“Perhaps we should begin the investigation. Kate, would you be kind enough to tell the group why you felt the need of the team’s assistance.” Beaner took a seat in the largest of the pine kitchen chairs.
My heart pounded and I longed to help myself to a glass of wine but everyone had gone silent and something about Beaner’s demeanour told me it wouldn’t be a good idea. Avoiding Steve’s sceptical looks I explained about the noises, the lavender smell, the mist and finally, I told them about the woman in the kitchen.
“Ooh, that means it’s a strong presence if you actually saw her and in such detail,” Mand said.
Sarah nodded in agreement. “Very strong, and no one else seems to experience this?”
“Mike saw her at a window and so did Lou. Steve has smelt the lavender scents but it’s mainly me that seems to have experienced the most things.”
Chloe stared openly at me, her black rimmed eyes wide with a mix of astonishment and fear. “Wow, that’s so amazing. I would be peeing myself if any of that happened to me.”
I hoped for the sake of my floorboards that her bladder would remain under control if anything exciting happened tonight.
Brian was busy scribbling notes on a pad. “Which rooms are most active?”
“Well, there’s in here, mostly over that side of the room, the old part, by the Aga. The lounge, especially since Steve opened up the fireplace, and then there’s the landing where I keep hearing footsteps. It’s mostly the lounge and in here though.”
Beaner fixed his opaque gaze on my face. “Describe the woman.”
“Dark curly hair, wearing a white bonnet. She had a long greyish brown dress with a white collar, she might be pregnant. She looked about my age and had sad dark eyes. I keep feeling as if she wants me to help her or she wants to tell me something but I don’t know how or what.”
“Kate has been trying to trace the history of the house and its previous owners to try to work out who she might be,” Mike said.
Beaner turned his gaze on Mike as if seeing him for the first time. Mike fidgeted and coughed under the scrutiny before Beaner returned his attention to me.
“And have you discovered her identity from your research?”
“No, I thought at first she might be someone called Isabella who lived here in Victorian times, but then I saw a picture of Isabella and she was blonde and dressed differently to the woman I saw. I did some more research at the library yesterday and I think she’s from an earlier time but the records get patchy the further back you go, so I’ve hit a bit of a wall.”
For the first time since we’d met I thought I saw the faint trace of a smile tug at the corner of Beaner’s narrow mouth.
“Perhaps, Amanda and Sarah, you should go with Brian to the lounge and see if you can pick up on anything in there.”
Mand and Sarah did as Beaner commanded leaving the rest of us in the kitchen.
“What happens now?” Lou asked, finishing off the last of the crisps.
Beaner gave another of his secretive, almost-there smiles. “Amanda and Sarah will come back soon and tell us their impressions of who the spirit might be and why it is here.”
“Brian mentioned that you had some kind of family connection with the cottage," Mike said. "I know both Kate and I would be very interested to know more about that. I teach history at the university and anything that adds to our body of knowledge about local heritage buildings is always welcome.”
Beaner’s smile expanded, stretching the skin of his face into a reptilian grin.
“All in good time. We must not prejudice Amanda and Sarah’s experiences.”
I helped myself to a glass of wine and tried to decide who was creepier, my ghost or Beaner. Steve had silently watched the whole exchange with Chloe by his side. I’d been trying to pretend neither of them were there. From the moment she’d stepped through the back door I’d felt curiously disembodied, almost as if this was all a bad dream.
“Why do you think that only Kate and no one else seems to see and sense this so-called spirit?” Steve folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on his heels.
“Again, I think we should wait for Sarah and Amanda to share their experiences and then we can consider the reasons why that might be.” Beaner’s smile vanished and his voice was cool.
“Ooh, I can’t wait. I’ve always wanted to come to something like this.” Chloe gave a little shiver.
We all fell silent again as we waited for the others to return. The room had grown darker since everyone had arrived and the rain continued to drum against the window panes. I began to wonder if I should open more packets of crisps and turn on the lights. Then the door opened and Mand, Sarah and Brian trooped back in.
Brian’s chubby face appeared flushed and excited while Mand and Sarah both bristled with self-importance. I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, as did Lou.
Steve, Chloe and Mike remained standing. All of us fixed our attention on the three returnees.
Beaner steepled his long bony hands in front of him, flexing the tips of his fingers. “Well, you all look very pleased. I take it your quest was successful?”
They all nodded in agreement.
“Perhaps you would like to share your thoughts with the others.” He gestured vaguely towards me and Lou.
“There’s definitely something there and we both strongly felt that it was a woman,” Mand began.
“This woman was someone who had strong connections with this house and experienced great loss and sadness in her lifetime here,” Sarah continued.
I stole a quick peek at Steve to catch him rolling his eyes in disbelief. I had to admit I felt a touch underwhelmed so far. After all, they were only telling me what I’d figured out already for myself. I suppose the one good point about it was that at least, even if they were all fruit-loops, they did actually believe me.
“Did you establish what time period this lady is from?” Beaner asked.
Mand and Sarah exchanged a quick glance. “Civil war,” they said, in unison.
Mike looked quite interested in this titbit of information. When we’d been kind of dating he’d mentioned that it was his favourite period in English history.
Beaner favoured them with another of his smiles. “Did either of you determine the source of her unhappiness?”
Brian gave a small cough and held his notepad up to read. “Mand sensed that the woman was waiting for someone, someone who hadn’t returned. There was something she deeply regretted and she was trying to put it right. Sarah saw soldiers in uniform and a baby.”
“Very interesting, thank you Brian.”
Brian basked in Beaner’s approval.
Right then, above my head, I heard the familiar heavy tread of footsteps on the landing. “Sshh, listen.”
Everyone fell silent. At first I thought the sounds had stopped and all that was audible was the wind and rain outside the house. Then it began again, the thump and drag sound of someone walking about upstairs.
* * *
The pains last for what feels like hours. Mother mops my brow and outside the door of my chamber my father is pacing up and down, the tread of his boots heavy on the boards. I know it is him by the sound of his feet. Dorcas fetches and carries whilst the woman from the village feels my stomach and mutters to herself.
I am feverish and wracked with pains so strong my abdomen becomes hard like rock and I cry out. Please God let my child be born soon and safely that my ordeal might end.
* * *
Chloe’s face paled and she clutched at Steve’s arm. Mike looked worried while Brian appeared ecstatic. After a moment the footsteps stopped and everyone began to talk excitedly.
“Ugh, that fair gave me the willies. I’m putting the light on.” Lou gave a little shudder and rose from her chair to snap on the kitchen light. I glanced at Steve to see how he’d taken the sounds from upstairs. It was hard to tell what his thoughts were, although his mouth was set in a line and his expression was serious.
Beaner appeared put out by Lou turning the light on judging by the glare he sent her way when she resumed her seat. He raised his hand and a hush descended.
“Brian, perhaps you might venture upstairs and set up some audio and infra-red equipment? I think we’d all agree that we heard unusual sounds on the landing.”
“I’ll just nip to the car and bring in the gear.” Brian trotted off down the hall with Mike following behind to give him a hand.
The colour had returned to Chloe’s face since Lou had switched on the lights and she had released Steve’s arm. Perhaps Steve had suggested to her that I might be upset if they acted all lovey-dovey under my nose.
While Brian and Mike were setting up the equipment upstairs I press-ganged Lou into helping me refill the crisp bowls. Steve stalked off to watch Brian and Mike and Mand and Sarah began a debate about the footsteps. Chloe took one of the empty seats next to Beaner.
“It’s ever so exciting meeting you, Mr Beaner. Me mum says you’re the business when it comes to psychic stuff. You did a reading for her a few years ago when me gran died. I wish I were psychic.”
Beaner favoured her with one of his smiles. “It’s both a blessing and a curse, my dear. There are many sceptics who dismiss the idea that those who have gone before are still able to communicate with us.”
He wasn’t wrong there, one of them was upstairs helping set up the recording equipment.
“Have you always been psychic?” Lou plonked herself back down and started nibbling at the fresh bowl of crisps.
“Since I was a child when I first saw the spirit of my dear departed grandmother in my wardrobe. Later that year I encountered Leofric, my spirit guide.”
I tried to imagine Beaner as a child and failed. The overhead lights gave a small flicker and I hoped the bulb wasn’t about to go again. The men rejoined us.
“All set.” Brian rubbed his hands together. “Let’s hope we can capture some good stuff. You said you’d seen orbs here, Kate?”
“Yes, lots of times.” I wondered what would happen next.
“I think in a little while we will attempt to communicate with the spirit of the lady residing here. First, however, I promised I would share with you all my connection with this house and my reasons for joining you this evening.” Beaner stood and felt inside the inner pocket of his jacket. He eventually produced a rolled-up sheet of paper.
Everyone moved nearer to the table as he placed the paper down, and using glasses and crisp bowls to weight the edges, he unrolled the sheet.
“This is the Bean family tree. We are an old family and have lived in this area for centuries. I was moved to begin investigating the history of the family some five or six years ago after a near death experience.” He paused at this point to look around the table.
Chloe rose to the bait. “Ooh, what happened?”
He acknowledged her with a slight inclination of his head. “During a routine operation I died on the table for several minutes and had an out of body experience. I met with several of my ancestors and I vowed that if I were to be returned to life I would ensure their story was told.”
Steve turned a snort into a cough. I glanced around the table. The rest of the party, including Lou, all appeared engrossed.
“It has taken a great deal of my time to trace some of my forebears. As Kate said earlier, after a certain time period the records become patchy. However I had additional help from two sources. One is Leofric, my spirit guide, who has been with me since childhood.”
Steve’s gaze met mine at this point, a mixture of disbelief and laughter showing in his eyes. I forced myself to ignore him to concentrate on Beaner’s tale. I hoped it would be based on a more credible source than a spirit guide or Mike would begin to question him too.
“The other is a family story that has been passed down through the generations and was recorded in this book by my own grandfather before he passed.” Beaner delved in his pocket again and laid a small, battered, red notebook down next to the family tree.
“This book and this chart may hold the key to the identity of the woman I believe is trapped in this house: my ancestor, Mary Ann Bean.”
As if on cue, the lights flickered and went out.
* * *
They tell me I have a baby boy. I name him for his father. I hear my name being called as if from far away. I pray it is Joshua calling me.