The Ghost of Marlow House (Haunting Danielle Book 1) Read Free Page B

…I wouldn’t kick him out of bed!” Lily giggled.
    Danielle cringed and looked over to Walt
who was now staring at Lily, an unreadable expression on his face.
    “He’s okay,” Danielle countered with a
shrug, still looking at Walt—not the portrait.
     Walt’s gaze shifted to Danielle, their
eyes met. Arching his brow inquisitively, his lips twisted into a smirk-like
smile.
    “Okay? God, those blue eyes alone. Hell,
I bet all he had to do was look at a woman and she’d start taking her clothes
off.” Lily focused her entire attention on the portrait.
    Walt and Danielle continued to look at
each other. Breaking into a full smile, he moved his gaze up and down her body
in an exaggerated gesture before cocking his head ever so slightly as if to
say— well, start stripping .
    Wrinkling her nose, Danielle frowned at Walt.
What she found most annoying was the heat swelling in her cheeks, shading her
complexion a rosy tinge.
    Noticing Danielle’s blush, Walt said, “Serves
you right, you deserve to be embarrassed. Young women should not be barging
into other people’s homes uninvited.”
    Danielle was about to suggest to Lily that
they leave now and come back in the morning. She could plead a migraine, which
wasn’t entirely false. Unaware spirits made her nervous and this one definitely
was clueless in regards to his state of being. His presence could alter her
plans—yet to what extent couldn’t be determined until they had a nice little
chat— a private one . Danielle was just about to make the suggestion when Lily
turned her attention to the portrait hanging next to Walt’s. Just as large as
his, the second painting was of an attractive woman fashionably dressed in the
styles of the mid-1920s.  Obviously painted by the same artist as the first
portrait, Danielle guessed she was Walt Marlow’s wife.
     “She’s rather lovely, in a
pouty-spoiled sort of way.” Lily critically assessed the portrait, paying
special attention to the feather embellished hat, fashionably set atop a head
of blonde bobbed curls. “It’s a shame hats aren’t in fashion anymore. I love
how they used to dress. Do you know who she was?”
    “I suspect she’s Walt Marlow’s wife.”
Danielle looked at Walt, noting the silent way he studied Lily, his expression
unreadable.
    “They must have had healthy egos.” Lily
chuckled.
    “Why do you say that?” Danielle asked,
her gaze still on Walt who stood silently on the other side of Lily.
    “The size of the portraits, for one
thing. I can’t imagine commissioning an artist to paint a life size portrait of
myself and then hanging it in my home.”
    “Lily, let’s go back to the motel. I
have a horrible headache,” Danielle said abruptly.
    “Now?” Lily turned to Danielle. “We
still need to look at the rest of the house.”
    “We can come back in the morning. I just
need to go to the room and lie down for a while.”
    Although disappointed with Danielle’s
sudden desire to leave Marlow House and return to their motel room, Lily didn’t
try to dissuade her. It had been a long drive from Sacramento California, each
taking turns driving so they wouldn’t have to stop midway. They’d checked into
the Seahorse Motel before coming over to see Marlow House.
    Walt said nothing and silently watched
the two women leave. 
    • • • •
    “Are you okay Dani?” Lily asked twenty
minutes later as the two walked into their room at the Seahorse Motel. “You
haven’t said a word since we left Marlow House.”
    Lily walked to one of the two queen
sized beds in the room and sat down on the edge of its mattress. She watched as
Danielle walked to the sliding glass door leading to the balcony and opened it,
letting in the cool ocean breeze. The room was clean and cheerful, yet well
worn. Aside from the two beds, the room’s furnishings included a dresser, nightstand,
television, small table and two chairs.
    “I’m sorry, Lily, really. I guess the
traveling just caught up with