Page 13 of The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street
She was silent for a moment as she looked at me. “Did you tell Jack everything?”
“Mostly. I told him why I was there to meet Anthony and about my conversation with Marc.”
“And the figure in Nola’s bedroom?
I studied a spot on the wallpaper. “Sophie said this is all hand painted. Did you know that?”
“Melanie.” Jayne’s voice was full of warning. “You need to tell him everything. And if you don’t, then I might have to. I don’t like the energy I feel when I pass by Nola’s bedroom. We need to take care of it soon, and Jack will have to know.”
“I know, and I agree,” I said, realizing her hand was still on my arm. “I’m just trying to figure out where to begin. And I really don’t want to bother Jack with any of it until I know something for sure. The spirits are not showing themselves to me, like they don’t want to talk to me.”
“Or they don’t know they’re dead,” Jayne suggested.
“Or that. At least I know Louisa is here, protecting the children while I try to sort everything out. I promise to tell Jack everything when we’re ready to deal with it, all right? He’s got a lot on his mind right now.”
I ignored her sideways glance as she kept her hand gripped firmly in the crook of my elbow, leading me down the stairs and in the direction of the parlor. “I think he’d rather know than be caught by surprise. Like finding you flat on your back in front of the gazebo in Battery Park with another man sprawled on top of you.”
I couldn’t argue with her logic, but I was distracted by the firm tug on my arm. “Where are we going?” I asked, suddenly aware that I was being led for a reason.
“Both of your parents are here, and Nola and Jack are with them in the parlor. They’d like to have a little chat.” Despite my digging in my heels at the mention of an apparent audience waiting to talk with me, she’d managed to pull me into the doorway of the parlor, where everyone had gathered, drinking coffee and tea and snacking on a plate of what looked like Mrs. Houlihan’s holiday fudge. Each piece was decorated with green marshmallow-covered Frosted Flakes and tiny cinnamon drops to make them look like holly. They were my favorite, and Mrs. Houlihan had been keeping them under lock and key. I headed in their direction, but Jayne pulled me back.
“Hello, Mellie.” My mother smiled and stood, followed by my fatherand then Nola. Even the three dogs, previously asleep in front of the fire, stood and faced me.
I eyed them all suspiciously, my gaze settling on Jack as he approached. “Is this an intervention?”
“Funny you should use that word.” Jack stopped in front of me and smiled. It wasn’t one of his devastating ones, which I was used to. This was the smile of a man about to have teeth pulled. Without anesthesia.
“Why is it funny?” I hedged, looking for a way to snag a piece of fudge en route to my escape.
Jack seemed to be speaking from behind gritted teeth. “Because only someone who thinks they might need one would ever assume that a gathering of loved ones might be an intervention.”
“Well, no one’s died, so I know it’s not a funeral,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Mellie. Sweetheart,” he said, placing his arm around my shoulders and pulling me toward him. I tried to retain my indignation, but the scent of him, that “Jackness” that I couldn’t name but could always identify, made me almost lose track of why I was supposed to feel indignant.
“Mmm,” I mumbled into the soft cashmere arm of his sweater, enjoying the feel and smell of him but keeping my body rigid.
“How old are you?”
I jerked back. “Excuse me? Are you about to make some dig about how you’re younger than I am?”
“I would never,” he said solemnly. “It’s just that while you were upstairs, we’ve been having a conversation where we all agree that you’re old enough to know who to trust. And that would be everyone in this room.”
“I have no idea what you’re—” He stopped me with a firm kiss on the mouth that erased my next words.
“Get a room,” Nola grumbled.
He grinned his Jack grin. “Glad that still works. As I was saying, you should have told me and the rest of us about your meeting with Marc and your decision to meet with Anthony. We’re all in this together,remember? We’re a family. We love you. We love this house and everyone connected to it. Well, most of them. Your problems are our problems. And we solve them together.”
“But with your deadline, you don’t need any distractions—”
He put his finger on my lips, stopping me. “You, your safety, and our happiness are never a distraction.”
“Mellie, dear,” my mother said. “Your father and I divorced all those years ago because we didn’t communicate and because we each thought we knew what was best for the other. And look where that led us.”
I stepped away from Jack so I could gather my thoughts. It was hard to think with him standing so close. “I understand your concern. I do. And I thank you. But I decided to do it myself not because I don’t trust you. It’s because I thought I could handle it on my own. Maybe I was wro...” I couldn’t finish the word. I tried again. “Maybe I moved a little too fast and maybe I should have waited before agreeing to meet with Anthony. And I did tell Jayne,” I said in a small voice.
“Right before we left, before I could get reinforcements,” Jayne added with look of admonishment.
