by Haley Harper
Aidan opened a door midway down the hall, and handed her the key. He gestured for her to walk in before him. Shannon thanked him and entered the room that would be home to her for the next two weeks.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she shook her head in wonder. A large four poster bed dominated one wall, and was encircled with curtains that could be drawn for privacy at night. Opposite the bed was a large stone fireplace. On either side of that were two floor to ceiling windows with the drapes drawn back to allow maximum light to flood the room, though in the current state of weather only a dim glow came through.
Aiden set her suitcase down on the floor, and came toward her. Shannon’s uncanny ability to read people flew into high gear and she suddenly felt herself on edge. Something about him made her feel uneasy, something in his eyes that said perhaps he was not being true to his nature. He made no move to harm her in any way, nor did he say anything unwelcoming. There was just something about him.
"My knees don't work so well anymore," he said with an apologetic smile as he bent slowly to show her the controls on the gas fireplace. "Now if you want to have a fire in here all you have to do is turn on this gas switch at the bottom, and then flip that light switch on the wall. I know it's not as nice as a log fire but it's the one concession my brother and I have been able to get our mother to make to this place. It’s much easier for our guests than lighting wood fires."
Shannon smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate your help. Well, I guess I should get unpacked. Your mom mentioned that dinner is at seven?"
"Yes, it'll be a great meal tonight," he said as he stood just as slowly as he had bent down. "Our chef was away on vacation and this is his return meal."
"I look forward to it," Shannon said as she followed him to the door. Once he'd left, she watched for a moment as he moved off down the hall. She noticed that he walked with a slight limp on his left foot. He had been totally innocuous and pleasant, so why had she gotten such a bad feeling from him?
Shannon decided that it was just the weather and the drive that had put her in such an odd mood. She unpacked her clothes into a large wardrobe, and washed her face in the small but functional bathroom. So many of the old castles that hosted tourists had shared bathrooms on each floor, so she felt very lucky to have her own.
She opened her laptop and sent a quick email to Kevin to let him know that she had arrived safely. They had arranged a mutually good time to Skype with each other later, and she looked forward to hearing his voice. She also sent an email to her Mom with much the same message. She smiled to herself, thinking of her mom and what she might be doing just then. Making plans for the wedding and honeymoon she expected.
With those tasks finished, Shannon suddenly felt very tired. A nap would help, she decided, and there was plenty of time before dinner, so she set the alarm on her cell phone and closed her eyes. The beeping woke her an hour later, and she realized that she had programmed the time wrong. Now she would need to hurry if she was going to get down to dinner on time.
She pulled on her least wrinkled dress--that was one downside to months of continuous travel--even when her clothes were clean, they never looked quite fresh. But with some makeup, and a brush run through her hair, she looked presentable.
When she got back in the hallway she felt turned around and couldn't remember which way Aidan had brought her up. There appeared to be a staircase at each end of the long corridor, so she headed for the one that seemed closest.
As soon as she stepped onto the top stair, she realized that she had chosen the wrong one, but intrigued, she decided to follow them to see where they led. She was in a castle after all. The lighting on this stairwell was dim, and she had to concentrate on the next step in front of her so she wouldn't trip and fall.
A flash of gray moved past her so fast, she only caught sight of it from the corner of eye and distracted, she slipped and fell. She landed hard on her tailbone, and felt a rush of tears cloud her vision. When she once again caught her breath, the image was gone.
She wanted to follow, to see if she could catch a full glimpse of what she assumed was the Lady in Grey. But she also knew that she couldn't be late to this dinner. She wanted the first impressions she made on the castle's owners, particularly Maeve, to be favorable ones as they might very well determine her level of access to the normally off limits parts of the castle. That made her decision easy. Off to dinner she would go. Hopefully another opportunity to see the gray phantom would present itself at a later date.
At the bottom of the steps, she found the castle's kitchen, and the friendly chef directed her straight through to the dining room. She took her seat at the long formal table with several other guests, and watched as Maeve entered, dressed to the nines like a queen, with her son, Aidan at her side.
Everyone stood, and for a moment Shannon felt as if she was in a cheesy murder mystery dinner. She’d been to a few of them given her line of work, and they always left her feeling embarrassed. As a mystery writer, the hosts usually expected her to solve their mystery.
She hated the expectant looks as she stared at them blankly. None of the solutions ever went the way she would have written them. They were all too straight forward, and she found that she always missed the key components. Her own tales always took more twists and turns; that was just the way she liked to write.
When Maeve and Aiden took their seats, the castle matriarch rang a bell, and two butlers dressed in tail coats entered carrying platters of food. The first course of authentic Irish potato soup sped by, and when the main course of Guinness Steak and Kidney Pie was served with a wedge salad, Shannon felt herself relaxing. Most of the other guests appeared to have come in pairs, so she was able to eat and listen to the conversation that flowed around her.
“Hello. May I ask where are you visiting from?”
Shannon startled, and turned toward the woman to her left. She’d noticed her when she sat down, but they hadn’t spoken yet. “America. You?”
The woman smiled. She was very petite and rather plain, with her silver hair pulled back in a tight chignon. Shannon guessed her to be about the same age as Maeve, or a little younger.
“I’m a local,” she stated simply. “My husband is Mrs. O’Toole’s physician. He had to rush off to a call just before dinner, so I’m attending dinner solo tonight.”
“Me too. I’m Shannon, by the way.”
“Elena Winthrop. Oh, so you’re the writer. Maeve has been raving about you for the entire week.”
Shannon flushed. “I wish she hadn’t.”
“Why not? You should be proud of your accomplishments.”
Shannon smiled gratefully, but felt her tongue tangle in her mouth. She didn’t really consider herself famous.
Before they could converse further, the butlers reappeared with a delicious looking Irish Blueberry Pie for dessert, and both women went back to eating.
After dinner, most of the guests adjourned to the Great Hall. As she settled into an overstuffed armchair beside the grand fireplace, where a real wood fire roared, Shannon let her thoughts drift back to Sean and his sheep.
She wondered if she would see him over her time staying here. It seemed likely since he’d said he was the head groundskeeper. Perhaps if the weather improved tomorrow she could go walk the grounds. Maybe she would see him then, and properly thank him for helping her find her way.
Shannon was still making thinking about plans for her stay when Maeve came over and settled into the chair beside her. A small thrill raced through Shannon. She was going to get to talk to the matriarch of this castle, and she did have so many pressing questions.
“Now, you mentioned that you wanted to chat about our ghost, did you not, dear?” Maeve smiled at her as she clasped her hands together in her lap. Shannon thought the older woman looked so lovely and elegant. She hoped she herself could look as good someday.
“I do,” Shannon replied trying not to sound too enthusiastic. She had a feeling that it wouldn’t take much to scare the woman
off. “I’ve read everything I could get my hands on, and I think I have a pretty good idea of how the legend goes. But what I’m really interested in, is how the Lady in Grey has been acting most recently here at the castle.”
Maeve looked pensive for a moment and then a frown deepened her already wrinkled face. “Well, you see, I have been friends with the Lady since coming to the castle as Braden O’Toole’s bride. I was quite young then and I suppose the Lady thought of me as a friend. She has made herself appear to me ever since. She has never been evil, or harmful in any way, that is until recently. In just the last few weeks she has suddenly become quite malicious.”
Maeve was looking at Shannon but she was not seeing her. Her thoughts were suddenly a million miles away. Shannon coughed, trying to bring the old ladies attention back to her. When Shannon felt she again had Maeve’s attention she hurried to get some answers. It seemed to her that Maeve’s grip on reality could slip at any moment.
“Can you describe how she has been different?”
“Well, first of all, she has been coming around a lot more often. I used to only see her once in a while. And she seems more “physical” for want of a better word. Where she was once quite ghostly she seems quite clear and bold of late. I even saw her fly past recently on two occasions with a bloody knife in her hand. It nearly scared me right out of my boots!”
“And lately some of our guests have reported unusual things too, like strange banging and clanking coming through the walls, lights flickering on and off and objects moving about of their own will. I was able to get to the bottom of some of those events, but not all of them. These kinds of actions don’t fit my Lady at all. Frankly, I’m beginning to wonder if a new spirit has moved in!”
Shannon pondered this new information. “I suppose that could be true. Maybe I can do a little research into that and see if I can find some answers for you.”
The old lady reached over and patted her hand. “That would be lovely, dear,” she said as she rose. “But now it is time for me to retire. Good night.” Before Shannon could do anything but smile, Maeve was gliding out of the room.
Chapter Four
The next morning dawned with clear skies and sunshine, a perfectly glorious fall day. Shannon stretched beneath the comforter and let herself wake slowly. It wasn’t long however, before she started thinking about the information Maeve had given her the night before.
It did seem odd to her that the ghost would suddenly start acting out of character. In all of her research thus far, she hadn’t heard of that happening. Most spirits were either settled and friendly, or they were seeking peace and in so doing, caused upheaval and alarm. What would make a spirit suddenly change their behavior?
Shannon decided that the first item on her to do list for that day would be a call to Maureen, her ghost buster/writer/editor friend that she had met on her recent trip to England. They had kept in touch ever since her trip and Shannon wanted to call her while she was here anyway. Maybe she would have a bit of insight.
Next, she hoped to spend some time getting to know the family, staff and guests who were currently staying at the castle. Unlike the Buldrew Mansion where she had stayed in England, the castle was not run as a business.
Those staying at the castle were not paying customers but invited guests, most often relatives visiting from other parts of the world, the occasional dignitary or close friends of the family. Shannon had been invited after she had written and requested an opportunity to include the castle in her latest book.
So far she had only spoken to Aiden, Maeve, the Doctor’s wife Elena and “Sean the Shepherd.” She chuckled to herself, thinking back on their first meeting. He struck her as quite a character and she hoped to chat with him again soon.
If he was the head groundskeeper, then there was probably a staff of others under him. She hoped to maybe meet them all, but she wanted to start with the staff inside the castle. Nobody knew more about what went on in the castle day to day than those who took care of its operation.
But before she could talk to anybody, she had to get herself out of bed. She hadn’t been informed of any formal breakfast service, so she supposed it was every man for himself.
She opened her wardrobe and chose an outfit for the day then headed into her private bath for a quick shower. She’d learned the night before that the castle’s plumbing wasn’t maybe as efficient as it could be, and hot water ran out fast. She was still grateful that at least she had her own bath, so she wouldn’t complain.
Once showered and dressed, she opened her laptop and sent emails to Kevin and her Mom, letting them know how her first night had gone. Now she was ready to start her day.
Shannon thought it best to stick with the main staircase for the time being, although she very much wanted to revisit the spot where she had seen that flash of grey.
She followed the sounds of voices to the dining room where a buffet breakfast had been laid out by the staff. There was no sign of Maeve or Aiden but Elena and a very distinguished looking gentleman were enjoying breakfast together. Elena smiled and waved Shannon over. As she approached, the man rose and Elena introduced him as her husband Winston. He extended his hand and shook hers with a hearty shake.
“Dr. Winston Winthrop at your service. I may look old, but I still practice and if you need any medical attention while you’re here, I’m your man.”
Shannon nodded and laughed. “Thank you very much and I will take you up on that offer if I need to, but I’m really hoping it won’t be necessary.”
“Please won’t you join us?” Winston pulled a chair over from a nearby table.
“The dining room is pretty quiet this morning,” Shannon observed.
“The castle is entirely too quiet, if you ask me,” Elena added. “There was a newlywed couple visiting from Glasgow on their honeymoon. I think they were distant cousins of Maeve’s, but they packed up and left this morning. They said things were getting too way too weird around here for their liking, and they would finish their vacation somewhere else.”
“Maeve did mention to me last night that strange things had been happening. She didn’t want to believe that it was the doing of her friendly ghost, but what else could it be?”
“I don’t like to speak ill of people, but as her doctor, I feel I can say that the line between reality and fantasy gets a bit blurry for Maeve from time to time.”
“So you think it’s nothing more than her imagination?”
“That’s my best guess, although it doesn’t explain why the honeymooners would leave.”
“No, I suppose not,” Shannon agreed.
“At any rate, I must go see if Maeve is up and about, see to her blood pressure and such.” Turning back to Elena he suggested she dally in the dining room for a bit and then they would head off home. Turning to Shannon, he extended his hand once more. “So very nice to meet you. I trust we will see each other again before your visit is up.”
“I hope we do,” Shannon replied with genuine feeling. She felt an instant liking for the man and wondered if maybe he had information about the castle that she could use in her book.
“Looks like we’re the lone diners now,” she said to Elena as she glanced around the empty room. “Do you mind if I sit with you while I eat?”
“Not at all. I should quite enjoy the company. Are you fond of Irish food?”
Shannon laughed. “I am fond of most food, and I do like to try new things. But I have to admit just the name blood pudding does make my stomach churn a bit. I noticed it in the buffet description.” Now it was Elena’s turn to laugh.
“I think that is why it’s called black pudding instead by many folks. But trust me it’s a very tasty dish, especially fried up like it is for breakfast.”
“Well, my mom taught me never to be afraid to try something new, so here goes.” Shannon filled a small plate at the buffet and returned with a sampling of fried blood pudding, potato farls, fried sausages, brown toast and a sunny side up fried egg that had been
cooked for her at the egg station by a very rosy cheeked chef.
“That looks like a reasonable sampling,” Elena commented. “So tell me, what brings you to the Castle Moran? Maeve said you were a writer but she didn’t elaborate on your purpose for this trip.”
She listened intently as Shannon described her current work and the research she was hoping to gather, managing to throw in a hint that maybe her husband or she would be able to help.
“I’m sure Winston would love to have a chat with you. He’s been Maeve’s friend and doctor for a very long time. The doctor and I have only recently wed, so I’m somewhat of a newcomer.”
“Oh really? How long have you been married?”
Elena’s face formed a small smile that took a bit of the edge off her normally sober expression. “It will be four months tomorrow.”
“Still newlyweds, then I’d say. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. And now I think I will head outside for a walk rather than wait in here. Would you care to join me?’
“Thank you for the offer, but I do need to make a few calls before I forget. Perhaps another time?” Elena nodded and headed to the side door which led to the garden. Shannon headed for her room. She wanted to call Maureen before the day’s activities got her distracted.
Chapter Five
It was good to hear Maureen’s voice. They had become quite good friends, and Shannon was glad they had kept in touch. After chatting about their personal lives a bit, Shannon got down to the business of ghosts. Maureen didn’t seem the least bit surprised that Shannon would bring up the subject.
Shannon filled her in on the recent changes as reported by Maeve, and added that some of the guests at the castle had left because of the strange occurrences. Maureen confirmed Shannon’s original feeling that ghosts seldom change their behavior, agreeing that perhaps Maeve was unknowingly exaggerating the story to the extent that it made some guests feel uncomfortable.