by Midge Cline
They found Gwynn and Bonnie sitting at one of the tables next to a makeshift sign proclaiming that the booth was ‘sold out’.
“Did you get a chance to check out the other booths?” Nigel asked as he placed a kiss on his wife’s forehead.
“Ha! As if!” Bonnie scoffed loudly. “She took on half my work today! Dishing, serving and cleaning like a pro.” Bonnie handed Gwynn a stack of euros. “You worked hard today, you have earned half the take.”
Gwynn shook her head and stuffed her hands in her pockets.
“No ma’am. You helped me, more than I helped you.”
“How, pray tell, did I help you?” Bonnie asked with confusion.
“When I got here this morning, I knew not a single soul in town. Had not one friend in the area. Not even a passing acquaintance. Now I not only have been introduced to nearly everyone in the village, but I was introduced by someone they obviously respect and appreciate. I am the outsider here, you did for me, in one day, something which would have taken me all year. I leave here no longer a stranger. And with, I hope, one new good friend.”
“Aw, quit your sappy crap, you worked hard, you deserve to be paid.” Bonnie insisted. “The village came in droves to get a good look at ya, otherwise they would have gone to other booths.”
“You want to pay me? Teach me how to bake. I am a bakery buying queen. I would love to learn to bake for my family like you do.” Gwynn told her. “I mean I can make the simple stuff, and I do, often. I get pleasure from feeding them, I am just not very good at it. Tomorrow, in my giant kitchen?”
“I can’t do it tomorrow, I have to fill my orders for Monday.” Bonnie sighed with resignation.
“Orders?” Binne asked.
“Yes, I have two dozen loaves of bread and scones and some pastries to get made for the Monday morning market delivery.” She explained.
“Well, then that is settled.” Gwynn announced. “my kitchen has miles of counter space, two electric and one wood burning oven available for your usage. I can help you with your orders, and learn to make bread, scones and pastries at the same time.”
“Three usable ovens would certainly make the whole process take less time.” Tate said as he walked up. “And since Colt and I will be up there working with Nigel on the window frames anyway, we can all go in one vehicle.”
“Fine, I have to say it would be nice to have some help, and a big kitchen to work in.” Bonnie agreed.
****
Binne finished emailing her friends, telling them about the new house, the ghost stories and the people she had met. Binne missed her friends. But she was happy to make new friends in the village.
She logged out of her laptop and closed the ‘office’ door, walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a Dame Agatha Christie novel, a Tommy and Tuppence adventure she relished, wandered over to the window seat she had piled high with cushions and blankets. She had been drawn into the engaging tale when her father knocked on her door. He entered with an oversized metal basket filled to the top with wood and kindling.
“I want to teach you to use your heat source.” He placed the basket on the hearth beside the Inglenook. “These are fairly safe, you can keep the fire burning through the night while you are sleeping. Keep the doors closed, even when you think the fire is out. Embers can smolder for days in there.” He showed her how to light the fire, control the fire, and put out the fire with the extinguisher he had mounted behind her door. “You are mature enough to handle this, also, it is the only heat source you have. Seems no one has thought to update the heat on the upper floors. Or the tower for that matter. I’ve put extinguishers in all of the bedrooms on this floor, and one in the hallway near the stairwell.”
“Thank you, Dad. You rock.” She poked the fire, because she could, and closed the door.
“I thought maybe tomorrow, we would open up the tower and go exploring, would you like to join me?” He smiled.
“Yes!” Binne squealed with delight. The tall tower on the west corner of the house had, until now, been forbidden territory.
****
Several hours later Binne was heading to her room after her bath, Huey, Dewey and Stan at her feet began to whimper. The temperature dropped in the corridor, suddenly making the air freezing cold. Binne heard footfalls in the hall behind her. She turned and though she saw no-one, she could hear the stomping passing her in the hallway quite clearly. The sound of deep, heavy breathing passing with it. Binne gathered her strength and raced for her bedroom, dogs at her heels. Pressing her body against the inside of the door, she felt it shake with the unmistakable force of someone trying to open it. The dogs began growling and barking with a ferociousness only small dogs can master. In a breath the temperature was back to normal and the dogs laid themselves happily on the floor. Whatever it was, had passed. She calmed herself, dressed in her night clothes and was back in the window seat with her cell phone in hand. She texted her father, told him about the ghost in the hall.
Nigel: Are you sure you were not imagining things? New house jitters and all?
Binne: Really dad? Even the dogs reacted.
Nigel: Do you need to come sleep downstairs? Do you need me to come up there? Do you need me to do anything?
Binne: No. It has passed, and the dogs are behaving now. I am going to read a bit to calm myself. Just thought you would want to know.
Nigel: I am just downstairs if you need me. Funny I did not hear the dogs barking. Maybe you should come down and sleep in the library tonight?
Binne: You should maybe listen better. LOL. But I am okay. Promise. You are probably right, we probably imagined it anyway.
Her panic was relegated to the back of her mind, she placed her phone on the desk, grabbed her book and curled back into the window seat, the Inglenook filled the room with warmth and comfort as she read. Sudden movement in the garden below her perch caught her attention. Her eyes widened as she followed a pale green light floating across the lawn between the gated graveyard and the bog-like pond. Transfixed, Binne stared at the light as it seemed to pulsate and grow. It began as a small orb and slowly enlarged to the size of a grown man. She could almost make out a hat and a sword. A cold chill ran through Binne as every hair on her body reacted with stiff erectness. She quickly ran to her desk to grab her smartphone, in the seconds it took her to return to the window, the light was gone. Binne flew to her parents’ room on the main floor of the ancient Wyndham Hall.
****
“Gwynn, did you do some straightening in here?” Nigel asked his wife as she and Binne joined him in the study.
“No, I spent the morning preparing for Bonnie to come and teach me some kitchen magic.” Gwynn responded. “Why do you ask?”
“I could have sworn I left the graveyard roster here on my desk.” He said, confusion on his noble face.
“Graveyard roster?” She asked.
“It is a list of the people the county has recorded as having been buried out there.” He nodded to the window, where the headstones were just visible through the early morning mist. “It appears I have to notify all possible next of kin before we can make any changes to the graveyard, excluding general maintenance of course. But if we want to put up a new fence around it, or safer walking paths through it I must send a notification. Since the majority appear to be centuries old, thankfully I do not have to await a reply. The county said I can just put an ad in several newspapers announcing it, but I will have to provide a list of those buried there.” He explained.
“Can’t you reprint it?” Binne asked.
“Yes, I suppose I can.” He said. “But what on earth happened to the one I already printed?”
“I think maybe the locals are right about this place being haunted.” Gwynn said. “I feel that maybe we need to start keeping a journal of ghostly events. A written record for ourselves and future residents.” She suggested, grabbing a notepad from a shelf and a pen from Nigel’s desk.
“MY LIST!” Nigel yelled as he noticed several white unburn
t papers from the fireplace. He picked them up carefully and held them up for the family to see, nearly dropping them as they burst into flames. He tossed them back into the fire and watched them burn to ashes before their very eyes.
****
At 7am, prompt, Bonnie and Colt Brooks appeared at the kitchen door, laden with supplies.
“You might be sorry you asked for this,” Bonnie laughed.
“Just the opposite, I am thrilled, come on in.” Gwynn told her with a genuine smile. “Colt would you do me a kindness and find Mr. Morgan and Binne in the library and inform them that your father is here. They have quite an adventure planned for all of you today.” She pointed Colt through the swinging kitchen door and directed him to the ornate French doors which lead to the library. As soon as he was out of sight she turned to her new friend to share the exciting events of the morning and of the night before.
“Honey, a weaker family would have packed up and ran off already.” Bonnie said when Gwynn had finished.
“We are not leaving.” Gwynn said with conviction. “All of our savings, my inheritance from my mother and Nigel’s trust are tied into this too deep to escape.” She explained. “And I am too old to live in my car.” She knew there was enough money in the accounts to cover the renovations and general living for the next year, and she had much more coming in from her book royalties, but the bulk of their finances were entwined in this adventure.
“Well, then, I guess, maybe, we can use it to your advantage.” Bonnie said. “Tickets to a museum will sell okay, but tickets to a haunted museum will sell better.”
“Yes, I think it will have to be so. I am not uprooting my family so Wyndham Hall will just have to be large enough for the lot of us.”
****
Colt stopped by the front door and called to his dad, together they arrived at the library to find Nigel and Binne leaning over an old map table where they had spread blueprints.
“Welcome! Glad you could make it today.” Nigel said.
“I’ve brought extra torches and some rope. You have a first aid kit?” Tate put his heavy backpack on the table beside the blueprints.
“Yes, and we all have cell phones with cameras and I thought maybe we would bring the video camera as well, it has great lighting and will allow us to look back over the footage later.” Nigel said.
“Great idea. That will help the planning of the renovations.” Tate smiled.
“Are we really going to renovate the tower?” Binne asked excitedly.
“Yup, your mom was thinking it would be the best place to put the gift shop for the museum.” Nigel told her. “No, it will not be a bedroom for the teen spawn.”
“Dang.” Binne laughed. “Okay, I guess Mom is right, the tower itself would draw people into the gift shop.”
“Gift shop? Museum?” Colt asked.
“Yeah, so we are going to open the east side of the house up as a museum, the west side is where we will be living.” Binne explained.
“So, a museum of Wyndham Hall?” Colt asked. Not sure that the old house had enough to hold interest for paying visitors.
“Not just Wyndham Hall, but things of interest from the medieval times in our entire county. Historical battles and happenings, we hope to have the gift shop, and tours of the grounds and the Hall. And even open up the estate for weddings and other events.” Binne explained. “We want to make the Hall relevant to the community. A place where fetes and fairs can be held, and maybe even sporting events. The church yard is great, but we can provide space for bigger or formal events.”
“That is wonderful! And you got that by the council?” Colt asked with surprise.
“Yes, we have all the permits, permission from the planning commission and all of the funding. Your dad has been contracted to do all the work, which gives him solid, steady work for a long while. We hope to open the doors this time next year.” Nigel explained. “We will be able to employ groundskeepers, housekeepers and guides, which will help the community as well.”
“And,” Tate added. “We will be asking the villagers to add personal and family heirlooms to add to the local story.”
“Wow, I had no idea, I thought you were going to do the B&B thing like everyone else who has ever bought the place has planned to do.” Colt was clearly impressed.
“A B&B would add very little to the community itself, would not draw in tourists or business for the local Inn or shopkeepers. Irish countryside weddings are all the rage right now, using that trend to bring in money for the entire village is better for everyone.” Tate said.
“And it looks like we might have a rather unique gimmick.” Nigel laughed as he told them of the ghostly events of the last 24 hours. “If ghosts sell tickets, then I can afford to keep the contractor I have hired, nice bloke,” Nigel smiled to Colt and Tate, “Even if his kid is a bit weird.”
****
“Okay so she saw a light in the garden, and it changed shape. Anything else happen since you moved in?” Bonnie asked while she kneaded the bread dough on the wide wooden work table.
“Honestly? I think, maybe.” Gwynn answered as she tried to emulate Bonnie’s quick kneading style. “I have found doors open, that I know I closed, which could be a draft or a faulty latch. I thought I heard someone shifting things around in the pantry, but to be fair that could have been a mouse. And yesterday I could have sworn I heard voices coming from the third floor, we haven't opened that floor yet, we sealed the doors before we moved in, not been up since. I thought maybe Bin left a radio on in her room and the sound was travelling funny or something, but I checked, there was not a thing on anywhere.” Gwynn sighed. “Also, yesterday, I went to the cellar, to explore a bit. It was wonderful, there was an old dust covered pram filled with toys of an age long past, and cans with labels only my grandparents would recognize. Then the overhead went out, it was dark as a damned cave! I heard, lord you will think I am crazy, but I heard rapid frantic whispering. Scared me so bad I raced out of there with my tail between my legs.” She laughed.
“You live in a house known to have haints, I’ve seen them myself when I was a young lass. I do not believe they will harm you, never heard of anyone being harmed by a ghost, just by their reaction to it. Old Ned Sandoval was up here one year when that family was getting estimates to renovate for a hotel, swears he saw a man coming toward him, where no man should have been, he ran so fast he fell down the stairs and broke his leg. That was his reaction, not the ghost itself.” Bonnie told her matter of factly.
“What did you see?” Gwynn asked quietly.
“I was about 16 or so, the Hall was empty then, Tate and I snuck in up here to,” she coughed, “to do as kids that age do,” She finished with a smile. “We laid a fire in the living room and were kissing on a blanket on the floor. The room got suddenly very cold, like an icy wind had found a way in. The torches went out, even though we had put in fresh batteries before we set out from town, I saw a maid run into the room, scurrying quickly through the room and out the other door, she never paid us no mind. She had a full-length skirt and apron over a shift, very Victorian. We scattered out of here so fast we nearly forgot to dowse the fire, thankfully Tate has always been very conscientious about that sort of thing. I’ve been up here a few times since, but never at night, never alone and never for very long. But I’m an adult now, and I have made a good friend, I have reason to be here a bit more often now.” She smiled.
“I wouldn’t blame Bin for being even a little bit frightened last night, it would surprise me though, she has never really shown fear before. She has been spelunking in old caves and deep-sea diving. She even went on a jungle hike when we were in South America, explored ancient ruins, and temples. It will take more than a couple of wonky spirits to scare her.” Gwynn said.
“Wow, seems like you might get bored here in our sleepy village.” Bonnie laughed.
“Just the opposite.” Gwynn laughed. “Nigel’s work has had us dropped all over the planet for decades. It is time for a stable, so
lid home. Living out of suitcases in hotels seems exciting, until you live it. Nigel and I have been together for twenty years, and in all that time I have never bought curtains or had my own kitchen. I’ve made friends all over the world, whom I now rarely see and only seem to connect with on social media. We are all ready to settle down, give up the nomad life and become a normal family for a change.”
****
Tate and Nigel worked on the tower door latch with pry bars, trying not to destroy or mar the ancient oak doors or solid iron latch.
“I think these doors are at least 300 years old,” Nigel said. “I hope we can do this and still make them functional.”
“No problem, I will probably want to take them down and reinforce them anyway, but we can keep the original wood and get the rust off the hinges, those are straight up solid iron, pretty pure too, they will hold up another 100 years or so if we take care of them now. They will need to be dipped in an acid bath and sanded, then I can give them a grease coat that will help them last longer. Iron will last for all time if it is well cared for.” Tate said as he removed the last hinge. It took all four of them to carefully lift and move the heavy door and lean it against the opposite wall. A heavy wall of cobwebs created a second door where the oak one had once stood. Binne slipped her sweatshirt hood up on her head to protect her hair from spiders. Colt did the same and turned on the miner's headlamp he wore. Nigel put the video camera on his shoulder and turned it on, allowing the light to flood the area before them. Tate led the way with a large spotlight in one hand and a video camera in the other.