Baron.’ Andrew tried it out. ‘That works for me.’
‘Me too,’ Wade agreed. ‘Now, a little quiet, please, so we can watch this masterpiece.’
Talbot couldn’t resist taking a wander past the music room before retiring for the night. The butler could hear the sound effects from the horror film showing in the Baron’s chambers from two rooms away. As he moved closer, the garbled conversation and laughter of the lads could alsobe heard, the sound of which brought a smile to the old man’s face.
Between movies, Andrew requested permission to roll a joint — knowing what the Baron was like, he didn’t think he’d object.
‘I promised your father no pot,’ Wade confessed. ‘He doesn’t want you picking up my expensive habits, as it were.’
Andrew had to laugh at this. ‘I’ve been smoking the stuff since school.’ He pulled out his own stash. ‘And anyway, I didn’t make any such promise.’
‘A man after my own heart.’ Wade folded, suggesting they smoke the joint out the window at least, so the smell didn’t attract attention.
As they hung outside, freezing, Wade got around to asking Andrew about the ghosts he’d mentioned on the first day that Wade had arrived at Ashby.
‘I’ve only ever seen the couple that frequent the servants’ quarters,’ Andrew commented, flicking the ash from the end of the smoke. ‘But Rosia, the maid, she reckons she bumps into them all over the place. She won’t come up into the main house at night … gets too crowded, she said.’
Wade couldn’t work out if Andrew was winding him up or not. For someone who seemedso meek and mild all the time, there was a much deeper, darker side to this fellow. Wade rather liked it. ‘So you believe in them, then, ghosts?’
‘Hey, seeing is believing, Baron,’ Andrew advised and passed the smoke on. ‘I believe.’
Wade grinned, still sceptical, but Andrew didn’t crack a smile. He was either a bloody good fibber or dead serious about what he was telling him. ‘Did my grandfather ever mention seeing ghosts?’
‘Seeing them!’ Andrew forced half a laugh. ‘He used to talk to them.’
‘Talk to them. Really?’
‘Sure! He used to have arguments and sword fights with them, go dancing, you name it.’
‘You’re kidding me?’ Wade’s jaw was starting to drop.
‘Yeah, I am.’ Andrew ducked inside to avoid a backhander.
Not long into the third feature, the music room door creaked open.
Remembering the previous night’s events prompted Wade to look this time, and sure enough the cat came striding in. ‘Hey, Andy,’ Wade whispered, motioning to the cat now cleaning itself by the door.
Andrew was stunned when he saw the animal. ‘That cat has been dead since I was a kid,’ he whispered back.
Wade rolled his eyes, knowing Andy was exaggerating this time. ‘Nice try, kiddo … but your father already told me it only disappeared a few weeks ago.’
‘Why would he tell you that? It isn’t true,’ Andy defended his claim.
‘Shh!’ Wade instructed, turning down the volume with the remote control. ‘Here, Arthur. Here puss.’ He patted his leg to encourage it closer.
‘No, Baron.’ Andrew was horrified as the cat sauntered over.
It stopped just short of Wade’s touch, meowing as it hesitated and then withdrew to the door.
‘Where are you going?’ Wade raised himself quick-smart to pursue the cat. He didn’t want it getting away from him a second time.
‘Baron, please. I’m telling you the truth.’ Andrew detained him.
‘Give it up, Jenkins. It’s just a cat.’ Wade took off to find the elusive feline.
The doors, all the way to the long gallery at the other end of the house, were open. The cat was scampering across the marble floor of the dimly-litdomed gallery, headed for the drawing room on the far side.
Wade, however, only made it halfway across the gallery before espying a couple of figures emerging from the shadows where the cat had gone. Andy halted right
‘Me too,’ Wade agreed. ‘Now, a little quiet, please, so we can watch this masterpiece.’
Talbot couldn’t resist taking a wander past the music room before retiring for the night. The butler could hear the sound effects from the horror film showing in the Baron’s chambers from two rooms away. As he moved closer, the garbled conversation and laughter of the lads could alsobe heard, the sound of which brought a smile to the old man’s face.
Between movies, Andrew requested permission to roll a joint — knowing what the Baron was like, he didn’t think he’d object.
‘I promised your father no pot,’ Wade confessed. ‘He doesn’t want you picking up my expensive habits, as it were.’
Andrew had to laugh at this. ‘I’ve been smoking the stuff since school.’ He pulled out his own stash. ‘And anyway, I didn’t make any such promise.’
‘A man after my own heart.’ Wade folded, suggesting they smoke the joint out the window at least, so the smell didn’t attract attention.
As they hung outside, freezing, Wade got around to asking Andrew about the ghosts he’d mentioned on the first day that Wade had arrived at Ashby.
‘I’ve only ever seen the couple that frequent the servants’ quarters,’ Andrew commented, flicking the ash from the end of the smoke. ‘But Rosia, the maid, she reckons she bumps into them all over the place. She won’t come up into the main house at night … gets too crowded, she said.’
Wade couldn’t work out if Andrew was winding him up or not. For someone who seemedso meek and mild all the time, there was a much deeper, darker side to this fellow. Wade rather liked it. ‘So you believe in them, then, ghosts?’
‘Hey, seeing is believing, Baron,’ Andrew advised and passed the smoke on. ‘I believe.’
Wade grinned, still sceptical, but Andrew didn’t crack a smile. He was either a bloody good fibber or dead serious about what he was telling him. ‘Did my grandfather ever mention seeing ghosts?’
‘Seeing them!’ Andrew forced half a laugh. ‘He used to talk to them.’
‘Talk to them. Really?’
‘Sure! He used to have arguments and sword fights with them, go dancing, you name it.’
‘You’re kidding me?’ Wade’s jaw was starting to drop.
‘Yeah, I am.’ Andrew ducked inside to avoid a backhander.
Not long into the third feature, the music room door creaked open.
Remembering the previous night’s events prompted Wade to look this time, and sure enough the cat came striding in. ‘Hey, Andy,’ Wade whispered, motioning to the cat now cleaning itself by the door.
Andrew was stunned when he saw the animal. ‘That cat has been dead since I was a kid,’ he whispered back.
Wade rolled his eyes, knowing Andy was exaggerating this time. ‘Nice try, kiddo … but your father already told me it only disappeared a few weeks ago.’
‘Why would he tell you that? It isn’t true,’ Andy defended his claim.
‘Shh!’ Wade instructed, turning down the volume with the remote control. ‘Here, Arthur. Here puss.’ He patted his leg to encourage it closer.
‘No, Baron.’ Andrew was horrified as the cat sauntered over.
It stopped just short of Wade’s touch, meowing as it hesitated and then withdrew to the door.
‘Where are you going?’ Wade raised himself quick-smart to pursue the cat. He didn’t want it getting away from him a second time.
‘Baron, please. I’m telling you the truth.’ Andrew detained him.
‘Give it up, Jenkins. It’s just a cat.’ Wade took off to find the elusive feline.
The doors, all the way to the long gallery at the other end of the house, were open. The cat was scampering across the marble floor of the dimly-litdomed gallery, headed for the drawing room on the far side.
Wade, however, only made it halfway across the gallery before espying a couple of figures emerging from the shadows where the cat had gone. Andy halted right
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