Voices in a Haunted Room

It was clear what had happened. The unsuspecting horse had tripped over the rope and thrown the rider.

What a wicked thing to do! I went to the man lying there. His eyes were shut but he was still breathing.

I must get help at once, and in the quickest possible way.

My heart leaped with horror, for the man lying on the ground was Billy Grafter.

I stood looking down at him for what seemed a long time, but it could only have been a matter of seconds.

So he was here! It was true that people had seen him. They had believed it was his ghost but it was in fact Billy Grafter in the flesh. What was he doing here? He must have friends here. Who?

He looked very pale and there was a trickle of blood on his forehead. I must get help at once.

As I looked at him the thought struck me that he could not have been there very long.

Five minutes perhaps. I had been late in leaving Enderby. If I had not been, should I have been the one who tripped over the rope?

The suspicion came to me. It had been meant for me. I was shaken. Someone had wanted to kill me. Someone had planned an accident ... for me ... and Billy Grafter had come along and been the one who was caught. What should I do?

I was midway between Eversleigh and Enderby. The best plan would be to go to Eversleigh.

There were plenty of grooms. I would get Billy Grafter to Eversleigh and then send for Jonathan.

I rode as fast as I could. There was no one in the stables, but when I shouted several of them came running.

“There’s been an accident,” I cried. “It’s that man Billy Grafter who people thought was drowned. He’s on the bridle path midway between here and Enderby. Someone tied a rope about the bushes so that it was across the path and riders would trip in the dark. He’ll have to be brought here. You’ll need a stretcher.”

They gaped at me for a few seconds and then set about doing my bidding.

I went into the house. My mother was in the hall. She began: “What on earth has happened?

You look as if you have seen a ghost.”

I said: “There’s been an accident. It’s Billy Grafter. There was a rope tied across the path. His horse must have tripped and thrown him.”

“My dear Claudine, what are you saying? Here. Sit down. You don’t look too well yourself.

Tell me exactly what happened.”

I told her that I had been visiting Aunt Sophie and when I came back through the bridle path I had found Billy Grafter lying there because Ms horse had thrown him.

“Mischievous children,” said my mother.

I shook my head. “I’ve sent them to bring him in. They shouldn’t be long. We’ll have to look after him.”

I had not told her that I had seen Billy Grafter in London when I was with Jonathan.

I knew that I had to be careful. I had become involved in those secrets which were part of the life of my stepfather and his son; and I knew that even my mother was excluded from some of them.

I wondered if I had been wise to mention Billy Grafter, but as I had already told myself, they would know him when he was brought in.

I was waiting with my mother when the men came back.

Billy Grafter was not with them.

They looked very strange, I thought, and they avoided my eyes.

I cried out: “What ... Where?”

“Mrs. Frenshaw, Madam, we went there. We went to the path. We looked everywhere.

There was nobody there.”

“Nobody! But I saw ...”

“No, Mrs. Frenshaw, Madam ... there was no one.”

“But his horse?”

“Nor horse. Nor man.”

“There was a rope round the bushes ... across the path.”

They shook their heads. “We looked for a rope. There was nothing there.”

“But it’s impossible. He was lying there ... unconscious. I saw him. The horse was there too. I left him because I wanted to get help as soon as possible.” They shook their heads.

I knew they thought that I had been the victim of an hallucination. I had seen the ghost of Billy Grafter, for when they had gone to the spot there was no sign of him, no man, no horse, no rope. Nothing.

It was to be expected that such an event would be wildly commented on. It went through the servants’ hall and from there to every dwelling in the neighbourhood.

What Mrs. Frenshaw had seen was the ghost, it was said. He had come back to avenge his murderer ... and the murderer of his friend, Alberic.

I knew there was one thing I had to do and that was get a message to Jonathan. He wanted Billy Grafter, and I, who had clearly seen him lying there, and who knew that he had not died with Alberic as people here believed, and that he was engaged in spying for those who wished harm to our country, was fully aware that Billy Grafter was close at hand. He must have friends who helped him. He could not have recovered in time to take himself and his horse away and at the same time remove the rope from the bushes. He had an accomplice and that accomplice could well be someone whom we knew.

I should have liked to set out for London but that was impossible. If only Dickon were at Eversleigh I could have left this to him. It was unfortunate that he had chosen this time to go to Clavering.