Page 50 of A Spell of Midlife Mayhem

I turned the corner at the middle landing, my hands gripping the thick wooden balustrades for support. The exertion of scampering up the stairs left me puffing, and I stopped for a quick breather. Ronald nimbly climbed the remaining steps and set off for the library.

‘Mr Morris, wait,’ I tried to shout, but only a cough and a hoarse wheeze came out.

I hastened up the rest of the stairs, hauling myself along the banister as I went, and emerged onto the top landing.

Too late. Ronald turned into the library from the dim passage.

My teeth gritted. I waited for the scream, but it never came.

Melissa poked her head out of the countess’s bedchamber, frowning. ‘Are you okay, Heather?’

I waved an acknowledgement and nodded as I caught my breath. ‘I’m fine. Just hurried too much.’

‘It looks like you’ve been running. Don’t do that in this house. People trip sometimes.’

‘Thanks for the advice.’

Melissa turned back into the bedroom.

Breathing hard, I made my way to the library, entered and looked around. It was empty, apart from Ronald. The earl had vanished, or gone through a wall, or whatever ghosts do when they want to make their exit.

‘Everything all right, Mr Morris?’ I asked as the retired researcher set up his notes on the desk and fetched a book from the shelves. It was the same volume he’d studied on the previous occasion.

He lifted his head. ‘Yes. Absolutely fine.’ He held the bulky book up so I could see it more clearly. The cover was dark leather with silver etching in the title. ‘This is a long-lost witch’s spell book. I’ve been searching for it for months. Do you know what that means?’ he asked, a thrill of excitement in his voice.

‘Your search is over?’ I was confused. ‘Do you mean it’s the spell book of a witch who’s missing, or is it the book that was thought to be missing?’

He chuckled. ‘The latter. And it was shelved in the library here all along. Now, I’ve verified this is the right one.’

‘Congratulations. What’s in it? Anything interesting?’

Ronald put the book down and stroked his chin. ‘Unfortunately, I cannot read it. But I do know what it is supposed to contain from other academic texts.’ He sat at the desk and reached for his pen.

I was far too curious to leave now. ‘So, what’s supposed to be in it, according to those academic texts?’

He looked up. ‘Well, apparently, it contains many spells—some mundane, some powerful. It’s written that there are love spells, healing spells, attack spells and more. If you believe in that sort of rubbish. I’m investigating only out of academic curiosity.’

‘Of course.’ I had to get a peek inside that book! Maybe I can take photos of several pages and show Aunt Ruth. Perhaps she can read them. Maybe one of the healing spells can help her recovery, perhaps even regain her mobility.

Ronald didn’t reply. As he became more engrossed with his work, I left the library. I could examine the book and its contents closely myself later. Would Lydia let me borrow it if it might help Aunt Ruth?

I wandered along the hall, checking the rooms for other visitors.

An American couple were in the earl’s bedchamber, chatting about how the furniture would suit their summer house. I hovered at the doorway in case they intended to steal something, but moved on when they chortled. They’d been joking.

I wandered back to the grand staircase. Down below, Penny’s voice rang out as she welcomed someone to the house. Half a minute later, a young man bounded up the stairs. He was dressed in a heavily decorated white jumpsuit zipped open to his waist. White dancing shoes complemented his outfit. His hair was slicked back with an oily mixture.

I did a double-take. It was Elvis Presley.

I stopped him. ‘I’m honoured to meet you,’ I said. ‘I’ve always loved your music.’

He gave me a sideways look for a few moments, then laughed. ‘Gee, thanks. It’s great to find a fan.’

‘You’re looking wonderful. But I don’t understand. Aren’t you earthbound in Memphis? How did you get here?’

‘Memphis? No. I came by bicycle from Richmond. I’m staying in a boutique hotel there. It was easy.’ He tried to move past me, but I blocked him.

‘Ghosts ride bikes?’

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