Ghosts of Yorkshire

by Karen Perkins

  ‘That does actually make sense. She was frustrated, unable to communicate, and trying to do so in the only way she could.’

  ‘Jayne, and especially Antony, were getting in the way of us meeting.’

  ‘But why was Harry with her?’

  ‘To keep her in check maybe?’

  ‘Or to warn you to stay away from me?’

  William laughs. ‘Just the opposite. He’s forgiven her, don’t you see? He came here now to help Martha communicate her message. Whatever she did—’

  ‘Whatever she did? She pushed him down the stairs and broke his neck!’

  ‘But he’s forgiven her – he understands, he still loves her and wants to be with her. The only one who can’t forgive her is Martha herself, and Harry wants her to understand that. And he’s letting us know too.’

  I stare at him. Does he really believe that? I remember my dreams when I first arrived in Haworth, Harry had been with Emily, not Martha.

  He recognises the scepticism in my eyes and sighs, grins, then says, ‘All right, fair enough, that’s unlikely. He’s probably punishing her still, won’t ever forget it or stop hating her, but is making sure we get it right while he’s at it.’

  ‘Now that I can believe,’ I say with a small smile.

  ‘It’s only been a hundred and eighty years or so,’ William adds. ‘She still has millennia to repent.’

  I eye him cautiously. ‘You’re not going to hold a grudge, are you?’

  He smiles properly and shrugs. ‘Well, it does kind of run in the family ...’

  The humour evaporates.

  ‘In the family,’ I repeat. ‘We’re related!’

  ‘I guess so.’

  We stare at each other, stricken.

  ‘But only very, very, very distantly,’ he adds, then leans forward and kisses me.

  I pull back. ‘One more thing.’

  ‘What?’ He sounds exasperated.

  ‘The Grey Lady. How does she fit in?’

  He opens his mouth, then closes it again with a frown. ‘I’m not sure. Emily was there, wasn’t she? I mean here.’ He points at the wall between The Rookery and Weaver’s Row.

  ‘Yes. And Lara said something—’ I pause, trying to remember.

  ‘What?’

  ‘That the Grey Lady is an, an imprint, like a recording in time. Repeating the same action over and over again.’

  ‘So … what? She's repeating that final climb up the steps before Harry's death, and has done for all these years?’

  ‘I guess so.’ I shrug. ‘Although the last time I saw her, she turned and looked at me.’

  ‘Maybe she has resolution too, now, and can finally rest in peace.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  10.

  Two Weeks Later

  ‘Morning, Verity,’ Lara says as she enters Reception. ‘Are you ready for the big day?’

  I pull my lips into a tortured smile and Lara laughs.

  ‘Don’t look so worried. We’re ready, and Hannah and I will stay for the rest of the Easter holidays – by that time you’ll be able to cope with the stairs much better and you can vacate the downstairs room and let it out. You’re not on your own, you know.’

  I give her a proper smile and relax. ‘Thank you so much for giving up your holidays to help me out.’

  ‘Are you kidding? This is an adventure – we have our own apartment for three weeks, and in a guesthouse.’ She pointed upwards to indicate my quarters. ‘And we’re spending the holidays with good friends. Hannah loves exploring the village and moors, and there’s always something to do. She thinks she is on holiday, don’t you, Hans?’

  Hannah looks confused, then shrugs. ‘I guess so. Can I take Grasper out later?’

  ‘You’ll have to ask Aunt Jayne when she gets here.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Speak of the Devil,’ I say at a knock at the door, and go to let Jayne in.

  ‘Morning,’ she sings out as she enters The Rookery.

  Lara giggles. ‘Looks like you had a good night.’

  Jayne blushes, then shrugs. ‘I’d forgotten what it was like to wake up next to someone in the morning.’

  ‘You and Vikram getting on well then?’ Lara asks.

  Jayne nods, her face still red, and I give her a hug. ‘It’s great to see you so happy.’

  ‘Yes, yes, okay,’ Jayne says, embarrassed. ‘Have you got the coffee on?’

  Lara laughs, walks to the sideboard and gestures at the freshly made pot of coffee waiting for us.

  ‘Well pour it then,’ Jayne says, laughing, ‘don’t just show it off, you’re not hosting a game show.’

  ‘I hope Vikram knows what he’s getting into,’ I say with a chuckle.

  Jayne gives an embarrassed grimace. ‘The first thing he does in the morning is get me a coffee,’ she admits.

  ‘Aunt Jayne, where’s Grasper?’

  ‘He’s at Vikram’s house, Hannah. With it being Auntie Verity’s big opening, he’s better off out of the way.’

  ‘Oh.’ Hannah’s face falls in disappointment.

  ‘Don’t worry, we can go and get him later and you can take him out for a walk.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Right, well, shall we have breakfast, then we can get on with the day?’

  ‘Just what I was thinking,’ I say. ‘Come on through to the dining room.’

  ***

  ‘Well, that went pretty smoothly,’ I say, pleased with myself, ‘despite all your different orders.’

  ‘It was a test run, Verity. When guests are here, they’ll all be ordering different things, and you need to serve everyone at the same table at the same time,’ Jayne says. ‘Whether you still need that walking stick or not.’

  ‘I’m not talking to you for ordering poached eggs. That was just cruel.’

  ‘But delicious and perfectly cooked.’

  Lara smiles and tops up our coffees. ‘What’s up, Verity? You seem a bit out of sorts this morning.’

  I sip my drink, then place my cup carefully on its saucer. ‘I think I understand the orbs and the Grey Lady.’ I pause.

  ‘Yes,’ Lara encourages. ‘For what it’s worth, I think you and William are right about them, and I don’t think any of them will be seen again. They’ve done what they needed to do, and are at peace now.’

  ‘That’s not it, though, is it, Verity?’ Jayne presses.

  ‘No. It’s the birds. Why did they congregate here? Why were they tapping the windows and breaking them?’

  ‘Yes, Mum, I’ve been thinking about that too,’ Hannah says. ‘What were the birds doing?’

  Lara sips her coffee. ‘To be honest, I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure. It could be that the old tale about graveyard rooks being the souls of the dead, or maybe the souls of children who died before being christened, are true, and Harry and Martha being here made it easier for them to interact with us.’

  ‘Or?’ I push.

  ‘Or Martha and Harry were trying to use them to communicate.’

  ‘But it was Emily Brontë who had the connection with animals and birds,’ Jayne points out. ‘Could she have been trying to warn Verity? Trying to prevent Martha taking her over?’

  ‘That does make sense, Jayne, I’m impressed,’ Lara says with a proud grin. ‘Emily saw Martha at her worst, and was also invested in the village and doing what she could to ease suffering – whether animal or human. It makes sense she would or could use the birds to stop Martha causing more harm.’

  I nod, the words whirling around my head.

  ‘Have you been dreaming again?’ Lara asks.

  ‘No. Well, no dreams of Harry and Martha anyway, although I have been having nightmares. Probably just thinking about the opening.’

  ‘It’s no good just thinking about it, you’ve got to do it an’all, you know.’

  ‘William!’ I stand with a smile, unsure whether I should greet him with a kiss. Before I decide, the moment is over.

  ‘What’s that?’ I ask inste
ad, indicating the large, slim parcel he’s carrying.

  ‘Well, when we first met, I promised a certain somebody a painting.’

  Hannah squeals. ‘Is it my portrait? Have you painted me, Uncle William?’

  I glance at William in consternation at the word uncle, but he’s smiling broadly and offers the parcel to Hannah. As she takes it and all attention is on her, he leans over and kisses me.

  I glance up, meet his eyes, and smile. My heart flips as he grins back down at me. At last, I only see William when I look at him and, as far as I can tell, he no longer sees Martha in me.

  ‘William, that ... that’s amazing!’ Lara says. ‘I can’t thank you enough. What do you think, Hans?’

  Hannah is gobsmacked and stares at the painting. ‘You’ve painted Grasper too.’

  ‘Is that okay?’

  ‘It-it’s perfect! I love it! Thank you, Uncle William.’ She leaves the painting on the tabletop and runs over to give him a hug. The smile on William’s face expands further, and I step over to the painting to have a proper look.

  He has really caught Hannah, not only superficially, but something in her expression that is simply ... Hannah. She’s cuddling Grasper, who is looking at her in adoration; they’re alone on the moors, with a reservoir in the background and a hovering kestrel above.

  I glance up at Lara and see she is close to tears. Jayne gives her a squeeze and grins at her, but doesn’t tease her. I can see Jayne is moved too.

  ‘I’m going to hang it in my room, I can, can’t I, Mum?’

  ‘Yes, of course you can. Or we can hang it in the lounge if you want, so everyone can see it.’

  ‘Umm, I’ll think about it,’ Hannah says, and I realise how much she’s matured over the months I was absent. Physically she’s still the same Hans, but she seems much older now somehow. She’s growing up, I realise. Fast.

  ‘Has everything gone live?’

  I glance up at William, aghast. With the excitement of Opening Day, I’d completely forgotten to look.

  ‘Let’s check now then.’

  I nod and cross to the reception desk to boot up the computer, while Jayne and Lara clear the breakfast things. Hannah is fixated, staring at her picture, exclaiming every time she notices a new detail.

  I check my own website first, and make sure the booking page is now working as my web designer promised it would, then go to booking.com to check The Rookery’s listing is live. William peers over my shoulder and rests his hands on my hips.

  ‘Congratulations, Verity,’ he whispers. ‘You’re officially open.’

  I turn to check the others are still otherwise engaged, and wrap my arms around his neck. ‘Thank you,’ I whisper back.

  ‘What for?’

  ‘Well, you know. Sticking around and helping me after everything, well, after Martha—’

  ‘Shh. That’s all over, stop worrying. We’re Verity and William. Martha and Harry have gone. Or has something happened?’

  ‘No.’ I shake my head. ‘These days I only dream about you.’ I stretch towards him and he meets my lips in a lingering kiss.

  ‘No time for that, you’ve got a business to run.’ Jayne’s voice breaks the spell, and I pull back from him with a rueful grin.

  I turn to admonish her, but am surprised to see her proffering two champagne flutes.

  ‘Bucks fizz,’ she clarifies, as Lara appears behind her with two more glasses.

  ‘To The Rookery,’ Jayne toasts. ‘May God bless her and all who stay in her.’

  I grin at the parody of the queen’s ship-launch blessing, and sip the orange juice and champagne.

  ‘To good friends.’ It is my turn to toast.

  ‘And to success and happiness – in all things,’ Lara adds.

  ‘I’ll drink to that,’ William says. ‘And I have another gift, I think now is the ideal moment.’ He fishes out a brown-paper-wrapped, flat package from his back pocket and hands it to me.

  I glance up at him in question.

  ‘Open it.’

  I pull the paper away to reveal a flat board attached to a chain. Vacancies I read, then turn it over. No Vacancies. It’s hand-painted, with a moor-landscape background, and the lettering is picked out in black. I look closer. Each stroke of each letter is styled as a feather.

  ‘It’s perfect, thank you, William.’ I grin up at him and give him another kiss. A short one this time. ‘I’d completely forgotten about a sign.’

  He reaches into another pocket, pulls out a hook attached to a sucker, takes back the sign, and hangs it on the large window next to the front door.

  ‘Now what?’ Lara says. ‘Is there anything that needs doing?’

  I shake my head. ‘Now we wait.’

  ‘Well, I’ll leave you to it,’ William says. ‘I need to open the gallery, but I’ll pop back at lunchtime.’ He gives me a peck on the cheek and waves to Lara, Jayne and Hannah. ‘Have a good day – I’ll put the word out on Main Street too, let people know you’re open.’

  ‘That would be great, thanks.’

  11.

  ‘Anything?’ Jayne asks when she returns with Grasper, ready for his walk with Hannah.

  I shake my head. ‘Nothing. Five hours open and not a single enquiry.’

  ‘Don’t look so down, it’s only the first day, it’ll take time for word to get out, we just need to be patient.’

  ‘Or maybe not,’ Lara says, nodding at the window.

  I glance out to see Vikram and Mo walking alongside a young couple and gesturing at The Rookery.

  ‘Have you any rooms free?’ Mo asks, throwing a wink to Lara. ‘We met Carole and Bob here in the Bull. They’ve come out for the day and have decided to stay on, but haven’t booked anywhere, can you help?’

  ‘We certainly can,’ I say. ‘Welcome to The Rookery. How long would you like to stay?’

  ‘A couple of nights,’ Bob says. ‘We didn’t realise how much there is to do around here, and Carole really wants to go to an event at the museum tomorrow.’

  ‘Oh, the Branwell Brontë talk?’

  ‘Yes, and Bob wants to see the Flying Scotsman.’

  ‘Oh yes, that’s very popular – do you have tickets?’

  ‘Yes, we bought them this morning.’

  ‘Great – I hope you enjoy it. It’s £100 per double room per night with full, home-cooked breakfast. Can I ask you to fill out a registration form, and also an authorisation for your credit card? You won’t be charged until you check out.’

  ‘That sounds fine,’ Bob says, and Carole picks up the pen to fill in their details.

  ‘We also include a complimentary bottle of wine – there’s red in the room, or if you prefer we can change it for white.’

  ‘Oh that’s a nice touch. Red’s fine, thank you.’

  ‘You’re in Emily’s Room, which is at the back, so you have a view of the parsonage, and Lara will take you up. I hope you enjoy your stay.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Lara ushers them to the stairs and upward, and I turn to thank Vikram and Mo, but realise Jayne has already taken care of them.

  ‘You realise Will’s been up and down Main Street telling everyone about this place,’ Vikram says. ‘Don’t be surprised if you get busy.’

  ‘Aye, but you’d better let him know when you’re full, else you’ll be turning people away.’ Mo chuckles. ‘The man’s on a mission!’

  I colour as they laugh, but can’t help a big grin spread over my face at the thought of William herding tourists up the hill to The Rookery.

  ‘Must want this place to be a success for some reason.’ Vikram winks at me, then steps out of the way as another couple enter.

  ‘Is this the place run by a real Earnshaw?’ the man asks.

  My colour deepens. ‘It is, yes. I’m Verity Earnshaw, welcome to The Rookery.’

  ‘The man in the art gallery said you could trace your family back to the Brontë era, his too.’

  ‘That’s right, yes.’

  ‘And between them
, they inspired at least one of Emily’s characters,’ Vikram put in.

  I don’t answer, but fill in the paperwork and send them upstairs with Lara as soon as she returns.

  When we’re alone again, I turn to Vikram. ‘Don’t do that, please.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Use Harry and Martha like that, after what happened. Just let them rest in peace.’

  ‘The best way you can ensure they rest is by getting things right. You and William,’ Jayne says. ‘And that includes filling this place. After what you went through, why wouldn’t you take whatever advantage comes from it too?’

  ‘And anyway, it’s not like it’s a lie, is it?’ Vikram says.

  ***

  ‘See, it pays to get in with the locals,’ Jayne says as Lara shepherds another couple up to their room. ‘I don’t think you’re going to have any trouble filling the rooms, not with Vikram and William on the case. You’ll need more rooms at this rate!’

  ‘Calm down, Jayne, it’s only the first day, and we’re not booked up yet. I’m still taking up the downstairs guest room, and the single room is still free.’

  ‘Perfect, just what I was going to ask you.’

  I turn to see a woman of my own age standing in the foyer, William behind her. I need to install a bell on that door.

  ‘Welcome to The Rookery,’ I say, and flash a smile at William. ‘I see you’ve met our local artist.’

  The woman and William burst out laughing.

  ‘You could say that,’ he says eventually, oblivious to my discomfort. ‘Let me introduce you. Verity, this is my sister, Rebekah. Rebekah, Verity.

  ‘Oh!’ I turn bright red with embarrassment. ‘I’m so sorry. It’s good to meet you.’

  ‘And you. I missed you when I came up to visit William in hospital, but I’ve heard a lot about you. Hello, Jayne, nice to see you again,’ she adds.

  I’m confused for a moment but realise they must have met when I was unconscious.

  ‘So how are you? I keep quizzing this one,’ she links her arm with William’s, ‘but getting information is like dragging blood out of a stone.’

  ‘It’s a bit difficult to explain over the phone,’ William defends himself.

  ‘Why don’t you come for dinner tonight? We’ll fill you in on all the details, and we can get to know each other too.’