The House on Serpent Lake (Ghost, Romance, Fantasy) Read online

  Delighted at Eric’s lighthearted mood, Lindsay slipped her arm around him and drew close. He accepted the touch for a moment, then took a short step to the side, just enough out of reach for her to drop her arm. She stopped and stared at him in bewilderment.

  “Honey …”

  “Lindsay, please. Don’t start again. I’m going through something I can’t explain. Just have some patience.”

  “Talk to me, Eric. Maybe I can help. That’s what married people do, you know. Discuss things and work them out.”

  Eric said nothing. In silence they crossed the street in front of the small newspaper office, Eric taking her arm like the courtly gentleman he’d always been—which made his aloof behavior all the more puzzling.

  Was it another woman? She knew it was possible, but in the time she’d known him, he’d never betrayed her in any way. No matter the situation, she could always rely on his strength and honesty. If he’d fallen for someone else, he’d tell her.

  “Mr. Mathews said your aunt Berina wasted away,” she said, hoping to get him talking about his family, desperately wanting to recapture his former good spirits. “I bet it was over a lost love.”

  “I barely remember her. I didn’t talk to her much because she always seemed so sad. She was good to me, though, and I loved her in my way.”

  “He said she’d been beautiful. Do you remember what she looked like?”

  “Oh, tall and slim, I think, always kept her hair in one of those bun-things. I saw it down once, right before she went to bed, and it was long and fluffy. I don’t remember if she was pretty, but she always smelled like lavender.”

  “Did either of your aunts ever marry?”

  “I heard rumors that Aunt Frida had been engaged once, but I don’t know what happened.”

  At the mortuary, the funeral director expressed his sympathy and assured them that he’d call when the cremains were ready.

  Back on Main Street, Eric took Lindsay’s arm. “You haven’t seen our version of Nessie yet.”

  “Nessie?”

  Eric smiled and took her arm. “You’ll see.”

  They made a left and walked the two blocks to the city park that rimmed the lakefront road.

  Fifty-year-old oaks and elms provided shade for the camping tents scattered on the lush green lawn. An old pickup pulling a fishing boat was backing up next to a wooden dock.

  But Lindsay’s attention was drawn to a gigantic sea serpent statue reigning loftily from its concrete base set on a grassy area between the dock and swimming beach. Brightly colored in shades of yellow, red, and green, the fiberglass serpent stood at least twenty-feet high and was curled in a vertical ‘w’ about as long as it was tall.

  “You said there were no poisonous snakes this far north,” Lindsay said. “The idea for that must have come from somewhere.”

  “That’s Kahnah’bek,” Eric told her, grinning. “Native American legend says he lives in the lake. It’s said that on magical occasions, he appears on the surface. Just think, our own little Nessie.”

  “And you expect me to vacation next to the water? No way.”

  “Oh, come on,” he said, laughing, “Where’s your sporting blood?”

  “Right inside my body where it belongs, thank you very much. Not splattered all over by some sea monster.”

  “Don’t worry. The baddest creature you’ll find in this lake is a Northern Pike.”

  Warmed by the look he gave her, Lindsay decided to put their problems aside and enjoy the day with her husband. With his work schedule, they hadn’t been able to spend much time together since their quick honeymoon in San Francisco.

  At the Peterson house, they walked the grounds before unlocking the door, enjoying the fresh summer air.

  “Oh, look!” Lindsay pointed to a black squirrel rushing down the trunk of a large oak, a smaller gray one in hot pursuit. The two raced across the lawn and disappeared up another tree.

  “If you think that’s great,” Eric said, “just wait until evening when the deer come out to feed.”

  “This place is a living zoo.”

  “I wonder if the old motorboat is still here. Think I’ll check before we tour the house.” He headed for a garage-like structure on the water’s edge.

  Lindsay decided the house wasn't in as bad a shape as she'd first thought. The overall structure appeared pretty straight, and the window facings seemed in good repair. Maybe all it needed were a few nails to tighten things up and a coat of paint. Even the two dormer windows in the attic looked okay. They could divide the attic into rooms. Eric could have one for his computer, and she could have one for her painting.

  She had painted all her life, doodling and sketching while growing up, burying herself in paper instead of playing with other kids, and as an adult, she had shown her work in a Palm Springs gallery. When the owner decided to retire, Eric provided the backing for her to purchase the gallery. While it was successful, her own work had suffered. Mired in administrative affairs, her creative nature had faded until she no longer painted, but now, studying the attic windows overlooking the lake, she felt sure her artistic side would flourish again—if she could get her marriage back on track. If any place on earth could help, she felt that here, in the serenity of Eric’s childhood home, whatever was troubling him would surely lessen and disappear.

  Without knowing how it had happened, Lindsay realized how drawn she felt toward everything on the property. The beautiful old screened porch, even though sagging now, provided a magical place to sit in the evening and read or to listen to the frogs and fish jumping for insects. And since she loved the water, they could build another gazebo next to the water, right in the same spot where the first one used to be. Looking over the property, the house, the rich green lawn with the full-leafed maples and oak trees filled with birds and squirrels, it all seemed to call to her and fill her heart with joy. She no longer felt the sadness from before, just a peace and contentment, as if she were coming home after a long, tiring vacation.

  Eric was still puttering around the boathouse, so she climbed the wooden porch steps and stepped carefully over the warped boards. She didn't know anything about carpentry, but she thought a little work could make it good as new. She found an ideal place for a swing and envisioned plants hanging from the beams.

  She cupped her hands to peer through a grimy front window. Heavy drapes blocked the view. Idly, she tried one of the double doors, twisting the brass knob, only to find that it turned smoothly. The heavy wooden door fell open as easily as if someone on the other side were inviting her in.

  She stepped into a wood-paneled entryway that led to a darkened stairway directly ahead. The door closed behind her.

  Lindsay paused to give her eyes time to adjust to the gloom. The house sighed, and an aromatic scent filled the hallway, a light spicy fragrance she had smelled before but couldn’t name. She felt a stirring of air near her, the gentle warmth surrounding her, enveloping her like a lover's caress.

  Chapter Five

  Suddenly the front door flew open and hit the wall with a loud thud. Eric stood in the doorway rubbing his shoulder.

  “I'll have a dislocated shoulder if I have to do that very often.” He turned to her with a puzzled frown. “How'd you get in?”

  “Opened just fine for me. I guess you don't have the magic touch.”

  “That’s odd. Last night it was locked so tight you’d think the CIA was storing secret documents in here.” He examined the door, then the lock. “Must be some kind of quirk. We’ll get a locksmith out here just to make sure, although I doubt there’s any reason to worry.”

  “Did you smell anything when you came in?”

  “Yeah. A musty, closed-up-old-house.” He glanced around the foyer. “See the intricate woodwork? Grandpa spared no expense building this house for Grandma. It’s a bit dusty, but it’s just like I remember.”

  Lindsay smiled at the satisfaction in his voice.

  “I hope the rest of the house isn’t in too bad a shape
. Come on.” He led her through a high archway on the left. “This was the parlor, reserved for guests during my grandparents’ day. My aunts weren’t so formal.”

  Lindsay noticed the scent had disappeared. “That smell was pretty strong.” She glanced back at the foyer.

  “Let's get some fresh air in here. And some light.” Eric pulled the heavy gold drapes. Clouds of dust filled the air. Coughing, he opened the windows and shafts of sunlight brightened the room.

  “It's lovely!” Larger than their living room back home, Lindsay thought it felt even more spacious because of the high ceilings. A rock fireplace with a rich mahogany mantle took up the center wall, and on the floor, clear plastic runners stretched over a faded oriental rug that partly covered an oak floor. Yellowed sheets covered a few pieces of furniture.

  She couldn't resist peeking at the overstuffed chairs and a sofa, all made of yellow damask. And in the corner, a highly-polished Victrola cabinet stood with some old seventy-eight records still stacked in the bottom. They must be worth a fortune.

  “What in the world is that?” she asked, pointing to four wall ducts, each about fifteen inches square, mounted against the baseboard.

  “That’s for the oil furnace in the basement.”

  “Oil furnace?”

  “It has to be filled once a month. If we keep the house, we’ll convert to gas.”

  The parlor opened to a dining room just as spacious as the first room. A dusty chandelier, its crystal prisms draped in cloth, hung over a partially-covered mahogany dining table large enough to seat twelve. An elaborately carved buffet stood on one side of the table, and a matching sideboard on the other.

  “Oh, look. Aren't they beautiful?”

  Eric smiled. “Told you.”

  Lindsay paused at the large bay window to gaze at the woods edging the overgrown lawn at the back of the house. How wonderful to take meals in a room overlooking a forest crowded with trees, shrubs, and wildlife.

  And how familiar it seemed. The magnificent red oak standing at the edge of the lawn, its heavy lower branch stretching to the west, the clusters of white birch, all mature now, rising above wild pin cherry bushes. When she spotted a towering black ash topping the thicket at nearly sixty feet, she felt an overwhelming joy and wanted to dash out the back door and embrace that crooked old tree’s furrowed gray trunk as if greeting an old friend.

  A stirring of warm, vibrant air whispered in her ear, a slight humming sound, so low it was almost a vibration. All her senses were tuned to the sound, and she turned, expecting to see him standing next to her, sharing her memories, bringing them alive again.

  From across the room Eric slammed a sideboard drawer shut. Startled at the sudden sound, Lindsay blinked—and found herself standing alone at the dining room window. The same bewildering grief she’d felt yesterday began to grow, squeezing her heart until she could barely take a breath. Her eyes moistened.

  She wiped a teardrop with her finger and stared in puzzlement. Who was the ‘him’ she’d expected to see? And what, for heaven’s sake, would cause her to think such fanciful thoughts or feel such strong emotions? Perplexed, she looked at the tree again, but it was simply a nice tree in the forest.

  What was wrong with her?

  “Did you tell me about a special tree in the back of the house?” she asked Eric.

  “A special tree? Of course not.”

  “You didn’t build a tree house or anything?”

  Ignoring her question, he headed for the kitchen. “Let’s see the rest of the house.”

  Lindsay glanced once more out the window, then followed.

  After the exceptional condition of the parlor and dining room, Lindsay felt disappointed at the warped cabinet doors and café curtains underneath the sink instead of a cabinet. A big rust spot ringed the drain. She wouldn’t have been surprised to see an old water pump mounted on the rim.

  A hallway led them to another front room across from the parlor.

  “We used this as the family room.”

  The windows, like those in the parlor, opened onto the porch and provided a view of the sparkling blue expanse of the lake. A pot-bellied stove, with dull nickel decorating the black iron, was mounted on a brick pad in the corner. All it needed was a little bit of polish to make it sparkle. Lindsay decided it would make quite a conversation piece, and she was even more determined than ever to keep this lovely home.

  The stairwell opened to three bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor, with a landing spacious enough for a comfortable chair and bookcases by the window overlooking the lake.

  Unfortunately the bathroom was as outdated as the kitchen. Instead of the familiar porcelain tank behind the seat, two pipes led to a boxlike object mounted on the wall above.

  “It’s an old-fashioned water closet,” Eric told her, pointing to a long slim rod on the left side. “You pull this to flush.”

  Lindsay frowned. She could make do with an older kitchen but that bathroom had to go.

  They continued on to the attic where partial walls for a small bedroom had been fashioned under the sloping roof. There was a twin bed, the bare mattress under a dulled brass headboard still in place. A scarred dressing table stood against one wall with a flower-painted ceramic pot and lid next to it.

  “That’s a chamber pot,” Eric explained. “I imagine the outhouse is still in the woods.”

  “Good God!”

  Eric grinned. “I can just see you half asleep on that thing in the middle of the night.”

  “And they call those the good old days?” But despite everything, Lindsay loved the place.

  The rest of the attic held unused furniture and boxes spilling over with discards, but Lindsay was drawn to the front windows. She gazed through the dusty panes to the serene lake below.

  The sun rode high above, casting its shimmering reflection on the water. From her vantage point, she could see down the water’s edge to the motel and the park with a swimming area. Several boats were scattered on the lake, and she watched as one fisherman hooked something, his rod bending as he reeled it in.

  Slowly, the brightness of the attic dimmed, as if a shadow had slipped in front of the sun. She became aware of a faint, spicy scent with a hint of cloves, the same fragrance she’d smelled when she first entered the house.

  It grew stronger.

  Thinking that perhaps it came from outside, she unlocked the window and raised it, amazed at how easily it opened. She inhaled deeply. The air was fresh, so the scent wasn’t coming from outside.

  “There it is again,” she said. “Smell it?”

  “Umm,” Eric murmured, absorbed in the contents of one of the boxes stacked against the wall.

  A slight breeze ruffled Lindsay’s hair, touching her face in a light kiss. Her skin tingled and the hairs on her arms stiffened. An incredible warmth and excitement spread through her as if all the all the physical pleasures she’d been denied were centered right there in the attic, just waiting for her. Her nipples hardened. She turned toward the stir of air, reveling in the familiar scent, closing her eyes and lifting her face to the feather-touch against her lips.

  Eric came up behind her. “Smells pretty rank up here,” he said. “It’s a good thing you opened the window.”

  Lindsay snapped out of her reverie, annoyed at Eric's interruption. Her cheeks were hot and she felt flushed. To her astonishment, her panties were moist. Flustered, she turned from the window, hoping Eric wouldn't notice anything amiss.

  He tugged open the other window. “Maybe there’s a dead mouse or a squirrel in the walls. Let’s get some lunch and let it air out up here.”

  They descended the stairs, Eric leading the way. “I’m glad to get out of there,” he said. “There’s something about that attic I don’t like.”

  Lindsay paused to look over her shoulder. There was something about the attic all right, something oddly physical. But she wasn’t repelled. Puzzled perhaps, and curious, maybe even intrigued.

  She had no idea w
hat had just happened to her in that attic, but something had, something she couldn’t explain.

  Chapter Six

  “Ready for some lunch?” Eric asked. “The coffee and doughnuts this morning didn’t last long.”

  Lindsay nodded, thinking about the house.

  What did happen in that attic? How could she have been so affected by something as insubstantial as a breath of air?

  It had to be the excitement of inheriting the house and the possibility of a different lifestyle. Living by the water had always been a dream of hers, but with the prices in California, it was something she had never thought possible. Vacations on a nice lake would be a joy, then later, they could retire there permanently.

  So it wasn’t so unusual; she had heard of people becoming aroused at the oddest times—just before a battle and even after a funeral.

  And maybe it was the house. Maybe in combination with weather conditions—a high or low pressure or a change in the barometer.

  Eric took the long way and drove down Main Street, starting at the one-story hospital and clinic bordering the forest on the eastern edge of town. Lindsay noted with appreciation nature’s different colors around her, the pink flowering crab tree, the deep blue water, the luxurious green grass, so different from the desert beiges surrounding Palm Springs. She lowered the window and breathed deeply.

  “All this fresh air, I hope my lungs don’t collapse from shock.”

  Eric rolled down his window and rested his elbow on the sill.

  “Don’t worry. The human body can adapt to almost anything. It’s a growing lilt to your speech or a sudden fondness for Lutefisk—” he pronounced it with a Scandinavian accent, sing-songing the syllables—“that would give me pause.”

  “Surely, that can’t be something to eat.”

  “Dried cod preserved in lye,” he explained. “My grandparents used to store it in barrels. When you’re ready to eat it, you skin it, take the bones out and then boil it.”

  “Sounds right tasty to me.”