The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor

by Amy Reade

  “Where does all the food go?” I asked her.

  “The food will be set up, buffet-style, in the dining room,” she replied. “That way people can enjoy their hors d’oeuvres in the ballroom or in the drawing room or wherever they want to sit.”

  “You do this every year?” I asked again. It seemed to be an incredible amount of work for one open house.

  She smiled. “It’s actually fun. It breaks up some of the monotony around here. I love doing the décor for the party. And as I mentioned before, I don’t remember the ballroom ever looking this good, so it’s actually been easier for me this year than usual. In past years I’ve had to dress up the walls with garland and wreaths and all kinds of decorations so people didn’t notice how bad the rooms looked.”

  “You’re certainly very good at it.”

  “Thank you.”

  Lucy came twirling up to us. “When is the party?” she squealed.

  Phyllis laughed. “Very soon.”

  The next two days flew by in a flurry of activity and preparations. Phyllis and Vivian kept me and Evie busy, and Lucy trailed after me every minute. She didn’t get a nap either day, which explained why she was miserable and cranky in the evenings. Graydon was smart enough to stay holed up in his office and Ruby stayed in the kitchen, preparing tray after tray of beautiful sweets. Apparently Vivian had decided to let Ruby cook something for the affair, after all.

  The morning of the party dawned gusty and dark. Vivian fretted that the weather would keep people home, but Graydon told her in no uncertain terms that he was sick of hearing about the open house and he hoped no one would show up. She clucked at him and tried everything to keep him quiet; eventually she ordered him back up to his office along with a glass of whiskey to calm his nerves. Phyllis stayed in the kitchen issuing instructions to the assembled staff that had been hired to keep champagne glasses filled, butler around trays of finger foods, clear tables, and generally see to the guests’ needs. Ruby, too, stayed in the kitchen, arranging silver trays of bite-size desserts and sending them out one after another in the capable hands of the staff.

  She was dressed becomingly in a tea-length pink chiffon frock, with long sashes tied at the back of her waist in a big bow. She had an apron over her dress and looked out of place in the kitchen, but I wondered if she felt more comfortable there than in the ballroom or one of the other rooms with the guests.

  Boone had surprised Evie by flying in for the occasion. He showed up in a dark gray suit with a Santa tie. Evie shrieked with delight when she saw him and he caught her and swung her around in his arms while Graydon and Vivian looked on happily. The whiskey had evidently done the trick and Graydon seemed back in his element, greeting guests as they arrived and directing them to the food and drink.

  Evie looked marvelous in a dark blue dress with thin straps and a flare at the knees. Her very high heels brought her almost to Boone’s chin.

  I wore a 1950s-style dark green satin knee-length dress with a wide sash at the waist and puckered skirt. The V-neck accentuated a long strand of costume pearls I wore in a knot. My hair was up in a French twist and I felt dressed up and fancy. But Lucy stole the show in a tiny black-and-red plaid satin dress with white tights and sparkly black shoes.

  I waited anxiously for Heath to arrive. When he finally got to the party, I was proud of just how good he looked in his blue suit and red tie. He held my hand and introduced me to many of the family friends who had arrived. I felt like a princess.

  Lucy and I made the rounds with Heath and met lots of people. Lucy charmed everyone. Her sweet smile and adorable mannerisms immediately drew people to her. The guests all fawned over her dutifully and she was happy to be the center of attention. I thought more than once of how Cora-Camille and Harlan would have loved the party. I guessed Ruby was thinking the same thing—when she finally made her way out of the kitchen and greeted guests, she looked a little lost and forlorn.

  Lucy and I helped ourselves to small plates of food and I took her to one of the benches in the ballroom to enjoy our meal. She was thrilled to be sitting under the snowy trees, pointing out the small birds perched on the branches as she ate. She swung her legs and talked incessantly about the birds and the decorations. She was having a grand time.

  It wasn’t long before Evie came by looking for us.

  “Carleigh, can I borrow Lucy for a while? I’ve been telling some old family friends all about her and they haven’t met her yet. I’ll bring her right back.”

  I smiled at her and Lucy. “Want to go with Evie?”

  “Yes!”

  I shooed them away and thought back fondly to our arrival at Peppernell Manor, when Lucy was scared to even go near Evie. They had become great friends.

  I sat for a while by myself, enjoying the soft Christmas music playing in the background and the murmur of guests’ voices as they enjoyed the company and the delectable food and the festive holiday atmosphere. Heath came over and sat down next to me after several minutes.

  “Where’s Lucy?”

  “Evie took her to introduce her to some old friends.”

  “Enjoying the party?”

  “Very much. I can’t believe that this happens annually. It’s a huge affair.”

  “Mom thrives on it, as you may have noticed. Even Phyllis, who gets stuck doing most of the work, seems to love it.”

  “Phyllis told me as much. She said it lifts her out of the monotony of her normal duties around here.”

  “But I didn’t come over here to talk about Phyllis. I came over to ask you something.”

  “What?”

  And before I knew what was happening, Heath was on his knee in front of me, reaching into his jacket pocket. I could feel my eyes growing wide and my cheeks getting hot. I glanced around briefly and saw that people had stopped talking and were staring at us. Heath was holding a small black-velvet box in the palm of his hand and he opened it as he looked at me.

  “Carleigh, the first time I met you we were at different places in our lives, but now that I’ve come to know you over these past several months, I have to say that you are the most beautiful and talented and wonderful and thoughtful person I have ever known. You are a tender and caring woman and mother, and I want to know if you’ll be my wife.”

  Tears were streaming down my face and I laughed as I wiped them clumsily away. “Yes, of course I will,” I answered, crying softly.

  “You said you wanted a proper proposal. How was that?” he asked with a grin.

  “Wonderful!” I told him, laughing.

  I noticed again the people that had been watching us. They all began to clap and cheer as Heath took my arm and helped me to my feet. I looked at the ring. It was exquisite.

  It was a large diamond, square cut and sparkling brilliantly in the twinkly lights, surrounded by tiny diamonds.

  “I found that ring at my mother’s store. She found it for me, actually. I told her I wanted something that represented your time here at the manor and she found one from the mid-1800s,” Heath said.

  “It’s perfect,” I said with a smile. How thoughtful of him to get a ring that would mean so much to me. People were starting to crowd around to congratulate us. It was all a little overwhelming. I kept peering through the crowd looking for Lucy. I wasn’t sure how I would explain all of this to her, but I knew she would be happy. She loved Heath as much as I did.

  It wasn’t long before Evie brought Lucy back to my side. She hugged me and demanded to see the ring.

  “Heath wouldn’t show it to me before you saw it,” she said, casting a pout in his direction.

  “You knew?”

  “Why do you think I came to take Lucy? Heath needed you all to himself for a few minutes. He enlisted my help and told me what he was up to. I am so happy for you both!” she squealed, and hugged me again.

  Graydon and Vivian made their way to the front of the group surrounding us. Lucy stood on the bench next to me, talking to everyone.

  “Congratulations to you b
oth,” Graydon said, hugging me and then Heath. “I knew he was going to fall for you, Carleigh,” he said. “You’re just the type of girl he needs.”

  Vivian nodded, agreeing. “You two are perfect for each other,” she gushed in that Southern drawl. “I can’t wait for the wedding!”

  Ruby came up to us, too, and wrapped us both in a big embrace. “I wish Mother had been here to see this,” she said hoarsely, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “But she’s watching. I know she is.”

  I felt a pang of sympathy for her and held her hand for a moment. “You’ll help with the wedding plans, I hope, Ruby?”

  She beamed. “Do you really want me to, I would love that!” She clapped her hands.

  “Why is Ruby happy?” asked Lucy.

  “Because she is going to help us make some very special plans,” I explained. She seemed satisfied with that, so I didn’t discuss the matter further.

  Heath led me around by the hand, accepting the hugs and claps on the back from all the assembled guests. I got my fair share of hugs from women and men I’d never met as everyone shared in our happiness.

  Eventually I told Heath I had to go upstairs to powder my nose. I intended to take Lucy with me to give her a short break from all the attention. I turned to her, holding out my hand. She wasn’t there.

  “Do you see Lucy?” I asked Heath.

  He craned his neck and looked around. “No,” he answered. “Let’s go find her.”

  I hoped she wasn’t getting tired and grumpy because she had been on her best behavior for so long. I went first in search of Evie, who said she hadn’t seen Lucy. She took Boone by the arm and they went looking for her in the dining room. I saw Vivian and Graydon next, but they hadn’t seen Lucy, either. I went upstairs, assuming she had gone up to our room for a little time alone. But she wasn’t there.

  I was getting a bit worried. I went back downstairs, where Heath was coming out of the kitchen trailed by Ruby and Phyllis. “She’s not in there,” he said. “I’m going to check the carriage house. Maybe the noise here got to her and she went over to see Addie.”

  “That’s a good idea,” I replied.

  “What do you want me to do?” asked Ruby.

  “Can you go check around the outside of the manor?”

  “Yes.” She hurried off. Graydon and Vivian came up to me in the front hall. “We haven’t been able to find her.”

  “Heath is looking in the carriage house and Ruby is checking the outside of the manor.” I turned to Phyllis. “Would you mind checking in your apartment?”

  “Not at all.” She left, but returned quickly. “She’s not in there. Where else should I look?”

  “Why don’t you check in the basement? That’s the only place we haven’t checked inside the house.”

  Graydon and Vivian had left to check the withdrawing room and the sitting room behind the ballroom. Heath returned from the carriage house shaking his head.

  “Heath, where can she be?” I was getting very worried.

  “Maybe she’s hiding in among the Christmas trees in the ballroom. She likes playing in there. Let’s check.”

  I accompanied him into the ballroom, which had just a few minutes before been the site of indescribable happiness for me. Now the room seemed darker, more sinister, a room of worry and fear.

  We started at opposite ends of the room, checking under and behind every tree. She wasn’t there. A few guests cast wondering glances at us, whispering among themselves.

  As Heath straightened up after looking under the very last tree, a guest came up to him and clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Hey, Heath! Congratulations! I was surprised to see your ex-wife here! Did she know you were going to pop the question?”

  I froze. Ex-wife? Odeile was here? Heath looked in my direction, confused.

  A cold chill snaked up my back.

  CHAPTER 25

  “Let’s go.”

  Heath grabbed my hand and we hurried to the front hall. Graydon and Vivian were there, along with Evie. Ruby wasn’t back yet from checking outside the house.

  “Did anyone else know Odeile was here?” Heath asked grimly.

  “What?” Vivian’s face registered genuine shock. “Who invited her?”

  “No one. That’s the problem. She crashed the party and I’m very worried. I don’t know how she got in without any of us noticing her,” Heath answered.

  “What do we do next?” I asked frantically.

  Vivian put her hand on my arm. “We’ll find Lucy, Carleigh. She’s probably hiding somewhere. I’m sure she’s fine.”

  I appreciated Vivian’s attempt to make me feel better, but it didn’t help at all. Heath and I hurried out onto the veranda. Ruby still hadn’t come back. I couldn’t imagine where she had gone. We ran down the steps and went in separate directions around the house, shouting for Lucy. No answer.

  By now I was frantic. I didn’t know where to look. Odeile’s presence at the party was not a coincidence—she was there for a malevolent purpose, and it somehow involved Lucy. My voice rose as I spoke to Heath.

  “What do we do now? I’m going to call the police.”

  “Let Evie do that. We’ll keep looking. We’ll find her.” He ran up the front steps into the manor, where Vivian and Evie were waiting in the front hall. I could hear their voices as if it was a dream. It didn’t seem real.

  “Did you find her?” came Evie’s taut voice.

  “No.” Heath sounded grim.

  “What should I do?”

  “Call the police. Get them out here fast. Send an ambulance.”

  Ambulance. My heart, thudding in my rib cage, skipped a beat. I thought I was going to throw up. The dream-like quality of the conversation I had heard between Heath and Evie suddenly became very real. I bent over, my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

  Heath came running down the stairs. “Carleigh, are you all right?” he asked in alarm.

  “No. I think I’m going to faint.” I stood up and just for a moment everything went black in front of me. Voices faded away. Heath put his arm around me and helped steady me. He shouted for his mother.

  “What can I do?” Vivian asked as she came hurrying out to the veranda.

  “Mom, please get something for Carleigh to eat and drink. Quickly.” She turned around and ran back into the house. Meanwhile Heath helped me to sit down on one of the front steps. Vivian returned just a moment later with a glass of sweet tea and a small sandwich. She held them out to me, but I pushed them away.

  “I can’t eat. I’m going to be sick.”

  “Carleigh,” Heath said sternly, “eat that food. We need you strong and alert. You need to help us find Lucy.”

  The tone of his voice helped me to focus on what I needed to do. I took the plate from Vivian and ate the sandwich and drank the tea.

  “Are you all right now?” Heath asked.

  “I think so.”

  He helped me to stand up. I felt a little wobbly, but stronger. I looked up at him. “What should we do next?”

  He turned to Vivian. “Mom, send Evie out here. She can help us. You should probably go back in with Dad and play hostess so people don’t start to panic.”

  She nodded mutely and turned to go back inside. As she was going through the front door, Evie and Boone were coming out.

  “Give us something to do,” she told her brother.

  “You two go look in the old barn,” he instructed. “Maybe Lucy went in there to play.”

  I shook my head. “She’d never go in there by herself.”

  “It’s worth a try.”

  “Okay. Where do you think we should look?”

  Just then Phyllis appeared in the doorway.

  “I just spoke to Sarah. She was in the basement. She said to get to the cabins right away.”

  This wasn’t the time to debate Sarah’s existence.

  Heath stood up and grabbed my hand. We ran toward the cabins in the gathering twilight. I looked into the first ca
bin as Heath rushed down to the last one, yelling behind him, “I’ll start at the other end!”

  There was nothing amiss in the first cabin. The table and chair that I had set up were still in place, untouched. I headed back outside as Heath was exiting the fourth cabin. He shook his head. He ran to the third cabin in the row and peered inside.

  “This one is empty,” he shouted from the door.

  I ran to the second cabin and burst inside, then stopped short in horror. The first thing I noticed in the semidarkness of the cabin in the woods was Lucy’s small, limp body on the mattress I had fashioned on the floor. A primal noise erupted from my lips. Somehow my brain hadn’t yet registered the sight of Odeile, seated on the chair I had just put in the cabin a few days previously, a gun in her hand trained steadily on me.

  Heath arrived at the door of the cabin behind me and quickly took in the scene. “Odeile,” he said quietly, “put that down. There’s no need for this.”

  Her lips curled in a sickening smile. “Heath, darlin’, I hear you’re going to marry this dullard,” she said, jerking the gun in my direction.

  “I’m marrying Carleigh, if that’s what you mean,” he answered.

  “And you’re going to be the daddy of this awful creature.”

  “She has a daddy, Odeile. I’m going to be her stepfather.”

  The blood was rushing, pounding in my ears. I didn’t know if my baby was dead or alive. I couldn’t stand it. Odeile wouldn’t hesitate to shoot me if I tried moving toward Lucy, I knew, but I had to do something, say something.

  “Odeile, you and Heath can still be friends,” I croaked.

  “You shut up,” she growled.

  “Odeile—” Heath began.

  “You shut up, too.”

  Then her tone changed suddenly. “Heath, why wasn’t I good enough for you?” she whined.

  Heath didn’t answer.

  “How could you want her instead of me?”

  He stared at her in silence.

  “You’d better answer me, Heath Peppernell. If you don’t, I’ll shoot her,” she said, again twitching the gun toward me.