They’re all here now, as solid and real as when they were alive. There’s Catherine and her baronet, hand in hand, and Sebastian and Michael looking at me pityingly. There’s even the cat. It’s not Tobermory. This one is Gerald, and he was two cats later. Gerald used to drink from the dripping tap in the bathroom basin, whereas Tobermory would get under the sofa, stick his claws into the hessian underneath, and drag himself along on his back as fast as he could go. Gerald settles on his haunches and looks up at me with interest, as if I were an experiment.
My mother is here too. She reaches out a hand to try to take mine, and says: “Please, darling, please,” but I take my hand away, not roughly, but gently. I know she loves me, you see, and I don’t want to cause her any hurt. She implores me with her eyes, and still holds out, her hand.
“Come on, you big fool,” says Sebastian, grinning like a big schoolboy, and Michael thumps me on the shoulder with the same old fraternal violence, and says: “Come on, old thing. You’ve been here quite long enough.”
“I’m watching the house,” I say.
The baronet lights a cigarette, and when he throws the match to the ground, it disappears. “Look,” he says, “I know I’m not strictly family and whatnot, only being married in, as it were, but you’ve got to give it up one of these days, this watching over the house lark.”
“It’s really the house watching over me,” I say. “Anyway, you’re all dead.”
“When are you going to understand?” asks Catherine, shaking her head.
“What’s wrong with staying here?” I say.
“Please,” says my mother.
After a while they leave, one by one, as they always do. My mother and Catherine give me a gentle kiss on the cheek. It’s surprising how you can distinctly feel the kiss of someone who is dead. My father once surprised me by taking my head between his hands and kissing me on the forehead. He would never have done that when he was alive, and he hasn’t done it since. Michael and Sebastian subject me to more claps between the shoulderblades. They all turn and wave modestly before they fade away not far from where the bonfire always used to be. Only Gerald stays a little while. He winds himself around my legs a few times, and reaches up to touch a claw to my hand, as he used to when he suspected that it contained a morsel of cheddar cheese. After a while he wanders away after the rest of them.
I don’t understand why they keep coming back. I am glad to see them, of course, but they are dead. I keep telling them, but they don’t seem to be able to take it in. They don’t seem to understand why I won’t go with them. Perhaps death makes you less perceptive.
Anyway, I am perfectly contented here, sitting atop this rockery by moonlight, not even feeling the cold, looking at the tree sparkling with so many colours in the french window. I love it here. I love this beautiful house, I love the way it holds me as if it had hands and I was cupped inside them. I sit here and it watches over me, I feel absolute happiness, and there’s nothing I’d rather do.
Appendix
A Century of Ghost Novels
1900–2000
1902: THE HAUNTED MAJOR by Robert Marshall
Inspired by the new craze for golf that had developed at the dawn of the 20th century, this comic story recounts the efforts of sports-mad Major Gore to beat Lindsay, a young golf champion. The Major receives supernatural assistance in his cause from the ghost of Cardinal Smeaton, a Scottish renaissance figure who is still nursing a grudge against his opponent’s family.
1904: THE GREY WORLD by Evelyn Underhill
When little Cockney Jimmy Rogers dies of typhoid fever he finds himself in a grey world of wraith-like beings. Here he learns that it is possible to return to the real world and reincarnates himself into another quite different person whose behaviour leads him into the path of mysticism and a series of bizarre encounters.
1907: THE GHOST by Arnold Bennett
In pursuit of Rosetta Rose, a beautiful singer, Carl Foster survives a series of disasters: a train crash, a shipwreck and even attempted murder. On each occasion he sees a sinister figure, who proves to be the ghost of Lord Clarenceux, once in love with Rosa and now deeply jealous of his rival. It takes the intervention of the girl herself to enable Carl’s love to succeed.
1907: ALICE FOR SHORT by William De Morgan
A beautiful woman in 18th century clothes and a man with a sword repeatedly re-enact a murder haunt in an old house in Soho. The arrival of little orphan Alice Kavanagh eventually leads to the discovery of the woman’s bones buried in the basement as well as a surprising revelation about the child’s ancestry.
1909: THE GHOST PIRATES by William Hope Hodgson
The old ship, the Mortzestus, is beset by mysterious phenomena – shadowy figures emerging from the sea, men hurled from aloft by invisible hands and the vessel itself seemingly trapped in a world of mist. The horrors reach a climax when ghost pirates swarm aboard to sink the ship and only one man survives to tell the story.
1911: AN EXCHANGE OF SOULS by Barry Pain
Dr Daniel Myas is carrying out experiments in order to transfer human souls. When the doctor dies suddenly from an overdose of drugs, his special apparatus transfers him to the body of his fiancée, Alice. The girl herself dies shortly afterwards in a train crash and the ghosts of the two endeavour to resolve their endless future.
1911: THE WHITE PEOPLE by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Isobel Muircarrie grows up in the Scottish Highlands where her gift of “Second Sight” enables her to see the phantom White People and communicate with a ghost child. When she moves to London as an adult and falls in love with a stricken young man, Hector MacNairn, who dies shortly afterwards of a heart attack, her ability enables her to “see” him as a spirit.
1911 THE HAUNTED PYJAMAS by Francis Perry Elliott
After spending three years in England, the Harvard educated narrator returns to America with a pair of pyjamas said to be over 4,000 years old. These can transform the wearer into a phantom-like figure and the young man uses them in a number of seductive exploits with very unexpected results.
1912 THE GODS OF THE DEAD by Winifred Graham
Matilda Turnus has inherited the poise and beauty of an Egyptian princess as well as ancient supernatural powers that she uses to great effect. Aware of a ghostly figure hovering over her in moments of crisis, she uses her ability to fend off unwanted suitors and advance the career of her young lover into the highest echelons of society.
1918 THE GHOST GARDEN by Amelia Rives
The ghost of a wilful and vicious young woman, Melany Horsemanden, haunts a house in colonial Virginia. When, years later, another young girl named Melany settles in the house and attracts a lover, the spirit of the deceased woman intervenes to frustrate their courtship. Ultimately, only the power of love can overcome the vampire-like powers of the undead.
1919 SINISTER HOUSE by Leland Hall
The ghosts of a man and woman haunt the new housing development at Forsby near Boston, sapping the vitality of a young wife, Julia Grier. They are identified as the former owners of the land who have been tricked out of their property by fraud. It requires a cruel revelation and the fortitude of Julia to finally lay the two spirits to rest.
1920 FROM THE VASTY DEEP by Marie Belloc Lowndes
A ghost that is initially seen only by the servants disturbs a house party at Wyndfell Hall. However, when the spirit appears more distinctly to several of the guests, it is recognised as the deceased owner of the property. Holding a séance provides the resolution to an old and terrible crime.
1921 THE HAUNTING by Catherine Dawson-Scott
Set in 19th-century Cornwall, Gale and Pascoe Corylon are half-brothers drawn together in an uneasy alliance carrying out shady deals in which both suspect the other of making more profit. When Gale poisons Pascoe, he suffers a series of hauntings that finally drive him to seek a desperate solution in a sea cave.
1921 THE SHADOW OF FEAR by Nina Toye
An old abbey reputed to be haunted and a
swamp that lures unsuspecting victims to their death, play upon the emotions of an ill-matched couple who live nearby. The neurotic wife gradually succumbs to the supernatural powers and is only just prevented from killing her husband by the new love in his life.
1922 THE HAUNTED WOMAN by David Lindsay
Runhill Court is situated over an ancient Saxon burial ground and haunted by supernatural forces. When Henry Judge inherits the property it brings him into contact with lovely Isobel Loment and together they delve into the mystery of a secret stairway, the adventure putting their lives at risk while also causing them to fall in love.
1924 COLD HARBOUR by Francis Brett Young
The small Worcestershire inn that Ronald and Evelyn Wake stumble on when their car breaks down proves to be beset by poltergeist phenomena. The open-minded couple are intrigued and try to get to the bottom of the supernatural presence, ultimately deciding that the area is still in the grip of an ancient evil from Roman times that requires exorcism.
1925 THE GREEN ROOM by Walter de la Mare
In the back room of an old bookshop, a young man sees the ghost of a woman reading some papers. It transpires that she is the author of a manuscript of poems recording her love for a previous owner of the building. When the young man finds the poetry and decides to publish it, he quickly discovers the ghost’s reaction very different to the one he had expected.
1926 THE NEW TERROR by Gaston Leroux
After his marriage to the beautiful Cordelia, the narrator discovers that a portrait of his bride painted by a mystical English artist seems to be obsessing her. He comes to realize his wife is so haunted by the picture that only by killing the painter can he free her – but by doing so he fatally threatens Cordelia’s life.
1926 TOPPER by Thorne Smith
Classic novel in which harmless American banker Cosmo Topper is haunted by a group of immoral ghosts who turn him on to the delights of alcohol, drugs and sexual freedom. His riotous escapades with the spirits and everyone they come in contact with inspired a popular film and an equally successful sequel, Topper Takes A Trip (1932).
1928 THE GENERAL’S RING by Selma Lagerlof
The town of Hedby is badly haunted by the ghost of an old general. Although the descendants of the military man take the story rather casually, his grandson believes there is some truth in it. The young man has to survive being put into a trance by the powerful spirit, but manages to find the ring which is the cause of the haunting and return it to the old soldier’s grave.
1931 THE JEALOUS GHOST by L. A. G. Strong
Middle-aged Stewart finds when he returns to his ancestral home near Skye that things have changed in many respects. But the ability to fall in love has not, and he falls for a local girl much younger than himself. His infatuation is, however, dashed when another girl, a ghost from his past, warns him off.
1931 THE LADY WHO CAME TO STAY by Robin Spencer
When widowed Katherine and her little daughter move in with her late husband’s wealthy maiden sisters, she soon becomes the object of their enmity and dies. The abuse continues against the child, but Katherine is able to return as a ghost and protect her daughter as well as bringing an end to the evil ways of the old sisters.
1935 BEGINNING AT DUSK by Ross Williamson
Every year, on Midsummer Eve, the ghosts of Kitzbrook rise and mingle with the living. Among them are two lovers, Hedwig and Stefan, who cause a commotion in the spirit world by carrying out erotic escapades, involving people in the real world. The pair prove to have an honourable intention: to avenge a murder before they can live in peace – in the grave – together.
1936 THE CROQUET PLAYER by H. G. Wells
The inhabitants of Cainmarsh are suffering from breakdowns and fear, which leads to an outbreak of violence and crime. A young doctor, Finchatton, recognizes the symptoms as being caused by shadows from the past affecting the minds of susceptible individuals. There is no hope of the haunting ending, the doctor declares, unless mankind changes its warlike ways.
1937 NIGHTMARE FARM by Jack Mann
An elemental ghost with vicious powers, which has already killed one person, is haunting an old house in Knightsmere in Shropshire. Occult detective Gees investigates and discovers that the terrible manifestation is located in a secret compartment of the building. His attempts to dislodge the ghost involve a near fatal attack on his life and the necessity to exorcise a spirit from a young woman.
1940 MISS HARGREAVES by Frank Baker
While on a visit to Ireland, the critic Norman Hunter finds himself pursued by the ghost of an octogenarian poet, Miss Hargreaves, who he has made the mistake of describing as “imaginary”. When the lady follows him back to England, the hapless young man has to find a way of luring her across the Irish Sea to lay her peacefully to rest.
1940 CASTLE COTTAGE by Horace Horsnell
Miss Lavinia Bligh, a retired maid, discovers that the Regency-style Castle Cottage she is asked to look after is haunted by a pair of ghosts from the Napoleonic period. They are obviously lovers denied happiness by the young man’s death during the conflict. The kind-hearted Lavinia tries to unite the two spirits, but finds that she must destroy the cottage to achieve her objective.
1941 UNEASY FREEHOLD by Dorothy Macardle
A house on the Bristol Channel appears to be the ideal location for Roderick Fitzgerald to write his new play. But when he and his sister settle in, they are soon being subjected to the depredations of two warring ghosts and after séances and physic researchers have failed to drive the pair away, the couple are forced to create a dramatic confrontation of their own.
1941 THE GHOST OF MR BROWN by Ashley Sampson
Mr Brown is a ghost and condemned to haunt a house for no apparent reason he can deduce. He tries to make contact with the occupants and even falls in love with one of the female tenants. However, when the girl gets engaged to another man, Mr Brown is overcome with rage, kills her and finds himself even more damned than before.
1941 THE REMARKABLE ANDREW by Dalton Trumbo
A young book-keeper, Andrew Jackson Long, of Shale City, Colorado discovers a plot to defraud the city. When he feels himself being sucked into the conspiracy, he is able to summon up the spirit of his great ancestor along with a number of other ghosts including George Washington and Ben Franklin. Together they lure the conspirators into a confession and clear Andrew’s name.
1944 THE NIGHT OF THE WORLD by Frederick Rose
Ken Favery is blown up while fighting a desperate action with the British forces in North Africa. He wakes to find himself surrounded by the ghosts of soldiers killed during the battle and is so moved by their terrible accounts of the foolishness of war that he vows to write down his thoughts and hope that they are found with his body.
1945 ALL HALLOWS’ EVE by Charles Williams
Two young women who have died in a plane crash find themselves as spirits in London where they are able to intervene in the lives of both their friends and adversaries. They become embroiled in a great act of magic where their own supernatural powers are tested to the fullest before the self-defeating nature of evil is exposed.
1945 THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR by R. A. Dick
The recently widowed Mrs Muir takes a little house near the English Channel that is haunted by its previous owner, Captain Gregg, an old sea dog who does not welcome the new tenant. She is made of sterner stuff, though, and after a series of exchanges, they both agree to share the property – until Mrs Muir dies and joins the Captain on the Other Side.
1946 DEATH INTO LIFE by Olaf Stapledon
While flying over Germany, the crew of a British bomber are shot down and killed. Almost immediately, the ghost of the rear-gunner rises above the wreckage and begins a journey of discovery that reveals the futility of war and enables him to grow spiritually before he is finally reunited with his comrades.
1947 THE MEMOIRS OF A GHOST by George W. Stonier
During a German bombing raid over London, the narrator is killed and
finds himself turned into a ghost able to see and hear everything while remaining unseen by everyone else in the city. Gradually, however, his energy begins to diminish as the war draws to a close and he becomes no more than a memory.
1947 A NAME FOR EVIL by Andrew Lytle
When Brent buys a rundown plantation in the American South, his attempts to make the property viable are hampered by the intransigence of his workforce and their fear of the ghost of a former owner. Brent soon finds his young wife is also being subjected to the attentions of the evil phantom and has to wage a desperate battle to keep her from being spirited away.
1947 THE MASTER OF THE MACABRE by Russell Thorndike
In the days of Richard I, the ghost of a lewd and wicked monk weaves itself into an ancient cup that once belonged to Mohammed. Centuries later, the cup is obtained by the mysterious “Master of the Macabre” and almost at once finds himself embroiled in a dangerous plot by a group of Orientals to reclaim the relic.
1948 THE HAUNTING OF TOBY JUGG by Dennis Wheatley
The supernatural manifestations that plague Toby Jugg while he is convalescing in Wales prove to be only the start of a plot involving black magicians determined to bring about the downfall of his huge industrial empire. Visions of a giant spider and the Face of Astoroth also cross Toby’s path as he struggles to outwit and smash the diabolists.
1950 BRIMSTONE IN THE GARDEN by Elizabeth Cadell
A trio of ghosts, Frobisher, Telemachus and Captain Verlander haunt Elinor Stirling’s house in a small West Country English village. When she invites a group of relatives and friends to stay with her, they have to compete with the attentions of the phantoms as well as their own mixed emotions about one another in order to resolve the situation.
The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories Page 72