she can’t have been doing anything. Then again, Jude Martland was paying her a pittance, so you can’t really blame her for that.’
‘So – you’ll be entirely alone all the time? It isn’t really haunted, is it?’
‘Sharon – that’s the cleaner – tried to put the wind up me, telling me about ghosts and an annual local ceremony on Twelfth Night. She seemed to be implying that the villagers would want to use me as some kind of ceremonial sacrifice, but I wasn’t really listening because it was all entirely daft!’
‘You won’t be there that night anyway, will you?’
‘No, I’m leaving that morning, before the client gets back – that was the arrangement Mo and Jim had.’
‘Is it very isolated? I can’t imagine what you’ll do with yourself.’
‘Apart from trying to finish off my cookbook, I’ve brought that tin trunk of Gran’s papers to sort and I’m going to carry on reading her journal at bedtime, too. She’s been sent to a new hospital and made friends, so it’s getting more interesting.’
‘Perhaps that Ned Martland she mentioned was one of the doctors and she had a crush on him?’ she suggested.
‘Maybe,’ I agreed. ‘I’ll tell you if I find out. And I’m not totally isolated here, because the village is only about half a mile away and, if I feel like company, the old couple at the lodge have invited me to drop in any time. But you know me – I like being alone.’
‘Sam was really disappointed when I told him you weren’t coming for Christmas Day after all,’ she hinted, but I just laughed.
By now, it seemed like a week since I had set out for Little Mumming and I decided on an early night.
Merlin and I had our dinner, and then he accompanied me around the ground floor while I checked the doors and windows. We’d returned to the kitchen and I was just about to fill my trusty hot water bottle, when suddenly the phone on the large dresser rang loudly, nearly giving me a heart attack.
‘Is that Holly Brown?’ demanded a deep voice that seemed to vibrate right down to my feet and back again in a very novel, if slightly disturbing, way.
‘Yes, speaking.’
‘Jude Martland: I just caught up with my emails and found one from Homebodies saying the Chirks had had to leave and you were taking over.’
‘That’s right, and I’m so glad you’ve rung, because—’
‘No, it’s damned-well not all right!’ he rudely interrupted. ‘I’ve just called my uncle, and apparently you’re not only alone in the house, but you’ve also no experience with horses whatsoever!’
‘Look, Mr Martland,’ I said soothingly. ‘I always house-sit alone and your instructions were very comprehensive – exhaustive , even. Well, apart from the goat,’ I qualified.
‘What?’
‘Billy. There was no mention of him.’
‘Of course there was – you just didn’t bother looking for it! But what really matters is that I left Old Place, Lady and Merlin in safe hands, with people I knew and trusted – then suddenly I hear that someone totally unsuitable has been drafted in, without a by-your-leave!’
‘Actually, I’m repeatedly rebooked by the same clients, year after year,’ I said evenly. ‘You were lucky that my Christmas placement had also fallen through, so that I was free to step into the breach! And thank you, Holly Brown, for coping with the emergency,’ I found myself adding acerbically.
There was a pause, then he growled, grudgingly, ‘I suppose there was no alternative, but I’m not happy with the arrangement – or that Homebodies went ahead and did this without asking me.’
‘Ellen did her best to contact you and, in any case, she knows I’m completely trustworthy and capable.’
‘Sending a young woman to look after an isolated house alone, especially over Christmas, can hardly be ideal.’
‘Thank you, but I don’t celebrate Christmas, I’m not actually that young and I prefer isolation.’
‘Noël mentioned you didn’t celebrate
‘So – you’ll be entirely alone all the time? It isn’t really haunted, is it?’
‘Sharon – that’s the cleaner – tried to put the wind up me, telling me about ghosts and an annual local ceremony on Twelfth Night. She seemed to be implying that the villagers would want to use me as some kind of ceremonial sacrifice, but I wasn’t really listening because it was all entirely daft!’
‘You won’t be there that night anyway, will you?’
‘No, I’m leaving that morning, before the client gets back – that was the arrangement Mo and Jim had.’
‘Is it very isolated? I can’t imagine what you’ll do with yourself.’
‘Apart from trying to finish off my cookbook, I’ve brought that tin trunk of Gran’s papers to sort and I’m going to carry on reading her journal at bedtime, too. She’s been sent to a new hospital and made friends, so it’s getting more interesting.’
‘Perhaps that Ned Martland she mentioned was one of the doctors and she had a crush on him?’ she suggested.
‘Maybe,’ I agreed. ‘I’ll tell you if I find out. And I’m not totally isolated here, because the village is only about half a mile away and, if I feel like company, the old couple at the lodge have invited me to drop in any time. But you know me – I like being alone.’
‘Sam was really disappointed when I told him you weren’t coming for Christmas Day after all,’ she hinted, but I just laughed.
By now, it seemed like a week since I had set out for Little Mumming and I decided on an early night.
Merlin and I had our dinner, and then he accompanied me around the ground floor while I checked the doors and windows. We’d returned to the kitchen and I was just about to fill my trusty hot water bottle, when suddenly the phone on the large dresser rang loudly, nearly giving me a heart attack.
‘Is that Holly Brown?’ demanded a deep voice that seemed to vibrate right down to my feet and back again in a very novel, if slightly disturbing, way.
‘Yes, speaking.’
‘Jude Martland: I just caught up with my emails and found one from Homebodies saying the Chirks had had to leave and you were taking over.’
‘That’s right, and I’m so glad you’ve rung, because—’
‘No, it’s damned-well not all right!’ he rudely interrupted. ‘I’ve just called my uncle, and apparently you’re not only alone in the house, but you’ve also no experience with horses whatsoever!’
‘Look, Mr Martland,’ I said soothingly. ‘I always house-sit alone and your instructions were very comprehensive – exhaustive , even. Well, apart from the goat,’ I qualified.
‘What?’
‘Billy. There was no mention of him.’
‘Of course there was – you just didn’t bother looking for it! But what really matters is that I left Old Place, Lady and Merlin in safe hands, with people I knew and trusted – then suddenly I hear that someone totally unsuitable has been drafted in, without a by-your-leave!’
‘Actually, I’m repeatedly rebooked by the same clients, year after year,’ I said evenly. ‘You were lucky that my Christmas placement had also fallen through, so that I was free to step into the breach! And thank you, Holly Brown, for coping with the emergency,’ I found myself adding acerbically.
There was a pause, then he growled, grudgingly, ‘I suppose there was no alternative, but I’m not happy with the arrangement – or that Homebodies went ahead and did this without asking me.’
‘Ellen did her best to contact you and, in any case, she knows I’m completely trustworthy and capable.’
‘Sending a young woman to look after an isolated house alone, especially over Christmas, can hardly be ideal.’
‘Thank you, but I don’t celebrate Christmas, I’m not actually that young and I prefer isolation.’
‘Noël mentioned you didn’t celebrate
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