The Ghosts and Hauntings Collection Read online

  After a while the paved roads devolved into dirt tracks and the small rental car had battled along several miles of narrow trails until reaching the stunning views of her own Elleric Estate. But the quaint buildings in their various states of disrepair were truly a nightmare. Ah but they have good bones, she reminded herself.

  Elleric Estate held a large lodge, two cottages, a coach house with stables, and a gate house. At one time, there were over five thousand hectares of land holdings, but they were now down to only twenty. Land parcels had been sold off over the years. Why the various owners held onto the lodge was a mystery, but for some reason it had remained in the family and now it was Blair’s.

  The lodge seemed more disgruntled than ever with piles of timber, electrical cords, sawdust, plaster sheets, and ladders disturbing the slumber it had enjoyed for generations.

  Blair had plans to move into the gate house eventually but for now she was staying in the upstairs rooms Callum had renovated for her.

  She turned her eyes back to the lodge squinting against the sun. For an instant, she thought she saw the shadow of a person standing at her bedroom window. But then, it was gone. A mournful song somewhere in the distance floated to earshot. Wondering if it were a whale Blair looked back out over the cliffs, but saw nothing.

  Chapter Two

  A loud clanging noise drew Blair’s attention away to a short burly man packing up for the end of day and throwing his tools into the back of his pickup, He was one of Callum Fraser’s crew. The man gave a broad wave as he stepped into his van and shouted – something. It was probably ‘goodnight and see you in the morning.’ She strained to hear his voice on the wind. Understanding the accent was difficult. But she loved to listen to it. The highlanders spoke with an almost musical lilt and, to Blair, it made her own Detroit accent sound harsh and ugly.

  Callum Fraser waved the man goodbye and walked over to Blair shielding his eyes against the glare of the sun and whip of the wind. At around 180 cm tall he covered the ground quickly in long strides. Happy to have the chance to talk with him, Blair smiled and tried out her best terrible Scottish accent.

  “How are things coming along, Callum?”

  Callum’s dark blue eyes sparkled in amusement and he swept his curly black hair out of the way, revealing a dark birthmark high on his forehead. He adjusted his cap over his head and covered it.

  “Yer getting better but don’t yer stop practising yet.” He changed the subject back to the construction site.

  “Tomorrow we’ll continue installing the bathrooms for yer downstairs suites, and finish with closets.”

  They walked back toward the lodge. The sun was setting fast and the sky was an inky grey. Nights were still drawing in early on the tail end of the winter and combined with the jet lag, Blair suffered. She could have fallen asleep on her feet, but there were things that needed attending to before days’ end, and then she could succumb.

  “Would you join me for a quick coffee, Callum?”

  “Sure, but I’m a tea drinker. Can’t stand the taste of coffee.”

  The kettle bubbled noisily, building to a shrill whistle as Blair looked over the plans laid out on the bench. So far, the house had been rewired, plumbed, and painted including the laundry and storage areas. All chimneys were repaired and passed for standards.

  The entrance hall floor was resurfaced, ready for its furnishings around the gigantic oversized fireplace. Her kitchen renovation passed inspection for commercial use and there had been no issues installing swinging doors between it and the restaurant.

  The convention room was also complete. Blair made notes to follow up on linens, dining ware, furniture, accessories, books, and games for the sitting room. Yawning with weariness she poured another coffee for herself, while Callum waved away the offer of more tea, figuring calculations on a piece of scrap paper.

  “Here’s yer estimate for the courtyard tiles. And I can do the landscaping myself if ye like?”

  Blair nodded, not very enthusiastically.

  Right now, the courtyard was a low priority. The upper story of the lodge was coming along, but there was still a way to go. The rooms that Callum had turned into living quarters for Blair were spectacular. Since they held the best views of the house they would be the luxury rooms of the lodge eventually.

  She had a lovely large bedroom with a full-sized closet, a stunning bathroom where a period style bathtub shower stood in the centre and a floor to ceiling mirror.

  An adjoining room had a door installed from the bedroom to provide a separate sitting room, office nook, and small fireplace. Once the remaining upstairs suites were completed, Blair would turn her attention to the rest of the estate.

  “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the outbuildings.”

  “Well we’ve enough to keep us going for a while – Rome wasn’t built in a day, eh?”

  He works hard, and has a lot of skills... Be great if I could get him to stay on. Blair closed the door behind Callum, thinking she might ask him if he would be interested.

  The odd angle of Blair’s neck as she slept in the chair caused it to ache and was probably the reason she woke up. Her neck complained a bit as she swivelled her head from side to side, yawning from her cat nap.

  A silent movie was playing on the TV, she watched it for a moment almost too tired to move but her coffee cup was precariously tilted on her lap where she had drifted off.

  It took more effort than it should have to set the cup on the easy table by her side and sink back into her chair. Never a fan of the old movie era she mindlessly remained where she was because sleep hadn’t fully released her. Two young teenagers were hiding in an out building, much like the buildings around Elleric Estate. It seemed like a suspense mystery drama and despite herself she became pulled into the action even though wishing for the more vibrant and engaging style of a Hollywood film. Blair observed the children creep against the walls. Their steps were light footed and stealthy, eyes wide in terror and chests were heaving. With some surprise she found herself engrossed and barely noticed that she was moving with them. Sweat formed in patches under their armpits and their hearts hammered against their bony frames. An awareness of cold gravelly stone sliding beneath her fingers startled her, but there was no time for stopping, she must keep going. Her feet inched cautiously away from the door, and all the while she held her breath in case even just an imperceptible sound revealed the children. The girl seemed older than the boy, but only by a year or so. Placing a finger over her lips she indicated for Blair to remain completely quiet as she indicated the door with her tiny dark eyes widened in terror. Long black hair fell in straggled lengths around her pale, hauntingly thin face. The clothes she wore hung over her emaciated frame. Sizes too big. The boy flattened himself against the wall as if he hoped to dissolve into it. Hollowed pits sunk around the bones of his neck and, like his sister, the flesh on his skeleton barely covered his frame. His thick black hair was wild and unkempt and his panicked brown eyes darted warily about. The boy caught her gaze and his dread pulsed out from him through her body. She knew their pursuer was near, hunting them.

  Heavy footsteps crunched along the path. The boy started whimpering and clamped a hand to his mouth. Blair’s stomach clenched and she fought to keep panic down so as not to give them away. The three of them clung motionless against the wall, barely breathing. The crunching stopped. A muffled wail escaped the boy. The latch on the door jiggled. A chilling sense of powerlessness overwhelmed Blair and tendrils of fear climbed from her toes to her hairline. The slow creak of the door exploded into a flash of light illuminating the petrified children. The door hit the wall with an incredible force ricocheting back and forth. A heavy-set man blocked the doorway.

  Blair screamed and covered her face in her hands. Her breath came in ragged rasps and her body was still trembling when she dared to peek through her fingers.

  She ran her hands over the arms of the chair, touching the soft bumps in its plush texture. Slowly the room r
eturned to its comfortable surroundings. Blair breathed deep and slow deliberately forcing relaxation and calmness upon herself.

  It was the movie, I had a nightmare. The TV sat still and silent. Hey, I didn’t turn it off. Grabbing around for the remote she turned the ON button to make sure the TV was actually working properly. It hummed to life. Shudders ran down Blair’s spine. I don’t think I even turned it on...

  Chapter Three

  Rain lashed at the windows and rattled in the trees. Snuggling down under her quilt and burying her head, Blair wanted nothing other than to stay right where she was, hunkered down in safety. But it was 6 A.M. and the work crew would arrive soon. Groaning in defeat she tossed the covers off and threw her legs over the side of the bed searching for her slippers with her feet.

  Rumbling clouds hung in the early morning sky as Blair stood at the kitchen sink filling her coffee pot. In the meadow wisps of grass stood at attention encased by thin layers of frost. The tap spat out a rush of freezing water that cascaded over her fingers reminding her that although beautiful, it was bitter cold outdoors, and she better rug up against it once the men started traipsing in and out.

  The coffee smelled good and she bit into a hot buttered crumpet pouring herself a mug of it with her free hand while looking over her list of chores for the day.

  It was about 10:45 A.M. when Blair put down the phone from Mrs. MacDonald’s ‘Top Job Employment Agency.’

  Mrs. MacDonald, over a difficult conversation, had assured Blair that she knew all about Elleric's newest resident and her plans for Elleric Lodge. And although she would like to help Blair, it would be impossible to get anyone local to work at the lodge.

  Blair had to ask her to repeat everything she said. And even when she did understand what the woman was saying, it didn’t make any sense.

  “That house has got a reputation, ye know.”

  “No, I don’t know Mrs. MacDonald. I’ve only been here a short time, and I need an entire staff before Easter. I’ll be looking for housekeeping, kitchen, and wait staff. And front of house.”

  “That may be, but ye might have more luck if ye look out of town. No one in the area will spend time up there. It’s got gorsts.”

  “Gorsts. I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Gorsts Girl. GORSTS. Haven’t ye heard of them before? It’s hawnted. I don’t give ye more than a month there.”

  “Haunted – Haunted, as in its -- got ghosts?” Blair’s voice had risen to crescendo. “Mrs. MacDonald. I’ve had a team of men up here refurbishing and renovating and no one has even heard, let alone seen a ghost. At least not as far as I know.”

  “Well, all the towns talking about it already.” Mrs. MacDonald continued in her thick brogue. “And I can do is try for ye, but there’s been terrible frightening things happen up there. I’m only sorry no-one told ye about it afore ye moved up here.”

  Resting her head in her hands, Blair wondered what she was going to do now. Maybe she would need staff who weren’t local. If that was the case, she’d have to turn the outbuildings into staff accommodation. This is all going wrong. I can’t even pay for that right now.

  She’d have to talk to Callum, ask him what he knew about it and if Mrs. MacDonald was right about staffing problems. If she was, her plans for Elleric Estate would be in trouble. She was living off credit cards at this point, having used all of her assets in the renovation and furnishings. The whir of drills, banging of nail guns and hammers had been plaguing Blair all morning, and after the phone call, they were getting on her very last nerve.

  And it’s freezing in here. Blair decided to find a reprieve from the house. She would check out the out buildings again and take another look at them. See how much it would take to turn them into small hostel type arrangements for staff.

  Pulling on rain boots and a coat Blair trudged out following the broken path to the outbuildings. A heavy wooden door barred the entrance way to the coach house. Shoving her shoulder against it and using her weight to open the door Blair pushed through. Most recently it had been used as a dumping ground for farm machinery, but it was a brilliant space. She walked the area, imagining the fine carriages that once pulled in an out of this building on the way to town.

  There would have been plenty of balls and outings for a man as wealthy as the Laird. Using caution, she walked the old wooden stairs to the upper level floor, the stairs were a bit rickety, and once she worked out exactly what she would do with the building, she’d get them fixed.

  On the brief tour that she had taken before, Blair had not really stopped to appreciate the potential of this building.

  It was spacious enough to house staff if she needed it to. Perhaps not individual apartments, but private bedrooms at least.

  Walking back out into the storm Blair hurried to the adjoining building. The wind almost knocked her down and she clutched her coat to her neck, rushing through the door. The stables held individual cubicles divided by simple petitions. Imaging the handsome horses that might have sheltered in here at night Blair sniffed the air hoping whimsically for a scent of the long-gone era. These old buildings had great character; stone was always elegant in its way.

  A tremendous bang caused Blair to yell and jump almost through her skin. The door had slammed shut. Get a grip it’s just the wind. In the dim light, her eyes took a moment to adjust. A sense of Deja vu trickled slowly in to her mind. Foreboding twitched at her senses as she considered the railing on the wall and eyed the old leather strap hooked over a large nail in the corner This looks like that old movie. The hair on the back of her neck prickled. Blair was not alone. She whirled around searching the shadows, but her eyes found nothing. Motionless now, Blair waited, shivers running over her skin.

  Whispers rushed through her head. ‘Shh Lachlan... be still, the Laird will find us.’ Fighting panic back Blair tugged hard at her lobes trying to clear away the sounds. There must be water blocking, or the wind must’ve put a cold in them. The whispers increased, she held her hands over her ears, trying to stop them. Her heart beat uncomfortably through her chest.

  Get yourself out of here Blair screamed inwardly. Fumbling in the dark, searching for the door latch she found only the harsh coldness of the wall. The ground beneath seemed to move and she yelled in pain as her ankle rolled.

  Panic coursed through her body, she flung her arms out to steady herself against the walls but fell hard on the earth beneath her.

  The sound of boots crunching along the gravelly path drove her to a frenzy. A voice came again, urgently whispering ‘Hide Fiona, he’s here.’ Blair pulled her way along the ground struggling to avoid discovery. The footsteps slowed and the sound of their scraping stopped outside the door. A burst of sun light blinded Blair momentarily and the door banged and swung against the wall. A large male, figure loomed in the doorway. Blair screamed bloody murder.

  Chapter Four

  “Blair? Are ye hurt? Did ye fall?” Callum rushed over and picked her up, his face gathered into a worried puzzle. Blair stood up and dusted herself off. Relief soared too much for embarrassment.

  “I, ah, yeah, yeah, I’m fine, just tripped.”

  “Ahhh, hmmmm, let’s get ye a cup of tea and a biscuit. At least, I’ll feel better.”

  Callum walked her back to the house and boiled the kettle. He poured two steaming mugs of tea and handed her one. He scuffled around her cupboards looking for something sweet and found nothing.

  “No wonder ye fainted, there’s naught to eat here. I can see I’ll have to do an emergency aid run for ye. Save ye from starving.”

  A tiny worried smile flitted across his lips. Now that Bair had calmed, awkwardness settled on her.

  She tried to explain. “It’s all probably the result of time change, tiredness, eating at odd hours, schedule all messed up. You know... And it’s a massive house. It’s got its own feel about it, very different to what I’m used to.”

  She kept the rest of her thoughts to herself – that her imagination was w
orking overtime, or she was going raving mad.

  “Perhaps yer letting the rumours about the house get ye?”

  “What do you mean? What rumours?” Blair’s voice was sharp.

  “Haven’t ye heard that there’s a few ghosts running about the place?”

  “As a matter of fact, I did hear that this morning. The Top Jobs Employment Agency says they won’t be able to find anyone to work out here. Seems like the whole town is afraid of GORSTS.” Blair pulled an ungracious face at him. Callum took another drink of his tea and said nothing.

  “So why are you and your crew out here then, if this place is haunted? Maybe not everyone believes it after all.”

  “I don’t not believe it. But, nothing spooky has happened to scare us off, so I’m not going to fret about it.”

  “You cannot be serious.” Blair snapped back. Callum shrugged.

  “It’s been a rumour for as long as I can remember. This place was never able to keep tenants. Feared for their lives, some of the stories say.”

  “Well, as long as they don’t drive any of my new staff away we’ll all get along fine.” Blair softened her tone. “Look it is absolute nonsense. There’s no such thing as ghosts.”

  She hesitated, wondering how Callum would feel about what she was about to say.

  “Bu-ut...” she continued cautiously, “Speaking of staff, I was wondering if there’s a possibility that you might like to be one of them... stay on here as a kind of jack of all trades - you know. A Mr. fix-it slash care taker kind of a role. I could really use your help.”

  Callum’s eyebrows almost touched his hairline and he cleared his throat.