by Olivia Swift
“At home I have a few. I can dig them out.”
Magda pulled out her cell phone and found the picture from Rosie.
“This is the Mr. Hoffstander from the building we are buying.” Dana looked and then looked again. She looked around at them.
“It’s the same man,” she whispered.
“Oh, My Lord,” Magda said. “That is just unbelievable.” She flicked the photos and found the bank building. “This was the family home and then it became a bank.”
“I’ll find the photos tonight and we can compare properly but I would swear it is the same man.”
Magda looked at Katie and bit her lip.
“Thing is,” she started, “he walked out on his family and left them penniless. It is not a good thing to find out about your ancestor. I’m sorry.”
Branna asked if she believed in the spirit world. Dana nodded and waited. Magda said that they had done a séance and the man was there.
“He seemed very sad and very sorry, we thought.”
“My mum always thought that there was something that we didn’t know, but with a name like Hoffstander, he could have been from anywhere.” She smiled at them. “It was a long time ago. He left me a button heritage that I am using today but maybe not quite the way he would have done.”
“I love what you do,” Katie said. “Can I have a look at the clock with the pearl button flowers on it please?” Dana went and brought the item.
“Katie is an artist and paints lots of natural things,” Branna explained.
“This bank building is to be an art gallery,” Magda added. They fell to talking about the plans for the new venture and Katie bought the clock.
“While Sam and Declan are hard at work, we are off to see Barbara at the crystal shop.”
“Oh,” Dana went to a shelf with packages on them. “If you can deliver this for me, it will save me the trip. Crystal buttons,” she added. “I have a tiny drill that makes holes in almost anything. Barbara asked if I would try it on pieces of crystal.”
Magda took the package and popped it into her enormous shoulder bag. Dana wrapped the clock carefully and said she would call when she found the photos. They left for the Medieval Mile of little shops.
Katie had her camera at the ready when they stepped out onto the pedestrian-only pavement. She was entranced, which made it a slow journey to the crystal shop. The woman behind the counter came rushing out to meet them. There were more introductions and the buttons handed over and Barbara unwrapped them. They all were amazed at the tiny pieces of crystal that had been smoothed and drilled.
“I need crystals as well,” Magda said and took out the list of pendants and dowsing crystals that sold so well in the café.
“And where is my dowsing student?” Barbara asked about Sam. She had shown him how to dowse and then he had gone back to the cottage and found the well.
“He’s starting work on the cottage but if we do a séance, we will all be there,” Magda answered.
“Can you manage to come?” Branna asked. Barbara nodded and picked up her phone to call Jenni Wren.
“She won’t want to miss it,” Barbara said, and when Magda had been on the phone as well, they decided that the following evening would give them a little bit of time.
“I’ll tell Dana as well,” Branna added.
“Warm clothes in case we have to move outside,” Barbara reminded them and asked what they thought of Spookydown.
“We love it,” the girls both said together.
The visitors wandered down the rest of the pedestrian area and drove back to Spookydown with bags a little heavier than they were before.
They enjoyed another relaxed and lovely evening. Declan lit the fire and the heater on the deck where they lazed outside with drinks in hand as the shades of evening darkened over the river.
The men told the girls that the machinery had arrived with two men to help them and the staircase was now in place.
“We’ll strip out the loft tomorrow and leave an empty canvas to work on. The Stevens men can bring a plumber and electrician as and when we need them,” Declan added.
“The ground floor will stay much the same. Maybe a bit of a facelift here and there,” Sam said.
The following evening finally arrived, and the group met up in the barn. Jenni Wren was delighted to see them all and Barbara wanted to know if Sam had tried dowsing for water.
“Sure did,” he told her. “I saved a building on a site near a high watertable. The crystal went crazy. We dug down and found so much water. Saved the client a lot of trouble that would have arrived eventually.”
Dana came in with a friend in tow.
“I hope you don’t mind. I haven’t been to a séance before.”
The friend called Michael shook hands with everyone.
They made a circle and Barbara did the part that Merle did in America. She prepared them by asking them to see a certain scene and to imagine themselves walking down some stairs and into a peaceful place.
Then she called out to see if there was anyone there. There was no response and Declan never said a word.
After a few minutes of other folk calling out as well, they were disappointed. Barbara said that she felt they should be outside. She said that it felt like they should be behind the barn and not in it. Outside, with another circle formed, she tried again. Declan turned his head. Katie felt his hand tighten and looked where he was looking but she could see nothing.
“There is a young boy at the fence,” Declan told them, and Barbara nodded.
“I can sense someone there. Hello. Can you come closer and talk to us please? We don’t mean you any harm.”
“Can you make a noise so that we know you can hear us?” Magda asked and when she asked again there was a slight tap. “Thank you,” she said. “Did you live here?”
There was no response.
“Did you die here?” Barbara suddenly asked. She had no idea why that question should come into her mind but there was a decisive tap as soon as she asked.
“Was it an accident?” Magda asked and there was no answer.
“Or were you sick?” Barbara pressed on. There was such a loud bang that the ground almost shook. Most of them jumped with fright and Barbara said that she just felt he was asking for help. He feels sad.
“He is pointing,” Declan said.
“Where?” Magda asked.
“Over beside the fence. He has gone through the fence and then disappeared … almost like he went through a door.”
They moved over to where the apparition had been and looked around. There was no trace of any building or clue as to why he had been on that spot. Then Michael, Dana’s friend, dropped onto his knees and pulled the grass away. He took a pocket knife out and scratched at the stone underneath. He looked up.
“I think this might be a burial of some sort. I work as an archaeologist and although I do more modern, industrial stuff, this could be an old burial.”
“There is still some light. Shall I get a spade?” Jonno asked.
“We will have to be careful, but we can give it a try.” Jonno ran off and came back with a selection of tools and they moved the grass and weeds out of the way. They stood back and looked at Michael.
“It’s the shape and size of a cist1 burial and I know there have been a few of those in this area.”
“It’s a small stone for a grave,” Branna observed. Michael nodded and said that if it was a young person and buried in a curled position, that would be the sort of size you would find.
“If it’s an ancient burial, it was done by the family because he was special,” Michael said.
They let him scrape around the edges and then he asked Jonno to give him a hand. The two men levered up the stone from the weeds. It resisted but came away in the end. They put it to one side and shone a cell phone light into the hole. The hole was lined with stone slabs.
Michael asked if anyone had a plastic bag. Dana produced one and said she carried them to clean up aft
er her dog. Michael carefully lifted one piece of bone.
“Looks like a leg bone from quite a small person,” he said and put it carefully back. “We will have to report it. It’s the law. I’ll get in touch with the university in the morning. I would think someone will be here within the hour after I contact them. They’ll protect it until it has been checked out, but it is actually outside of your property. That should give you less hassle.” He and Jonno put back the lid and they made their way back to the main building and Branna’s house. She said everyone should have a drink. Magda and Katie came to help as the group situated into armchairs. Michael’s knowledge was much in demand.
“I must look up what they would have lived on,” Jenni Wren added. “Maybe worth creating creams suggested by what was growing here then.”
“How will you bring ancient history into the theme?” Magda asked Branna.
“I will have to think about that one, but it would mean that there have been people living here for thousands of years.”
“Family after family,” Barbara mused, “and he still had enough energy to appear to us and understand what we said.”
“We seem to come back to that family thing over and over again,” Magda mused. Dana went for her shoulder bag and brought out a few old photos.
1 A small stone-built coffin-like box used to hold the bodies of the dead.
9
“I did dig out these bits and pieces. Great grandad started a button factory and made enough to live on, but I don’t think he was ever wealthy.” She passed the photos around. Her mum had penciled on the back of them who she thought they were.
“Do you know when he married the Irish girl?” Barbara asked. Dana pointed out a photo and said that she thought they married at about that time. There was a date on the back. Magda looked at Sam.
“That was the year after he left America.”
“They left America,” Dana said, “She also came from America, back to her hometown apparently. That was what my mother was told,” Dana corrected.
“Oh,” Magda exclaimed. “So, there was a woman. I bet the wife knew and tried to cover it up.”
“At least he seemed to regret causing the hurt,” Declan added.
“And we do seem to have solved the problem by sheer chance,” Sam remarked.
“The thing is, and I just realized this,” Dana suddenly smiled and looked excited. “I have a cousin twice removed that I never knew I had.”
“Family again,” Magda said, “That bloomin’ cat was right again.”
“Cat?” Michael asked and Magda found her cell phone and switched on the camera. Sure enough, Crystal was staring at the lens and looking not at all pleased. Magda told them about Crystal and her apparent psychic abilities.
“See, she has that flipping magazine on the floor again and open at the ancestor page again.” Crystal turned her back and stalked away with that tail held high and stately.
“I love cats,” Michael told Magda. “Crystal is beautiful.”
“We have her sister who is a normal, peaceful cat and two kittens that somebody left on my doorstep.”
“I have the third one,” Declan added, “Along with my other three.”
“Wow, all cat lovers together,” Michael exclaimed and pulled out his cell phone to show them two handsome ginger cats. “They are thirteen now and very lazy.”
“Do you think that Rosie would like to know about me, or will she be upset?” Dana hesitantly questioned.
“I think she will be delighted. I don’t think she has any other relatives, but I’ll find out for you,” Magda said.
“Just to change the subject, Branna wants to try a ghost walk to see if it would work. Does anyone fancy doing that?” Barbara asked. There were nods from around the room and Sam asked if she would like to dowse as they went.
“There could be water underneath, or even foundations.”
“Foundations?” Michael pounced on the word. “Explain.” Sam told him that he was an architect and after Barbara showed him how to use a dowsing crystal, he had found water that would have ruined a building and he had also been able to trace foundations that were covered by later buildings.
“I am intrigued,” Michael replied. “I do modern industrial archaeology and the original parts are often hidden by later development.”
“Try it on a ghost walk,” Jenni suggested. “It is something new and all sorts of things might show up.”
Magda put the old photos on a table and took photos. Dana put them away and said she was happy to get in touch with Rosie if the woman would like that.
“It’s almost unbelievable to think we came here and were introduced to you”, Magda said. “I will let you know.”
“Ghost walk,” Branna said briskly, “Tomorrow evening?” Everyone was enthusiastic as they broke up for the night.
“I’ll be in touch when I speak to the university,” Michael said.
“I need sleep,” Sam told them, “if we work all day and then dowse in the evening.”
“Ancient history,” Branna said. “I feel research coming on before I go to bed.”
“Bronze age picnics with only the food that would have been eaten then,” Katie suddenly came up with an idea and Branna beamed.
“Flowers and plants of the time,” she added. “I can feel another aspect coming to life.”
“I’ll look up plants and see if I can make some sort of mood board of plants at the time,” Katie replied and Branna gave her a hug.
“My own personal artist. I love it.” They went across to the cottage and Katie said that she would sit and look up the plants before turning in. Declan brought her a cold drink and lounged on the sofa. Sam and Magda said goodnight.
“Floor to lay tomorrow and walls to construct,” Declan said to their retreating backs. Sam came back.
“You know, there were other foundations of an earlier cottage. I’ll dowse it tomorrow. It might be the way to show Michael how it works.”
Declan groaned. “Don’t disturb any spirits. I don’t want to see them.”
Sam laughed and went off to bed.
Katie brought the tablet and came to sit beside Declan on the sofa. She put the tablet down.
“Tell me what you are worrying about.”
“Nothing,” he answered.
“Wrong reply,” she added and laid a hand on his arm. “I know you well now Declan Coombs. Tell me.”
He sighed. “Do you think people see me as weird because I see these spirits?” he asked quietly.
“Oh, Declan,” she said. “The rest of us are really jealous. We would love to see them. I guess if people don’t believe in spirits, they would just not believe you.”
“They would think I was lying or making it up. It’s a bit strange. I never told anyone for years until we saw Pushkin.”
“Even I have seen Pushkin, but my dad can’t, and it really annoys him.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “We have this art gallery to set up together. I’m looking forward to that.”
“But you are the artist, not me.”
He was still very down, and Katie sighed.
“For one thing, your woodwork is an art in itself. People love the sculptures in the shop. You run a successful business and-,” she sighed and looked at him. “I can’t stand to see you so worried.” She leaned over and kissed him on the lips. It was something that she had wondered about for a long time but had been afraid that Declan would not feel the same. She made the decision and took the initiative. It would work or it wouldn’t.
Declan Coombs sat up as if he had been hit with a baseball bat and she sat back in alarm.
“I’m sorry,” she said and felt her eyes fill with tears. “I just wanted to do it. If you don’t, I am sorry.”
“You really wanted to?” he asked.
She nodded and let a single tear roll down her cheek. He reached out and rubbed it away. “You don’t think I am too weird?” Katie smiled and shook her head.
“Oh, my Lord,” Declan sai
d quietly and reached out to pull her close.
About two hours later, Magda tiptoed out for a drink of water and saw them both sound asleep in each other’s arms.
Thank the Lord for Ireland and Declan finally seeing sense, she thought to herself. She walked back to the bedroom and brought a throw out and covered them both over. Then she took her drink back to bed and nudged Sam until he woke to tell him about the couple in the other room.
“He can still work hard tomorrow,” Sam grumbled and went back to sleep. Magda smiled and curled herself against him.
When she heard the sound of breakfast being made, Magda risked going out into the kitchen. Katie was singing to herself as she fried bacon and eggs. Declan was already eating. Magda sat beside him.
“Sam says you need a hard day’s work,” she grinned, and he pinched a sausage from the plate that Katie brought to Magda. “Actually,” she said, “You can have the bacon as well. Maybe I am turning vegetarian.” The man obliged by taking the said bacon. Sam came out and joined them.
“Did you find the plants?” Magda asked Katie.
“Some of them. There would have been berries, some herbs and meat that they caught. I guess you could make a herb flavored stew. I think that they might have grown some wild oats or barley maybe for flour, but I am not sure.”
“A prehistoric picnic. Branna will pounce on that one.”
“Some of us have to work,” Sam said. “You ready to stop lying around on the sofa?” He grinned as he said it and Declan punched him on the shoulder. Then he deliberately went back and kissed Katie on the cheek before strapping on the toolbelt and going out of the door.
Magda waited until they were out of earshot and grabbed her friend to do a wild dance around the room.
“How on earth did you manage it?” she asked when they caught their breath. Katie poured them both a coffee and told her how Declan thought he was weird.
“He was so reserved and, in the end, I just kissed him.”
“And it worked. You clever girl.” Magda sipped her coffee and wondered when they would hear from the university.