‘There is no ghost there,’ repeated Midge.
‘I saw it,’ snapped the doctor. ‘A figure in white.’
‘Why are you up so late?’ asked Midge.
Dr Mortimer shook his head as if to clear it. ‘I... I was just getting some water for Gloria to take some sleeping pills.’ He stepped away from the window. ‘She’s a bit overwrought from everything,’ he continued, before blinking for a moment. ‘Why are you wearing a pink dressing gown, Harold?’
‘Oh!’ Harold smiled, sheepishly. ‘I didn’t have any clothes with me, did I? So, Rona kindly lent me something to sleep in. Do you know she names her shoes?’ he whispered in an aside to Midge, but the doctor had already started walking back towards the bedrooms further along the corridor.
‘Dr Mortimer?’ called Midge.
He spun back towards them. ‘Yes?’
‘The kitchen is that way,’ she said, pointing towards the end staircase behind her. ‘Gloria’s water?’
‘Oh... right,’ he said, but didn’t change course. ‘I’ll leave it,’ he said. ‘She’s probably asleep by now anyway. Good night.’
They stood watching until the doctor had disappeared back into his room.
‘Too scared to go downstairs in the dark,’ grinned Harold.
Maybe, thought Midge.Or maybe not.
‘Would you like me to accompany you back to your room?’ Harold asked, sticking his arm out. ‘I’m assuming you were asleep?’
It occurred to Midge that this was the first time, as an adult, that a man had seen her in her nightdress. ‘Thank you,’ she replied. ‘But no. I don’t think any ghosts will bother me tonight.’
‘Fair dos,’ shrugged Harold, good-naturedly. ‘I better get back to my beauty sleep. Got an early start trying to dig that coach out!’
‘Well,’ said Midge, unsure of how to end the conversation. Despite his words, Harold didn’t seem to be moving, so she turned and walked back towards her room, leaving him where he was. Curious as to why Noah had missed the excitement, she decidedto walk via the East Wing, the creaking of her knee synching with that of the floorboards, a shard of light spilled out from under his door and she could hear both his and their host’s voices from inside. Presumably they were still busy working on Rendell’s interview for the podcast, she thought, which would explain why they hadn’t heard the doctor’s commotion.
With a groan, she eventually pulled herself into her own bed, mulling over what she had just seen and trying very hard to ignore the rumblings from her thwarted stomach. Had Rendell and the doctor both seen a ghost this evening? This was an easy question for her to answer.No. Of course not.The very idea of the paranormal was absurd to say the least. But, in Midge’s experience, the important fact in this situation was that, for whatever reason, the doctor, at least, certainly believed that he had.
Suddenly, the hairs sprang up on the back of her neck. Outside, across the night air, came more screeching, so terrible this time that she felt compelled to put her hands over her ears to block out the sound. Sliding off the mattress, she grabbed her cane from its resting place next to the bedside and hobbled over to the window. Pulling the curtain back, she peered out on to the ground below.
In the middle of the croquet lawn, illuminated by the moonlight, was a beautiful red fox with the partial entrails of a sheep clamped between its teeth. As Midge watched from above, the fox lifted its bloodied muzzle up to stare at her before turning and padding softly away into the night, its paws leaving crimson prints in the snow.
Saturday 21 December
Chapter15
Extract fromThey Do It With Stringspodcast
‘The Tin House’: Episode One
[Sound effect: ticking grandfather clock]
Noah:Built in the early 1840s, Atherton Hall’s grandfather clock takes centre stage on the landing above the main hall. Designed as a replica of the Duc d’Orléans’ Breguet, the clock’s casing is made with real teak wood and, unusually for the time, tin for dial, weights and pendulum. The tin, of course, from the Atherton mine. The internal mechanics are high-precision and have lasted for many generations. At the same time, the Athertons also commissioned a companion grandmother clock, a less well-known piece which still resides in the master bedroom to this day. Both are powered by the regular winding of a small brass key positioned on the clock face, and can be heard throughout the four wings as they chime on the quarter hour, night and day.
Chapter16
When she woke in the morning, Midge’s nerves were instantly aggravated by the boom of the artillery, which had started up again. Unfortunately, after finally making her way down to the kitchen for some food, the sight of Harold’s attempts at cooking did little to lift her spirits.
‘They swore by a hearty breakfast when I was in the army,’ he said, pulling a bowl of tinned mushrooms out of the microwave.
‘Are you sure they weren’t swearingatthe breakfast?’ asked Midge. Judging by the rest of the assembled burned tinned goods on the table, Harold’s culinary efforts certainly erred on the side of quantity over quality.
They were all present except for Rona and Rendell. Noah was eyeing the food rather gloomily while rubbing his hands with some more of his gel, and for once Midge was glad of the overpowering smell.
