behind him.
Two middle-aged, well-dressed gentlemen were headed their way, but they were not of this time. They appeared to have stepped straight out the eighteenth century, and were deep in discussion as they walked.
‘Do you believe in ghosts now?’ Andy mumbled.
‘Shh!’ Wade didn’t want to attract their attention, as they looked so engrossed in their conversation they might just walk on past.
But they did not. The gentlemen came to a stop beside Wade to address him.
‘I’m afraid the Baron is certifiably mad,’ the larger of the two stated.
‘No doubt about it,’ the other man agreed. ‘We shall recommend the estate be signed over. Good day, my Lord.’ They bowed astutely and continued on their way down the stairs through the Great Hall, where they let themselves out via the front doors.
‘What the hell was that about?’ Wade dared to speak, but at that moment the cat emerged fromthe shadows of the drawing room to lure him back into a chase.
‘You’re following a ghost. Why won’t you believe me?’ Andrew queried, innocently. He received no answer and gave chase through the drawing room into the long gallery where Wade had paused to reassess going further.
‘Is it Halloween or something?’ Wade uttered, his eyes fixed on another strange character, who, judging from his appearance, was from same period as the last two.
Caught up in his own little world, the colourful noble was bustling around the large open spaces of the long gallery, which was entirely candlelit.
‘Do we usually leave candles ablaze all night?’
‘No, Baron.’ Andrew couldn’t understand it. ‘We haven’t used candles in here for as long as I can remember.’
‘I knew you were going to say that.’ Wade ventured further into the room to discover something else amiss. ‘Where’s my pool table?’ he cried out in dismay.
Andrew noticed the noble had stopped his idle movement, and was observing them. ‘I think you’ve got its attention.’
‘I don’t care. Where the stuff’s my pool table?’ Wade stormed towards the empty space it hadoccupied only days ago. ‘Did you move it?’ He looked to Andrew, who was speechless.
‘I took it,’ the noble claimed, in a loony, though proud fashion. ‘And I will be damned if I will tell you where it might be found. So there,’ he concluded, and then blew a big raspberry at Wade.
The lads were so stunned by the performance they had to laugh.
‘Laugh if you will.’ The skinny old noble was offended. ‘I know you all think I’m mad! Should be locked up! Well, go ahead, lock me up, see if I care. It won’t make any difference … I still won’t give it to you.’
‘Give me what?’ Wade gasped for breath. ‘The pool table?’
‘No! The key, you fool, the key!’ The noble’s mood swung to a more frustrated one. ‘I promised my grandfather, all right? So you can just forget it. End of story!’
‘What key?’ Wade appealed.
The nobleman snorted in an attempt to laugh. ‘Do you think me stupid? You’re not about to trick me that easily. You are with them.’ His eyes darted all over the place, as if he was searching for spies, as he backed up towards the tower that led to the library.
‘Wait a minute, who are they ?’ Wade called,motioning Andrew to join the chase as he bolted up the long gallery after the loony.
By the time they got to the tower the madman had gone. Wade put in a good search, checking the library and down the tower stairs, but came up with nothing. Andrew was closely observing the furniture in the long gallery when Wade returned.
‘This fabric is like new.’ The lad looked at Wade. Andrew was wide-eyed with amazement, and was a tad fearful.
‘So?’
‘So, where are we?’
Wade spotted the cat again, down near the drawing room, and threw himself back into the chase.
‘Baron.’ Andrew implored him to listen. ‘I think there’s something really amazing happening here.’
‘Me too, come on.’ Wade disappeared around
Two middle-aged, well-dressed gentlemen were headed their way, but they were not of this time. They appeared to have stepped straight out the eighteenth century, and were deep in discussion as they walked.
‘Do you believe in ghosts now?’ Andy mumbled.
‘Shh!’ Wade didn’t want to attract their attention, as they looked so engrossed in their conversation they might just walk on past.
But they did not. The gentlemen came to a stop beside Wade to address him.
‘I’m afraid the Baron is certifiably mad,’ the larger of the two stated.
‘No doubt about it,’ the other man agreed. ‘We shall recommend the estate be signed over. Good day, my Lord.’ They bowed astutely and continued on their way down the stairs through the Great Hall, where they let themselves out via the front doors.
‘What the hell was that about?’ Wade dared to speak, but at that moment the cat emerged fromthe shadows of the drawing room to lure him back into a chase.
‘You’re following a ghost. Why won’t you believe me?’ Andrew queried, innocently. He received no answer and gave chase through the drawing room into the long gallery where Wade had paused to reassess going further.
‘Is it Halloween or something?’ Wade uttered, his eyes fixed on another strange character, who, judging from his appearance, was from same period as the last two.
Caught up in his own little world, the colourful noble was bustling around the large open spaces of the long gallery, which was entirely candlelit.
‘Do we usually leave candles ablaze all night?’
‘No, Baron.’ Andrew couldn’t understand it. ‘We haven’t used candles in here for as long as I can remember.’
‘I knew you were going to say that.’ Wade ventured further into the room to discover something else amiss. ‘Where’s my pool table?’ he cried out in dismay.
Andrew noticed the noble had stopped his idle movement, and was observing them. ‘I think you’ve got its attention.’
‘I don’t care. Where the stuff’s my pool table?’ Wade stormed towards the empty space it hadoccupied only days ago. ‘Did you move it?’ He looked to Andrew, who was speechless.
‘I took it,’ the noble claimed, in a loony, though proud fashion. ‘And I will be damned if I will tell you where it might be found. So there,’ he concluded, and then blew a big raspberry at Wade.
The lads were so stunned by the performance they had to laugh.
‘Laugh if you will.’ The skinny old noble was offended. ‘I know you all think I’m mad! Should be locked up! Well, go ahead, lock me up, see if I care. It won’t make any difference … I still won’t give it to you.’
‘Give me what?’ Wade gasped for breath. ‘The pool table?’
‘No! The key, you fool, the key!’ The noble’s mood swung to a more frustrated one. ‘I promised my grandfather, all right? So you can just forget it. End of story!’
‘What key?’ Wade appealed.
The nobleman snorted in an attempt to laugh. ‘Do you think me stupid? You’re not about to trick me that easily. You are with them.’ His eyes darted all over the place, as if he was searching for spies, as he backed up towards the tower that led to the library.
‘Wait a minute, who are they ?’ Wade called,motioning Andrew to join the chase as he bolted up the long gallery after the loony.
By the time they got to the tower the madman had gone. Wade put in a good search, checking the library and down the tower stairs, but came up with nothing. Andrew was closely observing the furniture in the long gallery when Wade returned.
‘This fabric is like new.’ The lad looked at Wade. Andrew was wide-eyed with amazement, and was a tad fearful.
‘So?’
‘So, where are we?’
Wade spotted the cat again, down near the drawing room, and threw himself back into the chase.
‘Baron.’ Andrew implored him to listen. ‘I think there’s something really amazing happening here.’
‘Me too, come on.’ Wade disappeared around
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