Chapter 6 #2
There was a chorus of disapproval, and Silas nodded in satisfaction. At last, they were showing some backbone.
‘Please, just listen,’ Callie said, holding up her hand.
‘I was a bit funny about it, too, when she first mentioned it, but then I thought, why not? After all, the human remains were removed from the site a long time ago. There’s no one there to disturb.
And it’s not as if people died there anyway.
They were already dead when their bodies or ashes were moved there.
When you think about it, it’s probably the safest place in the whole of the estate in terms of its likelihood of housing ghosts. ’
‘What if it rains?’ Clara asked.
‘We’ve discussed that with Penny,’ Callie said, smiling at the landlady of The Quicken Tree Inn.
‘She’s agreed we can host all the Halloween events in the function room if it rains.
I’m sure the parents will be glad of the chance to have a drink while their children get on with the events, and although the séance won’t be so atmospheric, it’s better than everyone getting wet.
However, we’re hoping that it will be dry and the events can take place outdoors as planned. ’
‘This Mariska dame is keeping well clear of The Monastery, right?’ Harmony asked in obvious alarm.
A Hollywood film star from the 1930s and 1940s, Harmony Hill rarely attended village events.
She was somewhat of a recluse, although Silas realised she’d been a little more sociable of late.
Probably due to the influence of the Roman brute, who’d taken her under his wing.
Not that Quintus Severus was a particularly sociable person either, but he was determined to do his duty to the owner of the estate.
If Callie wanted all the ghosts at the meeting, he would make sure that they were – Harmony included.
‘Callie, you can’t let anyone near that place,’ she pleaded. ‘The ghosts who live there—’
‘Are snooty beggars who think they’re too good to mix with the likes of us,’ Bill said crossly.
Harmony glared at him and Silas watched in reluctant fascination as she faded to black and white. It was something only Harmony seemed able to do, and it always happened when she was too stressed or upset. ‘You know nothing about them! They’re good people. They… they have their reasons, okay?’
Silas frowned. He’d often wondered what those reasons were and who, exactly, lived in that strange building at the edge of the estate. All the ghosts knew better than to go anywhere near Woodstone Manor, to give it its correct name.
And yet, Harmony Hill visited frequently. Now, why would that be? And why was it that the rogue ghosts, as he thought of them, didn’t seem to mind? The Hollywood actress had spent more time with those outcasts and misfits than she’d spent with the ghostly community in the village.
He glanced at Polly’s brother, Ray Deakin, who was another one who’d spent time at the Manor. Why had he been welcomed there? And then there was Quintus Severus…
The centurion had spent centuries patrolling the outer reaches of the estate.
Surely he’d visited the Manor, too? He’d certainly been instrumental in all that business last year involving Ray and Harmony.
It was all very strange, and Silas did love a puzzle.
But Deakin avoided Silas as much as possible, and getting information from either Harmony or the Roman was well-nigh impossible, so…
Harmony had pretended for a while that she and Quintus Severus were in a relationship, which Silas thought highly improper but unsurprising given the reputation of the Roman soldiers, not to mention the reputation of Hollywood film stars.
However, Severus had solemnly informed everyone that such an idea was unthinkable, and that he thought of Harmony as his daughter and wished only to protect her.
Harmony had just laughed and said the joke was fun while it lasted. Silas couldn’t see what was so funny about it and thought ‘the joke’ in rather poor taste, though what could you expect from an American?
Callie was quick to reassure Harmony. ‘There’ll be no visits to The Monastery,’ she said firmly. ‘We respect the privacy of those spirits who don’t wish to be contacted. They have the right to live their afterlives as they choose, and I’ll make sure Madam Mariska doesn’t go anywhere near there.’
Harmony nodded, evidently satisfied as her colour returned, and Silas wondered why Callie was so quick to respect the wishes of other ghosts while frequently ignoring his.
‘The question is,’ Walter Tasker, the Elizabethan schoolmaster said, looking round at them all, ‘do we have anything to fear?’
‘I don’t think you have anything to fear, Walter,’ Callie reassured him. ‘After all—’
Silas couldn’t stand it a moment longer.
‘You have everything to fear!’ he cried, ignoring the groans from the other ghosts. ‘This is an abomination! Contacting the dead indeed! It’s disgraceful. It’s unchristian! You should tell this blasphemous woman to take her parlour tricks elsewhere.’
‘Now, come on, Silas,’ Lawrie said reasonably. ‘You can’t have it both ways. Either she’s blasphemous for contacting the dead or she’s performing parlour tricks. Which is it?’
Bill’s fellow soldier, Ronnie, gave a hoot of laughter. ‘That’s shut the old goat up! Walked into that one, didn’t you?’
‘Shut up, you insolent little swine,’ Ray said crossly. ‘No respect for your elders.’
‘Well,’ Ronnie said unrepentantly, ‘serve him right. He’s always mouthing off about something or other and we’re fed up to the back teeth with him.’
‘I don’t see what’s wrong with it,’ Millie said loudly. ‘Like Lawrie says, it’s just a bit of fun.’
‘But is it?’ Agnes demanded, as Callie tried her best to explain what was being said to the living villagers while the argument was still going on among the ghosts.
‘How are we to know? This woman could stir up all sorts of trouble for us. Why, she could even inadvertently send us on somewhere else. Have you thought of that? Meddling with these things could have unforeseen results. What if some of us are ripped away from Rowan Vale? From those we love?’ She dabbed at her eyes. ‘I couldn’t bear it.’
‘Now, now, my dear,’ Wyndham said, patting her hand, like the doting fool he was.
‘I highly doubt that such a thing is possible. I don’t really believe that this Madam Mariska can see or hear spirits at all.
I think she made a guess when she got to Harling Hall and struck lucky.
A coincidence. As Callie said, she showed no sign of recognising that we were in the sitting room with her, did she? ’
Agnes looked doubtful. ‘Even so…’
‘If you ask me,’ the dreadful Wyndham child piped up suddenly, ‘it’s that other one you want to watch.’
Callie quickly repeated what she’d said, then turned to Florence in surprise.
‘What do you mean by that, Florrie?’
‘I was with ’er in the kitchen, weren’t I? If you ask me, she knows more than she’s lettin’ on.’
‘In what way?’ Mia said sharply.
Silas tutted. The little beast was probably making it all up for attention.
‘I swear I saw ’er look right at me a couple o’ times,’ Florence insisted. ‘She looked away pretty sharpish when she clocked me looking back at ’er, but I’m not daft.’
‘Are you sure you’re not?’ murmured Millie sarkily.
‘And when I said I was gonna be a bridesmaid for Callie and Brodie, she looked real surprised. I swear she ’eard me. I ain’t making it up, if that’s what you think,’ she added crossly.
Callie explained what had been said to the living villagers, then turned to Mia.
‘What do you think? You were there. Could Florrie be right?’
Mia looked flustered. ‘I-I’m not sure. There was a moment… But she said she didn’t believe in ghosts. Well, she sort of said that. I don’t think she’s a liar. She seemed so nice…’
Her voice trailed off and Silas looked at her in surprise. He’d never heard Mia sound so unsure of anything in her life. Mia was always cool and collected. She was one of the few people in this place that Silas respected. How strange.
‘Well anyway,’ Lawrie said after a moment of subdued silence, while everyone tried to absorb this new possibility, ‘it doesn’t really matter, does it?
Whether it’s Mariska or Verity or both who can see ghosts, the main thing is, if one of them can, then how do we deal with this?
Of course, it could be that neither of them has the gift, in which case it’s irrelevant.
But if one or both can, how does that affect you all?
And are you willing to be around whoever can communicate with you to tell her your story?
Or would you rather stay well away, just in case? Hands up – who’s willing to talk?’
‘I’ll tell her my story!’ Millie said eagerly, her hand waving frantically in the air as Bill’s and Ronnie’s hands also shot up.
Slowly, Walter’s hand raised. ‘I rather think I would be happy to tell my tale, too,’ he said, ever the pompous swine.
Silas sighed and folded his arms as Tasker continued, ‘I’m sure the world would love to hear of my experience with young William Shakespeare, and how my knowledge and literary gifts encouraged and inspired him to set off on the path that led him to fortune and fame. ’
‘Even Madam Mariska’s not that desperate,’ Ronnie said with a hoot of laughter, and Millie, Bill and Florrie laughed, too.
Immi stifled a smile, but Lawrie and Callie looked quite disapproving, and Silas had to agree with them.
Whatever he thought of Tasker personally, those whippersnappers had no business making fun of him.
‘Show some respect for Mr Tasker, young man,’ Lawrie said, shaking his head at the young soldier.
There was a clanking of metal against metal as Quintus Severus shifted position, reminding the ghosts that he was present and listening. Ronnie slunk down in his chair, much to Bill’s evident amusement. Sometimes, Silas had to admit that the Roman had his uses.
‘I don’t want my story told,’ Danny said fervently. ‘And neither does Brooke, do you?’