Her white hair flittered as she nervously shook her head. “This isn’t your suite.”
“It was and I’ve decided to reclaim it for the time being.”
She reached for my hand, tugging me into the hallway. “Miss Emma, the spirits are worried.”
“Tell them it will be all right.”
“He needs you. If you’re up here, you aren’t with him.”
I stood taller, still with my damp, tangled hair and wearing my robe. “I’m certain that Mr. Ramses is capable of taking care of himself. I need some time.”
“But this is your honeymoon.”
Her revelation caught me off guard. I hadn’t even considered our honeymoon. “I guess you’re right.”
She tugged my hand toward the staircase. “Let me help you go back downstairs.”
I pulled my hand away. “I’m staying here for the time being.”
“Those rings.” She tilted her head to my left hand. “Let them remind you of your promise.”
“Miss Guidry, I’m not the only person who made promises. You said that Rett didn’t marry a woman like Miss Marilyn and that it was a good thing. Right now, I’m not happy with Mr. Ramses. It is all right. It’s what people do. We both have growing to do.”
“You still want to be married, yes?” she asked as her hazel eyes grew wide.
“Yes.” Perhaps it was my first true verbalization of what I wanted, but that didn’t lessen its truthfulness.
She exhaled in relief. Her gaze went to the open doorway and back to me. “You don’t belong up here. It’s not right. Miss Marilyn and Miss Delphine can’t help you up here.”
Can spirits not climb stairs? Did they climb or float?
I shook my head and asked, “Why do they need to help me?”
Her lips came together in a straight line. “Isn’t it better to have help?”
“Why can’t they help me up here?”
“You see, the suite downstairs, that’s what they know. Mr. Ramses was wrong to bring you up here in the beginning. I appeased the spirits. I told them you would be where you belonged when the time was right. That was then. Now...well, now this isn’t where you belong.”
I reached out and squeezed Miss Guidry’s hand. “I need to get ready for dinner.” We both turned as footsteps came up the staircase. Soon, Ian appeared with all I’d asked for: the light blue dress from Rett’s and my first dinner, and accessories.
He handed everything my direction. “You didn’t ask for the shoes...”
I reached for the dress and shoes as my smile grew. “They’re perfect. Thank you, Ian.”
After nodding, he turned to Miss Guidry. “Ruth, we should let Mrs. Ramses prepare.”
Miss Guidry nodded. “Please don’t be misguided, Miss Emma.”
I didn’t know what she meant. I did, however, know that my time was wasting away. “Thank you.” With a nod, I went back into the suite and closed the door. As a cold shiver skirted my skin, I looked at the handle, the skeleton key in the lock, and the dead bolt higher up.
Who would that lock protect me from?
It was a question I wasn’t willing to pursue nor interested in pursuing.
Thirty minutes later, looking at my reflection, I smoothed the skirt of the light blue dress. My hair was pulled back on each side and the diamond earrings reflected the lights above the mirror. From the moment that I’d closed the door, I’d spent most of the time in deep conversation with myself.
Apparently, talking to oneself was what happened when one found herself in a situation that neither made logical or even emotional sense. Or maybe it was the influence of Miss Guidry’s spirits. Either way, together we—me and I—had gone through the positives and negatives associated with again signing the marriage certificate.