The Folly by M. C. Beaton

Author:M. C. Beaton [Beaton, M. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Regency
ISBN: 9780795315558
Amazon: B00CMASTHM
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2014-01-16T05:00:00+00:00

At one o’clock the following morning, Miss Trumble was roused by one of the maids who gasped out, “You are to dress and go to Mannerling. A carriage is arrived.”

She handed Miss Trumble a letter. Miss Trumble got out of bed and took the candle from the maid and read it. It was from Charles Blackwood. The “haunting” of Mannerling had started again and the children were frightened out of their wits.

“I shall help you dress, miss,” said the maid, Betty.

“No, rouse Miss Rachel and help her dress instead. Tell her I wish her to come with me.”

It was a windy night, with a small moon running through the ragged clouds overhead as the great bulk of Mannerling reared up. “It must have been really bad for Mr. Blackwood to summon you in the middle of the night,” said Rachel.

“Yes, I believe someone is out to frighten those children out of their wits,” said the governess, “and yet…”

“What were you about to say?”

“Nothing.” Miss Trumble had been about to say that at times she thought Mannerling really was haunted by some presence but she did not want to frighten Rachel.

Charles Blackwood had been looking out for their arrival and met them in the hall and led the way up the stairs.

“I am grateful to you for coming. I will take you to the children directly. Beth is in Mark’s room.” He showed no surprise at Rachel’s presence.

“What happened?” asked Miss Trumble.

“Sounds and moans and clanking of chains. One footman screeching he had seen a spectral figure in the Long Gallery. Ghostly voices sounding all over the house.”

“Was that footman John?”

“No, Henry, the other second footman.”

The children were lying huddled together in Mark’s bed.

“I shall go back through the house with Mr. Blackwood,” said Miss Trumble firmly. “Rachel and I have brought our nightclothes. Rachel, I suggest, as Mark’s bed is large enough, that you get into bed with the children and read them a story until they fall asleep.”

As if seeing her for the first time, Charles said, “This is most kind of you, Miss Rachel. I did not mean…”

“I do not mind,” said Rachel quietly.

When Charles and Miss Trumble had left, Rachel said to the scared children, “Well, this is quite an adventure, is it not?”

“We heard the ghosts,” whispered Mark, “shrieking and wailing.”

“What you heard,” said Rachel firmly, “was some monster playing a trick on you. When Barry hit that man on the head, the one who was pretending to be a ghost, his cudgel struck a real head. I am going into the powder-closet to change and then I will read to you. You may have all the candles in the room burning tonight.”

She changed quickly into a night-gown, wrapper, and night-cap, and then climbed into bed between the two children, after having picked a book from the shelves along the wall. She selected a mild fairy story after a search, wondering why children’s stories were so bloodthirsty.

They snuggled up to her as she began to read, and after only a few pages she realized they had both fallen asleep.

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