The Easter Egg Hunt – IX

Since Ben and Joss Beckett took over The Fair Maid and Falcon, they have had to deal with ghosts, gangsters and well dodgy goings-on. Despite that they have their own family of twin daughters and dogs, and a fabulous ‘found family’ of friends. Life seems to be going well when…

Having been summarily dismissed, I went back to my chores while Ben walked Smith to his car. Stan and Ollie elected to accompany them, walking one either side of Smith with their heads high and their tails swishing. Half of me felt sorry for him, but the other half thought about the cold-blooded creature that lurked behind his eyes.
A while later, Ben appeared in the office door with Stan and Ollie at his heels. The dogs were unusually subdued and he was looking grim.
“You got a minute chooch?”
“For you always.”
He shut the door and perched on the corner of my desk. I saved the accounts I’d been working on and smiled encouragement. He sighed and started to speak.
“I have been having a most peculiar time. When we got to Smith’s car, Clancy was on guard, and he had what looked like a piece of fleece jacket on the ground beside him. Looked to me as if he’d grabbed a would be bad guy. There was a thick cream-coloured envelope on the grass beside the lane, and our dogs didn’t like it a bit. I went to pick it up but Smith stopped me. He was actually shaking, and one look in his eyes told me he was running scared. I don’t think that’s his default setting so I took him to see Finoula.”
He stopped talking and I waited for him to collect himself.
“We were just at the gate of the market garden when Jed appeared. Wearing heavy leather gardening gloves. Said Finoula was waiting for Smith and he’d go fetch the envelope. After that it all got a bit surreal. According to Jed the envelope contained a curse, which Finoula dealt with by shoving it in the Rayburn. She sat Smith down and had him call his father while she phoned Danilo. They had a conference call. In Rom. Which I’m quite glad I don’t speak. Though apparently I had to be there because we own the land. Upshot is there are now two families who are deeply pissed off with the Proudly clan. Call over, Smith and his cake went home and I came to talk to you.”
“Sheesh. That is odd. And off. But I guess we can mostly leave things to Danilo and Smith senior. Except maybe have the staff on alert and talk to Mark.”
Ben bent to kiss me. “I’ll call a staff meeting and maybe you can speak to our friendly enforcer.”
A familiar change in the quality of the air, and the furtive scent of spring flowers underlain with a hint of decay alerted us to the fact we weren’t alone. A girlish giggle that came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time let me know who had joined us.
“Come forward Esme Caunter.” I kept my voice welcoming, but strong.
The ghost of Esme, a teenager who was drowned in a well at the behest of the previous landlord of The Fair Maid, is rarely far from me since the day we buried her remains in the Garden of Remembrance next door to our market garden. She’s usually a quiet little presence, who only makes herself known when she cuddles in beside me to listen to the twins’ bedtime stories and claim goodnight kisses from us all. Although she’s a constant in the background of my life, Esme very seldom has anything to say, but today it felt as if she had important news.
“What is it Esme?”
“Oh Joss. What have you got yourself into?” She sounded as worried as it is possible for a teenage ghost to be. “There are bad people looking to harm you. Be careful. I wish I could tell you more, but I cannot. You tell the clairvoyant she must come to the well so we can show her what she needs to know.”
I felt a soft kiss on my cheek and she was gone. Ben pulled me into a hug.
“I dunno how you cope with being a mother figure to a ghost.”
“It’s sometimes easier than the twins.”
He laughed.
“You might even have a point. Will I go and see Finoula?”
“No. You go back to work and stop goofing off,” I pretended severity. “I’ll call Finoula.”
He gave me a fond squeeze before stepping back and shaping a sloppy salute.
“Consider me gone.” He looked at big dog bed in the corner where Stan and Ollie were now fast asleep. “Seems like all the drama is over anyway.”
“For today at least.” The deep and imperturbable voice that came from the doorway belonged to Mark Brown. “I think you should beef up your security for a while. I mislike the Proudly clan, and I’m not sure I entirely trust the Smiths. Besides which, Morgan has the willies.”
“Me too. A bit.” Ben confessed.
Mark grinned. “It’s always the way. The feeling our womenfolk could be in danger is an uncomfortable one.”
“True. Especially when any attempt to make them keep their heads below the parapet…”
“Is liable to lead to a thick ear.” I put in smartly.
They turned almost identical small boy grins on me and I felt the strength of their need to protect. I made a shooing motion with my hands.
“You two go and do whatever you deem necessary. So long as it doesn’t bankrupt the business.”
They went and I called Finoula. Who was unsurprised to hear from me. When I repeated Esme’s message she groaned.
“I hoped it wasn’t the well. I tend to avoid it as the black water rather freaks me out.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
She thought for a few seconds.
“I’d love you to be with me, but the spirits are forbidding it.”
She sounded almost unbearably weary, but just as I was about to call Esme forward and give her a piece of my mind, I felt Finoula’s spirit lighten.
“Your ghostly daughter tells me I should ask Jed to accompany me.”
I heard Jed’s slow, calm voice in the background before Finoula laughed. It was a young, bright sound and I knew she would be okay.

There will be more from Joss, Ben and their friends, courtesy of Jane Jago, next week, or you can catch up with their earlier adventures in Who Put Her In and Who Pulled Her Out.