Within twelve months Sarah had given birth again, another son. She would have many more children; Robin made sure she fell pregnant every year.
The old bakery at Lower Marston had a chequered life after that but mostly sat alone at the crossroads. John, Robin’s firstborn son, held it in trust for his children and this passed through the generations. The building was seldom occupied, and whenever some luckless individual took it up under lease, they never stayed long. Countless disasters overtook the various tenants during the following years; it was never a happy home.
Chapter 41
Lilly would escort Luke to the ship's rail every morning so that he might enjoy the sea air. It was fresh and invigorating, far removed from the claustrophobic confines of their cabin. They were several weeks into the long journey, the weather had been favourable and all in all it had been a pleasant journey so far. Luke would regale Lilly with tales of Virginia and its future promise. There was land aplenty, and he intended to try and buy a remote portion somewhere with the remainder of the gold coins and perhaps a little generosity from his former partner who, without Luke’s good favour, would still be an indentured servant.
One morning they made their way as usual to the lee side of the ship to take the air. However, the ship was moving in a different way which they found unsettling. The first mate approached and advised them that a storm was building and it might be a rough passage for a while. As they looked out over the sea, they could see the ominous signs of dark thunderclouds building in the distance ahead of them. They were sailing directly into the storm but being in the middle of the Atlantic ocean there was little choice but to continue on their present course and weather it. The mate assured them he had come through many storms and this would be no different. They would stay under heavily reduced sail, just enough to make the vessel navigable. The decks became busy, and orders shouted. Sailors ran up the ratlines and edged their way out along spars to shorten sail. Soon all was prepared, they carried minimal canvas, and everything which might come loose was double lashed. There was nothing for it except to go to their cabin and prepare to be tossed about like a cork in a mill stream. Luke and Lilly sat side by side in their berth holding each other for comfort as they heard the wind intensify. The motion of the ship became unpredictable as it heaved and yawed from side to side. The noise of the shrieking wind became so unbearable that Lilly put her hands over her ears. Luke held her firmly in his arms as the ship began falling into the huge troughs of waves which had been whipped up by the wind to frightening heights. They could feel the ship climbing the side of a swell then stopping momentarily before plunging into the depths of the next trough. Luke wondered at what point the ship would break apart with the strain. There was no way he could seek any reassurance from the mate or captain. It would be impossible to keep his footing as the floor fell away into every new trough.
Suddenly the motion of the ship changed. A new movement replaced the regular rise and fall. It seemed to have calmed dramatically, and Luke hoped they were through the worst.
What he could not know was that the ship had broached side on to the waves and was now travelling up the steep swells sideways, a sure recipe for disaster. It was only a matter of seconds before their world turned upside down as the vessel fell off a wave and capsized. The ship’s masts entered the water first as it pushed beneath the surface. It would never recover and continued downwards, hampered by the wet canvas sales and countless yards of heavy tarred rigging. Luke, still holding a terrified Lilly in his arms was catapulted onto the low decking which had only just before been above their heads. The sea cascaded into the cabin with tremendous force, and they were taken swiftly in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. None survived, the ship was gone, together with all on board, almost instantly.
Mary’s fear and Bethany’s warning had materialised. Luke had dared to cross water, and had paid with his life.
Chapter 42
Sebastian lay in bed watching the shadows flick across the ceiling. The moonlight made the room almost as bright as day, and sleeping was difficult. He put out his hand and touched the bed beside him, certain if Briony were there beside him sleep would not be a problem. She seemed to instill a calmness in him and everything around her, and he wished they could always be together, not merely on the odd occasion. Not for the first time, he idly wondered where she might be. At first, he thought she was with James, but now that his sister occupied that position in a semi permanent arrangement, he doubted Briony would be welcome. Caroline’s disposition had taken a distinct turn for the worse; either James attitude was rubbing off on her, or some other external influence had changed her. Either way, she had materialised into the bitch he always knew was lying just beneath the surface.
The following morning he walked downstairs and sat at the kitchen table. All thoughts of renovation had left him; he just couldn’t be bothered. He had been so keen at first, eager to get started and perhaps bring his piano up as well, maybe even give lessons? But now all he ever thought about was Briony. He spent his days lounging around waiting for her to come into his life, to make it worthwhile.
As he sat and contemplated nothing in particular, the smoke began rising from the wingbacked chair. He didn’t say anything, couldn’t be bothered to swear at whoever was sitting there. He knew the smoker wouldn’t be real flesh and blood, none of his visitors seemed to have any real substance at all. He was beginning to believe the place was somewhat overcrowded with spirits from the past; he even contemplated putting it back on the market, perhaps something more modern would suit him. Once he had sorted out his relationship with Briony, he would decide. She would have the final say; he would move heaven and earth to be with her for the rest of his days, as long as it was every single day.
He decided on a whim to drive into Upper Marston and walked to his car. He didn’t bother to lock the door, what was the point, he was so isolated that anyone interested in breaking in would do so at their leisure and if he left the door unlocked there would be less damage to repair.
The drive into Marston was quick and uneventful. He parked and decided on a walk through the village, passing people on both sides of the road. He said good morning to several men and women, but none had the decency to return the pleasantry, so he gave up. He was deciding that the place had taken a turn for the worse in respect of good manners when he spied Briony. He called out to her and saw the look of recognition on her face, his features creasing into a smile. He felt so much better seeing her he forgot the rude people in the street and made his way towards her. They were on opposite sides of the road and she stepped out to cross over to him. Sebastian’s heart leapt into his mouth as he saw a car accelerate towards her. It was James, and he was driving straight at Briony. She was still oblivious to the danger and continued walking across the road still smiling at Sebastian. He screamed a warning, but it would be too late. The look on his face relayed itself to Briony and she, sensing something was wrong stopped in the middle of the road. This action did nothing to allay Sebastian’s panic, only increased his feeling of hopelessness. All this happened in seconds, and it was over in the blink of an eye. The car sped past with James at the wheel looking as dark as thunder. Caroline was sitting in the passenger seat and gave a little wave as they drove off. Sebastian looked up to see Briony still standing in the middle of the road; how on earth the car missed her he didn’t know, it must have been a miracle of sorts. Crossing the road, Sebastian went to her and taking her in his arms, held her tightly, not caring what people might think, only relieved that James had missed her. She noticed at once he was shaking and taking him by the hand headed for his car.
‘Let’s get you home; you look as if you’ve had an enormous fright.’ She said, smiling.
They cruised back to Lower Marston in silence, Sebastian still numb from the fright he had received.
Pulling into the yard, Sebastian had to take evasive action; he had not expected another vehicle to be there and quickly swung the wheel to park at the side
.
Frowning, he helped Briony from the passenger side and together they walked to the kitchen door. It stood wide open, and they could hear voices from within. Cautiously they entered the kitchen, noticing at once the kitchen setting was missing. The only thing still present was the hideous old wing backed chair.
‘Hello.’ Said Sebastian, ‘May I help you?’ The couple didn’t answer but continued in their conversation seemingly oblivious to their presence.
Sebastian waved his arms around,
‘Hello, may I ask what you are doing here, in my home?’
Still no reply. Sebastian was becoming angry and Briony, seeing his mood, quickly grabbed his hand and urged him upstairs. Their feet sounded loud on the bare boards, and the thought struck him that someone had broken in and cleaned the place out. They had even stolen the carpeting, what a cheek.
Turning into his bedroom, he was in for another shock. The room was empty, no bed, no carpet or drapes and the windows were so filthy they only allowed in the barest of light. Standing in the middle of the room was a young girl who turned around to face them as they entered.
‘Hello, my name’s Samantha, although most people just call me Sam.’ She said, smiling up at them.
‘And how old are you?’ Asked Briony.
‘I’m five since yesterday.’ Replied the girl.
Sebastian couldn’t help himself,
‘Well, at least you have manners which is more than I can say for the couple downstairs, they completely ignored us!’ He exclaimed.
The little girl giggled,
‘Of course, they did, they can’t see you.’ She explained.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow,
‘Can’t see us, why the devil not?’ He said, still angry at being so rudely ignored downstairs, and in his own house too.
‘Because you are ghosts, silly.’ She laughed again enjoying the joke, which Sebastian certainly wasn’t.
‘Now you’re being silly.’ He said, ‘There are no such things as ghosts, and anyway we certainly aren’t even if they do exist, which they don’t!’
Briony stepped in squeezing his hand affectionately.
‘Actually, she’s right. We are ghosts of a sort.’
A man’s voice drifted upstairs summoning the girl,
‘Come on, Sam; we’ve seen enough, time to go.’
The girl pulled a face as if she would rather stay but none the less obeyed her father and went to the top of the stairs,
‘Bye then, hope to see you again if we move here.’ She said, with a wave of her hand.
Then she was gone, clumping noisily down the stairs. Sebastian and Briony stood hand in hand as the girl’s mother admonished her for always disappearing while they were inspecting houses to purchase,
‘For goodness sake, who were you talking to this time?’ She asked.
‘A lovely lady and man were upstairs; I think they used to live here because they wanted to know where all their furniture was.’
The father picked his daughter up and cradled her in his arms,
‘Anybody else here?’
‘Lots and lots.’ Said Samantha, ‘Some of them aren’t very nice either.’
The father looked at his wife and began to walk out the door,
‘Well, we’re certainly not interested in this one; let’s get out of here, the place is giving me the creeps.’
The wife smiled at her daughter,
‘One day we might find a place where we can live in peace with no ‘little friends’ for Sam. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be.’
The car doors slammed, and the engine kicked into life. The family slowly reversed out of the yard and made their way out onto the road.
Sebastian looked at Briony for some explanation. Apparently, she knew a great deal more about their current situation than he did.
Returning downstairs to the kitchen, Sebastian looked around and saw that all his expensive renovations had been returned to the state when he had first purchased the property. He walked towards the pantry and touched the rear wall. It was just as he had first seen it.
‘Is she still behind here?’ He asked.
‘Sort of.’ Briony replied.
Sebastian shook his head from side to side,
‘I don’t understand, what am I doing here?’
‘Think back.’ Briony urged him, ‘Do you remember collapsing on stage during a performance?’
‘Yes, of course, how could I forget; that’s why I came up here in the first place, to get some rest.’
She laughed gently,
‘Sebastian, you died there, on the stage. There was no recovery.’
He stared at her in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out.
‘There are many states of being,’ She explained, ‘There’s being alive and being dead, we all understand those two. However, there are also two more possibilities. One of them is the state of being wholly in the spirit world where no living person can ever reach, the other is where we exist, a kind of twilight zone where we are neither alive nor dead. Living people can sometimes see us and even interact with us and sometimes they can’t, but we think they can, and so it gets confusing.’
‘But why? How are some like us and others wholly in the spirit world?’ He asked, beginning to understand a little more.
‘I believe we are still here because we have things to complete, people to unite with before we can fully embrace the spirit world. Then, there are others who will never be able to rest; the evil ones who have brought down upon themselves a state of purgatory where they are forced to relive their bad deeds and to be constantly reminded of the suffering in the hope that in the end peace might come to them.’
‘And us two, why are we here?’ Asked Sebastian.
‘We were lovers once long ago, married and blissfully happy, but those with evil intent came between us. This house holds all the answers. The wall in the pantry covers my body; I was walled up alive, and you were sent off into the unknown to spend the rest of your life searching for me.’
‘And now I’ve found you.’ Sebastian said, as the whole truth dawned on him.
He began to reflect on what had happened since the day he had walked into the estate agent’s office in Upper Marston.
‘What about James, is he one of us?’
‘Yes, the office only looks like an estate agency to our people, to the others it is merely empty premises, unused for years. Nobody will use it; they say it’s haunted.’ She said, laughing.
Sebastian persisted, he wanted to know more about James,
‘Is he one of the evil ones by any chance? He certainly qualifies in my estimation, and he seems to control you in some way.’
She looked at him sadly,
‘James was not a nice person when he was alive and carries on the tradition well. He wanted me a long time ago and treated me very badly; he was the one who walled me up downstairs and has spent years attempting to win me over. Once you appeared, he knew he had lost. He has Caroline now, and she is a better match for him.’
‘My sister? You mean she is also one of us?’ He asked in surprise.
‘You remember the car crash she had recently?’ Briony asked.
Sebastian recalled the time his sister was involved in the recent collision with the truck,
‘You mean she died in that crash?’ He asked.
‘Yes, even she didn’t realise it at first, not until James told her. He could see the potential in her for himself, recognised her as being similar in character. Sorry, Sebastian, but she was not your sister in a past life, although you probably did know her.’
Sebastian was getting confused again; this new information was confusing him even more.
‘So, how do we know each other, how were we connected in the past?’
Briony smiled at him,
‘You were someone else then, but inside you are the same. Your name was Luke and James was your father, although you would have known him as Seth.’
&
nbsp; ‘And you?’ He asked in a whisper,
‘Bethany, a Gypsy girl from the woods.’ She replied. ‘We were married by handfasting across the fire in the old way by my father and were so very happy, but it was over almost before it began. Your brother, Tom, tried to rape me, and you killed him with an axe. He was burned to ashes in the bakery oven where you and your father put him. His ghost lives there now, waiting for unsuspecting victims who he can inflict his malevolence upon.’
‘The couple who were killed on the night of the paranormal investigation?’ Sebastian said, almost to himself.
‘Yes, that was your brother. He was able to materialise and strike them down because they allowed themselves to become vulnerable by allowing his spirit free reign. It cost them their lives.’
‘Well, that explains why the police didn’t want to speak to me or take my fingerprints.’ He said, ‘They couldn’t see me, and there would have been no fingerprints anyway, neither mine nor Tom’s.’
‘Exactly.’ Briony said, ‘Now you’re beginning to understand. ‘He would have frightened the telephone engineer in the house and hounded him to his death. Tom enjoys that. He will never change.’
‘George, the landlord?’ Asked Sebastian.
‘Same, he never leaves the inn. He only serves the ones like us, not that I’ve ever been in the place, so he wouldn’t know me.’
‘But, I saw two people in James’ office, they looked like clients.’ Sebastian suggested.
Briony chuckled at his confusion,
‘Same again, new spirits. They had only just crossed over and would have been as confused as you when you first arrived.
There was one more thing Sebastian had to know,
‘How were we separated so early in our relationship?’
Briony answered, recalling those dark days,
‘Seth informed on the Gypsy encampment. The soldiers came in the night; they killed my father and captured you. I never saw you again until that day in James’ office. I knew it was you, and so did he. So many years have passed, but I knew you would find me one day, it was just a matter of time.’
The Haunting Page 35
