Page 26 of Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall (Ghosts of Rowan Vale #1)

26

Perhaps I should have realised that the next day was Friday the thirteenth. If I had, maybe I’d have thought twice about inviting a whole lot of ghosts to Harling Hall for the first time. It seemed I’d also invited trouble as Lawrie was clearly appalled.

‘What on earth were you thinking?’ he demanded. ‘The ghosts have their own homes. Why do you have to bring them here?’

‘Why shouldn’t I?’ I asked defiantly, even though I was already doubting the wisdom of my actions. Agnes had been horrified when I’d told her that there was to be a meeting at the Hall and had shrieked at me that I had no right to invite all those strangers to her home.

‘They’re only strangers because you don’t mix with them,’ I pointed out. ‘If you’d go into the village, you’d get to know them, and then you’d probably invite them over here yourself. I’m doing you a favour.’

‘How dare you presume to tell me how to live my afterlife?’ she cried. ‘Mr Wyndham, tell her!’

Aubrey sighed. ‘You really should have run this past us, Callie,’ he said. ‘I appreciate that this is now your house, and of course you’re free to do as you wish, but manners dictate that you consult with us. We do live here too, after all.’

‘But don’t you want to get to know the rest of the ghosts?’ I asked. ‘It must get boring, stuck in these grounds all the time. You never leave, do you? Why not?’

Aubrey cast a nervous look at Agnes, who practically snarled at me. ‘That’s none of your business, young lady. I’m going to have words with Lawrie about this. Lawrie!’

She marched out of the room and Aubrey shook his head. ‘Now you’ve done it. Bad form, Callie. I really expected better of you.’

He followed Agnes downstairs, and I stood still, wondering what to do next. I’d fully expected Agnes to be a pain in the butt about this, but I’d honestly thought Aubrey would be all for it. He was far more sociable than his wife after all, and I thought the company would do him good. Apparently, I was wrong.

Lawrie wasted no time in telling me so when I headed into the sitting room, and was fully on Agnes’s side, which came as no surprise. I got quite annoyed in the end, and even though I’d had my doubts when I woke up that morning, I pushed them away, determined that I was going to do things my way from now on.

I held up my hands to silence the Wyndhams and Lawrie, who were all chipping in with their grievances.

‘Look,’ I said firmly, ‘it’s done now. The ghosts will be here soon and it’s just one meeting. You might be surprised. You might enjoy it.’

‘I certainly won’t,’ Agnes said, ‘because I won’t be in attendance, and neither will Mr Wyndham, will you?’

Aubrey cleared his throat. ‘Ahem. No. No I won’t.’

‘And nor,’ she continued, ‘shall Florence. I shall make certain of that. So you can have your wretched meeting without us, and if any of those other ghosts dare to venture upstairs, I shall not be responsible for my actions.’

I sighed. ‘I sort of promised them a tour of the Hall.’

‘Well, you can sort of un-promise it then, can’t you,’ she warned, before flouncing out of the room, Aubrey trailing dutifully behind her.

Lawrie sighed. ‘I really can’t think what you’re up to,’ he said. ‘There are ways of doing things, Callie.’

‘Clearly,’ I said, ‘but don’t you think they’re a bit elitist? I can’t believe you’ve never invited them to the Hall before, and why do they need an invitation anyway? We go to their homes uninvited all the time. I’m sorry but I think your ways are wrong.’

‘Not just mine. I’ve merely continued the traditions. As I said, there are ways of doing things…’

‘You mean, whatever Agnes wants?’ I asked.

He gave me a stern look. ‘That’s not it at all,’ he said.

‘Isn’t it? Well anyway, it’s done now, so we’re just going to have to get on with it,’ I said.

‘On your own head be it,’ he muttered. ‘I’ll be in my room.’

Brodie had business in the village, so he wasn’t around, but Mia offered to make me a coffee and bring it into the dining room when the meeting began. She’d already helped me out earlier, smoothing Immi’s ruffled feathers after my daughter had discovered that the meeting was taking place while she was at school.

‘But you could have held it on the Saturday when I was at home,’ she’d protested. ‘I could have been there. I wanted to meet them all too!’

‘I don’t know how this is going to go,’ I explained. ‘I’ve not met them all, and there could be some difficult ghosts. I don’t want you getting mixed up in any arguments.’

‘But I need to learn,’ she wailed. ‘One day, I’ll be the one looking after them. They’re my responsibility too!’

‘Hopefully, not for a very long time,’ I said firmly. ‘Get yourself to school and put all this out of your mind.’

‘I might as well have moved in with Violet,’ she snapped, grabbing her bag. ‘And I’d rather Mia took me to school if it’s all the same to you.’

I opened my mouth to argue but Mia held up her hand. ‘That’s fine. I need to call at the shops anyway.’

She squeezed my shoulder as Immi pushed past me.

‘She’ll be okay,’ she murmured. ‘Concentrate on what’s ahead of you for now.’

Just one more thing I’d got wrong, I thought wretchedly as I peered out of the window waiting for the first of the ghosts to arrive. I seemed to be permanently in Immi’s bad books these days, and now I’d alienated Lawrie and Aubrey.

I opened the window and leaned out, aware of a commotion at the end of the drive. I could hear some shouting and jeers. What on earth was going on?

I hurried downstairs and opened the front door, in time to see a stream of ghostly visitors heading my way.

‘What’s all the shouting?’ I asked Isaac as he beamed a greeting at me.

He rolled his eyes. ‘That blooming Reverend Alexander,’ he said. ‘Warning us to stay away from this house of fornication.’

I giggled. ‘Fornication?’

‘Oh yes. He’s refusing to enter the property but he’s happy to stand just outside warning us all that we’re about to enter a den of iniquity.’

‘Who knew?’ I directed him to the dining room and told him to make himself at home while I waited to greet the rest of my guests.

I knew some of them by sight, of course, but others were new to me. There was Walter Tasker, bowing low upon seeing me and gracing me with some literary prose which, no doubt, was by William Shakespeare, though inspired by Walter, naturally.

I was quite surprised to see Millie practically skipping down the drive, looking all excited. I’d have thought she’d have found the record shop far more interesting, but she informed me she’d wanted to see inside the big house for years, and that her mum would be beside herself if she could see her now.

I groaned inwardly upon seeing Bill and Ronnie marching towards me, too busy arguing to even notice me standing on the step until I ordered them to halt and cease talking. I made them swear that they’d refrain from arguing during the meeting and, reluctantly, they agreed.

Perks, who was just behind them, told me I was wasting my time but thanked me profusely for the invitation and said he couldn’t get over being invited to the big house, and what an honour it was, and how his wife would never have believed it.

My eyes widened as a young couple headed down the drive, gazing around them in awe. They were probably in their mid to late twenties, but it was their clothing that made me look twice.

The young man was dressed in a most flamboyant fashion, and I’d have thought he was from the eighteenth or nineteenth century if not for the make-up he was obviously wearing.

Was that guyliner? Seriously? Not to mention the stripes of blusher and eyeshadow.

I remembered the old music programmes I’d seen on the television from the eighties. The New Romantics. Adam and the Ants. He was wearing a Hussars jacket just like that.

The young woman on the other hand looked comparatively scruffy. She was wearing dark-grey, high-waisted trousers that came to just above her ankles, a white T-shirt, and red braces, along with heavy ankle boots, a black belt, and a big, floppy, red bow in rather wild hair that looked as if it had been moussed or sprayed to within an inch of its life. I frowned as a memory stirred.

‘Bananarama!’ I murmured suddenly as I realised why she looked so familiar. It seemed these two ghosts were from the eighties and had modelled themselves on major pop stars of the era.

As we all settled in the dining room, Mia brought me a coffee and wished me luck before closing the door.

‘Right,’ I said, looking round at them all. ‘Is that everyone? Are we expecting anyone else?’

I’d been quite shocked when I realised there weren’t enough spaces around the dining room table, and Mia and I had had to bring in extra chairs from the ballroom.

They all looked at each other and shrugged.

There was no sign of Quintus Severus, though I hadn’t really expected to see him. I wasn’t surprised that there was no appearance from the Hollywood actress who Immi had met either, although I was disappointed. I’d have loved to meet her.

‘Before we begin,’ I said, ‘do any of you know where Harmony Hill is staying?’

There were a few murmurings, and some people shifted on their seats, but no one offered any information. Either they didn’t know, or they weren’t saying. Fair enough.

‘All right,’ I said. ‘First of all, I’d like to welcome you to Harling Hall. My name’s Callie Chase, and if you don’t know I’m the new owner of the Harling Estate. If it’s all right with you, I’d really like to know who you all are, so can we go round the room and introduce ourselves, please?’

There was an awkward silence until Isaac Grace, bless him, said cheerfully, ‘Well come on, everyone, don’t be shy. We’ve waited a long time for this. I’m Isaac Grace and I’m the landlord of The Quicken Tree.’

‘You were the landlord,’ Bill said helpfully.

To his credit, Isaac’s smile didn’t falter. ‘I am the landlord,’ he said firmly. ‘I never left. Never relinquished the role. There you go.’

‘But you can’t even serve the customers,’ Ronnie pointed out. ‘I’d say you’ve lost the pub by default.’

‘Good grief,’ cried Perks, ‘do you two have to argue with everyone? I thought it was just each other you picked a fight with, but here you go again.’

He turned to me. ‘I knew it was a mistake to invite those two,’ he said. ‘No respect, Callie. Not even for you.’

‘I did warn you,’ I told Bill and Ronnie sternly. ‘One more cross word and you’re out.’

‘We’ll behave,’ Ronnie said meekly.

‘You’d better,’ Perks said. ‘I’m Percy Swain and I was the station porter at Harling’s Halt. I still keep an eye on things and try to ensure the current station staff are doing their jobs properly.’

Ronnie and Bill grinned and nudged each other, but seeing my beady eyes on them, they sat up straight and introduced themselves politely.

One by one, each ghost gave me their name and the role they’d played in the village. The New Romantic’s name was Danny. He was twenty-nine and had worked in IT in Gloucester, which made me think maybe he hadn’t died in the 1980s after all. The Bananarama girl lookalike was twenty-five-year-old Brooke, who’d been a receptionist at the same company where Danny worked.

Millie revealed that she’d been a waitress in Mrs Herron’s Teashop when she died, aged just seventeen, earning a warm smile from none other than Mrs Herron herself.

Polly Herron, a curvy brunette with green eyes, was probably in her thirties. She was wearing a printed dress in a familiar style from the 1940s.

To my surprise, she said she’d been the manager of Deakin’s Teashop.

‘Deakin’s? I thought you were the manager of Mrs Herron’s Teashop?’ After all, it made sense, didn’t it?

There was some audible murmuring around the table and Mrs Herron shrugged.

‘Same place, lovey. Back then it was Deakin’s Teashop. It was only named Mrs Herron’s Teashop afterwards…’

There were some uneasy stares aimed in my direction, and I realised they were wondering if I was about to ask her about her demise. I wasn’t daft enough to go there.

‘Lovely to meet you,’ I told her warmly. ‘All of you,’ I added, glancing around at them all. ‘And now that we’ve all been introduced, perhaps I should explain why I’ve invited you all here. This is, of course, all new to me, but I want us to start off on the right foot. I know there’s been a certain way of doing things here and I appreciate that, but perhaps with my arrival, it’s a good opportunity to look at what’s working for you and what isn’t.’

They all looked at each other.

‘What do you mean, working for us?’ Millie asked blankly.

‘Well,’ I said awkwardly, ‘is there anything you have concerns about? Anything you’d like to change?’

‘Like what?’ asked Walter.

‘I don’t know. You tell me.’ I gave a nervous laugh.

‘But things never change here,’ Ronnie told me. ‘Leastways, not in all the time we’ve been stuck here.’

‘Well maybe,’ Isaac said firmly, ‘it’s time they did. I’ll tell you what, it was a smashing surprise yesterday when Callie here came into the pub and talked to me. I’m so used to being on my own behind that bar with no one to chat to. When was the last time Lawrie popped his head round the door, eh? I can’t even remember, that’s how long it was.’

‘Well, you can hardly blame him for that,’ Walter said. ‘The poor boy was traumatised. After everything that happened…’

‘What did happen?’ I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

‘It’s not for us to tell you that,’ Walter said pompously.

‘I know!’ Millie squealed in delight. She waved her hand in the air, ignoring the looks she was getting from some of the older ghosts. ‘I was fifteen at the time and my mum and her mates talked about nothing else. Lawrie’s mum died, and it turned out that she’d been carrying on with some bloke from Much Melton. He turned up at her funeral and told everyone it was true love, and he had every right to be there, and demanded to go to the wake, but then Sir Edward lost his temper and told him he was kidding himself because he was just one in a long line, and if all Charlotte’s lovers had turned up for the funeral, there’d be no room for the family.’

‘Oh my word,’ I breathed. ‘How awful.’

‘It was, cos Lawrie had no idea what his mum had been up to, and he was devastated. And worse than that, the landlord at The Quicken Tree had known all about it and let her get up to her shenanigans in his best room. He told everyone she kept him in business. The village was agog, wasn’t it?’

She looked cheerfully around at everyone, only to be met with stony silence.

‘I never knew all that,’ Danny said at last. ‘Imagine.’

‘My Auntie Pearl used to clean here in this house,’ Millie continued, unabashed, ‘and she told us that Lawrie was heartbroken and blamed his dad for neglecting his wife, and he went to see Johnnie, who was landlord at the time and gave him merry hell for letting her use the room at the pub, and Johnnie told him that he’d gone to Sir Edward the first time she tried to book it and tipped him off, and Sir Edward had said to take her money and spare him the details. So there you have it.’

‘Well,’ Brooke said with a shrug, ‘I suppose it was the swinging sixties at the time.’

‘Not here,’ Walter said, shocked. ‘Such behaviour was never encouraged in Rowan Vale; I can assure you of that.’

‘I suppose that’s what Silas meant about this being a den of iniquity,’ I said, amazed.

‘That man!’ Polly Herron said crossly. ‘You heard him then? Yelling at us as we arrived?’

‘I did,’ I admitted. ‘It’s a long time to still be going on about it.’

‘He’s not talking about the livings,’ Bill said with a smirk.

‘What?’ I stared at him, not entirely sure if he was joking. ‘You mean, ghosts?’ I frowned, confused. ‘Not wishing to be intrusive, but can ghosts fornicate?’

‘Chance would be a fine thing,’ Brooke muttered.

‘Of course we can,’ Ronnie said. ‘Leastways, if we had anyone to fornicate with.’ He nudged Bill. ‘Bet you wish your Lily was still here, don’t you? I know I do.’

Bill glared at him, and I gave them both a warning look.

‘It was just a joke,’ Ronnie said, holding up his hands. ‘Didn’t mean nothing by it. But to answer your question, yeah, ghosts can do it, all right. I mean, we’re all on the same plane, aren’t we? Anyway, the problem is them toffs upstairs,’ he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the ceiling. ‘They’re what’s given old Silas a bee in his bonnet. Well, them and women vicars. And tourists. But mainly them two.’

‘Enough of that,’ Perks said immediately. ‘Show some respect.’

‘I’m only telling her what Silas has been telling us forever,’ Bill said indignantly. He turned to me, a smirk on his lips. ‘It’s that Agnes Ashcroft and Aubrey Wyndham.’

I eyed him doubtfully. ‘What about them?’

He and Ronnie looked at each other, for once in complete agreement, judging by the grins on their faces. ‘They’re the ones that are fornicating,’ Bill burst out as he and Ronnie dissolved into laughter.

I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. ‘Are you having me on?’

Perks looked at them in disgust. ‘It’s not for us to judge our betters,’ he said. ‘Fancy you talking like that, and in the King’s uniform too.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I said, holding up my hand, ‘but are you honestly telling me that Silas is talking about Agnes and Aubrey when he calls this place a den of iniquity?’

What on earth did they get up to? No, strike that. I really didn’t want to know.

‘Well,’ Isaac said with a shrug, ‘isn’t it obvious? They’re living here as man and wife.’

‘But,’ I said hesitantly, ‘they are man and wife, aren’t they? That’s how they were introduced to me anyway.’

Although, hadn’t I always thought it didn’t make sense, given the timescale?

‘Of course they’re not,’ Ronnie said scornfully. ‘She snuffed it years before him. A year before he was even born as a matter of fact. When he, er, passed over, they got together, and they’ve been telling everyone they’re man and wife ever since. Even adopted that kiddie, didn’t they?’

Walter shuddered. ‘Oh, that girl! What a rude little beast she is too.’

‘You’re not wrong there,’ Millie said with feeling. ‘One of these days, I’ll boot her up the backside, you see if I don’t. Cheeky little blighter she is.’

‘Something,’ Perks agreed, ‘should be done about her.’

‘She’s ventured as far as the railway station?’ I asked incredulously, thinking Agnes would have a fit if she knew.

‘Not yet, no,’ he admitted. ‘But I don’t live at the railway station, see? I’ve got my own little cottage in the village, and she keeps pestering me there.’

‘You have your own cottage?’ I asked, surprised.

‘Well… not strictly mine. I sort of share it. But it was mine first, so there you go,’ he added defiantly.

I was about to ask if the other occupants of the cottage were aware of his presence, but he’d got the bit between his teeth about Florrie. ‘She brings them two boys with her, too, you know. Little ragamuffins that they are.’

There was a loud sigh from a man who looked to be in his forties. He’d introduced himself as Peter and told me he was a baker who’d passed on in 1790.

‘Poor little wretches,’ he said.

‘Poor little wretches?’ Perks asked. ‘Nothing but trouble the lot of them.’

‘It’s not them so much,’ Millie said. ‘It’s her. That Florrie. She’s the ringleader. Gets them to do whatever she wants.’

‘It’s my fault,’ Peter groaned. ‘I keep trying to tell them but they’re not having it.’

‘What’s your fault?’ I asked, surprised.

‘They’re scared of me,’ he said, ‘and because they’re scared of me, they stick too closely to that girl. I’m sure she’s telling them a lot of nonsense, you know.’

‘And why would they be scared of you?’ I asked him, my suspicions aroused.

‘It’s a long story,’ he said, shifting uncomfortably. ‘Let’s just say we passed on the same day.’

My mouth fell open. So, John and Robert had died in 1790? Poor little mites. And how had Florrie managed to get her claws into them so thoroughly? What exactly was she telling them? And why were they so scared of this Peter that they stuck to Florrie anyway? Since it clearly had something to do with his death, I could hardly ask him, which was frustrating.

‘The trouble with Florrie,’ I said, ‘and probably Robert and John, too, is that there’s no structure or discipline in their lives.’

‘Hear, hear,’ Perks said, nodding furiously.

I thought about my earlier suggestion to the Wyndhams, and to Lawrie, about making the children have lessons. They’d shouted me down and I’d let them, but now I wasn’t so sure that I hadn’t given in too easily.

‘What they need is some routine,’ I said.

‘What they need is the cane,’ Millie told me. ‘Some of the lads at school got it regularly and it didn’t do them any harm. What about it, Walter? Got your old school cane?’

‘What they need is conscription,’ Bill said gloomily. ‘Being in the army’s enough to make anyone behave.’

‘Fat lot of good it did you,’ Perks said.

‘I’m not about to make them join the army,’ I said, ‘even if that were possible. But what I did think might be useful is sending them to school. Or at least, getting someone to give them lessons.’

Walter nodded furiously. ‘Education is the key,’ he said. ‘Put those children into school and ensure their minds are turned to loftier pursuits. They’d soon lose interest in their current foolish pastimes. Excellent idea, Mistress Chase.’

‘It’s Callie,’ I told him, ‘and I’m so glad you think so, Walter, because I was hoping you’d be the one to teach them.’

His face fell as several of the ghosts chortled in glee.

‘Me? Oh no, no! I couldn’t possibly.’

‘Yes, you could. Who else would be better?’ I asked, deciding a little flattery was in order. ‘With your experience and wisdom, there’s no one else who could possibly do the job. I need you, Walter. The children need you. Please say you’ll step up for them.’

‘But… but they’re ruffians,’ he protested.

‘Diamonds in the rough,’ I said. ‘With a little polishing from you, I’m sure they could be transformed. Of course,’ I added slyly, ‘if you think you’re not up to the job… I expect you’re right. I mean, your teaching practice will be hopelessly out of date by now.’

He looked most indignant. ‘Excuse me? I have kept up to date with all events of the last four hundred years and I spend a lot of my time continuing to educate myself. Sir Lawrence,’ he added pompously, ‘values my gifts and has provided me with many books and newspapers over the years, which he has read to me on a regular basis. I am more than capable of teaching three young children, thank you kindly.’

‘But that’s even better,’ I cried. ‘Imagine if one of the three turns out to be another Shakespeare, all thanks to you!’

Millie snorted and even Isaac frowned as if he thought I was pushing it.

‘It’s hardly likely,’ Walter said, though there was an obvious wavering in his voice.

‘Did you ever expect young William to grow up to be the greatest poet and playwright this country has ever produced?’ I asked him.

‘Of course not! Well, not really.’ He thought about it. ‘He did have a raw talent, of course, but it took my nurturing and guidance to bring that talent to the surface.’

‘Exactly! And look what he became, all thanks to you,’ I said, pointing dramatically up at the ceiling as if gesturing to the stars. ‘What if Florrie or John or Robert are gifted poets, or playwrights, or scholars? All that potential could be lying there, dormant within them, because, unlike Shakespeare, they’ve got no way to bring it to the surface. They need someone like you, Walter. Someone with his own remarkable gift of seeing talent where others see only… ragamuffins. Ruffians.’

I turned slowly to look at him and saw him gazing into the middle distance, clearly imagining the glorious success he could make of his potential new pupils. I held my breath, wondering if he’d let himself be persuaded.

‘Well…’ he said slowly. ‘I suppose…’

‘Oh, thank you, Walter!’ I said immediately, rewarding him with my brightest smile. ‘This whole village will be in your debt when you’ve finally tamed these children and turned them into model citizens, with who knows what gifts they can share with us all.’

Isaac shook his head, as Ronnie muttered, ‘Mug.’

Walter, though, had bought it and was now beaming at me. ‘My dear Mistress Chase, it will be an honour. When would you like me to start?’