The Medium

I was too dumbstruck to do anything except obey, so I left without saying another word. The butler waited for me at the door and escorted me out. I wasn't unhappy to leave- the scene had been truly a heart-wrenching one-but I was disappointed. Immensely. That poor woman. I had a feeling she might never find peace, no matter how many years she had left. She truly could not accept that her son was dead.

Tears trickled down my face as I descended the steps to the pavement. It was raining again so I raised my umbrella and began the trudge home.

"Wait!" someone called from the stairs leading down to the basement area where the servants worked. I looked over the iron railing to see Adelaide climbing the steps to the pavement. She was breathing heavily. "Come with me." She glanced up at the main door and took my arm. I tried to hold the umbrella over her head too but because she was so much taller than me, I ended up getting a little wet.

Once around the corner we were able to huddle beneath the umbrella better and use the side wall of the house as a bit of cover. "Miss Beaufort," I said. "What is it?"

"Please, call me Adelaide." She clutched my free hand and gave me a small smile. "Tell me, do you really know my brother? His ghost I mean?"

Did she actually believe me? Was she prepared to give up on the idea that Jacob was alive somewhere when her parents were not?

"Oh, forgive me," she said, "I should apologize first."

"There's no need to apologize. Your parents' grief is affecting their judgment at the moment. Besides, I'm used to not being believed." Although not usually so vehemently.

"It was still a horrible thing to sit through, wasn't it? I am sorry for the things my father said. He didn't really know Jacob, you see. Not very well."

"Oh?" Here was my chance to finally find out more about him. I held my breath and gave her an encouraging nod.

Adelaide glanced back the way we'd come. "Father doesn't know the sort of people Jacob liked, that's why his comment about you was so terrible and wrong. You are exactly the sort of girl that would have appealed to my brother."

I stared at her. I think I made a small sound in the back of my throat. "Sort of girl?" I croaked.

"Yes. Speaks her mind, is courageous, poised, pretty."

I laughed. "I'll give you the point about speaking my own mind but as to the others, I'm afraid you're wide of the mark."