A New Estate - Crimson Peak

The Bride - Modern AU

"Do you know what happened to her?"

I look up from my laptop, a little startled at Thomas' sudden appearance as his voice ripping me from my writing and breaking my concentration.

It was just past half past two in the morning, an unusual time for him to visit, unless Lucille was having one of her episodes he usually left me alone after midnight to let me relax and get on with whatever I wished to do in peace.

It had been a strange moment compromising with a ghost who had only had a select few other spirits to communicate with over the years.

He was surprisingly considerate for a dead guy.

"I'm sorry, Thomas, who?"

"Edith."

His sad expression pulled at my heartstrings and I started to think that I understood why he had broken our agreement and come to see me so early in the morning.

"Not fully, but I know bits and pieces," I answer softly, giving him a gentle smile with the hopes of showing that I was there if he needed me.

"Do you know if she led a happy life after she left Allerdale Hall?"

"I'm afraid I can't really say, I know she went on to marry a doctor and I believe they had a kid or two."

"Dr. McMichael?"

"I'm guessing?" I briefly look back to my laptop and save my document before shifting around to stand on the bed I was sitting on in order to reach the shelves high above me. "Give me one second, I'll have a look."

"You have books about this place? Or at least what it once was."

"Technically, I suppose," I laugh, pulling one of the books from its place on a shelf above the headboard of my bed, "I have more books that contain bits and pieces about Allerdale, only Edith has written a book entirely about this place."

"Edith did?"

The smile that overtook his solemn expression was small, but still albeit one of undeniable emotion and I'd dare say pride.

"She did," I nod in confirmation whilst sitting down and beginning to flick through the book in my hands, "you truly loved her, didn't you?"

"I did," Thomas' smile widened a little as his eyes softened, "or still do I suppose."

"Did you at least get to say goodbye?"

He nodded slowly, his sad frown returning, "Though I thought I moved on after, it seems Lucille's will to keep me around pulled me back."

"Trapped by your own sister, that sucks."

"She loves me," he answered a bit too quickly, his tone defensive and yet still weak and sounding uncertain.

"I can't deny or argue with that," I concede, looking up at him once again, "tell me more about Edith."

Thomas smiles once again and begins to feed me small bits of information, how beautiful she was, how intelligent and creative she was, how he didn't deserve someone like her after everything he had assisted Lucille in.

I was glad that I had managed to distract him from delving further into a spiral of resentment and regret, something that I would never want to inflict on him purposefully.

However, despite how my heart ached for him as he relayed story after story I still found myself getting just a touch jealous, I'd never been in love nor had anyone love me the way he so clearly did Edith and the more I heard the more I wanted it for myself.

I felt bad for thinking along more selfish lines when Thomas was obviously having a difficult night, but I couldn't help myself.

As Thomas spoke, I continued to flip through the book I'd taken down until I'd reached the page I needed and waited for a pause in Thomas' talking.

"Yeah, here we go, Dr. Alan McMichael."

Knowing that he could still touch things around the house, I turn the book around and set it down at the edge of the bed.

His gaze immediately drifted down to the open pages, no doubt at the portrait of Edith that was taken for an old newspaper article about an upcoming female author.

"There's a small biography in that news article they put in there, you're welcome to read over it at your leisure and tomorrow I'll find the rest of the books with more information in and of course Edith's book."

"Are you sure?" He asked, almost looking uncertain.

"Of course," I laugh faintly, nudging the book a little to indicate that he was welcome to it, "it's a bit of closure, right? You clearly felt strongly for her, this only seems fair that you learn what happened after everything."

Thomas' smile made my heart flutter and he knelt down at the bedside, his fingers grazing over the picture of Edith, his eyes never leaving the page.

I watch him for a brief moment before pulling my laptop once again and continuing to write, settling into the calm silence that was only broken by the sound of my heater rotating from side to side in the middle of the room, offering us both a gentle light.