Colton Manor (3 page)

Chapter Two

Ursula had already fallen behind in her work but she couldn’t bring herself to go back upstairs to her studio after Bonnie left. Instead she stayed downstairs and phoned some friends to cheer herself up. She didn’t tell anyone the house was possibly haunted because she knew they would just laugh at her, and she tried to pretend she was having a good time despite the rain. She figured that if she could convince others it wasn’t so bad here on her own then maybe she’d be able to convince herself.

When she couldn’t think of anyone else to call, Ursula spent the next half hour on Facebook, but the sight of her friends enjoying their summer holida
ys did nothing to lift her mood. She made herself a coffee and settled on one of the overstuffed armchairs to read a book, but every single creak the old house made caused her to jump. The mist had rolled in from the ocean, and although it was still early, she had to switch on a lamp to read. She couldn’t focus on the page for long enough to get into the story because she kept imagining ghosts lurking in the shadows. She could almost feel their eyes on her and it gave her the creeps.

Abandoning her book she picked up he
r sketch paid and began to draw idly. A woman’s face started to take shape on the page in front of her. The woman had her mouth open as if she was screaming, and her clothes and hair were blowing around her. She was wearing a long, old-fashioned dress. Ursula had no idea where the image had come from, but that was not unusual for her. She kept drawing and behind the woman a dark figure loomed. It was faceless but had an overwhelming sense of evil about it. Ursula was surprised with the finished result because she didn’t often draw pictures like this one. She figured the talk about ghosts had just seeped into her subconscious and come out through her sketch.

She was steeling herself to go upstairs and get changed for her visit to
Bonnie’s house when a noise from outside caused her to stand up and look out the window. She was very surprised to see a car coming up the long drive. The white SUV looked almost ghostly as it emerged from the mist and then pulled up behind hers. A man got out and for a moment he stood there and looked at the house before he began walking towards it. He obviously didn’t see her watching him from behind the curtains, and Ursula considered not answering the door when he rang the bell. He was a complete stranger after all, but her curiosity got the better of her. She figured he was probably from the real estate agency, or someone who’d taken a wrong turn and was looking for directions.

When
she opened the door, Ursula noted that the man was in his early thirties and he was good looking enough to cause her pulse to jump. He had light brown hair and he was dressed casually, but conservatively, in tan chinos and a blue chambray shirt. Although he was attractive there was something serious about his expression, and he seemed a little taken aback at the sight of her multi-coloured hair.

“Hi,” she said, making sure to leave the s
ecurity door locked between them. Just because he was good looking it didn’t mean he wasn’t a serial killer.

“Hi,” he
replied, breaking into a smile that revealed dimples and made him seem much warmer. “Sorry to just barge in on you like this without warning, but Bonnie forgot to get your number, and Yvette at the real estate agency didn’t return our calls.”

“Oh, you’re a friend of
Bonnie’s?

“I’m Damien
Knight. Bonnie had to cancel afternoon tea as one of her kids has come down with a fever. She sends her apologies.” Ursula tried to hide her shock that his was the science professor. He was not at all what she was expecting. She had thought he would be a crotchety old man, but his man was much younger than she’d anticipated, and cute too. He was still far too old for her though, which was good because the last thing she needed was to develop a crush on her new housemate.

“That’s okay.”

“Bonnie said you wanted someone to move in quickly, so I didn’t think you’d mind if I turned up unannounced.”

“No, not at all.
I guess you want to come in and have a look around before you make up your mind,” she replied, unlocking the security door to let him in. Stepping inside he let out a low whistle as he scanned the entrance foyer.

“I haven’t been out here for years, but they’ve done a great job fixing this place up. I don’t need to see anymore. I’m more
than happy to stay for as long as you can put up with me.”

“
That’s good to hear. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

“
The builder won’t be finished at my place for quite a while, if it’s alright with you I’d like to stay till your holiday lease runs out. I’ll keep to myself and won’t cramp your style if you have friends over.”

“That won’t be a problem
,” said Ursula, suddenly feeling shy around him. “I probably won’t have anyone over to stay, and I also like to keep to myself.” He was older and much more sophisticated than the boys she usually hung out with and she became very self-conscious about her appearance. She was wearing an oversized paint-splattered shirt with a pair of old leggings, and she couldn’t even remember if she’d bothered to brush her hair that morning. She raised her hand and tried to pat it down unobtrusively, but only managed to draw his attention to it.

“Those are interesting colours you’ve got there. Bonnie men
tioned you were an art student and I can see she was telling the truth. You obviously don’t limit yourself to painting on canvas” He smiled again, and although she got the impression he was making fun of her, Ursula couldn’t help smiling back.

“
Bonnie said you don’t believe any of the stories about the house.”

“
Nope, I’ll tell you right up I don’t believe in ghosts or any of that other garbage that Bonnie has been filling your head with. Don’t get me wrong, I think Bonnie’s great, and we’ve been friends for years, but she can be a bit…...you know.” Ursula laughed as he rolled his eyes and pointed to his head. She decided not to tell him that she believed in ghosts too.

“So when can you move in?”
she asked to change the subject.

“I hope I’m not being too presumptuous but I have most of my
stuff in the car. When I got Bonnie’s call I checked out of my motel straight away. Being in a cramped room can get a bit claustrophobic after a while, especially now that summer break has started. I’m willing to pay whatever you think is fair.”

“Fantastic
, but I’ll only charge you half of what I paid, which isn’t much at all. Why don’t you go and get you stuff and then you can choose which room you want. They all have their own bathrooms and you’ll have plenty of space to make yourself at home.”

“Sounds good to me.
I’ll be right back.” Ursula watched as he strode back to the car and pulled out a large suitcase and a couple of smaller bags. It was beginning to rain again and he had to run back to the porch to avoid getting drenched.

“
You know, it was actually sunny in town before I left. That rain came over really quickly.”

“
Really? It’s been raining here for hours.”

“Oh, I forgot, apparently that’s part of Colton Manor’s curse. It’s always raining and cold. Bonnie must have forgotten to tell you that bit.” He laughed when he saw Ursula’s expression. “I can see you don’t share my scepticism about all things supernatural. Don’t worry, I’ll protect your from the ghosts, Ursula.” This time there was no denying the patronising tone in his voice.

“No, i
t’s not that,” replied Ursula, a little annoyed at his attitude. “I was just surprised when you said that because it’s been miserable since I got here five days ago but everywhere else around here has had nice weather according to the weather reports.”

“I think you’ll find it has more to do with the location of
the house than anything sinister. Clouds form over the mountains just east of here, and the winds in this direction, bring the moisture with them. It’s a well-known phenomenon but far too rational an explanation for the crazies who’d prefer to believe in ghosts and curses.”

Despite his attractive
appearance, Damien Knight was starting to seem very much like the science professor she’d been expecting, and Ursula wondered if it he would turn out to be an arrogant bore. At least the house was huge, she told herself, and if they got on each other nerves it would be very easy to avoid each other. The thought gave her some comfort as she led him up to the first floor to show him the bedrooms.

****

              Just a few short hours later, Ursula was enjoying a glass of wine with Damien Knight in the manor’s huge eat-in kitchen. They chatted politely in the way strangers do when getting to know one another, while inside Ursula was still struggling to come to terms with the sudden turn of events. When she woke up that morning there was no way she could have guessed that by dinnertime she would have a new housemate, and a handsome one at that, even if he was too old for her. She also had a new friend in Bonnie, she hoped, and a bit of knowledge about the history of Colton Manor and why it seemed to have such a negative vibe about it.

             
Bonnie’s account had only whetted her appetite, and after another glass of wine, she decided to broach the subject of the ghost with Damien.

             
“What exactly is the story with this house? Bonnie didn’t say much at all except that no one has ever been able to stay here for very long. I was a bit too shocked at the time to ask many questions.”

             
“As you know I think that the whole thing is ridiculous, but from what I’ve heard most people around here believe it’s the ghost of Edward Stanton. He’s the one who built the house around 1850 and he had reputation even when he was alive of being a bit strange.”

             
“In what way?”

             
“Oh, apparently he was normal for the first few years but then he became very antisocial and started isolating himself. There were rumours he beat his first wife, and when she fell from the cliff many suspected that he murdered her.”

             
“The cliff here?”

             
“Yes, on the path leading down to the beach.”

             
“That’s terrible! Is it her ghost people believe is haunting this place?”

             
“One of them. You see, she wasn’t the only wife of his to die in suspicious circumstances. Another one was found dead right here in the kitchen, and the other just vanished into thin air, all in the space of a couple of years.”

             
Ursula felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought that someone had died in the very room they were now sitting in. “I’m not surprised people were suspicious. Three wives is a lot to lose in a short time.”

             
“Yes, but you have to remember the era we’re talking about, Ursula. Medical care was extremely basic back then, and even a minor illness could be fatal. It seems shocking to us, but in those days many people died very young, and we’re relying purely on rumours that have been passed down for generations. These stories have a way of becoming distorted over time and blown way out of proportion. I wouldn’t put any store in them at all if I were you.”

             
His words were reasonable enough, but his tone was condescending and Ursula felt another flicker of annoyance. She guessed he was used to talking to students this way and of thinking of himself as the fount of all knowledge, so she tried not to take it personally. “You don’t need to concern yourself with any of this or you’ll never get to sleep. I still can’t believe Bonnie told you at all. What was she thinking?”

             
“She thought she was doing the right thing.”

             
“By scaring you out of your mind?”

             
“You know, just because you don’t believe in ghosts or anything supernatural it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Plenty of people have experiences that can’t be explained and believe that spirits can become trapped on this plane.”

             
He titled his head back and appraised her for a moment. “When you say ‘plenty of people’ I take it you’re referring to yourself?”

             
“As a matter of fact I am.”

             
“Don’t tell me you’ve really seen the ghosts of Colton Manor? I was only joking earlier. I guess that explains why you were so keen for me to move in straight away.” He laughed and shook his head in disbelief at her naivety. This time Ursula felt more than a flicker of annoyance.

             
“What makes you so certain ghosts aren’t real or that there aren’t things out there we don’t yet understand?”

             
“When science can prove beyond a doubt that ghosts exist, that’s when I’ll believe in them. Until that day I will continue to be sceptical about everything to do with the supernatural.”

“Isn’t that a little narrow-minded?”

“Not at all. I’m a scientist, and on top of this I saw my own mother sucked in by psychics and mediums who milked her for every cent they could get. It got to the point where she wouldn’t make a move without consulting one. I grew up completely rejecting all of that.”