This is my home, my business. You and your crew are no longer welcome on these grounds. Your deposits are refunded. Close the containers. Pick them up. Turn around and leave. Now,” Edmund Carslyle said, shoving forward into Morris’ face. Fists clenched against his thighs.

Above the manor, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled across the skies.

Next to Edmund, Aiden fixed his glasses and looked around at the sudden natural effects around the manor. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Where did the storm come from?

“You’ll hear from my lawyers,” Morris threatened.

Edmund released and clenched one fist. “You’ll get nowhere other than lose money and face within your community. I wouldn’t even bother. Leave.”

“Aiden, move, we’ll go to the next project,” Morris snapped to him.

Aiden managed to remove his attention from Edmund’s chiseled body to Morris’ furious expression. He knew this expression well. “You know what, Morris, there’s no point to this.”

“To what?”

Adjusting his glasses, Aiden straightened his back at Morris’ harsh glance. He heard the doubt in his boss’ voice. “I don’t believe I’ll keep doing this with you. As a scientific and logical researcher, I don’t consider paranormal hunting to be a legitimate business. I give you my notice.”

“What the hell are you going to do? Back to contractor research or standing in front of a classroom, trying to teach?”

“Perhaps. I need to consider my options, but I no longer include your team as one of them. I wish you luck in your further endeavors, Morris,” Aiden said, holding out a hand.

“You’re quitting on me? Just like that?”

“Yes. Yes, I am. I will not require a reference or anything.”

“We’re your ride home.”

“I believe I can manage something. I’m quite capable of looking after myself,” Aiden said, adjusting his glasses.

“Truly, Aiden? You’re quite naïve about the outside world. You still prefer the world inside a classroom or your computers,” Morris sneered.

“I will figure out my own way. Thank you, Morris,” Aiden said in a distinctive tone.

“You’re making a big mistake, Aiden. A big one.” Morris shook his head.

“I believe he is making the smartest decision since joining your ridiculous ragtag operation. He seems like a reasonable, educated young man who has multiple employment opportunities,” Edmund said, stepping behind Aiden. “I asked you to leave. Please comply.”

“You’ll regret this, Carslyle,” Morris threatened under his breath, grabbing his bag, shoving the front door open, leaving the manor. His crew followed, grumbling under their breaths about lugging the ridiculous pounds of equipment back and forth and the long drive back to their base.

Aiden looked out the front doors and watched the van leave. His career as a paranormal researcher and analyst for the ghost hunting team ended with the turning of those wheels. He tried not to cringe at the thought of overdue bills piling in his inbox at home. He wasn’t sure he would even make rent. What the hell was he thinking? Now how was he supposed to get home?

“Shall we get you signed and settled in? I would be delighted to have you as a guest.”

Straightening his glasses, Aiden swung around to face the gorgeous man, feeling the lust slingshot through his body. “Pardon?”

Edmund went behind the front desk, taking over the duties from the manager with a wave of a hand. “Do you wish to stay at the manor?”

“Ahh, I would like too, but there is a problem with my funds and issues at home. I don’t believe I can afford to stay. I need to find a way home. After what happened with the others, I didn’t think you wanted anyone here.” Aiden glanced over his shoulder at the doors, and back to Edmund, the possible…ghost?

“I can tell you aren’t a ghost hunter, not at all like the others. You don’t have their annoying drive.”

“No, no, I’m not. I’m a professor, a doctor really, of quantum mechanics, mathematical theorems, chemistry, physics, and combinatorialist. I taught quantum, mathematics, and physics in a small college, but was released when the college lost their funding.”

“You’re a genius. You went to MIT?”

Aiden shrugged, fixed his glasses. “I tested high on that so called genius group.”

“The Mensa International Group?”

“That’s the one. I belong to them, but don’t participate. Don’t particularly like crowds and much attention.”

“Yet, you teach.”

“I did teach. I no longer have a position. It was small graduate classes, less than a dozen students.” Aiden pulled a wallet from his jacket and opened it. Everything inside precisely lined the same direction, spaced perfect, and in alphabet order. Even the last three dollar bills were creased and in numerical order. He slid out his driver’s license and the credit card. He tapped the card on the granite counter and considered the balance remaining. He passed both forward and hoped it would go through. If not, he would figure out another option. From a different pocket, he pulled out a small electronic tablet. Instead of his finger, he used a stylus to open various applications, and made notes or deletions.

“How long would you like to stay with me at the manor?”

The stylus paused at the question. Adjusting the glasses, Aiden regarded Edmund. “Stay with you?”

Edmund chuckled. “Pardon, excuse my wording. How long would you like to stay here at the manor?”

“The three days we have scheduled. I hope to find a way home by Monday.”

Edmund typed in the appropriate information and slid the card through the reader. It came up rejected to his disappointment. With a glance at the bespectacled man, he tapped in to comp the room. “Please use the stylus to sign for the contract on our reader.”

Setting down his tablet, Aiden scrawled his signature across the small screen. He accepted everything, and returned the stylus to the holder. “My card went through.”

“Yes, it went through fine,” Edmund said with a small smile. “Thank you, ahh, Dr Joseph.” He slid Aiden’s cards across the desk.

“Aiden, please. I’m on a small vacation to figure out my next path.” Aiden replaced the cards back in the same perfection as before.

“You’re in Suite 304. I’ll take you upstairs. It’s the third floor, next to the family suite.”

“Family suite?”

“My bedroom suite and bathroom includes the widow’s walk and off-limits to customers.”

“Most of the haunting reports are located around the area.”

“Yes, but I don’t appreciate people wandering around my personal room to catch sight of a ghost.” Edmund unlocked a drawer, pulled a white card, tapped keys, and ran the card through the machine. He hit keys, zapped the card, and nodded at double green lights. Choosing a small folder, he added a pair of brochures on one side, a list of numbers in front, and the access card. “This is your key card. It deactivates if not used within twenty-four hours. I can reset it. It lets you in the gym and pool after hours, which is eight PM.” He slid the folder across the desk.

“Thank you.”

“Welcome. Let me show you to your room. Need help with your bags.”

“No, this is it.” Aiden gathered his things, shouldered his bags, and followed the other man.

Alone in the third upstairs hall, Edmund glanced at him. “What did you mean by you saw a ghost on the outside ledge?”

TO BE CONTINUED

Halloween Story - Captain of the Manor - Chapter 1

I plan on continuing this Blog Story throughout the Month of October - The Captain of the Manor. A ghostly story of a trapped pirate captain in his home turning into a B&B. The realistic research nerd of a ghost hunter show appears on the doorstep after hearing the ghost stories with a ghost hunter show. Though he doesn't believe in ghosts or ghost hunters, it's a job in this crummy economy. Of course he never expected to find a ghost, let alone a yummy pirate who fulfills every Captain Jack Sparrow fantasy running through his head.

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Chapter 1

On the balcony overlooking the manor’s entrance, Captain Edmund Carslyle stared with revulsion at the men emptying luggage and containers from a dark van. With his gifts, he knew damn well what those containers held. It wasn’t materials for a quantum conference.

These were ghost hunters. Something he forbid from entering his home.

Hands gripped the railing until his knuckles went white. His image altered from corporeal to his ghostly pirate with anger. A flicker of lightning raged over the manor, lighting the skies, revealing one face peering. Behind glasses, bright eyes widened when he caught sight of his image. How could someone see his ghost image? No one could see him. There were rumors abound about a ghost haunting the ancient Greek Revival-styled manor turned into an elegant seaside B&B, but nothing was based on fact.

Cussing, Edmund disappeared into the manor. Retaking his corporeal image, he dressed himself in slim Armani trousers, a white silk button-down shirt, and grey knitwear V-neck sweater. Shoving a hand through his golden brown hair, he moved through the manor’s family wing and down the stairs.

In spite of tales, rumors, and gossip, he kept ghost hunters away from his lands for over five hundred years. He wanted no one to scour the old stories and hurts hidden in the walls of the manor and lighthouse. There was the issue about his curse, ancient and powerful, and never-ending. It caused him enough grief and pain and didn’t want wannabe ghost hunters messing with his life even further. His hands clenched while he rounded the final bend.

* * *

Outside, gazing upon the elegant southern manor with the double story Doric columns and widow’s walk on the corner facing the sea, Aiden Joseph turned to take in the surroundings. Further beyond the manor, he spotted a towering lighthouse built on the hammerhead-shaped peninsula to warn all sea captains about the dangerous reefs and shoals hidden under the beautiful blue ocean. Aiden could understand why the first Carslyle wanted to put roots here in the rich sandy soil, nestled against the dangerous North Carolina stretch of the Atlantic Ocean. Fixing his glasses, he moved his gaze up the three stories, timing his movements with the sudden fix of lightning, to see a figure standing on the ledge of the widow’s walk tower.

A gasp escaped when he caught sight of a ghost.

A figure of a pirate.

“What? What did you see?” Morris, the leader of the group, asked, turning at the sound of the gasp. He met Aiden’s gaze.

“Nothing. I saw nothing.” Aiden cleared his throat. “A hawk flying over caused a shadow.”

“Damn, don’t spook on us. We’re not even in the door with the gear.”

“You think we’re gonna get in, boss? Word is the owner doesn’t let in hunters,” George, one of the cameramen, said, hefting a bag on his shoulder before grabbing the handles of another one.

“We’re signed in for a weekend as a quantum conference and not hunters. Aiden here gives us some credence as experts with his brain.” Morris thumped a hand to Aiden’s shoulder.

This was not a job he wanted, but positions as a scientific researcher weren’t readily available in the current economy. His savings were running low and bills were piling up. He found a researcher job on the internet and it ended up being the researcher for Spectre Hunters, one of the many ghost hunter shows on television. With a scientific, logical background, the idea of ghosts and other paranormal events weren’t high on his believability list. Still, it was a job.

Now due to this position, he found the stories of a captain of the Satan’s Trident, who disappeared after a fateful voyage up the coast after an armada, but a storm overtook the fleet. His ship foundered off the coast near the lighthouse, the captain and the crew disappeared.

Within months of his disappearance, the Carslyle family and friends reported their home was haunted by the captain, who wandered the upper suite and widow’s walk. The sightings continued after the manor was turned into a popular B&B. While the owner and manager didn’t allow paranormal hunters on the property, Morris figured they could enter under a different identity. Aiden wasn’t too sure about the plan.

“Yes, excellent for everyone I’m such a nerd with credentials,” Aiden answered, shouldering his laptop bag and weekend case. He went up the front steps and across the wide front veranda, admiring the glorious craftsmanship of the woodwork.

Pressing a hand on the brass handle, he opened one of the double glass front doors and opened it, stepping into the huge front room. His heels clicked onto the welcoming old hardwood parquet patterned floor. The doubled staircase curved a full three flights, taking guests across the entire three floors of the manor. He read on the manor’s website, there was a two-story library, an old-fashioned parlor, a ballroom, a sitting room for a ladies’ afternoon tea, a smoking room for the gentlemen, and a large dining room off the well-equipped kitchen. The various named suites finished the upper floors.

He heard Morris, George, and the other two men grump and groan as they dragged in their gear. The various trunks thumped and dropped on the floor. Aiden winced at their carelessness with the beautiful floor.

“Well, now. Wouldn’t that be romantic?” Morris said, nudging George, pointing off to one of the rooms. “We can swoon some ladies down here, get them in the beds.”

Aiden rolled his eyes at their crass attitude over this beautiful manor.

“Unless you’re not able to check into a suite,” a man called out, his tone powerful and clipped.

Turning, fixing his glasses, his eyes widened at the sight of the six-two male stepping down the last of the winding stairs. Aiden looked at the ceiling and then around the front area. This man looked the same as… It couldn’t be the same…

“Ahh, sir, this is the Quantum Theorem Group here for the weekend,” the desk manager said.

“There is no group. This is another useless disguise for another group of ghost hunters trying to get in under my nose. Gentleman, you may stay within the walls of my ancestors’ homes, but all of your gear forbidden. I know those containers don’t have conference pamphlets. Return everything to your van if you wish to stay. If anything paranormal happens, it will not be recorded in any fashion,” the man said as he strode across the floor. “I know of your reputation, Morris Jarrett, as I keep track of all professional and amateur ghost hunters.”

“We have a right to conduct our…” Morris tried to speak.

The man raised a hand. “This is my family’s ancient home and land. I have the right to refuse a room. It’s a known fact, all ghost hunters aren’t welcome.” He rested his gaze upon Aiden.

Aiden swallowed at the curl of lust low in his belly at the sight of those green eyes peering at him. He could swoon at those powerful shoulders and lean height. Such a gorgeous man stood in front of him. Still, the ghostly image he saw on the ledge under the lightning haunted him.

“Well, shit…What the hell are we supposed to do now?” Morris interrupted.

The man glared at Morris. “Shove your gear in the van and leave with it or stay without it. Either way, your gear doesn’t enter my doors.”

“My laptop?” Aiden inquired.

The man returned his gaze to Aiden. “If it’s a simple laptop for basic research, it can remain. If you attempt to use it for something other than ghost hunting, it will be removed.”

“I promise I’ll not let it happen.”

“You have permission to sign in for your room, Mr…”

“Joseph. Aiden Joseph. You?”

“Edmund. I’m Edmund Carslyle.”

“Like the Captain who disappered,” Aiden whispered. “Like the ghost. The ghost on the ledge.”

TO BE CONTINUED