Her face went red as she stood in fright at what she saw, I tried to stop her but... what the bloody hell happened; there must be an explanation. The doors slamming, the sudden wind change and Lady Evans looked completely terrified, her mouth was gaping open as her skin turn pale.

“What happened in there?” Benjamin came up behind me as we stood in the bedroom provided by Lady Evans.

“William, are you listening to me?” he enquired beside me

“I don’t know, the doors can be explained but the wind" I shook my head, pacing the floor “what did she see?”

“A whole lot" Ben walked to the window as he rubbed his face, I made my way to him placing my hand on his shoulder as comfort.

“Funny how a few words, can hurt so deeply” He whispered with his head in his hands as a soft chuckle

“She must have heard from someone" I patted his back.

“I never anyone but you, Will; what if she is the real deal?” he turned to look at me.

“Nonsense, it’s an act and we will solve it" I grabbed my coat and gun as I walked to the bedroom door. “I need to think" I called back as I walked down the hall.

....

Calming down the horse with the sweet song my mom sang to me, the horse moved his nose into my face as I laughed then moved to mount the horse, I felt a presence behind me; I turned to see the Duke standing in the shadows.

“A little late for a ride, Miss Melantha” he walked slowly, his shoulders straight and strong as he looked down at me.

“what do you want?” I step forward with pride and cocked my hip to the side as I crossed my arms.

“What happened to the respect” he snarled at me

“It's in that house, go in there and get some" I turned to climb onto the horse when he grabbed my arm to stop me, I pulled away “don’t touch me" I whispered as another flash of visions came my way, I was on a leather armrest of an old chair and he was sitting in it, moving his long fingers around my waist and I froze for a min.

“What did you see?” he whispered as he notices just how close we’ve gotten, his nose flared as his eyes dilated.

“I don’t know," I said back as my throat seem to tighten as I moved to the horse.

“Or this all but an act to get people to pay for bullshit” he shouted but kept his voice calm. “Who thought you that?” he moved his finger under his lips.

“What?” I looked him up and down

“Observation,” he said it so fast and so short that I thought I didn’t hear it.

“What do you mean?” I tried to move back but he stop me with a small tug to my dress.

“Obviously you have the knowledge of observation, how else were you able to read them" he pointed it out like I couldn’t utter a word of English. “or I am just too hard to observe” he nodded laughing “that’s why you can’t tell me what you saw" he smirked and turned to leave.

“You think I can’t read you, please,” I said moving away from the horse and moving towards him “You are very wealthy titled. man but you prefer spending your time traveling and solving high classes cases which are kept hush-hush expect with the occasional ‘we solved the case’ article printed in the newspaper because 'god forbid' a story comes out about ‘Duke so forth and Lady this and that’ are the attention of shameful rumor" he scoffed

“Anyone can tell me that, Its obvious” he shook his head as I put my finger up, I kept walking towards him.

“oh, I am not done. You father passed away recently which has your mother in a frenzy because she still feels him around her, she wants you to settle down and have a few children; but the thought of having a dim-witted woman at your side is what you see as a nightmare, much less a few children” he was about to speak over me again but I went on “but recently, your cases are having unusual victims and even weirder murders; so you head swirls around looking for answer to the supernatural" smirking at him, I turned my back and walk back to the horse, mounting the dark steed as I looked down at the Duke; whose face was cold stone

“no one else was in the house, that door slammed on there own and the wind that moved; watch out who you anger. Evening Duke Evermore” I said before riding away into the woods.

….

I traveled through the woods in a fast-paced, all I saw was trees rushing by, dark shadows and moonlit pathways. The only way I could get through without any harm is to freaken ride like a madman until I get to save zone which was the Shamans campsite. Slowed my ride just enough to spot rocks and ditches for I had come to the troubling part of woods, I spotted a few Silva Rerum that hid away when I approached; it seems like I have nothing with value on me. The great thing about being poor. I finally come to the Shamans tent, I jump off the horse and tied him to a tree nearby.

“Shaman?” I called out but heard nothing “Shaman?” I heard a rustling and soft oof as he fell out of the tent.

“Hello dear girl" he spoke in his native language. “what brings you here?” he smiled at me. “hopefully to bring some of the goods" I rolled my eyes.

“You don’t need it” answering back his native language as I moved to sit by the fire.

“Says you" he smiled again “I am messing with you" he chuckled waved his hand “before I ask why you are here, please take off that ridiculous hood and glasses" I had forgotten I even had them on.

I removed my hood and glasses then gave him a patronizing smile “there" I whispered placing them on my lap.

“Now I see you fully, now what is it you seek?” he stokes the fire as he settled down on the other side of it.

“I was doing a reading…” I was interrupted by him.

“Yes, Fredrick mentions it" he was looking in the fire.

“Well, when I turned the tarot cards they were blank and all I saw in the crystal ball was red smoke," I said getting up and pacing the room “this hasn’t happened before” I whispered

“Well, what did you see when you touch him" I stood frozen as he said those words, I shook my head; I can’t tell him that.

“there was a figure in a black hood and red smoke surrounded his form, he was turning a black diamond ring on his finger and a devious smile on his face” I sat down again.

“Is that all?” he raised his eyebrow at me. I looked down at my hands.

“There’s more" I pushed my waist-length gold hair out of my face as blush.

“Oh don’t need to hear the ‘more' then" he laughed, I rolled my eyes.

“What does it mean?” I asked him desperately

“you will know in time," he said those words like wisdom fell from his lips.

“Don’t give me that?" I said shaking my head and complained loudly.

“I can't tell you what I see, you know this too” he stood to his feet and disappeared into the tent “I have a feeling you haven’t eaten yet, care for some food" I rolled my eyes

“yes sure," I said back as I looked into the fire, thinking about what I saw and what I felt with grumpy; I rubbed my face in frustration. I stayed the night at the only home since my mother passing, just to clear my head and to come up with a plan to avoid blue eyes.

….

I walked into the kitchen to find Sir Stonewood sitting at the table as Mil gave him a bowl of what I assume was oatmeal, her eyes found mine and her sadistic smile fell into place; I saw Sir Stonewood gap down a breath until his eyes followed hers to mine.

“Where is the bloody hell have you been?” She moved her hands to hips.

“You know where I was,” I said in a bored tone.

“I was hoping you weren’t there” she shook her head “it’s not that I don’t trust him but being alone in the woods, those woods” she pointed to the door.

“You were where?” Sir Stonewood stood to his feet “and with who" he crossed his arms.

“I was with him, he literally protects the whole woods and you" I pointed to Sir Stonewood “frankly it’s nothing of your business, Sir Stonewood”

“Please Benjamin" he placed his hand on his chest in and smiled politely “as a detective of the royal court, it is my business, Melantha” he raised his voice a bit and stood firmly.

“well..” I was about to say something when Joe came through the pastry door.

“Everything is there, no need to…” he spotted me standing by the door and I knew I was in big trouble, I suck in a breathe and froze

“where the in bloody hell were you?” he moved forward towards me. “Oh, I knew where you were, what’s gotten into your head? Huh? Remember the last time you went to those woods at night, what happened?” he shouted at me as I mumbled an answer “so help me god, girl" he hissed.

“I got scratched up" I whispered as Benjamin's eyes got bigger as oatmeal almost fell from his mouth

“I had to stitch you up and hold you when you kept having nightmares. For god sake, Mel; your father was in shits, blaming himself, I had to calm Henry down because he wanted to go in after you and I sat up late waiting for your smartass to come back" I rolled my eyes.

“I didn’t ask you for anything of it" I shouted back at him and crossed my arms.

“Oh no no, girl, don’t do that; to bed with you and take a goddamn shower" I heard him shout as I made my way down the stairs to my dark lonely hole of a room.

I don’t remember falling asleep but I do remember darkness and the sound of rattling chains with the occasional whisper, it was the kind of sound you hear at night but you uncertain of where it’s coming from; so you lay in bed unmoved until it goes away but for some reason, I was shaken awake by some sort of wind as wave of an unnerving sound. And as I gasped for air, three chained women stood at the foot of my small bed, glaring at me; their faces were unrecognizable and bowed low as thin strands of hair fell in front of faces against the darkness that made their identity unknown. They were but skin and bone in white dirty lace wedding dress as they were buried in them, I just blink my eyes for a second and they were gone.

I pulled my knees to my chest and closed my eyes for a minute, trying to reclaim my status as a ghost whisperer; I shouldn’t be scared of this I whispered to myself over and over again. When a knock sounded on the door and my heart almost stopped.

I looked to the door as a messy of red hair and happy-go-lucky face appeared, I let out a breath I was holding as gave him a half-smile inviting him in; he sat on the bed.

“Lady Evans request presences, you are running late" he whispered

“You’re not mad at me?” I said to him as I got off the bed.

“I worry" he pulled me into a hug “but you are back and that’s all the matter, rush now," he said as he left me alone.

I had on my conical black corset which I tied an old scarf on my hips, I looked in my broken mirror and made sure my white blouse was on proper before I grabbed my coat, glasses and walked out of the room.

…..

After reading about five cheating husbands, 6 bed-on-the-side women and a couple of old ladies asking about their cat; this ‘party' was as boring as watching grass grow. I mean I could’ve told them what gossip goes around because, come on, in this day and age; most powerful men always have a thing on the side which their wives ignore religiously. What was funny though? They all gave me looks of disgust, though their souls are drenched in sin.

Oh, the upside to all this was the Duke eyes constantly on me; his eyes burn my skin as I tried to ignore him.

The night went on like it wouldn’t end, to these people; it was the time of their lives. To me, it felt like Time was sitting in corner; laughing as he moved the clock arms further away from ending the night. What kept me entertained was the Duke's eyes burning my skin like the sun in the desert and when he wasn’t looking at me, he was trying to freeze the fire burning in the fireplace.

I let my eyes move around the room of high society, Ophelia stood by the fire in her pastel blue corset with chiffon ruffled skirt; she looked amazing against candlelit pastel room.

Benjamin stood next to the leather armchair his associate occupied, they spoke in hush tones while the Duke ignored anyone who wished to have a conversation with him. With the Duke's grumpy face and Benjamin wandering eyes, it was the only entertainment I could enjoy.

Just then as I finished up with another old lady, the room turned dark as chains rattled towards my table; white smoke filled the room and with my head still lower I see a dark figure immersed from the crowd. I looked up to find Sir Richardson walking to my table with a beautiful blonde on his one side and on the other he dragged with him three girls which made my blood run cold, they stumbled and fell as if he was forcing them to walk; the three sickly girls in chains kept whispering ‘release me’ over and over again in hush dying tones.

I stood to my feet as if he held me by my neck, his smirk grew as he approached closer and closer; he took a seat in front of me and chuckled:

“I assume my demons are scaring you, Miss Melantha; how glorious” he pushed his head back and laughed hysterically.

Without a word, I ran from the party, through the kitchen, through the back door and finally into someone arms. At first, I thought it was Joe or Henry but I heard the all familiar deep velvety voice:

“What do you ran from?” I tried to pull away but he held me close “goddamn it, stop moving, you are shaking” I heard a commotion coming from behind me. I looked up into his eyes.

“If you have any sense of humanity, you will get me away from here" I whispered the last into his dark blue suit jacket.

“Very well," he said sternly before I could even catch my breath, I will lift bridal style onto his horse which I didn’t know how fast we gotten to the stables.

“Hold on to me" he whispered into my hair as he got up in front of me. Then we just rode off into the night….

.......