“Wow, I didn’t even know he was divorced. Do you think this could be what’s happening to him now, that he’s having some sort of delayed breakdown?”
“I don’t know, but we really need to get back over there are see him. The only problem is I’ve got the kids and my husband, Tom, won’t be back till this afternoon. Do you mind waiting till then? If you heard him moving around downstairs then he must be okay.”
“The thing is I don’t even know if it was him down there, I really don’t know what to believe right now.”
“The best thing we can do is just wait a while. I’m certain there will be a rational explanation for all this.” Ursula didn’t bother to point out that Bonnie was the one had scared her half to death by telling her the house was haunted to begin with.
“What if his door is still locked when we get there?”
Bonnie thought for a moment. “Yvette has a spare set of keys at the agency to every room in the house. Why don’t you drive over there and pick them up. It will help to kill some time, and it will do you good to go for a drive into town and take your mind off things.”
“I tried ringing Yvette before I came here to get your number but the call went straight to voice mail.”
“That’s because she’s always gossiping on the phone. She’ll definitely be there. While you’re gone I’ll ring around and find a sitter so Tom can come with us. I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to go over there alone.”
“That’s for sure. I’ll head into town now and get the keys, I guess, and I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, and try not to worry too much, Ursula, everything will be fine.”
****
Although she knew it could be hours before they returned to the house, Ursula couldn’t shake the sense of urgency that overtook her as she drove towards Paradise. There was something very wrong at Colton Manor, and she wished they could go back there immediately and get to the bottom of it. Damien could be in real danger. Just because the ghost had not harmed anyone before did not mean it never would, there was a first time for everything. But was it something supernatural causing him to behave so weirdly, or did he have repressed anger from his divorce that was only coming out now? She was glad she hadn’t let things go too far with him the previous night because the last thing she needed was to become involved with a man carrying serious baggage.
Despite everything Ursula’s intuition told her that Damien was not a person she needed to fear, and she had learned to listen to her inner voice over the years. Every instinct told her that he could be trusted, and that was why she believed Bonnie when she said his strange behaviour was completely out of character. The only other explanation was that there was something sinister going on at the house, and this conclusion did nothing to calm her fears.
The sun was shining brightly for the first time since she’d arrived as she pulled up in the main street, but she barely even noticed it as she got out of the car and walked to the real estate agency. Yvette was on the phone, but she put it down when Ursula pushed open the door.
“Oh hi, I was just about to call you to give you Bonnie’s number. I hope everything is alright out there.”
“Yes, I decided to drive over and see her instead. I’ve just locked one of the doors upstairs and lost the key. Bonnie said you have a spare set here.” She decided against saying anything about Damien for the moment until they had a better idea of what was going on.
Yvette studied her face shrewdly, clearly suspecting there was more to it than Ursula was telling her.
“You know, Ursula, Bonnie came in here the other day and gave me a bit of a talking to about letting you stay at Colton Manor on your own. I hope she hasn’t been telling you any silly stories about the house.”
“She’s mentioned a few things.”
“Oh, that woman is unbelievable.” Yvette shook her head as she retrieved some keys from her desk and handed them across the counter. “There’s absolutely no truth to anything she says. The rumours started a couple of years ago when a family rented the house and they kept being disturbed by noises at night. They moved out and told everyone the house was haunted, but turns out it was just a family of possums living in the roof.” She laughed shrilly, reminding Ursula of the first time she’d set foot inside the office to inquire about Colton Manor. “That’s all there was to it, but you know how people love a ghost story, and it just took off from there. They began rehashing stories from over a hundred year ago and now there’s no stopping them. It’s disgraceful of Bonnie to scare you like that.”
“So it’s not true that the house has changed hands many times?”
“Well, yes, that is correct. There have been quite a few owners, but one of the main reasons is the weather. A lot of people don’t realise just how much rain we get in these parts, and they are very disappointed when they can’t spend as much time on the beach as they’d hoped.”
“Is that really all there is to it?”
“Of course, and I can assure you the current owner is very happy with the house.” Now it was Ursula’s turn to scrutinize her face to determine if she was telling the truth. Bonnie seemed much more trustworthy than Yvette, but what if she was just gullible and naïve like Damien had said and there was nothing to the rumours? But that would mean Damien was possibly having some kind of mental breakdown and her intuitions about him were all wrong. Doubt about her own judgements began to creep in, and Ursula felt more confused than ever.
“Well, thanks for these,” she said, holding up the keys and turning to leave.
“I was quite surprised when you rang yesterday and said that Damien Knight is staying with you out there now. It must be nice to have some company,” replied Yvette, forcing her to turn back around.
“Yes, it is.”
“He’s a nice man, but I’m sure you know he’s been through a bad divorce.”
“I heard the divorce was amicable.”
“No divorce is amicable, dear. I can take years to recover from something like that.” She gave Ursula a meaningful look.
“We’re just temporary housemates. His divorce has nothing to do with me.”
“Of course, but be careful, men on the rebound can sometimes act rashly.” Ursula didn’t even bother to say goodbye as she walked out of the office. She was fuming that Yvette had dared to imply that she was interested in becoming involved with Damien when it was none of her business. Her cryptic comment about men on the rebound also made her wonder if she knew more about him than she was saying.
As she was about to get back into the car, Ursula spotted the public library across the street. She decided it was a good opportunity to find out more about the house and kill a few hours. She crossed over the road and entered the small brick building, stopping at the front desk to ask the librarian for help.
“I’m just doing a bit of research on historic houses in the area and I was wondering if you knew where I could find some information about Colton Manor?
“Hmm,” said the young woman, scratching her head. “I’m only a temp and I’m not from here so I don’t know much about the local history. We’re a bit unorganized with our records right now, but we do have archives of old newspapers out the back waiting to be scanned. You can start there if you like.” She showed Ursula through to a dusty room with three huge compactors. “I’m not really supposed to let you in here, but I’m sure you can be trusted.”
“Thank you.” With no real idea of where to start, Ursula plunged into one of the compactors and began leafing through the newspapers. She decided to just to skim read for references to the house, the name Edward Stanton and any information about the women who’d died and disappeared there. Bonnie had told her the house was built around 1850 so she began with that year, and soon she was completely immersed in the past.
It was fascinating to get a glimpse into the lives of people from over one hundred and fifty ago and for a while she almost forgot the reason she was there. When she finally came across some articles related to Colton
Manor they weren’t very helpful. There was a funeral notice for Anna Williams, the wife who had fallen from the cliff to her death, and a report about lightning striking the house during a severe thunderstorm. There were many papers missing from the archives and she could find nothing about the second wife who had vanished into thin air, or the third wife who had been found dead on the kitchen floor.
Feeling disappointed that she had not been able to uncover any significant information Ursula began looking through later papers. She was leafing through an edition from the 1960s when a headline in a section on local history caught her eye:
Black Magic Practiced at Colton Manor.
Locals in Paradise are familiar with the stories surrounding Colton Manor. For many years the house is said to have been haunted by the ghost of its former owner Edward Stanton. He is rumoured to have murdered his three wives as part of a pact with the devil.
It is claimed Stanton, who was once a fine and well-respected member of the community, began behaving very strangely in the years preceding his death. Those familiar with the old legend say he sold his soul to Satan in a deal to secure a great fortune. He also promised Satan the souls of three women in exchange for riches. Many believe he murdered his three wives to fulfil this pact.
Whatever the truth is, Stanton’s three wives all died in circumstances that can only be described as unusual. One plunged from a cliff on the grounds of the property, another was discovered on the kitchen floor with a lethal blow to her head which Stanton claimed was the result of a fall, and another simply vanished into thin air. If Stanton did indeed sell his soul to the devil he got a raw deal. Instead of enjoying great wealth he lived out his final years as a virtual recluse and died with barely a penny to his name.
To this day people claim they sometimes see lights in the old house which has been abandoned for several decades, and those who are game enough to go inside say there is an overwhelming sense of evil in the house. The general consensus among the light-loving and God-fearing folk in Paradise is that Colton Manor is a place to be avoided at all costs.
Ursula was staring at the paper, trying to digest the latest information about the house when a hand on her shoulder caused her to scream and spin around. It was just the librarian.
“Sorry to scare you, but we close at three today. You can come back tomorrow.”
Ursula glanced at her watch. “Is it really that late? I’ve been in here for hours.” She struggled to her feet, shaking out the kinks in her legs and arms after hours of sitting in the same position.
“Did you find anything useful?”
“Maybe, but right now I’m not quite sure what to make of it. I might be back again.”
“Have you tried speaking to the owner, they might be able to help you with the history of the house?”
“The owner lives overseas as far as I know and I really don’t want to bother him. Thanks for your help.”
“No problem, I’ll see if I can dig up anything else for you if you like.”
“That would be great,” said Ursula distractedly as she hurried out the door.
****
Her mind was racing as she drove back along the coastal road towards Bonnie’s house. Although she had no concrete proof, the newspaper articles had given her much to think about, and confirmed her deep suspicions that something very dark lurked at Colton Manor. They needed to get back there and make sure Damien was okay. After that she wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but she couldn’t continue to stay there, that had become very clear to her. She would never get any painting done when she was jumping at every shadow.
There were no other cars in the drive when she pulled up at Bonnie’s and as soon as she opened her door Bonnie appeared on the porch and quickly walked down the steps to meet her.
“I’m glad to see you. When I tried to call and got no answer I started to worry that you’d gone back to the house on your own.”
“Sorry, I went to the library to do some research and left my phone in the car. I got a bit carried away.”
“Did you find out anything interesting?”
“Sort of. When will Tom be back?”
“He’ll be here soon. He’s picking up our sitter on the way home from work so we’ll be able to leave as soon as he gets here. Now come inside and tell me what you found out.”
Ten minutes later Ursula found herself again sipping coffee in Bonnie’s kitchen. It was hard not to feel like she was being melodramatic in such cosy surroundings as she told Bonnie about the rumours of black magic being practiced at Colton Manor.
“I’ve heard this story before but it seemed a little far-fetched even for me.”
“It is a bit out there, but anything is possible and it could explain why the house feels so creepy.”
“True, I just want to get over there and make sure Damien’s okay. I wish Tom would hurry up.” There words were hardly out of Bonnie’s mouth when the phone rang and she stood up to answer it. To Ursula’s frustration it was Tom calling to say he’d been held up at work and he didn’t know how long he’d be. As the hours ticked by she tried to distract herself by playing with Bonnie’s kids on the beach and doing some sketches, but her thoughts were constantly on Colton Manor. When Bonnie called the children in for dinner she paced the veranda, straining her ears for the sound of a car approaching. Her hopes were raised many times, but they all kept going right past the house.
Eventually, just as it was beginning to get dark, a Jeep pulled into the drive. Ursula watched as a fair-haired man emerged from the driver’s side, while a woman in her sixties opened the passenger’s door. There could be no doubt this time that it was Tom and the babysitter.
“Hi,” he said, extending his hand as he climbed the steps. “You must be Ursula. This is Carol, our sitter. I’m sorry it took me so long to get away, but I’ll just get changed and then we’ll head over there and see what’s going on.” From the casual way he spoke Ursula could tell he didn’t take her and Bonnie’s concerns seriously. Bonnie had already told her he was sceptical, but they agreed that it didn’t matter if he believed them or not, as long as he accompanied them there.
“Have you tried to ring him at all?” he asked as he pushed open the screen door and she followed him inside.
“Yes, quite a few times. There’s no answer on his mobile or the house phone.”
“That is a bit strange. Anyway I won’t be long.” He disappeared up the stairs and emerged a short time later wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The three of them were about to step out the door when, to Ursula’s intense annoyance, the phone rang and he was side tracked again. It was another twenty minutes before they finally got away.
The last rays of daylight were fading fast, and there were few stars in the sky as she followed them in her car. It got dark very quickly, and then the mist that seemed to be a permanent feature around the house enveloped them. Ursula was glad she could still see the taillights of the Jeep ahead of her because it was in this exact spot she’d almost had a head on collision. The memory still made her shudder. She remembered Damien’s comment about rain and mist being part of the curse of Colton Manor and she couldn’t help wondering if it was all tied up with the rumours that Edward Stanton had sold his soul to the devil.
Chapter Five
The house was in total darkness as she pulled up in the drive and joined Bonnie and Tom on the porch. Even Tom looked a little nervous. Damien’s car was exactly where it had been that morning, and it seemed he had not left the house all day.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m very worried about what we’re going to find in here,” said Bonnie with a tremble in her voice. “I really hope Damien is okay.” Ursula remembered that Bonnie had refused to come inside the house just a couple of days earlier, and she knew it took a lot of courage for her to be here, especially in these circumstances. She fumbled for her key and then put it in the lock. The door opened with a loud creaking sound.
“He’ll be fine,” said Tom in a hearty voice that echo
ed around the entrance foyer as they stepped inside. “He’s probably just in his room and hasn’t bothered to turn the lights on yet. You know how he feels about wasting electricity.”
“That doesn’t explain why he didn’t answer the phone or return our calls. That’s not like him at all,” said Bonnie. Tom didn’t reply. The house was as silent as a museum and it felt eerie and unnatural. Ursula felt along the wall for the light to the foyer and stairs, but in the dark she knocked over a vase on the hall table. She let out a scream that blended with the sound of the vase shattering on the tiled floor. For a moment they all held their breath, waiting to see if Damien would appear to find out what was happening. Nothing stirred.
“Well, I guess the first place we should check is his room,” said Tom, breaking the heavy silence that had settled back over the house. “That’s the most logical place for him to be.” When they reached the first floor Ursula saw that she had left in such a hurry that morning she hadn’t closed her door. All the other doors in the long hallway were open, except Damien’s.
“Is this his room?” asked Tom, pointing at the closed door. Ursula nodded without saying a word, and then watched as Tom knocked on the door. “Damien, are you in there? It’s Tom. Ursula was a bit worried about you so she asked me and Bonnie to come and check up on you. Damien? Damien?” His voice echoed down the hallway but there was no answer and no noise inside the room. After waiting for a few seconds Tom tried the door handle, but it was locked. “It looks like we’ll have to go in there. Do you have the key, Ursula?”
The keys! Ursula had been so preoccupied that morning she could not even remember what she’d done with them when she left the real estate agency. She looked through her bag, hoping she’d slipped them in there, but they weren’t there. She turned her bag upside down and dumped the entire contents on the floor, not caring that Tom and Bonnie saw the mess of pens, tissues, bus tickets, tampons, coins and lip-gloss that came flying out. There was still no sign of the keys Yvette had given her.
Colton Manor Page 5
