Page 32 of The Legend of Lovers Hollow

“Oh, right, sorry. It’s Morgan Ashton-Drake.”

“Ashton-Drake?” I can hear the surprise in his voice. “This family hotel of yours wouldn’t happen to be the Ashton-Drake Manor House hotel that’s run by a sunshiny receptionist named Ellis and also houses a whole menagerie of ghosts in residence?”

“Uh.”

He laughs warmly, and I shake my head in disbelief. “Does everyone know about the ghosts here? I thought the afterlife was supposed to be a big secret.”

“Not in my social circles,” he says, his voice filled with amusement.

“Have you stayed here before then?”

“No, but two of my best friends have. Danny and Tristan. They were there during the whole murder mystery shenanigans.”

“Oh god,” I groan. “Wait a minute. Did you say Danny and Tristan? Ellis told me about them. Tristan is some sort of medium and Danny’s a detective at Scotland Yard, isn’t he?”

“That’s right.”

“They got engaged here but had to rush home because of an emergency.”

This time it’s Sam who sighs. “Yeah, they’ve kind of got their hands full at the moment.”

“Ellis talks about them all the time.”

“I think Ellis has actually adopted Tris.” Sam snorts. “Anyway. Morgan, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s just cut to the chase, as you Americans are so fond of saying. I know ghosts are real, I’ve seen them. I also know your hotel is riddled with them and they are about as well-behaved as a roomful of rowdy toddlers. So, why don’t you just tell me what you need, and I’ll tell you if I can help you.”

“I have a particular, uh, spirit here, a young boy called Artie. Arthur Clayton,” I begin.

“Likes to move furniture around in the bedrooms?”

“How did you–”

“Tris woke up to this kid moving the dresser across the room, apparently.”

“Yeah, he does like to do that… frequently.” I huff. “I was actually friends with him when I lived here as a kid until my mom moved me to the States. Now I’m back, and I… I don’t know, I just want to help him. He’s the only child in a houseful of rowdy spirits, and I think he’s lonely. Anyone he gets close to grows up, and he’s left behind. A perpetual child.”

“I see.” Sam hums thoughtfully. “Do you know how he died? Was it violent or traumatic?”

“I don’t know about violent, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant, I imagine. Why do you ask?”

“Every case is different, but most ghosts remain trapped on earth as a result of two things. A violent or traumatic death or unfinished business. They can’t move on.”

“Do you think that’s what’s happened to Artie?” I frown. “That he has unfinished business?”

“It’s possible. Of course, it could also be that he just likes it here.”

“I want to find out what happened to his family, that’s why I called you.”

“Okay, why don’t you start by telling me what you do know about him?” Sam says, and I can hear him rustling papers about. I can only assume he’s going to take notes.

“His full name is Arthur Clayton, and he was about ten years old when he passed. He died from diphtheria, here at Ashton House, in nineteen forty-two.”

“Forty-two? Was he local or evacuated?”

“Evacuated from London. I’m not sure where he lived exactly, but he said something about having to take shelter in Camden tube station with his mum, and when they came back up, most of their street was gone, including their house. That’s when he was sent up here, but I don’t know what happened to his mother. His father was fighting in France, not that that helps much.”