They had gone about halfway when they heard the sound of a horse and trap and glancing over their shoulders they saw Jimmy Weeks on his way to market. He winked at Martha cheekily, before turning his attention to Grace and Bertie. ‘Good luck to you two,’ he said, then shaking the reins he moved the horse on.
‘Cheeky young whippersnapper,’ snorted Granny, then wagging her finger at Martha she said warningly, ‘I hope you’re not up to no good wi’ that young ’un, me gel.’
‘Of course I’m not,’ Martha replied indignantly, and lifting her skirts she stalked ahead.
The villagers in Caldecote called out their good wishes and greetings as the party passed, and soon Grace, clutching her posy nervously, and Bertie, were standing before the parson.
The service seemed to be over in the blink of an eye and in no time at all they were all outside again.
‘It doesn’t seem right that there’s going to be no wedding meal,’ Martha sighed as they made their way back to Stonebridge House.
‘Happen we should just think ’usselves lucky that the Master allowed us time off fer the service,’ Granny retorted and they made the remainder of the journey in silence, although Martha was happy to see that Bertie and Grace walked hand-in-hand and seemed to be happy.
They were nearing the house when Granny groaned and pointed ahead to where two carriages stood outside the front entrance. ‘Would you just look at that! Seems some of his lordship’s guests ’ave arrived already. That means I’ll ’ave to get a spurt on gettin’ the meal ready, else he’ll be grumblin’.’
‘Well, I’ll nip back home an’ get yer them two rabbits I snared last night,’ Hal Tolley said. ‘Happen they’ll make up into a nice couple o’ pies.’
‘It’s perhaps as well,’ Granny said, a frown on her brow. ‘The pantry’s near empty an’ most places are refusin’ to send supplies now; lessen the Master settles his bills.’
They slipped into the house and Grace and Martha hurried to their rooms to change back into their work clothes. Martha was bitterly disappointed. ‘I don’t want it to be like this, just like any other day when I marry Jimmy,’ she muttered to herself as she fastened an apron about her waist. She then ran back downstairs and in no time at all was too busy to think of anything.
‘Would you just hark at that carry-on,’ Granny said in disgust, cocking her head towards the door that led into the hall. ‘Sounds like half of ’em are drunk already, so God only knows what they’ll be like come evenin’! Just you stay away from the lot of ’em, our Grace. They’re heathens, so they are.’ She then went back to rolling the pastry for the pies with a vengeance as Martha continued to skin the rabbits Hal had supplied them with.
It was mid-afternoon when Granny asked, ‘Would yer go an’ collect me some eggs from the barn fer the egg custard, pet?’
‘Of course I will.’ Martha obligingly collected the wicker basket and lifting her skirts she set off across the courtyard. It was dark in the barn after leaving the bright sunshine outside and Martha stood for a moment letting her eyes adjust before going in search of the eggs. She knew all the hens’ favourite laying places and in no time at all the bottom of the basket was covered with them. She was happily scouting about when a noise from the hay bales in the far corner caught her ear. That corner of the barn was in deep shadow and she was peering towards it when a naked woman suddenly shrieked with laughter and raced towards her, closely followed by a naked man.
Martha was so shocked that she dropped the basket and the eggs rolled all over the ground as her hand flew to her mouth.
‘Ha-ha! Come to join in the frolics, have you, me pretty?’ As the man lurched towards her laughing loudly, Martha lifted her skirts in a most unladylike manner and fled as if her life depended on it.
She almost fell into the kitchen door and Granny looked up sharply. ‘Why, whatever’s wrong wi’ you?’ she barked. ‘An’ where are me eggs?’
‘I . . . I dropped them,’ Martha gasped as she pressed her hand into the stitch in her side. ‘There was a man . . . an’ a woman . . . an’ they were naked an’ racin’ round the barn. I’m sorry, Granny.’
Granny’s face darkened. ‘No lass, don’t you be sorry. Yer did right to come away. I don’t know – such sordid goin’s-on! Whatever would the Mistress ’ave said to such shenanigans? Heathens they are, the whole lot of ’em. You stay here wi’ me now an’ damn the eggs. An’ if the Master asks why he ain’t got no egg custard I’ll give ’im what for, you just watch me.’
It was late that evening before Grace and Bertie were finally able to return to their rooms for their wedding night, and Grace seemed shy and flustered as they said their goodnights.
‘See yer both in the mornin’,’ Granny said as if it was just any night, and the young couple slipped out into the balmy evening with eyes only for each other.
‘I reckon you should go an’ get yer head down now an’ all,’ Granny told Martha. ‘It’s been a long day. Goodnight, love.’
Martha didn’t need telling twice. She planted a kiss on her granny’s cheek and headed for the door, every limb aching.
She was almost at the foot of the stairs when the drawing-room door banged open and the man she had seen in the barn earlier in the day staggered out.
‘Ah, can’t keep away from me, me pretty, can you?’ he laughed, and lunging forward he caught Martha’s arm in a strong grip.
She had just opened her mouth to scream when the Master appeared in the doorway. One of the women from the town was hanging around his neck and he told the man, ‘Unhand her, James. I have first rights wi’ that little maid an’ when the time comes I want her pure.’
The man good-naturedly did as he was told and lurched drunkenly away as Martha fled up the stairs, not stopping to breathe until she had slammed her bedroom door and bolted it securely behind her. The room looked so big now that Bertie had dragged Grace’s bed into the large attic, and Martha suddenly felt very lonely. It had certainly been a funny old day, one way or another. And what could the Master have meant about wanting to keep her pure? Tiredly, she began to undress as she tried to put the event from her mind.
Jess slammed the book shut and stared towards the window. What a sad wedding day Grace and Bertie had had. It just went to show how times had changed and how hard life must have been for working-class people in Martha’s time. She was sorely tempted to read on but decided against it. Laura would be here soon and Jess was curious to hear what she had to say. Reluctantly putting the journal away in her drawer, she made her way back down to the kitchen.
Laura arrived punctually at eleven o’clock looking slightly ill-at-ease. Jess had a percolator full of coffee bubbling away on the range and she carried it to the table along with a plateful of ginger nut biscuits. She knew Laura was rather partial to them.
‘So?’ she smiled, hoping to lighten the atmosphere a bit. ‘How is Den today?’
‘Oh, you know.’ Laura raised her eyebrows. ‘He’s a man, isn’t he? Need I say more? If he gets a cold it’s flu. If he gets flu it’s pneumonia.’
‘I know what you mean, Simon is exactly the same.’ Jess chuckled as she poured out their coffee.
Laura sipped at her drink, eyeing Jess pensively over the rim of her mug before asking, ‘So how are you settling in?’
‘Very well really. The house is shaping up nicely at last. I reckon I’ll have it how I want it for this time next year.’
‘Well, I have to say this looks stunning.’ Laura glanced around at the gleaming kitchen. ‘In fact, I think you have a flair for interior design.’
‘I wouldn’t go that far.’ Jess blushed at the compliment. ‘But now what was it you wanted to see me about?’
Laura gulped. ‘I don’t quite know where to start,’ she said.
Jess smiled encouragingly. ‘Then why don’t you start at the very beginning?’
‘I er . . . Well, the thing is, I know you don’t believe in spiritual things, but I have to ask you: have you ever had anything strange happen
since you’ve lived here? For instance, have you ever had the sense that you weren’t alone when everyone else was out?’
Jess decided to answer truthfully. ‘Yes, I have. On a few occasions I’ve thought that someone had come into a room behind me and when I’ve turned around there’s been no one there. Another time I thought I heard someone call me from upstairs, but when I went up to check, all the rooms were empty. Oh, and there’s Alfie too . . .’ She glanced towards the dog, who was curled up in his basket. ‘He always used to sleep in Jo’s room when we lived in our other house, but since coming to live here he refuses to go upstairs.’
‘And what about nightmares?’
Jess frowned. ‘I haven’t had any personally, but Mel has, and so has Jo. She said that someone was standing at the side of her bed watching her one night. In fact, she was so upset she came and got in with me and her dad.’
‘I see.’ Laura tapped the table thoughtfully. ‘Anything else?’
Jess thought hard before nodding. ‘Come to think of it, there’s the smell. Well, not a smell exactly, it’s more a scent of roses. The first time I noticed it was when I was up in the old servants’ quarters in the attic. You really should come up and see it, Laura. It’s like stepping back in time up there. One room still has old clothes hanging in the wardrobe and I discovered that they once belonged to a young girl who lived here.’
‘How?’ Laura was leaning forward in her seat, all ears now.
‘I found her journal in the attic. It’s quite fascinating, although I haven’t read much of it up to now. The girl’s name was Martha Reid. She and her family were servants here and they referred to the man who owned the place at the time as Master Fenton. He was a cruel bugger, if what I’ve read up to now is anything to go by, and the poor sods lived in fear of him turning them out and ending up in the workhouse. The first entry in the journal goes right back to 1837.’
Laura had gone quite pale. ‘I knew it,’ she said softly, more to herself than Jess. ‘There is a restless spirit here.’
‘Oh, come on! Don’t let your imagination get running away with you. This is a very old house, Laura. I’m sure a lot of what we’ve experienced has been down to it settling at night. You know – floorboards creaking, et cetera.’
Laura shook her head. ‘It’s nothing to do with settling. I’m telling you there is a spirit here, and it’s here for a reason.’
Jess sighed. ‘And what makes you think that?’
‘I don’t think it, I know it. You see, I’ve seen her.’
A shiver ran up Jess’s spine despite the fact that she was trying desperately hard to be logical. ‘Oh yes, and what does she look like?’
‘She is slim and dressed in an old brown skirt covered by a large white apron and a white blouse with very full sleeves. She has long dark hair and is quite pretty. About eighteen years old or so, I should imagine.’
‘Come with me,’ Jess said, and without giving Laura a chance to refuse she quickly left the kitchen and headed for the stairs. Laura followed reluctantly and once on the landing, Jess led her towards her bedroom where the sketches she had had reframed were now hanging on the wall.
She pointed towards them and as Laura followed her finger she gasped. ‘That’s her,’ she croaked. ‘I swear it is.’
Jess was seriously spooked now.
‘Come on,’ Laura said with a new determination. ‘Show me the room where this girl slept.’
Jess led her to the narrow staircase that went up to the attics and as she pushed open the door to Martha’s room, the overwhelming scent of roses greeted them.
‘See!’ she exclaimed triumphantly. ‘Didn’t I tell you there was the scent of roses in here? Can you smell it too?’
‘Yes, I can,’ Laura said, as she gazed around.
‘But what do you think it all means?’ Jess was fiddling nervously with the buttons on her cardigan. ‘Not that I’m saying I believe she is actually still here,’ she added hastily.
‘I really don’t know,’ Laura admitted. ‘But I know she is still here and that she’s very unhappy, which is why she hasn’t passed on to the other side. She wanted you to come, but I don’t know why yet. Didn’t you once tell me that you felt as if you belonged here, the first time you set foot in the place?’
‘Now just hold on a minute,’ Jess said quickly, not wanting to believe what Laura was telling her. ‘That was just because I fell in love with the character of the house.’
Laura shook her head. ‘I don’t think it was. I think you were meant to come here.’
Jess groaned. ‘So what are you suggesting I do then? Stick a For Sale board up.’
‘Of course not,’ Laura retaliated. ‘Eventually it will become clear why Martha wants you here.’
Jess shuddered as she headed back towards the door. ‘I don’t know about you but I could do with another cup of coffee,’ she said, eager to get away from the cloying smell and back into the warmth of the kitchen. ‘It’s damn cold in here, isn’t it? Or is that just me imagining it?’
‘No, it is cold,’ Laura agreed as she followed her out onto the landing.
The two women hurried back downstairs where Jess quickly changed the subject to other things, mainly Mel’s worsening moods.
‘I’m getting seriously concerned about her,’ she confided to her neighbour. ‘She snaps her dad’s head off every time he so much as looks at her, and she spends hours locked away in her room when she isn’t at school. It can’t be healthy for her, can it?’
‘I can’t really be a judge of that, with Beth being the way she is. I never got to have the teenage mood swings,’ Laura said regretfully. ‘In her head Beth is still a little girl and she always will be.’
Jess instantly felt ashamed. Poor Laura. Perhaps it was time to stop feeling so sorry for herself and start to count her blessings. After all, she could still clearly remember what a bad time she herself had put her gran through when she was Mel’s age. In fact, looking back now she wondered how the dear soul had put up with her.
Reaching across the table she squeezed Laura’s hand comfortingly. Laura squeezed hers back but then glancing at the clock she stood up. ‘I should be going. Den really isn’t well and Beth will be driving him to distraction by now.’
Jess saw her to the door where she asked, ‘Will you pop in again soon?’
Laura nodded. ‘If you want me to.’ And then she was gone and as Jess closed the door behind her she stood there chewing on her lip. Laura was such a level-headed person that it was hard to imagine that she really believed in spirits and all that malarkey. But then, everyone was entitled to their own opinion and Jess set about her chores and tried not to think any more about it.
When she got in the car to pick the girls up from school later that afternoon she was not in the happiest frame of mind. They normally walked home alone now, but the rain that had poured down for two solid days had slowed to a drizzle and everywhere looked dark and miserable, so she had arranged to give them a lift.
She sat outside of Jo’s school first and soon the girl flew out of the gates with a wide smile on her face like a little ray of sunshine.
‘Had a good day, have you, love?’ Jess asked as she clambered into the car all arms and legs.
‘Yes,’ Jo told her happily as she fastened her seat belt. ‘I got a star in English and Matilda asked me if I can go to her house for tea on Saturday. May I, Mum?’
‘I don’t see why not, so long as her mum doesn’t mind.’ Jess smiled indulgently as she started the car and steered it out into the road. At least she could always rely on Jo to be cheerful. Well, for most of the time anyway. She drove the short way to Mel’s school next to find the first of the pupils already emerging. She parked the car, keeping her eye on the gate but after fifteen minutes Mel still hadn’t appeared and the flow of youngsters had steadied to a trickle now.
‘That’s strange,’ she commented. ‘I wonder if she’d already left when we got here.’
‘I shouldn’t think so,’ Jo
replied in her usual forthright way. ‘If she’d come out we would have passed her up the road.’
Jess waited a further five minutes then opened the car door. ‘You wait there,’ she told Jo. ‘I’ll just pop into the school and see if I can find her. Perhaps she’s got a detention she forgot to tell me about.’
She hurried across the now almost deserted playground and once inside headed for the reception desk.
‘I wonder if you could tell me if Melanie Beddows has left yet?’ she said to the woman behind the desk. ‘She’s in Mrs Congrave’s class.’
‘I’ll just go and find out for you,’ the young woman told her pleasantly before hurrying away through the swing doors.
A couple of minutes later she reappeared with Mrs Congrave at her side.
‘Ah, Mrs Beddows.’ The teacher smiled at her. ‘I was actually going to ring you before I left school today. There seems to be some sort of a mix-up. Miss Holden here says you’re looking for Melanie but she hasn’t been in school today. I assumed that she was off sick.’
‘But she must have been here,’ Jess told her indignantly. ‘I dropped her off myself at the school gates this morning, so . . .’ As a thought suddenly occurred to her, her voice trailed away and she flushed with embarrassment. Mel must have waited until she had pulled away and then done a bunk for the day.
‘Perhaps she felt unwell and decided to go home,’ she said lamely, knowing full well that Mel hadn’t put in an appearance back at the house. ‘I’m so sorry, Mrs Congrave. Leave it with me and I’ll get to the bottom of it.’
The teacher smiled at her sadly, guessing exactly what had happened. She had certainly seen it enough times before.
‘Of course,’ she said kindly, not wishing to cause Jess yet more embarrassment. ‘And then perhaps you could call into school to see me one day next week? I’m quite concerned about Melanie as it happens. She doesn’t seem to be settling in here at all well.’
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