Ghost Diaries 1_Gigi's Guardian_Paranormal Romance

by Michele McGrath

  Selina’s eyebrows shot up. “How charming.”

  “Where is James tonight?” Rupert asked, breaking the tension.

  “Visiting his parents again.”

  “He’s got filial all of a sudden.” Selina gave her brittle laugh. “Filial means 'like a son' in case you don't know. He never wanted to go anywhere near them. He loathed his father and his mother bored him to tears. He’d cadge off anyone else, rather than go home once upon a time.”

  “He's changed then.”

  “Unless he’s not telling you something of course. He’s also an excellent liar.” Selina turned to Rupert. “Do you remember what he told Herr Grunt about the…”

  Gigi was no longer listening. She longed to scratch Selina’s blue eyes right out. She groped for the words to cut her down to size. A hand caught her by the arm and Adele suddenly lurched forward, as if she had been pushed. Her shandy shot straight out of the glass, right down the front of Selina’s coat.

  “Well done, girls,” Maude congratulated us, as we picked ourselves up from the heap our shove had left us in. “That ought to do the trick.”

  “You stupid…” Selina snarled. Adele pulled out a tissue and began to mop her down.

  “I’m dreadfully sorry. Someone pushed me.”

  “My coat will be ruined.”

  “Isn't the material washable?” asked Adele, looking innocent, but shaking with suppressed amusement. Her face showed only concern. She should play poker. “I never wear anything white, if I’m going to be in a crowd. What a pity. Try to sponge it and perhaps the mark will come out. Shall I give you a hand?”

  “I can manage quite well for myself, thank you,” Selina said huffily and stood up. She went in search of the Ladies.

  “This place is getting worse,” Adele remarked as soon as she had left. “I think we’d better go, before I do any more damage. Are you finished?” she asked Jane and Gigi.

  “I am.”

  “Yes.”

  “Please give my apologies to Selina when she returns,” Adele said to Rupert. “I’m sorry about her coat. Lovely to meet you.”

  “And you.”

  They managed to get outside before they all dissolved in laughter.

  “Magnificent,” Jane gasped.

  “Thank you.” Gigi hugged Adele. “I wanted to hit her.”

  “She got what she deserved and there's nothing she can do about it.”

  “Were you pushed or did you pretend? Either way I’m grateful.”

  “How funny, I'm not sure.” Adele paused, thinking hard. “Someone seemed to be behind me, pushing, but, when I turned round, no one was. Odd.”

  “Lucky though.”

  As they walked along, Gigi couldn’t help remembering Selina’s spiteful words.

  “Do you think she’s right and James isn't telling me the truth?” she asked the others.

  “I’ve already told you it’s possible,” answered Adele.

  “Perhaps, now he’s grown up, his relationship with his parents is better,” said Jane. “Why not ask him?”

  “Don’t be silly, of course she can’t! Would you ask Tommy if he was lying?” Adele asked.

  “No.”

  “He’d be unlikely to admit it, wouldn’t he?”

  “This is all about trust, isn’t it? Do I believe him or do I not?” Gigi sounded extremely worried.

  “And do you?”

  “I’m not sure. I want to, but…”

  “…but something doesn’t ring true.” Adele finished the sentence for her.

  “I’d try to find out.” Jane sounded definite for a change. “I don’t believe anyone has a future with someone who lies.”

  “I think so too,” Adele agreed. “I wasted three years of my life on one liar and there were others before him. Mind you, can any man tell the truth?”

  “Tommy can,” Jane contradicted her with superb confidence. “I’ve never caught him telling a single fib, in all this time.”

  “Tommy’s a saint according to you,” Adele said acidly.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Jane giggled. “Saint no, truthful yes.”

  “I must find out,” Gigi interrupted them. “Adele’s right, I love James, but I won’t waste my life on someone I can’t trust.”

  “Do you want to try that mad scheme we talked about the other evening?” Jane asked.

  “Follow him, you mean?”

  “It still sounds like something out of a spy novel to me.”

  “The plan would work if Jane and I take turns, so he’s less likely to spot us. What have we got to lose?” Adele asked.

  “Gigi might lose James if he found out,” Jane replied, watching Gigi’s face.

  “Why should he find out?” Adele argued. “Gigi only needs to tell us who he is and we can do the rest. I’m game. What about you?”

  Jane looked at Gigi, “I will, if you want me to.”

  “I do. This is the only way I’ll be able to find out for sure.”

  So everything’s arranged and falling neatly into place. (Is it too good to be true?)

  “What do you think of the idea?” I asked Maude and Leilani.

  “Not a bad thought.”

  “Gets you to where you want to be. Unpleasant, not ethical, but it’ll work and that's what matters. Go ahead,” Leilani agreed.

  I’m a bit reassured and anyway, the decision has already been made.

  1st December 1967, Friday, London.

  The three girls shivered as they lurked outside the building where James worked. Their breath rose like small white clouds in the cold air. I'm glad I'm a ghost; life is so much more comfortable. Ivan emerged first, wearing a long fur coat and a Russian hat. In any other era, he would be ludicrous. In England, in the Sixties, he looked magnificent as usual. He spotted us and gave a wave. I’d tipped him off, so he knew what we were up to. He agreed this was one way to make things move forwards. James followed close at his heels.

  “That's him,” Gigi hissed and pointed.

  Adele walked purposefully forward. We made quite a procession: first James; then Ivan; Adele; Maude; Jane; Leilani; Gigi and me. No one gave us a second glance, except a middle-aged lady who looked startled. She kept shaking her head, as if she was seeing things.

  James went into Warren Street station and caught the tube. The platform was crowded as usual, so he didn’t spot Gigi, who made sure she stayed out of his sight. Since she’s quite small, she was in no danger of giving the game away. Adele hadn’t wanted her to come, but she felt that, if things went wrong, she should be with her friends.

  Jane sat in the same carriage as James, while Adele and Gigi took another further back. Adele and Jane swapped again, at the stop before Paddington, where James got off. Everybody followed him. James went up to the counter. Jane frowned when she heard him ask for a ticket to Oxford. She hurried back to the others, who were waiting on the far side of the station.

  “He’s off to Oxford.”

  “Why Oxford? He told me he was going home to Biggleswade.”

  “Have you brought any money?”

  None of them had much. They pooled it and found enough for one return ticket to Oxford and a little over.

  “I'll go,” Adele offered. “I’ve been behind him the least, so he's less likely to notice me.”

  “Hurry, the train’s leaving in seven minutes.” Jane watched the departure board with some anxiety.

  “If he goes any further, I won’t be able to follow.”

  “I know.” Gigi reassured her. “Whatever happens, thanks for trying.”

  “Don’t wait for me. Go back to the hostel,” Adele said hurriedly. “I'm like a real spy now. Pity this train isn’t the Orient Express.” She grinned.

  “Good luck.”

  “Bye.” Maude followed Adele through the barrier.

  “Hurry up,” Ivan leant out of a window, beckoning to her.

  Adele sprinted though the gates and climbed into the last carriage, only just in time. She got on board a second before t
he guard slammed the door. This train had no corridor, so she was safe from being seen. The whistle blew and they departed.

  “What are we going to do now?” Jane asked.

  “We’ve no money left, so we'll have to walk back,” Gigi said ruefully. “We’d better start.”

  “Never mind, it’s all in a good cause.”

  “A very good cause,” I murmured to Leilani.

  “I agree, but the whole thing is like a movie I saw once. The ‘Third Man’ was all about spies in the Vienna mists.” I shivered, not only from the cold.

  The girls had a long walk through the murky darkness. They chatted cheerfully enough, although neither of them gave much thought to what they were talking about. In the back of her mind, Gigi couldn’t help wondering why James had lied to her. For once, she had deliberately asked him where he was going. Why hadn’t he said Oxford? He had been at the university, so he must have friends there. What an odd thing for him to do, unless he had a reason.

  At the same time, Jane wondered why Uncle Hugh hadn't phoned. No news is good news only up to a point. She decided to ring him, if he didn’t call soon. Was there a problem? She fretted about not knowing.

  The girls were cold and footsore when they reached the hostel at last. They tried valiantly to stay up for Adele, but warmth and tiredness soon made their eyes close. They fell into a deep exhausted sleep.

  I kept thinking about Maude on her way to Oxford. In a secret part of my mind, I also worried because she was alone with Ivan. She rarely mentions Eli and she has an eye for a handsome man. Then I told myself not to be so silly. Jealousy is an emotion I can’t afford. Yet I couldn’t help wishing that Gigi and I had been the ones to follow James.

  Maude told us what happened when she got back. I’ll write her story down in her own words:

  “We whizzed through the dark countryside, watching the lights of the villages flash by. I wondered if we were on a wild goose chase and she did too. The train was crowded, so I perched up on the luggage rack. I didn’t even have Ivan for company; he was in the other carriage with James. No one had a Guardian. I was alone and bored rigid. I almost cheered when the train pulled into Oxford at last and we could get out. Adele tried to find James in the crowd. I thought we had lost him. Then we both spotted him at the same moment, in the taxi queue.

  “Oh lord,” Adele said to herself, “if he gets one, I’ve had it.”

  James was almost at the back of the line, but the last taxi pulled up right beside him.

  “Come on,” Ivan shouted to me and we gave him a shove. He stumbled backwards. The woman behind him immediately got into the waiting cab and the driver started to pull away.

  “Take more water with it, mate,” someone muttered and James scowled at him.

  “Hoy!” James shouted after the taxi, far too late. He gazed around, trying to decide whether to wait until one of the cabs returned or to walk. Fortunately he decided he'd be quicker walking. Adele’s never been to Oxford before and had no idea where she was or where he was heading. She looked exhausted by the time James turned into one of the college gateways. She waited for a while, but he didn’t come out again. She kept fidgeting. I could tell that she was unsure of what to do next. Having followed him so far, she hated the thought of going back to London with her questions left unanswered.

  “Maybe I can find out what this place is,” she murmured to herself.

  She went through the gateway into a courtyard. A light shone in a room to one side of the entrance. She tapped on the door.

  “Can I help you, Miss?” asked a tall man wearing some kind of uniform.

  “I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’m lost. This is the first time I’ve been to Oxford. Could you tell me where I am please?”

  “Somerville College, on the Woodstock Road. Where are you heading for?”

  Adele should have been prepared for the question, but she hadn’t thought of what to answer if someone asked. She couldn’t mention James, in case the man marched her in to meet him. The only place in Oxford she knew was where she had come from.

  “The station,” she replied.

  “You turn right, go straight down the road, take the next right then the first left. The station will be ahead of you. It’s a long walk, though, and there’s a bus stop right across the street,” he pointed. “One should be along quite soon.”

  “Thank you. Sorry I bothered you.”

  “No bother at all, I’m glad to help.”

  She turned and started to walk away when she heard voices behind her. Two people had come out of another doorway and she recognised James. Adele walked hurriedly back to the road and stood in some shadows. James’ companion clung to him like a limpet. Luckily, they stopped under a streetlight. The whole scene seemed to be specially illuminated for our benefit. James put his arms around the girl and they started to kiss passionately, until a car hooted and interrupted them. We watched as they both climbed in.

  “Is that Arabella?” I murmured to Ivan, as he hurried past me and squeezed into the back seat after them. “She’s not as pretty as Gigi.”

  “No. Gigi’s actually the better bet in terms of both money and prettiness, but he doesn't realise that yet. Got to go. Give my love to Ariane and tell her I’ll contact her as soon as I can.” His laugh floated back to me, out of the darkness.

  The car speeded off down the Woodstock Road and Adele couldn’t follow any further but she had no need. She knew why James had come to Oxford. She looked unhappy. I was sure she didn't want her suspicions to be confirmed. We walked back to the station and had to wait a couple of hours for the train. The heater in the waiting room didn't work, so Adele got thoroughly chilled, as well as being miserable and exhausted. You saw her face when we arrived back here.”

  “Grim!”

  Maude nodded. “She also felt hurt because nobody had waited up for her.”

  “They tried, but they couldn’t stay awake.”

  “Perhaps it was just as well. She doesn’t have to tell them what had happened until the morning. She’s had enough excitement and disappointment for one night.”

  2nd December 1967,

  early Saturday morning, London.

  “You did warn me,” Gigi said, when Adele told her about the girl in Oxford.

  “I didn't want to be right.”

  “But you were.”

  “You don’t suppose there could be a different explanation, do you?” Jane asked. “Perhaps she’s his sister or something?”

  “No man kisses his sister like that. I’m sorry Gigi - she's another girlfriend.”

  “What will you do now?” Jane looked worried.

  “I’m torn.” Gigi gave a weak laugh. “Either I stick a knife in his chest, or I dump him.” She burst into tears. “I don’t do confrontation well,” she told them when she was able to talk again. “Killing him is illegal. So I suppose the best thing for me to do is avoid him. Unless, of course, I resign myself to being part of a harem.”

  “I wouldn’t recommend it,” Adele observed. "Sharing hurts like hell. I’m happier now than I’ve been for years. I'd been hoping for a miracle and they don’t happen.”

  “Yes, they do,” murmured Maude.

  “Don’t do as I did and waste your life on somebody who’s using you,” Adele continued.

  “You deserve far more,” Jane agreed.

  “That’s all right for you to say.” Gigi had a waspish tone in her voice she's never used before. “Tommy loves you. You’re okay, Adele and I aren’t.”

  Jane looked aghast at the unexpected attack and Gigi's compunction hit home. “I’m sorry, Jane, what an awful thing for me to say. I want to lash out at James, not you. Forget I said it, please.”

  But the words still hung on the air, because they were only too true.

  “I’ll get us all a cup of tea,” Adele offered to break the tension. “We're too early to start on gin, even me.”

  Gigi went over to Jane, to give her a hug, when Adele popped back into the room.

&n
bsp; “That was quick!”

  “Finn’s on the phone for you, Gigi. Laura just called up the stairs.”

  “I don’t want to talk to him. Tell him I’m out. I don’t want to talk to anyone at the moment.”

  “Finn’s good for you and laughing is better than crying any day of the week. Trust me, I’m an expert.”

  “I suppose.” In the end she did speak to him. Finn had more cream and gloves for her. He also asked her to go dancing with him next Friday, when his Christmas exams would be over. Going to a dance was the last thing Gigi wanted to do. The alternative was sitting around thinking, though, and anything was better than her own thoughts right now.

  “Are you sure you want me to come with you? I’m not good company at the moment.”

  “Oh, why?”

  “James and I broke up.” She said the words out loud, with a certain defiance in her tone. Damn James!

  Finn was silent for a second or two, trying to find the right thing to say. He didn't think Gigi would like him to start cheering. “I’m sorry you’re upset, but all the more reason for you to come with me - to take your mind off things. Let’s dance, drink and forget our troubles for a bit. If you’re not happier by the end of the evening, I’ll eat my hat.”

  “Have you got one?”

  “No. So take pity on me, otherwise I’ll have to go out and buy one just for the occasion. I wonder which would taste best, straw or a topper? Probably straw, with lots of tomato sauce.”

  “Idiot!” In spite of herself, Gigi giggled.

  “You sound better already. I’m going to go now before you change your mind. I’ll meet you at the pub at eight. Okay?” He sounded anxious and Gigi hadn’t the heart to refuse him. Nice to be wanted by someone, anyone, and she owed him as well.

  “Okay,” she replied.

  Later on, she had cold feet. She wondered if she'd be able to get though the evening, without her reluctance showing too badly. She wanted to stay at home and mope, but Finn didn’t deserve unpleasantness from her. He had helped her twice and never asked much in return. She made up her mind to be as cheerful as possible. She could mope afterwards.