The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor

by Amy Reade

  I felt a little better knowing that there were enough people at Peppernell Manor to help me watch Lucy every minute that she wasn’t sleeping or in school. They would be happy to help me, I knew. There would surely be days when I would have to devote most of my time to the restoration, and the knowledge that she wouldn’t ever be alone in the manor or on the property if I couldn’t be with her put me more at ease. I felt some disquiet about the paint incident, but there was nothing I could do except trust that Lucy would be in safe hands while I worked.

  I was exhausted when I got to my parents’ house. My mother met me on the porch with a big hug. Her eyes looked tired and worried; she appeared to have aged in the short time since I had seen her last. Lucy was still asleep, having gotten to bed very late the previous night.

  “How’s Dad this morning?”

  She passed a weary hand over her eyes. “Okay, I guess. Now that you’re here I’m going over to the hospital to see him. I’ll be back later and then I’ll watch Lucy and you can go visit him. He’ll be happy to see you.”

  “Do you want to rest a bit first?”

  “No, I just want to get over there.”

  “Okay.” I watched her get into her car and drive away. I went indoors and sat down in the living room while I waited for Lucy to get up. I didn’t have to wait long. She appeared in the doorway just a little while later and within just a few seconds she was sitting on my lap, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

  “Grandpa’s sick,” she told me.

  “I know. Grandma is going to have to take care of him when he comes home, so you and I are going back to Peppernell Manor together. Would you like that?”

  She nodded, her head against my chest. We spent a quiet morning eating breakfast and watching cartoons. I had just sent Lucy into the bedroom to pick out her clothes for the day when Mom came home.

  “How’s Dad?” I asked.

  “He’s still in a lot of pain, but he’s very anxious to come home. They’ve found something wrong in his intestines, but apparently it’s treatable,” she said. “He’s making friends with all the nurses.” She rolled her eyes and smiled and I had a feeling she and Dad would both be okay.

  “I’ll go see him right after lunch,” I told her. “I’m taking you and Lucy out.” She smiled gratefully and sat down on the couch.

  “Why don’t you sleep for a bit first?” I suggested. “I’ll take Lucy out for a walk while you rest and then we’ll find a good restaurant.”

  After Mom got a much-needed nap the three of us had a leisurely lunch together at an outdoor restaurant where the tablecloths were made of paper so Lucy could color to her heart’s content. Mom and I talked about the care Dad would need when he got home.

  “Carleigh, I don’t want you to worry. Dad and I will be just fine. Do you think you could come down and spend Thanksgiving with us?”

  “That would be nice. Could I bring someone with me?”

  “Lucy? Of course!”

  “I don’t mean Lucy.” I blushed. “I mean Heath, Evie’s brother. He and I have become very close, and he just adores Lucy.”

  Mom grinned. “Why didn’t you tell me before? Sure he can come! I can’t wait to meet him!” She winked.

  “I’m not sure he’ll be able to come, but I’ll ask him. He actually asked me to stay at Peppernell Manor for Thanksgiving with his family.”

  “Well, maybe you can visit after Thanksgiving, then.”

  “Let’s just see how it works out. I’m not going to decide just yet.”

  She patted my hand. “We’ll be here if you want, but do what works best for you.”

  I dropped Mom and Lucy at the house before going over to the hospital to see Dad. He was sleeping lightly when I got there, so I waited in a chair next to his bed until he woke up.

  “Hi, Dad. How are you feeling?”

  “Carleigh! What are you doing here?”

  “I came to pick up Lucy and take her back to Peppernell Manor so Mom can devote her time to you when you get home.”

  He snorted. “Your mother. I don’t want Lucy to leave!”

  I smiled at him. “Tell you what. I’ll bring her back for a visit if you get better soon and don’t give Mom a hard time.”

  “Deal.”

  We talked sports for a little while until he started to look tired again. I left after promising to see him again before returning to Peppernell Manor.

  Before we left early the next morning, I went over to the hospital to see Dad one more time. He looked better than he had the day before, and he couldn’t wait to get home. My mother was going to have her hands full keeping him from overdoing it once he was released. I didn’t take Lucy to see him since I thought she might be afraid once she saw him in his hospital gown with all the tubes that were hooked up to him. She and I left Mom late that morning with a promise to be back soon. Lucy waved at her until she was out of sight.

  On the long drive home, Lucy alternately napped and chattered about the things she did with Grandma and Grandpa. She asked countless questions about the people at Peppernell Manor, and we sang and told stories.

  We arrived at Peppernell Manor that evening. When Lucy burst through the front door everyone was there to greet her: Heath, Evie, Graydon and Vivian, Ruby, and Phyllis. She was thrilled with the attention and talked nonstop until she finally fell asleep on the sofa in the drawing room. Heath carried her upstairs for me. I tucked her in and fell into bed myself, happy to have her back with me once more.

  I let her stay home from school the next day, since both of us were still very tired. I wanted her near me as much as possible, so she spent most of the day in the drawing room, playing dolls with Ruby and napping, while I worked on the floor in the entry hall. Most of the stains were coming out with a lot of elbow grease on my part. I had already spoken to a specialist who could come in the following day and finish removing the stains from the floor. I was very happy that the marble floor could be saved. That floor had witnessed so many generations of family and guests and important visitors that I hated to think that it might have to be replaced with brand new marble.

  That evening Lucy begged me to take her over to see Heath and Addie. I happily obliged her since I wanted to see them, too. I had seen Heath briefly after Lucy and I returned from Florida, but it would be nice to spend time together, just the three of us and Addie. I hadn’t told Heath what Phyllis said about Addie; I wasn’t sure I wanted to. He might not be thrilled to learn that Phyllis thought of Addie as an omen of bad luck. And Addie was overjoyed to see Lucy at the carriage house. She ran tirelessly in circles around Lucy until we were all dizzy just watching her. She licked Lucy’s face until she couldn’t stop laughing. We took a walk together in the gathering darkness, Lucy and Addie running ahead of Heath and me. It was a short walk, since Lucy had to be in bed early. She was excited to be going back to school in the morning to see her teachers and her friends again.

  As we walked back toward the carriage house, Addie started behaving a little strangely. She crouched low to the ground and began to growl, a low throaty sound that was a bit scary. Lucy tried to walk over to her and pet her, but I took her hand and led her away. I didn’t want Addie to bite her. After all, we didn’t really know much about Addie. And in spite of myself, I thought briefly of Phyllis’s warnings.

  Heath suggested that I take Lucy back to the manor and put her in bed. He said he would text me later if Addie was feeling more like herself so I could go over to the carriage house.

  “Heath, maybe you could come over to the main house tonight. I really don’t want to leave the house while Lucy is alone in the bedroom.”

  “Sure,” he agreed.

  About an hour later, I did get a text from him: ADDIE’S FINE. COMING OVER.

  I went downstairs to meet him in the drawing room.

  “Thanks for coming over here tonight. I know you’re more comfortable in the carriage house, but I need to be near Lucy until the police have told us that they have the person who killed Harlan.
”

  “I agree completely,” Heath said. “I haven’t heard anything lately. Maybe I’ll give them a call tomorrow to see where their investigation stands.”

  “What do you think was wrong with Addie?”

  “I have no idea. Probably just some small animal spooked her.”

  “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but Phyllis has a theory about Addie. She says stray dogs bring bad luck. She’s positive that Addie is going to bring all kinds of mayhem to Peppernell Manor.”

  He shook his head. “Sometimes Phyllis’s superstitions are a bit much.”

  “I sort of told her that was silly.”

  “Good. Want to sit outside? We may not be able to go out on my patio, but we can at least enjoy the sky and stars. It’s nice and clear out tonight.”

  I followed him out to the veranda. We sat on a wicker loveseat from which we could see out over the trees lining the front allée. I sighed and laid my head on his shoulder.

  “It’s beautiful out tonight.”

  “It is,” he agreed.

  From the direction of the carriage house came the sound of barking. Heath mumbled, “I wonder what the problem is now.”

  “Should you go see?”

  “I think she’s all right. She’s probably mad that I left her alone tonight.” He chuckled. “This is my punishment.”

  I hoped being left alone was Addie’s only problem. We sat hand in hand for a short time, just enjoying the night sky, while Addie’s barking continued. Evie poked her head out the front door after a little while.

  “What’s the matter with Addie?”

  “She misses me,” Heath answered with a smile. Evie rolled her eyes and went back inside.

  “I probably should go check on her.”

  We said good night and Heath left. The barking stopped just a few moments later. I smiled to myself. That dog is spoiled already!

  The next morning Lucy and I were at breakfast when Graydon joined us in the dining room.

  “Goin’ back to school today, little one?” he asked Lucy.

  “Yes,” she replied happily, her mouth covered in jam.

  “Looks like there’s a storm brewing way down south in the Caribbean,” he told me. “I was watching the television in our room. They say we may need to keep our eye on this one.”

  “You mean an h-u-r-r-i-c-a-n-e?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “Lucy,” I said quickly, “let’s clean you up and get ready for school.” I didn’t want to have any discussion of a hurricane in front of her.

  We left for Charleston a short while later. I stopped at a few stores after I dropped Lucy off, then headed back to Peppernell Manor. I turned on the radio while I drove. The news program had a brief mention of the storm churning off the coast of Hispaniola. I had never been in a hurricane and had no desire to experience one. And I was worried about my parents in Florida. I fervently hoped it would skirt the East Coast.

  The marble specialist had arrived by the time I returned to the manor. She worked steadily for most of the day and was able to complete the stain removal on the floor of the entry hall. When she was done, we stood together in the front doorway and surveyed our work. It was beautiful. As usual, I took pictures to compare with the ones I had taken before I started work. I showed them to the woman who had finished the floor and she was amazed at the difference.

  When I picked up Lucy from school she was tired and a little cranky. She was weepy on the way home and fell asleep as soon as we got back to Peppernell Manor. While she napped I worked on trying to remove some of the black paint from the floor in the ballroom. I hadn’t had a chance to work on it since I had to retrieve Lucy from Florida. It was hard work to remove the paint without damaging the floor. It was a job that would take many hours. I planned to repaint the walls after the dried paint was removed from the floor.

  Dinner that night was a little strained. Lucy was grumpy and there was obviously something up between Graydon and Vivian. They apparently did not want to discuss it during the meal, and I suspected it was because of the presence of a child in the dining room. Evie kept glancing at them, as if she knew what was going on. I was anxious to get Lucy upstairs for a bath and bedtime; I knew Evie would fill me in later.

  Lucy fell asleep as soon as she was in bed. I tiptoed out of the room and knocked softly on Evie’s door.

  “You going downstairs?” I asked.

  “Yeah. Meet you in the drawing room.”

  I went down and waited for her. She looked keyed up when she came in.

  “What’s up?” I asked her.

  “The police called Daddy today. They think they’ve got the person who killed Harlan.”

  “Who?” I asked eagerly.

  “Some new guy in that investment group. I guess he had a falling-out with Harlan over money about a week before Harlan’s death, and he was just arrested on a domestic violence charge.”

  “Are they sure?”

  “Sure enough that they’re going to charge him with Harlan’s murder.”

  “You and your parents must feel such a sense of relief.”

  She nodded absently. “We do. We wanted to tell you at dinner, but we really couldn’t discuss it with Lucy there.”

  “I know. Are you okay?”

  She gave me a half smile, her eyes glistening. She blinked several times before answering. “I guess so. I really miss Harlan. I’m feeling so many things right now. I just wish he was still here, that’s all.” Large tears began to slide down her cheeks and I went over and sat down next to her on the sofa. I held her hand in mine.

  “I’m so sorry, Evie.” I didn’t have to say anything else. All she needed was for me to sit there with her in the semidarkness and hold her hand. She cried quietly for several minutes before sniffling and saying she was going to go upstairs and call Boone.

  “Thanks for being here, Carleigh,” she said as she left the room.

  “What are friends for?”

  Just then my cell phone buzzed with a text from Heath. YOU BUSY?

  NO, I texted him.

  CAN I COME OVER?

  SURE.

  I waited for him on the veranda. He came up the steps and held me in a big, long hug.

  “Are you thinking about Harlan?” I asked.

  “Yes. I can’t believe it’s finally over. All the worrying and the waiting to find out who did it.”

  “I was just talking to Evie about it.”

  “How are Mom and Dad doing?” he asked.

  “No one talked about it at dinner because Lucy was in the room. But they seemed subdued.”

  “I haven’t had a chance to talk to them about it. Evie called me earlier at my office and gave me the news.”

  “I’m sure they’re trying to deal with the outcome, just like everyone else. I can’t imagine losing a child. And to such a senseless act of violence.”

  “Let’s do something fun tomorrow,” Heath suggested suddenly. “I need a break from everything. From the talk about Harlan, from the firm, from the farm. Let’s pick up Lucy from school and take her to the aquarium in Charleston.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. “She would love that!”

  After I dropped Lucy off at school the next morning I returned to Peppernell Manor and spent the day working on the ballroom floor again. The day passed quickly as I made measurable progress, and by the time I was ready to leave for Charleston to pick up Lucy, I estimated that I could remove the rest of the paint stains on the floor by the next day. Then I could start repainting the walls to cover up the ugly scars made by the black paint.

  I could see Heath’s lanky figure standing outside Lucy’s nursery school before I parked my car. His face lit up and he grinned at me as I walked toward him.

  When I had brought Lucy outside, Heath and I explained to her that we had a trip planned. She was immediately excited.

  The aquarium, located on the Charleston Harbor, was incredible. Lucy loved everything, from the salt marsh aviary to the touch tank to the ocean tan
k to the turtle hospital. We hated to leave at closing time, but Lucy was exhausted. She fell asleep on the way home. I was carrying her into the house when I heard Addie barking again. I smiled to myself, thinking that Addie must be beside herself when Heath wasn’t around. I was beginning to understand the feeling.

  The next day I was able to finish removing the stains from the floor and begin applying a coat of the peacock blue paint on the walls. Standing back to look at it as it dried, I could still see black streaks underneath the paint. It would need at least one or two more coats. I hoped that the person who had ruined my first paint job would stay away from the ballroom after this.

  That night after dinner Evie took Lucy upstairs to look through a trunk that held dress-up clothes from Evie’s childhood, complete with high-heeled shoes and fancy hats. I knew this would keep Lucy busy for days, but all I asked was a half hour to go for a short walk with Heath.

  As much as I wanted to stay outside and continue walking in the cool dusk, I returned to the manor and found Lucy draped in a pink chiffon dress that was way too big for her. Her little feet teetered in a pair of high-heeled strappy sandals. She wore a feather boa around her neck. I snapped a few photos with my cell phone to text to my parents and maybe even Brad.

  Evie was having fun, too. She had dressed in a long green gown with sparkly straps. The two of them explained that they were getting ready to go to a party.

  “Can I come?”

  “Yes, but you have to bring Heath, too,” Lucy informed me.

  “Well,” I told her, laughing, “Heath has gone to bed and now it’s almost your turn.”

  “I think she’s getting used to having Heath around,” Evie whispered to me.

  I grinned. “I think she is, too.”

  Evie let out a little squeal. “That is sooo exciting!”

  I had to agree.

  CHAPTER 17

  Over the next three days I finished touching up the ceiling and painting the walls of the ballroom. The color was deep and rich and there wasn’t a trace of the black paint that had so marred the room. It was time to get started painting the walls of the entry hall. The downstairs was really coming together nicely and it would be finished in time for Graydon and Vivian’s open house soon after Thanksgiving. As long as no one tampered with it again.