by Peppi Hilton
Lucy could see he had worked hard at cleaning the range. The jet black shone so much you could almost see your face in it, and there was a pan of water simmering gently on the stove.
“Here sit in this old rocker whilst I make you a drink.” He beckoned her over as he moved it closer to the fire.
She did as she was instructed because she was feeling exhausted, and more than a little hungry.
After raiding their food stock, Anton returned with a cup of tea and a pan containing soup. He handed the tea to Lucy and placed the pan of soup on the range to warm. He retrieved their foldup table from the hall, which they normally used in their camper van, and moved it towards her. He then brought in some bread, butter, cutlery and condiments and got organised at making them something to eat.
“Fresh bread and butter and soup, it’s just like being in the camper,” he said enthusiastically.
Lucy could see he was really excited by the whole experience, and she left him to it whilst she closed her eyes and sat back in the rocker. But she had the strangest experience when her eyes were closed. She saw an old woman – in fact it was the same old woman who she had first seen at the foot of the stairs, she was certain of it. She saw her standing in front of her, glaring at her as she rocked the chair gently. She opened her eyes swiftly, but of course there was no-one there. All she could see was the pleasant glow of the fire and Anton rustling up some grub. She blinked her eyes and closed them again. But after a minute or two, she saw the image once more and this time it seemed even more real. It made her feel restless and uncomfortable, as if she shouldn’t be in the old rocker at all, so she stood up.
“What’s wrong?” Anton asked.
“It’s not very comfy,” she fibbed.
“No probs, I’ll get you a proper chair to sit on.”
He went to retrieve a chair from the hall and brought it back for Lucy to use. She placed it a safe distance away from the rocker, as she didn’t want to take any chances. The old woman’s face had haunted her from the start, and sitting in that chair had brought it all back. She didn’t know if she’d imagined it or not, but the experience had left her somewhat perturbed.
Later that evening they were both thoroughly bushed, but at least they could sit in front of the fire in the sitting room and relax. Anton had done his best to make it as comfortable as possible, although it was just a temporary arrangement. They had the range to cook on in the scullery and the room had to also double up as a kitchen, along with the back hall containing the pot sink. As for their kitchen appliances, they had to be positioned in various parts of the sitting room wherever they could find a power point. Fitting additional ones was on Anton’s priority list, but it would all take time. Although there wasn’t a real kitchen as such – no work surfaces or cupboards – there was an old pantry which they would be able to use once it was cleaned and decorated, and they could manage quite well with their old kitchen table to work and sit at for the time being. After a summer season touring around in a camper van, they were able to adapt with ease at their new surroundings and they looked on it all as an adventure. Anton knew it would take a very long time to wade his way through the entire house; it was big and rambling and had three floors, and although it was a daunting task he was determined.
They retired to bed early as the house was getting chilled, and they were too exhausted to do anything else having been hard at it all day after a very early start. At least the bedroom was cosy and inviting and they were both snug and warm in bed, so much so that they both fell sound asleep within minutes.
But Lucy awoke with the sound of Anton snoring, so she pushed him hard to roll him over to face the other side; at least if he started again it wouldn’t be in her ear. She got comfy once more and was soon fast asleep. But she was soon awakened again by the sound of snoring. She sat up in bed and could see that Anton hadn’t moved since she’d shoved him over. But whilst she could hear snoring, it clearly wasn’t coming from him. She sat in the same position for a while in complete confusion. How could she hear snoring if it wasn’t coming from Anton? She had no answer. But once she concentrated and listened carefully, she realised the snoring sound was coming from the floor and directly beneath where she was sitting. But how could that be? She was perplexed. Leaning over the side of the bed, she stuck her head underneath whilst clinging onto the mattress, but then she began to slide slowly down the bed and had to cling on tighter. At that point Anton woke up and turned his head towards her
“What are you doing?” he asked, rubbing his eyes as if he were seeing things. He sleepily eyeballed her bottom which was sticking up in the air.
Lucy almost fell off the bed as she struggled to get back up again, so Anton grabbed her by her nightie and dragged her back onto the bed.
The snoring had stopped, so she knew she was going to look rather foolish.
“I heard snoring – it was coming from the floor underneath the bed.”
Anton groaned, grabbed the bedding and swiftly turned over burying himself under the duvet. Within minutes he had resumed his sleep and was snoring, and there was no mistaking this time where the sound was coming from.
Lucy wasn’t too happy about the experience. She shivered, but it was more from a feeling of eeriness than cold. She was certain that snoring was coming from the floor underneath the bed. She turned towards Anton pulling herself as close to him as possible, before burying her head under the bedding. Fortunately she had muffled out any chance of further noises and soon fell asleep.
Anton awoke early the next morning and turned to face Lucy, but she wasn’t there. He sat up and looked around the room, but there was no sign of her. Perhaps she’s got up early to make a brew and something to eat, he hoped. So he jumped out of bed and opened the bedroom door.
“Luce!” he called, his words echoing down the empty staircase.
“What do you want?” was the muffled reply.
He spun round to see her legs and feet sticking out from under the bed. She slid herself back out, stood up and brushed herself down in the process.
“What are you doing?” he exclaimed, looking puzzled.
“I was looking to see where that snoring noise came from.”
Anton looked at her in exasperation, threw his arms up in the air and gasped. He marched round to the bed, pulled on some clothes which he had, unusually, left on the floor the night before, and disappeared out of the room.
Lucy got dressed and tidied up the bed, before following meekly down the stairs. When she walked into the scullery she found he had retrieved their electric kettle and he was now boiling water and preparing bacon for frying on the range. He had made sure it was packed with fuel the previous evening in order for it to stay in all night in readiness for breakfast. She knew he was annoyed with her about the snoring sounds, after all, it did sound pretty stupid in the cold light of day. She’d probably imagined it as usual anyway. She knew the best thing to do was to get on with helping him to make breakfast and keep quiet – he’d snap out of his little tantrum!
By the time they sat down to eat their food – which by now was on the dining table in the sitting room – he had forgotten all about the incident and was back to his cheery self. He wasn’t one for sulking, or getting angry, he had a calming influence on Lucy because he was so laid back about everything and nothing ever presented a problem to him. There wasn’t anything he could not tackle, or sort. She could understand him getting a little bit frustrated with her after all the hours he had put in to get the house ready for habitation, she couldn’t blame him for that. She couldn’t help but think how she loved his orderliness, his organised methods and eagerness to get everything as perfect as possible. He had surprised her that morning by organising the table and chairs at the back of the sitting room so they could have a proper dining area; it was just like him to do that and she loved him for it. She was a bit of a scatterbrain herself, but she did try to be more organised so that she wouldn’t let Anton down.
They ate in silence and alt
hough the house was virtually empty and needed a complete overhaul, the scullery and sitting room glowed warmly from the heat of the fire and the range, plus the cosy atmosphere which they had managed to create with their joint efforts.
“Oh, I see you’ve moved the old rocker,” she interjected as an afterthought.
“Yes, I’ve decided I’m going to use it, if you don’t find it comfy enough. I thought it was quite comfortable when I tried it, especially with that old cushion on it which I found in a cupboard. It’s so old that rocker that I would suspect it could tell a tale or two. It’s one of those things you’d sit on in front of the fire on a cold winter’s night telling ghost stories. I think you should wash that old blanket Luce, the one which was on the floor, it’s ideal for wrapping round the legs whilst rocking. I love old things like that, it’s very nostalgic. My old granddad had one very similar and I used to sit on his knee as a child when he was on it. He would rock away whilst I cuddled up to him. Ah yes, fond memories, I remember it all so well!” He sighed deeply, as his reminiscing brought back happy thoughts of his childhood. “So, I’ve decided that I’m going to keep it and the old cushion and blanket as well. I think I’ll leave it there where it is at the side of the fireplace.”
Lucy couldn’t help but think the old cushion and the drab, grey, woollen blanket were past their sell-by-date, and she wasn’t much keen on washing them either. Who knows where they’d come from, or what they’d been used for; she cringed at the thought.
Her thoughts turned to Anton. It was evident that he was turning into a slightly unrecognisable and over-contented human being. His lust for excitement and adventure seemed to have disappeared, having been replaced with Juniper; and that’s all he seemed to need now. She frowned as she watched his smug expression of satisfaction. Clearly he wasn’t being visited by some strange old woman in rags when he sat on the old rocker. Lucy felt strangely demoralised. Was there some kind of strange conspiracy going on here, which was beyond her understanding? The whole scenario was certainly questionable.
He continued to scoff his food, and gave a sigh of approval when he’d finished. There was no doubt he was as pleased as punch in his new surroundings and was enjoying the simple basic lifestyle which they were currently stuck with, at least for now. He was king of the castle in his own little fantasy world, and Lucy felt as if they’d suddenly turned into a pair of old, married pensioners, and the two fun-loving young people that they used to be before Juniper had ceased to exist.
“It may sound strange, but I feel as if I’ve finally come home.”
“This is home,” she reminded him, whilst at the same time reflecting on what she’d just said and wondering if she could ever think of it as home.
“I know, but it’s more than that. I feel as if I’ve just returned from a very long voyage and I belong here. It’s as if this has always been home for me. It has that kind of welcoming feel, one that recognises you as if you’re a past friend.” He sat back in his chair with a look of self- satisfaction on his face, having just had his belly full and looking quite content. Lucy couldn’t help but think he was behaving as if he were ‘lord of the manor’, not mortgagee of an old decrepit house – and with a huge debt round around both of their necks.
She could see that Juniper had really got under his skin and she was beginning to feel as if she didn’t belong in his fantasy world any more, as if this house was all about him. In fact, he was making her feel like an intruder – or the charwoman, and she wasn’t certain which category she most fitted into. But the constant nagging thoughts remained firmly fixed in her mind, that whilst he was being welcomed home – as he put it – she was being made to feel like an outsider, or maybe even an obstacle! She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she certainly felt no sense of belonging and she couldn’t help but wonder if she could ever truly settle.
9
As the days passed Anton worked his way through the house from morning until night, whilst Lucy scrubbed and cleaned and cooked – having eventually got the hang of the range. She soon found herself enjoying their new home, or at least part of it. The finished parts had taken on a reasonably friendly atmosphere, once they had begun to put their own stamp on it, but there was still a long way to go. Lucy began to wonder if perhaps she had been acting rather foolishly lately by insisting that she’d seen that old woman, and complaining of snoring sounds in the bedroom – not to mention her petulant behaviour with some silly notion that she was having her nose pushed out. She had to admit to herself that she’d been sounding rather neurotic lately, and that could easily build a bridge between them if she didn’t pull herself together. Anton had gone out of his way to push ahead with the house purchase and work extremely hard at creating a home for her. Any woman would give her right arm for a man like him, and right now she was suffering from a guilty conscience.
Anton had plumbed the washing machine in and together they were quite organised. Although the house looked sparse and drab elsewhere, the sitting room and the scullery looked and felt more homely, and even inviting to a certain extent. Fortunately with Anton having worked hard on the gardens and grounds whilst waiting for the mortgage to come through, it was all looking good outside and soon they were both proud to say they were the owners of Juniper House.
Days turned into weeks, and the time was growing close to when Anton would have to tell Lucy that he would be working away. He wasn’t looking forward to it, particularly as she had been in good form lately showing signs of enjoying their new home and paying him a lot of attention – just like she always used to do. He’d been feeling pretty good about that. They’d been going to bed early and getting close, and she seemed to have lost all her superstitions about the house having a presence – or two.
At least he’d managed to finish decorating the most important rooms, which were the sitting room and the scullery, plus the back hall with the pot sink in it, and a few more parts here and there. There was no doubt he was being somewhat over-sentimental when he’d put the old cracked mirror back on the hook above the sink, especially when Lucy had earmarked it for binning. But it was there when they moved in, and somehow he felt that it rightfully belonged there.
In general it looked much more enticing – and not quite as spooky, as Lucy had been quick to point out. However, the long hallway from the entrance door to the grand hall, plus the staircase and landing, were gloomy, shabby, dilapidated and darkly lit – not to mention the second floor which was uninhabitable! He was able to see through the dilapidations up there and imagine how it would look once all the work was done. But he knew Lucy would never venture up onto that floor in a thousand years, so there was no urgency to start on that area, and there were still plenty of rooms downstairs to make a start on. It was a pretty big house with six bedrooms on the first floor, plus more rooms could be found via the secondary staircase leading to the second floor, which probably once served as the nursery and staff rooms. Anyway, as far as he was concerned, the parts which mattered to Lucy the most were looking ship-shape for when he was gone. Surely she wouldn’t mind him working away after all the efforts he’d put in, and, after all, it was for her benefit. However, he still kept putting it off until he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer.
“Lucy love,” he began.
Lucy was immediately alerted to something fishy going on. He didn’t call her by her proper name unless he was sheepish about something. She walked over to him and eyed him suspiciously.
His courage failed him when he observed her with her hands on her hips. He pretended to be looking elsewhere, nonchalantly tidying up here and there.
“What are you up to?” she quizzed bluntly.
“Err … well – you know that lovely bathroom suite you saw … and the shower cubicle?” He squirmed as he edged his way around the truth of the matter.
“What about it?” she asked sternly. She was no fool when it came to Anton looking sheepish.
“Hum – I’m going to do some overtime so I can get it for you.
I can do all the work myself, so it isn’t out of reach pricewise.” He spat it out so quick that he didn’t fool her for one minute.
“And what exactly do you mean by overtime?”
He shuffled around feeling uncomfortable, and he couldn’t look her in the face. But he knew he had to come clean, so best to get it over with.
“I’ll be working in Somerset for a few weeks.”
“Well that’s what you think!” she snapped.
“Sorry love, but it is part of my contract. I know how much you want a nice new bathroom, rather than that old cast-iron one up there. And to be honest I think I should earn enough to be able to get the materials for the kitchen as well, which I want to build for you. You’d like that Luce, really you would. You know you don’t like having to work between the scullery and the sitting room, and it’s the only way we’re going to get what we want. We can’t live like this forever.”
He was guilty of bribery tactics and he knew it, but he’d had to pull something out of the hat quickly before an explosion erupted.
She came down off her high horse once the reality of what he was saying began to sink in.
“But what will I do?” she whimpered. “I don’t want to be here alone at night!” In fact she shuddered at the thought. “I’ve never lived on my own before.”
“But you won’t be living on your own will you? I’ll be coming back again. It’s only going to be for a few weeks.”
“Only a few weeks?” she gasped in alarm.
“Well, maybe only three…” He broke off as his courage failed him again and he couldn’t bring himself to admit to the likelihood of it being much longer.
“But I can’t stay here alone for three weeks!”
“You’ll be alright love, there’s nothing to be afraid of, and it’s only until the job’s done. Maybe it won’t take so long, and then when I come back we can go and choose the bathroom and kitchen.” He put a reassuring arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him, but she quickly pulled herself loose.