Page 28 of Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall (Ghosts of Rowan Vale #1)

28

Florrie was, surprisingly, as good as her word and arrived back at the Hall with a clearly terrified John and Robert trailing behind her.

‘Stop being babies,’ she told them sternly, probably seeing, as did I, the trembling of Robert’s lip and John’s visible shaking. She gave me a smug look. ‘Told you I’d get ’em, didn’t I? Is ’e ’ere yet? The teacher bloke?’

‘Not yet but?—’

I broke off as someone boomed, ‘Knock, knock.’ Then Walter stepped awkwardly through the front door and bowed low.

‘Forgive my intrusion. I did knock.’

Florrie rolled her eyes. ‘We’ve got a right one ’ere,’ she told the boys, who were staring at Walter in disbelief.

‘Children, children,’ Walter said. ‘I am so very happy to meet you all properly at last. My name is Walter Tasker, but you may address me as Master. Now?—’

‘What on earth is this?’

I groaned inwardly as Agnes came marching down the stairs, an expression of fury on her face.

‘What does it look like?’ I asked her. ‘Mr Tasker is here to teach the children.’

‘Teach the children?’ She gave the boys a look of disdain. ‘And by whose permission is Mr Tasker here?’

‘Mine,’ I said firmly.

‘And what does Lawrie have to say about that? I think you’ll find he won’t allow it,’ she told me.

‘I think you’ll find Lawrie and I have already had this conversation, and he’s realised that what happens under this roof is up to me now, not him. I say the children are to have lessons and have lessons they shall.’

Agnes’s mouth opened and closed in shock. Was it wishful thinking or did Florrie sneak me a look of admiration?

‘Florence, you don’t have to do this,’ Agnes said urgently, placing her hand on the little girl’s shoulder. ‘She can’t make you.’

To my surprise, Florrie shrugged off her hand. ‘I want to do it,’ she said. ‘Me and the boys are gonna learn stuff and get clever. I’m gonna get cleverer than they will, obviously, and then I’ll win my bet with ’er,’ she added, nodding at me.

Agnes frowned. ‘A wager? I don’t approve of gambling.’

‘Too late,’ Florrie said with a grin. She turned to Walter. ‘Are we gonna get started or what?’

‘Certainly,’ he replied, clearly surprised by her enthusiasm.

Agnes gave a gasp of dismay and hurried back up the stairs, no doubt to tell Aubrey that the world had gone mad and that he needed to say something quickly.

‘Apparently there’s an old schoolroom upstairs,’ I said. ‘Aub— Mr Wyndham suggested it would make a good place for you to teach the children. Although I’m not exactly sure?—’

‘I know where it is,’ Florrie said. ‘It’s in the east wing. I’ll show you, Mister.’

‘Master,’ Walter said. ‘Lead the way, young lady.’

The old schoolroom was, according to Florrie, almost slap-bang in the middle of the landing, halfway between the Wyndhams’ suite of rooms, and the Davenports’. I half expected Lawrie to come charging out, all guns blazing, but his door remained closed, as did the Wyndhams’. Maybe they were all together somewhere, plotting my downfall. They must all have despised me. I hadn’t felt this miserable since I’d arrived here, and it wasn’t a great feeling. Even so, I knew it was for the best. These kids needed structure and an education.

I removed the dust sheets that covered the little desks and apologised for not thinking to get the room ready earlier as I coughed and sneezed, dust whirling around me in clouds.

Walter shrugged. ‘It hardly matters to us,’ he pointed out, and I realised that, after all, dust was hardly likely to be an irritant to them. ‘The question is, do you have any books?’

Oh blimey, I really hadn’t thought this through. ‘I’m guessing there are lots of books somewhere,’ I said feebly.

Florrie grinned. ‘Not much cop at being the boss, are you?’

‘There’s the library in the village,’ John said meekly. ‘They’ve got lots of books. I go there sometimes when it’s dark in winter and it’s all lit up inside. I sit with the people and look at the pictures in their books. It’s nice in there.’

‘Really?’ I smiled at him. That boded well for his future. At least he liked being around books and associated them with something good.

‘We don’t need no village library,’ Florrie said scornfully. ‘Got one ’ere in this ’ouse. Mind you, don’t think they’ve got no picture books and them two can’t read.’

‘Can’t read?’ Walter asked. ‘At all?’

John and Robert shook their heads and Walter sighed. ‘This is going to be more of a challenge than I thought. Mistress Chase?—’

‘Callie.’

‘Mistress Chase. We need better organisation than this. I’m going to have to teach John and Robert how to read before we can progress any further, whereas Florence here can already read and will be moving at a different pace. We have no books. And, pray tell, who is going to turn the pages when requested?’

I frowned. ‘Turn the pages? Oh…’

That hadn’t occurred to me either. Of course, ghosts couldn’t physically touch books. I’d have to be with them in the schoolroom, turning pages every time Walter demanded it. Perhaps unfolding maps. Writing things on the blackboard… It wasn’t going to work.

‘I never thought about this,’ I admitted. ‘It’s a logistical nightmare. I’d have to find someone to be in the room with you throughout your lessons. I simply haven’t got the time to be here myself.’

‘But it would have to be someone who could see and hear us,’ he pointed out. ‘How else would they know when we need a page turning?’

‘Do you have any relatives in the village?’ I asked glumly. ‘Anyone who can see you?’

He shook his head.

‘None of us ’as,’ Florrie said. ‘Looks like we’re stuck, don’t it?’

‘I’ll think of something,’ I said determinedly. ‘I’m not giving up just yet.’

‘Very well,’ Walter said. ‘In the meantime, I think I’ll spend our first day talking to these children and finding out what they already know and what’s likely to interest them. All shall be well.’

‘You fink?’ Florrie asked doubtfully. ‘I fink we’re sunk before we start.’

‘Nonsense,’ Walter told her. ‘“Doubt is a thief that often makes us fear to tread where we might have won.”’

Florrie gave him a blank look. ‘Eh?’

‘It’s a quote by William Shakespeare, one of my former pupils. It’s based on something very similar to what I said to him myself,’ he said, nodding furiously. ‘Doubt can stop us from even trying, but we must have courage and confidence! We shall prevail, children. We shall prevail.’

I left them to it and headed downstairs, deep in thought. I couldn’t possibly spend every day with Walter and the children, but who else would be able to turn pages for them? And where was I going to get the books anyway? What was he even going to teach them, given the different times they’d all lived in and the differences in their abilities?

Mia was at a dental appointment in Much Melton and Brodie was, apparently, in the study, interviewing applicants for a tenancy for a cottage that had been standing vacant for some months and was not to be disturbed. He’d asked me if I wanted to sit in on the interview, and I probably should have done, but I’d been too busy thinking about the meeting and wondering how Lawrie and Agnes were going to take the news of Walter’s imminent arrival, so I’d passed.

I was all alone without an ally to call upon.

I made myself a coffee and sat at the kitchen table feeling depressed beyond words.

‘Well, you look happy. Not.’

My heart leapt as Brodie entered the kitchen. Relief , I told myself firmly. Just relief .

‘You’re finished? How did the interviewing go?’

He flicked the kettle on and reached for a mug. ‘Not too bad. I’ve narrowed it down to two possible tenants. They’re coming back with references for a second interview, but I think you should be with me for that, don’t you?’

‘I’m sure you can handle it,’ I said glumly, reaching for my coffee.

‘That’s not the point, Callie,’ he said. ‘I won’t be here much longer and you’re going to have to take over all this stuff. You need to know what sort of thing you should be asking for future interviews.’

‘I can’t think of anything worse,’ I said flatly.

‘Oh wow! That’s a great attitude for the new owner of the Harling Estate.’ He made himself an instant coffee and sat down opposite me. ‘What’s wrong? Has something happened?’

‘Where do I even start?’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘At the beginning?’

With a sigh, I decided he might as well know what a complete idiot I’d been, arranging lessons without realising what it would involve or all the obstacles that made it an impossible situation. Hesitantly, I also confided in him that I’d argued with Lawrie, and that I hadn’t been particularly gentle with him.

I expected him to get very angry with me about that, knowing how much he loved his grandpa, but to my surprise, he merely sipped his coffee and shrugged.

‘Aren’t you furious with me?’ I asked. ‘Did you not hear what I said to him?’

‘You have a point,’ he said mildly. ‘This is your house now and you make the decisions. But it’s what I’ve been trying to tell you with this interview business. You must take responsibility. It’s all well and good telling Grandpa that you’re in charge, but that means actually being in charge and doing things you don’t want to do. Like interviewing prospective tenants.’

‘Or turning the pages of books for that lot upstairs,’ I said, nodding up at the ceiling.

‘Exactly.’

‘He’s just been so obstinate lately,’ I said. ‘Lawrie, I mean. He seemed so friendly and amiable at first but now he just keeps digging his heels in and criticising everything.’

‘Maybe he’s struggling with the idea of leaving,’ Brodie mused. ‘Now that it’s getting closer and more real, he’s probably panicking a bit. This place has been his entire life.’

‘But I never forced him to go!’ I cried. ‘That’s all his doing. He’d be welcome to stay here. I wish he would. I wish you both would.’

‘Do you?’ he asked, surprised.

‘Of course I do. I’m not ready to run this place alone; we all know it. And you two know so much about it…’ I sighed. ‘Stubborn as a mule.’

‘Hmm.’

‘What do you mean, hmm?’ I asked suspiciously.

‘I mean, he’s not the only stubborn one, is he?’

‘Hey, he’s not always right, you know. I mean, look how he kicked off about me inviting the ghosts over. How mean was that? Just because Agnes didn’t like it!’

‘Okay,’ Brodie said, ‘but have you looked at it from her point of view?’

‘Meaning?’

‘Well, think about it. What if Grandpa had invited the entire village to the Hall and told them they were welcome here any time and didn’t need an invitation. How would you feel about that? Living people, just like you and I, coming and going whenever they felt like it. In your home.’

I did think about it, and I realised I didn’t like it. The villagers I’d met had been nice people, and I’d really bonded with some of them, but would I want them to have the run of this place? This was mine and Immi’s home and it was nice to be able to shut the door and have a sanctuary away from outside problems.

Yet I’d been expecting Agnes and Aubrey to welcome an entire village of ghosts to the Hall without even asking them how they felt about it.

‘Oh heck,’ I said. ‘When you put it like that… I’ve been a bit of a twerp, haven’t I?’

He grinned. ‘A bit.’

‘I’ll apologise,’ I said heavily. ‘To Lawrie, to Agnes and Aubrey. And I’ll talk to the other ghosts. I still think meetings are a good idea, but maybe taking them on a tour of the Hall wasn’t.’

‘At least you kept them away from the east wing,’ he said. ‘That’s something.’

‘Even so… I’ll find somewhere else to meet them, and also find a way they can get in touch with me when they need me, rather than coming here.’

‘There you go. One problem solved.’

‘Maybe,’ I said gloomily, ‘but it doesn’t solve the school problem, does it? Honestly, bloody ghosts!’

He reached out and laid his hand on my arm, making me shiver inside. ‘How are you feeling about your ability to see them now? Do you still see it as a curse?’

‘Not a great time to ask me that,’ I said with a wry grin. ‘Given the morning I’ve had.’

‘But generally. Being here, has it changed anything for you?’

His blue eyes melted my heart as he gazed at me with clear compassion. There was the faintest trace of stubble on his chin, and I found myself thinking how soft and deeply kissable his lips looked.

Even as the thought entered my head, Brodie’s expression changed: his gaze intensifying, his mouth opening slightly.

My heart thudded as I leaned ever so slightly closer to him, aware that he was mirroring my actions. I caught the faint tang of his aftershave and closed my eyes in delicious anticipation. He was going to kiss me. Or I was going to kiss him. I knew it was inevitable, and that I’d been wanting this to happen for what felt like forever.

The scream shattered the moment, and I pulled away from Brodie before leaping to my feet. I felt dazed, and not entirely sure what had just happened.

‘I’m sorry, Callie.’ Brodie looked horrified. ‘I thought… obviously, I misread the signals. I didn’t mean?—’

‘It’s not you,’ I assured him. ‘Hell, I promise, it’s not you. Someone screamed.’

I ran into the hall, wondering who on earth had screamed so loudly and why.

Evidently, the Wyndhams had wondered the same, as Aubrey and Agnes were hurrying down the stairs, Lawrie not far behind them.

John and Robert were a few steps from the bottom, hiding behind Florence. Walter stood at the base of the staircase, talking to Peter, the baker who’d claimed the boys feared him.

‘What on earth is all this commotion?’ Agnes demanded.

‘I need to speak to the lads,’ Peter said. He turned to me, a plea in his eyes. ‘They need to understand.’

‘Stop him, Florrie!’ John begged.

Robert gave an ear-splitting wail. ‘Make him go away,’ he cried, his little voice making my heart break for him.

‘It’s okay,’ I said. ‘He’s not going to hurt you, I promise.’

‘But it’s Pillory Pete!’ John cried. ‘He’s after us. He’s going to make us pay!’

‘Pay for what?’ I asked, confused.

‘For killing him!’

There was a shocked silence before Agnes shrieked, ‘You see! This is who you’ve brought into our home, girl. Murderers! And they’ve been associating with Florence. Oh, Mr Wyndham! Do something!’

Aubrey seized Peter by the shoulder. ‘Look here, my good man, you simply can’t?—’

‘Not to him!’ Agnes cried. ‘To these two young reprobates! We must lock them up somewhere.’ She frowned. ‘How can we lock them up, Mr Wyndham?’

‘No one’s locking anyone up,’ I said firmly, as John and Robert cowered behind a defiant-looking Florrie. ‘There’s clearly been some sort of misunderstanding here. Peter, what are you doing here anyway?’

‘I heard the lads were having their lesson today with Walter, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to finally get to speak to them. I’ve been trying for centuries but they keep running away.’

‘He’s going to kill us,’ Robert sobbed.

‘Bit late for that,’ Florrie pointed out. ‘Mind you, I reckon he’s going to torture you. Run!’

She stepped aside, allowing the boys to hurtle down the remaining stairs, but they were no match for Aubrey, who grabbed them both.

‘Not so fast, young fellow-me-lads. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.’

Florrie gave a cry of outrage and aimed a sharp kick at Aubrey’s leg. ‘Let ’em go!’

There was no one more surprised than Florrie when Agnes seized her by the arms and shook her. ‘How dare you kick your father like that? Where’s your respect? Behave yourself, girl, at once!’

Florrie could barely speak; she was clearly so stunned by Agnes’s actions. I knew how she felt. I’d never have imagined Agnes would turn on her precious Florence like that.

‘What on earth’s going on?’ Mia asked from somewhere behind me.

‘I have no idea,’ Brodie said wearily. ‘Evidently, someone screamed and now there seems to be some sort of altercation happening. How did it go at the dentist’s?’

‘A small fortune spent for the privilege of being told my teeth are fine. Honestly, never a dull moment here, is there?’

‘Peter, perhaps you can explain to the boys what you’ve been wanting to tell them for so long,’ I suggested, after casting apologetic looks at Brodie and Mia, who must find all this completely baffling.

‘Certainly,’ Peter said. He crouched down, rather endearingly, and spoke kindly to John and Robert. ‘You think I blame you for my death, don’t you? Well, I’m here to tell you that I don’t. You weren’t the ones who killed me. Do you understand? I know who did that. I’m so sorry you got scared and ran, and so sorry for what happened to you. It was a terrible day all round. Can we please be friends now?’

John’s and Robert’s eyes were like saucers.

‘We chucked the stone,’ Robert whispered.

I couldn’t help myself. ‘What stone?’ I asked. As they all turned to look at me, I held up my hands. ‘Yeah, I know. I’m not supposed to ask. But none of this is making sense to me right now, and I’d love to know why these two are so scared of you.’

‘Because we killed him,’ John said. ‘We killed Pillory Pete.’

‘What is a pillory?’ I asked, confused.

‘A method of punishment,’ Peter said with a sigh. ‘A wooden structure on the village green, where they push your head and your hands through holes in the wood and lock you in position so people can throw stuff at you.’

‘You mean stocks?’

‘Stocks? I wish! At least with stocks, only your feet are trapped. No, it was the pillory for me. I suppose it was my fault. I had a drop or two of ale when I should have been in church.’ He leaned forward and murmured, ‘But honestly, those sermons! They were enough to make anyone drink. If you think the Reverend Alexander is bad, you should have met the Reverend Samuels. Anyway,’ he added in a more conversational tone, ‘the locals took great delight in throwing missiles at me. Rotten vegetables, that sort of thing. Even stale bread which I thought was a bit of a liberty, given I’d probably baked it.’

John and Robert looked at each other.

‘We didn’t mean no harm,’ John said, trembling.

‘And you did no harm,’ Peter assured him. ‘At least, the stone you threw might have stung a little, but it didn’t kill me. No,’ he said, his eyes narrowing, ‘it was the rock that did that. The blooming great rock that was hurled at me by none other than my loving wife.’

‘Your wife?’

‘Oh yes. I saw the look in her eyes as she threw it. She meant to harm me, though I doubt she meant to kill me. She considered me an embarrassment. She was a pious woman, believe it or not, who hung on the reverend’s every word. I think she thought I’d disgraced her in the eyes of the village and, more importantly, in the eyes of God.’

‘So, your wife killed you? Not John and Robert?’ I checked, seeing the look of astonishment on both boys’ faces.

‘That’s right. And she got away with it, too, in all the confusion, as no one could be sure who’d actually thrown the rock.’

‘But what happened to the boys?’ I asked, regretting my question immediately as Robert covered his eyes.

‘They panicked,’ Peter said softly. ‘Ran out into the road and got mowed down by a horse and cart. Bless them. I tried to reach them when it happened, when I saw them leave their bodies, but they were in such a state with themselves, and when they saw me running towards them, they took flight. They’ve been hiding from me ever since.’

‘Harmony did say you didn’t blame us,’ John said reluctantly, ‘but we didn’t believe her.’

‘Harmony?’ I gasped. ‘You know where Harmony is?’

John’s mouth clamped shut.

‘Not supposed to talk about them,’ Robert admitted. ‘They’re ever so good to us. Look after us, like.’

‘ They take care of you?’ I asked, astonished. ‘Who’s they ?’

‘Robert!’ John burst out. ‘What are you doing ?’

‘It’s okay,’ I promised them. ‘I’m not going to ask any more questions. I’m just glad someone looks out for you. I’ve been worried about you, and about her. So, if Harmony already told you Peter wasn’t about to hurt you, why were you still running?’

Robert and John exchanged glances, then looked at Florrie.

‘ She said she heard him talking to some of the others, and he’s promised to torture us when he gets hold of us because it’s our fault he’s trapped here.’

‘Florrie, you didn’t!’ I said.

Agnes shook her head. ‘Tell me this isn’t true, Florence.’

‘It’s that Pillory Pete what’s lying,’ Florrie cried. ‘He’s gonna make them pay for what they did. I ’eard him say so.’

Aubrey took hold of her hand and bobbed down in front of her. ‘Now, Florence,’ he said sternly, ‘no good comes of lying. You must tell the absolute truth, and somehow, I fear that, so far, you’ve failed to do that.’

Florrie’s brows knitted together. ‘I ’ate you! You’re all liars!’ she cried, breaking away from Aubrey and running out of the Hall.

‘If it helps,’ Walter told the boys, ‘I know Peter here quite well, and I truly believe he only wants to be friends with you. He certainly doesn’t blame you for what happened to him.’

‘Of course I don’t,’ Peter said gently. ‘It’s my wife who did it, like I said, and to be honest, I don’t even blame her any longer. I mean, it was so long ago. What does it even matter now?’

‘So, you’re not going to torture us?’ Robert asked hopefully.

‘Of course not.’ Peter ruffled the boys’ hair. ‘What sort of fella do you think I am, eh? Didn’t I used to give you the odd crust of bread when it was fresh out of the oven, and you were hungry? Don’t you remember that?’

John tilted his head to one side. ‘Oh, yeah, so you did,’ he said in astonishment. ‘I’d forgotten.’

‘So had I,’ Robert admitted. ‘You made ever such nice bread. It stopped my belly from rumbling for a bit.’

‘Well then, there you are,’ I said. ‘Peter’s just a nice man who used to give you bread. Not an angry person who wants to torture you. Is that all settled now?’

‘Peter,’ Walter suggested, ‘why don’t you come upstairs and view our schoolroom? I’m sure the boys would love to show you where they’re going to be having their lessons.’

‘Don’t mind if I do,’ Peter said. ‘If that’s all right with you boys?’

John and Robert exchanged looks then nodded. The four of them headed happily up the stairs, passing Lawrie on the way and greeting him with respect.

Agnes sank onto the bottom step and put her head in her hands. ‘I’m exhausted.’

Aubrey sat beside her. ‘It’s been quite a day,’ he agreed. ‘But you must see now, Agnes, that Callie is quite right about Florence. Something needs to be done, and lessons are just the start of it. Discipline and routine. That’s what she needs. I’m very grateful to you, Callie, and if there’s anything we can do to help with the children’s lessons, we’ll be only too glad to do so.’

‘Really?’ I asked. ‘Well, that’s… that’s very kind of you, Aubrey.’

Agnes sighed. ‘Quite right. I’m sorry, Callie. I didn’t want to accept that we’d failed Florence so spectacularly, but Mr Wyndham is correct. We must do something about her behaviour. When I think about the terror in those poor boys’ eyes…’ She shook her head in despair. ‘I’m very glad you overruled us in this matter. The lessons are a good idea. You have my full support.’

‘Has someone gone after Florrie?’ Mia asked me.

‘Er, no, not yet,’ I said.

‘I’ll go.’ Aubrey got to his feet, but Agnes pulled him back down.

‘She’ll be back,’ she said. ‘And when she does come back, I shall see to it that she apologises to you. Kicking you in the leg and yelling at you like that! I won’t have her talking to you with such a lack of respect, Mr Wyndham. I simply won’t.’

Aubrey’s expression softened and I could see the pleasure in his eyes that she was defending him against her precious Florence.

‘Well, er, thank you, my dear.’ He patted her hand gently and I thought, married or not, these two were clearly terribly fond of each other, and if the Reverend Alexander could see them together at this moment, surely even he couldn’t disapprove?

My gaze met Lawrie’s, and he stared at me for a long moment, before turning and heading back up the stairs.

I sighed. It seemed I still had some bridges to mend there. And how exactly was I going to do that?