The Ghost of Hollow House (Mina Scarletti Mystery Book 4) by Linda Stratmann

Author:Linda Stratmann [Stratmann, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2019-05-23T23:00:00+00:00

The Authentic Narrative of the Astonishing and Unaccountable Events at Hollow House, Ditchling Hollow, in the County of Sussex, in the month of March 1851, as observed by a Reverend Gentleman.

Mina examined the end pages without learning more. ‘The author is not named and it has been privately printed, but given the year, I suspect Reverend Tolley to be the author.’ She could not resist starting to read the pamphlet. ‘Oh, this is more than just interesting. It is an account of a previous haunting of Hollow House. And there is an explanation of why the Lassiters left so abruptly.’

It was too much of a risk for Mina to spend time copying the contents of the pamphlet, but an unfamiliar name that appeared in its pages sent her on a second fruitless foray into the parish records, after which she wrapped and tied the little package of documents and tucked it into her reticule. It looked as though the package had not been disturbed in a long time and, since Reverend Ashbrook was a recent incumbent, it was doubtful that he had ever opened it. With care, she ought to be able to study the papers at her leisure, wrap them so they did not look as if they had been disturbed, and return them before his next visit.

With the exception of the papers the contents of the chest were replaced as they had been found, the lid carefully lowered, the padlock restored and locked. The chair was once again placed before the desk. After listening at the door, Nellie opened it a tiny way, peering out to ensure that they would not be seen emerging from the vestry. To their relief, the church was empty. The two malefactors, one of them far more nervous than the other, were thus able to make their escape undetected.

‘If anyone should ask,’ said Mina, ‘we simply said our prayers.’

Their return to the house was observed only by Mrs Malling, to whom Mina explained that she and Nellie had taken a turn about the terrace. Mrs Malling seemed surprised, but after observing that they were both looking chilled, insisted on providing hot coffee as a warming restorative.

Thus refreshed, Mina took the purloined papers to her room for detailed study. The village map was, as Nellie had commented, badly faded, and there was some writing on it, including what appeared to be a date, all of which was illegible. From her slight knowledge of the village and the estate, Mina was able to make out the shape of fields with some markings which she guessed were the names of the tenants, the main street, a farmhouse, the church and a manor house, which, from its shape, was almost certainly the one that had existed before the Wigmores had built Hollow House. Apart from the pamphlet the remaining documents were surveys of the condition of the church roof made during the time of Reverend Tolley, the cost of the Redwoodes’ plaque which dated from 1794, and some accounts of collections for the parish poor.

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