Page 22 of Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall (Ghosts of Rowan Vale #1)

22

I may have been a terrible mother, but Brodie, Lawrie, and Mia were amazing friends. When Immi and I came downstairs the following morning, we were stunned to find the hallway and dining room decorated with balloons and birthday banners.

Mia informed us that she’d be serving a special birthday tea at four, and that she’d made Immi a cake complete with candles.

They’d even bought her presents, which moved me to tears. They were so kind, and I couldn’t believe how much effort they’d all gone to.

Agnes and Aubrey came downstairs to wish her a happy birthday, though there was no sign of Florrie.

Brodie brought the kitten into the dining room, and I handed him to Immi, who promptly burst into tears.

‘What’s wrong?’ I asked worriedly. ‘Don’t you like him?’

‘Oh, Mum!’ She buried her face in the kitten’s fur so I could barely make out what she was saying. ‘He’s so gorgeous. Thank you. Thank you!’

Relieved, I laughed as she finally hugged me.

‘What are you going to call him?’ I asked as she cuddled him to her, forgetting all about her breakfast.

‘I really don’t know,’ she said. ‘It has to be just right, so I’ll need to think about it.’

Agnes cleared her throat. ‘Florence suggested Brian,’ she said tentatively.

Immi wrinkled her nose. ‘Brian? What kind of name is that for a cat?’

‘Apparently, her late grandfather had a cat called Brian, and Florence was very fond of him.’

‘Who?’ I asked. ‘The cat or the grandfather?’

She tutted. ‘Both. She was hoping…’

‘She’s not calling her kitten Brian,’ I said firmly.

‘No. Well…’ Agnes nodded. ‘As you wish. He’s Immi’s present after all.’

‘He’s just lovely, isn’t he?’ Immi said happily. ‘I can’t believe he’s mine. I’ll miss him so much when I’m at school.’

‘Well, you have an entire weekend to spend with him now,’ I reminded her. ‘Why don’t you put him on his bed and eat your breakfast? I think he’s pretty overwhelmed with all the fuss and probably needs a nap. He’s only a baby, after all.’

Immi did as I’d suggested but spent the entire time she was eating her breakfast giving him loving looks. Tux, meanwhile, curled up on his bed and fell fast asleep immediately.

Mia was as good as her word and prepared a delicious tea for Immi’s birthday treat. There were sandwiches with loads of different fillings, sausage rolls, cheese straws, some yummy pastries, and finally a huge birthday cake, complete with eleven candles.

Agnes and Aubrey joined us as we all gathered round and sang happy birthday to her.

‘Make a wish!’ Aubrey called, as she blew out the candles, and Immi closed her eyes and concentrated.

I wondered what she was wishing for.

Lawrie had earlier retired to the sitting room for forty winks, having missed his usual afternoon nap, and Mia decided to prepare a tray for him since he’d not eaten.

‘Shall I take it into him?’ Brodie asked but she shook her head.

‘It’s no trouble,’ she said and opened the dining-room door.

‘Oh, watch out!’ Brodie called. ‘The kitten’s run into the hallway. Don’t stand on him.’

‘I won’t,’ Mia promised, laughing. ‘But I’ll wait until he’s back in here, just to be on the safe side. Oh! What am I like? I’ve forgotten to pour Lawrie a cup of tea.’ She put the tray down and hurried over to the teapot, while Immi and I ventured into the hallway in search of the runaway kitten.

‘Come here, kitty,’ Immi coaxed as we spotted him at the bottom of the stairs.

‘You’ll never manage to climb up there,’ I told him as I picked him up and stroked his silky ears. ‘Although, no doubt in a few weeks, you’ll manage it with no difficulties at all.’

‘I haven’t told Violet about him,’ Immi said brightly. ‘I should take his photo and send it to her. I wanted to message her later anyway to thank her for the present. Can you hang onto him, Mum, while I get my phone?’

‘Of course,’ I said.

Agnes and Aubrey joined me.

‘We should go and find Florence,’ Agnes said. ‘She’s having a rather difficult time at the moment, and I don’t want to leave her on her own too long.’

‘She should have come to the tea party,’ I said. I mean, I wasn’t keen on Florrie at the best of times, but I didn’t like the thought of her sitting upstairs alone while the rest of us enjoyed ourselves. She was only ten, after all.

‘I did suggest it,’ Aubrey said. ‘You know Florence when she’s got a bee in her bonnet.’

‘Perhaps she’s a little envious of Immi’s birthday tea party, and I think she’s been pining for her grandfather and his cat,’ Agnes said sadly. ‘It’s brought back a lot of memories for her.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘I never intended that to happen.’

‘No. Well.’ Agnes sniffed. ‘If you’d told us you were going to bring a kitten to the house, I could perhaps have warned her, but there we are. It’s done now.’

‘Oh, I say,’ Aubrey said reproachfully, ‘that’s hardly fair, Agnes.’

‘Can you deny it, Mr Wyndham?’ she demanded.

I sighed. She was back on form then.

Mia came through with the tea tray. ‘All set,’ she said. ‘Oh, you got him then? Good. Can someone just open the sitting-room door please?’

I was just about to do so when I heard the kitten hiss in my arms. He was staring at the stairs, and I looked up, seeing Immi coming down them, scrolling on her mobile phone. Florrie, a look of hatred on her face, was just behind her. Mia gave a startled cry and there was a loud crash as the tray fell to the floor, but I barely registered it as my heart thudded with fear. Florrie had stretched out her arms and shoved Immi hard in the back.

I nearly dropped the kitten with relief as I realised her hands had gone straight through Immi, who continued walking down the stairs, oblivious to what was happening behind her.

‘Florence!’

Aubrey and Agnes omitted a shocked cry at the same time, and Florrie stared down at them for a moment, before turning and running back to her room.

Immi looked up. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘Oh!’ I shook my head, hardly able to put into words the dread I’d experienced before I’d remembered that Florrie couldn’t physically harm Immi, no matter how much she clearly wanted to.

‘Let me do that,’ Brodie said, and I looked round, realising Mia was staring in dismay at the tray, which was on the floor beside a broken teacup and tea-soaked sandwiches and cake.

‘My fault,’ Mia said shakily. ‘I must have tripped.’

‘No harm done,’ he told her. ‘It’s easily cleaned up. While I do that, why don’t you go and make up another tray for Grandpa?’

‘I will do,’ she said, and hurried into the kitchen to collect a second tray.

I turned to Agnes, shaking with the residue of fear and anger. ‘Did you see what she did?’

‘She didn’t do anything,’ Agnes said, though I could tell she was upset. ‘She knew she couldn’t harm Immi. It was just high jinks.’

‘High jinks?’ I squealed. ‘What sort of mentality does she have that she’d even think of doing such a thing?’

‘What do you mean, “she couldn’t harm” me?’ Immi asked suspiciously, shoving her phone in her jeans pocket and taking the kitten from me. ‘What happened?’

‘Florrie,’ I said icily, ‘tried to push you down the stairs.’

Agnes tutted impatiently. ‘How could she do that? You know perfectly well she can’t touch her.’

‘The intention was there, though,’ I said. ‘Stop defending her!’

‘I’m afraid Callie has a point, Agnes,’ Aubrey said firmly. ‘The very fact that Florence thought about it is worrying, particularly given the way she passed.’

‘The way she passed?’ I asked. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Mr Wyndham!’ Agnes gasped.

‘I think after that little display, Callie should know,’ he said defiantly. ‘The fact is,’ he said turning to me, ‘Florence was sent here during the war as an evacuee from London. She was rather a handful from the moment she arrived and disobeyed the rules about wearing outdoor shoes in the house. She’d sneaked upstairs in her wellington boots, which were slightly too big for her, and when she ran down the stairs later that day, she tripped and fell. She…’

Agnes’s hand flew to her mouth, and I saw the distress in her eyes.

‘It’s okay,’ I said gently. ‘You don’t have to explain the rest.’

‘She’s just a little girl,’ Agnes whimpered.

‘Even so,’ Aubrey said, ‘we need to have a word with her, as I’ve told you many times before.’

Agnes pulled her bed-jacket tighter. ‘But?—’

‘I’m sorry,’ he told her kindly, ‘but this sort of behaviour just isn’t on. You must know that, Agnes.’

‘I know.’ Her voice came out as a whisper – most unlike Agnes. I could see she was genuinely worried and desperately trying to mask her fear, and my heart softened towards her. ‘She’s jealous, you see. Of Immi. First the kitten, and now all this fuss… Birthday cake and a tea party. I don’t think Florence ever had either of those things, or if she did, it was such a long time ago. It’s hard for her to see Imogen celebrating her eleventh birthday when she’ll never celebrate her own.’

‘I understand that, Agnes, I really do,’ I said, ‘but her behaviour is awful all the time, not just today. It seems to me that Florrie needs some discipline and routine in her life.’ I turned to Aubrey. ‘Don’t you agree?’

‘Well…’ He hesitated then sighed. ‘Yes, yes I do.’

‘Mr Wyndham!’

‘Agnes, there’s no use denying it. The girl is out of control and running wild. We need to do something.’

‘It’s those boys she’s associating with,’ Agnes said. ‘I blame them.’

‘John and Robert?’ I shook my head. ‘From what I saw of them, it’s Florrie who’s in charge there. Maybe it’s time we did something about all three of them.’

She frowned. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I think it’s time we gave them some routine,’ I said. ‘How would you feel about them having lessons?’

‘Lessons? I already give Florence elocution lessons.’

‘I mean proper lessons. School lessons. All of them.’

‘I think that sounds very sensible,’ Aubrey considered. ‘Give them something to do every day as well as educating them. Splendid idea.’

‘Florence having lessons would be bad enough,’ Agnes said with a sniff. ‘What does a girl need to be educated for anyway? But the thought of her spending even more time with those two young ruffians… No, it’s out of the question.’

‘Well, I think it’s a good idea,’ I said firmly. ‘And if it’s the only way we can start to calm her down I think it’s our best option.’

‘Girls do need to be educated, Mrs Wyndham,’ Immi said meekly. ‘And I enjoy school. It’s fun, and I like learning. Maybe Florrie will too.’

‘It’s Florence,’ Agnes said sharply. ‘And things are different now, I’m sure. But in my day?—’

‘But we’re not in your day any more,’ I reminded her gently. ‘Those children need a routine. I suspect they’re bored and having lessons would give them something to focus on.’

‘I say,’ Aubrey said thoughtfully, ‘they could use the old schoolroom upstairs. It’s where I had my lessons with the governess.’

‘And who would teach them?’ Agnes demanded. She turned to me with some satisfaction. ‘Didn’t think of that, did you?’

‘Actually,’ I said slowly, ‘I might have the very man for the job. Walter Tasker.’

‘Walter Tasker!’ She snorted. ‘Man’s a buffoon.’

‘Agnes, that’s just not true. Educated at Oxford. Highly intelligent chap.’ Aubrey nodded at me. ‘He taught William Shakespeare, you know.’

‘I had heard,’ I said, trying to hide my amusement. ‘So, what do you think, Agnes? If he was good enough to teach Shakespeare, he’s surely good enough to teach Florence.’

Agnes shook her head. ‘I refuse to even contemplate it.’

Aubrey put his hand on her arm. ‘We must do something , Agnes. This is for Florence’s sake, remember.’

She shrugged him away. ‘ I know what’s best for Florence.’ She cleared her throat. ‘I’m terribly sorry, Imogen. Florence shouldn’t have done what she did. I know she couldn’t harm you but even so. As your mother rightly said, the intention was there. I shall go upstairs now and have stern words with her, I promise.’

‘Thank you,’ Immi mumbled.

‘However, there is no question of her having lessons with Walter Tasker, let alone spending even more time with those two boys.’ Her voice rose to a cry as she turned to me. ‘And if you try to enforce this, I shall have words with Lawrie. He’ll stop you!’

The door opened and Lawrie peered out. ‘What on earth’s going on? What’s with the raised voices?’

I started to tell him what had happened, but Agnes was far louder and more insistent.

Brodie, who’d been carefully collecting broken china and putting it on the tray, got to his feet.

‘From what I can gather, Florrie tried to push Immi down the stairs, and now Callie wants her to have lessons with Walter Tasker.’

‘With those two ruffians,’ Agnes added with a shriek, as Brodie finished, ‘Did I miss anything out?’

‘We have to do something about her,’ I said. ‘Lessons will give her afterlife some structure and routine and she certainly needs it after over eighty years of running wild. And it will be good for John and Robert too.’

‘I sort of feel sorry for them all,’ Immi admitted. ‘It must be rotten being stuck at such a young age, knowing you’ll never get to be a grown up. Especially when you haven’t got your real mum with you.’

‘So do I,’ I said, ‘but even so, they can’t carry on like this, and Florrie can’t be allowed to behave the way she does. I think it will be far better for her if she’s got something to focus on. Although,’ I added thoughtfully, ‘I don’t know what Walter Tasker will say when I ask him if he’ll do it. After all?—’

‘He did teach Shakespeare, you know,’ Brodie and I finished together and burst out laughing.

‘Did he really?’ Immi asked, wide-eyed. ‘I thought you were all joking.’

‘Oh, most definitely,’ Brodie told her. ‘It’s been checked and verified, right, Grandpa? The question is, will he lower himself to come here and teach our three little ragamuffins?’

‘He won’t be coming here to teach anyone,’ Lawrie said firmly.

I stared at him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, Agnes has said no, and since she’s responsible for Florence’s welfare, that’s the end of the matter,’ he said.

Agnes gave me a triumphant smirk and headed up the stairs.

‘I disagree most strongly with this,’ Aubrey said, jutting out his chin at Lawrie. ‘Most strongly. My deepest apologies once again, Callie and Immi.’

With that, he followed his wife, a stony expression on his usually genial face.

Mia came through carrying another tray. ‘Oh, look at that mess,’ she said. ‘I’ll be back in a moment with a mop and bucket and a dustpan and brush. Oh, Lawrie! Did I wake you up?’

‘This is all wrong,’ I told Lawrie. ‘You can’t let Agnes call the shots like this. How will Florrie’s behaviour ever get any better?’

‘The subject’s closed,’ Lawrie said, returning to the sitting room and shutting the door behind him.

‘Says who?’ I muttered. ‘Whose bloody house is this anyway?’

‘Just leave it for now,’ Brodie said quietly.

‘But—’

‘I know. Honestly, I do,’ he said. ‘But not now. Please, Callie.’

‘I’d better take him his tea tray,’ Mia said. ‘I’m so sorry for the mess.’

‘Come on, Mum,’ Immi said. ‘Let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll make you a cup of tea, eh?’

There was so much I wanted to say but the look on Brodie’s face and Mia’s anxious expression made me reluctantly agree to Immi’s suggestion. I was seething, though. What hold did Agnes have over Lawrie, I wondered? And who was he to insist we all obeyed her? Florrie might be her adoptive daughter, but Immi was my child, and I wasn’t going to let that nasty little girl continue to run rings around us all.

Later , I thought as I headed to the kitchen, still carrying the kitten. I’ll have this out with Lawrie later . Then I frowned as something else nagged at me. A cry of alarm before Mia dropped the tray. Was it my faulty memory or had she been looking up the stairs at the time?

She said she’d tripped but…

I dismissed the thought. I was being stupid. Mia couldn’t see ghosts so she couldn’t possibly have been startled by the sight of Florence pushing Immi.

Could she?