Ghostly Vows Read online

  “Don’t worry. He’s excellent at his job. I’ll show you around. It will give you a chance to stretch your legs after your long journey.”

  “That sounds great,” said Helen, after giving Parsons one more warning look. “The castle is incredible.”

  “I like to think it is,” said Countess Ponsonby as she led us back up the steps. “Although it can be a bit chilly in the winter. Don’t fret about getting cold. We have coal-fired heating throughout and open fires in most rooms. You won’t get cold when the summer comes to an end. And the grounds are beautiful. You’ll get the chance to have lovely walks with your dog.” She nodded at Flipper, who walked by my side.

  “He’ll love it here.”

  “Then he has excellent taste.” Countess Ponsonby turned and headed back into the castle. “Right this way, ladies.”

  The hallway we entered looked more like a room. There was a piano set against one wall and several bookshelves. A suit of armor stood next to one bookshelf, a sword positioned in the right hand.

  Next to the suit of armor was a tall, broad-shouldered ghost with a black beard and shoulder length dark hair. He wore black pants and a loose tunic with what looked like chain mail over the top.

  Flipper walked over to the ghost and sniffed around the suit of armor he stood by.

  The ghost gave Flipper an amused grin and attempted to pet him.

  Flipper ignored him and carried on sniffing.

  The ghost looked over at us. When our gazes locked, his eyebrows shot up. I smiled discreetly. It might have been a long time since anyone had paid him any attention.

  The ghost floated closer, his gaze not leaving mine.

  “The castle is laid out on a basic grid pattern,” said Countess Ponsonby. “There are five levels. This floor has the kitchen, the dining room, three rooms of antiquities, and the great hall, which leads up to the turret. Lorna, I expect you’ll be spending a lot of your time in those rooms. We have objects going back hundreds of years that need cataloging. Beneath us are the cellar and wine store. Then, above us, we have the private parlors for the family. Then, above that, it’s bedrooms and storage, until you get to the attic space.”

  “Do you have a chocolate room?” asked Helen.

  A smile tugged at Countess Ponsonby’s lips. “A chocolate room?”

  “I thought you might make your chocolate somewhere in the castle.” Helen blushed. “Well, I was hoping you might.”

  Countess Ponsonby laughed. “If we did, I’d be twice the size I am. No, all the chocolate is made off-site in one of our factories. We get a monthly delivery of new flavors, so there’s always chocolate to be found if you know where to look.” She tapped the side of her nose.

  I was only half listening to Countess Ponsonby. Not because what she was saying wasn’t interesting but because of the sheer number of ghosts I saw.

  Most seemed faded, maybe nothing more than old memories. It happened sometimes, especially in old places, a vivid memory or experience imprinted on a building and played over and over again.

  Most people couldn’t see them. They might feel cold when they walked through the ghost but nothing more.

  These ghosts did not concern me. They didn’t need assistance. I’d be careful not to walk through them and aggravate them, though.

  Flipper was running from ghost to ghost, inspecting them all, before checking back with me to make sure I was okay. He was being a perfect ghost detecting dog.

  The ghost who’d been standing by the suit of armor kept up with us as we walked through the castle. He seemed very interested in me. I hoped he wouldn’t be a problem. From the way he was dressed, he wasn’t of this era. If anything bad had happened to him hundreds of years ago, there’d be no way I’d be able to figure it out. All the suspects would be long gone.

  We walked along a carpeted corridor. “This is a room of antiquities.” Countess Ponsonby pushed open the door and stepped through the doorway. Inside were a dozen glass cabinets full of artifacts. I paused at the first one. It was full of what looked like Roman pots.

  “We have items from all sorts of archeological digs,” said Countess Ponsonby. “My husband used to go on them when he was younger and fitter. He’d bring back all sorts of oddities for us to puzzle over. It’s quite fun, like trying to solve a mystery when you only have half the clues.”

  I knew how that felt.

  “How exciting,” Helen said. “Your husband sounds like a real-life Indiana Jones.”

  Countess Ponsonby smiled. “He used to be. Not so much now. He’s not been well for some time.”

  I turned and looked at her. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s a neurological condition,” said Countess Ponsonby. “You won’t see Ralph around much. He stays in bed most of the time. He can get about in his wheelchair, but recently, he’s not been so interested in leaving his bed. It’s part of the reason I want to get all the antiquities properly cataloged. It will be something for him to focus on. This was always a great passion of his. Perhaps when he knows we’re finally sorting his finds, it will encourage him to take more of an interest.”

  “I hope it does,” I said. “And he sounds like the expert. I’d welcome his input.”

  “Ralph does like to talk about his finds. If he’s up to it, I’m sure he’ll help out.” Countess Ponsonby led us into the next room crammed full of antiquities. “I’m not sure what we’re going to keep. Some of it is beautiful, but we’ve got boxes of the stuff gathering dust in the cellar. We need to pick the best bits and put it out on display.”

  This room appeared to be full of medieval artifacts. There were several more suits of armor. I noticed the ghost drift around them and stroke his hands down the breast plate of one. Maybe he’d been a knight. Perhaps one of these suits of armor was his, and he wanted it back. Although what he planned to do with the armor, since he was a ghost, was another question.

  “The kitchen is at the end of this hall. It’s well-stocked, so help yourselves to anything in there. We usually have a family meal together in the evening. You can join us or make your own food, whatever you prefer to do.”

  “Thanks. To begin with, I think I’ll be too busy to stop and eat,” I said. “You have a lot of lovely things here, and I need to look through everything.”

  “The agency said you were excellent at what you did. I need someone with a strong backbone. It’s going to take months to catalog this lot.”

  “I’m up to the challenge,” I said.

  Countess Ponsonby smiled at me. “I have a feeling you are. Right, up the stairs, and I’ll show you your rooms.”

  We walked up the wooden staircase to the next floor.

  The ghost stayed behind, seeming to prefer the company of the suits of armor to us.

  Countess Ponsonby stopped by a closed door. “Lorna, this is your room. You have an attached bathroom, and there should be everything you need in here. Let me know if you have any problems, and I’ll have Parsons help you out. Helen, you’re right next door.”

  I pushed open the door to reveal an enormous four-poster bed with its own pink velvet curtains. A set of matching dark wooden antique furniture was dotted around the room. My suitcase sat at the end of the bed. “This looks lovely.”

  “I hope you’ll both be comfortable here,” said Countess Ponsonby. “It will be good to have more people in the castle. Other than Parsons, we only have staff come in to clean or sort the garden. All of these empty rooms sitting here with no one in them, it makes me sad. But we’re a small family now. There’s not enough of us to go around.”

  From my investigation of the Ponsonbys, I knew the Countess didn’t have children. Perhaps they’d not been able to have a family because of her husband’s illness.

  Flipper had already gone into the bedroom and was poking around, making sure it met his exacting standards. He cocked his head to the side and looked at me, waiting to see if I liked the room.

  The Countess smiled as she watched Flipper wandering around. “It
looks like your dog already feels at home.”

  “I think you’re right,” I said. “He’s always a great judge when it comes to a comfortable room.”

  “I’ll leave you to unpack and settle in,” said Countess Ponsonby. “You can both start work first thing tomorrow. There’s no hurry.”

  Once the Countess had left, Helen went and investigated her room.

  She returned a moment later and flung herself onto my four-poster bed. “I’ve got a bed like this too. Isn’t it beautiful here?”

  “I can’t complain.” I unzipped my case and started to unpack.

  “What were you looking at when we were downstairs?” asked Helen. “You weren’t paying attention when the Countess was talking.”

  “There are a lot of ghosts down there.”

  “Not troublesome ones, I hope.”

  “No, I don’t think they will bother us. Most of them are old. They didn’t notice us. But there was one; he followed us around.”

  “Was he following us in a creepy way or a friendly way?”

  “Friendly.”

  “That’s okay then. Friendly ghosts I can handle. Not creepy ones, though. They can float away and bother someone else.”

  “These old places always have a few ghosts floating around. He’ll be fine.”

  “Does this ghost want anything?”

  “Not that I could work out,” I said. “Maybe he just likes hanging out at a castle. I wondered if he was connected to the suits of armor. He seemed interested in them when we were looking around.”

  “He probably has a boyhood fantasy about being a dashing knight, saving damsels, and winning the hands of innocent maidens. In real life, he probably shoveled coal.”

  “If I see him again, I’ll make sure to find out.”

  “Did you see that beautiful blue patterned china in the first room?” asked Helen. “That would look amazing to have my wedding food served on.”

  “You’ve decided on your crockery,” I said. “It’s too late to go changing your mind.”

  Helen appeared not to have heard me. “It was such an intricate design. I wonder if Countess Ponsonby would lend me the plates for my wedding. Maybe I should ask.”

  “Or you could be happy with what you’ve chosen and not give Marjorie an extra headache,” I said. “And for all you know, that crockery could be worth a fortune. Imagine what would happen if you broke a plate. You’d have to pay back thousands of pounds.”

  Helen sat up and frowned at me. “Anyone would think you didn’t want my wedding to be a huge success.”

  “I do. And it absolutely will be an enormous success. Your wedding is going to grace the covers of magazines across the country. But, you don’t want the headache of worrying about what will happen if someone gets a bit tipsy and drops an expensive plate.”

  Helen wrinkled her nose. “I guess so. It was just an idea. Hey, what if we borrow a couple of suits of armor? We can have them framing the door as people come in for the evening reception. That would make a great talking point.”

  “Again, suits of armor are expensive. Some drunken fool might try to wear it and damage it. It’s not worth the risk. Stick with what you’ve arranged. Everybody will love your wedding.”

  Helen shrugged. “I want to make it different. I don’t want people thinking my wedding is boring.”

  “That will be impossible. Having expensive plates and delicate suits of armor will only complicate things, not make your special day memorable.”

  “So, I have to have a dull, ordinary wedding?”

  “Stop complaining. Your wedding will be stunning. And it will be memorable because my wonderful dog will be your ring bearer.”

  She grinned at me. “I guess that is unusual. Flipper, I hope you’re training hard for your moment in the spotlight.”

  Flipper’s head rose from his paws, but he didn’t look at Helen. Instead, he hopped up and ran out of the bedroom.

  I chased after him and saw him heading back down the stairs. “Hang on a minute. I’d better go and grab him. I don’t want him getting lost or causing chaos in the castle on our first day.”

  “Tell him, if he runs off when he’s supposed to be delivering my ring, he’s fired.”

  I raced after Flipper and saw him heading into the great hall. Whatever had caught his attention had him moving fast.

  I ran into the hall. Flipper was wriggling past a wooden barrier with the words no entrance painted on it, heading toward a set of stone steps.

  “Wait right there,” I called after him.

  He ignored me and disappeared around the bend of the staircase.

  I reached the barrier and paused. The stone steps might not be safe. I needed to get Flipper back before he hurt himself.

  I pushed the wooden barrier to one side and tested the first stone step. It seemed sturdy enough, and nothing was crumbling from the walls.

  There was nothing to hold on to as I clambered the steps. I went slowly, testing each stone step to ensure it was solid, and I wouldn’t crash to the bottom when the whole thing collapsed underneath me.

  I saw daylight ahead of me as I continued up the curving staircase. This must be the steps leading out to the turret I’d seen when we first arrived.

  “Flipper!” I called. “No dog treats for you for the next month if you don’t get your furry butt back down these steps.”

  I heard him give an excited bark. I reached an open wooden door and stepped out. I’d been right. I was on the turret. The view of the surrounding countryside was breathtaking. All around me, I saw lush green trees and fields.

  Flipper stood on the edge of the turret, his ears up and his tail wagging.

  “I don’t know why you’re looking so happy. We shouldn’t be up here.”

  He looked at me and then back at the space he’d been staring at.

  I squinted and detected a faint haze growing more solid by the second. “A ghost? That’s what’s gotten you so excited? Go back down the stairs. There are loads of them floating around.”

  Flipper barked again and skipped on his paws.

  As I caught my breath after my chase up the staircase, I watched as the ghost of a gorgeous, dark-haired man appeared.

  “Wow! I can see why you wanted to meet this ghost.” He looked like a supermodel, with a chiseled jaw and high cheekbones. And as for that mouth. I shook myself. He was a ghost, and I was very much in love with Zach, who was just as gorgeous and had the bonus of being alive.

  “Hi there,” I said to the ghost.

  The ghost stared at me, surprise written across his handsome features.

  I raised a hand slowly. “There’s no need to be alarmed. I can see you. I’m Lorna Shadow. This is my dog, Flipper.”

  The ghost looked from me to Flipper. He turned to the edge of the turret and hurled himself off.

  My mouth fell open. I hurried to look over the edge. He’d vanished. “Well, that was... odd.” I scratched between Flipper’s ears. “We must have startled him.”

  Flipper’s head tilted to the side before he peered over the edge of the turret.

  “Don’t even think about it.” I kept a firm grip on his collar. “We shouldn’t even be up here.”

  “You’re right. You shouldn’t.”

  Chapter 3

  I grabbed Flipper to make sure he didn’t try to prove he had super dog powers and jumped off the turret as well. I turned to see a younger version of the Countess standing in front of me.

  She grinned as she stepped out onto the turret. “I’m guessing you didn’t see the barrier at the bottom of the steps that said no entrance.”

  “Sorry, I know I shouldn’t be up here. My dog decided to come and investigate. I had to make sure he didn’t get up to any mischief.”

  The woman bent and gestured for Flipper to come over. “Have you been a naughty boy?”

  He walked over, his tail still wagging, and let her pet him.

  “We didn’t mean to cause any problems,” I said.

  “That’
s okay. It’s not dangerous up here. We don’t like people using the turret at the moment.” The woman smiled up at me. “I’m Tilly. Charlotte’s sister.”

  “Another Countess?”

  “You can use my fancy title if you like.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I’m only a Lady. I much prefer Tilly.”

  “I’m Lorna. It’s nice to meet you, Tilly.”

  “You too. Are you here to help Charlotte sort through all the old junk Ralph’s collected over the years?”

  “I am. I’m pretty sure most of it’s not junk.”

  Tilly stood and placed her hands on her hips. “I guess if you’re into all that old stuff, it’s good enough. I can’t see the point of all the clutter.”

  “You didn’t fancy the job of sorting through it all?”

  Tilly laughed. “No chance. If I had my way, I’d pull this place down and build a mansion. It’s always so cold in here, no matter what Charlotte reckons. The walls leak heat.”

  Tilly would have to thank all the old ghosts floating around for the fluctuations in temperature. “Do you live here?”

  “Only in the short term. My London apartment is being renovated. I can’t stand all the noise and dust. Charlotte is letting me have a room for a couple of months until everything is sorted out.”

  “Maybe you can take some antiques when you go.”

  She shook her head. “Not my style.”

  “Are you having work done on the turret as well? Is that why people can’t come up here?”

  Tilly’s smile faded. “Nothing like that.” She looked around as she ran her hands through her bobbed blonde hair. “It’s not a secret. I guess you can know.”

  “What is it?” I had a horrible feeling it had something to do with the ghost I’d seen hurl himself off the turret.

  Tilly rubbed her arms as if suddenly cold. “I tell you what. Let’s head to the kitchen. I’m starving. We can eat, and I will tell you all the family secrets.”

  “That sounds like a fair exchange,” I said as I followed Tilly down the stairs with Flipper. “I should warn you, I’m no cook, but I know someone who is.”