Moonlight And Mistletoe

Far from eliciting a sympathetic response from Sir Lewis, he said sharply. ‘Sarah, you will make yourself ill; leave these musty books and this foolish superstition. Fresh air will do you good-the day is fine, why not show Miss Lattimer around the gardens?’

‘I would not dream of inconveniencing…’

‘How could you?’ Sarah flared at him. Hester took a step back. ‘How can you forget and call this foolish? Father sold the Moon House and look what happened to him.’

‘It was an accident. He was unwell and slipped.’

‘He was unwell from the moment he signed the deeds away. And an accident? To slip on the steps in full moonlight? And where did the rose come from, pray?’ She broke off panting, staring defiantly at her brother, who appeared lost for words.

‘Rose?’ Hester queried, not wanting to hear the answer.

‘There was a dead rose in his hand,’ Sarah burst out and ran from the room.

‘I…’ Sir Lewis gave himself a little shake. ‘I apologise. Allow me to offer you some refreshment while my sister composes herself.’

‘No, please, I would not dream of imposing upon your time when Miss Nugent is unwell. Please give her my apologies for not waiting to take my leave of her.’ Hester felt she was babbling and added, as she stepped into the hail, ‘You must both come to dinner one evening when she is feeling more herself.’

‘Let me walk you back to the stables.’ He fell into step beside her in awkward silence. Finally he said, ‘I am sorry if Sarah alarmed you. She is distressed because her betrothed is kept longer than expected on his plantations in the West Indies. She misses him and, of course, the wedding had to be postponed anyway because of our bereavement. She reads too much to pass the time and broods on what she has read. If I had my way, I would burn every Gothic novel ever written!’

‘She has a vivid imagination.’ Hester struggled to find something helpful to say. ‘I am sure she is very sensitive.’

‘The trouble is,’ Sir Lewis said grimly, ‘it is not all her imagination. I do my best to play down her fears and the strange stories, but something is very wrong with that house; I hope you will be careful, Miss Lattimer.’

‘Perhaps I should sell to the earl after all.’ Hester brushed her fingertips together to try and get rid of the unpleasant gritty feel of the parchment before pulling on her gloves. ‘I am sure he could rout the spectre.’

‘I do wish you would decide to sell, and that you would sell it to me.’ Lewis Nugent halted her with one hand on her arm. ‘I feel it is the only honourable thing to do. I would not wish you put in fear, nor to transfer the curse or whatever it is to anyone else; this seems to be a problem for the Nugent family.’

Hester looked up into his handsome, anxious face. ‘No, Sir Lewis. I thank you, but the Moon House is my home now and I am not going to be scared out of it by ghostly or human agency.’

He let her go then with renewed pressure to reconsider and an offer to send a groom with her, both of which Hester refused firmly. She was just guiding Hector past the front door again when he ran out, a brown medicine bottle in his hand. It was half-full of a thick liquid and, as he held it up to her Hester could see a label in a thin hand attached to the neck. ‘Do try this; it will help the lad sleep and give you all some much-needed rest as a consequence.’

Thanking him, Hester drove thoughtfully home. It was difficult to imagine the sort of dangerous spectre that Sarah Nugent conjured up on this brisk, sunny day. Poor girl-she had judged her too harshly. Perhaps it was no wonder she thirsted after attention and excitement, what with the loss of her father and her betrothed’s prolonged absence. A gentleman with plantations in the West Indies seemed a good catch for a country baronet’s sister and she could be excused for wishing to have the knot tied as soon as may be.

Hester could see no sign of Susan when she arrived home, so she unhitched Hector herself and carried the sleeping draught across the yard. She would see what Maria thought about using it.

To her surprise she met Parrott at the kitchen door. He doffed the hat he had just assumed and opened her own door for her. ‘Good day, Miss Lattimer. I took the liberty of calling to see young Ackland. I had promised to speak to him, if you recall, and I thought it might help keep him entertained.’

Hester stamped firmly on her immediate, heated reaction, which was to ask if his lordship thought she needed a minder, and smiled. She was surely misjudging the butler. ‘Thank you, Parrott.’ Jethro would have thoroughly enjoyed such a visit and it was kind of Parrott to have remembered his promise. ‘That was most thoughtful. I appreciate you sparing the time.’

‘A well-run household needs but the light

est touch, Miss Lattimer,’ Parrott said serenely. ‘Is there any way in which I may assist you while I am here?’

Nothing except to carry out a quick exorcism, she thought wildly. ‘No, nothing, thank you, Parrott.’

With a bow he left, shutting the door behind him, and Hester went upstairs to see whether his visit had left Jethro overexcited and running a temperature.

She found him sitting up looking pale and bright-eyed, but with no sign of a fever. Across the landing she glimpsed Susan in her room with the door open, a basket of mending at her feet. From Miss Prudhome’s chamber a faint bubbling snore made itself heard.

He tried to sit up more when he saw her, but the effort made him wince and he fell back again. ‘Do have a care, Jethro, you must take pains not to strain your shoulder.’ Hester laid a hand on his forehead-it was cool enough. ‘How are you feeling? I see you had a visitor.’

‘I’m fit as a flea, Miss Hester. Mr Parrott stayed a whole hour and he told me so much! All about how he started off as a boot boy to Sir Jasper Ings and worked his way up. He says it’s a matter of strategy and planning and one can’t just wait for a post to come up. He says he used to listen in the clubs-did you know footmen and butlers have clubs in London, Miss Hester?-and work out where the next vacancy was likely to be and then read up all about the household.’

‘Well, we had better start our research,’ Hester said lightly. ‘Where do you want to start?’

‘I can’t leave you, Miss Hester!’ Jethro sounded scandalised. ‘I just mean that when you… when you don’t need me, like… then I know all about finding a new job.’

‘And when will that be?’