Chapter Fifteen
The doorbell rang loudly, an eight-note chime that was familiar because most people I knew on Pan had the same one. We all turned our attention to the door just in time to see Dee, Martín, Jose, and a guy I didn’t know walk through it. I felt myself breathe a little easier, and let go of River’s hand again. This time, he let me. I beelined over to the front door and fell into Dee’s arms when she opened hers the moment she saw me.
“Are you okay?” she asked quietly. “You look stunning.”
“I’m fine.” I pulled away and looked at her. She was wearing a black ballgown with a V-neck that plunged near her belly button. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, eyeing my necklace. “What is this you’re wearing?”
“River loaned it to me.”
“Wow.” She let out a sighed laugh. “So, is it safe to assume he’s not so bad?”
“The verdict is still out.”
“But you’re safe?” She searched my eyes.
“I mean, if you think being in a gloomy house that’s falling apart under the same roof as a jilted ex-lover who wants to kill you safe, sure.”
“What?”
“She’s not my ex-lover.” That was River, who had snuck up behind us and made us both jump.
“She does want to kill me though,” I said.
“Oh. Wow,” Dee said, turning to look at River. “You look wow.”
“Yeah, you look hot, but you already knew that,” Jose added to River and then me, giving me a quick hug. “This is my date, Ricardo.”
“Nice to meet you, Ricardo.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and turned to Martín to kiss him on the cheek as well.
“You clean up nice as well.”
“Especially for this gala,” Martín said, looking around in awe. “It’s just as creepy as I thought it would be.” He looked at me. “Is it haunted?”
“I . . . don’t know.” I frowned. I’d seen something in the bathroom for sure, but not a person, not a ghost.
“Too bad,” he said. “The Haunt would flip out if they knew you were in here.”
“Maybe you should stay a little longer, Penelope, for the sake of The Haunt,” River said, his eyes dancing.
“Yeah, no, I don’t think so.” I pursed my lips.
He let out a laugh. “I need to show you something. I do hope you all enjoy yourselves. Please grab drinks.” He grabbed my hand again and escorted me away from my friends. I only had time to glance over my shoulder and see Dee’s smile of approval as she nodded.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he led me down the corridor he wouldn’t let me walk down just this morning. The pounding in my chest grew louder, harder as we walked.
“I want to introduce you to my parents.”
“Oh.” I swallowed. “They won’t join the festivities?”
“Maybe later.”
“Is your father feeling well enough to?”
“No, but he’ll join anyway.”
The hall was dimly lit with gas lamps, as the rest of the house was, but the lamps were close enough to the portraits that I could sort of make them out. Most of them were of groups of men, around tables signing papers, watching as one of them made a discourse, posing for a painter. One photograph in particular caught my attention. I stopped walking in front of it and let go of River’s hand. The painting had tents and people everywhere, but front and center there were two men and two women. They were all smiling wide. My hand rose slowly to touch it, but I let it drop before it got there. It was my grandparents. I’d never met my grandfather, but I knew his face, and I knew this painting because the same one hung in my grandmother’s house before she moved in with my parents. I looked at River, who was standing there watching me with his hands in his pockets. Who are they, I asked, but not aloud, I couldn’t get my voice to work.
Nevertheless, he answered. “Your great-grandparents. And mine.”
“Where are they?”
“On this very island.”
“Dolos?”
“Dolos before the curse. Before it broke off.”
“Why would this be hanging here?” I glanced up at him. “After everything.”
“Maybe as a reminder of what once was.”
“Why would you want to remember an old friendship, especially one that supposedly wronged you?”
“Why do we study history?”
“To learn from the past and not make the same mistakes all over again.”
“But do we ever truly learn? Some would argue that your presence in this house would mean we don’t.”
“Mayra says my cousin haunts the Manor.”
“Did she, now.” River’s lips set into a fine line.
“Is she telling the truth?”
“I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts, in curses.”
“Is she telling the truth?” I turned around and tilted my head to meet his gaze.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
He was standing far too close to me. So close that when he reached for me and wrapped an arm around my waist, I was powerless to stop him. So close that when he brought his face down, his nose touched mine and I stopped breathing entirely.