The Haunt

Chapter 9

“By the time I made it back to the solicitor’s office, I was relieved to see that Peterson had returned. This at least meant that I would not have to spend any time alone with his unwelcoming secretary.

“Peterson smiled broadly as he ushered me into his office, apologising for the fact that he had forgotten to mention his earlier appointment yesterday before we parted. I assured him that it was of no matter, and we sat down to finish going through the last of the documents which I needed to sign.

“Once we had finished, Peterson suggested that we use his car to drive out to my new property. He explained that the roads en route were a trifle awkward to negotiate for someone who was not used to them, and it was his opinion that it would be best for me to experience the route without having to concentrate on driving it.”

“I spoke to Mr Jarrow this morning and explained the situation. He and his wife will meet us there to show you around the property, and when you are ready, Jarrow will drive you back into town to collect your car. You should hopefully be familiar enough with the route by then.”

“Peterson’s suggestion did seem a little strange to me, as I would have thought that following him to the manor in my car would have been far more practical. But I acquiesced to his recommendation, primarily because he seemed quite set on the matter, and after all he had done for me I did not wish to appear ungrateful.

“It took us about fifteen minutes to drive through the centre of town, after which we turned off the main road leaving the traffic and crowds behind us. Although Briers Market was a relatively small town, certainly compared to London, it still seemed to have its fair share of congestion. As we left the town behind us the roads became much narrower, and the white markings which normally ran through the centre were nowhere to be seen. The offices and shops gave way to houses and cottages, and the further away we drove, the greater, it appeared, was the distance between each dwelling. I began to lose myself in the magic of the scenery, forgetting for a moment that I was supposed to be memorising the route.

“Peterson suddenly broke the silence of our journey, with an announcement which I wondered if he had been reluctant to broach after my conviction from the previous evening that I intended to hold on to the manor and not make any decisions regarding its sale, until after Jenifer had seen it.”

“I feel that it is my duty to inform you, Mr Ward, that the client I was visiting this morning has asked me to make you aware that he is willing to make a very generous offer for your new property.”

“Peterson kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead while he spoke, which in itself did not seem at all odd as the road was both narrow and full of potholes. But all the same I could not help wondering if, for some reason, he was doing it on purpose to avoid my gaze. I thanked him for the information, but reiterated my intentions from our previous meeting.”

“I quite understand, Mr Ward, my other client only wished me to make you aware of the situation. He owns the land adjacent to your house, you understand, and he is eager to expand his holdings. Just something to bear in mind should the occasion arise.”

“We drove on a little further until there was nothing on either side of us but trees and grass. As we motored along I noticed that the trees up ahead appeared to be closer together so that their branches leaned in to form a kind of tunnel over the road ahead. Once we were in the makeshift tunnel the road weaved first one way, then the other, and after a while it grew so dark that Peterson had to turn his headlights on so that we could see where we were going. When we emerged from the tunnel of trees the road began to climb steeply, causing Peterson to drop a gear in order to keep the car moving at a decent pace. At the crest of the hill the road veered off to the left, and out of sight, and as we approached the turn, Peterson slowed right down and began beeping his horn. I looked around to see who he was signalling to, but we appeared to be the only ones on the road.

“The solicitor pulled over to one side, and pressed his horn once more. Just as I was about to enquire as to why he was acting in this manner, I heard another, much louder horn, responding. Peterson gave one more short pop on his, and seconds later a huge articulated lorry came around the corner. The driver acknowledged our perseverance with a wave of thanks, before driving past us. I looked down to my left, and saw to my horror that the road quickly gave way to a slope which led down a grass verge for some thirty feet to a line of trees. It concerned me how close Peterson had driven to the verge, but I then realised that if he had not pulled over so far that the passing vehicle would not have been able to squeeze through.

“Before moving off again, Peterson gave another sharp honk. This time, as there was no response, he carefully edged his way around the bend until he could see that the way ahead was clear. The entire procedure seemed a little odd to me, so with curiosity taking hold I asked Peterson if there was any specific reasoning to the practice.”

“This was one of the reasons I thought it best that I drive us to your new property. That bend and dip in the road has caused so many accidents over the years that the locals have come to refer to it as the ‘Widow-Maker’, if you can believe such a thing; gallows-humour, if you ask me.”

“If it is that dangerous, why haven’t the local council intervened?”

“They’ve tried various forms of signage, and convex mirrors on posts, but each attempt has eventually proved to be fruitless. The problem is, you see, that this road is a cut-through which leads onto the next town, so for tradesmen it is an essential link.”

“We continued driving for a few minutes, and once again we came upon another tunnel of trees up ahead. This time however, as we entered the natural covering, Peterson indicated right and we turned between two large oaks, which led us on to what appeared to be a dirt track. Eventually we came to a clearing, and that was when I first saw Denby Manor looming on the horizon.

“As we drew closer to the property I found myself to be somewhat awestruck by the sheer vastness of it. The manor certainly appeared larger in the flesh than it had on the scale drawing Peterson had provided me with. Up ahead I could see a man and a woman standing in front of a pair large iron gates which, I surmised, acted as the entrance to the inner enclosure of the manor house.

“Doubtless recognising Peterson’s car the man raised his arm in acknowledgement and began to fiddle with the main gate, which he then opened to allow us access.”

“That’s the Jarrows, who I told you about. They will be giving you the guided tour, and as I explained earlier Jarrow will escort you back into town to collect your car when you’re ready.”

“Peterson drove in and parked his car on the gravel drive, directly in front of the house. I hopped out of the car first, such was my excitement, and stood with my hands on my hips gazing up at my inheritance. I remember wishing more than ever that Jenifer could be with me so that we could explore the inside together. But I quelled any guilt I may have felt by reassuring myself that her not being able to join me was due to no fault of mine. Even so, I would still have loved to have her there with me.

“We waited on the drive until the Jarrow’s caught up to us. Mrs Jarrow walked slightly ahead of her husband. She was a tall, thin, almost gaunt-looking woman, and the almost severe expression on her face made me wonder if she had ever worn a smile before in her life. Her husband, too, was tall and thin, and unlike his ramrod straight wife he walked with a slight stoop. His face was ruddy and somewhat raw, which I put down to a combination of someone who worked outside a lot of the time and who enjoyed a drop too much of the local brew.

“When Peterson introduced them to me, I held out my hand to the couple. Jarrow doffed his flat cap as we shook and his wife almost had to stop herself from curtsying, which I found extremely odd. Naturally I did not know how my distant relative had treated them during their time in his employ, but I was certainly not comfortable with them treating me like the laird of the manor.

“Once the introductions were complete, Peterson assured me that he would remain at my service and to contact him if I had any queries or problems, after which he said his goodbyes and drove away, leaving me in the sturdy hands of the Jarrows. Leading the way Jarrow opened the main door with a key from a bunch he had clasped in his hand. The heavy wooden door creaked open on rusty hinges, automatically making me feel as if I was stepping back in time to the Dickensian age.

“Surprisingly, upon first impression the inside of the manor house was in no way as ramshackle as Peterson had led me to believe. Judging from some of his descriptions during our meetings I had come to believe that the building was held together with chewing gum and string. But as I gazed into the large entry hall, my mind could not help but conjure up pictures of masked balls and parties of yesteryear.

“The floor was made of solid wood, and it had a dull glaze left from when it had last been polished. There were six doors leading off from the hallway, and a huge sweeping staircase with an ornate, carved, wooden bannister.

“Would you like Jarrow to show you around sir, or would you prefer to see everything on your own?”

“It was Mrs Jarrow who had asked the question, which brought me out of my reverie. I thanked her and agreed that under the circumstances I would prefer a guided tour. The downstairs housed the dining room, complete with a twelve-seater banqueting table and matching chairs. There was the front parlour, and back parlour, which from the looks of it had been transformed into a music room. I noticed a harpsichord, or possibly a spinate, housed in the far corner, with several chairs set out around it as if expecting an eager audience to take their places.

“There was a library, although sadly most of the shelves appeared to have been stripped of their tomes. Also, a main reception room, and a door at the far end of the hallway which led down to the kitchen and scullery. The main rooms all had huge fireplaces and, I was glad to see, sturdy radiators. On the walls hung gas burners held in brass brackets, with glass mantles covering them. Fortunately, there were also electric lights in each room which Jarrow flicked on and off to demonstrate that they were in working order.

“The kitchen and scullery were both extremely cold and uninviting. There was a large wooden table which dominated the centre of the kitchen, and a beautiful, if a trifle unloved, judging by the state of it, range cooker, which took up half of one side of the room. On the other side stood an enormous dresser, which again took up half the wall. It was stacked with all manner of china and crockery, and the drawers, I presumed, held the cutlery and cooking utensils. It was plain from the outset that my late relative had not been much of a fan of cooking, as the kitchen in any large house was always, as far as I was concerned, meant to be the very heart of the house but this one appeared sadly neglected.

“We went through to the scullery which contained the larders and meat stores. There was a wooden door at the back with a large frosted glass pane at the top, and Jarrow opened it with another of the keys from his bunch. Just outside the door stood an old outhouse, which for a moment, I feared, I was going to be informed was the toilet.”

“That be the old generator room.”

“I think I managed to hide the relief on my face from my tour guide when he made that announcement. Jarrow took me out to the rickety wooden building and showed me the electric generator, and more importantly how to start it up should it suddenly stop working. One corner of the building was full, almost to the ceiling, with wooden logs, precariously balanced on top of each other to form a makeshift pyramid. Next to the wood-pile were several rusty metal cans. I asked Jarrow about them, and he explained that they contained paraffin for the lanterns.”

“The late master kept a lantern in almost every room in case the genie fizzed out during the night. I always made sure that they were filled up, just in case.”

“I pointed to the generator, and asked Jarrow if that was what powered the radiators throughout the house as well. But he shook his head slowly and gestured for me to follow him back into the house. Once we were back in the kitchen, he took me over to what appeared to be a larder just behind the main door. He opened it to reveal what seemed to be a large boiler.”

“This used to be what powered the radiators, but the master had a quarrel with the gas company years ago about the cost of his bills so in the end he refused to pay them and they cut him off. It might be possible to start it up again, but you’d have to speak to the gas people. I’m ok with the electric genie, but I don’t ever mess with gas.”

“I asked Jarrow how my relative had kept the house warm enough to live in during the winter, and he informed me that for the most part Mrs Jarrow would always make sure that each fireplace was stacked with wood, and ready to light. But apparently, even then, my benefactor tended to stick to using the ones in the dining room, front parlour and his bedroom only.

“When we went upstairs, we came across Mrs Jarrow busily making up a bed for me in one of the eight double bedrooms the property boasted. She looked almost apologetic when she explained that she felt that I would be uncomfortable sleeping in my relative’s room, so she had taken the liberty of choosing a room which faced the north of the property so that the morning sun would not shine in and wake me up.

“All the bedrooms seemed about the same in size, although only five of them housed beds. The rest were filled with an assortment of paraphernalia, including trunks, suitcases, rolled-up carpets and pieces of old furniture, most of which appeared to have been dumped in situ without any real thought to space or configuration. There were even a couple of oil paintings in one of the rooms. Portraits mainly, although there was one of the manor in better days. I wondered if any of the portraits were of relatives of mine, and decided to take a closer look when I had more time.

“There were two bathrooms, one at either end of the hall, and a separate water closet which, according to Jarrow, he had plumbed in himself. The top floor housed the attic, which was accessed by a built-in wooden staircase. The structure spread virtually across the entire length of the roof, and had been portioned off into several smaller rooms which I surmised had probably once acted as bedrooms for the staff. Tucked away in a corner I noticed another couple of battered and worn old trunks. It seemed to me an odd place to have shifted them to, especially as there was ample room in several of the bedrooms below, but I surmised that at the time there had been a sound reason for it.

“Once my guided tour was complete, I thanked the Jarrows for their time, and asked Jarrow if he was ready to drop me back into town so that I could collect my car. As I mentioned this the couple exchanged an odd glance, and although no actual words were spoken I had the distinct impression that their eyes were having a conversation of the type that only those who had been married a good many years could. Finally, they broke their psychic connection, and Jarrow turned to me with a concerned expression on his face.”

“Will you be coming back here this evening then, sir?”

“I was a little taken-aback by his question, as I had been under the impression that Peterson had already explained the situation to him. I explained to the pair of them that once I had collected my car, that it was indeed my intention to return to the manor for the night. At my mention of this Mrs Jarrow took in a sudden, and quite audible, gasp, which, upon realising that I had heard, she belatedly tried to muffle behind her hand. I could sense the discomfort between the two of them, and felt sure that they both wanted to say something to me but, for whatever reason, neither wished to speak out of turn. Therefore, I asked them outright if there was anything on their minds.”

“Well, you see sir, Mr Jarrow and I was just wondering if perhaps you might be more comfortable staying in town. The old manor suited the old master, but as you can see, it is not the most comfortable of places to stay, and since his death, my husband and I have increased our shifts at the pub to bring in some extra money so I won’t even have time to prepare you an evening meal.”

“I assured them both that I completely understood their reaction, and thanked them for their concern. But I assured them that I could be quite self-sufficient when the need arose, and I intended to treat the occasion a bit like an adventure. This announcement afforded me another example of their unspoken communication, as yet another strange glance passed between them. By this time, I was beginning to feel slightly irritated with the pair of them, as it was obvious to me that they had something more to say on the subject, but neither was willing to give voice to their concerns. Even so I kept my temper in check as I really did not want to upset either of them, and decided that their mannerism was merely a result of them being country folk who had been brought up to lead a different style of life from those of us in London.

“Having realised that my mind was made up and that I could not be swayed otherwise, Mrs Jarrow insisted on making sure that the fires were made ready in the front parlour as well as my bedroom, and that all the lanterns in the house were properly filled just in case of a power failure. I thanked her for taking care of me, and followed Jarrow to his car.

“I was bemused, although not at all surprised, when Jarrow repeated the performance Peterson had treated me to when we reached the sharp turn he had referred to as the ‘Widow- Maker’. Jarrow was not much of a conversationalist, so I spent the journey trying to familiarise myself with the route for my journey back later that afternoon.

“Once we had parked up near my car, Jarrow very kindly offered to wait and allow me to follow him back to the manor. But I assured him that I was reasonably confident of the route by now, and that I intended to spend some time in the town before returning. Eventually, although somewhat reluctantly, I suspected, he agreed to leave. Then just as I was attempting to climb out of his car, he reached over the seat and grabbed my elbow.”

“Sorry sir, but I almost forgot to say; if for any reason you decide you do not wish to stay at the manor, you would be more than welcome to stay with the missus and me. We have a spare room, and she is a fantastic cook, the wife.”

“Looking at him over my shoulder, I could not help but think that there was a look of trepidation, or possibly even fear, in his eyes as he spoke. I remember thinking at the time that Jarrow appeared to be almost fearful about letting me go. It left me with a very uneasy feeling for the rest of the afternoon, but even so, I thanked him once more for his kind offer and asked him to extend my appreciation to his good lady, but I was resolute that I would be spending the night at the manor.”