The Haunting Read online

  ‘How old is she?’ Asked Sebastian.

  ‘How old do you think? Came the reply.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know mid-twenties perhaps?’ Sebastian guessed.

  James laughed.

  ‘Well I’m not sure, you could be right, but she never seems to age.’

  Excuse me for asking James, but do you have a romantic interest? I’d hate to step on your toes, and if you’ve been friends for so long, well, you know what I mean.’

  James looked long and hard at him,

  ‘I’m much older than she is, so the answer must be no.’ He said.

  Sebastian wasn’t so sure that his answer had been altogether truthful and decided to drop the subject.

  ‘The bakery, James, at the crossroads, I want to make an offer.’

  James, looking a little startled asked why.

  ‘Because I want it, I want to renovate and bring it back to a more original condition, it will be a challenge, but I’m up to it.’

  He had the evangelical demeanour of the totally obsessed and James realised he was serious.

  ‘Are you quite sure?’ He asked.

  Sebastian laughed,

  ‘Are you sure you’re an estate agent? It’s the first time I’ve ever been asked that question, usually, they can’t wait to sign me up.’

  James became serious,

  ‘So be it then, make your offer and I’ll put it forward.’

  Sebastian quoted a figure, well below the asking price, but considered it fair taking into account the length of time it had been standing empty.

  ‘I’ll let you know as soon as I hear back.’ Said James in an almost dismissive manner.

  ‘Right then, I’ll be at the pub.’ Sebastian said, getting up from the desk. ‘Dinner tonight? On me of course.’ He added.

  The smile returned to James’ face as he accepted the offer.

  ‘I may have news for you by then.’

  As an afterthought, Sebastian asked where the owners lived.

  ‘It’s being held in trust, so I’ll have to contact them.’ James replied.

  ‘Will it be cash? That may help, and a quick settlement could add incentive.’ He added.

  ‘Yes, to both. Cash and quick, I can’t wait to make a start.’ Sebastian got up to leave,

  ‘See you at seven thirty then?’ He asked.

  James nodded in agreement, putting a large file of paperwork on the desk in front of him. It was a thick file in a manila folder with, ‘Lower Marston Bakery’ written across the front

  ‘Is that the name of the house?’ Asked Sebastian.

  ‘Yes, it’s named after the village which used to stand all around it. The bakery is the only remnant.’ James said, looking up in an odd sort of way.

  ‘You can tell me all about it over dinner.’ Said Sebastian, as he walked away, his curiosity hitting new highs. A lost village, he mused. Whatever next.

  That evening was special for two reasons. As they sat down to dinner, James told him that the offer had been accepted by the trustees, provided that the contract of sale be unconditional and executed as quickly as possible. The second reason concerned the history of Lower Marston, the village which had stood just three miles away. James painted a lurid picture of how the once contented hamlet had suddenly and mysteriously torn itself apart in the seventeenth century. He said there were various theories from witchcraft to highwaymen, but in any event, the village had been largely deserted by the residents and the buildings left to deteriorate and eventually fall. The remains being gradually absorbed into the surrounding farmland.

  Sebastian was fascinated, and he set himself the task of researching the history. He would find the truth and create a new life for the bakery. There was even more excitement when James revealed the village was still shown on local maps. Could he revive the history and trace the descendants? He didn’t know what to tackle first, but in the end decided on working during the daylight hours and researching in the evenings. There would be no time to feel maudlin about losing his career, no time at all. And of course, there was Briony. He had to find out a great deal more about the lovely Briony, even thinking about her sent him off into a dreamlike state.

  He decided to ask James about her again, maybe the bottle of red would help. But he wasn’t that forthcoming except to say she had been born in the village and that both her parents had been oddball types. ‘Hippies’ James called them, saying they had brought Briony up as a free spirit which made her different to everyone else in the village, none of whom could be described as free. It seems she was tolerated by the locals. Sebastian was of the opinion that tolerated was probably not the word. He thought all the men probably admired her, but the women would despise her. Nothing like a good looking unattached woman to get married women off side.

  Chapter 4

  The sale went through in record time. Sebastian had never experienced such a quick transaction. At James’ suggestion, he had used a local solicitor, the same one that acted for the trust. He assured Sebastian that it was all legal and above board and would ensure a rapid settlement.

  Three weeks to the day he was standing at the door of his new home holding the bunch of old keys. He had taken the sale sign into the office explaining it would save James the trouble of fetching it. James’ reaction was not at all what he expected. He visibly shrunk away from the sign and insisted that Sebastian keep it as a souvenir. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders and left still holding the sign and almost collided with Briony as she walked by.

  Her enigmatic smile gave him no clue to what she was thinking,

  ‘So, you bought it then. Good luck.’ She said, walking into the office.

  A somewhat bemused Sebastian put the sign back into the boot, dismissing the strange reactions of James and Briony. There were far too many things to think about. He would have to do some work before he could move. The bathroom would have to be checked to see if it still worked and the basic plumbing attended to. The previous generations of owners had relied on rainwater, which was never a problem in that area, but the existing tank was rusty and full of holes. It would have to be replaced as a priority. There was evidence of electricity being connected, but he guessed the wiring would be old and in all likelihood downright dangerous.

  The next two weeks passed in a blur. Sebastian was still staying at the pub, but he spent every waking hour at the house in an attempt to make it at least habitable. He consulted a local builder, plumber and electrician, but when he mentioned the address, they were all suddenly far too busy.

  He called into James to ask his advice and query the reluctance of the local tradesmen even to have a look at the property.

  James steepled his hands on the desk,

  ‘Local superstitions, the locals all believe the place is haunted, poppycock of course, but you’ll never convince them otherwise. If I were you, I’d go into Lincoln itself. You may have to pay a bit more and accommodate them in the pub, but at least the work will be done.’

  Sebastian considered that to be a trifle over the top,

  ‘Well, what about Rainly? That’s a reasonably large town and only twenty or so miles away.’

  James’ hands hadn’t changed position,

  ‘No, it’ll be the same story there, stories carry a lot further than twenty miles. Your best bet is the city.’

  Sebastian left the office feeling frustrated, he wanted to get on, but this would slow him considerably. Haunted? Surely people didn’t still believe in that superstitious nonsense. He decided the electrician and plumber were the trades he would need in the short term so began calling firms in Lincoln. When he explained to them that he would naturally expect to pay for any accommodation necessary they became more interested. They enquired why he wasn’t using local trades, and he told them he wasn’t confident in their capabilities. He added that being from London himself he would rather a city professional undertake the work. He guessed the price would escalate dramatically after that statement and wasn’t surprised when the quotes came in. The prices
were a generalisation with clauses covering any hidden problems they might encounter when the work got under way.

  Sebastian reluctantly accepted two quotes which were monstrously high, but they would be able to commence in two days.

  Those two days dragged slowly by as he worked at the house clearing the yard. There were two other sheds on the plot, and he chose the larger for a garage. The two old doors had seen better days, and when he went to remove them, they rewarded his small efforts by both crashing to the ground, disintegrating on the spot. He stood back and laughed, hoping the rest of the house didn’t follow suit, thinking he might have a pile of rubble left at the end of the month where there once had been a house. He was comforted by the fact he had purchased everything for the value of the vacant land, so it would be no great loss if the whole structure disappeared before his eyes when he struck it with a sledgehammer. The vision of this happening crossed his mind, and he laughed out loud, looking around to see if anyone else was there to witness this apparently crazy moment. But he was quite alone; only bird calls could be heard, sparrows in the bushes around him and a solitary blackbird. He was engrossed in studying the beauty of the blackbird when it suddenly gave out its piercing alarm call and flew off low to the ground. Sebastian looked around him, but there was nothing there. The sparrows had flown away en masse at the sound of the blackbird’s call, and he was left standing alone in the yard. The silence was almost deafening to his ears. Nothing, there was simply nothing to hear, and the strangeness of that bothered him, he had never experienced such stillness before. He turned back to his task of clearing away the debris of the shed doors as a dark form flitted back inside the bakery, the door to which lay open despite Sebastian’s efforts to close it securely a few days before.

  He was so engrossed in the demolition job on the doors from the proposed new garage he never noticed the return of the sparrows, and sitting on an old crate to take a break became aware of the cacophony of sound around him. The birds and insects were vying for who could make the most noise, and the volume was gradually increasing. Much better, he thought, much better.

  At the end of the day, he drove into the village, back to his temporary home the local pub. Walking along the narrow main street, he saw Briony approaching him from the opposite direction. His heart skipped a beat as she smiled at him and he smiled back, feeling his mood suddenly and strangely lift.

  ‘Hello.’ She said, ‘How’s the work going.’

  Struggling to find the words, he replied that everything was going along nicely. What was wrong with him, he was never usually tongue-tied when confronted by an attractive lady, quite the contrary in fact. He had been something of a ladies’ man, and his fame had led to many lovely women falling under his spell. He had certainly never been short of female company during his past life.

  She, still smiling touched his arm and again wished him good luck. He felt the touch through his jacket; it was as if she were touching his bare skin. The warmth sent a tingling sensation throughout his body, and he stammered a reply.

  ‘Yes, thank you.’ Before he could stop himself, he added, ‘Fancy a coffee or something?’

  ‘Okay, that would be lovely, thank you.’ She said.

  He felt his feet lift from the footpath. He was walking on air as they walked together to the cottage café, so engrossed he didn’t notice James peering at them between the sale cards in his window on the opposite side of the street. James was not smiling, and if Sebastian had been more observant, he would have seen a dark, malevolent face looking at the pair of them.

  Inside the café, they occupied a small table for two in a corner. The only other customers departed soon after, and they found themselves alone, which didn’t bother Sebastian as he only had eyes for Briony. They chatted, and he found himself relaxing, answering her questions freely. She was curious about his professional life, saying that James had enlightened her a little. Sebastian had never been one to ride the crest of his own wave and maintained he was only one of the many talented musicians in the world.

  She laughed and said she was sure he was very famous.

  ‘I would love to hear you play sometime, just for me.’ She said.

  He hadn’t touched a keyboard for a while, but had the urge to play for her and realised he would do anything she asked. A strange feeling for one who had always been in control of his emotions.

  ‘I don’t have my piano here, but after I’ve renovated, I intend to install one and then I’ll play for you.’ He was quite serious about it, although afterwards realising he would have to remove at least one wall to accommodate his Steinway. He would do anything for this woman; if this was love, then he liked the feeling even though it was scary at the same time. This was new territory for him.

  She smiled that enigmatic smile which had captivated him at their first meeting.

  Chapter 5

  The plumber and electrician arrived on site as promised and set to work; the plumber scratched his head when confronted by the old bathroom.

  ‘You’ll want access through the wall no doubt? Wouldn’t fancy having to walk outside to go to the toilet all the time.’

  ‘No, I’ll be pushing through the wall and making a doorway, later I’ll need a bathroom installed upstairs as well, so perhaps you could allow for that.’ Said Sebastian, pointing out the site for the new doorway.

  The electrician was having similar problems,

  ‘Bloody hell mate!’ He exclaimed, ‘This whole lot needs to be ripped out and rewired to a new board. There’s no way the supplier will connect this to the grid; it’s a death trap.’

  Sebastian didn’t hesitate,

  ‘Go ahead and rewire the whole place then, whatever it takes and while you’re doing it, I’ll mark out where I need more power points and lights. Might as well do the whole job properly.’

  Both tradespeople spent the rest of the day measuring and ordering supplies from their respective firms. They assured Sebastian they would be able to begin the next afternoon, much to his relief.

  James was waiting for him in the pub dining room that evening. The two tradesmen were enjoying a sumptuous dinner at Sebastian’s expense and congratulating each other on scoring such a lucrative job. They nodded in greeting as Sebastian walked in on his way to James’ table.

  ‘Mind if I join you?’ He asked.

  James looked up and smiled, but it was far from his usual agent’s jolly greeting.

  ‘By all means, I’ve only just ordered myself.’ He said.

  ‘Wine?’ Offered Sebastian. ‘A good red is always welcome, don’t you think?’

  The wine arrived, and after tasting it, Sebastian okayed the waiter to fill their glasses.

  He was finding it a little difficult to engage James in conversation. One or two-word answers met questions and comments. Certainly, not conducive to a pleasant evening. In the end, he gave up, and they both finished their meals in silence.

  ‘Care for a little something stronger to finish off the meal?’ Asked Sebastian. He thought maybe more alcohol might free up his companion’s tongue.

  He ordered two malt whiskies and raised his glass in a silent toast. James returned the salutation, and both sipped, appreciating the fine liquor.

  James ordered the next round, a good sign in Sebastian’s eyes, so he immediately re-ordered the following one.

  After four large malt whiskies on top of the wine, Sebastian was beginning to feel a little tipsy and wondered if this had been such a good idea after all.

  His reward came when James began to speak,

  ‘Watch out for Briony, many have tried, and many have failed!’ He exclaimed.

  ‘How so?’ Asked Sebastian, catching the waiters eye and indicating more drinks. At least James was talking now, however obtuse.

  ‘I mean she will play with your emotions until she’s sucked you in, then disappoint you.’ James said, in an almost conspiratorial whisper.

  ‘I still don’t understand.’ Sebastian persisted.

  James
downed the glass of malt which the waiter had only just set down before him,

  ‘I mean, leave her alone, if you know what’s good for you!’

  So saying, he got up abruptly and walked off, leaving Sebastian sitting at the table wondering what had caused both the statement and his abrupt departure.

  He sat finishing his glass slowly deep in thought as the barman approached,

  ‘Would you like me to put both meals on your bill sir?

  James is certainly a cheeky bugger, thought Sebastian as he nodded in agreement.

  Later in the privacy of his room, he wondered about the situation in which he appeared to be embroiled. Obviously, there was more to James and Briony than James cared to disclose. Surely, they weren’t involved romantically? Although he certainly gave that impression with the outburst at their table earlier.

  Sebastian slipped into a troubled sleep, dreaming about the bakery falling around his ears while Briony watched from a distance, smiling.

  He awoke in the morning far from feeling rested. He was conscious of the amount of alcohol he had imbibed the evening before due to a dull headache between his eyes and struggled down the narrow stairs to the dining room, thinking that a hearty breakfast together with strong coffee might perk him up considerably.

  It did, and he was soon on the road to the bakery. When he arrived, the tradesmen were already busy stripping out the old plumbing and wiring. He stood looking on, pleased that finally, the real work had begun.

  Getting back into the car he headed off for the nearest town, Rainly. Once there he found a reasonable hardware shop and purchased everything he thought he might need for his contribution to the project, asking that it be delivered to the old bakery. The attendant baulked at the request at first but called on his young assistant who readily agreed to the delivery. It was a chance for him to escape the boredom of being stuck in the store all day and he enthusiastically began collecting all Sebastian’s purchases to load into the delivery van. Besides, he was relatively new to the area and knew nothing of the tales concerning the bakery at Marston.