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“Naturally.” Gregory shook Robert’s hand, then walked him to the office door. “Have a good drive back to the hotel.”
“It’s a pretty countryside. It’d be hard not to.”
Gregory watched Robert’s retreating back until he disappeared around the corner into the foyer. Only then did he hit the intercom. “Martin, could you come in here?”
Martin’s office sat two doors down. He appeared in the doorway seconds later. The wince crossed his face immediately. “Went that well, did it?”
“I am currently angrier than I have been in the last six months,” Gregory said.
“Want to talk about it?”
“If ‘talk’ involves a broomstick and the boards’ heads hung up like pinatas, then yes. I’d love to talk about it.”
“Right. No talking about it. What do you need instead?”
“Find me a forensic accountant. Robert was especially resistant to telling me anything about those payments.” Gregory nodded towards the spreadsheet on the screen. “He said he’d ‘look into it and get back to me’, but I suspect he was just telling me what I wanted to hear.”
Martin nodded. “All right. Anything else?”
“Have my finance person watch Robert’s activities with company funds. And open some ears, as it were. If anyone is moving against me as head of this company, I want to know the moment they twitch.”
“This must have been one hell of a meeting.”
“It was interesting. Informative. Motivational.” Gregory nodded towards the door. “For now, I’ll leave you to it. I need to check in with Gran, and then, I have an extremely important duty to take care of.”
Martin arched an eyebrow. “Dare I inquire?”
“I have to make sure my mother hasn’t scared Hanna into the next county.”
“You have my very best wishes for good luck and success in your endeavors, Greg.” Martin strode for the door. At the last moment, he glanced over his shoulder. “Better you than me. Do you suppose we ought to ring the ambulance now, in case she opts for another sudden onset of false chest pains?”
Gregory pointed. “Get out of my office, you pain in my ass.”
Martin laughed and fled.
With a heaved sigh, Gregory followed.It’s not me who may need those good wishes.
* * *
Hanna hadn’t expected sucha blatant confirmation of her suspicions. Then again, Vivian didn’t seem like a woman who minced words or danced around a topic, either, not when coming right out with it would do. Perhaps it was another test of Hanna’s character, since she would be comforting the little ghost, or perhaps it was a desperate hope that the newest resident of the household would listen where others would not. Carrying the burden of knowledge that only she could understand had to have worn her thin.
Despite the preternatural chill that pervaded the room, Hanna moved to crouch down next to the wheelchair, facing into the room. “Hello,” she said gently. “My name is Hanna. I’m here to be your governess, and I hope we can be good friends. I’m sorry I can’t see you properly. You’re just very good at hide and seek, I think.”
The cold air flashed colder with sudden surprise, but then faded. Hanna’s breath stopped pluming in front of her.That’s a good sign. I think.
“I know it’s hard to get used to a new situation,” she continued. “We’ll both have to get to know each other. I’ll have to learn to see to it you have what you need. I hope you’ll be patient with me while I figure it out. We’ll learn to communicate with each other if we can. I’ll do my best if you will. Deal?”
She held out her hand. Quiet. Then, a cold gust of air brushed over her outstretched palm.
“Deal, then! I’m looking forward to learning about you. I’m going to finish talking to Vivian, but I’ll be right here. If I’m not in this room, I’m in the house somewhere, or maybe in the gardens. I won’t leave without telling you I’m going.” Hanna straightened up.
Vivian looked up at her with a smile that held both relief and respect. “He shook your hand. Did you feel it?”
“I felt the cold air and thought that’s what had happened,” Hanna said. “Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time I’ve been in a haunted house. My friend has one, and even if I didn’t spend much time in it, it certainly opened my eyes to the presence of lingering spirits.”
“In truth, dear, I didn’t know if you’d believe in them at all. Gregory doesn’t.” Vivian glanced towards the door with an expression of surprising melancholy Hanna didn’t understand.
“That’s a shame,” was all Hanna could think to say to that. “Maybe he’ll come around.”
