Chapter Nine. #2
“Don’t…” Cale began and cut off. Slowly, William formed in front of him. William remained transparent, but grinned wickedly at Cale. Cale blinked and gazed up at the ceiling and the tops of the cupboards. What on earth was he doing?
“There’s no projector,” Cale whispered.
“No. He’s real, and my ghost,” I said possessively.
William cackled, and his jaw began stretching. Amused, I watched as it kept going, down to his chest and further. Cale looked completely panicked and fled for the exit. He screeched and leapt back as multiple hands appeared from the wood and grabbed at him.
Cale skedaddled backwards, panting wildly.
“William, we want him gone. Reverse the hands,” I said tiredly. They disappeared, and Cale raced for the door and opened it. He yelped as fingers reached for him and fled through it, not bothering to shut it behind him.
“Just let the cold in, why don’t you,” I muttered. William slammed the door. I got to my feet and headed upstairs to the living room. Not saying a word, I sat down and stared at the walls. Had that really happened? Part of me wondered how Cale had the barefaced cheek, but I knew him.
The world revolved around him, according to Cale.
He was scrabbling to cover his ass after messing up massively.
I bet that Mark had instructed Cale to get me to drop the lawsuit, and he’d keep his job.
Unfortunately for Cale, I’d grown a spine in our time apart.
Perhaps the money had given me more confidence.
That was sad, but if it helped me stand up against Cale, that was no bad thing.
A scratching noise made me look up.
Seriously? Why wouldn’t William give me a break, especially as he’d just chased Cale away.
The sound turned into taps, and I blew out a breath.
I shook my head and curled up on the sofa, lying down on a cushion.
I wasn’t sure I liked the idea that Cale found out where I lived.
It felt like I was exposed, and I was slightly worried.
Cale had never shown himself to be violent, but mental games? Oh, Cale excelled at them and at being manipulative. It was only now that I was starting to realise the damage Cale caused me. William decided the taps and scratching weren’t enough; he amped up to a low whistle.
“William, stop,” I snapped and got up. I needed to get some air.
The cold bit into my lungs, and I welcomed it.
As I walked along the cliff path, I could feel the snow in the air even though it wasn’t falling.
Below me, the waves crashed against the rocks, creating music, with the wind howling softly in accompaniment.
The noise allowed me to clear my mind and think.
Despite having my back several times, William didn’t want me here.
He’d warned me he would drive me out by any means necessary.
While steps were available, I was reluctant to resort to extremes.
Ignoring him was a problem. William could be incredibly distracting.
He was gorgeous, even if he was dead. If William walked past me in the street or if I’d seen him at a pub, I’d certainly be attracted.
God, was I some sort of freak? William passed away long ago, and we couldn’t have a relationship.
Holy hell, why was I thinking of being romantic with him?
That was so wrong! Disgust welled up inside.
William had suffered. He’d been murdered, had no understanding why, how or who by, and there’s me perving on him.
Maybe it was best that I moved away. William was a temptation I didn’t need. Another fruitless relationship. Did I have no self-respect? Was I so damn desperate for love that even a dead guy seemed appealing? Wow! How sad!
“Hello,” a voice startled me, and I looked up.
“Mrs Penrose! I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“No, I expect not. I came here to think.” She smiled. “There is an excellent rock to sit on and watch the sea.” Mrs Penrose motioned to her left, and I followed her. “You seem to have a lot on your mind.”
“Yes and no. My ex appeared today. It brought back some terrible memories.”
“It was a bitter break-up?”
“Totally! It’s a long story,” I replied.
“We’re both wrapped up warmly, and your lighthouse isn’t far should we need hot cocoa. Why don’t you tell me about it?” Mrs Penrose patted my knee.
Without a second thought, I shared everything that Cale had done. Mrs Penrose listened intently, nodding and making soothing noises in all the right places.
“This Cale sounds dreadful,” Mrs Penrose finally said.
“Yes. I completely agree. I think I’m more annoyed at myself for loving him so much when he was such a mean person.”
“We all make mistakes, my dear, especially when young.” Mrs Penrose smiled at the sea.
“Did you?” I asked.
“No. I married my husband and had a happy life with him. But I was lucky, or perhaps too stubborn to allow things to fester,” she replied.
Had I done that? Let problems build up and then turn to poison? Should I have tackled Cale’s behaviour earlier and saved myself a load of pain?
“I’m weak.”
“No. You’re young, Lyra; that makes a world of difference. Maybe one day in thirty years, you’ll find a girl sitting here and will be able to impart your wisdom. You might even possibly save her the distress and delusion you experienced.”
That rankled a little. It wasn’t as if I’d deliberately turned a blind eye to Cale.
“May I?” Mrs Penrose asked.
“Sorry?” I shook myself from my thoughts.
“See the lighthouse?” Mrs Penrose smiled. “It’s such a romantic place.”
“Of course, come on, I’ll make some hot chocolate when we arrive!” I exclaimed.
“That would be lovely,” Mrs Penrose stated.
We walked back, and I saw her car parked at the end of the lane. “Why did you park there?”
“This is private property, my dear. Joseph made that crystal clear. He’s a bit of a pit bull, don’t you think?
“Yes. Joseph is incredibly protective of our legacy. My impression is that he has been overseeing it for quite some time.”
“Oh, Joseph isn’t a new solicitor?” Mrs Penrose asked.
“No. He worked with our grandmother, and the impression I’ve got is Joseph has been managing this for at least thirty years,” I replied.
“Ah, he must be familiar with The Trust inside out,” Mrs Penrose said approvingly. “It’s nice to know you girls are being looked after.”
“Oh definitely. We might not have known Sonia, but she left us a hell of a guardian.”
“You didn’t meet her?” Mrs Penrose gasped. Her hand fluttered to her chest. “Shame, she missed out on four wonderful granddaughters. How tragic.”
“Somehow that doesn’t bother me. It sounds like Sonia was a terrible person, and I have had enough negativity in my life. I’m going to concentrate on the positive from this point.” I stomped my feet on the doorstep and opened the door. Heat hit me from inside, and I welcomed Mrs Penrose in.
“This is beautiful. Very nautical,” she approved as she removed her outerwear.
“Thank you. I love it. Let me put the kettle on, and then I’ll give you a tour,” I remarked. Mrs Penrose nodded as I grabbed mugs and spooned hot chocolate into them.
“This way,” I stated, leading her to the stairway.
“I like these,” Mrs Penrose said as we headed up.
“The kitchen and this floor’s staircases are open. There are tiny lobbies on the next few floors as they lead to bedrooms and the stairs are enclosed,” I remarked as Mrs Penrose examined the living area.
“This is very relaxing, although your sofa seems out of place. The light grey and white are very calming,” Mrs Penrose approved.
“I agree. My bedroom is cream with rose pink accents.” I led her to it, and Mrs Penrose let out a small gasp.
“Oh, my dear, I very much approve; you have beautiful taste in decorations!” Mrs Penrose praised.
“Thank you. The bathrooms still needed renovating, but other than that, the restoration is nearly done. The kettle must have boiled by now. Why don’t you wait in the living room, and I’ll bring the drinks up,” I said.
“Can we see the lantern room?” she asked, looking up.
Strangely, my first instinct was to protect it. “Not at the moment. I’ve got some windows being replaced inside.”
Mrs Penrose looked disappointed but followed me down.
William
When Lyra walked out, I wondered what she was sulking over now. I’d been respectful and left her alone after that distasteful scene. How did that fool believe himself a man? No man I knew disrespected a woman like that. However, there had been plenty in town who had. Those I avoided.
While she was out, I puttered around filling the lamp for tonight.
I was cleaning the glass when Leafpoint trilled an alarm.
Without a second thought, I dematerialised and reappeared in the kitchen.
I frowned as the handle on the door twisted back and forth, and I guessed someone was trying to break in.
I flung the door open as I appeared translucently in front of them.
The intruder, with a hood pulled tight over his head, yelped and screeched in a high-pitched tone.
He took to his heels in seconds, as I wondered whether to chase him.
I decided not to, because it left Leafpoint unprotected.
I glanced into the dimming daylight. Who was that and what did he want? What exactly was going on here?