Chapter 32 #2
‘How dare you?’ Charlotte tried to twist round to lash out with her crop, but Agnes’s grip was too tight, and she couldn’t get the right angle to hit her hard enough. She certainly tried, though.
I watched, open-mouthed, as Aubrey flew round the table to restrain Charlotte’s arm and protect his wife, while Agnes berated Lady Davenport with a stream of home truths that would have wounded anyone else but only seemed to inflame the not-so-friendly ghost further.
‘For goodness’ sake!’ Callie cried. ‘We’re trying to have a peaceful dinner here!’
‘There’ll be no peace until that woman is back where she came from,’ Agnes shrieked.
Mel and I exchanged glances, not sure what to do for the best. Although Mel couldn’t see or hear what was going on with the ghosts, it was pretty obvious something was happening, particularly when Immi came running in, followed – unbeknownst to three of our party – by Florrie.
They looked shocked to the core by the scene that was playing out in front of them.
‘Coo,’ Florrie said excitedly. ‘It’s a proper bust-up! Go, Mother! Sock her one!’
‘Can you all just BE QUIET!’
I had never imagined that Mia could bellow so loudly. I think everyone else was shocked, too, as the air stilled and the room fell silent.
‘Lawrie, are you okay?’ she asked, and I realised that in the chaos we hadn’t noticed that Lawrie had slumped and was looking frighteningly pale.
‘Oh, God! Grandpa!’ Brodie took his hand. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘I’m all right, don’t fuss,’ Lawrie managed. ‘I think all the noise was just a little overwhelming for me.’
‘I’m so sorry, Lawrie,’ Callie said tearfully.
‘Not your fault,’ he assured her.
‘No,’ Agnes said crossly. ‘It wasn’t. We all know whose fault it was.’
‘Let’s not get into that again,’ Aubrey said hastily. ‘Lawrie, old chap, should we call a doctor?’
Lawrie shook his head. ‘I don’t need a doctor. But I think a bit of peace and quiet would do me good. Perhaps it’s time I went to bed and listened to some soothing music.’
‘Absolutely,’ Brodie agreed. ‘I’ll help you into your room.’
‘I’ll make you a hot cocoa, Lawrie,’ Mia told him. ‘You think you can manage that?’
Lawrie smiled faintly. ‘I can always manage that, Mia,’ he said.
Brodie helped his grandpa out of the room and Mia hurried off to make the cocoa. The rest of us sat in worried silence. For a moment or two anyway.
‘Well,’ Charlotte said, glaring at Agnes, ‘I hope you’re pleased with yourself.’
‘Me?’ Agnes demanded. ‘How dare you blame me for this mess? Ever since you got here it’s been sheer purgatory. And I have no doubt that’s exactly where you’re heading as soon as Verity works out how to send you back there.’
‘You insolent—’
‘Shut up!’ Callie yelled. ‘I’ve had enough of you.
All of you.’ She turned to Charlotte. ‘But especially you. You know, I’d heard the rumours about you – about the kind of woman you were.
How you neglected Lawrie when he was a baby, leaving him to be cared for by anyone else you could find.
How you used Sir Edward’s devotion to running this estate and caring for everyone within it as an excuse to lead the kind of lifestyle that a lower-class woman would have been vilified for.
You used your position to get away with so much disgraceful behaviour and now you’re back you think you can do it all over again. ’
Her lip curled in disgust. ‘Did you ever think for one minute how Lawrie’s been affected by all this?
I don’t mean just now, although God knows it’s clearly having an impact on his health.
I mean when he was a little boy crying for his mother, who only had the comfort of a kindly ghost who tried her best to soothe him but couldn’t hold him? ’
‘I ached to put my arms around him,’ Agnes murmured. ‘It broke my heart.’
‘Nonsense,’ Charlotte said. ‘Lots of children were raised by their nannies and nursery-maids. I did nothing wrong.’
‘And afterwards,’ Callie continued, ‘when he’d grown up and discovered what you’d been doing all those years. Do you know how devastated he was to have that revealed to him at your funeral? Can you begin to imagine how he felt?’
‘And he still took your part,’ Aubrey said quietly. ‘Even though the revelations kept coming, he defended you. He blamed his father for your behaviour, as if you had no responsibility for your actions at all.’
‘Good,’ Charlotte said. ‘Edward deserved to be blamed. It was his fault. He neglected me.’
‘Edward was a good man,’ Aubrey said indignantly.
‘He worked hard to keep this estate going, and he did his best to make life easier for his tenants – living and dead. He loved you dearly and hoped you would help him in his work, but you had no interest, did you? You could have been a partnership, but instead you spent your time riding horses and—’
‘Riding men,’ Agnes said.
‘Agnes!’ Aubrey wasn’t the only one shocked, as Callie and I both stared at her in amazement and Immi giggled. Florrie looked puzzled as it had clearly gone over her head.
Agnes looked embarrassed. ‘I heard the expression on the television one day,’ she admitted. ‘I apologise for being so vulgar. I’m afraid that woman brings out the worst in me.’
Aubrey cleared his throat. ‘Well, anyway… The point is, when Lawrie discovered what you’d been up to all those years, he turned on his father rather than face up to what you were.
Their relationship never recovered. When Sir Edward died, he and your son had hardly spoken in years.
He and Lawrie lost both you and each other. Does that please you, Charlotte?’
Charlotte pursed her lips then shrugged. ‘I can hardly be blamed for what went on after I’d died,’ she said coldly.
‘Oh? Can you not?’ Agnes asked. ‘I beg to differ.’
Seven pairs of eyes surveyed Charlotte as she sat in a chair, legs crossed, lightly tapping her crop against her thigh. After a moment she jumped up, glared at them all and strode out of the room. A few seconds later they heard the front door slam shut.
‘She can even move that heavy old door,’ Callie said in amazement. ‘It’s scary, isn’t it?’
Mia came back looking a bit calmer. ‘I’ve given him his cocoa,’ she said.
‘He’s in bed now and Brodie’s sitting with him for a bit.
He’s reading The Wind in the Willows to him.
It’s Lawrie’s comfort read and one he used to love when he was a child,’ she explained to us.
‘Apparently he’s been enjoying it again in recent days. ’
‘I remember him reading it,’ Agnes agreed.
‘So do I,’ Florrie said. ‘I always wanted him to slow down a bit cos I couldn’t keep up with him.’
‘Well,’ Mia said, ‘he’s settled now. What about in here? Has Madam gone out? I heard the door slam a moment ago and you’re all accounted for, so I’m presuming it was her.’
‘She has,’ Callie said wearily. ‘And I couldn’t be happier about that.
’ She gave me a look of pure exhaustion.
‘Do you see why she must go back now? I don’t think we can take much more of her.
I mean, if she was an ordinary ghost I’d put up with it because of course ghosts have a right to be here.
But she’s not an ordinary ghost, is she?
And I’m worried about the effect she’s having on Lawrie, not to mention the way she riles everyone up, and then the fact that she hit Immi. I’m just not having it.’
‘I don’t blame you,’ I said. ‘Now I’ve seen her in action… I’m so sorry to bring this on you all.’
‘It’s okay. I’m sure you’ll figure something out,’ Callie said.
Mel shook her head. ‘I didn’t hear half of that, and I didn’t see most of it either, but I can tell you’ve got a lot on your plate. I think we’ve got a huge task ahead of us, Verity. Maybe we should get an early night and start working on this tomorrow? I’m really tired, actually.’
‘Of course,’ Callie said. ‘Please, feel free to go upstairs whenever you want to.’
‘And I think you and I should retire, Agnes,’ Aubrey said firmly. ‘You too, Florence, naturally. A quiet evening in our suite would be beneficial to us. Let’s make the most of the peace and quiet while that woman is out of the house.’
‘I’ll come up and put the TV on for you,’ Callie said. ‘If you like?’
They nodded and one by one drifted out of the room, Immi following.
Mia smiled. ‘Great welcome back, eh?’
‘I’m so sorry,’ I told her. ‘I would never have done that stupid ceremony in the woods if I’d even suspected this could happen. I don’t understand how it did happen. I’m not that special or gifted. How is it possible?’
‘I have no idea, but I’m sure we’ll sort it out eventually.’ She looked ruefully at the remains of dinner and shook her head. ‘I’d better get to work.’
‘Let me help you,’ I said.
‘Of course not. You’re a guest!’
‘A guest who’s worried sick and needs a distraction,’ I told her. ‘Please?’
She hesitated then nodded. ‘Okay. Thank you.’