“Hollingsworth, and that’s very kind and thoughtful of you, Rose, but you know nothing of household management,” I pointed out. She had never taken any interest in it when we lived in Greece, and when we moved back to England, she happily relied upon Great-aunt Farmington to manage everything.
“I’m learning,” my sister protested.
“And she brought me,” Lady Huntley said with a laugh.
I looked from one to the other, absolutely shocked into silence.
“And we brought Huntley to see about the estate management,” Fungy said, filling the moment of awkward silence.
“And you and Mr. Haston?” I asked, slowly lifting my lips into a smile.
“Oh, we’re just here to keep you company,” Mr. Haston said, smoothing back his perfectly coiffed blond hair.
“And to look good, naturally,” Fungy added with a wink of his bright blue eyes as he straightened his waistcoat.
We all burst out laughing at that.
“You do always look exceptionally well, dear Fungy,” I agreed.
“And Haston, don’t forget him.” my brother-in-law added.
“Oh, yes, absolutely always,” I heartily agreed. I turned to Lord Huntley. “I’m afraid the estate itself is in very good hands. The steward, Mr. Hancock, knows just what he’s doing and doesn’t appreciate interference, so he has told me.”
“He told you that?” Lord Huntley asked, his eyes widening in surprise. They were truly an amazing color—neither blue nor green, but rather an odd turquoise color. With his dark complexion, they really stood out.
“Oh yes. In fact, he threatened to leave if I did anything more than make mild suggestions every so often.”
“No!” Even Fungy was shocked.
I just shrugged. “I have looked over the books and have been keeping an eye on things, but I don’t dare say anything.”
“Well...” Huntley began.
“Truly, my lord, I appreciate your knowledge, and wouldn’t at all mind if you were to join me on a ride around the estate tomorrow to see what’s what, but I cannot afford to alienate this man. I do believe he knows what he is doing and has the estate’s best interests at heart.”
“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything to upset things, unless I see some obvious sign that he is taking advantage of you,” Lord Huntley said.
“I thank you,” I said with relief. I couldn’t imagine what Marcus would say if Mr. Hancock threatened to leave again.
“But I would like to go on that tour tomorrow,” Lord Huntley added.
“I suppose I shall come along,” Fungy said. “I would suggest you do too, Haston, or else you might be called upon to assist with the cleaning.”
“Oh! Er, no. I think I’ll escape to the garden, if you don’t mind. There is a garden, isn’t there?” Mr. Haston asked.
“A very lovely one. I’ve been cleaning it up a bit, but I think you’ll find it acceptable,” I said. I had no idea what he would do there for a whole day, but if he was content to entertain himself, I was happy to have him do so. I would certainly be too busy to worry about him.
No, what worried me most at this point was Marcus. How was he going to react to having so many people in the house?
I don’t know how Mrs. Barker pulled off the miracle that was dinner that night. Somehow, she had gotten hold of some chickens, trout, and plenty of vegetables, which she had turned into a very respectable meal. The pudding and fresh fruit tarts must have come from the inn, because she certainly hadn’t had time to cook them as well as the rest of the meal.
So far, I hadn’t heard a peep from Marcus, and I sincerely hoped it would stay that way. I didn’t know what would happen if Rose discovered I was living in a haunted house, and frankly, I didn’t want to.
“The first thing we shall do tomorrow,” Rose said over tea that evening, “is to hire a proper staff. You simply cannot live here with so few servants!”
“Mrs. Barker is already hiring two more people—a footman and another maid,” I said.
“That’s an excellent start. I’m sure a second footman and” —Rose looked over to Lady Huntley for confirmation— “three more maids?”
“For a house of this size? At the very least,” her friend agreed.
“But I don’t need such a large staff,” I argued. “I live very simply, and it is just me after all.”
“Not a large staff,” Rose amended, “but you need enough people to maintain the house. I’m sure Papa won’t begrudge the expense.”
“It’s not the money I’m worried about,” I said under my breath.
“Oh yes, Laia.” Lady Huntley added, “You need at least five maids and a scullery maid or two to assist Mrs. Barker. Poor thing cannot be expected to maintain this place entirely by herself. It’s just not right.”
That succeeded in making me feel bad for expecting so much of the housekeeper, on whom, I had to admit, I had been relying upon completely.
“Well, at least you don’t have to worry about the local gentry,” Rose put in. “You haven’t met anyone aside from Lady Hollingsworth, have you?”
“No, only her daughter, Lady Shipley.”
“I know Lady Shipley,” Mr. Haston said with a bright smile that showed off his crooked front tooth. He was clearly thrilled to finally be able to add to the conversation.
“Do you like her?” I asked, happy to bring him in.
His smile faltered. I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s what I thought as well,” I said.
“It’s not that I don’t like her,” Mr. Haston said quickly. “Er, just not quite my type.”
“Thinks too highly of herself,” Fungy said. “Both her and her mother. Nothing less but an earl or duke would do for her when she was first presented.”
“And did she get her earl? I assume she didn’t marry a duke or else I would have heard of her,” Lady Huntley said.
“Eventually settled for a viscount,” Mr. Haston answered.
“Oh, poor thing,” Lady Huntley said with a laugh and a shake of her head. She could do so; she was married to an earl.
“How absolutely ridiculous,” Rose said.
“Truly!” I agreed.
“But it is still a shame that there is no one else for you to socialize with,” my sister continued. “I’m quite worried about you, Laia.” She peered at me, her eyebrows knitted together.
“Oh no, don’t be, honestly. I’m doing fine. I’m keeping quite busy.” How incredibly frustrating that I couldn’t tell my dearest sister about Marcus. I’d never kept secrets from her, ever.
That night, out of habit, I awoke in the middle of the night. Immediately, I was aware of the silence in the house and thanked God for it. Marcus hadn’t made a sound!
I got up to go and speak to him as usual, afraid that if I didn’t he would make his presence known.
“I was wondering if you’d come,” he said, by way of greeting as I entered the gallery.
“We have guests,” I told him.
“I am aware of that. Who are they?” he asked, his voice sounding sadder than usual.
“My sister and her husband. Lord and Lady Huntley and Pip Haston.”
“That’s quite a party you have.”
“I didn’t ask them to come, Marcus, I assure you.”
“No? Perhaps you should have.”
“Why?”
“To keep you company. As I mentioned before, it’s clear that you are lonely here.”
“I am not! Why does everyone insist that I must be lonely when I am by myself? I’m not. Yes, I admit, I like to socialize. I like to be with people.” I shifted on the bench. “But I’m very busy here, and I couldn’t possibly be lonely when I have you to speak with each night.”
“Yes, precisely. You are lonely.”
“Marcus...”
“Yes, Laia.”
I paused, not entirely certain of how to put this nicely. I couldn’t think of a way, so I simply said what was on my mind. “I think it might be best if I didn’t come to v
isit you while my sister and the others are here. I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that...”
“Yes, I understand, and I believe you are absolutely correct. It is not seemly.”
I laughed at his choice of words, as if I were meeting an ordinary man in private each night instead of the ghost that he was.
“But I don’t know how long they plan on staying,” I said, noting a touch of a whine in my own voice.
“However long. You do what you must.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Of course you do. This visit is going to do you good. I’m glad that they’re here.”
I smiled at his portrait. He truly was a very kind man, er, ghost.
The following morning I met Fungy and Lord Huntley in the stables. I’d sent a note to Mr. Hancock the previous afternoon, informing him of my guests’ desire to see the estate.
When I arrived, the three men were talking, or perhaps to put it more accurately, Lord Huntley and Mr. Hancock were talking. Fungy looked like he was ready to be sketched for a fashion magazine. He was complete to a shade in his glossy Hessians, a riding coat of dark brown, and tan pantaloons. A look of absolute boredom completed his toilette perfectly.
“Fungy, you don’t need to accompany us on our ride, you know,” I said, pulling him aside.
He looked startled for a moment and then gave me a fond look. “Your sister would have my head if I didn’t.”
“But you know nothing of country estates. Surely she would understand,” I argued.
“No such luck. Besides, I’m not so much here to see that the estate is being run properly, as that it is in good hands,” he said, with a slight nod toward Mr. Hancock. “I’m an excellent judge of character, you know.”
“Yes! Of course. How silly of me,” I said. Now everything made perfect sense. Fungy was, in fact, such a well-known judge of character that he’d been asked by the government to discover who was behind a particularly horrid ring of thieves a few years ago. They had been targeting members of the ton. When Rose had inadvertently ended up in their sights, Fungy had been there to rescue her, solve the mystery of who the men were, and bring them to justice. It was how Rose and Fungy met and fell in love.
“Well, in that case, let’s join the others and I’ll look forward to hearing your assessment later,” I said, lacing my arm through his.
Very soon, we were all mounted and trotting over the fields. I had to say, my brother-in-law was a handsome man in general, but put him on a horse and he was just breathtaking. He rode with a grace that was truly lovely to behold.
It took some power of will to pull my eyes away from him, but I managed to focus my attention instead on Lord Huntley. He wasn’t so beautiful on a horse. In fact, he was downright awkward, but the questions he peppered Mr. Hancock with were excellent. I hadn’t thought to ask some of them myself, although the majority, I am pleased to say, I did ask.
Still, it was fascinating to hear Mr. Hancock explain the workings of the estate to a man. Sadly, he spoke to him as one would an adult, while he had explained the very same things to me as one would to a child.
I did manage to keep my temper in check, though, and even ask some follow-up questions to which Lord Huntley would frequently say, “Yes! Excellent question, Miss Grace!” before turning to Mr. Hancock for the answer. Each time he did this, the man would turn a slight shade of pink or purse his mouth in annoyance. It was really quite satisfying.
There was a knock on my door the following night, as I was getting ready for dinner. I was not used to getting dressed for dinner. When I dined alone, there was no need to do so. Now that I had company, I had fun deciding what to wear and trying to figure out how I could possibly do my hair nicely without the aid of a maid. I was just wondering if I could borrow Stephanie to do my hair when I was interrupted by the knock.
My sister came in with her maid, upon my bidding.
“Oh, you’re already dressed,” she said, looking over my choice of gown with approval. “We came to help you.”
“Oh, thank you! I could use some help with my hair,” I said, sitting down at my dressing table.
“Of course, Miss. I would be more than happy,” Stephanie said, taking up my brush.
“You are doing so well here in such difficult circumstances,” Rose said, awe slipping through her words.
“Well, it’s not exactly like being on a dig,” I said with a laugh. “After that, this is living in luxury and ease.”
Rose just smiled with a slightly faraway look in her eyes, remembering, I supposed, our childhood. With a slight shake of her head, she said, “True, but you weren’t alone there. We always had company, either other archeologists or even just our own workers. Here you’re entirely by yourself with no one but the Barkers. I’m sure they’re very nice people, but...”
“They are. They take very good care of me,” I said quickly. “And I’ve met a few of the townspeople as well—the innkeeper and the lady who runs the general store. Oh, and there’s the vicar, although I can’t say that I like him very much.”
“Oh?”
I nearly admitted that he kept telling me to leave, but then I’d have to tell her about the ghost as well, and I just didn’t want to get into that. Not yet, anyway. Well, not at all if I could help it. “He’s not a very nice man, unfortunately.”
“Is he married?”
That made me stop and think. “If he is, I’ve never seen his wife. I know he has a son, but I know nothing about a wife.”
“Maybe she’s passed,” Rose said.
“That must be it,” I said, remembering not to nod as Stephanie was in the midst of winding my hair in a most complicated fashion.
“Well, I know you. I just couldn’t bear to see you all by yourself this way.” Rose started.
The way she said this made my skin go cold. “Rose, what did you do?” I asked, trying to anticipate the worst.
“Oh, nothing really,” she paused. “I just invited Lady Hollingsworth and Lady Shipley to dinner, that’s all.”
I started. That was indeed the worst.
Stephanie tsked. “Please, Miss. Keep still.”
“They’re coming tonight?” I asked, keeping myself as still as a statue.
“Yes. That’s what I actually came in to tell you. I wasn’t sure they’d accept an invitation on such short notice, but clearly they are wanting for company as well,” Rose said with a shrug.
I didn’t know what to do nor what to say.
“I know you didn’t get along the first time you met, but I thought perhaps we could smooth things over for you,” Rose said.
She was trying to be helpful, I told myself. She hadn’t intended to make things more difficult or awkward, although considering how I left things with Lady Hollingsworth and her daughter the last time we met, I knew that that was exactly how the evening was going to go. Maybe things would be easier with Fungy here. He was very good at easing awkward situations. I knew this from first-hand experience, unfortunately.
The strangest thing occurred to me, though, as I sat contemplating this with my sister looking on, watching her maid do my hair. “Rose, I know you’re probably not going to believe this, but strangely enough, I’m happy being here alone.”
Rose’s eyes snapped to meet mine in the mirror in front of me. “What?”
I gave a small shrug. “I’ve actually been all right without any more company than the Barkers, and I only see them every so often for short periods of time. It’s not like I sit and chat with Mrs. Barker while she cooks dinner.”
Rose tilted her head. “What’s happened to you?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at me.
I laughed. “Nothing! I just... I’ve just gotten used to being alone, that’s all.”
“You like being alone? Is this the same girl who walked four miles to the closest village just to meet other people when we were in Greece? The girl who just walks up to strangers on the streets of London and introduces herself? Who has been known to flirt with
completely unknown men?”
Stephanie behind me tsked and shook her head in obvious disapproval as I sat there giggling.
“How did this come about? I just don’t understand,” Rose said.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, still smiling. “I mean, I enjoy being with people. I have to admit I’ve gone into the village a few times just to sit and chat with Mr. White, the innkeeper, while drinking a glass of his absolutely vile ale.”
“All right, that’s my sister!” Rose said in obvious relief.
“But I also have come to enjoy being alone. I’m reading a great deal, riding the estate, learning how sheep are cared for, which is essentially not at all. They’re just left to roam the fields, eating and doing whatever they want. I’ve gotten a good start on cleaning out the garden and was thinking of planting some lettuces and other vegetables for the fall and winter, if it’s not too late to do so.”
Rose stood staring at me, her mouth hanging half open. “You have changed!”
I looked at her surprise and thought about it. “Yes. I have. Strangely enough, being alone for just a few short weeks and...” I shrugged. “I guess I’ve gotten used to it. I’m happy in my own company.”
“Well, you won’t have to be alone for very much longer. Once I tell Papa this, I’m sure he’ll allow you to come back to London,” she said in a reassuring tone.
Oddly, this didn’t make me happy. If I returned to London, what would happen to Marcus? Would he just continue to haunt this house, crying and moaning every night for eternity? That wouldn’t be right. I couldn’t do that to him!
Yes, I loved London. I loved the busy noisiness of the city. I loved walking through the park, meeting friends and shopping, but I’d committed myself to helping Marcus. I couldn’t just abandon him for my own pleasures. And I’d truly meant what I said, I was happy here by myself.
“Please don’t,” was all I said to my sister.
“But, Laia...” Rose started to object.
“No, Rose. Let me be. Please.” I looked up at her, trying to convey just how serious I was about this.
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