Ghostly Vows

by K E O'Connor

  “I don’t need a six pack,” said Ralph. “I’m happy with my gut just as it is.”

  “Even so, a trip away from the castle will do you good,” said Rick.

  “I like the castle.”

  I could see they wouldn’t get Ralph to cheer up anytime soon. “I’ve been making good headway with the antiques you’ve collected.”

  Ralph’s expression brightened. “That is good news. I’ve been meaning to come and see how you’ve been getting on. What have you cataloged so far?”

  Rick cleared his throat. “I don’t like to hurry you, but we have to get to your appointment in twenty minutes.”

  “Lorna, come with me,” said Ralph. “You can tell me all about your work.”

  I glanced at the castle. It couldn’t hurt. Ralph was technically my boss. If he wanted me to go with him, I could hardly say no. “Sure. I’m happy to come along, so long as I won’t get in the way.”

  Alfie raised his hands. “Not a problem. There’s plenty of room in the back of the ambulance. Although, if that’s your dog, he can’t come with us. If he gets in the ambulance, I’ll have to clean the inside from head to toe. We need to be careful of germs and contamination. That includes muddy dog paws.”

  I let Flipper back into the castle. “Be a good boy. Go find Helen and make sure you don’t eat any more cake.”

  His expression appeared shrewd as if that was exactly what he’d planned to do, as I shut the door and hurried back to the ambulance.

  After Ralph had been loaded in, and his wheelchair secured so it couldn’t move, I climbed in and found my own seat.

  “Let’s get you to your appointment,” said Rick as the ambulance pulled away from the castle.

  Ralph shook his head and waved a hand dismissively at Rick. “So, Lorna, progress on the finds? I expect you’ve found all sorts of delights.”

  “I’ve been focusing on the silverware,” I said. “I’ve almost cataloged everything in the great hall.”

  “There are lovely pieces in there. Some of it is a one-of-a-kind, and there are a few pieces that are limited editions. Most collections of that nature get hidden in some obscure vault never to be seen again. I don’t know why people do that, hide away such treasures.” Ralph laughed. “Well, we are guilty of doing it. Have you been down to the cellar yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “There are boxes of stuff down there. It all needs to come out. You’ve got your hands full with this job.”

  “I’m enjoying myself,” I said.

  “I love all the medieval finds. I got a bit obsessed with collecting suits of armor at one point. We must have a dozen in the castle.”

  My thoughts went to the ghost who was lingering around the armor. “Do you know who the armor belonged to?”

  “I’ve got records for most of it back at the castle.”

  “What about the armor displayed in the hallway? That’s impressive.”

  “I do like that suit.” Ralph nodded. “It has etchings on it of mythical creatures. The inside has the remains of the original leather coverings. It’s also got jointed parts, which makes it easier to fight in. I paid over five thousand pounds for that. I got into a bidding war with someone, and we got a bit out of hand. Charlotte was not happy when she learned how much I paid for it. After I purchased it, she insisted we walk around the castle—that was when I could still walk. She showed me all the other suits of armor and demanded I tell her what was different about this one. When I mentioned the jointed parts and the etchings, she wasn’t amused.”

  “You kept it anyway?”

  “I had to. It’s a thing of beauty. Being a knight in medieval times wasn’t all about fighting. A lot of it was about displaying power. Kings and queens surrounded themselves with these almost mythical figures dressed in armor and carrying long swords. It must have been an impressive sight to see a group of knights heading toward you.”

  “Who did that particular suit of armor belong to?”

  “My record of purchase shows the knight was in service to King Henry the Sixth. He fought in three significant battles and survived them all. Although, if you look at the back of the suit, there is a dent in one of the thigh plates. It’s believed the knight suffered an injury and was never able to take part in a battle again. Instead, he served as the King’s guard, always by his side.”

  “What was this knight’s name?”

  “Jacob of Wandsworth. He was of noble birth but chose to serve the King in the best way he knew how. He was an excellent fighter and skilled with a sword. He took part in jousting contests, as well. What a sight that would have been.” Ralph seemed lost in his own imaginings of life in medieval times as he continued to talk about swords, jousts, and battles.

  It all sounded a bit too muddy and bloody for my liking.

  Ten minutes later, the ambulance stopped. “Time to get out and fight your own battle in the physio room,” said Rick.

  The back doors of the ambulance opened. Alfie and Rick took a couple of minutes to get Ralph out.

  I followed them into a small, private hospital. After checking in, we made our way along a series of corridors.

  We were settled in an empty room, complete with fresh flowers, up-to-date magazines, and freshly brewed coffee.

  “They usually have cookies out.” Ralph looked around the room. “It’s the best part about coming here. Do you fancy some cookies?”

  My hand went to my stomach. “No cookies for me.”

  “Oh well, we might as well have a coffee while we wait.”

  I poured two mugs of coffee and sat next to Ralph. “Do you know if the sword that belongs to that suit of armor is an original? Was that Jacob’s, as well?”

  “Very much so.” Ralph’s hands shook slightly as he held his mug as if lifting it to his lips was a struggle. “Do you like swords?”

  “That one’s impressive,” I said. “Although I don’t think I’d like to take part in a duel. Despite Tilly challenging me to a sword fight, I’m more of a spectator.”

  The smile on Ralph’s face faded. “Oh dear. My apologies for that. I sometimes think she’ll never grow up. That’s the trouble; you see, her older sister has all the responsibility. Tilly is allowed to run wild. It was not appropriate for her to ask you to take part in a fight.”

  “It’s fine. She was joking. I like her.”

  “Had she been drinking?”

  “Maybe a little.” I decided not to mention the vomiting incident and the silver bowl.

  “Tilly is a lot of fun; that’s for certain. But she always takes it too far. She thinks she can get away with anything and leave Charlotte to pick up the pieces and cover up her behavior.”

  “You make it sound as if she’s done some terrible things.”

  “Not really.” Ralph let out a sigh. “She’s just childish. She sees everything as a game and never takes things seriously.”

  “You think I was right not to agree to a sword fight with her?”

  Ralph tilted his head from side to side, a small smile playing on his lips. “It could have been entertaining.”

  “I’m sure she’d have beaten me. I don’t know the first thing about sword fighting or any kind of fighting.”

  “Best thing.”

  “Is there anyone you’d like to challenge to a dual?”

  Ralph’s head lowered, and he placed his mug down. “No one I can think of.”

  “There must be somebody. I know a couple of people I wouldn’t mind challenging, so long as I knew I could beat them.”

  “I guess we all make enemies along the way.”

  “Do you have any enemies?”

  He shook his head but didn’t meet my gaze.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “No, you’re fine.” Ralph placed a hand on his stomach.

  “Are you feeling okay?” I didn’t mean for my questioning to make Ralph feel bad.

  He sighed as he studied his fingernails. “I’m as well as I can be. This wretched illness a
lways makes me feel less than ideal. But I get sick with worry about my sister-in-law. I worry that one day she will go too far. I fear she might already have.”

  “What do you think she’s done?”

  “I suppose you’ve heard about the tragedy we faced recently? A member of staff falling off the turret?”

  “I have,” I said. “Johnny Baxter.”

  “That’s the chap. Ever since he died, I’ve noticed Tilly’s been drinking a lot more than usual. And although her behavior has always been on the eccentric side, sometimes, she behaves irrationally.”

  “What sort of thing does she do that has you concerned?”

  “Too many parties. Too much drinking. I’ve caught her coming in late from parties when she’s driven back and been drinking.”

  “Have you asked her why she behaves this way?” Maybe she was hiding a guilty conscience? Or missed Johnny and was trying to fill a hole in her life.

  “She dismisses my concerns whenever I ask her. Tilly acts as if it’s a big game, and there’s nothing to worry about. But I do worry. She’s Charlotte’s younger sister and needs looking after.”

  “Tilly doesn’t have anybody special to look after her?”

  “There’s no husband or boyfriend. She dates from time to time, but she stopped doing that recently.”

  “This all started after Johnny died?”

  “That’s right. I wondered if Tilly was closer to Johnny than I realized. I’d seen them together, joking and flirting, but then Johnny would flirt with me when he was in a playful mood. I thought nothing of it at the time. I have no problem if she was infatuated with a member of staff. We cannot help where our heart takes us. She would have understood it could never have been a long-term relationship.”

  “You’re sure they were in a relationship?”

  “No, but it’s possible. Tilly knows she needs to marry someone of the same social standing. She doesn’t think she needs to settle down just yet. Maybe she decided to enjoy herself with him.”

  “She’s upset over Johnny’s death?”

  Ralph looked out the window. “It might be that.”

  “You don’t think something went wrong with their relationship? Maybe one of them got more serious than the other? Or one of them wanted to call it off, and the other didn’t?” Giving Tilly a strong motive for wanting to get even with Johnny. He could have spurned her advances or realized things were getting serious and cooled things off. If Tilly was infatuated with Johnny, she would have hated that, possibly enough to get her own back and make him pay for rejecting her.

  “All possibilities. But it’s been six months. Even if they did have some sort of relationship, Tilly should be moving on by now. I know she goes up onto the turret when she thinks no one is watching her.”

  I nodded. It was how she’d found me up there with Flipper. I hadn’t bothered to question her as to why she was on the turret that day.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing. But Tilly needs looking after. Charlotte has her hands full managing the castle. I’m afraid I’m little to no use to her anymore.” He patted the wheels of his chair. “I would like to help, but I get so tired. And these physio sessions knock me out all day. All that tugging and forcing my muscles into painful positions, it doesn’t help.”

  “It must be difficult. The Countess was telling me about her ideas for downsizing.”

  Ralph shook his head. “I love the castle. I just find the steps a challenge. I’ve got a little stair lift to get me up and down the main staircase, but these wheels limit where I can go.”

  “The Countess didn’t seem all that keen on moving to a bungalow.”

  He chuckled. “Neither am I. We won’t be moving into a bungalow anytime soon. I’m determined to stay in the castle for as long as possible.”

  “Perhaps you can get Tilly more involved,” I said. “She might like to be more hands-on in running the castle. It would give her a sense of purpose and take her mind off Johnny if she really is missing him.”

  “She’s not interested. I would if I could, but if it doesn’t involve having fun, then Tilly is not going to take it seriously.”

  A dark-haired nurse looked around the door. “We’re ready for you now.”

  “Very good.” Ralph smiled at me. “Take a cab back to the castle, my treat. You must be bored rigid talking to me about my family and stuffy old bits of armor.”

  “No, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you.”

  “Perhaps I’ll come and find you again. We can talk swords and armor some more.”

  “I’d like that.” I followed him out of the room and watched as he was pushed away by the nurse.

  Ralph really was concerned about Tilly. And though he didn’t consider her relationship with Johnny a serious one, perhaps it had been. Their relationship could have gone wrong. If Tilly had wanted to get serious with Johnny and he turned her down, that could cause problems, the kind of problem that led to someone being shoved off a turret.

  I needed to get back to the castle and see what else I could find out about Tilly and Johnny’s relationship.

  Chapter 10

  “I’m going to assume you were a hugely successful and popular knight in your time,” I said.

  It was the morning after my interesting conversation with Ralph. I was back in the great hall, staring at antiques.

  My ghost knight floated around. He slowed and smiled at me.

  “And, if my information source is correct, your name is Jacob.”

  He floated over to me, his eyes wide.

  “I’m right? You’re Jacob of Wandsworth?”

  He bowed low and made a show of taking my hand and pressing his cold lips to the back of it.

  Flipper gave a whine of concern.

  “It’s okay. I think our ghost friend is happy I finally know who he is.”

  Jacob dropped my hand and nodded.

  “I can only imagine the hundreds of damsels in distress you saved in your time serving the king.”

  He smiled and inclined his head.

  “If you could, I bet you’d have been one of King Arthur’s knights and sat at his round table.”

  Jacob seemed to think about that before he shook his head.

  “Well, if the status of a mythical knight isn’t for you, you are still honorable and noble. Not the kind of knight who went around ruthlessly cutting off people’s heads with your huge sword without good reason.”

  Jacob smiled again before continuing his slow circuit around the hall.

  Flipper trotted along at his heels, seeming happy to have someone who could keep him company on his walks while I dealt with the antiques.

  “Did you have a horse?”

  Jacob nodded.

  “An enormous stallion who charged into battle without pause for his own safety?”

  Jacob clutched his stomach and laughed.

  “Or maybe not?”

  He shook his head before continuing to drift around. Jacob slowed as he reached the window. He looked over at me and pointed outside.

  I shook my head. “I don’t have time to go out there.”

  He pointed again, jabbing his finger at the glass.

  “What’s out there that’s got you so interested? I hope it’s got nothing to do with that suit of armor you keep hanging around.” I sat back on my heels and watched as Jacob gestured to the glass repeatedly. He really wanted to go outside.

  I wiped dust from my hands. “I was talking about you to Ralph.”

  That stopped Jacob. He floated over, his expression interested.

  “That’s right. And Countess Ponsonby is thinking of getting rid of a lot of the medieval antiques, possibly some swords and suits of armor. You’d better make it clear to me what you want to keep. I can’t promise anything, but hopefully, you can hang on to what you think is yours.”

  Jacob scratched a hand through his beard.

  “You don’t want your belongings kept here?”

  He shook his head and gestured to the window again.

>   I climbed to my feet and dusted down my black pants before walking over.

  Emma was outside. What was she doing lurking around? From the look on her face, she wasn’t bringing good news to anybody.

  “Don’t go messing with my carefully arranged silver,” I said to Jacob as I left the hall and headed for the front door.

  I stepped outside and walked around the side of the castle. Emma was still there. “Can I help you?”

  She looked at me and frowned. “No, I’m fine. Just waiting for Will.”

  “Oh! I wasn’t sure you were still talking to each other after your fight.”

  She squinted at me. “He told you about that?”

  “I sort of overheard some of it. I didn’t mean to, but I was coming to the stables. I didn’t like to interrupt when I heard you fighting.”

  “That was nothing. Just a disagreement.”

  “It sounded heated.”

  Emma sighed, before her gaze shot to the turret. “I want Will on my side. We’re supposed to be friends.”

  “Is this about Johnny?”

  “It might be. Will thinks he’s better than me and won’t help. He’s got ideas above his station and is determined to keep on the right side of the family. He’s wasting his time, though. Will’s a grunt. Just because he has manners and a posh voice doesn’t make him one of this lot. They’d turn him out if they thought he was causing them trouble.”

  “That might be why he’s not keen on poking around and asking too many questions about Johnny. Will told me how much he loves it here.”

  “Which isn’t right,” said Emma. “Something bad happened to Johnny. I’m determined to find out what that was. Will should feel the same. He shouldn’t care about this job. And he certainly shouldn’t want to work here if something bad happened to his best friend. At least, he always said Johnny was his best friend. The way he’s acting lately, I’m not so sure.”

  “If you’re friends with Will, you won’t want him to lose something he loves, especially when you’re not really sure what happened to your boyfriend.”

  “I am sure. Johnny wouldn’t have fallen.” Emma turned away from me, her shoulders hunched and her arms crossed.