The Lovers: A Ghost Story by Julia London

Author:Julia London
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: ghosts, julia london, short story
Publisher: Julia London

Hillary awoke from a dreamless, deep sleep the next morning to find Matthew’s bag empty. She sat up and looked around. Bright sunlight was streaming into the room, and in the morning light, the house looked entirely different. Warm. Almost inviting. She did not feel that weird, unsettled feeling she’d felt all day yesterday. She wandered downstairs and found Matthew sitting on the back steps, eating cold cereal.

“What time is it?” she asked sleepily.

“Ten,” Matthew said, and smiled up at her. “You were really sawing the Z’s, so I didn’t wake you. Cereal?”

“Please,” she said, and sat next to him. “This could be gorgeous,” she said, looking out at the vista before them. The grounds swept down to a narrow river. Mature trees rose up on either side of the grounds, enclosing the property.

“There’s an orchard of some sort down that road,” Matthew said, pointing to a two-track road that ran along the river. “I went for a run this morning and found it. I think they are apple trees.”

“How quaint,” Hillary said. “And really lovely, in an agrarian way.” She laughed.

“I saw a guy at the far end of the orchard,” Matthew said. “I thought he must be the orchard keeper or whatever you call it, so I detoured into the orchard to ask him about it. But he disappeared over a hill. I guess that means there are more houses on the other side of the orchard. I’m really not sure how big this property is.”

“Want me to look when I go to the village to do something about beds?” Hillary asked.

“What, you don’t like roughing it?” Matthew asked, nudging her with his shoulder.

She laughed. “Have you met me?”

He looked at her, his blue eyes shining with amusement. “Fortunately for me…yes,” he said, and kissed her. It was more than he’d done in weeks. In fact, Hillary thought as he went to get milk for her, that she couldn’t remember the last time they’d really kissed.

They puttered around after breakfast, making a list of things she needed to get. As she picked up the keys to leave, Matthew said, “Thanks, Hill.”

She paused. “For what?”

“For this,” Matthew said, gesturing to the house. “For being a sport. I just want to do some work and get it ready to sell. It gives me…it gives me something useful to do,” he admitted sheepishly.

Hillary smiled and lovingly touched his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

Matthew turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm. “Be careful. Remember to look right, and that they drive on the wrong side of the road.”

Hillary laughed. She went up on her toes and kissed Matthew’s mouth, lingering there, and feeling, for a moment, like she could wrap herself into him like she used to do.

In the village, Hillary found a little housing goods shop which happened to have a double bed in stock, as well as a couple of used arm chairs. “Can have that delivered today if you’d like,” the man behind the counter said. His nametag read Stan.

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