AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Stephanie looked around. It had been two days since moving in, and she felt like she was being watched. A constant presence lingered. Only, she spotted nothing or no one. Saying she was puzzled was an understatement. Stephanie had finally reached the point where she was beginning to consider if the inn was haunted. For two days, she’d cleaned the apartment thatbelonged to her now. Besides her living space, there were ten other bedrooms that could be rented out.
The apartment was generous, with three bedrooms, one large and two medium-sized, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. Although one was more a shower room, there was a small study and a living room. The apartment was the full length of one of the wings and situated in the attics. Which surprised her at how spacious it was. Stephanie had expected it to be cramped, but it wasn’t. There was a big window at the front letting sunlight stream into the hallway, and at the back were windows allowing plenty of light in.
Considering it was a listed building, Stephanie was shocked the extra windows had been allowed, but she was thankful for them. The furniture was seriously dated from the 1970s and, while serviceable, it was distasteful. Today she planned to order everything new online.
Unlike some of the others who’d struggled before Maggie won the lottery, Stephanie had some money hidden away. If Justin had found it, he’d have spent it quicker than she could blink. Her grandmother died a while ago and left her a small but decent inheritance. Stephanie would use that to furnish the apartment. She’d sold her previous house with the furniture, wanting to leave everything behind, so she also had money from that sale. Which meant Stephanie had enough to buy the furnishings she wanted.
Yawning widely, she moved into the kitchen and switched on one of the most modern pieces of equipment in there, a kettle that was at least five years old. The kitchen always felt welcome. The walls were brick on the outside wall and whitewashed plaster on the remaining three. It was a nice size and boasted a breakfast bar. Stephanie popped in two slices of bread and made coffee.
Hugging the cup to her, she stared out of the window at the private garden the inn came with. That was directly behind her wing of the inn, and it was at least three-quarters of an acre. The beer garden was behind the other wing.
Movement in her garden made her squint, and her gaze widened as she took in a faint figure gazing up at her.
It was tall, handsome, male… and see-through.
Stephanie’s mouth dropped open as he faded, and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. She stepped back from the window and sat heavily on a chair. Had she just seen a ghost, or had she finally lost her mind? Stephanie took a huge sip of the drink in her hands and blinked. Maybe she’d imagined it because she wasn’t awake yet? Stephanie preferred that idea.
She drank the rest of her coffee and headed for the shower. Today was going to be a long one shopping, although it would be much easier than braving the shops physically. Justin had left Stephanie with a genuine fear of being outside. Of being vulnerable.
Stephanie’s plan was to spend the day ordering her furniture. Then, tomorrow, she’d start searching for items for the eight bedrooms. They all required a good deep cleaning, but she had no plans to change the décor. The wooden floorboards needed sanding and re-varnishing, and the beams in the ceiling were already black. The outside walls were brick, while the internal walls were plaster and beams. All that needed doing was a fresh coat of white paint. It was minor work, but messy.
Unfortunately, the furnishings were beyond saving.
Someone had smashed through the bedrooms, ruining all the furniture. Tables were broken, chairs had legs ripped off, the beds had been hit with a hammer or something and the slats were shattered. Cushions and curtains have been ripped to pieces, and pillow stuffing torn out. Stephanie believed there was anger and hate to this level of destruction, but she didn’tcare. What mattered was ensuring the replacement furniture matched the style of the rooms.
Stephanie had no intention of destroying the beautiful old-fashioned inn and making it a modern gastro pub or similar. She adored the features from the horseshoes above the two entrances to the brass medallions nailed to the walls. She was also puzzled why her living quarters were quite habitable, yet the guest bedrooms had been smashed up. But for now, it didn’t matter.
“Get your tush moving, Stephanie,” she said to herself just to hear someone’s voice.
She snickered before turning around.
Then her eyes widened.
Quietly standing in the kitchen doorway was a man. His hair was loose and fell in soft brown waves around his face. He was tall, over six feet, with broad shoulders, lean hips and long, muscled legs. His face was as handsome as any she’d seen, but his keen green eyes observed her.
What surprised Stephanie was how he was clothed. His clothing was old, at least a couple of centuries old, but he was dressed casually. He wore a white shirt, open at the neck, fawn-coloured tight trousers tucked into black knee-high boots, and a gold embroidered blue waistcoat completed the outfit. There was no cravat or coat to his attire.
“Don’t be afraid. My name is Kit,” the ghost said.
Stephanie’s mouth opened, her eyes rolled up, and she collapsed into a small heap on the floor.
Kit
“Oh, hell!” Kit exclaimed as he leapt forward to stop Stephanie smashing her head on the floor. That hadn’t quite gone as well as he’d planned.
The White Witch jabbed at him in amusement, and he sent her a wordless admonishment. In response, The White Witch returned a tinkle of laughter.
Kit patted Stephanie’s cheeks until her eyelids fluttered, and she opened her eyes. Confusion warred with disbelief as she studied him.
“If I may introduce myself? My name is the Honourable Christopher Norton, the second youngest of my siblings. I am a brother to the Earl of Castleton, Lord Lucian Norton,” Kit said gently.
“You’re—you’re a ghost,” Stephanie stuttered.
“This is my inn, my home,” he said, nodding. “I have been dead many a year.”
“And you haunt my inn?”
“We might disagree, miss. This was my inn long before you bought it and has been ever since. You are the intruder,” Kit offered with a charming smile.
