The Fortune of Lashire Bluff

The clock hanging on the wall ticked loudly, carving out the seconds. It felt like I’d been sitting in the reception room forever, nervously tapping my foot while I waited to be called.

I still didn’t understand what I was doing here. When I got the letter from the lawyer summoning me for a meeting, it didn’t give any details other than to say it was a matter of ‘grave importance’, and the mystery was killing me.

“Ms. Fortune?”

The door to the lawyer’s office finally opened. A short man with greying ash blonde hair in a combover stepped out and smiled reassuringly at me.

“I’m Ronald Sutton. Call me Ron. If you would come with me?”

I followed him into the office.

“Please, sit down.”

He gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk and I perched nervously on the edge, desperate to hear what was so important.

“When it is my unfortunate duty to deliver bad news, I feel that this is best done in person.”

His opening words sent my heart racing. Bad news?

“I’m afraid I have to inform you your Uncle Gregory has passed away.”

I couldn’t prevent the laugh from escaping, my shoulders sagging with relief.

“Uncle Gregory?” I shook my head. “You’ve got the wrong girl. I don’t have an uncle.”

I got up to leave, but Ron gestured to me to sit down again.

“Please, Ms. Fortune. I need you to hear what I’ve got to say.”

I rolled my eyes, but did as I was told. I’d spent long enough waiting around for this meeting. I might as well see what all the fuss was about.

“Your uncle was your father’s brother. The two of them became estranged following an incident when your father was in his late teens.”

“Incident? What incident?”

Dad died in a car crash when I was 16. This was the first I’d ever heard of a brother, let alone a family feud so serious they stopped speaking.

Ron shuffled his papers around. “I’m afraid I don’t have those details to hand. However, your uncle did leave a letter, which he instructed me to give you following the reading of his will, which may well answer your questions. So, if I may proceed?”

“Yes, yes. Proceed away!” I nodded vigorously, desperate to get the will out of the way so I could find out more about the uncle I’d never known. I just hoped he hadn’t left me his cat. I couldn’t keep a pot plant alive, let alone a pet.

Ron picked up the will and cleared his throat.

“It’s very straightforward. Your uncle has left everything he owned to you.”

“Oookay...” I leaned forward, waiting to hear more. Maybe he’d left me a bit of money. With the amount I owed on my credit card, every little bit helped right now.

“This includes his home in the mountain town of Lashire Bluff and all its contents, a number of vehicles and everything in his bank accounts – minus taxes and my fees, of course.”

“Of course,” I murmured, as Ron passed over a statement of accounts. When I saw the numbers, my jaw dropped.

“Are you serious?” I gasped.

“Of course. Those figures have been calculated by our accountants. Your uncle’s final tax liability is here, which was more than covered by his bank balance, so I have arranged for that payment to be made on his behalf. My fee is here and I would kindly request you pay it by the end of the month. Everything else is yours to keep, subject to one or two caveats detailed in your uncle’s letter.”

He smiled.

“I think it’s safe to say you are a very wealthy young woman, Ms. Fortune.”

***

I sat in my beaten-up Ford, too stunned to move. Ron had given me my uncle’s letter as I left, along with a request that I consider the firm of Sutton, Denholm, and Sutton for all my legal requirements.

I supposed I was going to need a lawyer now I was ridiculously rich. I’d never have to work again if I didn’t want to. I could write that novel, spend the rest of my life sitting on a beach in Fiji, sipping cocktails all day.

“Thank you, Uncle Gregory,” I whispered, kissing the letter he’d written to me before tearing it open.

Everything changed when I read it.

My dear Libby,

You have no idea how happy I was to hear of your birth and how it broke my heart to know we would never meet. I will always love my brother, but he was the black sheep of the family and so strong willed. He could never understand the decisions I’ve made and why.

I admire his strength in walking away from his heritage; if I were in his position, maybe I would have done the same. But it doesn’t matter how far you run; the ties of blood can never be broken.

I suppose it’ll sound a bit strange to you to hear I’ve been watching from afar. Just because we’ve never met doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, and I’ve loved seeing you grow, hearing about your achievements, knowing you are every bit as talented and beautiful as I knew you would be.

If I had been blessed with a daughter, I can only hope that she’d have been half as amazing as you. Sadly, fate had other plans for me, so now you are my only remaining family member, which is why I bequeath all my worldly possession to you, and more.

However, there is one condition.

I stopped reading for a moment. Here it came. The catch. Of course there was a catch. Nobody was that lucky without there being some downside.

I love you very much. You are my niece and that makes you very special. But be honest with yourself – you haven’t exactly lived up to your potential, have you?

My fist clenched, crumpling the letter. How dare he? Who was he to judge me? He didn’t even know me. All right, so I’d dropped out of university and had drifted from one dead end job to another, but that didn’t make me a bad person. I was just taking my time to find myself. Why would I want to spend all my time working? Life’s too short to spend it in an office.

“Screw you, Uncle Gregory,” I snarled, tossing the letter on the floor and starting up my car’s engine, ready to go home. Who needed that money anyway?

A moment later, I turned the key back, slumping in my seat. Who was I kidding? I needed that money.

Reaching down, I picked up the letter and smoothed it out to finish reading. I supposed I could at least give my uncle the courtesy of hearing him out.

So it is my wish that you permanently move to my residence in Lashire Bluff. You must spend at least ten months of every year living there. In addition, you must devote yourself to studying the history of the town and its... quirks. I think you will find it quite fascinating.

Should you choose not to accept this offer, or should you ever move out, you will forfeit your claim to my fortune and will instead receive £500 and your choice of one of my cars. The remainder will be donated to the town’s animal shelter.

Before you make any rash decision, I would implore you to at least visit my home and spend the night there before choosing to stay or walk away. You cannot make an informed choice without at least experiencing what it is you would be giving up.

I’m sure this has all come as quite a shock to you, and I am only sorry that I never had the opportunity to meet you in person. Perhaps in the next life.

Until then, I remain

Your ever-loving

Uncle Gregory

Wow.

It was a lot to take in. When I woke up this morning, I had no family, no career, and no money. All of a sudden, I was a multimillionaire with a home for life – if I chose to accept it.

Pulling out my phone, I googled Lashire Bluff. There was very little information about it. In fact, it was so small, you could barely see it on the map. Did I really want to spend my life in the middle of nowhere?

I typed in my uncle’s home address, but the closest I could get to the place was the entrance to a long, winding driveway. I couldn’t see what the house itself was like.

There was nothing else for it. I was going to have to visit Lashire Bluff.

***

My cat, Shelley, was constantly mewing from his container sitting on the passenger seat of my car.

“I know, I know,” I said, trying to soothe him. “I’d hate being stuck in a box all this time too. It won’t be long now, though.”

We were driving up a long, meandering road that wound through the mountains. I kept it slow, partly because I was worried about having an accident on the narrow roads, but also because I wanted to enjoy the views. I’d never been here before, and it was beautiful. Maybe I could call this place home.

Suddenly, a herd of goats ran into the road. I slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding running into them. Shelley mewed angrily as his carrier shifted about.

I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as the goats milled about, looking like they were making themselves comfortable.

“Come on, come on,” I muttered, wanting to get moving. I was so close to my uncle’s house. I just wanted to get there and see what it was like.

“Move, you stupid goats!” Finally, I blasted my horn, hoping to scare the goats into moving, but they didn’t bat an eyelid.

Knock, knock!

I jumped at the sound of someone tapping on my car window. I was so focused on the goats I hadn’t noticed the man approaching. He motioned to me to roll down my window, so I did, noticing that whoever he was, he was really rather hot. Tall with tousled light brown hair, and there was a twinkle in his hazel eyes that made me wonder whether he was laughing at me.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he advised. “Folks round here don’t like it when you upset the goats.”

“Me? Upset them?”

I shook my head, glaring over at the goats, who were about as far from upset as you can get. “Do they look upset to you?”

“Oh yes.” The man nodded seriously. “Clearly, you’re not familiar with goat body language, but they’re clearly highly distressed. I wouldn’t be surprised if they stay here for the next few hours to get over the shock.”

“Hours?” Oh no. No, no, no. I wasn’t going to be stuck here for the next few hours.

I got out of the car and started waving my arms at the goats.

“Shoo!” I yelled. “Go on, get out of here!”

I ignored the laughter coming from behind me as I shoved at the nearest goat. It glanced over its shoulder at me, but didn’t budge.

“Come on, you stupid creatures.” I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. If this was what mountain life was like, I didn’t want any part of it. Uncle Gregory could give his house to the goats for all I cared.

“All right, you lot. I think we’ve annoyed the young lady quite enough for one day.” The man whistled an intricate little tune and started walking away. Hearing the sound, the goats immediately started trotting in his direction.

“Thanks,” I called after him. “Sorry – I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Matthew,” he replied, turning to wave at me.

“Thanks, Matthew. I’m Libby.”

“I know.”

***

Night was drawing in as I pulled up outside my uncle’s house, but even in the dim light, I could see that the place was huge. Getting out of the car, I couldn’t take my eyes off the mansion in front of me, struggling to believe it was really mine if I wanted. I took Shelley’s carry case out of the car, and he stopped mewing, as if his silence meant he approved.

Steps led up to a covered porch with a large, ornately carved wooden door. As I approached, the door swung open, and a large woman with a sweet smile stepped out to greet me.

“Ms. Fortune? Libby?”

As I nodded, she swept me up into a big bear hug.

“It’s so good to meet you!” She held me at arm’s length, looking me up and down. “You’re even more beautiful than in your photos. Your uncle would be so happy to know you’re coming to live here.”

“I haven’t decided that yet,” I said. “And who are you anyway?”

“Didn’t your uncle mention in his letter?” My rudeness seemed to completely pass her by. “I’m Rose. Rose Fincham. I’m the housekeeper and cook. Come in, come in.”

She gestured for me to come in, shutting the door behind us as I stepped over the threshold.

I placed Shelley’s case on the floor and opened the door so he could stretch his legs. Instead of dashing out like I expected, he cowered at the back of the case.

“Shelley! Don’t be so silly.” I reached in, stroking his fur and tapping the floor in front of him to encourage him to come out.

“I suspect he’s just feeling a little travel sick,” said Rose. “I’m sure he’ll come out in his own time.”

“Probably.”

I left Shelley sulking in his carrier and took my first real look at my new home.

I was standing in a large reception, which was larger than the whole of my old apartment. There were a number of closed doors all around and a staircase winding its way up to the first floor. Pedestals dotted about at regular intervals featured vases and busts while the walls were covered with oil paintings.

“That’s the library, that’s the lounge, the dining room’s through there, that’s where your uncle’s office used to be...”

As she took me through to the kitchen, Rose pointed out where everything was, but there was no way I was going to be able to remember it all. Heck, I was already lost and we’d barely seen anything of the house!

Rose took me through a small, nondescript door to the side of the stairs which opened into a large kitchen with a central table.

“Your uncle used to prefer eating in here rather than the dining room,” she explained. “Said it was more homey this way. But if you’d like a more formal experience, I’ve already set out a place for you.”

“No, no,” I reassured her. “Here’s fine.”

“Wonderful.” Rose’s beam lit up her face. “Now I didn’t know what you liked to eat, so I’ve prepared you a lovely stew for dinner with some home baked bread. I’ve made up the bed in the main guest room for tonight, but once you’ve had a chance to explore, you can choose which room you’d like to make your own. It’s the second door on the right as you go upstairs. Now please. Sit. Eat. You must be starving, you poor thing.”

I sat down at the table, where there was a loaf of bread and butter already waiting. Rose cut me a couple of slices and put them on a plate, putting it in front of me along with a butter dish and knife.

She then went to the oven and took out a generous bowl filled with stew, placing it in front of me. I inhaled deeply, the aroma making my mouth water.

She picked up her bag and grabbed a coat which was draped over one of the chairs.

“There’s more stew in the crockpot,” she advised. “If you let me know your favourite dishes tomorrow, I’ll make sure to cook them for you. Nothing like a good meal to make a place really feel like home. See you in the morning.”

“Don’t you live here?” I asked, as she turned to leave.

“Me? Live here? Not for all the money in the world!” Rose laughed, a loud laugh I could hear all the way down the hall until the door shut behind her, leaving me in sudden silence.

“How strange,” I said to myself, shrugging as I tucked into the stew.

Oh. My. Goodness. It was the best stew I’d ever had. Rose certainly knew how to cook. The beef practically melted in my mouth and the vegetables were cooked to perfection.

It would be worth staying here for Rose’s cooking alone.

When I was done, I rinsed out the bowl, leaving it on the side to put away later. I wanted to explore my new home first.

Going back into the reception room, I could hear Shelley yowling and complaining, still in his carry case.

“You stupid thing,” I said, shaking my head as I went over to him. “Look. You can get out now. The door’s open. You just have to step through.”

I put my hand in the case to show him, but he hissed at me, refusing to come out.

“Right. That’s it.” I reached in and grabbed him firmly by the scruff of the neck, lifting him out of the case. As I pulled him out, he scratched me hard.

“Ow!” I dropped Shelley at the sudden pain and he raced off into the shadows.

“Stupid cat!” I yelled after him.

My arm was really sore, but I had no idea where my uncle kept his first aid kit, assuming he had any medical supplies at all.

I opened a few doors until I found a small bathroom tucked under the stairs. There was a mirror over the sink and I could see that Shelley had left a deep scratch running down the back of my arm.

“Stupid cat,” I muttered again, poking about in the cupboard under the sink until I found a tube of antiseptic cream. It looked like it had been there for a while, but I figured it was better than nothing. As I stood up to use the mirror to see what I was doing, I thought I saw someone running across the hallway behind me.

“Hello?” I turned round. “Anyone there?”

Silence. Although I supposed that if there was a burglar, they weren’t exactly going to announce their presence.

I stood there for a moment, ears strained to listen out for any sign I wasn’t alone.

Nothing.

At last I went back to rubbing cream into my arm. It was sore, but it could have been worse. I just wondered what it was that had spooked Shelley so much. He was usually such a chilled-out cat, spending most of the day asleep on my bed. I’d never seen him behave like this.

When I was done, I went upstairs to check out my bed for the night. Opening the second door on the right, I gasped when I saw what was waiting for me. It looked like something out of a four-star hotel.

A four-poster bed was tastefully made up with a deep red throw and lots of scatter cushions over the pillows. An open fire blazed opposite the end of the bed, a large rug laid out in front of it so I could lounge about in front of the fire if I wanted. Over to the side, I could see a door leading to an en suite bathroom, and when I went to check it out, I discovered a bathroom which was a gazillion times nicer than the one I was used to in my apartment.

A girl could seriously get used to this. If I had to stay here for the rest of my life, I was okay with that.

I decided to have a bath to wash off the stench of goat before I went to bed. I found an impressive selection of bubble bath and salts in a cupboard and poured a generous dose of a lavender oil into the water before getting in.

As I relaxed into the tub, I could feel all my stresses and strains easing away. Why on earth wouldn’t I want to live like this? And what could have happened between my dad and uncle to make them cut ties?

Lying there, I thought about my dad. He’d worked hard all his life as a painter and decorator, but we were never what you’d call rich. When my mum died from cancer, it was like she took a piece of him with her. Although I was only ten, I was pretty much left to fend for myself after that. It taught me resilience, but I always wished we were closer. And then when Dad started drinking, it pretty much meant the end of our relationship.

For a long time, I blamed him for the choices I made. Before he died and made me an orphan, I had big plans. My grades were good and I was hoping to go to university to study medicine. I wanted to be a forensic pathologist with the police. I know that sounds really morbid, but there was something about working with the dead which really appealed to me. Maybe it was because that way I could give them a voice, be their advocate when they were no longer able to communicate.

But after Dad died, all that went out the window. I was put into a foster home for the next couple of years, and although my foster family were decent people, it wasn’t the same. I started hanging out with a bad crowd and my grades took a nose dive. Medicine was soon off the table, and although I managed to get accepted to do a forensics degree, I was too interested in partying to study, so I dropped out before I was thrown out.

“Where were you then, Uncle Gregory?” I muttered, before sinking under the water to get my hair wet enough to wash.

THUD!

I sat up at the sudden sound, water sloshing out of the bath and over the floor.

There was definitely someone in the house with me. And I was in the middle of nowhere, all alone.

Climbing out of the bath, I grabbed a robe hanging off the back of the door and put it on. Padding through the bedroom, I picked up a heavy statue from a sideboard, wanting something to protect myself against an intruder.

Quietly, I opened the door a little bit to see if I could see who was in my house.

Suddenly, something pushed it open...

...and Shelley trotted through, wrapping himself around my legs.

“Shelley! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” I scolded, putting the statue down so I could pick him up and give him a big cuddle. “Are you in a better mood now? Found any mice yet?”

Shelley simply purred, nudging his head against my chin, his signal that he wanted me to pay more attention to him.

So this was my mystery intruder. Shelley must have knocked something over while he was exploring the house.

I gently dropped my cat onto the bed and went back to the bathroom to finish washing my hair. Although it was good to know there wasn’t someone coming to murder me in my bed, I wasn’t in the mood to bathe any longer, so I quickly washed up, brushed my teeth, and got into my PJs before climbing into bed, tossing most of the cushions onto the floor.

“Come on, Shelley.” I patted the pillow next to me. “Let’s snuggle.”

I held up the blankets so he could get underneath, Shelley curled up in his usual place by my side, and the pair of us were soon fast asleep.

***

All the excitement must have worn me out because I didn’t wake up until gone ten the next morning. Shelley had already left the bed, and he was bound to be grumpy with me when he couldn’t find an easy supply of food. I hadn’t put out his bowls for him yet, so I braced myself for a barrage of incessant mewing when I went downstairs.

Throwing on some jeans and my favourite soft pink sweater, I went downstairs to the kitchen to make myself breakfast and sort out Shelley’s food. But as I pushed open the door, I was greeted by the sight of Rose bustling about and one very happy cat sitting on the kitchen table, watching her work.

“Good morning, Ms. Fortune,” Rose smiled when she saw me come in. “I hope you don’t mind – I took the liberty of feeding your cat. The poor thing looked hungry.”

“Yes, he does a very good impression of a cat who hasn’t been fed for days,” I said, scratching Shelley on the top of his head. I could swear that he looked incredibly smug with himself. Probably realized he’d just found his latest fan. “Thanks, Rose. And please. Call me Libby.”

“As you wish.” Rose nodded. “Now how does blueberry pancakes sound for breakfast? I can whip you something up, no trouble.”

“Thank you, but I can take care of myself.” There was something very weird about letting someone else cook for me when I’d been looking after myself ever since Mum died.

“It’s all part of the service,” Rose reassured me. “It’s what I’m here for. Unless...”

Her face paled.

“Unless what?”

“Well, your uncle told me I would always have a job here,” Rose said. “But that was before his accident. It was presumptuous of me to assume you’d want to keep me on. I’m so sorry.”

She dashed a tear away. Great. Now I felt like the world’s worst heiress.

“Of course I want you to stay,” I told her. “There’s no way I could take care of a house like this by myself. I’m just not used to having someone helping me around the place, that’s all. If it makes you happy to cook my breakfast, then I’d love some blueberry pancakes. Thank you.”

In an instant, Rose was back to her regular cheerful self, as she quickly put together some batter and started frying pancakes.

“Could you tell me more about my uncle?” I asked as she cooked. “I never knew him. Heck, I didn’t even know he existed until the lawyer contacted me about his will.”

“Oh, your uncle was a wonderful man,” Rose gushed. “So kind, so caring, so generous. Your family have looked after our little town for generations. The Fortunes used to be the lords of the manor, and even after things changed and they lost their titles, they still looked out for all of us. If someone lost their job, the Fortunes would magically find something for them to do about the place until something better came along. When the crops failed, the Fortunes would pay to ship in food for everyone. Your uncle continued that tradition. I’ll always be grateful for him taking me on after my Bill died. He gave me a job to keep me occupied and take my mind off raising five sons on my own.”

“Five sons?” My eyes widened. “That must have been a handful.”

Rose shrugged as she placed a plate stacked high with pancakes in front of me. “Boys are easy. You make sure they’ve got plenty of fresh air and exercise and they keep themselves out of mischief. Mostly.”

I heard the sound of a door opening behind me.

“And here’s one of them now,” beamed Rose. “Libby, meet my Matthew.”

I turned to see the man I’d met driving to the house yesterday.

“We’ve already met,” I said. “Although maybe I wouldn’t have recognized him now he’s not knee deep in goats...”

Rose laughed. “Ah yes. We call Matthew the goat whisperer round here because he’s the only one who can keep the wild goats under control. Those things can be a real nuisance. They eat anything they can get hold of, but the mayor won’t let us do anything about them. Says they’re essential to the ecosystem. I say what’s wrong with a good goat stew?”

“Goat stew?” I felt sick.

“Oh, no. Don’t worry. I didn’t feed you goat last night,” chuckled Rose when she saw my face. “That was good old organic free-range beef sourced from a local farmer. But if you were interested in trying some goat...”

“No thanks.” I vehemently shook my head.

“Stop teasing the poor girl, Ma,” said Matthew. “Now where do you want this?” He lifted up the large box of groceries he was carrying.

“Just pop it over there by the pantry,” replied Rose. “I hope you don’t mind, Ms. Fortune – Libby. I asked Matthew to bring up some supplies until we’d had a chance to sit down and plan out your meals.”

“I’ll be honest, Rose,” I said. “I’m not exactly a meal planning kind of person. I’ll eat pretty much anything.”

“Unless it’s goat,” put in Matthew.

“Okay, you got me there,” I conceded. “I’m more than happy to let you cook whatever you like, Rose. I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”

“Excellent. I have a lovely braised pork recipe I’ve been wanting to try out. Now, did Matthew bring enough honey...”

She picked up the box of supplies and carried it into the pantry, chatting away to herself about all the ingredients she was going to need, leaving Matthew and me on our own.

Seeing him without the stress of goats bleating around us, I noticed he was even better looking than I first realized. The shirt he was wearing hugged his body enough to give a hint of seriously defined muscles underneath and his hair was that perfect amount of thickness that made me want to run my hands through it and...

“So how was your first night in Lashire Bluff’s most haunted house?” Matthew’s question totally ruined the moment.

“Haunted? You must be joking.”

“I never joke about something as serious as ghosts,” Matthew said. “Didn’t anyone tell you? This place is riddled with them. Why do you think Ma won’t live here, even though Gregory offered her a whole suite of rooms to stay?”

“Ghosts don’t exist,” I said, although the slight crack in my voice took away the edge from my attempt at acting confident.

“So you didn’t hear any strange noises last night?” Matthew raised an eyebrow as the blood drained from my face.

“N-no. Just my cat being his usual grumpy self,” I lied.

“No spectres rattling chains, skeletons dancing at the foot of your bed?”

“Oh, hush now, Matthew,” chided Rose, coming out of the pantry. “Stop scaring the poor girl. She’s got enough to think about right now, although I’m hoping my cooking has already been enough to persuade her to stay. But if it isn’t... why don’t you take her on a tour of the town?”

“Yes, Matthew. Why don’t you show me what you do for fun around here?” I asked.

“If you insist.” There was a twinkle in his eye as Matthew extended his arm for me to take. “Come with me, milady.”

***

I studied Matthew’s profile as he drove us away from my new home and down into the town. There was just enough of a smudge of stubble to give him that bad boy look. Rose might be all homely, but there was no doubting she had a good-looking son.

“So this is the road into town,” he said. “There’s only one way in and out, so you can’t really get lost. Over there, you’ll see the river. In the summer the local kids swim in it and there’s some good fishing to be had if you’re patient. The bridge we just drove over is centuries old. Bridge nerds come to admire it because it has a mosaic on it designed by some obscure artist. That same artist painted a lot of the paintings hanging in your house – rumour has it there are all sorts of strange occult symbols woven into the pictures, but the meaning has long since been lost. That there’s the town hall. It’s even older than the bridge, and if you love paintings of dead guys, you really must go inside where you’ll get more than you could ever imagine. There’s also a little museum about the history of the town, although there’s a reason it’s little. There’s not an awful lot to say about the place. We don’t have a large supermarket – the mayor’s done a good job of keeping out all the big chains, so most people shop in the market, which runs every day in that building over there. Out back there’s a huge outdoor area with plenty of stalls and you can buy pretty much everything you’ll ever need from local farmers and artisans. There’s an Italian restaurant, a diner and one pub which does a great Sunday roast, although don’t tell Ma I said that. And that’s about it for all the local attractions.”

“What do you mean, that’s it?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Don’t you have a cinema or a leisure centre?”

“Cinema? What’s that?” Matthew deadpanned.

“You can’t be serious. This place is like something out of the Dark Ages!”

“It’s not so bad once you get used to it. We don’t need a leisure centre when we’ve got the river for swimming, and most of us work in the farms so we get plenty of fresh air and exercise that way. Anyway, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Your uncle had a top of the range home cinema installed as well as a gym, and I’m guessing you haven’t discovered the indoor swimming pool you’ve got as well.”

“I have a pool?” My mind was whirling. It was all too much to take in – or rather, it was too little. How was I supposed to stay somewhere as backward as this? I might have an amazing house, but I was going to go nuts with boredom if I didn’t get out of this town.

“Your uncle was a bit of a recluse,” Matthew explained. “The older he got, the less he wanted to leave home for any reason, so he spent all his money on creating the perfect hideaway with everything he needed. Ma always says that he saved her after Dad died, but I think she was the one who saved him. If she didn’t take care of him, I don’t think he’d have seen another human being for months and she knew it. That’s why she continued to go to the mansion, even though she’s terrified of the place.”

“Rose? Terrified?” I found it hard to believe that the outgoing, confident housekeeper could be afraid of anything, let alone my house.

“I meant it when I said the place was haunted.” Matthew’s tone was matter of fact, making me think he believed what he was saying, even though it was clearly nonsense. “Lashire Bluff has a bit of a reputation for ghosts. Goats and ancient bridges aside, the main reason the town’s been able to stay as it has for centuries is because of the roaring tourist trade in ghost tours. There’re so many stories about spirits and spectres in the town that people come from all over the world hoping to catch a sighting of one of them. Gregory would never let anyone go into the mansion, which is a shame – that place could feature in an entire season of True Life Hauntings all on its own. Ma will never talk about the things she’s seen, but she’ll never spend the night there and she always tries to get her work done before the sun sets, which is why you’ll usually find your dinner waiting in the oven for when you want it.”

“You’re crazy,” I scoffed.

Matthew shrugged. “Suit yourself. You can think what you like, but I know I wouldn’t want to spend the night there.”

“Well, I slept like a baby,” I said.

“What – you mean you woke up screaming every couple hours?” Matthew joked.

“Ha ha. Very funny.”

“Anyway, that concludes the tour of Lashire Bluff,” said Matthew as we bumped back over the bridge and headed up the road towards the mansion. “Any questions?”

“Why have you stayed here? Surely someone like you would be better off in a big city somewhere?”

“What – and deprive the town of my goat whispering skills? They’d be overrun in no time!”

“Come on, Matthew,” I said. “There’s got to be a reason why you haven’t left. Is there maybe a girl keeping you here?”

I bit my lip, cringing as I hoped Matthew didn’t see through my thinly veiled attempt at finding out if he was single.

“No, there’s no girl,” Matthew laughed. “Not unless you count Ma. I wouldn’t want to abandon her.”

“I thought you had four brothers?”

“I do,” said Matthew. “But three of them did exactly what you said and moved out of town, and Jake’s not exactly reliable. I like knowing for myself that Ma’s doing okay. Anyway, why would I want to leave this paradise? It’s where I grew up. I’m sure for a fancy city type like you it must seem boring, but I’ve always preferred a simpler life. There’s a lot to be said for long walks in the country, hanging out with the goats, listening to them bleating about how tough life is...”

I laughed despite myself. “I suppose it does sound nice. I just don’t know if I could spend the rest of my life with goats. They are rather smelly.”

“You get used to it after a while,” shrugged Matthew. “Anyway, this concludes the tour of Lashire Bluff. But if you want to see more of the town, I can get us a reservation at Caravaggio’s for this evening. I happen to know the manager personally.”

“Are you asking me on a date?” I couldn’t stop the smile playing about my lips. It had been a long time since anyone asked me out, let alone someone as attractive as Matthew.

“Let’s just call it a welcome to the town,” came the enigmatic reply.

***

I took one final look at myself in the mirror, checking I was happy with my outfit. It had taken me an age to decide what to wear to my date that maybe wasn’t a date. In the end, I settled on that old faithful, the little black dress. It perfectly hugged my curves without being too revealing. I’d pinned my auburn hair up in a messy bun that hit just the right note of effortless, even though it had taken me a couple hours and three YouTube tutorials to get it right. I’d kept my makeup light and subtle, with just enough eyeliner to emphasize my green eyes.

Yep. I was pretty certain I’d got it right.

Shelley mewed and wove between my legs, hassling me to feed him again.

“You’re always hungry, aren’t you, cat?” I said. “Well, I’m not picking you up. I’m not going to get fur all over my dress. But we can go and see if Rose has left any treats in the fridge for you.”

When she heard I was going out to dinner with Matthew, the housekeeper had positively squealed with delight.

“My boy’s a true gentleman, Ms. Fortune – Libby. He’ll treat you right or he’ll have me to answer to. I guess I’ll save the pork for tomorrow then. It’ll really bring out the flavour to marinate it overnight. Now, I suppose you haven’t had a chance to explore the house properly yet, so you won’t know if you want to switch rooms?”

“I haven’t, but I really love where I am,” I said. “I can’t imagine I’ll like another room more than that one.”

“Wait until you see your uncle’s room,” Rose advised. “You might change your mind.”

Something told me I wouldn’t. There was something creepy about the thought of sleeping in my uncle’s bedroom. Much as I’d enjoyed Matthew’s company, one of the reasons why I’d agreed to go on the tour of Lashire Bluff was it gave me a good excuse to put off having a proper look round the mansion. With all the talk of ghosts, as well as Shelley’s weird behaviour and the strange noises I’d heard last night, I wasn’t in any hurry to spend more time in the place.

Satisfied with my appearance, I touched up my lip gloss one last time before going to give my permanently hungry cat something to eat.

Shelley followed close at my heels, almost tripping me up as I headed down the stairs to the kitchen. But as I pushed open the doors, he suddenly hung back, hissing.

“Oh, Shelley,” I sighed. “Not this again. “There’s nothing there. Look.”

I walked into the kitchen...

...and straight into someone who looked strangely familiar.

No. It couldn’t be.

“D-Dad..?”

The apparition opened its mouth as if about to say something, then faded away.

It was all too much. I fainted.

***

“Libby. Come on, Libby. Wake up.”

Someone was shaking me awake. My eyelids fluttered open and I saw Matthew leaning over me, a concerned look on his face.

“Wh-what happened?” I sat up, dazed.

“I don’t know,” Matthew said. “You didn’t answer when I knocked on the door, so I came round the back and used Ma’s key. That’s when I found you lying here. Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I think I just might have,” I confessed.

“You can’t be serious,” said Matthew. “This is all my fault.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I made up all that stuff about ghosts haunting the town, I didn’t think you’d take it seriously. You must have hallucinated.”

“So none of what you said earlier was true?” I felt like slapping him.

“No.” Matthew had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry. People keep telling me I’ve got a strange sense of humour.”

“You’ve got that right,” I muttered, as Matthew helped me up to my feet.

“Look, we don’t have to go out if you don’t want to,” Matthew said. “You look like death warmed up.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said. “But I think dinner’s the least you owe me after winding me up like that. Just let me go and freshen up.”

I gazed at myself in the mirror; there was a haunted look in my eyes. There was no way I’d hallucinated, no matter how many stories Matthew told me.

I’d seen a ghost.

I had a quick drink of water to calm my nerves, gave my makeup a final onceover, took a deep breath and went out to meet Matthew.

“You okay?” he asked. “I meant what I said – it’s no trouble to rearrange.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “And I meant what I said. You owe me dinner. You’re not going to get out of it that easily.”

“In that case, milady, your chariot awaits.” Matthew offered me his arm and led me out to his car, where he opened the door for me and made sure I was sitting comfortably before going round to the driver’s side. It had to be said that Rose had brought her son up to have manners.

We drove in awkward silence, both of us lost in thought. It had been a long time since I’d been on a date, so my dating skills were a little rusty. And I was still shaken by what I’d seen in the kitchen. It couldn’t have been my dad... could it?

Maybe it was a hallucination brought on by the stress of the move and Matthew’s silly stories. Yes, that had to be it. There’s no way I’d really seen a ghost.

Before I knew it, we were pulling into the car park at Caravaggio’s. Once again, Matthew came round and opened the door for me.

“I hope you’ve got an appetite,” he said. “The food here is divine.”

“Glad to hear it,” I replied, “because I’m starving.”

Matthew led the way into the restaurant where a smiling maître d’ welcomed us.

“Is everything ready?” Matthew asked.

“Yes, boss. I’ve got your favourite table all set up and ready.”

“Boss?”

Matthew smiled at me. “Didn’t I tell you? I own this place.”

“My, my. Aren’t you full of surprises?”

“I like to keep people on their toes,” he grinned.

So there was a lot more to the goat whisperer than met the eye.

“What other secrets are you keeping from me?” I asked.

“If I told you that, they wouldn’t be secrets, would they?” Matthew replied, tapping the side of his nose. “Anyway, tonight’s not about me. It’s all about you. I want to know everything about Lashire Bluff’s latest Fortune.”

“There’s not an awful lot to tell,” I shrugged. “Inheriting my uncle’s house is the first exciting thing to happen to me for years.”

“I don’t believe that,” said Matthew. “Eyes like yours are hiding plenty of stories, and I want to know all of them.”

“I think it’ll take a few bottles of wine before that happens,” I laughed.

“That can be arranged.” Matthew waved at a waiter and made a drinking gesture. A moment later, he was by our table, a bottle of red in one hand and white in the other.

“These are the best wines we serve here,” Matthew told me. “I hope you don’t mind my choosing on your behalf. I can always get the wine menu for you if you like?”

“No, no,” I said. “I’m happy to trust your judgement. It’s your restaurant, after all.”

“Great.” When Matthew smiled, I could finally see his mum in his features. They had the same bright smile which lit up their face. “Do you want me to order for us both as well? I have a feeling I’ll be able to pick the perfect meal for you.”

“Sure,” I nodded. Quite frankly, right now I didn’t feel up to poring over a menu and agonizing over my choices. I’d much rather let someone else do the thinking for me while I recovered from what had happened earlier. And maybe gaze into Matthew’s gorgeous eyes and listen to him talk...

Matthew gave the waiter our order, who poured out a glass of white for each of us before retreating.

Matthew picked up his glass and held it up in a toast. “To new beginnings and a new home,” he said.

“New beginnings and a new home,” I echoed before taking a sip. “Wow.” My eyebrows shot up. “That is good. Whoever orders your wine has good taste.”

“That’d be me,” Matthew grinned. “I oversee every little detail here. When you live in a place as small as Lashire Bluff, if you want to run a successful restaurant, the only way you can do it is by establishing a reputation for excellence that brings in out-of-towners to see what all the fuss is about. Luckily, I’ve got an amazing chef.”

“Let me guess – it’s your mum?”

Matthew blushed. “You’re right. That’s the real reason why she doesn’t work evenings at your house. She comes down here to cook for me.”

“She must be exhausted at the end of the day,” I said.

Matthew shook his head. “She absolutely loves it. When we all grew up, she didn’t know what to do with herself. She was born to look after people, so when I opened the restaurant, she wanted to do all the cooking so everyone could enjoy a decent home cooked meal. And then when Gregory mentioned he wanted someone to help about the house, she volunteered. I think she’d actually do the work for free. She always felt sorry for him, being all on his own in that huge place. And when she heard you were moving in...” His voice tailed off.

“She felt sorry for me as well?” I finished.

“Well, I wouldn’t quite put it like that.”

“But she did feel sorry for me.”

“She knew how much it hurt your uncle not to have any contact with you. He talked about you a lot, so she knew you were an orphan and didn’t have any other family to support you.”

I sat back, taking in what he’d just said. “But if Uncle Gregory knew I was an orphan, why didn’t he reach out to me after my dad died? Whatever it was that made them stop talking, it didn’t have to stop him contacting me.”

“I don’t know, Libby. Sorry.” Matthew shrugged. “It’s possible Ma knows more, so maybe you should ask her? She and Gregory were really close, so he might have told her things she hasn’t told me.”

“Okay. I’ll do that.”

At that moment, the waiter came over with our starters, ruining the moment. I wanted to ask Matthew more about my uncle and what he’d been like, but it seemed rude when Matthew was so clearly desperate to see me enjoy my food, so instead I started eating.

“Ooooh.” I couldn’t help the groan that escaped my lips when I took a bite of my starter. “That’s incredible! What is it?”

“It’s Ma’s famous baked figs with blue cheese and balsamic vinegar,” Matthew replied, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. “It is incredible, isn’t it?”

“Your mum is amazing. If this is the way I’m going to be eating while I’m here, I can definitely see myself staying in Lashire Bluff, at least for the next few years.”

“You mean you’re thinking about leaving us?” Matthew frowned.

“I haven’t decided anything yet,” I said. “I mean, the house is like something out of a fairy tale and Rose is lovely, but at the same time I always had dreams of travelling the world, you know, working in bars across Europe, getting a feel for the various cultures while I’m still young. I guess I didn’t see myself settling down just yet, you know? And it’s not like the town is filled with attractions. You said it yourself – there isn’t even a cinema here, let alone a night club. I don’t really feel like having to take a 50-mile round trip every time I fancy having some fun.”

“I see. So there’s nothing which would make it worth staying in a backwater like this.”

Matthew let his fork clatter to his plate and shook his head, leaning back in his chair. I felt awful for upsetting him.

“I don’t mean it like that,” I said. “Your mum is a sweetheart and I’m enjoying getting to know you. But you’ve got to see it from my perspective. I didn’t even know I had an uncle until a few days ago and now all of a sudden I’ve got more money than I can ever possibly spend, a huge mansion, a ton of expensive cars and all I have to do is live in a town which is a world apart from anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s a lot to take in. You must see that, surely?”

Matthew thought for a moment, then sighed. “You’re right.” He leaned forward and took one of my hands in his. “I’m sorry. Of course you should make the decision which is right for you. You don’t owe this town anything. All I can say is that I hope as you get to know the place, you’ll realize that just because this town seems sleepy on the surface, doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot going on underneath. Could you at least say you’ll stay for a couple of months, give us a chance?”

The look he gave me was full of pleading and made me wonder whether the ‘us’ he was talking about was more me and him than the town in general.

“Okay,” I said at last. “I’ll stay for a couple of months. Although if I see any more ghosts, then I’m out of here. Deal?”

“Deal,” grinned Matthew.

***

The next day was Rose’s day off, but she’d left food in the fridge for me with a note on how to prepare it so I still didn’t have to worry about feeding myself.

I could certainly get used to having someone look after me. It was a real novelty after all those years fending for myself.

But now Rose wasn’t around, I didn’t have any more excuses. I was going to have to be brave and explore the house. Who knew? Maybe I’d find a colony of mice which would explain all the strange noises I’d been hearing. Large mice, big enough to scare Shelley.

Yeah, right, Libby. Large mice. That would be a huge step up from having a haunted house. Not.

Rose had given me a whirlwind tour of the downstairs when I first arrived, but my head was in such a mess I barely remembered a thing, so I decided to start from the beginning.

Heading out to the reception room, I opened the door to the left of the entrance. An enormous sitting room greeted me. Clustered around an open fireplace surrounded by a beautifully carved mantel were a number of sofas. I wasn’t sure why Uncle Gregory would want a room so obviously set up for entertaining when everything I’d heard about him suggested he was a recluse, but it would be perfect for a housewarming party. I could just imagine curling up with a nice glass of wine, my friends all gathered round to hear about my eccentric uncle. Over on the other side of the room, a large grand piano stood in front of windows with beautiful views over the grounds. Walking over, I tapped at a few of the keys, picking out a simple melody.

As the notes faded away, I could have sworn I heard someone whistling the same tune back at me.

Either I was going crazy or there really was someone in the house with me.

“That’s it.” I stormed out into the reception room and yelled into the mansion. “Who’s here? Show yourself!”

Someone laughed, the sound right by my ear. I whirled round, but there was no one there.

My blood ran ice cold, but I wasn’t going to let whoever it was know they were getting to me. Clearly this was some elaborate hoax and as soon as I figured out who was behind it, they were going to be sorry they ever messed with me.

“That’s it,” I warned. “I’m coming to find you, and I’m armed!”

Grabbing an umbrella from the stand by the front door, I started racing from room to room, opening doors at random and jumping in, umbrella overhead to hit whoever it was who had broken into my home.

I found a library, a dining room, another reception room, three bathrooms, a games room, Uncle Gregory’s famous home cinema, but no sign of whoever it was who was mocking me.

But then I came across a locked door. I rattled the handle, but the door didn’t budge.

“Libby...”

Pressing my ear against the door, I could have sworn someone whispered my name from inside the locked room.

“I’m coming to get you!” I threatened, kicking at the door before I went to find the key.

I was sure I’d spotted some bunches of keys hanging up in a cupboard under the stairs. When I opened the door to the tiny cupboard, the good news was I was right. There were plenty of keys there.

But that was the problem. There were hundreds of keys! And none of them was labelled, so I didn’t have a clue what each of them unlocked.

There was only one thing I could do: try each of them individually and hope that whoever was hiding in the locked room didn’t sneak out by whatever way they’d crept in.

Which of course didn’t answer the question of how they got in in the first place, but I guess we’d figure that out together. Just as soon as I’d found the right key...

First, I detoured to the kitchen to get a better weapon than an umbrella. Looking at the knife block, I was tempted to take one, but I knew in my heart I was way too squeamish to use a knife on anyone. By the time I worked up the courage to try and stab someone, they’d have had plenty of time to run away.

In the end, I grabbed a rolling pin before going back to the locked door. It wasn’t quite a baseball bat, but it was the next best thing and I felt slightly braver for having it. It seemed pretty solid as I hefted it in my hands. Yes, I reckoned I’d do some damage to my intruder if I hit them with it.

My hands trembled as I fitted one key after another into the lock, but I couldn’t tell whether it was from fear or anger. At last, there was a satisfying click and the door was open.

Heart pounding, I lifted the rolling pin high before suddenly pushing the door open and jumping into the room.

“Got you!”

No, I hadn’t. The room was deserted. What’s more, there wasn’t even a window for someone to escape through.

Instead, I was in what looked like a study. There was a very large desk to one side of the room with what looked like a stuffed bear head hanging on the wall above it. There were cabinets lining the walls with glass doors to show off the titles of the countless books along the shelves.

I crept along the side of one wall and suddenly leapt out behind the desk, sure that whoever was taunting would be hiding behind it.

“Raar!”

Nope. Not a soul to be seen.

I stood by the desk, not sure of what to do next. Maybe I’d imagined it all. Perhaps the stress of finding out about an uncle and moving into the middle of nowhere had unhinged me and I was hallucinating.

As I wondered what I should do next, I heard a strange shuffling noise.

Looking around, I saw a door I hadn’t noticed before. Someone was pushing a note underneath!

“That’s it. I’ve got you now.”

I stormed over, yanked the door open, rolling pin at the ready...

...to find myself facing a deserted cupboard. There was absolutely no one in it. There simply hadn’t been the time for someone to hide, even if there was somewhere for them to go, which there wasn’t. There were shelves piled high with stationery, so much so that there shouldn’t have been any space for someone to squeeze in there.

Yet there was a note on the floor which said otherwise.

Maybe I’m going crazy...

Picking up the note, I saw my name scribbled on the outside. Slowly, my mind in a whirl, I went and sat down at the chair behind the desk before opening up the note.

My darling niece Libby,

By now you should have realized that this is a very special place. I debated whether I should warn you about what you might find, but I decided that either you wouldn’t believe me or I’d scare you away. Please forgive me for my little omission.

The most important thing is that you’re here now, and I hope with all my heart that you’ll choose to stay. Rose is a wonderful housekeeper who’s been like a mother to me. I know she’ll look after you as well as she’s looked after me.

This house was never meant to be lived in by just one person. It is my dream that you will find someone to love and bring up the next generation of Fortunes right here in our ancestral home.

I’m sure you still have so many questions, and I wish I could be there to answer them in person. You may be wondering why I never came to see you after your father died. For reasons that will become clear, I couldn’t leave Lashire Bluff, and although I tried many a time to write you a letter, I could never think of the right words. Now it’s too late.

The longer you stay here, the more you will see and hear things which defy science. This is a very special place, both this house and the town as a whole. We do things a little differently here and it may take you a while to adjust.

But – and I cannot emphasize enough how important this is – Lashire Bluff is in your blood. You will never truly escape this place. I would advise you not to try. What happened to your father was inevitable once he made the decision to turn his back on his heritage. Don’t repeat his mistake.

Your ever-loving Uncle Gregory

I read and reread the letter, trying to figure out what on earth he was talking about. I didn’t like that final paragraph. It sounded a little too much like a threat to me. Why couldn’t he just tell me what I needed to know instead of leaving me all these enigmatic notes?

And who had pushed the note under the cupboard door?

Unless...

I went over to the cupboard and went down on my hands and knees, examining the floor closely.

“A-ha!”

I found exactly what I was looking for. I crowed triumphantly as I stood up holding a piece of thread so narrow it was almost invisible. My uncle must have rigged some kind of device that meant that once I came into the study, it would be triggered and push the note under the door. It looked like a ghost had been playing tricks on me, but it was just my uncle messing with me from beyond the grave.

All those strange noises I’d heard must have been recordings. I reckoned that if I went through the house and looked carefully, I’d find motion sensors and triggers which set off recordings to make me think I was living in a haunted mansion when really it was all the product of a man with more money than sense and more time than he knew what to do with. This must be how he had entertained himself – spending his days creating elaborate machines to fool visitors into thinking they were seeing ghosts.

I let out a sigh of relief, laughing a little at how silly I’d been. I didn’t care what my uncle said. There was always a logical explanation for everything.

Now I wasn’t worried about an intruder attacking me, I could relax and carry on exploring the house. And now I was here, I might as well get a good look at my uncle’s study. Maybe he had something interesting on his bookshelves. I needed a good book to read in bed.

Whoa.

As I examined my uncle’s book collection, I could understand why he kept this room locked. He was into some seriously dark things. He had books by Aleister Crowley, books covered with strange occult symbols, books which claimed to teach the reader how to summon spirits or tell the future.

What on earth were you doing, Uncle Gregory?

I’d seen enough. I decided to lock up the room and leave it for now. I didn’t even want to donate the books to charity – who would want them?

Just as I was leaving, I heard a gentle thud from one of the cupboards. Turning to see what had made the noise, I saw that a book had fallen from one of the shelves and was resting against the glass. When I opened the door, the book tumbled out, pages fluttering out.

I picked it up and realized that it was a diary of some kind. Flicking through it, I could see that it documented the last few months of my uncle’s life.

It looked like I’d found my bedtime reading after all.

Continuing my tour of the mansion, I realized none of the other rooms of the ground floor was half as interesting as my uncle’s study, so I moved upstairs.

It was nothing but bedroom after bedroom, each one looking like it’d come straight out of the pages of a glossy magazine. Although they were all luxurious, there was something soulless about rooms so perfect. This was a house, not a home.

I was beginning to feel sorry for my uncle. All that money, but he was alone with just a housekeeper and a niece he never bothered to contact.

I could relate. Although I’d had a happy childhood, that ended the day Mum died. I knew Dad loved me, but he’d retreated into himself. There was no room for me in his grief. And while I’d partied hard, not a single one of my so-called friends had reached out to me since I’d said I was moving out to Lashire Bluff.

At the end of a corridor was a pair of double doors. As I pushed them open, my jaw dropped. This must have been my uncle’s room. Or rather, suite.

A short corridor had a door on either side, one leading to a private bathroom, the other to a walk-in wardrobe that was bigger than my old bedroom. It opened up into an enormous room. The wall opposite was one huge window with breath-taking views across the mountains and town. Crossing over, I realized it was later in the day than I’d thought. I’d lost track of time with all the drama surrounding the study, and the sun was setting behind the mountains, bathing the town in a warm orange glow.

Tears sprang to my eyes with how beautiful it all was. And this was my home now, if I decided to stay.

Rose was right. There was no way I wasn’t going to take this room for my own. Although Uncle Gregory had good taste, I was already imagining how I was going to redecorate and where all my things were going to go.

Matthew was right. I needed to spend a couple of months here before walking away. I had to experience for myself what life in a small town was really like before turning my back on it.

Guess I was going to get my stuff shipped.

***

That night, I curled up in my new bed with Uncle Gregory’s diary, hoping it would give me new insights into the man. I’d found a cupboard filled with clean bedding and changed the bed before I slept in it. Rose had probably already done that, but I wasn’t going to take any risks. It might be beautiful, but it was still my uncle’s room and a little superstitious voice in my mind thought it weird to stay there.

Flicking through the diary, the first few entries seemed really boring, so I skipped through and opened it at random to see if there was anything more interesting in it.

19^th May. If force of will could keep someone alive, I’d live forever. I’ve fought this terrible disease for a long time and I still want to be here, but I can feel my strength fading. I want nothing more than to reach out to Libby, but I made a promise to my brother and I am nothing if not a man of my word. I know better than most what happens when you break your vow to the dead. I can only hope that she will understand when she learns the truth about her heritage.

25^th May. The traditional town summer fayre approaches. I hope I will be well enough to fulfil my duty – it would not bode well if a Fortune failed to preside over the festivities.

1^st June. Thank goodness I was able to take part in the fayre! I fear it will be my last one. What will Libby think when it is her turn to ride the goat?

Whoa! Ride a goat? What kind of weird traditions did they have going on in this place?

If they think they’re going to get me on the back of one of those creatures, they’re in for a rude awakening. Not going to happen in a million years!

8^th June. The spirits are growing louder, no doubt because they can sense I will soon be joining their ranks. There are worse places to spend your eternity, I suppose. I can only hope the rituals will keep me going for long enough to put everything in place for Libby’s arrival. She deserves better.

23^rd June. Maybe my brother had the right idea. Maybe I should have followed him, left this town to its inevitable fate.

18^th July. I went for a walk in the mountains today. Looking down on Lashire Bluff, I couldn’t regret my choices, no matter how much pain they’ve caused me over the years. There are days when it is harder to be a Fortune, but at times like these, I feel like the luckiest man alive.

No doubt Rose will be cross when she discovers I’ve disobeyed doctor’s orders to go out for so long, but I refuse to lie in bed and wait to die. I want to feel the sun on my skin, the breeze ruffling my hair. I’m going to be dead a long time. Let me live while I still can.

That was the last entry. Even though my uncle had held out against the cancer which finally took him for a few more months, he must have decided he didn’t want to use any of that time writing.

Flipping through to the back of the book, I discovered there was a little pocket in the cover which contained a few more documents. I pulled them out and gasped when I found what could only be a photo of my dad and uncle when they were young. They were virtually identical, the only difference being that Uncle Gregory was around ten years older than my dad. My uncle had his arm around his brother and the two of them were smiling at the camera, happiness radiating out from both their faces. Going by the background, it looked like they were standing in front of the mansion.

Which meant my dad knew what he was turning his back on when he walked away from his family. It must have been some argument to make him give up all that money and paint houses for a living.

The rest of the documents were letters my uncle had written to my dad, all in envelopes marked ‘return to sender’. Reading through them, I could feel my heart breaking. They all said similar things – begging my dad to come home, telling him he needed to bring me here to prepare me for what was to come, saying he was being unfair to deny me my heritage.

The ones written after my uncle’s cancer diagnosis were even worse. A couple of them were tear stained as he reminded my dad of his obligations that went ‘beyond family’. He pleaded with him to let me come visit so he could ‘train’ me in the ways of Fortune.

This was all too weird.

“Miaow!”

I jumped as Shelley suddenly leapt onto the bed, landing on my feet. He started kneading at them, purring loudly.

“You know, you’re right,” I said. “It is time for us to get some sleep. Come on, then.”

I lifted up the blankets, patting at the bed for him to get comfortable with me. He crawled underneath the covers and curled up in his usual spot next to me.

I put my uncle’s diary on the bedside table and clapped my hands to turn off the lights.

Yes, the lights were sound activated. I was that lucky.

***

Shelley was gone by the time I woke up next morning, no doubt gone to see if Rose was around to give him some food. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to end up with a very fat cat with the way she’d been spoiling him with fresh meat instead of shop-bought cat food.

Throwing on some clothes, I went downstairs to see what was for breakfast. I was getting used to seeing Rose’s smile first thing in the morning. However, when I went into the kitchen, it was deserted.

Pouting a little, I checked the cupboards until I found some cereal.

Careful now, Libby. You’re getting spoilt already. You’re more than capable of making your own breakfast!

Splashing some milk over a bowl of cornflakes, I took it out to a conservatory at the back of the house I’d discovered yesterday. It was a little chilly in the winter air, but there was a blanket draped over a chair, and I wrapped it around myself before settling into a chair looking out over the valleys.

As I ate my breakfast, I decided I’d go for a drive once I’d finished eating. My uncle’s garage housed some of my dream cars, and it was time I took one of those babies for a spin. Matthew had taken me on a tour of the town, so I figured I’d go in the opposite direction, leave the valleys for a bit and see what I could find in the next valley.

“Maybe there’ll be a cinema in the next town,” I said to myself.

CRASH!

As the words left my lips, the panes of glass in the conservatory walls around me shattered into a million pieces. I ducked into the blanket as glass rained down around me.

“Whoa!”

Ice cold wind swept through the exposed holes, making an angry whistling sound as it hit me square in the face.

Pulling the blanket tight around me, I ran out of the conservatory, the door slamming shut behind me although I barely touched it.

Guess I wasn’t going anywhere until I got the glass fixed.

Pulling out my phone, I tried to ring Matthew to see if he knew anyone who could help me, but I didn’t have any reception. As I made my way to the landline in the kitchen, I held the phone up, angling it around to see if I could pick up a signal, but nothing.

Thank goodness the landline was working. I copied Matthew’s number from my contacts and waited for him to pick up.

“Libby? Is that you? Is everything okay?”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m okay, but the same can’t be said for the house.”

“What happened?”

“It was so weird. I was sitting in the conservatory thinking about what I was going to do today when all the glass suddenly shattered. And I mean all the glass. It was like someone smashed them all on purpose.”

“That must have been scary. Did you say something to make the spirits in the house angry?”

“S-spirits? Do you really think they could have done that?”

Matthew laughed. “I’m teasing. Of course not. No, it sounds more like it was just one of those things.”

“What – all the glass smashing at the same time like that?”

“Yep. It’s not common, but it happens. Sometimes, when glass is installed, there isn’t enough space for the glass to move, so it develops internal stresses which will eventually make the glass break. Either that or someone put in glass that was too thin so when it gets hit by a strong enough gust of wind, it breaks.”

“It was really windy...” I said. “But even so, that glass looked like it had been there for a long time. Why would it break now?”

“Who can say?” I could practically hear Matthew shrugging. “Unless you really did upset the ghosts in the house.”

“Stop joking about that,” I warned him. “It’s not funny. Although I’ve been finding a few things about the place which suggest Uncle Gregory rigged a few practical jokes. Looks like all these ghosts everyone’s so scared of are nothing more than my uncle pulling the wool over your eyes.”

“Yeah, well, even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter,” Matthew told me. “I’m telling you now, no glazier’s going to come up to the mansion. They’re all too afraid of what they might see.”

“You kidding me?” My heart sank. “What am I going to do?”

“Luckily for you, I happen to be really good at DIY. I can bring my brother Jacob and the pair of us can put some stronger glass in for you, glass no poltergeist will be able to smash.”

“Thank you,” I breathed. “I can’t leave the house without anyone here until it’s fixed and I really wanted to go out today. Speaking of which, is your mum okay? She wasn’t here this morning.”

“Oh yeah. Sorry about that. She must have forgotten to tell you. Today’s the monthly craft fayre in town. Ma always has a stall selling her cakes. Gregory used to give her the day off as long as she baked one for him.”

“Sounds like a fair deal,” I said. “You guys certainly seem to like your fayres around here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I found my uncle’s diary. He talked about the traditional summer fayre. Said something about me having to ride a goat...?”

Matthew laughed. “Gregory’s hilarious. He must have known you’d eventually read his diary. No, you don’t have to ride a goat at the summer fayre – or the winter one either, which is coming up. But as the Fortune of the town, you have to take part in a little ritual which is supposed to bless Lashire Bluff. There’s a little procession and you give an offering of food and drink to the river. It’s actually rather moving, and if you really wanted to ride a goat, I’m sure it could be arranged.”

“I think I’ll pass if it’s all the same to you.” I laughed with him. “Look, how soon do you think you can be here? I’m getting stir crazy sitting about the place.” And even though I’d discovered my uncle’s trick with the string and envelope, I still felt like someone was watching me the whole time.

“I’ll come up and measure the windows so I can order the glass,” Matthew said. “I can give the look over the rest of the place if you like, make sure there aren’t any other windows about to implode on you. You can go and check out the craft fayre while I’m doing that if you like.”

“That would be good.” I shuddered at the thought of the massive windows in my new bedroom suddenly giving way.

***

Matthew looked round the conservatory and whistled at the mess.

“Pretty impressive,” he said. “And you say you were in here when this happened?”

“That’s right,” I nodded. “I had the fright of my life.”

“I can imagine. You’re lucky you weren’t badly hurt.” He reached out and lightly rubbed his hand up and down my arm to reassure me. I closed my eyes, loving the feel of his touch. There was something about Matthew which made me feel safe and, in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to throw myself at him, feel his lips against mine...

“You okay?”

The concern in Matthew’s voice brought me back down to earth.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I told him. “I just zoned out for a minute.”

“You definitely need to get out for a bit,” he said. “Go on. Get. The craft fayre’s in the town hall. I think you’ll love it. Gregory always used to spend loads of money there supporting local artisans. I swear he didn’t even want half the things he bought, but he said it was his duty to support the town.”

“I’ll make sure to take my purse,” I promised.

***

My uncle’s garage was heaven for any car afficionado. I wasn’t massively into cars, but even I recognized a Jaguar, BMW, Porsche, Tesla... But when I found my dream car tucked away at the back, I knew exactly what I wanted to drive, and now I was heading into town behind the wheel of a bright yellow classic Volkswagen Beetle. It ran as smoothly as a brand-new vehicle and I couldn’t stop grinning.

The town hall was signposted from the bridge, and it wasn’t long before I was pulling into a crowded car park, taking one of the final few spaces. It certainly looked like the craft fayre was as popular as Matthew told me.

As I walked in, I was greeted by a woman sitting behind a table taking entry fees.

“Oh my!” she exclaimed. “You must be Libby Fortune. You’re the spitting image of your dear uncle. Has anyone ever told you that?”

I started to shake my head, but she didn’t give me a chance to answer, coming out from her seat to give me a big hug.

“It’s so good to see you here. We were all ever so worried you weren’t going to come to the town. Time was starting to run out. The mountains were complaining.”

“Oookay...” I took out my purse to pay the fee, but the woman waved me off.

“Don’t be silly. Your money’s no good here. You go on in and have fun. Oh, and my name’s Beth. I run the haberdashery in town and do a little dressmaking on the side. You come see me next time you want a new outfit. I’ll whip you up something on the house.”

“I will,” I lied. Like I was going to be seen dead wearing a handmade collection of rags. I planned on heading into the city for regular shopping sprees as an antidote to the boredom of Lashire Bluff.

As I went into the main hall, one of the first people I saw was Rose sitting behind a stall with a number of empty cake stands. When I caught her eye, she smiled and waved at me.

“Looks like your cakes are as popular as Matthew told me,” I said. “I don’t know how you find the time, what with your work at the restaurant and up at the mansion.”

“It’s nothing.” Rose waved my words away. “When you love what you do, it’s easy to get it all done. I was hoping you’d come down to the fayre, so I’ve been saving my best cake for you. Here.”

She reached under the table and brought out a huge cake box. She flipped up the lid to reveal a frosted carrot cake.

“It was your uncle’s favourite,” she explained. “He always said he could never get enough of it. But if you can’t eat it all in one go, it’s very easy to freeze it down.” She winked at me.

She closed the box and handed it to me.

“How much?” I asked.

“Pfft!” Rose shook her head. “Nobody’s going to charge you today. We’re all just so happy to have the town’s Fortune back.”

“Yeah, Beth offered to make me an outfit for free,” I said.

“Really? You’re lucky! Beth’s won awards for her work. She used to be a successful fashion designer before she retired to the town. She was meant to be taking it easy, but Beth’s not the kind of person to sit around and do nothing all day, so she opened her shop and makes the occasional outfit for people she likes. Anything she makes for you will fit like a glove and flatter you in all the right places. I know Matthew would love seeing you in one of Beth’s creations.”

I blushed at the sound of his name.

“I knew it!” Rose squealed excitedly. “I knew you had a thing for him! Well if it helps, I know he feels the same way. He’s always talking about you, saying how much he enjoys spending time with you. It’s like the pair of you were destined to be together.”

“Mmmm.” I smiled noncommittally, feeling uncomfortable at the direction the conversation was going.

“Anyway, you should go and have a look at the rest of the stalls,” Rose told me. “I think you’ll be very impressed at the level of talent we have here.”

As I wandered round, I had to agree with Rose. There were a lot of beautiful things for sale and I saw plenty of things I wanted to buy. But, just like Rose and Beth, nobody would take any money from me, so I ended up loaded down with bags filled with hand crafted jewellery, printed silk scarves, and pretty ornaments. Any time I mentioned I liked something, the stall owner would insist on giving it to me, and when I stopped commenting, people picked out something to give to me. At last, I had to give in and accept that today I was like the Queen, enjoying my second birthday of the year.

When I’d worked my way round the main hall, I went out into a side room, which was just as crammed with artists and craftsmen. While this might not be my usual type of shopping spree, I discovered I was actually having fun.

The town hall was bigger than it looked on the outside, and I lost track of time browsing the stalls. But then I went through a door which took me away from the hustle and bustle of the fayre. In the middle of the room was a glass cabinet and, walking towards it, I realized I’d stumbled upon the town museum. In the middle of the cabinet was a book opened at random. Reading the note next to it, I learned it was a diary dating back to the 15^th century written by another Fortune. The words were faded with age, but according to the description, it detailed the traditions surrounding the winter fayre.

“Fascinating, isn’t it?”

I jumped at the sound of a voice next to me.

“Sorry to have startled you, Ms. Fortune.” The man talking to me was shorter than me, plump and balding with a striking resemblance to Danny DeVito. He extended a hand for me to shake and I had to put my shopping bags down to take it. “I’m Mayor Peck, but you can call me Christian.”

“Nice to meet you, Christian. And please, call me Libby.”

“So, you’re doing a little research into the history of our town?”

“Sure.” I didn’t want to tell him I’d found this room by accident.

“It really is an incredible place. I’m guessing your uncle’s already told you about our history, but there’s nothing like seeing it for yourself, is there?”

“Actually, I didn’t even know I had an uncle until recently,” I said. “I don’t know anything about Lashire Bluff apart from the fact people think my house is haunted when really it was just my uncle playing tricks on them.”

“Is that so?” Christian nodded slowly, pondering what I’d just said. “That’s interesting because we have plenty of documented cases of people experiencing strange occurrences in your new home. In fact, if you walk this way, you’ll see our little collection of unexplained photographs all taken in the mansion.”

I followed him over to another display cabinet, where a number of photos were laid out. Looking at them, I saw the usual array of out-of-focus shots and alleged globes which were nothing but the light reflecting off insects.

“Wow,” I deadpanned. “Impressive.”

“Isn’t it just?” Clearly, Christian didn’t understand sarcasm because he seemed delighted by my response. “And if you’ll follow me over here, you’ll see our display of the disasters which have befallen the town when a Fortune turned their back on their duty. Luckily, it hasn’t happened very often. The last time was during the First World War when the owner of the Fortune mansion was called into the army. The local doctor was willing to give him a medical exemption, but he decided that he needed to fight for his country. As soon as he left to sign up, a terrible avalanche devastated the town and not long after he was killed in action. It was a terrible tragedy.”

“That’s awful!” I gasped.

“And completely avoidable,” sighed Christian.

“What do you mean? Nobody could have predicted an avalanche.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Look over here.” Christian led me to another display, this time featuring a parchment with delicate lettering. Even without reading the description, I could tell it was ancient.

“This parchment is the oldest existing evidence of a tradition which dates back to when people first settled in the area. According to local legend, one of your ancestors performed a powerful ritual which summoned the spirits of the mountains. He made an agreement with them that his family would always be rich beyond reckoning as long as the head of the family never strayed beyond the town’s boundaries. If they did, the spirits would rise up and show their wrath.”

“With an avalanche?” I couldn’t keep the scepticism out of my voice.

“With an avalanche,” confirmed Christian. “When the old Fortune dies, the heir must move into the mansion within a month or the mountains will get angry. This is why we hold the winter and summer fayres – to give thanks to the spirits of the mountains for watching over us.”

“You can’t be serious?” I laughed nervously, knowing that Christian believed every word of the crazy story he was telling me.

“Deadly,” Christian said. “But your father felt the same as you. When your uncle told him that he was naming him as heir, they had a huge argument. Your father said he refused to spend his life here, that he would never come back. He kept his word and it broke your uncle’s heart. Of course, he couldn’t leave Lashire Bluff to go and make peace with his brother, so all he could do was watch over you from afar. He tried to send your father money, but every letter was returned unopened. Your father was a stubborn man. Then, of course, he died, so your uncle changed his will. As the last Fortune, we all prayed you would accept your legacy and fulfil your obligation to the town. You have no idea how happy we all are you’re here to stay.”

“Whoa.” I shook my head. “I haven’t decided anything of the sort. And if you’re saying I can never leave this town, then I’m afraid you’re in for some mighty big avalanches. There’s no way I’m staying here for the rest of my life.”

Christian’s face paled. “You can’t mean that.”

“Watch me.”

Picking up my bags, I turned and left.

***

“Matthew?” I called, as I walked through the front door. “Are you still here?”

“In the library.” I followed the sound of Matthew’s voice and found him right where he said he was.

“How was the fayre?” he asked.

“Interesting.” I lifted up all my bags. “I got a whole heap of cool stuff, but then I met the mayor. He’s officially insane, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he told me this incredible story about how I have to stay in this place for the rest of my life or imaginary mountain fairies will have a hissy fit and throw rocks at the town.”

As I said that, there was a loud crash as a whole heap of books fell from a shelf, as if someone had run their arm along it and swept them all off.

“Careful now,” Matthew warned. “You’ll make the house angry.”

“Not you as well,” I sighed. “Is there something in the water that makes you all nuts? I told you my uncle set up practical jokes about the place. Go check the shelf. You’ll find that it’s uneven or there’s another string which pulled the books off.”

NO!

From somewhere in the depths of the house came an anguished scream.

“Quit it, Uncle Gregory!” I yelled in frustration. “There’s no such thing as ghosts! It’s just a recording.”

“Libby...” Matthew shook his head. “All the stories you’ve heard are true. You can’t leave. Not without dooming the entire town to destruction. The spirits in the house are your ancestors. They’ve been trying to help you, but you’re just not listening.”

“Not you too.” Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I really thought I’d met someone special. There was no way I could date a man who believed this nonsense.

“Please, Libby.” Matthew stepped towards me, but I shrugged him off. “I know it sounds like a fairy story, but it’s all true. I promise. You have to stay. Lashire Bluff depends on you.”

“I don’t care.” My mind was made up. “I know I said I’d give it a couple of months, but I’ve seen everything I need. I’m out of here. I’m taking my £500 and the Beetle. I’m gonna pretend I’ve never heard of Lashire Bluff.”

“Libby! Don’t go!”

I wasn’t sure whether it was Matthew who was speaking or another one of Uncle Gregory’s fake ghosts, but it didn’t matter. I was out of there.

Books started flying off the shelves, throwing themselves at me as I fled the library. The assault didn’t end there. As I ran through the corridors and towards the front door, vases tossed themselves at me, plinths falling in front of me to block my way. I got a nasty bump on the head when a statue fell on me, but it only made me even more determined to get out of the place.

At last, I reached the front door.

“Libby!” Matthew cried out for me as I reached for the handle. “Please. I’m begging you. Don’t leave! I don’t want to lose you.”

“You never had me,” I reminded him as I yanked the door open and ran out to the car.

Thunder rumbled overhead as I jumped into the Beetle. I could have my things shipped to wherever I ended up. Right now, all I wanted was to get as far away as possible.

As I fired up the engine, I saw Matthew running out of the house towards me. I slammed my foot down to the floor, the spinning wheels sending gravel shooting up behind me before the tyres gripped and sent the car shooting forward.

The thunder grew louder, the sound menacing and low as I sped away from the mansion. I could see Matthew’s anguished face in my rear-view mirror and for a moment, I felt sorry for him. He really believed the crazy story he was spouting.

But that wasn’t my problem anymore. I was outta here.

Lightning forked overhead, and as the next thunderclap hit, electricity arced down, burying into the side of the mountain, sending rocks flying down towards me. I had to swerve quickly, sharply tugging the steering wheel to the side to avoid driving into a boulder.

“Mountain spirits aren’t real!” I screamed, as more and more rocks tumbled down the slopes, each and every one of them heading straight for me. It took all my strength to manoeuvre round them. I was getting out of there if it killed me.

And then I got my wish. The biggest boulder I’d ever seen rolled down the mountain, slamming straight into the side of my car, pushing me off the road and further down the slope...

***

Roughly eight months later

“Ready for today?”

I opened my eyes to see my sexy boyfriend carrying a tray laid out with fruit and pastries with a single red rose on the side.

“Ready as I’ll ever be to participate in an ancient ritual to appease the mountain gods,” I smiled, pulling myself up. “I’m really looking forward to the summer fayre. I’ll even ride a goat if I have to!”

“That’s the spirit.” Matthew leaned forward to kiss my forehead before placing the tray in my lap. “I’ll see you in town later. I’ve got to go and help with the final preparations.”

“No problem. See you later, gorgeous.”

As I picked up one of the pastries, I caught sight of the crescent moon shaped scar on my wrist, a reminder of my fall down a mountain when I tried to escape my destiny. Dr. Carrington, the town’s doctor, said that if I wasn’t the last of my line, I would have died. As it was, the mountain spirits saved me, just this once, to give me the chance to fulfil the agreement my ancestors made so many centuries ago.

I didn’t think it was such a crazy story anymore.

After I finished my breakfast, I put on the dress Beth had made especially for the summer fayre. She was every bit as talented as Rose said she was, and I loved how the dress complemented my figure without being too revealing. It was a pretty floral pattern, perfect for a midsummer festival.

Going downstairs, I heard the sound of someone picking out Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Lovely? on the piano.

“Thanks, guys,” I smiled. Now that I’d gotten to know the ghosts in the house, I’d discovered they were really rather friendly.

Stepping outside into the sunshine, I closed my eyes and gave thanks for my new life. Matthew was the best boyfriend a girl could want, and who knew? Maybe one day we’d fill the mansion with little Fortunes, guaranteeing the future safety of the town.

But for now, I was happy with being the Fortune of Lashire Bluff.