Dead and Talking: Christmas Spirits: Dead and Talking, #4

By Lily Darley

Naomi (paranormal detective), and her husband, Jeremy, are invited to spend Christmas with their friends in their quirky house on the England/Scotland border.  They are soon made aware that the house is haunted and they, along with their toddler twin daughters, are soon pitched into the middle of yet another paranormal murdery mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lily Darley
• Release date: Oct 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386880455

Book preview

Chapter 1

Jeremy has often told me about the exploits he and his closest friend, Dave Fellowes, used to get up to in their younger and less responsible days.  I vaguely remember Dave, and his pretty wife Ellie, from our wedding day, though my memory is pretty hazy concerning details as the whole day passed in a bit of a blur.  I haven’t seen them since, though Jeremy and Dave often talk over the phone and, no doubt, email or text each other regularly.  Anyway, three days ago Jeremy received an invitation for us to spend this Christmas with them in their old and rambling house somewhere on the England/Scotland border.  I’ve heard so much about this house over the past three years that I almost feel as though I already know it, and I can hardly wait to see if the reality meets the image I carry in my head.  I know what it looks like from the outside now as Dave and Ellie run the house as a small boutique hotel and Dave had, thoughtfully, included one of his brochures with the invitation. 

The border area is, apparently, popular with walkers and Dave and Ellie took the decision, a couple of years ago, to make their house work for them.  The house is large and rambling, some parts of it are centuries old, the most modern part being Victorian.  I can only imagine how much money it takes to keep the place maintained, not to mention warm during the very cold winter months.  Luckily they seem to  be doing well as it is now a very successful boutique hotel. 

Jeremy and Dave had virtually grown up together, Dave having been sent to a London school for his education,  and had been inseparable until Dave had met Ellie, fallen in love, and married her.  Jeremy admits he had been a little in love with Ellie himself, but then so had most of their friends, so he says.  Ellie is, I know, a lovely person and Dave, Jeremy was at pains to tell me, was the perfect match for her.  He was certainly delighted to receive an invitation for us and the girls to spend the festivities with them.  I kid you not, he ran round our kitchen shrieking with delight at the thought of us all spending the festivities with them in their huge house.  He re-read the letter out to me I don’t know how many times, just in case I hadn’t understood the first time, bless him.  Oh, ok, so I was shrieking too.  I mean, spending Christmas on the borders?  Being waited on hand and foot? Spending time with two lovely people?  Of course I was excited - I was excited enough for all of us, gabbling away ten to the dozen.

‘I can’t think of anything more perfect than spending Christmas in the borders.  Oh wow, Jeremy, do you think it will snow?  Can you imagine the fun the girls will have making snow angels and learning how to throw snowballs?’  Snow, I wanted snow!

‘It snowed last year, if you remember - they couldn’t drive anywhere for about a week because they’re down a long drive leading off a very narrow and winding road.  You’re going to love it there.  It’s so private and peaceful - and the house dates from the 16th century in parts.  A number of Dave’s guests have asked if the house is haunted - they’ve heard things in the night, apparently’.  He winked at me as he said it. 

Ah, the thought of perhaps meeting more long-dead souls.  I have to admit that the possibility of meeting people who had lived in such an amazing house in the past filled me with excitement.  I could only imagine what they may be able to tell me.  I was also excited for the girls.  They’d had their second birthday so were likely to be far more into the Christmas excitement than they were the previous year - and I could have a pretty good guess to what they would be like if we were lucky enough to have snow over the holiday.

Ellie is a bright, open and friendly person who had accepted what I do for a living as though it were the most natural thing in the world.  Dave, I remember, had enfolded me in his arms in a huge bear hug the minute we met.  I just knew a holiday with them would be the perfect way to spend Christmas. 

Of course, we didn’t tell the girls immediately, we thought they were still too young to have any concept of how long four months was, and I didn’t want to see the disappointment in their eyes as they were repeatedly told ‘not yet’.  So we waited until the week before we were due to leave specifically so the girls could use their advent calendars to count the days down.  Lizzie and Laurie, by then going on two and a half, ran round and round in excitement, their squeals bringing their grandmother (Gannie as they call her, Jennifer as I call her), running into the large living-room to see what the noise was all about.

‘Gannie, we’re going on holiday for Kissmas’, they shouted as they ran into her arms.

‘I know you are my darlings, and you’re going to have such a lovely time’, she’d said as she gathered  them into her arms and cuddled them tightly, their arms clinging round her neck, almost throttling her. 

‘Is Nannie coming too?’, asked Lizzie, asking about their constantly present and three years dead great-grandmother who rarely left their side.

‘No, I’m going to have my own little holiday, though I’ll come and see you settle in’, said Rachel as she glided into the room. 

I think I raised her eyebrow at her.  It was the first I’d heard of it.

‘You won’t need me and I have my own plans’, said Rachel as she slowly disappeared.

I made a mental note to ask her about her ‘plans’ later.  I wasn’t worried, I knew that Rachel was attached to the girls in the way that Laurie had been attached to me before she was re-born as my daughter (Complicated?  Much? Trust me, I’m still struggling to get my head round it).  If any problem cropped up with either of the girls Rachel would be there immediately.  I simply wondered what it was that Rachel hadn’t told me.

I found out later that evening as we were packing the clothes, presents, toiletries and all the other paraphernalia we were likely to need for a week away from home.  Rachel had appeared beside me, I could smell her favourite perfume before I actually saw her standing there.

‘Bob and I are sorting out some changes to the way the house in London is used.  The booking process is almost unworkable now you’re so famous and busy.  We simply can’t keep up with all the lost souls who need your help and, besides, I want to spend some time getting to know Bob a little better.  He’s a kind and gentle man who doesn’t have much time to himself and I rather feel that his own needs have been put to one side in his enthusiasm to be useful to you.  Oh, don’t look at me like that Naomi, he’s immensely proud of what you do and his role in your work, but I think he has issues he hasn’t felt able to express and I’m going to try and find out what they are.  I stay because my role is to look after Lizzie and Laurie as they grow into their adult selves and their future powers.  Once that happens my job here will be done and I can move on to my future life, whenever and wherever that may be.’

My brain really only focused on the bit about my babies’ ‘future powers’. 

‘Future powers,’ I said ‘and just what does that mean?  I know they’re special little girls with some very strange abilities, but ‘future powers’ sounds rather alarming.’  I prefer to think of my girls as little girls not as the young women they will, one day, become.  I don’t like to think too far ahead - it scares me.

I think my voice may have been a little on the tetchy side side because Rachel definitely stepped back a pace or two.  She certainly replied on the defensive.

‘I told you when they were born that they had an important role to play Naomi.  They do, and it’s my job to make sure they are ready for it when the day arrives.  You needn’t worry, I won’t be leaving until I know they’re both ready for me to go.’

She would elaborate no further and I had to content myself with partial information.  It annoys me, I have to admit, this veil protecting me from knowing what it is my girls have been sent to do.  As far as I was aware, they had no idea themselves.  We’ve made it our mission to bring them up as ordinary little girls.  I doubt they know their Nannie is a ghost, nor that some of their favourite people are also ghosts.  Little Katie, for instance, a girl who died when a workhouse collapsed, often visits to play with them.  To be honest, I was a little shocked as I realised that most of the people who interact with my daughters are long dead.  I made a mental note there and then to get them enrolled into a nursery, as soon as possible, so they could integrate with living children and adults more often. 

Later that night I discussed Rachel’s announcement with Jeremy.  I wanted to know how he felt about our daughters’ lives being already mapped out for them. 

Jeremy, being the realist he is, turned to me, kissed me smack on the lips and said, ‘Naomi, your whole life had been mapped out for you, though you didn’t know it.  Mine too, as it turns out.  I was born to marry you and you were born to marry me, so that eventually we would have our two darling little daughters.  We exist so that our little girls can grow into the adults they will become.  I don’t know the ins and outs of it, I don’t know what the future holds for us, or for them, but I’m blissfully happy and content.  I also know that Lizzie and Laurie have the best personal bodyguards anyone could wish for.  I bet even the POTUS would give his balls to have our children’s bodyguards on his staff.’

Ha, well, put like that I guess he’s right.  I can always rely on Jeremy to put everything into perspective.

Later, in bed, I must have fallen straight to sleep.  I remember nothing until I woke up,the following morning, fully refreshed.  My mind must have been totally settled.

20th December

On the morning of the 20th December, we settled our daughters into their child car seats and fastened them in.  The girls were both wide awake and full of excitement.  They'd said their goodbyes to Jennifer, who made a great fuss of putting her gifts to them into the car, she telling them they couldn't open them until Christmas morning.  They'd also said goodbye to Rachel, who promised she would be with them whenever she was needed, or wanted, during their holiday, and would certainly be with them on Christmas morning as they opened their presents. 

Jeremy had already loaded their favourite DVD into the DVD player for them to watch in the back of the car and I had packed plenty of drinks and snacks, as well as sandwiches and flasks of soup for us all to eat on our journey.  We try to stay away from the motorway services.  I have no idea what goes into the food they serve and, anyway, it’s always such a struggle trying to keep the girls away from the stodgy stuff they’d prefer to eat. 

It was going to be a long day and there were likely to be plenty of people travelling north on the motorways.  We weren’t particularly looking forward to the long drive, but we were definitely looking forward to arriving at Clavering Hall. 

The boot having been packed with suitcases full of clothes and boxes and sacks full of presents, Jeremy pulled the tonneaux cover over the lot so that the children wouldn’t see anything they shouldn’t.

‘Right then, are we ready to go?’ Jeremy asked the girls in the back. 

They giggled in response.  ‘Hurry up daddy, we want to see the snow,’ shouted Laurie, her arms flailing in the air in excitement. 

‘Your wish is my command little princess’, he said as he put the car into drive and released the handbrake. We were off. The girls squealed in delight as he made the tyres spin on the gravel as we left.  I gave him a filthy look.  Big kid!

The journey took us eight hours in all.  The motorways weren’t too congested and we had plenty of stops along the way.  Mainly, it has to be said, for comfort breaks for the girls.  We didn’t want any accidents if it could be helped.  Oh ok, I admit, two children later and my bladder isn’t what it was - the comfort breaks were mainly for me.

Eventually, having followed a narrow and twisty road for a couple of miles or so, Jeremy turned through a set of huge