Mr Scarletti's Ghost (23 page)

‘Oh Joey, can you speak? Please speak to me!' asked Eliza.

The face danced in an odd jerky pattern, still hovering high above the table, and there were two loud raps.

‘Two?' said Eliza, mystified, ‘Oh – that was not a yes or a no – perhaps it means that he cannot.'

There were three raps.

‘Joey, can you play the tambourine? Oh please do!'

The face bowed again and there was the sound of the tambourine being lifted off the table, and a soft rustling like the wind stirring through metal leaves.

Eliza laughed with joy to hear it. ‘Oh Joey, I wish I could reach out and touch your dear face – will you let me?'

There was a louder rattle on the tambourine. ‘Do not think of it,' said Mr Clee, nervously, through clenched teeth. ‘Keep tight hold of my hand, or all will disappear! Remember it is your own energy that creates the substance of this apparition and plays the instrument. It must not be disturbed!'

In a few more moments the tambourine started a good clattering rhythm, which it seemed to be doing while hanging in mid-air quite unaided by the cloudy shape, which shook itself, and sailed about over the heads of the sitters like a veil caught in a breeze, and there was an eerie sound like the wailing of a whistle.

Eliza gasped and cried aloud, and even with all the noises that surrounded them, Mina could detect a new and disturbing rhythm to her friend's breathing, as if she was finding it hard and painful to inhale. ‘Dr Hamid,' said Mina, ‘I am concerned for Eliza.'

‘As am I,' he said. The scraping of his chair showed that he had jumped to his feet. ‘Enough! This is enough! She cannot endure any more! I will not allow it!' His footsteps sounded across the room. There was a loud crash as the tambourine fell to the tabletop, a final strangled scream from the whistle, and the glowing cloud vanished in a trice. As the gas illuminated the scene, Mina saw that no one had moved from the table apart from Dr Hamid, and all other hands were still securely clasped. The tambourine lay on the table, and beside it was a small scattering of fresh flowers. Eliza was pale and struggling for breath. Her sister and brother ran to her at once. Water was fetched, her brow was bathed, and her bent back gently but firmly stroked.

Mr Clee had the good grace to look worried. ‘I do hope the lady has taken no harm,' he said. ‘The materialisation though a small one was constructed from her own vital energy and it needed at least a full minute to recombine with the substance of her body. The interruption gave it only a few moments. It will have shocked her, like being struck a blow.' He shook his head.

‘She was already in danger,' said Dr Hamid, sternly, ‘and I would suggest that this is never attempted again.'

‘Oh, but it was so beautiful,' exclaimed Eliza breathlessly. ‘Please don't blame Mr Clee! And look – Joey brought me the flowers he promised!'

‘I blame myself for permitting this,' said Dr Hamid. ‘Come now, Eliza, I will take you to your room.' She was too weak to protest. He lifted her effortlessly, and it looked as though it was a child and not an older sister that he held in his arms, then he strode from the parlour.

‘There was really no danger,' Mr Clee protested, ‘if only—'

‘I tell you what,' said Richard, standing up, suddenly, and leaning menacingly over the seated man. ‘If you were to leave this house immediately there would be no danger of my striking you.'

Mr Clee took the hint and departed very quickly.

Anna sank into a chair, and Richard, seeing a carafe on the side table, poured a glass of water, which she took, gratefully. ‘There was trickery here, tonight, as I am sure you suspect, and Mr Clee was the trickster,' said Richard. ‘Miss Eustace has made him her creature, and he is a vile being to prey on your sister in this way.'

‘But how was it done?' said Mina. ‘I assume he brought the flowers in his pocket, and he could have thrown them on the table at the end, but I had hold of his right hand throughout the sitting, I did not let go for even a moment, all the time the light appeared and the tambourine played, and Eliza had his left, indeed he exhorted her to keep constant hold.'

‘Oh these people have their methods,' said Richard. ‘It is surprising what can be achieved with a little practice.' He picked up the tambourine and examined it.

‘Well, at least Eliza will be safe, now,' said Mina. ‘I do not know what they wanted of her, but I am sure that they will not be permitted near her again. And if she tries to hold séances alone she will find that the power has gone.'

Dr Hamid returned, to say that Eliza was resting, but asking for her sister, and also the flowers. Reluctantly Anna put the flowers in a little dish with some water and went up to Eliza.

‘We will not intrude on you further,' said Mina, ‘but let me know when Eliza is well enough to receive visitors, and if she would like to see me, then of course I will come at once.'

‘I am expected at Miss Eustace's séance in two days' time,' said Dr Hamid. ‘Should I go? Or would it be better to sever all relations with that circle?'

Richard raised his eyebrows. ‘Miss Scarletti asked me to watch carefully at these meetings to see if the sitters were being duped,' Dr Hamid explained.

‘I leave the choice to you,' said Mina. ‘Of course your sister is your first concern, I understand that.'

‘Oh, I think if you need a spy, Mina, that can be arranged,' said Richard. He was thoughtful as they made their way home. ‘So is that the summit of these charlatans' achievements so far? Rappings, tambourines, flowers, a shape that could be almost anything and Miss Eustace in glowing draperies?'

‘As far as I am aware.'

He was still carrying the tambourine which Dr Hamid, who was glad to see it gone, had presented to him.

‘Then I do not think Nellie has anything to learn from her, rather Miss Eustace must look to her reputation.'

‘I fear that we must both now be deemed an unacceptable presence at Miss Eustace's performances,' said Mina.

‘Oh, I shall find a way around that,' said Richard. ‘Leave it to me.'

The following day there were two pieces of news, which were brought to Louisa by Mrs Bettinson. Miss Eustace, she said, was suffering from a bad cold and had decided not to hold any further séances until her health was improved. Mina wondered if that was true, or simply an excuse to avoid possible detection. For all she knew Miss Eustace was even now packing her bags to leave Brighton, something that would happily resolve the difficulty. The second communication was more unsettling. Miss Whinstone, who had refused to tell even her closest friends what was troubling her, had been briefly absent from home on a number of occasions for reasons she would not divulge, and had, according to her servant, recently gone away, her destination, purpose and date of return unknown.

Richard had also departed, and Mina found herself for a time bereft of company. She wrote to Edward, saying as little as possible about Richard's visit, and expressing her hopes that Miss Eustace would not trouble her further.

Miss Whinstone did not appear in church on the Sunday and neither did Mr Bradley. Mrs Bettinson, in a towering mood of frustration, revealed that she still had no idea of Miss Whinstone's whereabouts, although she had called again and been told by the servant that a letter had been received from her employer, giving her instructions and promising to return very shortly. The servant had, to Mrs Bettinson's extreme annoyance, refused to divulge the contents of Miss Whinstone's confidential missive. Mina thought that had such an incident occurred in one of her stories then Miss Whinstone would by now have been murdered for her money, her body, probably headless, hidden in a cellar, and a letter forged to conceal the crime, but she doubted that this was really the case. Mr Bradley's absence was more easily explained. Mrs Bettinson said that he had had an interview with the Reverend Vaughan and as a result had decided to attend another place of worship. She had also been making enquiries after Miss Eustace, and learned that the lady was in better health and hoped to resume her séances later in the week. Mr Clee, she added significantly, was also said to be slightly indisposed.

When Mina returned from church a very troubling note awaited her. Anna Hamid had written to say that although Eliza had recovered from her shock, she had since fallen ill. A heavy cold had settled on her lungs; she was too unwell to receive visitors, and was being nursed night and day. Mina sent a note to express her concern, enclosing one of her stories, which she hoped Anna might like to read to Eliza. The next day she received a reply from Anna who said that Eliza had enjoyed hearing the story and sent her kind wishes to Mina, hoping she would be well enough to see her soon.

Mina's mother had received information that Miss Eustace hoped to be sufficiently recovered to hold another séance in four days' time, and Miss Whinstone was expected home that evening. Mina had heard nothing more from Richard, and was unwilling to rely upon him, since that course of action was more likely to result in disappointment than anything else. For all she knew the delightful Nellie Gilden had decided to return to M. Baptiste, or Richard had thought of another scheme to make his fortune. Dr Hamid and Anna would be devoting themselves to their own concerns and she was left to pursue her worries alone.

Mina wondered if there was, unknown to her, another possible ally. Perhaps one of the ladies who attended Miss Eustace's séances was a sceptic like herself, but had been nervous of speaking out. While she might have visited all the ladies concerned, she decided on a faster and simpler method of interview. It took very little prompting for Mina to achieve her aim, and two days later, Mrs Bettinson, the two widowed sisters Mrs Mowbray and Mrs Peasgood, and Mrs Phipps all came to take tea with her mother.

Their first and it seemed main subject of conversation was Miss Whinstone, who had suddenly taken it into her head to adopt two orphaned children, a boy and a girl, aged about seven and nine. Even the usually sleepy Mrs Phipps was wide awake during that startling revelation. Only Mrs Bettinson had seen the children, and said that they were clean and well behaved. They did not, she said rather too pointedly for politeness, resemble Miss Whinstone. Her friend had refused to divulge her reasons for the adoption, except to say that she had been very selfish of late, and felt that she ought to do some good in the world. The children were to live with her during the summer under the care of a nursemaid, and would shortly be found good schools.

The general feeling of the ladies present, at least the opinion that they chose to speak aloud, was that Miss Whinstone had felt lonely since her brother had died, and was entitled to spend her income as she pleased if it brought her consolation.

Mina was able to introduce the subject of Miss Eustace without difficulty by making an enquiry as to that lady's state of health. All the visitors were pleased to hear that the séances were soon to resume, something they were eagerly anticipating. ‘I would not miss one for anything!' said Mrs Mowbray. ‘Such a good company there, too! That handsome Dr Hamid is a very fine gentleman, and a great favourite! I went for a vapour bath last week, and I had thought to see him, but the ladies are all attended to by his sister who is very clever lady and I hope to be better acquainted with her.'

Mina thought it best to make no mention of Eliza's illness or Mrs Mowbray would be sure to hurry round and attempt to see her. She did her best to direct the conversation back to the success or otherwise of Miss Eustace's séances.

‘All that flim-flam with bells and knockings are one thing,' said Mrs Bettinson, ‘and if I hadn't had a private sitting I would be starting to wonder if the lady had any means of speaking to the spirits at all, but when I did, why, that decided me. I heard things she could not have known about. Miss Eustace has never in her life met my brother-in-law, or anyone in my family, but she knew where and when he died and what of. He was always a great one for worrying about his business even when he didn't need to, and through Miss Eustace he told me how happy he was it did so well, and how pleased he was with his partners and how they used their funds.
And
he said he liked the way my sister had arranged the drawing room, but told her not to wind the clock too strong because that made it stop. He was always fussing about that clock. If that wasn't him talking I don't know who it was.'

‘It was the same for me,' said Mrs Peasgood. ‘Mrs Scarletti, you really ought to consult her when she starts the séances again. I had such good advice from my dear Charles at the private sitting that it was almost as if he stood in the room with me.'

‘I have already done so,' said Louisa, ‘and I had no doubt that it was Henry who addressed me.' She paused, and sat very straight with a proud look. ‘In fact I saw him, standing before me, as clearly as I see you all now, and we conversed, and he kissed me. I would not have permitted such a familiarity had I not been quite sure that it was my own beloved husband.'

This was the first that Mina had known that her mother had attended a private sitting with Miss Eustace. The nature of the revelation left her momentarily speechless, but her silence was not noticed since her mother was assailed by a battery of questions from her friends, which she fended off with a quiet smile. Mina, full of her own concerns, decided that the matter was too personal, too intimate to be aired in company and would have to wait.

‘I would like to attend a private sitting with Miss Eustace if I am permitted,' said Mina, when she was able to join the conversation. ‘Does the lady give of her time gratis or does she ask for a charitable contribution?'

‘You know very well, Mina,' said her mother, ‘that the lady does not ask for anything for herself and it is left entirely to the person who consults her if they wish to make their appreciation known.'

‘I had thought to consult her, but Ronald is quite against it,' said Mrs Phipps. ‘He says that if I want advice I should ask him.'