Is Grisham House haunted? What are the secrets Eric hides and what does he need Cathy to save him from? Let’s find out as we head into part 7 of this 12 part series.

Grisham House Part 7

We sat side by side on the small bed and Eric poured his heart out to me. He believed the girl running through the gardens was his younger sister, Adelaide, and the monster chasing her was his father. I wanted to interrupt him, make him explain, but he held his hand up to stop me. “It’s been more than ten years since he killed her, but her ghost still haunts me, replaying the events over and over. I should have saved her. Because I didn’t try, I’ve been trapped in this house ever since. My cowardice is my undoing. But you, you’ve shown nothing but strength since you arrived here. You stood up to Ms Peckham, you defied her at every turn, and I’m guessing from your reaction tonight, that you’ve seen my sister before.”

He looked directly at me, tears pooling in his eyes. “I need your help to end this.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying desperately to wrap my head around what he was saying. I’d seen a ghost. It wasn’t possible.

“You’ll see her again. This scene plays out, over and over, always the same. You’ll see her again and then you’ll believe me.” Eric rose from the bed and left.

I didn’t try to stop him. I didn’t call him back to explain further. There was nothing he could say. Ghosts weren’t real, but they were to him.

I tossed and turned until it was time to work. Questions swirled around in my head but there was no one to answer them. Maybe cook would know? Her scowl told me differently. The new girl, Claire, had left, and Peckham was in a foul mood. It wasn’t fair. They got to leave but I was stuck. I hadn’t given it too much attention, I had Eric. But he changed.

Alice, my new helper was small and slight with mousy brown hair tied back in a low ponytail. She couldn’t have been more than fourteen. As we scrubbed and polished the floors, I tried to make conversation. She blushed at the sound of my voice. “We’re not supposed to talk. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

I looked around. “There’s no one here,” I whispered. “It’s safe and we’ll hear if anyone is coming. The floors creak.”

She continued scrubbing, hands moving back and forth, dipping in and out of the bucket of soapy water. She didn’t seem to mind.

“Where are you from? I’m only here for the summer, punishment from my parents.”

Her head shot up. “Parents?”

“Yes. They caught me sneaking out when I shouldn’t and sent me here to learn about the struggles women faced and how fortunate I was.” I shrugged my shoulders. Mom’s plan had worked.

“You’re not an orphan?”

“God, no! Why would you think that?”

“They only take orphans.”

She lowered her head and continued scrubbing. Orphans. What was all that about?

“We never see them again. Peckham comes to the home, one of us leaves, and…” She sniffed. “I thought I’d see Claire or Eve, they looked out for me in the home.”

“Claire left, so did Eve.”

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “No one leaves Grisham House.”

She stood and went to leave but I grabbed her arm. “What do you mean no one leaves. Obviously, they do. They’re gone.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Hopefully to a better place.” She walked away and my hand dropped.

Dead. The word bounced around in my head. The girl running through the garden and Claire gone this morning. Last time it was Eve. Eric was wrong. It wasn’t the ghost of his sister.

I planned to confront him, tell him what Alice had said, but he wasn’t in his study. I frowned as I placed the tea on the table. I was about to leave when I heard giggling coming from outside the window. I crept across and took a peek. Melissa, her arm linked through Eric’s, stood on the patio. She wore another stupid looking gown and Eric, smart as always in his suit, was smiling at her.

“Don’t be silly, darling. Of course, you can do what you want. You’re lord of the Manor remember. And besides, we could do with some fun, a party will be perfect. I’ll arrange everything.” She stood on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek.

I rushed towards the door to make it look like I’d just entered as Melissa flitted through the patio doors. Eric followed behind her.

“Oh, it’s you. I hope you’ve brought a second cup.”

I had. I always did. For me.

Eric looked up at me and smiled.

“Go on then,” Melissa snapped.

I pulled the door behind me forcing myself not to slam it. Who did she think she was? I wasn’t some poor, decrepit servant she could look down her pointed nose at. I wasn’t here because I needed a job. I was here as punishment. The word slammed into my brain. She was my punishment and from what I’d overheard, she wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.

Word of a big party spread through the house and cook was in a frenzy. Alice and I were made to scrub every inch of the house. All except the third floor. No one went up there. It was only us poor slaves. Alice and I had the first two rooms on the third floor, but all the other rooms were locked except the pokey bathroom they let us use.

Melissa flounced around the house and every evening she sat with Eric in his study. He looked pale and the sadness in his eyes gripped at me every time I saw him. He didn’t love her. He didn’t want her. I smiled even though I shouldn’t. All our forbidden glances, the smiles, the hand holding, I hadn’t imagined them, but with Ms prim and proper around, I couldn’t tell for sure.

#

Below are the links to the previous instalments and if you don’t want to wait until tomorrow, you can pop over to Amazon where you can purchase the complete story on Kindle for 99c/77p.

Grisham House Part 1
Grisham House Part 2
Grisham House Part 3
Grisham House Part 4
Grisham House Part 5
Grisham House Part 6

Buy Grisham House on Kindle:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QFVJC1S
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08QFVJC1S

Until next time,

Keep reading and writing,

Amanda