Page 43 of The Unseen

Rachel hated to admit it, but the man was right. Taking Villard’s offer would be the smart thing to do. Instead of leaving her niece with the heavy burden of keeping up Belle Reve, Nicole would be free to do whatever she pleased, live wherever she wanted.

“Your family built this house,” she said. “It’s withstood the test of time for a century and a half, and yet it doesn’t bother you in the least to destroy it.”

“Life goes on,” Phillipe said. “Times change. You have to be willing to change with them.”

Rachel looked at Phillipe and in her mind saw the image Nicole had painted of Jules Villard, the man who had killed his own brother. She thought of Jules’s wife, the scheming murderess, Simone St. Denis, who had killed not only Francois, but Grandma also believed had murdered his parents.

These two men were just like Simone and Jules, completely ruthless, willing to do anything to get what they wanted. They didn’t deserve to own the beautiful old house Pierre Villard had built for his beloved Therese-Louise.

Rachel rose from her place on the settee. “I’m sorry, gentlemen, my answer hasn’t changed. The house will remain in the Belmond family, as it has for the past hundred years.”

Christian shot to his feet, fury distorting his features.

“You really think we’re going to let you stop us?

” He started toward her, rounded the coffee table, and kept on coming.

“You bitch! Our family built this place! It belongs to us!” He loomed over her.

“We’ll do whatever it takes to get it back! ”

Something stirred in the air, whipping the draperies, sliding the silver tray across the surface of the coffee table. One of the half-empty lemonade glasses lifted into the air, then sat back down with a thud.

“What the hell?” Christian glanced nervously around the parlor. Phillipe rose from where he sat on the settee.

Rachel felt the shift, felt Francois’s unmistakable presence as he moved to her side. His unseen nearness gave her strength. She forced a calm into her voice she didn’t feel.

“Since there is nothing more to say, I think it’s time for you gentlemen to leave.”

Christian’s face turned beet red, and his lips thinned into a furious line.

“You’re going to regret this. It’s only a matter of time until you have to take our offer.

When that happens, it’ll be far less money than it is today!

We’ll gut this house, turn it into a modern showplace our family can be proud of! ”

Christian stormed into the hallway. He had almost reached the entry when something halted his movements as if an invisible wall had dropped down in front of him.

His gaze went to his father, his eyes big and round.

He tried to speak, opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He tried to move, but his feet seemed rooted to the floor.

The sound of a woman’s loud, harsh jeer of derision sent a chill down Rachel’s spine.

“You. Will. Not. Destroy. Belle Reve!”

Christian’s body started uncontrollably shaking. He jerked sideways, then toppled over onto the floor.

“Christian!” His father raced toward him, but before he could get there, a powerful force blocked the way. He tried to go around, but it was no use.

Phillipe’s gaze shot to her. “Rachel!” Terror filled his eyes. “What’s happening?”

Rachel just stood staring. There was nothing she could do. No explanation he would believe.

“Rachel!” Phillipe called out again.

“It’s her,” she said. “Simone Villard. She murdered people to become mistress of Belle Reve. She won’t let you destroy it.”

Christian continued to convulse on the floor, his teeth snapping violently together, while his father stood watching in horror a few feet away.

Rachel had no idea what to do, or even what more to say.

Relief swept over her at the sound of Lucas’s Jeep on the gravel driveway, rolling toward the house.

Skirting Christian, she hurried to the front door and raced out onto the porch. “Lucas! Come quick!”

Turning off the engine, he jumped out of the car and started toward her, long strides carrying him across the drive and up the walkway. “Whose car is that? What’s going on?”

“It belongs to Phillipe Villard. He and Christian threatened to destroy Belle Reve. Simone isn’t having it.”

Lucas rushed past her into the house to find Christian lying on his side in the hallway, his long body jerking back and forth.

His eyes were open and staring. The foul stench of sulfur tainted the air.

Rachel gasped in horror as bite marks appeared on the side of Christian’s neck and an ugly purple bruise formed on one of his cheekbones.

Phillipe stared down at his son. “My God, what is happening?”

Just then, Christian’s body lifted several feet off the floor, hung suspended, then dropped heavily back down. What looked like long fingernail scratches oozed blood on his cheek, while a frothy white substance foamed out of his mouth.

Lucas focused on the unseen presence attacking Christian. “Leave him! In the name of the Lord God Almighty, be gone from this person, from this house!”

Harsh female laughter rang loud and long, echoing through the house, vibrating across the parlor. Lucas started praying the Lord’s Prayer in Latin, began again in English, then went back to speaking Latin.

Chills rushed over Rachel’s skin as a serpentlike hissing began. Then the grating laughter returned, echoed, continued eerily, grew louder before it finally began to fade. Light, receding foot-falls sounded, followed by a violent whoosh that seemed to suck all the air from the room.

Silence fell. For a brief instant longer, Rachel felt Francois’s presence beside her, felt the touch of his hand against her cheek; then he was gone.

Phillipe rushed to his son, who lay moaning on the floor. With Lucas’s help, the two of them lifted Christian back onto his feet and helped him over to the settee in the parlor.

“What happened?” Christian asked, his words faintly slurred. He reached up and touched the scratches on his face. “What is … What’s going on?”

Phillipe looked at Lucas. “It isn’t possible. You did something. That was some sort of charade to stop us from moving forward with our project.”

“I’d advise you to keep an eye on your son. She may not be finished with him yet.”

Phillipe’s face went pale. “You’re talking crazy. Rachel did something, put something in our lemonade. None of that was real.”

“Let me know if you need my help. With luck, she’ll continue to focus her energy here and we’ll find a way to handle it.”

Yes, with luck, Rachel thought. But after what she had just seen, she was afraid it would take more than luck to cleanse the evil that had descended upon Belle Reve.