My Lady Ghost

by June Calvin

  “Yes, but it is quite objectionable to have him reporting my business to you. And now I think on it, he acts like a guard rather than a footman!”

  “I had to have some way to know how you are doing, and someone to protect you. You won’t pretend that Peterson could deter any persistent suitor.” He stalked past her and opened the door to their front parlor.

  “Mother speaks most harshly of you. She won’t be best pleased to see you.”

  “Oh, Thorne. I am so glad you have come.” Allison heard her mother’s quavering voice issue from the direction of the sofa, where she had been lying with a cold compress on her face, her hartshorn at the ready.

  “Mother!”

  “No, Allison, we must face reality. We cannot continue as things stand. Your salary as a teacher was never enough, and now with the piano pupils lost—”

  “They will come back once I have it fixed.”

  “You know it will cost the earth.” Suddenly Lady Catherton began to cry. “Who would ever have guessed that I would call a few guineas ‘the earth?’ ”

  Thorne knelt by Lady Catherton’s side. “Delphinia! You look quite ill!” He turned his head to glare at Allison. “I never thought you would carry this fancy of living independently far enough to injure your mother.”

  Allison sputtered angrily. Her mother gave her hand to Thorne. “It has been dreadful, dear boy. The cottage never warm enough, and the food such as I cannot eat, for you know how particular I have always been. But the worst. . .” She turned her head aside and gulped, struggling for control. “The worst has been having those dreadful Cits come here and stare at me, and cluck their tongues, pretending pity when they are delighted to see one of the first families thrown down. Or worse, try to befriend me! False friends—all they want to do is parade me about and brag about knowing Lady Catherton. But the very worst is that I do not dare to play whist, be it for ever so small a stake, for we cannot afford for me to lose even a ha’pence.” Delphinia burrowed her face in her handkerchief and gave way to real sobs.

  Allison felt the tears begin again. She had known her mother was unhappy, but had not guessed the depths of her feelings. “Mother, please, dearest ...”

  “I am sorry to distress you, Allison. But I can’t continue. Thorne has long since repented of his untoward conduct, I am sure ..

  “That I have. Lady Catherton.”

  “You were wont to call me Delphinia, dear. Won’t you do so again?” She smiled sadly at him through the tears.

  “I shall be delighted,” Thorne quickly agreed.

  “Allison, come here.” Delphinia held out a long, thin hand to her daughter.

  Allison took the outstretched hand, trying to ignore the fact that Thorne was so near she had to take care not to brush against him. “Yes, Mother?”

  “You must put your pride aside, daughter, and let Thorne assist us. Not that you shall surrender your good name, for that I could never endure.” Delphinia’s expression firmed as she glared at Thorne, who shook his head vehemently.

  “As the head of your family, it is my duty to see to your wellbeing, which includes preserving your reputation. There will be no problem on that score, I assure you.”

  Allison sighed and bowed her head. What was she to do? Her mind had not changed about accepting Thorne’s charity, but she did not want to contribute further to her mother’s unhappiness. Delphinia’s headaches and lack of appetite had begun seriously to alarm Allison.

  Mrs. Peterson, try though she might, could not cook like the fine chefs of Delphinia’s past, no, not even if she had at her disposal such delicacies as tender veal and out of season asparagus. The Petersons hardly let a day pass without representing to Allison their fear that Delphinia had gone into a decline and might not live out the year.

  “I will give the matter some thought,’’ she reluctantly agreed. “I cannot leave immediately; I would have to give notice to Mrs. Purvey.”

  Thorne ground his jaw, and Lady Catherton moaned softly. “That tiresome woman,” she said. “She has threatened you with instant dismissal on several occasions, and would have, too, if you had not accepted her dicta without question.”

  “True.” Allison smiled grimly. “But she was well within her rights to insist that I dress conservatively. Nor could a respectable academy for young ladies operate with a scandalous woman on the faculty.”

  “Dress like a dowdy governess, you mean!” Delphinia hated Allison's return to black so soon after finally coming out of mourning for first her husband, then her father.

  “Scandalous lady?” Thorne’s eyes narrowed.

  “Some tiresome Cit or other is forever calling on Allison. Reports of carriages frequently pulling up to our door made their way to Mrs. Purvey’s ears, and she leaped to conclusions.”

  To head off the storm of fury that seemed about to erupt, judging by Thorne’s expression, Allison laughed. “Can you imagine? I had a good deal of trouble convincing her that I wouldn’t accept carte blanche from anyone. Oh, do not look as if you are going to hit someone. Much room you have to censor the gentlemen, even if that had been their purpose, but I believe if I had given the least encouragement, I could be the wife of a wealthy shipbuilder or merchant by now.”

  Thorne flexed his hands, which had tightened into fists. “It is just the sort of thing I feared you might face, living where you had no male relative to protect you.”

  “And who will protect me from my protector?” she could not help but respond.

  “Don’t, Allison. It is cruel to keep throwing his lapse into dear Thorne’s face when he has repented and is so concerned for us.” Delphinia sat up. “We had best tell Mrs. Peterson there will be another for dinner, and—”

  “I won’t refuse to let Thorne help you. Mother. You may live with Aunt Agatha, or Miriam Sawyer, or any other of the numerous female relatives he is already providing for, or even make your home with him. Now I reflect upon it, that will make it possible for me to find a better position as a teacher. Or a governess. I think I should like that very much.” Allison looked from her mother to Thorne, daring them to contradict her.

  He did, of course, having the gall to laugh. “My sweet Allison, you have no chance of becoming a governess.”

  “I suppose you are going to tell me why?”

  Thorne held up a large gloved hand and began ticking off the reasons. “Any wife would fear to introduce into her home a woman of your beauty. But suppose she did? You cannot sew a straight seam, much less do fancy work. You have some artistic talent, but not enough to teach the subject. By your own admission you paid little attention to your lessons in the globe, and learned as little mathematics as you possibly could. Your French is excellent, but as you learned it from that woman from Canada whom your father so unwisely hired as your governess, your accent is less than Parisian, to be kind. How shall you teach these necessary accomplishments to young ladies?”

  “Exactly so,” Delphinia chimed in. “And then you must remember that you hardly have the submissive nature necessary to a successful governess.”

  “Or wife, according to you, Thorne!” Allison tossed her head. “Well, I know I might not suit everyone, but I believe that somewhere there is someone who would appreciate my strengths enough to overlook my weaknesses. As a governess, or as a wife.” She lifted her chin and gave Thorne a challenging look.

  “Don’t be pert, Allison,” Delphinia said in her best “mother’s voice.”

  “Do as I asked, and inform Mrs. Peterson that Lord Sil- verthome will dine with us. We can discuss this all calmly after dinner.”

  “No need to bother Mrs. Peterson. I shall take the two of you to an excellent inn for a dinner. And for goodness sake, wear something with some color, Allie.” Not waiting for an answer, Thorne exited the room to give his coachman directions.

  “Must I choose? Please, don’t make me choose. Stay, Lady. Stay!” But she didn’t stay. The white robes faded to grey, the sad, concerned face disintegrated, to be replaced by that of her mot
her, looking at her accusingly. “You might have chosen one or the other, at least, Allison. Now we shall be poor forever.”

  Tossing her head back and forth on the pillow, Allison moaned, “I am so sorry, Mother.” She woke at the sound of her own voice and looked around her in a daze, hardly able to grasp that she had been dreaming.

  Wondering if the near total darkness of the room betokened another dark, cheerless day, she tossed the bed covers aside and crossed the room. A peek out the curtains of her bedroom window reassured her that it was merely very early. The sky, while barely light, looked cloudless; there were even a few stars holding out against the dawn.

  Another of those “treasure” dreams, Allison thought as she slipped back under the covers to await the wakening of the household. This one, however, had been decidedly unpleasant. In it she had struggled through a labyrinth of dark, narrow passages following the Silver Lady, who dimly glowed ahead of her. Sometimes Thorne was with her, sometimes she was alone and terrified, battling her way through unknown dangers.

  I fought a brave battle with my bedclothes, Allison thought, noticing their disarray. And no wonder. Of all things, to be alone, in the dark, in a narrow place! Allison's experience of being shut in a closet as a child by a disagreeable governess had left her with a lively dislike of such places.

  But at last the dream had brought her into the same room she had found during her dream in London, brimful of treasure, with the Silver Lady standing in the center. Instead of a welcoming smile, she wore an anxious look, and was pointing. Allison looked where she pointed and saw Thorne, arms folded, a furious expression on his face. The Lady said to Allison, “You must choose. You must choose.”

  Choose what? Why do dreams seem to mean so much and yet upon awakening make so little sense? Allison closed her eyes, hoping to resume the dream. She tried to picture the glorious treasure instead of the dark passages or Thorne’s angry presence. Instead, she began to daydream about the changes in her life that finding the treasure would bring. She could take her mother to London, hire a skilled chef to prepare dishes that would tempt her finicky appetite, deck her in gowns that were the dernier cri. They would have a town house of their own, and a country manor, too! And a carriage, and a stable in which to house fine horses.

  And James! He could be free of Thorne at last. Perhaps with independence would come maturity and more responsible behavior.

  What the treasure couldn’t bring her was Thorne’s love. In that sense, the dream told the truth. Surrounded by all that silver and gold, she had still felt the sting of his rejection. However, if money could not buy her happiness, it could at least buy her independence, and just now that seemed a treasure in itself.

  As Allison watched dawn turn into daylight, she pondered the dream and the reality of her experience with the Silver Lady. Had she, in fact, seen her at Silverthorne so long ago?

  Between my mother insisting the ghost was a product of my imagination, and Thorne insisting that the treasure either never existed or had long ago been removed from the castle, l never really thought of the treasure as a real thing worthy of my concern.

  Could it be that when the ghost led her into the keep, it had been trying to show her the treasure? Everyone always concentrated on the north face of the curtain wall, where some said the Lady had perished with her brothers and second husband while fighting off marauders. According to local tradition, it was in the area of the north wall that every other sighting of the ghost had occurred. It was there that Thorne’s father and half brother had gone to search, presumably after a sighting of the Silver Lady. She alone had been led to the castle’s oldest portion, the ancient keep. Could the treasure be hidden there?

  That dream did mean something! Allison felt an unshakable conviction seize her that she must go to Silverthorne and seek the treasure herself.

  She jumped up and began to pace the room, her index finger tapping her front teeth as she thought. As dawn gradually claimed the sky, she struggled with the difficulties involved. Finally. her plan complete, she hastily dressed and descended the stairs, eager to put the plan into effect.

  Chapter Seven

  Allison found her mother at the breakfast table, looking well rested and cheerful.

  “Where is Thorne?” Allison asked, surprised she had arisen before him, for he was usually up with the sun.

  “Oh, he was off to talk with the landlord and some tradesmen.” Deiphinia avoided Allison’s eyes as she spread some butter on her toast. Pleased to see her mother eating heartily, Allison raised no objections to Thorne’s interference in their affairs. Instead, she waited until Deiphinia had completed her meal and was pouring a final cup of tea before launching her plan.

  “Mother, I have been thinking.”

  Warily, Deiphinia paused, the teapot held in midair. “Yes, Allison?”

  “I was wrong to agree to return to London with Thorne.”

  “Oh, dear, I was afraid of that. Well, I am sorry, Allison, but my mind is quite made up. I shan’t live here any longer, subject to the whims of headmistresses and Cits. She put the teapot down. “Really, Allison, how can you be so insensitive? Do you think that I would accept his assistance if there were any other option? Yet I shall never know a moment’s peace if you stay here without me.”

  “I did not say that I would ask you to continue living here. But surely you see that it is courting disaster for me to live under Thorne’s roof?”

  “I won’t leave you here alone! Rather, I would stay here and starve.”

  “Nor do I intend—”

  “I suppose you want us to live on one of his minor estates? We shall die of loneliness! And how will you ever find another husband, hidden away in the north of England or some rustic Scottish hamlet? For that is the only way around our difficulties, you know. You must remarry. Thorne was right—you don’t qualify as a governess or teacher. Mrs. Purvey exposed the defects of your education in one fifteen-minute interview.”

  Allison put on her most demure, obedient look. “Yes, Mother, you have the right of it. I am definitely unqualified as a governess at this time. But relying on Thorne will only cause the kind of talk that will make another marriage for me very unlikely. No, I have decided that we must accept Aunt Agatha’s invitation.”

  “Is this a jest? You cannot abide the woman.” Lady Catherton stared, astonished, at her daughter. Agatha Keisley was the sister of Thorne’s father’s second wife. She lived in considerable comfort in the dower house near Thorne Hall. She had taken up residence there as a companion to her sister Lydia after Thorne’s father died.

  Quite possibly the most unpleasant woman l know, Allison thought gleefully. No wonder Thorne despises her. Thorne had not been on terms with either his stepmother or Agatha, but true to his strong sense of responsibility, had continued to support Agatha after Lydia died.

  “She will welcome us, you know, and it is unlikely that Thorne will run tame in her home.”

  Delphinia giggled. “No, indeed. He flees from her like a scalded cat, not that I can blame him, for though Agatha has been my bosom beau since I left the nursery, she is most unkind to dear Thorne. Why she will blame him for the death of his father and half brother I cannot imagine, for he was away at Oxford at the time.”

  “So it would be acceptable to live with her, then?”

  “Yes, though I am surprised you would wish it. I know how she frets you with her hovering ways. And then, she will forever be pressing you to play whist.”

  “After what we have been through these last few months, a little coddling and solicitousness for my well-being will not come amiss. As for whist, the two of you must look to the neighborhood for your partners, for I shall be too busy to oblige you. My plan is to make use of Thorne Hall’s vast library to improve the defects of my education, to better fit myself to be a teacher. The picturesque countryside will serve to improve my skills at sketching and watercolors.”

  Delphinia’s eyes shone with pleasure. “Why, then, I should like it above all thing
s.”

  Each woman kept certain private expectations to herself. For Allison, it was the hope that she would see the Silver Lady once more, and that the spirit would obligingly lead her to the long-lost treasure. If not, she fully intended to pursue a career in teaching the second she felt improved enough to qualify.

  For Delphinia, it was her newly acquired but deep conviction that Thorne shied away from marriage itself, rather than from Allison’s disputatious tendencies. And why should he not, poor boy, after having seen the misery his stepmother brought upon his father. The proximity Allison feared was what Delphinia would rely upon to show Thorne the very different marriage he could have with Allison.

  ‘That’s preposterous, Allison. You know that Agatha Keisley will send you right round the bend.”

  “Now, Thorne, you yourself mentioned living with her as one of our options.”

  “But I never thought you’d do such a thing.”

  She cocked her head. “Then what, I wonder, was your purpose in suggesting it?”

  Thorne flushed. He had hoped she would reject it out of hand, of course. He wanted Allison with him, though he knew he shouldn’t “Very well, check and mate. But I cannot escort you there now. You must come back to London with me until we get the bill we are working on passed.”

  “The bill ameliorating the poor laws?”

  “Yes. I spoke on the subject yesterday. I will have to be there for at least the next two weeks to sway as many votes as I can.”

  “Of course you must.” Allison felt the powerful lure of a political discussion. She longed to ask him details of the bill. She sighed. I wonder if the wife he selects will he interested in his political causes?

  “Just as I must give Mrs. Purvey adequate notice. Mother and I shall do very well on our own. We made our way here, after all. I suppose we may make our way to Derbyshire.”