Page 27 of Lady Tamsyn and the Pixie's Curse
“Who?”
She paused. “Herson.”
He frowned. “Someone is toyingwithyou.”
“Have you ever seen a ghost,Father?”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t let others make a cake ofyou,girl.”
“Her son, Paul. He was around five years old when he died, was he not? His spirit lives on in this castle, Father. He’s been talkingtome.”
He began to look trulyalarmed.
“I’m not mad, Father. I canproveit.”
“How?”
“Perhaps Paul will show himself to you, too?” she asked intotheair.
The boy popped into the space between their chairs. Her father did not react in theslightest.
“He won’t see me,”Paulsaid.
She decided to try another tactic. “Is it this part of the country?” she asked. “Haven’t you felt it? The servants talk of ghosts, the villagers whisper about witches and . . .pixies.”
“Stuff and nonsense. Don’t let them corrupt your pretty little head,mydear.”
“It too late. Something’s happened to me since I came here. I can show you,Father.”
He shook his head, startedtorise.
She reached out and took his hand. “Please?”
Sighing,hesat.
“Think of something Idon’tknow.”
“Excuseme?”
She cast about and her gaze fell on her mother’s wardrobe. “Think about what mother wore on your wedding day. I don’t know what it was. Now, tell me about it—but make it a lie. Tell me something different than what shetrulywore.”
He started to bluster again, but met her gaze and gave in. “Your mother wore a yellow dress on the day we married.” He waved an impatient hand intheair.
The truth bubbled into clarity between them. An image of her mother joining him at an altar. “No.” She stared in wonder. “Mother looked beautiful in ice blue, with white rosebuds inherhair.”
The earl paused. “Your mother could havetoldyou.”
“Shedidn’t.”
“Someone in thefamily,then.”
“I’m telling you the truth, Father. Test me again. With something I could never,everknow.”
He frowned, thought a moment, then started tospeak.
“Make it a lie!” she reminded him. “And I’ll see thetruth.”
“When I was a lad of twelve, I was thrashed. I stole a box of cigars from myfather’sdesk.”
