Affairs of the Heart Read Free

eyes
held an apprehensive glint to them.
    “ Yes. You
must be Kathryn Johnson. I didn’t see a car parked out front, and
the door was open. I hope you don’t mind.”
    Stretching her hand
outward, Emma smiled and took the older woman’s trembling one in
hers.
    “ No, not in
the least. And, please, call me Kate.” She smiled back, looking
Emma over with warmth in her eyes. “Shall we go into the library?”
Kate moved aside to slide open a set of pocket doors, allowing Emma
to enter the room before her.
    Emma passed Kate into a
massive room lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. She felt the
urge to run a finger through the gray film that lightly dusted the
shelves.
    “ What a
wonderful place for a Christmas tree and family gatherings,” Emma
said. She hoped to spark any conversation that would lead to the
history of the house. She had a gut feeling this was the home Aunt
Manda wrote about in her journal.
    “ Yes, I
believe that the Kinsman family did hold their holidays in here for
years. With all the children in that brood, this may have been the
most reasonable room.”
    Emma’s heart pounded a
thousand times before words could form in her brain. After all this
time, she had finally found the house. The house that could unlock
the door of mystery surrounding her Aunt Manda’s disappearance so
many years ago.
    “ Kinsman, you
say?” Emma asked.
    Kate followed close
behind Emma, casting a shadow on the worn carpet. “Yes. Samuel and
Josephine Kinsman built this house after his return from the Civil
War. It was their wish that future generations would live here and
raise their families.”
    Was that a
hint of melancholy in her voice? Emma turned just in time to see the touch of a smile leave
Kate’s softened face. Does
she know something?
    “ Did you know
the family well, Kate?” Emma stood in front of the hearth of a red
brick fireplace. The evidence of objects once set upon the mantel
was still faintly there, and the hearth held the ashes from past
fires.
    “ Romance
fills this room, can you feel it? A room full of books, firelight,
loves…I must admit, Ms. Sorenson, I was quite surprised by your
advertisement.” Kate stood next to Emma, no more relaxed then she
seemed to be several moments ago. “Your description of a house to
rent was very detailed.”
    “ Please, call
me Emma.” Circling the room, she absorbed everything she could.
Mentally, she painted a picture of every crook and cranny. “Yes, it
was. I knew exactly what I was looking for in a home. Thankfully
you answered my ad.”
    Emma paused at the window
seat, then sat on a cushion that looked as worn as the carpet on
the library floor. The grimy bay window around the seat played host
to the same pattern of tattered lace curtains hanging in the
entryway.
    “ As for the
Kinsmans, I knew of them. Everyone in town did. The family was well
known for their festivities, and all in the neighborhood were
always welcome. I don’t recall any stories of a Kinsman turning
someone out. That is, not until Royal Kinsman decided to move on
and rent out the family homestead,” Kate mentioned.
    “ How long has
the house stood empty then?” Emma traced the delicate lace threads,
hoping they didn’t crumble beneath her touch.
    “ Honestly,
too long. It’s far too expensive to heat during the winter, and
then there’s the rumors.” Kate’s voice held an edge of uncertainty
as she made her way out of the room.
    “ Rumors? What
kinds of rumors?” Emma circled the library for one last look, then
joined Kate in the hallway.
    “ It’s an old
house, Ms. Sorenson…ah, Emma. Rumors always accompany an old home
like this.” Kate led Emma through the rest of the main floor.
“Stories trumped up by the local kids about ghosts.”
    Emma followed Kate up the
staircase to the rooms on the second floor. She looked in every
direction, unsure of what it was she was searching for.
    Ghosts?
    Maybe.
    * * * *
    “ Children
know a ghost when they see one, Emma